Category: Slideshow

“But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2:19

I am sure Mary never forgot the angels, the shepherds, the star, or the wise men. These were things that I am sure were burned into her memory. How is your memory doing these days? It appears to me that people forget more things than they used to. So many people miss appointments now that some places even charge a fee for no-shows. Memory loss was once relegated to those with dementia or just growing old, but now I know many young people who seem to be lost in a fog.

As I write this article, it is November 13th. This may be a special day for you. But I don’t remember many November 13ths in my life. I don’t even recall many July 4ths. I don’t remember most of my own birthdays, or Thanksgivings or Easters, for that matter. But I remember Christmas. I may not remember each one of them in the correct order. I may not be able to recall all the specific events, but I remember Christmas—even the ones from over 70 years ago.

What is your favorite Christmas memory? If you had the opportunity to share, what might you recall? Would it be your family gathered around the Christmas tree or the laughter and fellowship of visiting family and friends? Would it be a special kiss under the mistletoe or struggling to assemble a toy? Would it be visiting with relatives or perhaps even experiencing a hardship or illness?

What is it about Christmas memories that seems to make them last longer? Is it just me, or do you have the same experience? Is there some special power in Christmas memories? When I smell Christmas trees, for example, I remember the live trees we always had at home when I was a child. I visited my granddad’s house hundreds of times growing up, but it is the Christmases I usually remember. I remember Grandma’s decorations. I remember the wreath they hung on the door. I remember the aroma coming from the kitchen. I remember her Christmas fruitcake. What is this about Christmas memories?

Another cool thing about Christmas memories is that, even in the middle of July, if you are having a bad day, you can pull one out, and it can lighten your load. Christmas memories can even recenter your life and help you recall who you really are.

Isn’t that what happened to Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens’s classic story? As the story begins, it would be hard to imagine a more miserly and miserable man than Ebenezer Scrooge, who, among other things, hated Christmas, regarding it as nothing but a “humbug.” But Scrooge was transformed. On Christmas morning after his metamorphosis, he confessed to being “as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy.” Yet, the new Scrooge wasn’t only delighted to say “Merry Christmas” to his neighbors rather than “Bah! Humbug”, he actually wanted to spend time with the family he had previously spurned. Relationships mattered to him more than they had in decades. On top of that, Scrooge had come to care deeply about others, expressing his concern with generosity toward people in poverty, a newfound fairness as a boss, and a passionate personal investment in Tiny Tim’s life.

What brought about such a miraculous change in Scrooge? Was it not, in part, the memories of Christmas past? Scrooge became filled with Christmas memories from his pre-humbug life as he also assessed his post-humbug future. Scrooge was transported back to the place where he was a lad in boarding school. When Scrooge was reminded of his boyhood self, left alone at Christmas in his dismal school, Scrooge sobbed with newfound emotion. He then recalled the Christmas parties that old Fezziwig would give to his employees and friends. Suddenly, the cold-hearted Scrooge became strangely warmed, softened by the power of his memories. By the end of the first ghostly visit, Scrooge was well on his way to becoming a new man.

I know this was only a story, it was make-believe, and there are some elements in the story that, as a Christian, you may not appreciate. Still, there is a good reason to believe that powerful Christmas memories can actually make a positive difference in our lives, too. Jump-starting our fondest memories could be a good thing. Positive Christmas memories can enrich your life today. They can help you to live in the present while facing the future with greater delight and a depper understanding. Often, reflecting on the past enables you to experience a more profound sense of who you are and why you are alive.

How should we think about this from a Christian perspective? Here are four brief implications.

First, if we believe that everything that has happened in your life has been allowed by God and that He can use it for ultimate good, then recalling those memories would be a good thing. God wants us to enjoy the good gifts He has given us throughout our lives. God wants you to remember that He has made a long-term investment in your life.

Second, memories can be a pathway to gratitude. As you allow your mind to enjoy pleasant memories, you can pause to thank God for them, and for the people and events they have brought to mind. There is much in Scripture that encourages us to remember the past. Usually, these are memories of what God has done in the past—events that might still be influencing our present. These memories help us always to remember God’s never-ending love and faithfulness in our own lives.

Third, though memories can also bring to mind painful episodes from our past, looking back, we may very well see God’s presence even in those hard times. We might now see how God used those struggles to help us grow to be more like Jesus.

Fourth, research suggests that nostalgia might motivate you to be more understanding and tolerant of others. A little more empathy for others can go a long way to promoting peace on earth. Plus, empathy for those who are suffering might spur you on to greater generosity, as happened with Ebenezer Scrooge.

Perhaps we should all attempt to create a special Christmas memory this year. It could be a fresh reminder of what Christmas is really all about – the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, and the joy of celebrating His birth. Think about it. It doesn’t require a trip to the store, an online purchase, or a large sum of money to make Christmas memories that will last. It often just needs one small investment, a little bit of time.

You see, God designed us for relationships. In other words, He never intended for us to be alone. More importantly, He wants us to remember the gifts He has given us, which are right in front of us every single day. In addition to the gift of His Son, He gave us the gift of our loved ones, our family and friends, and the memories that naturally followed. And now, for me, the memories of more than half a century of Christmases seem to be as fresh as they were the day they were born. These are not tattered, faded black-and-white photographs, but vivid, clear memories of the priceless gift of the abundant life God has bestowed upon me.

Ebenezer Scrooge said, “I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year.” The only real way you can do that is if we retain in our hearts hundreds of Christmas memories. Each one is as unique as a snowflake.

This Christmas, I will hold dear all my memories of the past, yet embrace the excitement and joy of the present, especially when looking into the eyes of my grandchildren and great grandchildren, because I am sure that, as each of them anticipates the future, they will also be building memories. And maybe, I might be in some of those memories. That would be nice, because Christmas memories seem to last the longest.

Dr. Worthington has been in the ministry nearly fifty years and serves as President of Pathway Ministries and Christian Bible College.

Quite often I have spoken about retreating from a life of triviality and escaping this modern desire to be entertained. I sat in a waiting room the other day and watched the people come and go.  Over the course of about 45 minutes at least a dozen different people came and went.  Do you know what they all did?  Within 60 seconds of sitting down, without exception, they all pulled out their smart phones.  I guess they were bored.

Perhaps they were reading articles that they used to find in the crumpled-up pages of waiting room magazines, but in most cases, I think not.  I would like to think they found an electronic way to redeem the time, maybe it was a Bible app, but I think they were just bored.  What is boredom, and why did God create the world with boredom as a main feature of daily life; at least in this age? I’m not talking about clinical depression, but the general boredom in this life, common to most all of us.

When we are busy with work, family, and hobbies, we may not feel it. But it’s always there. A moment of downtime and boredom finds us again. Such boredom in this world seems to lead to all sorts of behaviors that Christians deem sinful: Overindulging in smart phones, social media, entertainment, and gaming, having illicit relationships and affairs, and participating in gossip and idle conversation.

It has always puzzled me that God, at least in terms of His sovereignty over fallen man’s daily experience, has us experience a seemingly constant desire to be entertained or to otherwise “escape” from reality.  We prefer not to think. Thus, the constant desire for amusement, that is “not-thinking.” At the root, what is boredom? What causes it? What does it signify? And do you think God has a purpose in it for his children?

Until recently, I had never considered how the concept of boredom is handled in the Bible. Of course, the word’s not actually in the Bible. It is interesting to me that the Bible doesn’t have the word boring anywhere in it. Well, perhaps some versions might.  Even though the word boredom is not found in the Bible, there is a whole book devoted to boredom. It’s called Ecclesiastes. Listen to this:

“Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever. The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits. All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again. All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.” Ecclesiastes 1:2–8

Now, that’s probably the closest thing you’ll get to the word boredom.  A broad statement that all of life is just emptiness.  “I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.” Ecclesiastes 1:14

That’s a very powerful description of a life that has sought non-boredom and didn’t find it anywhere under the sun — that is, without God.

Ecclesiastes is a book of what life is like if God is not in it.  If God is not the focal point of our lives, we are not going to find true meaning in life. The experience of boredom is universal, not that everybody experiences it all the time, but everybody has tasted it. And nobody likes it. Boredom by its very nature is unsatisfying. If you’re satisfied, you’re not bored.

Now, since nobody likes being bored, we all take steps, according to our various personalities, budgets, circumstances, and beliefs, to get rid of it. If we’re super energetic, we might work ourselves out of boredom or play ourselves out of boredom. And if we’re more lethargic, then we may just sit on the couch, grab our phones or turn the TV on, and try to get rid of our boredom electronically.

But, does boredom have a purpose?   Yes, I think it does.  Boredom is the relentless experience of not finding satisfaction in this world. Something starts out being exciting and satisfying, but soon we weary of it and we need something else. You can only stand in awe of Niagara Falls for a few hours.  After that, you are ready to get back to reality and watch television or check your social media.  You need something else to give you the excitement that Niagara Falls no longer supplies.  Even great things can become boring for the carnal human heart.

So, what did God have in mind when He ordained the universal experience of boredom in a world of sin and rebellion against God? What’s his purpose for it? May I share three thoughts?

We Were Made for God

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He hath made everything beautiful in his time: also, he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.” Now, I don’t know all that this verse means, but the least that it means, is that God plans for human beings to be frustrated with their experience in this world until they realize that they were made to have intimate fellowship with God.  He has all the answers we want.  Answers we long for because He put the longing there in the first place.

We Were Also Made for Another World

Here’s the way C.S. Lewis says it: “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” Or to say it another way, if we find that nothing in this world is a long-term solution to the problem of boredom, we were probably made for another world. Boredom points to God. That’s God’s purpose for boredom in this fallen world: to point us to another world.

We Were Made to Be Restless

Most everything that we find interesting will fade in its glory.  Our interest will wane. Whether it is a new house, new car, or a new marriage, if we are not careful the excitement will fade over time. I think that is God’s design in this universal experience of boredom: Soon we will exhaust our amazement with everything, but we will never exhaust our amazement with God.  Boredom points us to the origin of everything interesting, and to the world where no one will ever be bored again; God’s presence through Jesus Christ.

Now, if you happen to find yourself in a place where your faith doesn’t have the same fire and excitement that it used to have, let me give you a couple of things to check:

Check your Expectations. If you’re the type to sit on a stump and wait for God to work everything out, then you have likely entered the dangerous state of entitlement. We often make our relationship with God all about us and what we get from it. Of course, this doesn’t bode well in any relationship.

Check your Investments.  What are you putting into the relationship?  Although you can never earn or merit favor from God, what we get out of any relationship is often linked to whatever we put into it.

Check your Influences. I heard it once said, “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.” It makes a difference who you spend your time with.  Proverbs. 27:17 tells us that “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”

So, the question is, who is sharpening you? Do you seek counsel from the wise and prudent?  Do you have someone that you are accountable to? Is there anyone in your circle that you report to regularly to sharpen and help you to keep the spirit alive? If not, then you are no longer being affected and you’re likely being infected. There is no neutral in the spirit realm. It’s either Heavenly, or it’s demonic.

Check your Itinerary. The number one, excuse for not spending time with God is busyness.  We are prone to believe the enemy’s lies that we don’t have time to be with God.  Yet, we all do.

Boredom is rampant because there is not much in this world that will not eventually bore you.  However, God is so infinite, so amazing, so unsearchable that you will never be bored with Him.  Perhaps that explains why we are often bored in the first place.  Rather than being bored to death; God desires us to be bored to life!

Dr. Worthington has been in the ministry for over forty five years and serves as President of Pathway Ministries and Christian Bible College.

“Oh, gross!  Mom, this is gross!  It feels all squishy to my hands. I hate to unstop the sink.  It’s got all kinds of gook in the bottom.  It feels yucky!” Mom would look amused and say, “You just put the same stuff in your mouth, and it looks much worse in your stomach.” Of course, I made a terrible face.  As many children have often replied, I quickly piped up, “But that’s different.” Continue reading “Difficult Medicine”

“He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him.” 

Proverbs 16:26

This verse means that the threat of hunger keeps us working, even when we may not want to work.  Our appetite for food and shelter works for us by urging us forward unto labor.

But, what happens when people who are able to work can get food, shelter, and clothing without working? They become lazy, spending their time on gossip, quarrels, games, and trouble. The Apostle Paul instructed the new Church in Thessalonica not to feed people who would not work,

 “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.” 

II Thessalonians 3:10-12

Welfare, whether from family, church, or civil government, that does not urgently encourage work, or that is structured so as to make it irrational to earn more money, sabotages the connection God made between work, and eating. It keeps a person’s appetite from working for him.

Some people, of course, cannot work, and should be voluntarily helped with food, clothing, and shelter by those who can. But, wise moms and dads, along with wise churches and societies, will not sever the relationship between work and eating that God has established. A worker’s appetite should be allowed to work for him, his belly urging him on to work.

Most of our food today is not grown on our own property so it becomes easy to disassociate food with work.  But, make no mistake about it, someone had to work to put food on our tables.  Someone, usually a lot of some ones, picked up the tab.

As I looked around our kitchen the other day, I tried to identify where all the food came from. The easiest answer to that, of course, is the supermarket; and for many people that’s the beginning and end of the thought process.  Most of the canned foods came from a factory here in America.  The bananas probably came from South or Central America.  Olive oil came from Spain and spices came from different places around the world.  Vanilla extract comes from the island of Madagascar.  Coffee probably came from Peru and the tea came from India.  My Diet Dr. Pepper must have come from heaven itself.

Every time I sit down for a meal we should take a moment to be thankful. Often, from places far away the food has been harvested by people often earning very little money. Our food has been transported by rail, trucks, ships, or cargo planes.  If any of those chains were to be broken by drought, war, strikes, or economic collapse then, the food might not be on my plate at all.

In fact, we know that there are going to be shortages from time to time and prices are going to go up. We may think food prices here in America are going up too much but what about the poorest countries? We have recently read of impossible price rises in places where people have the least money to pay.  The point is, no one eats for free.  Even if you grow your own food, you still have to pay for it with labor.  If you are on welfare, you still need to understand that someone still has to pick up the check.

Someone Had to Invest

Farmers invest a lot of money each year just to prepare the soil and then buy seed and fertilizer for the crops.  The rancher invests a lot of time and money to purchase or breed livestock that will one day be placed on your table.  Two million farms dot America’s rural landscape, and 98% are operated by families – individuals, family partnerships or family corporations.  One U.S. farm feeds 166 people annually in the U.S. and abroad. The global population is expected to increase by 2.2 billion by 2050, which means the world’s farmers will have to grow about 70% more food than what is now produced.  That is going to take a lot of investment of money and hard work.  But, someone does it and because someone does it, I can have food on my table.

Someone Had to Nurture

Only heroic efforts by farmers and ranchers have kept American supermarket shelves supplied. In many ways, buying our food from the supermarkets has made us forget how much work is involved.  The harvest is also a bit of a gamble.  Truth be told, failed harvests happen somewhere in the world all the time. Remember the blight that wiped out the potato crop in Ireland in 1845. One million Irish people died and another two million emigrated to the United States and elsewhere; and the memory still lingers on.

Even today, floods, drought, and disease can wipe out the farmer’s investment long before the harvest ever comes.  It takes a lot of work and money to keep the food flowing to your table.

Someone Had to Harvest

A peach, a strawberry, a tomato that is good today may not good tomorrow. That’s how quick things can ripen.  Even more forgiving crops, like bell peppers, have a short harvesting window of two to five days.  The harvest is critical for the farmer.  They need skilled and unskilled laborers to work their fields, and a reliable supply chain to deliver their goods. Increased fuel costs have made operating harvesting equipment more expensive than ever.  It took a lot of work to put that food on your table.

Someone Had to Process

It’s always been tough to get people to work in a food plant, but recently empty grocery store shelves reflect how labor scarcity is now the major issue for many food processors. It is often the cause of the kinks that upset the entire food supply chain. Grocers are having trouble getting orders filled.  One manager of a local chain store indicated that he was only receiving about 40% of what he ordered from many of his suppliers.  Indeed, without workers to process the food there would not be food on your table.

Someone Had to Transport

Even if the farmers and ranchers produce the food, the food supply chain relies on a complex web of interconnected infrastructure to get it to your table. For example, a lot of grain produced throughout the Midwest is transported to the Port of New Orleans for export. The infrastructure along these waterways has not been overhauled since their construction in 1929. They represent a serious bottleneck, slowing down innumerable supply chains nationwide, including that of grain. If they were to fail entirely, then commodity transport and supply chains would be completely disrupted for months.  Railroads are also important for moving grain. Fresh produce, on the other hand, is often moved around the country by refrigerated truck.

The point is, you and I routinely purchase food that was grown more than 1000 miles away and transported to our local grocery store.  The cost of transporting our food is often very high.  Trucks, trains, and ships, all of which consume fossil fuels, are the primary methods for transporting large quantities of food around the world.  It costs these shippers a lot of labor and money to put food on your table.  No, you are not eating free.  You never have.

Someone Had to Merchandise

Food companies and supermarket chains’ costs are rising as they struggle to operate with fewer employees.  We should be thankful for all the people unloading the trucks, stocking the shelves, cleaning and helping us purchase our food.  It takes a lot of money and a lot of work to keep the doors open at our local market.

If You Are on Private or Government Assistance, Someone is Working For You

The last report I saw, showed that an estimated 52 percent of American households received benefits from one or more government programs.  It is probably higher than that now.

Rational people have long dreaded the day when we crossed the halfway mark because of all the implications for individual and fiscal responsibility. As Benjamin Franklin reportedly said, “When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.”  The country has crossed the entitlement tipping point.  The only hope is to try to get millions of Americans off the government benefits roll.

So, I challenge you, especially during this harvest season that when we look at the food on our plates,  remember those who cooked it, but remember too where the food came from; who planted it, who nurtured it, who harvested it and who brought it to market.  And if you are on some form of government welfare, remember who paid for it, because someone always has to pick up the check.

And let us be thankful, that when we look at how complicated it is just to get me a banana, yet in God’s goodness most of us have never been unintentionally hungry.  Those plates of food that you have for lunch today, have overcome the uncertainties of the weather, politics of the market, and shortages of labor and fuel to find its way on to our tables.  For that we should be thankful.  You see, it was not easy.  Someone had to work very hard.  Nor was it free because someone always has to pick up the check.

Dr. Worthington has been in the ministry for over forty five years and serves as President of Pathway Ministries and Christian Bible College.

“And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” 

Jeremiah 3:15

The Bible teaches us that as Christians, we have all been made partakers of the Divine nature. (II Peter 1:4) However, I also learn that He has given pastors a heart like His own.  Not perfect like His, of course… but still very much like His.

God has given pastors a heart to love God’s people. What an awesome responsibility that is. A heart that is open, not just for compassion, but for empathy; a heart to care for people during trials and troubles in their lives; to be with people as they walk through the journey of losing a loved one at death; to be with the family who struggles financially to make ends meet; and to be gifted with a heart that is open to those who are seeking to follow Christ.

Far greater than preaching, and certainly preaching is the heart of every pastor, it is the love that radiates and permeates in the life of God’s servant. People will soon forget a sermon no matter how good it is, but they will never forget a pastor who has loved them and ministered to them especially during the difficult times in their lives.

Therefore, one of the best yard sticks for a pastor’s love for God, is to measure it against his love for God’s people. That’s what the Lord told Peter after Peter affirmed his love for Christ. The Lord said: “feed my sheep” (John 21.16). So, how can a pastor love Christ? By loving the sheep, and members of his specific church in particular.  I think a good pastor shows his love for the people in several ways.

1. By preaching Christ to Them. A steady diet of biblical truth—the whole counsel of God– must come from the pulpit. The pastor who loves his people will constantly analyze the needs of his people, and will ask the Holy Spirit to give him the message he needs to tirelessly point them away from themselves and this world to Christ Jesus.  A pastor may build a huge ministry, but if he fails to faithfully preach the word, he is not doing the work God called him to do.

 

2. By praying for them. A pastor must give himself to the hard and holy duty of prayer. He must desperately plead the mercies of God, the power of the Spirit, and the illumination of the Word, not only for his own soul but also for each of his sheep individually.

 

3. By caring for them. The shepherd’s rod is used to bravely fight off the dangerous wolves, but it must also be used to tenderly give love, care, compassion, and guidance. Indeed, the pastor’s heart should be overflowing with affection for his people; even the rebellious ones. Oh, how a pastor longs for the maturity and growth of his people.  Oh, how he longs to minister to your needs, speak to you the truth in love, encourage you in Christ, and constantly remind you of your union with our Lord.  Oh yes, and to tell you of the future hope of the coming of Christ and your eternal glory with Him in heaven.

 

4. By developing leaders within them. The work must go on. So, it is a loving pastor who tries to replicate and replace himself.  With an unwavering trust in God’s timing and sovereignty, he looks for faithful men who can carry on the work in his absence.  A wise pastor knows that the church will never rise above the spiritual maturity of the male leadership, so he gives himself to the training and shepherding of other men through instruction, example, and prayer.

 

5. By modeling holiness among them. A pastor understands the power of example. He has read and understands why the Apostle Paul urges the believers to imitate him and follow his example. A minister realizes that verbal instruction is one thing, but his holy conduct is just as vital. He cannot preach one thing in the pulpit and unpreach what he has just said through his conduct. A shepherd says to the sheep: “Follow me as I follow Christ.” There must be a model of godliness and an example of the pursuit of Christ that the flock can find in their pastor. This above-reproach lifestyle is unquestionably necessary in every man of God.

 

Billy Graham once said, “The most important characteristic of any pastor is a heart for God, a deep desire to live for Christ and to see others come to know him and serve him”.  I realize and recognize how blessed I am that God has chosen me to be one of His vessels.

Pastoring is more than a profession, it is a calling, and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God has called me to this sacred task. I enjoy every moment of it, and am well aware that I cannot do it by myself. Thanks be unto God for choosing and using me. Thanks be unto God for the faithful people that I have pastored over the years.  Quite often, they saw something in me that I did not see in myself. I would like to share with you a letter I have written to all the wonderful people I have pastored over the years.  It is just a small attempt to express how privileged I have been to be your pastor.

Here is a Letter Pastor Worthington Shared With His Church Regarding A Pastor’s Love For His People.

Dear Church,

This is a love letter.  Not a letter of a sensual or romantic nature.  But a love letter none-the-less.  I speak as a Pastor deeply in love with the faithful members of my congregation.  It has been your prayers and loyalty that has helped sustain me over the years; and yes, for some of us it has been years.

I am not the type of fellow that moves from church to church, so I have always figured we are pretty much stuck with each other.  You were there when the young man that is still deep inside me was not covered with age spots, grey hair, and wrinkles.  You may not know it, but you helped me grow.  You see, even today every time I prepare a message, I always think of you.  I wonder if the message will minister to you and meet your needs.  I season it with prayer hoping that it might ease your burden, even a little.  We’ve been together long enough to see each other’s weakness, yet Christ has still allowed our love to grow.  Apparently, somewhere along the way we learned to forgive.  When God put you in my life, neither one of us had any idea what was to come. The years have been good, at least most of the time.

Of course, you’ve also seen me go through some pretty deep valleys.  You have helped to navigate through some of my toughest times, and most likely you didn’t even realize how priceless your support really was. You’ve seen me face the death of a loved one, betrayal, rejection, and a flood—or two.   Yet, each time as I hung upon the cross, I was called to bear, I looked out and you were there.  You were there with my closest family. Indeed, you were there as my closest family.  Your tears mingled with ours, and we were bonded together with the chains that are only forged in adversity.  You have always been there for me, for my wife, and for my family.  It has not gone unnoticed.  Nor, will it ever be forgotten.

I always like to get to church early.  I am sure you thought it was just a part of my compulsive need to be on time.  However, your analysis is only partially correct.  I get there so you might know how much I have longed to see you.  I get there to experience the joy of seeing you walk in.  There is something about you that just changes the atmosphere of the building.  Your presence gives me a big part of my reason for being there.  When you are not there, you are missed more than you might imagine.   I know our fellowship is small so it is easy to tell when someone is away, but your absence goes deeper than that.  I am not sure I can explain it.  Jesus loved the world, but the Scripture points out specifically that He loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.  There must have been something about being near them that He found comforting.  I find that comfort in you.

I cannot remember a time when you did not contribute to our work.  As our ministry has grown, so has your involvement.  Over time you have supported our church, our school, our college, our radio ministry, and our magazine.  There are dozens of other projects that prospered under your generosity.  You have unselfishly given of your time, treasure, and talents.  I know God has given me a mandate to study, preach, minister and lead.  But my service would not have been as effective if you had not accepted your mandate to attend, serve, and be involved.   As I look at all God has allowed me to do, I see the benefit of your investment in each endeavor.

It is becoming apparent that one day I will no longer be able to be your Pastor.  If our Lord tarries, age will continue to take its toll.  Just remember, it was not always my faith in God that kept me going.  Quite often, it was your faith in me that compelled me to take the next step.  I loved you too much to disappoint you or let you down.  Thank you for being a member of our church.  Thank you for being my friend. Thank you for forgiving my failures.  Thank you for being the one who didn’t leave. Thank you for making me feel strong, courageous, and brave; even when I wasn’t. Thank you for praying for me without ceasing. Thank you for constantly showing me that you were always there. Thank you for growing with me instead of away from me. Thank you for listening to my sermons, my counsel, and my jokes, although you could have easily received better from someone else.  Thank you for lifting me up.  And perhaps most remarkable, you did all this while bearing your own burdens, which at times were much heavier than my own.

One day, we shall enjoy eternity together.  Perhaps then we will have time to reflect on the work our Lord has allowed us to do together here on earth.  Oh, what a glorious moment to reflect over the years of memories while standing before the throne.

If there is anything I have learned in recent times, it is that acquaintances come and go. People change, and people often forsake you. Sometimes, without even giving it a second thought, we move away from each other and grow apart. However, a true friend is a treasure that should never be taken for granted.  I hope you know how loved and appreciated you are, by me and by hundreds of others whose lives you have selflessly entered.  I look at some people as friends, and some as family.  But I look at you as a friend who became family.

Over the years, I have been richly blessed by those who from the time we met, until the time of their home-going, they were always there for me.  They were faithful friends until the end of their earthly lives.  Oh, how wonderful it was.  But, in you I see something different.  I see the blessing of having the same friend during almost every stage of my life.  Although I can’t see the end of the journey yet, it appears that now I have been blessed with a friend until the end of my life.

I am so grateful that you are a faithful member of the church I am privileged to pastor, but much more than this, you have given me the gift of a priceless and treasured friendship.  My feelings cannot be expressed in a mere letter.  Words seem to come up short.  Yet, I pray in some small way I have conveyed how much you have contributed to my life.  I needed you more than you will ever know in this life.

I don’t know if our Lord will deem me worthy of any reward at the judgement, but should I be so blessed, I feel I should give my reward to you to lay at His feet.  You see, I know who God really used to make it all possible, and it wasn’t me.

Your grateful servant,

T. D. Worthington

As you enter the new year, do you ever feel like your life may be haunted by memories of the past?  Does it ever feel like something unresolved is wandering the hallways of your heart and mind that just won’t go away?  Is there something that you know is out of place in your Christian life?  Maybe it’s a secret, known only to you; and perhaps that’s best.  It needs to go away, and you know it, but it won’t; and perhaps it has been there for years. Let me give you some examples of what I’m talking about.

Have you ever had the same dream over and over? Have you ever had the same images appear in your dreams? What do you think it means, and why do you think it won’t go away?

Do you ever replay in your head particular events or experiences wishing you could go back and redo or undo what happened, or what you said or did? It’s as if our past has been raised, is alive, and ever present.

Do you sometimes feel like guilt, regret, or disappointment are always lurking close by, tracking and following you? No matter what you do or how long it’s been you just can’t get past the feeling.  Is there someone from your past that keeps intruding upon your thoughts.  It may be good thoughts, but most likely they are sinful thoughts that you wish would just go away.  But they won’t go away.  Even when you’re not consciously thinking about them, they just show up, uninvited and unwanted.

What fantasies or memories would you like to erase or delete? You want to forget them, you have tried to forget them, but they’re always there. They won’t let themselves be deleted.  What memories are still haunting you?  I think we all have those kinds of thoughts, feelings, fantasies, memories, and experiences from time to time. They keep showing up, asking to be acknowledged, and wanting to be dealt with. No matter how many times we let go of them, they won’t let go of us.

I wonder if that’s what’s going on as Herod hears about Jesus.  The Scripture tells us that he said, “It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.” That’s how Mark puts it, so although that is what he actually said, what he was thinking was perhaps more like this: “Oh, that’s just great!  He’s back. I thought I was done with that pesky locust eater. Why won’t he just leave me alone?  I can’t believe he is still alive”

Our Lord’s deeds of power:  calming the stormy sea, casting out demons, healing the sick, and raising Jairus’ daughter, have confronted Herod with his own abuse of power in the beheading of John the Baptist. He killed the truth teller, but the truth John told just won’t die. It won’t leave Herod alone. Herod is a haunted man. He’s also a confused and conflicted man.

The confusion and conflict are not between Herod and John; they’re within Herod himself. Something unresolved has come to visit Herod. On the one hand, Herod knew John was a just and holy man, and he even sought to protect him for a while.  On the other hand, “Herod feared John” and the truth he preached. On the one hand, Herod “heard [John] gladly.” On the other hand, he was greatly troubled by what he heard.

I know what that kind of conflict and confusion is like. We all have haunting memories.  We all have unresolved parts of ourselves that come back to visit us. We have all lived shameful lives on occasion. And just like Herod, we are often haunted by what we think we have put to death; by what we think we have beheaded.

I’m talking about beheading in the sense that we deny, ignore, reject, and turn away from parts of ourselves and our lives. I’m talking about the ways in which we cut off parts of ourselves and aspects of our lives instead of dealing with them.  There are times we simply reject what we know to be true.  These are the parts of ourselves that we keep private and hidden, not only from others but mostly from ourselves. It might be something we’ve done or said. It might be a relationship or past experience. It might be a personality trait, behavior, or attitude. It might be thoughts, feelings, or fantasies. Sometimes they are things we thought were dead, until they suddenly rise up to condemn us.

We often call those cut off parts of our lives our shadow side. It’s the dark side of who we are. Our shadowy side isn’t necessarily bad, it’s a part of who we are, but it still must be mastered.  But here’s the thing. We can never get away from our shadow. It haunts us. It won’t let us go. “It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.”  Mark 6:16

It’s like trying to run away from your shadow on a sunny day? It simply cannot be done.  Those shadowed parts of our lives continue to visit us, and when they do, we usually fight even harder to push them aside. We think the things that haunt us are our enemy, but actually they might help us.  What if the things that haunt us are not out to get us but out to empower us? What if it serves a purpose? What if our memories are telling us that something needs to be dealt with?   What if each haunting is asking us to stop, pay attention, and deal with what is really going on? What if each episode presents an opportunity for healing, forgiveness, more wholeness, and being made new?  What if these memories are a work of the Holy Spirit?  What if Jesus is some how hidden in each and every one of them? After all, when the disciples saw Jesus walking on the sea, they thought He was a ghost and they were terrified (Mark 6:49).  I wonder what it would be like for you and me to hold what haunts us as a beckoning hand to a brighter future.

If you continue to hide, you’ll always have a sense of not being transparent and honest with yourself.  As a Christian, you will remain in conflict with yourself.  Your job is to gently unwrap those memories and tell yourself the story.  It’s hard to break the silence, even if you are the only one listening.

You’re probably suppressing your story because of hurt, shame, or fear. Speaking the truth makes it real. You may have to face and admit some things about yourself you would rather not admit. You may have to deal with some difficult and painful stuff. You might uncover some new uncomfortable truths.

But, you are not alone.  We all have secrets.   But, the way you perceive your deepest secrets has direct impact on every part of your life. If your deepest secrets are dark and foreboding, and cause you shame to the point that you would never want to share them with anybody, you can be sure that allowing that hidden truth to continue to reside within you can have real and profound implications.

The negative self-image such memories from the past can produce, can exert a tremendous weight on you.  It erodes your self-esteem and drains your valuable resources as you work overtime to conceal your innermost shames. It affects your attitudes, choices, and your ability to make good decisions. Then, there is always a fear of the truth getting out.  How haunted are you by your fear of exposure, afraid that people would not respect you if they knew what you were really thinking about? How much wasted energy do you expend in hiding your darkest secrets?

At the end of the day, your self-perception usually defines your narrative. What kind of confidence are you going to have, and what kind of life are you going to live, if you think your deepest part is ugly? You may fight it, you may regret it, and try to correct it, but your negative self-image will continuously tug at you and drag you down.

Your past is a part of who you are, but don’t allow those old memories or new resurrected fantasies haunt the life you now have in Christ.  The things you think about in your heart can determine much about the kind of person you are.  So, what ghosts have taken refuge in  your heart?  What memories need to finally be laid to rest as we enter this new year?

“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:”  Proverbs 23:7

“For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.”  I John 3:20

Dr. Worthington has been in the ministry for over forty-five years and serves as President of Pathway Ministries and Christian Bible College

What could possibly be wrong with having knowledge of good?  I understand this tree was coupled with the knowledge of evil, but even God acknowledged that in eating of this tree Adam and Eve would have knowledge more like His own. Wouldn’t this be an ideal tree to eat from?  Is it wrong to have knowledge, especially if that knowledge is of good? Did God’s instruction to Adam and Eve signify He wanted them to remain ignorant?

In an attempt to flatter king David, the woman of Tekoa would praise him for being able to discern good and bad (II Samuel 14:17). Likewise, when the Lord appears to Solomon in a dream asking “what should I give you,” the new king requests the ability to discern between good and bad (I Kings 3:5-9). Wasn’t this a good thing?

Let’s Look at The Story.

Before his sin, man lived in a world in which everything was distinguished by two concepts, that which was true and that which was false.  After the fall, the concepts of good and evil becomes the defining characteristic of man’s world.  Good and evil are subjective and relative concepts, while “truth and falsehood” are not.  Something can be good for me while being bad for you, something can be both good and bad for me, but nothing can be both true and false at the same time. Sometimes I may tell a “white-lie” to avoid hurting someone’s feelings, but I still know it is a lie.  Before sin, the world was one of true and false, and after the sin it became a world of good and evil.

Before Adam sinned, he was entirely free to choose the path he wished to follow, whether to obey or disobey God.  In his pre-fallen state, he was not prompted by evil influences within himself.  He was pure and holy in all things, entirely good, without the interference of any internal evil inclination.  He had no old nature to battle as you and I do.

But, the powers of evil stood close by, yet apart from him. Therefore, when Satan wished to cause man to sin, the serpent had to come from outside to tempt him. This is no longer the way things work.  Although temptation can come from without, often the temptation to sin comes from within, from the old nature.  Man, can easily be drawn towards evil behavior with little or no outside influence.  Now, the forces of good and evil are combined within a man.  Now, good and evil are often mingled together and the battle is within, not just without.  So, man has a hard time distinguishing good and evil, right and wrong, true and false.

Isn’t Good, Good?

After the Creation, God proclaimed everything to be “very good.”  So, isn’t good, a good thing?  In fact, on the third day of Creation “good” is used to indicate the nature of all the fruit trees.  “Evil” is a word that appeared later. To know good is to know pleasure, and evil is presented as simply its opposite, like something not good.  Eve already had knowledge of what was good, for she had been eating of the delightful fruits of the Garden. She had no knowledge of its opposite. She didn’t know what could happen in a world of evil and decay.

What was the attraction of knowing something other than perfection? Eve saw that the fruit was good-to-eat and beautiful, but so was the fruit from the other trees. The additional element was that this tree suggested the gift of knowledge, and the serpent came to point this out.  Most members of the animal kingdom are instinctively curious and man shares this trait. Humans seek that greater and deeper knowledge through moving into all realms of experience.  Man, climbs high mountains, dives deep into the sea, and seeks to explore the darkness of outer space to satisfy his natural curiosity and quest for knowledge.

God programmed man to be curious, but man must learn to discipline his natural human urges, such as hunger, passion, and curiosity.  Furthermore, humans can achieve a higher level of knowledge which does not depend on mere natural curiosity.  You see, man is also programmed with a curiosity for the spiritual world.  Although this can be perverted, when used properly it gives us a hunger to know God.  Perhaps Eve was seeking this greater level of knowledge; however she wanted a quick and effortless way to achieve it.

Why Was This Tree Evil?

Actually, it wasn’t.  There was not any poisonous or malignant power in the tree.  No horrendous physical side effects were felt when the fruit was digested.  As with all food, the natural effect is on the body.  Until Adam ate from this tree, it was known simply as a “tree” just like all the other trees. However, once he ate from it, and transgressed the command of God, it was called “the tree of knowledge of good and evil”, because of its ultimate status. Many things are identified by their final status. What makes us think that this tree did not have its dubious title from the beginning?  First, from Eve’s reply to the serpent. She said to him: “But, of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, You shall not eat of it…” (Genesis 3:3) She did not say: “From the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Furthermore, when God asked Adam why he was hiding, He said: “Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?” (Genesis 3:11) He did not say: “… of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.”

Apparently, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil did not receive its title because of its inherent nature. It could not have been an evil tree from its creation, or God would have been the Creator of evil.  Its name arises from its final status, from its outcome, because ultimately it brings about something that is both good and evil.  Just as I was Angie’s boyfriend in high school, my final state is Sherry’s husband and that is the title by which I am identified.

And why is it “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?” Because, by eating of it, man gained an experimental awareness of evil. Evil became internalized.  Until he transgressed God’s command he never knew the consequences of evil, but once he disobeyed, his life was drastically affected by his decision.

Adam and Eve already knew, intellectually, the difference between good and evil because of God’s command not to eat of the tree’s fruit. However, when they chose to disobey, they knew evil experientially because they had sinned against God. At that point, they also had a personal acquaintance with good and evil which they did not have in the state of innocence. They became “like God” in that they now intellectually understood what evil was really like.

By the fall man had sunk morally, but grown mentally.  All those qualities which constitute man’s likeness to God—free-will, self-dependence, the exercise of reason and of choice—had been developed by the fall, and Adam was now a very different being from what he had been in the days of innocence.  Adam and Eve wanted more knowledge and more experience, and they got it, to their own detriment. Knowing good and evil was not a positive thing for Adam and Eve; because they attained that knowledge in an unlawful way. They learned immediately to feel the guilt that would be produced; and became aware, in their own person and to their own condemnation, of good and evil, as distinct and opposite qualities.

So the tree was a tree like any other, only acquiring the title “tree of knowledge of good and evil” once Adam sinned and gained the promised knowledge of evil.  The evil effect of the tree resided in the conduct of man in regard to the tree, as a thing prohibited, not within the tree itself.

Now man gained a new awareness that good and evil would now co-exist along with true and false. It is the serpent who says: “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5) In other words, we see a clear transition from the world Adam knew before.

What Did the Name Really Mean?

Again, we ask the question, why wouldn’t God want them to know all about good and evil? Wouldn’t you like to have that knowledge today, to always know what was good?  The first problem is that this indicates an experimental knowledge of evil, not just an intellectual knowledge.  Secondly, it implies a broader knowledge than man was equipped to handle.

Have you ever heard of a “merism?” The Bible is filled with merisms. A merism is an expression of totality, defined by the example of a polarity. In other words, by the mention of two extreme opposites, you imply the spanning of all things in between.  The Bible says that if I ascend to heaven God is there, if I descend to hell, God is there also. Does that mean that God is only at these two extremes? No, He is everywhere, and that is the point. Another merism we often use might be “I have searched high and low.”  People know this doesn’t refer to the altitude of your search, but that you have simply looked everywhere you know to look.

Then “good and evil” is actually a very common merism. It means “anything in between the two extremes.”  The knowledge of good and evil is a way of saying “I want to experience knowledge of everything and then judge for myself if it is good or evil.”  However, there are things God does not want us to know, simply because we can’t handle the information. If you read the story, you see that is what Satan says. He says, “God knows you will become like gods knowing everything. That is what he is trying to keep from you. Don’t you want to know everything?” Knowing everything sounds interesting. And apparently, that’s exactly what happened.  After the fall, God says: “Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil…” (Genesis 3:22) God was simply saying that man had acquired a level of knowledge that he cannot morally or mentally handle.  Does that mean they knew everything? Of course not, but the idea is that we now have more knowledge than wisdom. A similar point is emphasized in the story of the tower of Babel. (Genesis 11:6)

 So because of the fall, humans have enormous knowledge of how to do bad things as well as how to do good things. The same human being that knows how to use atomic energy for good makes weapons out of it that can destroy mankind. Americans outlawed alcoholic drink during prohibition while other Americans were exploiting the law to keep it flowing. Human beings, unlike cockroaches, have enormous capacity for choices; taking skills that they could use and should use for good and employing them for evil. We are in a lot of trouble today because we are so good at doing bad.

However, since we don’t like to be called bad, we had to eliminate God from our culture and define our own standard of morality.  In other words, when man abandons God, he becomes his own judge of what is true and righteous.  Man recognizes no higher authority than himself, so man becomes his own god.  Trouble is, the god called me, and the god called you, may not always agree.  So, we have a quest for power to determine who is right.  This is not a quest for truth, since that is not what we want, it only a quest for power.  Because the one who has power and influence, in a world without God, defines what is right and what is true.

So, What Have We Learned?

First, we learned that man is now internally ruled by the subjective and relative concepts of good and evil, more than we are by truth and error.

Second, we learned that man has more knowledge than he can responsibly handle.  This, coupled with his human curiosity, leads man into constant missteps and blunders.  Since man does not have sufficient wisdom to discern good and evil, God has given us His Word and the Holy Spirit to lead us.  However, these assets are often ignored.

Third, since man doesn’t like his deeds to be judged as untrue or evil, he eliminated God from the equation so he could determine for himself what is good or evil, truth or error.

Fourth, man makes this determination based on power and influence rather than truth.  The abortion industry proves this with horrifying clarity.

Finally, when we try to run the world our way, our perverted mentality shows up all too clearly. Every tyrant, every anarchist, started off by thinking they had the right answers and knew how the world ought to be.

That’s why, when the New Testament talks of Jesus’ death and what it accomplished, it doesn’t just talk about dealing with sin. It talks about God overthrowing the dark powers that have taken over the minds of men.

The powers that have kept humans locked up in their foolish thinking have been overthrown.  Now our minds can be renewed through Christ. (Romans 12:2, Ephesians 4:23) As God’s children we are free to resume our vocation.  We are called to be clear headed thinkers, image-bearers, a “royal priesthood”, and His agents in the world.  Our curiosity and quest for knowledge can now be fulfilled in seeking the knowledge of God, the greatest knowledge of all.

I still have the knowledge of good and evil, that was not taken away.  But today, through Christ, I can use that knowledge in a positive way because I can have His mind to judge all things. (I Corinthians 2:15-16) I must use that resource.  Many Christian’s today are making foolish choices because they are not using the assets made available to them through Christ.  Isn’t it interesting that our Lord commanded us to be as “…wise as serpents…”? (Matthew 10:16) Eve was not, we must be.  We have the wisdom we need to conduct ourselves in this evil world.  It has been provided for us through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

Dr. Worthington has been in the ministry over forty years and serves as President of Pathway Ministries.

Nazareth was a little town snuggled in the hills overlooking the Plain of Esdraelon.  Most likely it consisted primarily of some small houses, a synagogue probably built on its highest knoll, and a marketplace at the entrance to the village.  When the New Testament era dawned, its population was likely around one hundred people, mostly farmers, but also some skilled craftsmen whose shops were found in the marketplace.  These tradesmen likely included a potter, a weaver, and a blacksmith.  We also are introduced to a carpenter who made his home in Nazareth.  Although not recorded for us, some historic events most likely transpired in that humble carpenter shop in Nazareth.

The carpenter himself, a man in the prime of life named Joseph, was engaged to a young girl named Mary, probably still in her teen years.  She was a sinner like all the rest of us, but she was highly favored by God.  The Lord was with her, and she enjoyed a wonderful moment-by-moment relationship with God.

Yet, in spite of her intimate knowledge of God, it was a shocking and fearful experience when the angel Gabriel appeared to her with a grand announcement (Luke 1:30-33). She didn’t totally understand the angel’s message, so Gabriel explained the supernatural phenomenon that would accomplish this unbelievable feat (Luke 1:34-35). It was a miracle that could only be accomplished by the unlimited power of God, and Elizabeth’s miraculous pregnancy was cited by the angel as evidence. Of course Mary had a free will so the ultimate decision to resist the will of God or to become the willing servant through whom God could carry out His plan was hers to make.  Furthermore, this decision is basically a matter of trust. As the story unfolds, we learn several lessons about trust.

First, we see that Mary had great trust in God.

 “What a great honor,” you might say, “to be chosen as the mother of the Messiah. How could she decline?” But, let’s give that some thought. You and I can say that because we know the end of the story, but put yourself in Mary’s place for a moment. Do you think anybody would really believe that this child was conceived of the Holy Ghost? Don’t you think that most people would conclude that Mary was covering up a sinful escapade with Joseph? Was there not a possibility that Mary was just trying to avoid being stoned for fornication?

And what about Joseph? He would know that he was not responsible for Mary’s condition. What would he say? Would he still be willing to marry her? Was she willing to give him up if need be?  And what about the child? Would not the child carry the stigma of illegitimacy with him throughout his entire life? In that brief moment in the angel’s presence, all of Mary’s hopes and dreams for the future flashed before her mind, and she could see every one of them instantly shattered.

The question boils down to one thing for Mary: “Can I trust God to work out every problem I will encounter if I submit myself to His will?” Mary had enjoyed a warm personal relationship with her Lord. But now He was asking her to face the greatest question in life for a believer walking in fellowship with Him: “Mary, do you trust Me?  You will face difficulty and hardship if you follow My will…but will you still trust Me?”

 Mary was a thinking lady, a pondering lady. Twice we are told that she kept certain things and pondered them in her heart (Luke 2:19, 51). But she did not take a lot of time to make her decision. She answered immediately (Luke 1:38).Her decision was to submit to God’s will and to trust Him with the consequences. Submission to God’s will almost always involves some risk. But God has promised to work out all the details together for ultimate good.  It is apparent that Mary had great trust in God.

Next, we see that Joseph had great trust in Mary.

The chronology here is not totally clear. But we might assume after Mary’s return from visiting Elizabeth, the secret could no longer be hidden. Did Mary tell Joseph of the miraculous conception? Did he find her story hard to believe even though he loved her deeply? Or, did he accept it readily? Was his decision to break the engagement because he doubted her word, or was it because he considered himself unworthy to marry the mother of the Messiah?  Was he thinking that Mary would have to raise the child in the Temple? Whatever his thoughts, one thing is certain, there was a conflict raging in Joseph’s soul.  Fact is, whether he believed Mary’s story or not, others would definitely not believe it, and he would live with gossip about an unfaithful wife for the rest of his life. And although his heart was breaking, he was leaning toward quietly terminating the relationship and sparing her any public embarrassment.  His mind was almost made up; however he was still open to the Lord’s direction.  I would imagine he spent hours in quiet meditation regarding the right course of action.  Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which has is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost (Matthew 1:20-21). Now, the issue was settled.  It didn’t matter what the town gossipers would say; Joseph believed! It was probably one of the greatest acts of trust ever exhibited between a man and a woman.

In reality, every marriage is a relationship of trust. When we stand at the altar and listen to our true love promise to forsake all others and cleave to us alone, we believe it. When we hear their solemn promise to love us for better or worse until death parts us, we believe it. And because we believe it, we make the same promises in return and commit ourselves to a lifelong relationship. Trust in each other is a foundation stone in a good marriage, and it must grow as the years pass.

Of course, trust does put us at our husband’s or wife’s mercy. It makes us totally vulnerable, and we can get hurt that way. When we really believe someone and later find out that we have been deceived, it makes us feel foolish and humiliated. But what other choice do we have? Without trust there can be no relationship. So we ask God for the grace to keep on trusting, and we believe that God will use our trust to make our mate more trustworthy should the need arise.

The angel of God appeared to Joseph two more times, and those appearances reveal another element of trust in the nativity story…

Finally, we see Mary’s great trust in Joseph.

So, Joseph and Mary had completed the trek to Bethlehem, and the Christ child born in a stable was now history. It would appear the young family settled down in Bethlehem, possibly planning to make it their new home. Nearly two years would pass before the Wise Men arrived from Persia to worship the newborn king.

The Magi unintentionally alerted King Herod to this potential threat to his throne. That was the occasion of another message from an angel of the Lord to Joseph in a dream: “Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy him” (Matthew 2:13). While it was still night, Joseph gathered some of his belongings together, took Mary and Jesus, left for Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. Something interesting is now beginning to occur. Up to this point, Mary has been the more prominent figure in the Christmas story, yet now, Joseph is the one to whom God gave His instructions. Joseph was the head of his family, and he was charged with protecting Jesus from Herod’s wrath.  We might see how Mary might question Joseph’s leadership.  She could have said, “I’m the one God speaks to in this family, and He has not said one word to me about some trip to Egypt.”  But no, Mary trusted Joseph’s leadership.

This was a trip of about two hundred miles over mountains, wilderness, and desert, with a baby under two years of age. Most mothers can appreciate the degree of inconvenience that involved. I doubt whether Mary really wanted to go. If they had to leave Bethlehem, why not go back home?  Why not go back to Nazareth? Wouldn’t they be just as safe there? But there is no indication in Scripture that Mary ever questioned Joseph’s decision. And it happened again.After Herod’s death, the angel spoke to Joseph in Egypt: “Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel; for they are dead which sought the young child’s life” (Matthew 2:20). Again, Joseph obeyed immediately; and again, Mary trusted Joseph to do the right thing.

 As we saw in the lives of Abraham and Sarah, submission for a wife means trusting God to work through her husband to do what is best for her. And that includes trusting his decisions. But that level of trust is not exceptionally difficult when she knows her husband is acting in her best interest and is taking his directions from the Lord, as Joseph was. It gets even more complicated.  It seems their initial plans were to move back to Bethlehem, but again God warned Joseph that Herod’s son was reigning in his place. So again God gave him directions, and he returned to Nazareth where Mary’s parents lived (Matthew 2:22-23). Joseph made his decisions in accord with the will of God.  God apparently never told Mary about any of these plans but gave her the understanding to follow her husband.

Men, we have no right to ask our wives to submit to us when we are arbitrarily expressing our own opinions, asserting our own selfish wills, or doing what is obviously best for us alone. But when we have clear directions from God that are best for all concerned and can share them fully with our wives, then a Godly wife will be able to submit without hesitancy. Men, we have an obligation to lead our families in the path of God’s choosing, not our own. We must learn to consult the Lord about every decision, spending time in prayer to seek His wisdom and searching His Word for His principles to guide us. And if we have an unquestionable desire to do God’s will regardless of our own personal preferences, He will protect us from making foolish mistakes that will bring harm to our families.

As our wives see that manifested in our lives, unless they are rebellious, they will be free to follow our leadership with confidence and trust. Trust is not an easy and automatic response. It needs to be developed, particularly in those who like to do things their own way.  But, we can help others build a stronger trust in us by our own deepening commitment to the will of God. When they see that we are yielded to Him, they will find it easier to trust us.

So, what have we seen?  We see that both Mary and Joseph trusted God.  We also see that Joseph trusted Mary and that Mary trusted Joseph.  If you put that all together, it sounds like a pretty good marriage to me.

So, can you think of areas of distrust in your relationship with your spouse? Perhaps you need to tenderly share them with one another. Have you been guilty of betraying your mate’s trust? If so, what can you do to increase or rebuild your trust in each other?  Are you ever guilty of expressing your own personal opinions and expecting your wife (or husband) to submit? Have you learned to consult the Lord on every decision?  Good marriages are built upon trust; trust that is first placed in God and then placed in each other.

As we enter this glad Christmas Season, my prayers for each of our loyal Faith Partners and PathPointe readers will be for a joyous and safe Holiday and a prosperous New Year.  I sincerely thank you for the opportunity you give me to share these simple messages with you each month.  Blessings to you and yours.

Dr. Worthington has been in the ministry over forty years and serves as President of Pathway Ministries.

As the Easter season approaches, we will hear many lessons on what has been called the triumphal entry of our Lord.  However, I would like to focus for a moment on one question. Why did Jesus leave the temple and go to Bethany?  Now, please don’t assume that His reasoning makes no real difference, because I think it does.  Actually, it might have some rather strong implications for our lives.

Jesus is in a processional heading into the city.  They are placing palm branches in His pathway, and He is riding on a borrowed colt.  People are surrounding Him. They are shouting their hosannas. They are all excited as they roll out what we might call the “red carpet.” Something big is happening.  Jesus is an honored guest… at least for a while.

As Jesus rides into Jerusalem, He seems to head straight for the temple.  Yet, He apparently only stays for a few minutes, and then He looks around and quickly departs.  He does not preach or teach.  He works no miracles.  He just leaves and goes back to Bethany.  This is a somewhat of a quiet and strange ending to an exciting day. Why did He even bother to go into the temple?  Is He retreating?  Was He frightened?  In His humanity is He less confident than He was when He first entered the city?  Did Jesus have somewhere else He needed to be? Perhaps He just wanted some alone time?  We’ve all needed solitude on occasion, especially when we are facing an emotional and trying time.   We sometimes have to back up and try again. Could that be what His leaving the temple is all about?

We need to understand that Jesus actually came into Jerusalem on three separate days and each Gospel seems to focus more attention to one of those days.  Mark tells us about His first visit to Jerusalem and His visit to Bethany in the evening. The next day He would return to Jerusalem for a second time. That’s when He cursed the fig tree and cleansed the temple. (Mark 11:12-19)  Then on His third visit, He offers His lesson on prayer and has a discourse with the religious leaders in the temple (Mark 11: 20-33)

 Mark is the only writer that says Jesus entered the temple on that first day after His triumphal entry, looked around, and left. So why did Jesus leave the temple and go to Bethany? The Gospel gives us one reason. Jesus left the temple because it was getting late; “the eventide was come” (Mark 11:11).So is that the answer?  Is it just a matter of the lateness of the hour? Still I cannot help but wonder what was the rush?  What might Jesus be late for? Since the triumphal entry is such an important event, there must be more here than casually meets the eye.    Perhaps Mark gives us some additional insight as the disciples obtained the colt.

“And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither.”

Mark 11:3

Was Jesus simply thinking about honoring a promise to the owner of the colt?  That is something that only Mark tells us.  All the writers agree that the colt was borrowed from its owner.  But only Mark tells us that Jesus made a specific promise for its timely return.  Jesus sent two disciples to borrow this colt and told them if anyone asked why they were taking the colt they were to say, “The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.”  And that’s what they did.

Maybe while we search for deep theological meaning, the simple truth is that Jesus left so He could keep His promise. Maybe this is about Jesus being true to Himself and keeping His word. What if this is about Jesus staying focused on fulfilling a simple promise in the midst of a week where He would fulfill many complex promises?  What if this is about maintaining character in spite of the pressures the coming week holds for Him? What if returning the colt is a lesson for us as we enter into the Easter season?  What insight might returning the colt have for us?

First, it speaks of being true to our word.  If you say you’re going to do something, you do it. Even in tough and trying times, you meet your commitments and obligations.  Perhaps you are too sick to meet them or maybe there are other hindrances; but to the extent possible nothing should keep you from meeting obligations.  I’m sorry, but having a tough week doesn’t qualify.  I waste many hours each week waiting for phone calls that don’t come, or appointments that don’t show up, or people who decide not to meet obligations they have made.  Excuses abound:  I forgot, I got busy; I changed my mind, etc.  Good grief!

Second, it speaks of the responsibility of the borrower.  You return, in good shape—or in better shape—if you can, what you have borrowed.  Borrow a car, fill it up with gas.  Borrow a tool; return it cleaner and sharper than it was when you borrowed it. Borrow a book, a CD or a DVD; return it when you are finished.

Third, it speaks of releasing things we don’t need anymore.  Are there things you need to release or let go of? We all have stuff we’ve carried around with us far too long. It’s no longer an asset nor does it enrich our lives. It’s just the baggage we carry that continues to weigh us down and impoverish our lives.

What do you need to release? Is it a grudge or resentment? Could it be anger, fear, disappointment, envy, or regret?  Maybe it’s time to give up the baggage of having to be in control, having to be right, or needing constant approval or confirmation. These are things that serve you no purpose and should be released to God.

Fourth, it speaks about maintaining our true character.  Adversity can change us.  If the change is good and if it conforms us more to the image of Christ, then the change can be positive.  Yet, all too often adversity makes us bitter.  It throws us out of balance and off-center.  Perhaps this story reminds us to keep a check on our character, and if we find ourselves wavering from the person our Lord wants us to be, we need to get back in alignment.  Maybe this lesson is a reminder to return to our center.  What if it’s about reclaiming our truest self so we could then move forward, not from the same old place, but from the newly recovered center? That’s what Jesus did. He stayed true to Himself through this difficult week, and so must we. So maybe returning the colt is ultimately about getting back to our true character—our true self—a reborn self of honor and integrity that God created in us when we became His?

What if it is about returning to and reclaiming those parts of ourselves that have been lost, ignored, forgotten, or denied? Are there are parts of ourselves and our lives to which we need to return?  “I used to be a loving husband, but I know I don’t act that way much anymore.”  “I used to be a loving and supportive wife, but I doubt my husband sees those qualities much anymore.”  “I had determined to be a firm, but loving and tender parent, but my children rarely see that quality in me today.”  Is it time to put things back where they belong?  What positive changes could be made if we returned to our true selves?

When we release the baggage that is dragging us down, we may very well find in its place something that was lost.  There in that place of honest reckoning we might find our lost joy, hope, beauty, truth and honesty. We might also find justice, mercy, and forgiveness.  What if we also found the dignity and holiness of life that God has for us? Coming back to ourselves would be like a new life, wouldn’t it?

So, return the colt. That’s what Jesus did. It’s not so much just looking around at everything outside us but looking around at everything within us. Look at what promises need to be kept, what responsibilities need to be reclaimed, what baggage needs to be loosed, and what lost character needs to be regained.

Dr. Worthington has been in the ministry over forty years and serves as President of Pathway Ministries.