Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered.”         (Romans 8:26)

I think every one of us sometimes has hurts that are too deep to even admit to our closest friend. Sometimes, we struggle with things that we are certain those around us wouldn’t understand. In those times, it’s hard to put our feelings together into words to pray. The good news of Romans 8:26 is that in those times of utter helplessness — when we can’t even express ourselves to God — the Holy Spirit, Himself, takes the cry of our heart directly before the throne of God, and speaks directly to God on our behalf.

The Holy Spirit uses a form of communication that can only be understood by God. Those “groanings” express our innermost feelings — the feelings of the soul. These “groanings” can’t be put into human words, but thankfully, the One who created us is listening — and He understands — perfectly. Praise the Lord!

Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“By which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”     (2 Peter 1:4)

“And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they
may be one just as We are One.”         (John 17:22)

It was once said of an old man that “his face was like an ancient chapel, with all the lamps inside lighted up for evening worship.” Doug Oldham, who was my favorite gospel singer growing up, had an experience that made that quotation a reality. He shared it in his autobiography.

Ethel Waters was another gospel singer who sang many times on Billy Graham crusades, and about a year before her death, Doug Oldham was able to sit with her for a couple hours one afternoon and talk with her. They were in her home and in the middle of the conversation they were having about her life, she just started to sing, just for him, the words to a Gaither song, “I Could Never Outlove the Lord”:

“I’m going to live the way He wants me to live,
I’m going to give until there’s just no more to give,
I’m going to love, love ‘til there’s just no more love,
But I could never, never outlove the Lord.”

He said it gave him goosebumps, because when she started to sing, it was as if a light had been turned on inside her and her face was all aglow!
There is no other explanation for a phenomenon like that, other than the fact that it was the glory of the Lord, shining through a lighted lamp, giving an old and wrinkled face the beauty of an ancient chapel.
That is my heartfelt prayer for my life!

Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.”     (John 1:1)

Words are like seeds. They grow where they’re planted. Some fall on hard places and die. Some the birds eat. Some words, just like seeds, find fertile soil — and grow. What I write here and you read here are the fallible words. In a year or two I may not totally agree with what I write here. I say totally agree because there are things I said years ago that I wouldn’t say today. The Jesus I came to know as a child is the same Jesus I know today, but the revelation of Him has been expanded. He hasn’t;t changed, but what I know about Him has. He’s a lot nicer & better than they ever told me He was. In the words of my grandpa, “He’s a whole lot gooder!”

Look at the text of your Bible. Those words and paragraphs with little numbers next to them. They’re just words. The words that I write here are commentary on those words and very fallible. But John 1:1 explains that Jesus is the Word of God. We call the Bible the Word of God, but it really isn’t. Jesus is! Jesus is the perfect picture of the Father. As you read the Bible, try to read it through the lens of Jesus. Let Him speak to your heart. Look for Him on every page. He’s there.

If you study the Bible, read the Bible, memorize the Bible, and never meet its Author, you’ve missed the whole point. If the Bible doesn’t lay you in the lap of Jesus, you’ve missed the boat. Jesus is the Word of God!

Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God.”
(Luke 24:50-53)

This is an interesting passage of Scripture. The disciples lived with Jesus for 3 years. They walked with Him and fellowshipped with Him. He was their leader, mentor, teacher, friend, and their Messiah. They knew Him and they loved Him. They watched Jesus suffer and die on a cross. Even after the Resurrection, the disciples walked with Him for several days. And here, at the end of Luke, while Jesus is ascending into heaven, verse 52 says that the disciples “worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.” WOW! If the disciples were so close to Jesus, then why weren’t they sad to see Jesus leaving them? Instead, they were excited about going out and spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.

My heart has been so blessed b y these verses. 3 things have come to my mind regarding their meaning:

1.)     The disciples knew that even though He was leaving them then, Jesus would             soon return.

2.)     Jesus would sending them the Holy Spirit to comfort them and tech them             everything they would need to know. So Jesus really wasn’t leaving them at all.

3.)     The disciples were excited about going out and preaching the gospel of our             Lord and Savior Jesus Christ because they knew that everything that Jesus had             taught them and everything that they had experienced with Him was TRUE!             That is why they had great joy!

Even through our greatest trials, we can still stand strong in knowing that everything we’ve read in God’s Word and everything that we’ve experienced with our Lord is true. And like those first disciples, THAT is what keeps us going!

Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“Then Jesus said, ‘Father , forgive them, for they do not know what they do.’ And they divided His garments and cast lots.”         (Luke 23:34)

Ray Charles sang a song that said, “No, you’ll never know the one who loved you so. No, you don’t know me.” This love song to someone says, in essence, “If you could really know and understand me, you’d love me.”

When Jesus cried from the Cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” I believe another way of translating this could be, “Father, if they really knew Me and My love for them, they would not do this to me. Forgive them. They are just ignorant of My love.”

Do you think you’re misunderstood? We all are! The point is, we are to forgive and love like Jesus does. If people really knew your heart, they would love you, but guess what? They don’t and can’t. And if we really know their hearts, the things they’ve been through, the history of their heart’s journeys, we would show a lot more mercy and grace and forgiveness like Jesus did. He knew it all.

Let’s try to keep on loving and forgiving. Jesus knows your heart. He understands when you’re misunderstood, and He knows the hearts of those you think don’t understand you. We can’t fully know each other, but God does!

Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“Then Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate.”     (Luke 23:11)

The phrase in that verse, “treated Him with contempt” literally means to make Him seem as if He were nothing; thus Herod unwittingly taught us a great lesson. Our attitudes toward others determine whether they appear to be something, or whether they appear to be nothing.

Parents can make a child that is really something appear to be practically nothing. Christians can hold an attitude toward other Christians that make them appear as nothing. Husbands and wives can cancel out each other’s positive potentials and traits.

Someone has said, “Act as if ______ and you will become.” That certainly seems to be true. Whatever we act as if the people around us are, that is what they tend to become. So, it behooves us to set about acting as if those closest to us are valuable people — unique, special somebodies. Likewise, we can see our fellow Christians as true, special souls of this world — called of and accepted by God.

Most of all, we need to view Jesus as Jesus, the Christ — the One who is all, the beginning and the end. May nothing in our attitude toward Him ever be guilty of making Him seem as if He were nothing.

Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought
to pray and not lose heart.”         (Luke 18:1)

Any time, any place, wherever you set your heart toward God, you can commune with Him. Daniel prayed to God before an open window 3 times a day (Daniel 6:10). Moses met God in a burning bush on the backside of the desert that was his prayer room (Exodus 3:4-5). Peter met God upon a housetop; that was his prayer room (Acts 10:9). John met God on the Isle of Patmos. That was his place of prayer (Revelation 1:9).

These Bible examples show that you don’t have to have a specific place to pray and commune with God. Some people have a prayer room set aside in their homes. Others pray in their cars while driving back and forth to work (Don’t close your eyes!) Many people pray while doing household chores or yard work. Farmers pray on their tractors while moms pray at the sink.

It’s not so important where we pray, but it is important that we pray regularly. Jesus said we “always ought to pray.” A consistent prayer life is the key to a meaningful and close personal relationship with God. It makes your Christian life come alive.

How is your prayer life? Have your lines of communication with your Heavenly Father been on hold? Why don’t you call on Him today? He’s just waiting to hear from you! God never puts us on hold; His lines are always open!

Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“And it came to pass . . .”     (Luke 2:1)

Depending on what’s happening at the time, when sometimes people ask me for my favorite scripture, I would quote the one above (just the beginning part and there are many verses throughout Scripture that start with that phrase; 68 verses, in fact).

Have you ever noticed that it always comes to pass, it never comes to stay? Torrie & Tina & I used to sing a song recorded by The Martins that said, “It didn’t come to stay, it came to pass…” No matter what you’re going through, it will pass. Bad times? Hold on, they will pass. This life is what Mark Lowry used to call “Boot Camp.” This is where we get to learn to walk by faith. The Bible says that without faith it’s impossible to please God. And when we get home to heaven, we won’t need faith anymore. Our “faith will become sight,” as Paul says. Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him.”

So, I guess if we’re going to pleas Him, it will have to be here, where we walk by faith. So remember, whatever you’re going through, it will pass!

Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.”     (Mark 4:39)

In the midst of the storm Jesus was found sleeping. Can anyone really say they sleep peacefully when their boat is rocking? I can’t; I have trouble sleeping when everything is fine, much less in the storms of life.

But I have found that the more I trust, the better I sleep. Peace is the gauge for us Christians to tell if we’re really trusting. We could make millions of dollars, but nothing can buy peace. Jesus wishes for us, His children, to live in peace. I don’t mean problem-free, but in peace while in the midst of the storm.

The reason Jesus slept was that He was tired. Are you tired? Then sleep in peace, knowing that the Master of the sea will awaken to your cries of faith and say “Peace be still” to whatever storm you are going through. The storms may not cease immediately, but you can know that He Himself is the peace in the midst of the storm.

Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’”     (Matthew 25:32-34)

I had always interpreted this passage of Scripture to be the categorical singling out of some as sheep and others as goats: I’m good; you’re bad. I’m right; you’re wrong. I’m a sheep; you’re a goat.

But this is a passage where I submit a different thought for your consideration. These words of Christ were heard that day by Eastern-trained minds accustomed to Him speaking in allegorical terms in light of their culture. They weren’t just hearing words read as black ink on white paper.

But I think I have come to understand that in their minds, Jesus was talking about the sheep and the goat that coexist in all of us. At the same time, which one will win?
It’s that “new man” and “old man” nature, that good and evil thing that’s going on in all of us, and yet only one of us survives!

My prayer is that God will continue to give us the desire and hunger to search out the Scriptures in light of what He was saying versus what we think He was saying.