Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“‘Look! ,’ He answered, ‘I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.’ Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, ‘Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out and come here.’ Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.”         (Daniel 3:25-27)

Nobody wants to suffer. I know I don’t. But when it comes, I know that God has something for me to learn. There is a victory lesson to be learned through sufferings.

God did not just deliver Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego from the fiery furnace. He got in the furnace and went through the fire with them. When the king called fro them to come out of the furnace, the king’s court witnessed that the fire had no power over them, nor was their hair even singed. Neither did they nor their clothes even smell like smoke! Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished, and he later acknowledged God as the only true God. Just imagine what this experience did in the lives of these 3 Hebrew children! What a beautiful and thrilling testimony that must have shared with everyone for the rest of their lives.

In the furnace of being diagnosed with lung cancer, I, too, learned more about the Savior. I learned about His love, His compassion, His knowledge, and His power to heal.

Steel is iron plus fire. Soil is rock plus heat or crushing. Human character must have a plus attached to it. The world does not forget great character. Great character is not made of luxury. Character is perfected in hard places.

Someday, God is going to reveal to all believers that the very hard times they once resisted have been the instruments He used in perfecting their character and molding them into perfection — polished stones for His great building in heaven.

Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”         (Jeremiah 33:3)

“Prayer changes things” is a message seen on everything from needlepoint pillows to bumper stickers, bookmarks, and t-shirts. But I’m not sure we’ve ever really stopped to think about it, though. Does praying something really make it so? And would we really want to believe in a God who worked that way? Sure, you might know the best things to ask for and the right way to do it, but what about the person next to you whose requests may very well cancel out your own?
It’s like praying for your team to win the Super Bowl. It’s the ultimate divine showdown. Both teams prayed for the trophy. Which one did God decide prayed harder? Or better? Or with more fans in a sheer numbers game? It’s ridiculous. And yet we still, with hearts pure and true, pour out our requests to god and wonder why He doesn’t seem to answer.
When Jesus said, “This is how you should pray…,” He was letting us in on one of the secrets. It’s not a shopping list; it’s a conversation. He’s not Santa Claus; He’s your Father. God knows what you want before you ask. You’re not letting Him in on anything new. He knows you need that job, that you want the test to come back negative, that you hope the check somehow won’t bounce. I even believe He cares enough to walk you through the most minor of your day’s concerns.
What really counts is that He hears from you — and that you’re willing to call. And He asks you to listen. The trick is learning to listen and hear the answer He wants, not the one you do. If you begin to live life looking for the God that is all around you, every moment becomes a prayer.
That’s the hardest lesson of all. Just like the little children we were and the little children we still are, it’s so much easier even not to just ask and ask and ask — and sometimes to beg and beg and beg for everything we want. As our Father, He will sit and patiently hear us out — but as He’s tried so many times to teach us and to show us, all He really wants to hear is our voice. He just asks that we begin that conversation with Him, that intimate, loving, trusting, tender kind of dialogue usually reserved for lovers or children — and that conversation should never end.

Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit;’ whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’”         (James 4:13-15)

Gospel songwriters have been accused of writing songs mainly about 2 topics: getting saved and going to heaven. The reason for that is that once a person finds a valid answer to  the big questions, “Why am I here?” And “Where am I going?” The rest of life can be lived with meaning and direction. The daily stuff that tends to be in our faces can gain some perspective, and the great songs encourage that:

“Farther along, we’ll know all about it; Farther along, we’ll understand why.
Cheer up, my brother, live in the sunshine, We’ll understand it all by and by.”

“But, until then, my heart will go on singing;
Until then with joy I’ll carry on!
Until the day my eyes behold the city,
Until the day god calls me home.”

When the big issues of life are settled, we can live the rest of life. We can live like we’ve got nothing to lose. But what would that look like today, if we knew this was close to our last day? Where would I wish I had taken my family if I knew I was leaving this world today? What letter would I write? What would I do with my bank account or my time schedule or the energy I have today? Whom would I invite to dinner; to whom would I offer the guest room or a ride to church or a trip to the grocery store? Whom would I take on a fishing trip or a shopping trip or a cruise? Where would I volunteer my skills, my expertise, my hours, my knowledge, if I knew my time was running out?

The beauty of the Christ-centered life is that we do know that time on this earth is limited and that nothing else except the relationships we treasure and nurture will survive this life or time itself. We also know that beyond time there is more — much more — and the quality of that “more” depends on the soul investment we make today.

Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed — always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.”
(2 Corinthians 4:7-10)

God calls us “earthen vessels,” or in other translations, “jars of clay.” In Paul’s day, clay jars were very ordinary vessels, easily chipped or broken and often flawed. Seems like an unlikely place for treasures. God’s truth shows us that true beauty lies in what is inside the container and not in the appearance of the vessel. Outwardly, jars of clay show no worth or wealth to human eyes; they are just empty jars. But jars are designed to hold something. Inwardly, we hold the treasure of God Himself, living within us. We receive what we were created to hold.

Sometimes we thank God for cleansing us, but then question Him about our scars as if He missed something when He ran us through the wash.

The next time you are confronted with your scars, remember they show you the times when God refused to let go of you when you were struggling. Scars are the direct result of the process of a wound repaired and is the natural result of the healing process. We get a lot of things wrong. We forget, we fall down, and we sin — jars of clay — but He still entrusts us to hold this precious treasure “that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” So let’s try to remember that those cracks and chips now serve a purpose. It shows the message that shines in and through us, the ministry of reconciliation. What an incredible treasure we carry!

Dear Lord, thank You for trusting us to carry such a great gift in this world. Reveal to us the true beauty in jars of clay — so sturdy, yet so fragile and covered with imperfections — is the treasure we contain. Help us not to mask the scars or fix the pot in our attempt to sell ourselves as something greater than we are. We love you, Lord, and are grateful that You let nothing go to waste by using our worn and scarred vessels as a container for Your glory! Amen.

Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”         (Luke 12:15)

Somebody asks, “How much is enough?” Greed says, “Just a little bit more.” In football, the officials will throw a flag for encroachment, indicating that before the snap of the ball, a defensive player illegally crossed the line of scrimmage and made contact with an opponent or had a clear path to the quarterback. Teams are penalized 5 yards for encroachment.

In life, the fallout for illegally crossing the line into territory that isn’t ours is more serious. Greed — encroachment — has ruined too many business deals and relationships, all because somebody wanted more and more. In football, a team loses 5 yards, but in life we can never go back and erase what was lost because of greed.

The sin of greed is not saved for those who have a lot. Just as there are generous rich people and generous people who don’t have much, there are also greedy rich people and greedy people who don’t have much, because greed doesn’t depend on how much we do or do not have. Greed is born in the heart. It is never content and believes the lie that “one more deal” or “one more million” will finally satisfy.

Someone once said, “In business deals, it’s never good when one side walks away with all the marbles.” In other words, “When everybody wins, everybody wins.” Greed wants to come out on top at all costs. But the reality we all face eventually is that only the Giver of Life comes out on top. When He is the center of our joy, things like money, victory, and possessions can no longer take center stage. There just isn’t enough room in our lives for both Him and greed.

It is such a human instinct to seek just a little bit more. God, help me resist the encroachment mentality and seek more of YOU instead.

Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.’”
(Matthew 18:2-4)

This story was told to me by a friend in Ohio:

On September 11, 2001, my friend’s 6 year old grandson was at his public school in his first grade class. As the events of that fateful day unfolded, the teacher began telling the children some of the things that were happening. As she spoke to the children in reassuring terms, she explained to them that some very bad men had destroyed some buildings and hurt lots of people. The teacher said that although there were some bad people in the world, there were many more good people than bad. She told them that she believed everything was going to be all right. As is usual with kids, they were full of questions. Questions like, “Who were the bad men?” “Why did they do this bad thing?” “Are they coming here where we are?”

Not wanting to unnecessarily upset the children, the teacher answered them very carefully. After all the questions were answered, the teacher wanted to help the children feel more secure, so she asked this question: “Who is it that is going to take care of you and make sure you are safe?” She was fully expecting the kids to say Mom & Dad, but in unison, 15 little voices said “Jesus!”

The teacher was shocked and surprised. This was a public school, so she paused and carefully chose her words. She said to the kids, “Yes, I suppose that’s true. He is the ‘big guy’ up in the sky, but I meant your parents are the ones who will take care of you.” Then one little voice coming from a 6 year old girl said, “But teacher, it’s Jesus! He’s the one who will take care of us.”

It is so easy to trust in arms of flesh for our protection. But as the children said so clearly, “It’s Jesus!” How simple. And we must come to God as little children.

Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him saying, ‘Send her away, for she cries out after us.’  . . . Then Jesus answered and said to her, ‘O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed from that very hour.”     (Matthew 15:23, 28)

When people approached Jesus without love, He was silent. The Canaanite woman had heard of Him and His healings. She apparently had heard of Him like she had heard of witch doctors who might help her. When she begged Him to cast the devil from her daughter, Jesus answered her not a word. As she continued to ask, He finally said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”

The difference between children and dogs or people and animals is the ability to know and to love. She had been so intent in her scrutiny of Him that something quickened in her heart, some belief, some love, and she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from the master’s table.”

By that statement she made Him, the loving Master, and herself, the hungry, unloving dog — a correct assessment of the facts. He was moved by her grasp of the issue, and said, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And the child was made whole. It was a miracle of love!

Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”         (Matthew 5:16)

These are the words of Jesus’ teaching to His disciples on the mountain, often referred to as the Beatitudes or Sermon on the Mount. This verse speaks to every believer. In this life, our motives are constantly being examined by a multitude of people and sometimes are misunderstood. Our challenge must be to examine ourselves to make certain that our deeds and actions and attitudes are not to gain applause or to please others but to bring glory to the Father.

We are reminded that Jesus said, “You are the light of the world” (vs. 14). Light destroys darkness and detects evil. The darker it gets, the more evident the light. We are told not to hide our light but to let it shine; therefore, lets us boldly use our gifts and talents in spreading the good news of the gospel. What a precious encouragement given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ!

Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“Now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.”     (1 Corinthians 13:12)

A few years ago, I had surgery on each of my eyes to remove cataracts. Each eye was repaired separately, so after the first surgery, I covered the newly repaired eye with my hand to compare my vision with the eye that was still clouded. When I compared the clear vision of my good eye with the impaired eye, I suddenly realized that I had been looking through a yellowish-brown haze that darkened everything in my line of sight.

It was unbelievable and, to be honest, it was disturbing how dark and cloudy my vision had become without my realizing it. Day by day, over the course of probably more than 20 years, my vision slowly grew more and more impaired. Yet, because it happened so gradually, and because I couldn’t compare what I was seeing to what I should have been seeing, there was no way to really comprehend what I was missing until the fog was removed surgically.

This principle is not only a physical one but a spiritual truth as well. The world we know is but a vague silhouette of what eternity will hold for us. All we know now and have ever known is a dark, limited view with which we have nothing to compare. But one day, the blinders will be off and we will have clarity we never knew! All of our questions, doubts, and confusion will be abundantly clear.
But, until that day, we are engaged in a walk of faith in which we are dependent on the One whose vision is perfect and whose hand is ready to guide us through the dark.

Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”             (Romans 12:2)

Not only is this verse a powerful verse, but I really thinks it speaks to something that more and more Christians seem to be struggling with these days. Understanding the culture that surrounds us is important to personal evangelism, but conforming to that culture can have negative spiritual consequences.

The apostle Paul was able to relate to the different cultures he ministered in: he was a Jew, a Greek, and a Roman citizen. Though he could relate, the focus of his ministry remained clear: Jesus Christ. Our challenge in today’s ever-changing culture is to understand it without accepting or conforming to the things about it that are contrary to who we are in Christ. We should live confidently, knowing we have, living inside us as believers, the answer to this world’s problems. He is the constant in an inconsistent culture. He is the Truth in a society full of deception and lies. We are called to shine the Light into a darkening world!

Romans 12:2 instructs us to constantly renew our minds so that we may become more and more like Christ. We can do that by studying His Word, praying, and applying the truth of the Word to our daily lives. When we do that, we won’t conform to the world’s ever-changing idea of what is right, but rather the world will see Christ in us. When that happens, Christ in us will draw people to Himself, and slowly but surely, the world around us can be conformed to His image. That is “the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”