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!