Roadside Attractions
By Pastor Ben

“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.”        (1 Corinthians 1:18)

Roadside attractions usually aren’t destinations. They’re simply stopping places along the way to the destination. I’m thinking about one-of-a-kind, larger-than-life oddities like the world’s largest golf tee, knitting needles, ketchup bottle, and ball of twine.

As Jesus and His disciples traveled, Jesus Himself often became a roadside attraction, as it were. People had heard about His teachings and miracles. They wanted to know more. Was He the world’s greatest or the biggest fraud? Was He a one-of-a-kind miracle worker or a roadside sideshow? Was He sent by God or just playing god?
The people who met Jesus in the midst of His travels quickly learned that He was much more than a roadside attraction. Meeting the Son of God changed their daily lives and eternal destinations:

Two blind men cried out to Jesus for healing. He touched their eyes and gave them sight. Their response? They followed Him.    (See Matthew 20:29-34)

Traversing a mountain road, people with all kinds of infirmities went to see Jesus. He healed them all and Scripture tells us the crowd glorified the God of Israel. (See Matthew 15:29-31)

During His ministry, Jesus healed the minds & bodies of several women. They responded in gratitude by helping & serving Jesus & His disciples.   (Luke 8:1-3)

After witnessing Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and the aftermath, a Roman centurion ultimately recognized Him as the Son of God.   (See Matthew 27:54)

Jesus wasn’t a roadside attraction — He was (and still is) THE destination. Yes, His gifts are larger than life. Perhaps they seem unbelievable at times. But you don’t want to make the mistake of driving on by looking for a fancier destination! Go directly to Him for healing, mercy, and forgiveness. He will welcome you with unconditional love and the promise of eternal life.

By living in Jesus, we find the strength to model our lives after His ministry — taking time to care for others, responding to their needs, teaching them eternal truths. Jesus served generously and He calls us to do the same.

PRAYER STARTER:
Jesus, I am beyond grateful that You saw me on the road to hell and changed my eternal destination . . .

The Grand Canyon
By Pastor Ben

“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world
     and those who dwell therein.”        (Psalm 24:1)

If you were planning a road trip to visit the most inspiring, magnificent spots in God’s creation, where would you go? Maybe you’d want to take in the giant sequoias of Yosemite or the geysers of Yellowstone. You might visit Niagara Falls or Mount Rainier. Perhaps you’d stop to see an ocean, or a volcano, or a glacier.
For me, I guess, the Grand Canyon would be pretty high on my list. My wife Torrie has been there and seen it, but I have not and no verbal description or photo can really describe its grandeur. Its size — 277 miles long, 6,000 ft. Deep, 5.45 trillion cubic yards of volume — is simply unbelievable and spectacular!

And yet, I know of an even bigger canyon. It’s the expanse that separates us from our Heavenly Father and the gift of heaven. Our sins have created an immeasurable divide:

“But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.”        (Isaiah 59:2)

Geologists say the Grand Canyon is constantly getting deeper & wider. The same thing happens when we try to earn salvation. It only creates a wider gulf. When we try to impress God with our own holiness, the valleys in our heart only grow deeper. Because we are dead in our sins, relying on our own abilities and good works to bridge the gap is futile! There is only one way out of that canyon and it is JESUS!

We receive forgiveness and eternal life in Jesus Christ, and in Him alone. His sacrificial death on the Cross and resurrection victory three days later have made us friends of God — forever!
The bridge-building, salvation-giving, sin-forgiving Son of God, Jesus Christ, told the world:

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”                        (John 14:6)

So don’t even think about relying on yourself to build a bridge across the cavernous gap of sin! Jesus’ work on the Cross built the bridge, and God graciously invites you to cross it. Go ahead — take in the wonder of it all and run home to your Father.

PRAYER STARTER:
Jesus, I can hardly describe how thankful I am that Your grace has bridged the gap my sinful life created . . .

Stories From the Road: Part 3
By Pastor Ben

Use the Images link of an internet search to look up “travel route to the Promised Land.”

The results will show you the route Moses took while leading God’s people from captivity in Egypt to the Promised Land of Canaan.

Once you see the map, you’ll understand why those 40 years are often described as “wandering in the wilderness.” There were plenty of U-turns, recalculation, and lost signals!

The Lord used those years of traveling to teach His people to trust I’m in all areas of their lives and to recognize Him as the one true God.

What has the Lord taught you about trusting Him and acknowledging Him as the one true God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — while you have been traveling through each day of your life?

PLACES OF INTEREST

“I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.”
                                    (Psalm 145:1-4)

GPS Message: Lost Signal
By Pastor Ben

“When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.”            (Psalm 91:15)

It’s your worst nightmare: While driving in an unfamiliar location, the dreaded “Lost Signal” message appears on your navigation system. The GPS signal is lost and so are you. We men don’t like admitting we’re lost. It kills our confidence and forces us to accept defeat. Instead of reaching out for help, we have an internal debate about how to get back on track:

Did I miss a turn five miles back or was it 25 miles? What about my schedule? I can’t be lost now — we have to get home! I’m going to charge ahead.

It’s tough admitting that you’ve lost your way — and that applies to more than just road trips. We can feel so lost when we’ve been blindsided by unemployment. Or when relationships with family members are contentious. Or when we’re stuck in a rut and seem to be okay with it. Life is often one struggle after another and there are no rest stops in sight.

    Mark 2:1-12 tells of a paralyzed man in Capernaum who could likely relate to our feelings of being lost. Scripture doesn’t say, but he likely spent days (maybe weeks & months & years) lost in his thoughts of despair. He probably believed his future went no further than his cot. But one day, things started looking up as four men lowered him down from a roof into the presence of Jesus.

Jesus was preaching the Word in a home and the place was standing room (and one cot) only. Seeing the faith of the paralyzed man’s friends, Jesus addressed the most important issue in the man’s life. Jesus forgave his sins. Miracle #1.

And then, after Jesus addressed the bullying objections of His own enemies, religious leaders lost in the law, Jesus healed the man. Miracle #2.

Both miracles gave the man a leg to stand on as he walked by faith toward his future. If you find yourself lost in sickness, anxiety, or guilt, remember Jesus’ words:

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”        (Luke 19:10)

Jesus will seek you. He will save you. The miraculous sin-forgiving, life-giving, lost-finder Jesus is yours — today and always!

PRAYER STARTER:
Jesus, I need your miracles of forgiveness and healing in so many ways . . .

GPS Message: Make a U-Turn
By Pastor Ben

“If we are faithless, he remains faithful — for he cannot deny himself”
                        (2 Timothy 2:13)

Imagine a complicated strip-mall parking lot on a Saturday afternoon. There are cars everywhere. The “to the highway” signs seem to point in different directions. To add to the chaos, your GPS keeps repeating the same message: “Make a U-turn whenever possible.”

Life can be a lot like that crowded, complicated parking lot. Temptations are everywhere — at home, at work, even at church! We turn away from God’s will, ways, and laws. Then, when we make  a self-chosen U-turn, trying to get back on the right route, we end up more confused than before.
That’s because the “U-turn” message isn’t exactly correct. It gives the impression that we do the turning, putting ourselves back on God’s path of righteousness. In reality, the Christ-follower’s prayer should be “You turn me, Holy Spirit.”

The prophet Elijah took his “you-turn-me” message to the Israelites at Mt. Carmel. He knew they had turned away from the one true God and were worshiping the idol-god Baal. Gathering all the prophets of Baal together, Elijah called on the living and active Lord, Yahweh, to show His presence and power while exposing Baal as counterfeit. Elijah prayed:

“Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that You have turned their hearts back.”            (1 Kings 18:37)

Elijah knew the people weren’t going to turn back to God on their own. The same is true for us. When we rely on our own ways, our own wisdom, and our own “spirituality,” we end up going nowhere, lost, endlessly turning around in circles. The only thing that can stop the cycle of sin is the Holy Spirit working repentance in our hearts.
When you’re in a mess of sin and feeling disoriented, consider this:

“Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?”                            (Romans 2:4)

God graciously gives us the gift of repentance. Just follow His way and gladly ask, “You-turn me, Lord God, to my ever-present Redeemer, Jesus!”

PRAYER STARTER:
Direct all of my ways, Lord, so that . . .

GPS Message: Recalculating
By Pastor Ben

“There is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
                            (Luke 15:10)

Beginning in 2011, many GPS manufacturers decided to do away with the “recalculating” message on their devices. It seems the companies received too many complaints about the GPS voice calling out the driver’s mistakes — er, I mean “alternate routes.” Drivers sent in comments like these:

I know I missed the exit. And then my GPS announces “recalculating!” Don’t rub it in and give my family reason to get upset with me. We all know I messed up!

I went off course on purpose to get something to eat. I knew what I was doing. Stop telling me I was wrong!

I’m tired of constantly hearing “recalculating!” It’s too much, too often. I’m hearing it in my sleep!

When we veer from God’s direction, we don’t like being reminded of it either. Sometimes we deliberately disobey. We know we’re headed along the wrong route, but we continue anyway. Other times, we don’t do it intentionally. It just happens. Our sinful decisions come so rapidly and often, we’re tired of hearing about them. But we do need to hear about them. We do need to recalculate. In love, our Lord will always encourage us to rethink our decisions when we’re headed off course.

David certainly heard that message. In Psalm 32, he recounts feeling the Lord’s heavy hand on him, the weight of guilt. God reminded David again and again to recalculate. Then, when David did turn to the Lord and away from his sin, the Lord forgave him and restored the joy of his salvation.

We may not always like being reminded of our sin, but God loves us too much to stop. As we grow in the gracious truth, we find that we want Him to shed light on our sin because it points us to Jesus. The forgiveness He earned on the Cross is always ours, no matter how much “recalculating” is necessary.

As we set our path, our joy comes in following God’s will, ways, and direction — which are always best.

PRAYER STARTER:
Dear God, in the midst of my sins, the Holy Spirit has brought me to repentance. In Jesus’ name, forgive me for . . .

Navigation System Fail
By Pastor Ben

“Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.”
                        (Psalm 32:1)

Several years ago, Torrie & I were taking a trip to a different state. Eager to get home, we decided to take a shortcut recommended by our GPS. It was an utter disaster. Slow, two-lane highways and construction messes everywhere! It took us forever to get home, but it didn’t take us long to recognize this was an epic GPS Fail!

You’ve heard of Cain, Noah, and David, right? Their stories, and countless others in the Bible, are full of epic fails. In fact, sin, depravity, and failure is a part of life for every person who walks the face of the earth:

Cain murdered his brother    (Genesis 4:1-16)
Noah planted a vineyard and got drunk        (Genesis 9:20-21)
David tried to conceal his adultery with murder     (2 Samuel 11)
You yourself act at times as if you worship money     (Exodus 32)
You’re sometimes ruled by sexual temptations       (1 Kings 11:1-8)
Your heart is often full of jealousy & anger          (1 Samuel 18:6-16)

The story of God’s people — then and now — is a story that includes much rebellion and sin. What a huge mess! The only way out is God’s Plan of Salvation (GPS, if you will). There are no shortcuts in God’s plan. Instead of justifiably destroying us and all sinners, He chose one person to serve as the object of all His wrath. That One was Jesus Christ. Born of a woman, true flesh and blood, He lived a perfect human life in our place. He fulfilled the Law because we couldn’t.

Jesus went to the Cross to take the wrath we had earned, to be the sacrifice for our sins. But what looked like an epic fail became a true and amazing victory when Jesus rose from the dead. Through faith, Jesus new life has become our own. Our sins created the mess, but He cleaned it up with His blood.

No matter the shortcuts you’ve taken, the sins you’ve committed, or the epic failures you’ve lived, Jesus offers the hope of Good News. He gave His life for your sins. No one deserves that kind of love and forgiveness, and there’s nothing you can do to earn it. It’s a gift. It’s yours. Full forgiveness. Real peace. Epic grace.

PRAYER STARTER:
Jesus, You gave Your life to save me. You took the punishment I deserve . . .

Navigation System vs. Map
By Pastor Ben

“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.”     (Psalm 37:5)

I want to trust navigation systems; I really do. But instead, I have a love-hate relationship with them. They impress me, but I just can’t bring myself to trust them 100%. Their are too many unknowns. So, if I’m going on a long trip, I very often print out a map — just in case my navigation system fails. Then, I confidently start my car and take off — with my back-up plan in hand.
Is that really confidence? Is that really trust? Is that really faith? Can we be confident and trusting without a back-up plan?
Abraham was:

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.”
                                (Hebrews 11:8)

No navigation system. No map. Just trust in God. Seriously, Abraham? Seriously?!
When the Lord spoke, Abraham listened. He and his family trusted God 100%. They followed the Lord’s direction and plan, leaving their country and extended family. Who has that kind of trust? When you’re down to the last $50 in your bank account… when your friend is diagnosed with cancer or Alzheimer’s… when your co-workers dismiss your faith as baloney — can you trust that God’s direction is always best?

The full-fledged trust that Abraham displayed is possible only for the righteous — those who know and trust the righteousness Christ gives and who rely on the forgiveness He won for us.

There is no back-up plan for our salvation. We can trust God’s flawless navigation, the navigation that took Jesus from a stable in Bethlehem to a cross at Golgotha to an empty tomb on Easter morning. Jesus is our Savior, and He’ll never let us down.

We don’t need a map because God tells us where to go. Dead in our sins, we look to Jesus to make us alive. Unsure of where to turn to next, we focus our eyes on the Cross. Walking as strangers here on earth, we place our hope in Jesus and the mansion He is preparing for us in Heaven.

Put your trust in the divine Navigator, Jesus Christ. When you feel yourself reaching for a back-up plan, PRAY! Ask for God’s direction, trust His forgiveness, and always keep the Cross in sight.

PRAYER STARTER:
Lord God, I may not be able to see the future, but I know You are leading me. . .

Stories From the Road: Part 2
By Pastor Ben

In Psalm 18, David presents a poetic prayer to God. Read and study his prayer and note the checklist of things for which he asks:

* Confidence in the ways of the Lord.

    * Praise for the ever-present help of the Lord.

    * Thanksgiving for God’s rescue.

    * Praise for the almighty strength of God.

    * Worship of the Lord’s holiness.

    * Joy in the living Lord.

Do your prayers mirror David’s psalm? If you struggle to find the words to pray, grab a note card and write down 10 things to pray about: family members, friends who don’t know Jesus, thanksgiving to God for your blessings, and so on. Carry that note card with you and get it out and look at it anytime you want to talk to your Heavenly Father. Then, next week, get a new note card and writ a fresh checklist.

Navigating Through Your Days

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
                                (Proverbs 3:5-6)

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.        (Psalm 23:1-3)

Checklist #5 – Maintenance
By Pastor Ben

“You [O Lord] . . . Are acquainted with all my ways.”    (Psalm 139:3)

When I was a young boy, at our family get-togethers, the men would all gather outside around one of their cars. My uncles would raise the hood and would discuss every detail of the car. They knew their cars inside & out. I can only imagine the extreme care they took in getting their cars ready for a road trip or a vacation. They undoubtedly wanted everything to be perfect and optimally operational.

Perfection was God’s plan too. And it was achieved . . . In the beginning. Then, with a fury, Satan rolled into the Garden of Eden like a viper in the first hybrid model of temptation and sin. Adam & Eve lost their focus on their Creator. They sinned against their God, who then drove them out of the Garden. SIN CHANGED EVERYTHING!

The world was broken. Perfection ended. Humankind could’ve been headed for the junkyard, but God never abandoned Adam & Eve. Instead, He promised to send a Savior, One who would overpower their sin — Jesus Christ.

As the Holy Spirit creates faith through God’s Word, He directs us to the Cross of Jesus. Like a mechanic that keeps a 1957 Chevy running, Jesus makes us new every morning. Forgiven in the Cross, we stand shining in the Son. The Father sees His Son’s perfection in us.

When we stumble and our sins seem too much to bear, we return to the foot of the Cross. There, we’re reminded that Christ promises to live in us and through us:

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”                (Galatians 2:20)

The total perfection, ruined in Eden, will be fully restored when we all get to Heaven. Until then, we can live confidently in the promises of our Savior.

So, each day, remember to fill up on forgiveness, always consult divine directions, and buckle up for a blessed ride!

PRAYER STARTER:
Father, I ask for Your forgiveness and give thanks for the promises I have in my Savior. Lead me in the way of the Cross, for Your direction is always best . . .