Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

A few years ago, I attended a Gaither Homecoming Christmas show. At one point in the concert, the whole arena sang “O Little Town of Bethlehem” a capella. As all the voices blended beautifully, I recalled a quote I once read: “The hinge of history is on the door of a Bethlehem stable.” In 1868, Philips Brooks capture the depth of the Christmas event when he wrote:

“O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie.
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the Everlasting Light.
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.”

Into the night and stillness of a small town came the Light of the World that would begin to overcome darkness. Once the ancient prophets had spoken the Word of the Lord through Jeremiah or Isaiah, or God had spoken through the holy books of old, but that night in Bethlehem the only begotten Son of God was born; the Word of the Lord was alive and in the world. The birth of Jesus becomes our own personal gift from God when we open ourselves meekly and humbly to the truth that if we so desire, Christ’s spirit will live in us.

“O holy child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray.
Cast out our sin and enter in; be born in us today.”

That’s the journey from Bethlehem to your heart and mine!

Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. . . . Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond servant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”         (Philippians 2:3, 5-8)

We live in a society that spends great effort and resources to promote self-esteem. It’s the theme of many talk shows, magazines, articles, books, blogs, speeches, songs, and more. I think it is important to have confidence and even feel good about oneself, but we must keep this in scriptural perspective. When we look at the life of Christ we see a life devoted to humble service and sacrifice, a life that contradicts the modern society-coined phrase self-esteem. Rather, Jesus’ life is a picture of selfless-esteem.

Here is what I mean. Christ was perfect. He had no flaws; He never sinned! He was talked about, ridiculed, scorned to shame. Lies were told about Him to defame His reputation. he was forsaken by friends, unlawfully sentenced, brutally beaten, and then ultimately murdered! But He never sinned!

Through all the false accusations and mental and physical torment, Jesus kept His mind fixed on being a servant rather than the one being served. If anyone had a reason to retaliate in defense, Jesus did. If anyone had the right to flaunt a reputation, it would be the sinless Son of God, but He “made Himself of no reputation.” This example has really helped me when I’ve faced times of ridicule or may be a bit of gossip has been floating around with my name attached to it. Our first reaction to these hurtful experiences in life is to stand up and retaliate in hopes of defending our reputation. But look at what Jesus did. Though He was equal with God, He stooped down to humble Himself, serving in obedience even unto death by a cross.

I’ve learned that true humility is not thinking negatively about ourselves, but it is agreeing with what God says about us. The grace of God will exalt us without inflating us and will humble us without debasing us.

So, if you are suffering because you have been forsaken by friends or someone has told a lie about you that is damaging to your reputation, remember this, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” He will empower us to live a life of selfless-esteem.

Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”         (Ephesians 6:12)

As we navigate the waters of relationship with our family or friends, rough seas are inevitable. Regardless of how much we love one another, we are sometimes going to disagree, and sometimes quite strongly! I’ve know this scripture verse all my life but recently, I was given new illumination on this passage.

Satan wants to destroy us in any way he can. Some of the more obvious worldly temptations may be easy for us to resist. But if he can turn families, friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ against one another through hurts and anger, then he counts that as a victory.

So, when I feel my frustration rising because of some offense, I try to realize that I’m not at war with my spouse, neighbor, son, daughter, or whomever. The real battle is against the prince of darkness who wants to rob us of everything good, including our relationships. And guess what — I’m just not falling for it!

2 Corinthians 4:7 says, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from god, not from ourselves.

Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of god, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”             (2 Corinthians 10:5)

A Christ-like character doesn’t just happen; it is the result of daily effort in right thinking. The principle of sowing and reaping is as certain in the hidden realm of thought as in the visible world. the great Charles Spurgeon said, “There are not so many hours in a year as there may be thoughts in an hour.” If thoughts become our enemies, they will be a force too strong for us and will drag us down to ruin. Many littles make much; so many small thoughts make a great weight of sin.

Our mind is truly like a garden and can be cultivated intelligently or allowed to run wild. Depending on which you and I choose, our thoughts will bring forth something useful or destructive. The Lord has given us the ability to “weed out” all the wrong, impure thoughts and focus on “whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy” (Philippians 4:8). Praise God that we have the ability to choose!

We can choose to meditate on God’s promises and allow the truth of those promises to bring us the comfort and joy that we need. Remember we cannot have a need that our Lord will not supply. He is our sympathizing Savior and promised to never leave us or forsake us. David wrote in Psalm 94:19, “In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.”

Don’t allow discouraging or sinful thoughts keep you down. Use your God-given ability to focus your mind on His promises and enjoy the reward of taking your thoughts captive.

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 groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”        (Romans 8:26-27)

Prayer is a powerful subject. Prayer isn’t a one-way dialog. I think we have a tendency to make our wishes known and don’t expect to get an answer, or at least not the one we wanted. When it comes right down to it, we really don’t know how to pray. What if the Lord answered all the prayers we ever prayed? God loves us so much that He sometimes gives us what we need and not what we want. Prayer is a process that reminds us of who God is and who we are.

I believe that there is great power in prayer, but I also believe we can’t tell God what to do and when to do it. There is a big difference between faith and presumption. There is a difference between believing He is the almighty God and demanding he be our divine servant. God knows that with our limited vision we don’t even know what we should pray for. We may be praying for something right now that God knows would not be best for us. When we give our prayers to Him, we trust Him to answer with His holy judgment.

I think the reason I like Romans 8 so much is that so much of the time I am at a loss to know how to pray. Read the above verse again… then take time to listen.

I have always liked the statement that the reason that the angels took the news of Christ’s birth to the shepherds was that they were quiet and could hear. We, too, when we pray should take the time to be still and know that He is God. Prayer is our privilege and our right as Christians. We can talk to God as a friend. I used to think that to pray you had to kneel down by your bed, but I have found that I can pray no matter what I’m doing. Prayer doesn’t have to be about big things; He is interested in small things, too. Anything that concerns us concerns Him, too. Let’s remember to thank Him, too, for answers seen and unseen.

Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”         (John 14:15)

I recently re-read the Book of Mark. On every page I saw a Savior who is motivated by compassion. Compassion not only says, “I love you,” but also, “I will help you.” The Lord so wanted the people  of that day, as well as us today, to receive the commandments of God. Not because He wants to be the Great Commander (even though He is the Great Commander), but because He sees the big picture. He sees time from beginning to end, and He knows how sin affects our lives and the lives of those we love. He sees the heartache and pain that sin brings, and He wants to spare us that sorrow.

Jesus told a parable about a man who had a large estate. One day he decided to leave for a while and go to a far country. Before leaving, he called 3 servants to him; he gave the first servant 5 talents, the next 2 talents, and the third 1 talent. Then after placing the money under their management, he went away on his journey.

He was gone for a long time, and when he returned, he called for an accounting. The first servant said he had invested the 5 talents and the money had doubled. The second servant said he had also doubled the 2 talents. To each the master said, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.”

The third servant said, “Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.” The master said, “You wicked and lazy servant.” He ordered the talent to be taken away and had the servant banished into outer darkness. He said, “You ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest” (Matthew 25:14-28).

I used to think that was a hard judgement. I’ve read the story again and again, and I see that the third servant did not really know his master. He misjudged him as a harsh, demanding man, and acted accordingly. Isn’t that how some of us see God? We think He is waiting to zap us if we make a mistake. That is the same mistake the servant made, misjudging the master, whom he didn’t really know or love.

We need to trust and know the Master and keep His commandments. God is loving. God is fair. God is just. Trusting Him to be all those things will make such a difference in the way we make our choices. Our understanding of God determines our plans and our daily walk (Mark 12:28-31).

Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all
these things shall be added to you.”       (Matthew 6:33)

Sometimes the hardest thing to learn as a Christian is how to pray. I got saved at 12 years of age and grew up in church; always pretty comfortable praying and asking God for things I needed. In fact, I was so comfortable presenting my wants and needs that as a young adult I found myself having to re-evaluate my prayer habits. When I prayed I would catch myself begging God to answer in the way that I wanted, the way I thought seemed best. It didn’t even dawn on me until I read this scripture that I was trying to get my own way and was not even concerned about what He wanted for me.

One day I picked up my Bible to find some comfort and God showed me this verse. I wasn’t doing at all what He said. I wasn’t seeking first the kingdom of God, or His will, and I wasn’t concerned with righteousness as much as I was with getting what I thought In needed. From that moment on, I realized that when we seek the Lord, our will begins to line up with His, and we begin to be not so insistent on things he doesn’t mean for us to have.

I believe He wants us to be happy and feel loved, but we can’t bypass Him, trying to get it our own way. When we seek Him with all our hearts, He will give us not only what we need, but we will also begin to see that he is satisfying our deepest desires as he removes our insistence on things we shouldn’t pursue.

Through this experience, day by day it became easier to let go of my will and pray for His. I am learning that He knows what I truly need in my life. Maybe if I had learned this secret of prayer before I got myself into unnecessary messes, I could have avoided some of the heartaches of life!

Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.”
(Matthew 5:14)

A friend once shared with me that he had become very discouraged with where his family of 4 was presently living. The once pleasant section of town in which they called home had over the years become rundown and unsafe and undesirable for parents raising children. He expressed their desire to move but could not find suitable housing in a better place that would fit into their budget.

The family who had once lived across the street from them had already moved to a new place. One evening that family came back to the neighborhood to visit my friend. They expressed to him simply, “We want you to know that watching the lives of you, your wife and family over these last years that we lived across from you made a great impression on us and today we are involved in a church and serving Christ. Thank you!”
My friend said, “At times we’ve been a little afraid living there, but God encouraged us through those folks, and seemed to say, ‘It’s alright. You have served me right here where you are.’”

Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Light functions in virtue of what it is. Our light is not our good deeds, but the means by which people see that they are good. This verse stresses character rather than works. My friend possibly had not had that much verbal contact with the neighbors across the street, but the light shining on him and his family had evidently become a beacon that reached others.

Where are you in your life right now? Do you have the light of the Word residing in you? You don’t have to change jobs or locations to be a beacon for the Lord.

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.