I don’t know if I’m alone in this, but my mind tends to wander into deep thought when I’m walking our dog. Since he only weighs 6 lbs and is really chill, he doesn’t require much effort, so I can allow my mind to drift off 2-3 times a day while walking him. Anyway, on a recent walk, I began thinking about Jesus’ words in John 13:35…

“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

This is a well-known and often preached on passage of Scripture with good reason. Jesus has just defined what that love is supposed to look like in verse 34: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” In other words, it is in laying our lives down for our brothers and sisters in Christ that will cause the world to know we are His disciples. We often conclude that what this means is if we would just get along and love each other, the lost would come to know Christ. The problem with that interpretation is that isn’t what Jesus said. He said, “they will know you are my disciples if you have love for one another.” Nothing is mentioned by Jesus on whether that would always result in salvation or not.

Think with me to the early church in the book of Acts. It wasn’t often a positive interaction for the apostles and early disciples to be recognized as followers of Christ. As a matter of fact, it often got them hatred, imprisonment, and even death.

What am I getting at with all of this? The Bible never says that our love will make the Gospel attractive to unbelievers. But how many times have we been taught that? We often hear things like, “the reason the world wants nothing to do with Christianity is because of all the division and bitterness among Christians.” Hear me clearly, hatred, bitterness, and strife have no place in the body of Christ. It should always be called out and those involved called to repentance. But Jesus nor the Scriptures ever told us that if we were just nicer to each other, more people would be saved.

Instead, we find things like “the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing” (1 Corinthians 1:18) and “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

Does this distinction matter though? I believe it matters a great deal because when we see the world hating us and rejecting the Gospel if we believe that it’s always simply a result of a lack of love on our part, we begin to become more silent about the Gospel in an effort to not offend and make the Gospel more ‘attractive.’ Yes, Jesus’ love and compassion drew many great crowds, but it was his proclamation of the Gospel that also drove most of them away. Our compassion does not save anyone. It is only God’s compassion, love, and grace, through the Gospel of Jesus Christ that saves - that’s what we are called to proclaim.

So the next time you read the words of John 13:35, remember that the world recognizing we are disciples of Christ is a good thing, but it also may lead to hatred and persecution like it often did for the early church. Don’t let men and women’s rejection of the Gospel cause you to water it down in an effort to appear more loving. True Christlike love proclaims the truth. And yes, do so in kindness, gentleness, and love. But also do so with boldness. In that moment when someone recognizes you as a Christian because of your love and asks you for a reason for the hope that’s in you, be ready to give an answer, and then give it. (1 Peter 3:15)

Now that I’m a father of a toddler, I’ve become quite the expert on Disney movies like Frozen. In Frozen II there is a song sung by the snowman, Olaf where he is in the woods alone and afraid. My favorite part of the song is when he hears a noise and exclaims: “Samantha?!” Okay, I understand if you haven’t seen the movie that will probably not make any sense to you whatsoever, but what’s so funny about it is how random it is given the fact that he doesn’t even know anyone named Samantha.

That was my poor attempt to illustrate how many Christians claim to hear God’s voice. Something happens in their lives and they have a strong feeling about what direction they should take and therefore, they assume they have ‘heard from God.’ Others do claim to actually hear God’s voice audibly or at least clearly in their hearts. For those of us who have not experienced that, it can be frustrating when we really need to hear from the Lord, but don’t think He speaks to us like he speaks to other Christians.

So the question becomes: How does God speak to His people? The author of Hebrews begins his letter by answering that question for us.

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world”
Hebrews 1:1-2 (ESV)

Did you catch the part that I underlined? “He has spoken to us by His Son.” If you’re waiting on God to speak to you, don’t miss the fact that He has spoken to you through His Son Jesus Christ who is “The Word made flesh” (John 1). Can God speak audibly to His people? Yes, God can do whatever He wills to do. However, in His revealed will (the Bible) He has informed us that although He used to speak in various ways, His method of speaking is now the Living Word (His Son: Jesus) Who is revealed to us in His written Word (The Bible).

The old adage still holds water: “If you want to know the will of God, read the Word of God.” You see in those moments of life when we are desperate for God to speak, He has given us an eternally gracious gift of His revealed will written down for us to dig deep into. While the Bible doesn’t tell you what job to take, or how to fix your broken faucet, it does reveal to us God’s will for our lives. The Bible is sufficient for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).

If there is a time when you ‘felt’ like God was speaking to you, go to the Word and measure what you felt or heard against that. Certainly, we have the Holy Spirit in us who guides us, but Jesus told us that what the Spirit guides us into is the truth of Who Jesus is and what He has said (John 16:13-15).

The beauty is that this frees us to know exactly what God expects of us. As St. Augustine said “Love God, and do what you want.” If your love for Him is first and foremost and you’re seeking to walk in His ways, then allow Him to change your desires to line up with His and then live your life.

“And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Deuteronomy 10:12 (ESV)

I grew up in a church where we took communion every single Sunday. As a matter of fact, Sunday was a very long day at church because we would show up for Sunday school at 9:30, have a worship service at 10:45, and then a communion service would follow. Our church always had homemade bread during communion, which was what I looked forward to because let’s face it: as a kid, when 12:00 rolls around on Sunday, all you’re thinking about is food (which is also true of me now that I’m an adult). So I would try to break off as big a piece of bread as possible when it was passed my way.

I was taught the significance of communion and told that we were to prepare our hearts to take it, but I always thought that meant just simply bowing my head during communion and asking God to forgive me of known and unknown sins. That is certainly a good, right, and biblical thing to do, but I don’t believe that’s the full extent of what it means to “take cup in a worthy manner” (1 Corinthians 11:27). My understanding of the Bible’s teaching on communion has drastically grown over the last year or so and now, I’m beginning to see and believe that preparing your heart to take communion can be a weeklong process. It should begin the week before you show up on Sunday to partake with your fellow believers.

First, it should be a personal reflection and prayer time with the Lord to ask Him to reveal any sin in your life that you are unrepentant about. Maybe there is known sin that you bring before Him, and also ask Him to reveal unknown sins. This gives you time to reflect unlike the 2 minutes you may have during the worship service. Carry this attitude of repentance with you throughout the week as you approach the table, and then that short prayer on Sunday as you hold the elements in your hands will be much more meaningful.

Next, if you live with family members, spend some time preparing them as well. Husbands, lead your family members in a time of prayer for repentance. Teach your kids what communion means and explain to them that it’s only for those who have professed faith in Christ to partake of. Make sure they know just how important this event is so that it’s not just something you do once a month, but it is an expression of the grace that you live in every single day.

Also, pray for God to reveal any broken relationships in your life. Is there anyone you need to extend forgiveness to or ask forgiveness of? Don’t come to the table without resolving these things. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:29 - “For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.” I’ve often argued that “the body” Paul is referring to in that verse is the body of Christ - His Church. Communion is not an individual act, but a corporate one and we must approach the table in love and unity with one another.

The last point I would like to make in this post is that you should also pray for your pastor(s) the week leading up as well. I said earlier, my understanding of communion has grown and I have now begun to see that Scripture teaches us that the Lord’s Table is a means of grace for the Church, but also is an opportunity for pastors to exercise biblical, loving church discipline when needed. Pastors and elders have a responsibility, I believe to ‘fence’ the Table - meaning that we shepherd our people to take the supper in a worthy manner and we don’t allow those living in known, unrepentant sin to partake - for the sake of their souls. Pray that your pastor(s) have the courage to reach out to church members that they know would not be able to partake in a worthy manner and that they love them enough to counsel them in this regard. And also, be willing yourself to receive such a phone call or conversation from your pastor and humble yourself to submit to their leadership in your life.

In all of this, I am pushing for a more biblical, and I believe, beautiful understanding and practice of the Lord’s Supper. In it, we proclaim the Lord’s death, unite with the body, and experience His grace in a unique way. As I write this article, MissionWay is preparing this week to take communion together, so if you’re a member of MissionWay and plan to partake on Sunday, be sure to prepare your hearts leading up to it. I can’t wait to surround the Table of the Lord with you all and Remember Jesus together!

In a few days (Lord willing), the calendars will flip to the year 2021. While merely moving to a new year doesn’t in itself bring any changes or transformation of any kind, I think we all at least have slight anticipation for the infamous 2020 to be over. It’s probably safe to assume that this has been a difficult year for everyone in some way - or multiple ways. As a pastor, I have been praying for, counseling, and grieving with so many this year, and yet, the Lord has also been taking me and my family through many hard things as well. I wanted to write out some of my thoughts and reflections on this past year in the hope that it will bring encouragement to you and your family as well.

Reflection #1 - God is still good.
Can I confess something? I almost didn’t write this point because it seems trivial to write. For followers of Jesus, this should be a foregone conclusion and it’s not something that we feel we need to hear because it doesn’t bring immediate comfort to my circumstance that is anything but good. Yet, this needs to be the first point because if God is not good, we have no hope, and if He is good, then our hope is unshakeable. There’s a famous line that I used to hear all the time and yet I haven’t seen it much this year, but this may have been the year it is most needed as a reminder. The line is: “But even if not, He is still good.” Even if 2021 doesn’t get better (or even if it gets worse), even if He doesn’t take my pain away soon, even if I don’t get the results I’m praying for, He is still good. What we believe about God in times of blessing, must also be true in times of darkness and pain.

Reflection #2 - We need Biblical community.
The line that has been thrown out there often this year is “we’re in this together.” It’s a sentiment that we can all get behind because who wants to say, “we’re in this divided" no matter how true that may appear? With the world around us at war, gatherings diminishing, more people staying home, and online “church” on the rise, I’ve realized more than ever the beauty of Biblical community. We need to meet together, pray for one another, serve one another, sacrifice for the sake of each other, bear one another’s burdens, worship together, point one another to the goodness of God (see reflection #1), and all the other things that brothers and sisters in Christ do so well. I know that for some individuals, it’s simply not safe to be potentially exposed to the virus, but I also know that some of us are losing our souls because of the isolation. We were not designed to live life alone. We have the promise that Jesus is with us and that He is enough, yes, but Jesus Himself established His Church for us to have community with as well. Fight for Biblical community - whatever the cost.

Reflection #3 - We are citizens of heaven.
Let’s start reminding ourselves that though the Kingdoms of this world may crumble, Jesus is still on the throne in Heaven and that’s where our citizenship is. This world is not our home, we are just passing through. Yes, I know that all sounds cliche, but it’s a truth that should give us peace. Love your neighbor and pursue the good of the land you’re in, but remember that you are not home yet.

Reflection #4 - Disciple your children.
All parents right now are asking ourselves some form of the following question: “How am I supposed to raise my kid(s) in this broken world?” For many of us, 2020 has given us more time to be physically near our families and I fear that many of us have wasted that privilege. Yes, I know that in some ways, life has gotten even busier and more complicated, but God has set you as parents in the primary role of pointing them to Him. Instead of panicking that the world around us is wicked and fearing it’s influence on our kids, let’s spend every waking moment pointing them to Jesus. Talk about current events and show your children how you’re holding on to your hope in Christ. Tell them that no matter what this world seems to offer, Jesus is better. This Christmas, give them gifts but make sure they know the greatest gift of all. Don’t allow anyone else to disciple your kids (they will try), make sure you are their main influence, and strive to make disciples of Jesus out of your kids.

Reflection #5 - Pain and Joy can and do co-exist.
Without going into detail, my family has been hit pretty hard in many different ways this year, and in some senses, it’s been one of the hardest years of my life. And what I’m about to say might be easy to read over and either dismiss it, think I’m lying, or just assume I’m supposed to say it. So I’m begging you to believe that what I’m about to write is not trivial or me trying to be overly spiritual. Here goes: This has been one of the hardest years of my life, but I’ve also had more joy this year than ever before. The number one reason for that is the grace and mercy of Jesus holding me when I didn’t have the strength to hold on to Him. But secondary to that has been His grace in showing me that it is only my belief in the Gospel that can carry me through difficult times. It’s only my faith in the promises of God and His Sovereignty that allow me to have joy in the midst of grief. Every Sunday as I preach from the Word of God, I’m really trying to say the same thing - Believe in and hold on to the Gospel. Every other solution offered to ease or cure your pain and grief pales in comparison to the glory and power found in Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection for the salvation of your soul. Pain and joy do co-exist because the Savior endured the pain of the cross for the joy set before Him.

Reflection #6 - We are idol factories.
I think it was Paul Tripp that may have coined this phrase, but our human, fleshly hearts are daily trying to create idols and put them in the place of God in our lives. 2020 has revealed several of the idols that our culture held dear and some of us are still trying to desperately hold on to them. One of them in particular that I realized in my own life was the idol of comfort and security. Being a Christian in America is easy - let’s be honest. There are more Christians dying for their faith in Jesus around the world today than at any other point in history and we’ve allowed ourselves to believe we are persecuted because we have to wear a mask. Now, don’t get me wrong, we are seeing an all-out attack on Christianity in our culture and true persecution is happening and it is growing. That’s my point: I’ve seen in my own heart and tendency to think that my life will be over if our rights to gather get taken away or if true persecution did hit close to home. But the reality is that Jesus promised troubles and persecution and He also promised that He had overcome the world. I have had to confess and repent of my idol of comfort often this year and surrender that to the Lord. If more intense persecution comes, we will continue to praise Him and proclaim the Gospel. We will not back down and we will not allow the culture to cause us to deny our faith. It’s time for the Church in America to allow God to use the persecution we experience to grow our faith and grow His Church.

CONCLUSION
These are a few of the things on my heart lately and I know this post has probably been rather intense in it’s tone. So what I want to do is end it with a passage that I have gone back to several times this year because of the comfort and peace it brings me through all the chaos:

Psalm 94:16-19 (ESV)
16 Who rises up for me against the wicked? 
Who stands up for me against evildoers? 
17 If the Lord had not been my help, 
my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence. 
18 When I thought, “My foot slips,” 
your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up. 
19 When the cares of my heart are many, 
your consolations cheer my soul.

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and has not forsaken you. Instead, when your heart is overwhelmed and your enemies surround you, His comfort and His consolations are there to cheer your soul. Cry out to Him, He is ready and able to help in time of need. I pray that your faith would not waiver in the midst of all the troubles of 2020, but that it would grow. I pray that you would see the sweetness of the Gospel, the need for community and that you would forsake all idols you’ve put in the place of Jesus. I pray you would sing the song the angels did at the birth of Jesus: “Glory in the Highest!” I pray that you would be able to take heart because your Savior has overcome the world.

Our daughter, Lillie is now about 2 and a half years old - which means this will be her third Christmas holiday that she has experienced in her whole life. Which (unsurprisingly) is our third Christmas as parents. But this one has been a little different because now Lillie is beginning to comprehend things much more clearly. That means fun things like presents, traditions, decorations, meals, etc. It’s also a very sobering reality because I am beginning more and more to feel the weight of introducing my daughter to Jesus.

If you’ve read to this point and are not a parent, I’m asking you to keep reading because while this post comes from the heart of a parent and will undoubtedly apply directly to parenting, it’s also aimed at anyone who follows Jesus.

When talking about Christmas with my daughter, I find myself wanting so badly to focus on the worldly side of things like the gifts and lights. And while those things are good and have their place, they are not ultimate - Jesus is. For those who have been there, you know that explaining the Christmas story to a toddler is no easy task: they get distracted, they have difficulty understanding, they get bored, etc. And while I am tempted to get frustrated with her for those things, I realize that I am no different than her when it comes to fixing my mind on Christ during Christmas or any time of year for that matter. The distractions of a toddler can seem so obvious to us, while we remain oblivious to our own distractions and temptations. The inability for a toddler to focus on the Christmas story can frustrate us while we are perfectly content in our own spiritual dryness and monotony.

So now, in my efforts to make sure my daughter knows the main meaning of Christmas, I am pleading with myself to do the same. In my desire for her to know and worship Jesus, I am seeking to stir my own soul to deeper knowledge and worship. Leading my family to the manger is proving to be one of the most humbling journey’s of my life because as a pastor, I ‘know’ the story so well, but I far too often lack in my awe and wonder of it all.

There have been small moments when I’ve wondered if we shouldn’t strip away all the ‘other’ stuff during Christmas (the myriad of gifts, stockings, mistletoe, trees, etc), and just simply place a manger scene in the home to fix our minds on what is most important. But then again, I so desperately want my child (and also myself) to know that “every good and perfect gift comes from above” (James 1:17). I want her to know that we get to enjoy the common graces of the Christmas holidays because of the inexpressible gift of the baby in a manger. I want to do all of the things Christmas has to offer and let her know that all of it - yes, all of it - is just a shadow of the real thing.

So drink the hot chocolate (or egg nog), open the gifts, go see the lights, and remind yourself, and your kids that these things are just meant to be arrows that point us to the heart of our Savior who was born. When you find yourself in joy and wonder over the earthly parts of Christmas, remember that Heaven came down to earth and gave Himself as The Greatest Wonder in the Universe. Read the Christmas books, but meditate on the first Christmas story. Take pictures with Santa, but remember that the true Judge of our hearts came to give us a new one. Celebrate anew your Christmas traditions and then remind yourself that the story you hear each year is still greater and deeper than you could ever know - and rejoice in it once more.