Advent: The Invasion – Hope

Posted on December 7, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

The gift of hope is most precious in the bleakest of times. The evergreen leaves in a traditional Advent wreath are meant to symbolize the hope of eternal life that Jesus brought to the darkness of this world. One of the Advent candles also represents hope. So let’s explore this notion of hope as it pertains to this season of Advent, leading into Christmas.

The word “advent” means the arrival of something significant. Based on numerous prophesies as well as important writings in the Hebrew (Old) Testament, the people of God were waiting with great anticipation for Him to send His glorious promised Messiah, who would light up the darkness and eradicate evil. Nobody really knew what to expect exactly, but they were expecting something. This was their only hope.

And this is when the invasion took place.

Of course, it looked nothing like what anyone thought it would be. Many expected a mighty warrior king, a ferocious leader who would conquer their oppressors once and for all, reuniting the people of Israel reminiscent of the glory days under the great King David.

But what they got was a baby.

Although seemingly harmless and innocent, this was an intensely aggressive move by God, to send his Son to be born in a filthy feeding trough in a backwater town far away from the center of civilization in Rome. A most unlikely path to victory.

But Satan himself recognized the danger Jesus’ birth brought to his kingdom of darkness–working through King Herod, he tried desperately to locate and destroy the Christ child before He could grow up and defeat death and sin through His death on the cross and return to life three days later.

Now, as much as I love Christmas songs, there’s a part of me that thinks they should be more…well, fierce. This is not a polite, kind story; it’s a war movie. In Christmas plays, we dress our young ones as cute, adorable angels. But every time in Scripture that an angel appears to a human, the first words out of their mouths are, “Don’t be afraid.” This leads me to believe they must be terrifying to behold, since they seem to scare the hell out of anyone who sees them. God sent his version of the Navy SEALs to escort His Son as they began their invasion of earth to defeat Satan’s kingdom of darkness.

So instead of nice, peaceful Christmas carols, the soundtrack for the Advent season should be majestic and powerful, something you would hear in a movie when the forces of good begin turning the tide of a hopeless battle so they can eventually triumph over the forces of evil.

To give a little more context, things had been going from terrible to worse for the people of God. Israel had long since divided into Israel and Judah, and both kingdoms had been conquered and ceased to exist as sovereign nations. Many of the Hebrew people had been dispersed. Those who remained in the land once known as Israel were oppressed by the brutal Roman Empire. And they hadn’t heard from God for hundreds of years.

Yet they managed to cling to a flickering candle of hope that God would send His Messiah to set all things right. Generation after generation, this didn’t happen, but they never lost that thread of hope, no matter how miniscule and tenuous it had become. They trusted God.

And God came to the rescue by invading earth at Christmas. It may not have been what most people were expecting, but it turns out to be the only path to victory, to salvation. A plan so awesome and incredible that only God could have dreamed it up.

What should we take away from this? Here are some thoughts to summarize:

  1. Christmas is an invasion story.
  2. Never give up hoping in God. No matter how bleak, no matter how dark, He can and will always come through.
  3. Sometimes (often? most of the time?) God rewards our hope in ways that don’t look like He’s answering our prayers. The Hebrews longed for a conquering king, but instead they got a baby. But that baby turned out to be a King like no other, one who could rescue them (and us!) from sin and death for eternity.
  4. Don’t mess with angels. They are probably much more like Navy SEALs than they are like pudgy little kids in flowing white robes.
  5. Someone needs to create a Christmas soundtrack that sounds more like majestic and epic invasion music than anything hitting the airwaves right now. I’m just sayin’….

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 

I Peter 1:3-6 (NIV)

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Roman 12:9-12 (NIV)
Posted in Christian, Faith | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Prowling Around Like a Roaring Lion Looking for Someone to Devour

Posted on December 1, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

I have a confession to make: I am concerned for the future of America. I can’t give details about why I am concerned without turning this into a political rant, which God has led me to believe I am not allowed to do here–he planted on my heart to use this space to spread His words of hope and encouragement, not divisiveness. But why I’m concerned is beside the point of this post anyway.

The point is that I am a hypocrite for having this concern, whether or not it’s rational, because:

  1. I have previously posted here about not worrying about the future, leaving it in God’s good hands, and
  2. I have also posted here regarding my sense that God cares more about the Kingdom of Heaven and saving souls than He does about any particular country, even the good ol’ USA

I still believe these things, very firmly. I’m just being transparent here and sharing my struggle.

I would never say that I believe God causes bad things to happen to us, but when bad things happen to because of the fallen world and the current broken state of humanity, I do believe that God will use those bad things to help others. Never waste a good crisis is what I say at work when we have an opportunity to grow because things have gotten really fouled up.

Anyway, said another way: because I have this concern for the future–a concern I’m not supposed to have–I feel that God has put it on my heart to be honest and share it here in case it may help someone out there (whether immediately or sometime in the future, I probably don’t get to know). So just like I’ve heard some of my favorite pastors say, I’m writing these things to myself as much as to anyone who might be reading this.

Let me summarize my concern in a non-political way by simply stating that there have been some very odd things going on in America since Election Day on November 3. Things that make me think of this warning from the Apostle Peter:

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)

Or this saying from King Solomon:

Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.

Proverbs 28:15 (NIV)

But upon further reflection, I realize that neither of the major political parties here in the US have a corner in the market on goodness and righteousness. And also, most Democrats and most Republicans are not evil and want what’s best for our country. We just can’t seem to agree on what those things are or how best to achieve them.

So what are we to do? It is our civic duty as followers of Christ who are also citizens of an earthly kingdom to stand up against evil and injustice of all kinds. But we can’t know the hearts of the leaders of our cities, states, and the country, so how can we tell if what they are doing is well-intended or to feed their own voracious appetite for never-enough power?

We really can’t. We can pray for that discernment, but I think it’s very difficult for us to put our own notions about a politician or political party aside, so how can I trust whether the “answer” I receive is from God or really just an apparition generated from my own frame of reference? I don’t have a good answer for that.

I imagine that followers of Christ have struggled with this very question as 13 fledgling colonies considered rebelling against the mighty British Empire over 200 years ago, or as this young country staggered toward the bitter division that turned into the Civil War. To be clear, I’m not suggesting that we are at another such pivotal point in our country’s story, just musing aloud (sort of) that I am probably not the first person to have grappled with this.

Maybe this is enough for now: that we leave it in God’s hands by:

  1. Praying for our leaders at all levels of government, regardless of whether or not we voted for them, that they would lead in selfless and godly ways, earnestly seeking the good of others above themselves;
  2. Asking for God’s forgiveness for not trusting Him enough to hold our future in His hands; and
  3. Praying for peace, both inside ourselves (so we can quit yanking the problems out of God’s hands only moments after turning them over to him!) and across our nation (so we don’t destroy our great country from within, which is certainly a conceivable tactic of the evil one).

We can take this suggestion from Peter, earlier in his first letter:

Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.

1 Peter 2:12-17 (NIV)

Simple, right? Just live good lives! Simple, maybe, but certainly not easy. But God never promised it would be easy, only that He would help us.

What are your thoughts? Please feel free to leave a comment, even if you disagree with me. I was told recently by someone I care for deeply and respect tremendously that I don’t like to hear differing points of view. I hope this isn’t the case, but if it is, I pray that God will forgive me and help me heal in that way–and maybe He will use one of you to help me with that! Maybe He already has.

Posted in Christian, Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Yet I Will Rejoice in the Lord

Posted on November 23, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

“Now is the winter of our discontent…”

William Shakespeare, from Richard III

“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Apostle Paul, Philippians 4:11-13 (NIV)

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Habakkuk 3:17-18 (NIV, emphasis added)

What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole.

Apostle Peter, I Peter 1:3-5 (MSG)

2020 has been a year to remember, and a year to forget. Something we should all remember, though, as we head into Thanksgiving week is that there are still blessings all around. We may have to look a little harder than we normally do, but that doesn’t mean they’re not there.

God has built into our human hearts a longing for something that transcends us. This ultimately points us to heaven and to God himself, but for now, beauty can also stir in us a sense that life is worth living, and that there is more to come. Earthly beauty is an appetizer for the bountiful feast that awaits us in eternity.

So look for it. It’s waiting to be found.

Maybe you find the sound of children playing annoying, all that shouting and boundless energy–but listen to the bubbling joy of laughter not yet weighed down by the burdens of grown-up responsibilities. Maybe you squint when the sun gets in your eyes, but (as long as you’re not driving!) take a moment to close your eyes and turn your face up toward the sun–see the color of your eyelids, feel the warmth on your face. Watch the way sunlight delicately plays with objects around you–sparkles, shimmers, shadows. Or maybe you’ve never appreciated loved ones so much as when it’s difficult or even impossible to gather with them, as it is this year. Cherish each fleeting moment.

God gave us all these things, and so much more.

To a great extent, we can choose to be miserable, to focus on anything and everything that is going wrong, and make this a winter of our discontent. Or we can choose to find the many blessings God sprinkles along our journeys and be thankful to Him.

Looking at the Bible verses I mentioned above, especially Philippians 4:11-13 and Habakkuk 3:17-18, there’s a certain defiance that I find inspiring, and it’s a good reminder, too. Paul and Habakkuk are not waiting for the situation to improve before they praise God. I really love the word “yet” in the passage from Habakkuk; the world is falling apart and my life stinks, yet I will rejoice in the Lord. This pattern of thinking becomes self-fulfilling: when you are thankful to God in spite of your circumstances, He will give you eyes to see that they are not as bad as you might think at the moment. Or He will make them better. Or both!

A posture of gratitude leads to peace that surpasses all understanding, and it leads to inexpressible joy.

So which do you choose? Discontent or thanksgiving?

Posted in Christian, Faith | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

New Heaven & New Earth: Restoration of Awesomeness!

Posted on November 15, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

With darkness closing in all around us, everywhere in the world (just check the news, if you can stand it), it’s hard not to think we are in the end times. Having said that, though, I’m confident there have been many people since the time of Christ who have thought the world could end any moment. I’ve read that this was a common sentiment during World War I, and then again during World War II, and many times since (with many nefarious characters cast in the role of Anti-Christ), yet here we still are. So I’m not going to pick a date as some sort of worthless prediction as to when the world as we know it comes to an end. Instead, I’ll say something in which I am completely certain: it will happen in God’s good timing. Just like everything else He does, which always dances beyond the edge of our understanding, and which can often be frustrating to us.

So what are we to do in the meantime? Allow God to work in us and through us so He can shape us into new creations, to be the people He knows we will be in the New Heaven and New Earth. Be a part of bringing His Kingdom to earth. Reflect his glory and love and beauty to everyone who could see it (which excludes nasty Facebook posts or tweets!), regardless of how we feel about them. Resist the darkness. Better yet, chase away the darkness by reflecting God’s light into it (not to repeat least week’s post…).

We live in the tension between the now–in the midst of all the hatred and vitriol and endless manifestations of evil and brokenness–and the not yet–when beauty and love and all things grand and glorious by Kingdom standards will be restored, made new. It’s so easy for me, and for all of us, I think, to become so consumed with the pressing issues of the “now” that we lose sight of our hope, our final destination, our eternity in peaceful and loving relationship with God and in fellowship with all believers throughout history.

It is when we hang onto that hope that God takes us by our hand and allows us to rise a little bit above our circumstances and catch glimpses of the New Heaven and New Earth that are being shaped all around us, just beyond our normal range of vision. These are our finest moments, a thread of gold woven throughout our journeys.

OK, I have to admit a rather silly tendency of mine to illustrate this point. I’m a big hockey fan, and more specifically, an avid fan of the Colorado Avalanche. But as much as I would like to be able to watch every game, in order to stay on friendly terms with my wife, I sometimes have to record the game to watch after she goes to bed (or falls asleep on the couch!). However, sometimes before I can even start watching the game, I’ll get a notification on my phone with the game’s final score and before I can look away, I see the score. And here’s the confession: if it’s a good and close score, sometimes I’ll still watch the game. The funny thing is that even though I know the outcome of the game, I’ll still cringe when the other team scores or something else bad happens. Seems silly, right? I know how it turns out, so why should I worry about a little setback along the way?

So here’s the deal: it’s just like this when we get lost in the setbacks of daily life and forget the hope and joy of the final outcome, when God completes His work of restoring creation to its original perfect state, and brings us along with Him. That’s even better than a Colorado Avalanche win!

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.

The Apostle John, in Revelation 21:1-7 (NIV)

Sounds perfect to me! I plan to remember this passage when my “now” struggles overwhelm my “not yet” hopes. How about you? What verse or other inspiration can you try to conjure up when this happens to you? Leave a comment to let me know!

Posted in Christian, Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Honoring Those Who Have Served

Posted on November 10, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

God bless all of you who have served to preserve the freedom we all enjoy in this great nation, and God bless America.

I especially would like to honor my father-in-law and friend, David J. Little, USN (Ret). Thank you for your service.

Posted in Christian, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Sun and Moon, Son and Us

Posted on November 8, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12 (NIV)

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Jesus, in Matthew 5:14-16

The moon has sailed across the night sky, capturing imagination and dreams, since the dawn of our species. On some evenings, when the moon seems close and full, it gracefully brightens the darkness with its silvery glow. But it wasn’t until the Greek Philosopher Anaxagoras (500 BC-428 BC) came along that humanity learned that the moon was not a source of light itself. He discovered that the moon simply reflects the light of the sun.

In the same way, we ourselves have no ability of our own to be the light in the darkness, as Jesus commanded us to be near the start of His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 5. Yet, just like the moon reflects the light of the sun to illuminate a dark night, we have the opportunity to reflect the Light of the Son into the darkness of this world.

Sometimes the moon stubbornly lingers for an hour or two past dawn, but in the glistening sunlight, it is only faintly visible, a ghostly whisper of the beacon that had split the darkness the previous evening. Light is lighter in the darkness.

So given the darkness enshrouding our world and (especially) the United States at an ever quickening pace, now is the time more than ever when we as followers of Christ need to reflect God’s Light to those around us. Repay hatred with love and prayer. Don’t post that angry Facebook update or bitter tweet. Respond to vitriol with kindness the way only Jesus could. You may say it’s impossible for us to act only as Jesus could, and that’s definitely true if we are acting on our own. But the good news for us and those around us is that God empowered us with the Holy Spirit, enabling us to treat others just as Jesus did.

So will this be easy? Of course not! But God never promised us an easy life, only that He will be with us to help us.

But imagine how much darkness could be overcome in this volatile political climate if every Christ-follower made a concerted effort this coming week to reflect God’s love and light to even just one person they encountered each day! I’m going to make that my goal for this week. How about you?

Posted in Christian, Faith | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Easier Said Than Done, Two Days Before the Election

Posted on November 1, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

After my last blog post, one of my three readers said that it sounded nice to hold onto faith over fear, but that it’s easier said than done. I couldn’t agree more! So how do you do it?

You ask for God’s help! A simple prayer, something like, “Help me, Jesus,” is all it takes. You can always add, “I need your help,” or “I need you to take this fear from me.” A few simple words and the Light of the World will step between us and the darkness.

Does this always work? Yes!

But for how long? Well, that depends on you and me. If you’re anything like me, I feel a tremendous sense of peace the moment I hand whatever blech I’m dealing with over to God. But then for reasons I can’t explain and seemingly can’t block, at some point I stomp right on up to Jesus and yank that nastiness back out of His hands. It may be several days, weeks, or months later. Or, sadly, it could be just a few moments later. It’s as if I’m saying, “Sorry, God, turns out I can’t trust you with this after all. Only I can handle it!” It seems ridiculous, I know, when I say it like this, but that’s essentially what I’m doing–what we’re all doing–when we grab it right back from Him.

But here’s some truly amazing news: God’s grace knows no bounds. So as soon as I realize how foolish it was to yank that struggle away from Him, and I skulk sheepishly back to Him and ask Him to take it back, He does. Maybe with a twinkle in His eye, as if saying, “Sure, I’ll take it back for the thousandth time. Are you going to let me keep it this time?” And this is the tug-of-war I play repeatedly with so many facets of my life. It’s part of my journey.

With the 2020 election just two days away in the U.S., I have to admit that this is one of the areas where I have had this back-and-forth with God. Candidly, I am very concerned for the future of this great country if the various important races and initiatives go a certain way. So at times I find myself praying for a particular set of outcomes.

But then this thought has occurred to me: God cares more about furthering His Kingdom more than He does about any particular country. That may seem hard to accept for those of us who believe that America has been blessed as “one nation under God.” But on the other hand, Israel was God’s chosen people, yet it had disappeared from the map from the time the Assyrians destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC, or you could say from when the Babylonians destroyed the southern kingdom of Judah (where Jerusalem was) in 586 BC, until it once again became a nation in 1948. For over 2500 years, Israel had ceased to exist! It was part of the Roman Empire when Jesus walked the earth.

So while I believe God cares deeply for you and me, I think He cares more about our spirits and our souls and where we will spend eternity than He does about what happens in the new few days, months, or even years. And if one election outcome or another would lead more Americans–or better yet, more people in the world–into deep relationship with Him, He would undoubtedly choose that outcome over whichever one you or I may be praying for.

At #NewLifeChurch, we are so fortunate to be in the middle of a sermon series on Revelation (and I don’t believe in coincidences, at least not when it comes to God!). Today, Pastor Brady Boyd preached from Revelation 17, which includes these verses:

“The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast.  They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.  They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”

Revelation 17:12-14 (NIV, my emphasis added to echo Brady’s)

And then one of the best things Pastor Brady said during his message, which helps bring this blog post home:

“I don’t know of a donkey or an elephant that can save my soul, but I know a Lamb that can!”

Pastor Brady Boyd–November 1, 2020

So no matter what happens in the election on Tuesday, Jesus, the Lamb of God, will triumph. Remembering that and believing it will help us choose faith over fear regarding the future of our country. Even if we have to keep wrestling with God about it, taking it back but then handing it over to him again and again, many times between then and now, the Lamb will win. Thanks be to God!

Posted in Christian, Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Faith and Fear – Walking on Waves

Posted on October 14, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 

“Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.

Matthew 14:22-32 (NIV)

As followers of Christ, we are generally very familiar with Jesus’ miracles–from turning water into wine at the wedding feast in Cana to His resurrection, we almost expect the unexpected when reading about His adventures.

The same may not be true for Peter. Maybe best known as the impetuous disciple who acted or spoke first and thought later, or perhaps for denying his beloved Savior, but he also performed some miracles of his own. I’ve included the story of his most famous one in the passage above. A few things are noteworthy about this.

First off, Peter walked on water! It was his idea, which is remarkable in itself. I mean, that’s not exactly a normal response to Jesus saying (basically), Hey, it’s me, don’t worry. But whatever inspired him to react the way he did to Jesus’ arrival, I can only imagine that at some point later, when he was retelling the story (this is Peter, so he probably didn’t think about it in the moment), he probably thought to himself, Why in the world did I offer to walk out onto the water to meet him?? But in the moment, as soon as Jesus told him to come, he probably sat right down on the edge of the boat, swung his legs around, placed his feet on (not in) the water and decided it was a good idea to stand up and take a few steps.

So he did!

Matthew’s description of the event doesn’t say how many steps Peter took, but it must have been enough so there was no doubt in Matthew’s mind that Peter actually had walked on the water.

But then reality set in for Peter. He noticed the waves, and suddenly they became bigger and more powerful than Jesus in Peter’s mind.

So he sank.

But before we allow ourselves to feel disappointed for Peter, we have to realize we do the same thing. I do it all the time. In one moment, I can feel so strong in my faith, like nothing can stop me since I have God in my corner. How great, but how fleeting, are those moments! A moment later, I remember that the world doesn’t work that way, or another of the million lies we allow ourselves to believe in more than the power of God. So I sink too, just like Peter did.

And then something else odd happened. When Jesus reached down to pull Peter out of the water, He rebuked Peter for not having enough faith. If I were Jesus, I probably would have been tempted to point out how cool it was that he took 7 or 8 steps on the water, and then maybe encouraged him to practice so he could get as good at it as I am. What this means to me is that Jesus expected Peter–and by association, expects us–to have enough faith to continue the journey on the water. Nobody ever said Jesus didn’t set the bar very high for us! But thankfully, He offers to help us meet the bar, and offers grace and forgiveness when we don’t.

OK, here’s the last thing. Peter walked on water again! He had to get back to the boat, didn’t he? The text doesn’t say that when Jesus rescued Peter, suddenly they were back in the boat, so they must have walked back to the boat in order to climb back into it. It’s possible that Jesus was holding Peter’s hand during this time, but I would still consider that very remarkable–even miraculous. So it seems he had no trouble believing he could do it as long as Jesus was there to help him.

And here’s the thing: Jesus is always there to help us. Growing our faith is about remembering that, and believing it. The idea make me think of this quote (which I have seen attributed to Karan Goel and Faraz, among others):

Don't tell God how big your problems are Facebook Covers

In faith, day after day and all throughout each day, we need to remind ourselves that God’s power is greater than the waves, or any other force that stands against us.

Posted in Christian, Faith, Miracles | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant!

Posted on October 11, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

At one point, Jesus told His disciples a story that has come to be known as the Parable of the Bags of Gold. This story is captured in Matthew chapter 25, and I’ve pasted at the bottom of this post due to the length of that passage, since I thought it would be useful to see the whole story. Having said that, though, what I really want to focus on is, as you may have guessed from the title of this post, the acknowledgement given to the two servants who used their gifts wisely: “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

The reason I want to emphasize this is because of the vast difference between the Kingdom of Heaven and the kingdom of this world. All across the globe today, success is generally tied to outcomes–the best athlete wins the gold medal, the best hunter is the one who gets the most food for the tribe, the best project managers are those who finish their projects on time and within budget, etc. This idea is fairly well understood across cultures. However, in the economy of God’s Kingdom, what seems to matter most is that we serve God as best we can with the talents He has given us in the situations in which we find ourselves–not the outcomes.

The outcomes are in God’s hands.

In much the same way that we can’t take credit when God works through us to achieve things greater than we could have imagined, we also can’t allow ourselves to be dissatisfied with any Godly thing we do even if it doesn’t yield the outcome we expected, or even one that’s visible to us at all. The outcome will be one that God designed and desired, and will occur in His timing. For example, my wife and I taught third and fourth grade Sunday school at church for a year or two. Honestly, it’s hard to see great outcomes when you’re teaching kids that age. The best you can hope for usually is that there is some general sense of order in the classroom and that more of the children seem to be paying attention than those who are pulling something out of their nose or putting gum in someone’s hair. But still it remains a sacred duty to lovingly and as accurately as possible in words that 9-year-olds can understand, plant the seeds of the Kingdom in their hearts and minds.

Here’s the thing: the outcomes for any of those kids may come at any point in their lives, long after they’ve forgotten that my wife and I taught them Sunday school in third or fourth grade. They may not even make the connection that something we said or did triggered growth in their relationship with God so many years later.

And that’s OK with God. The important thing for us to know is not the outcomes of what we did, but just that we did it. We used whatever talents and situations He blessed us with to help another one of His created beings. We attempted to further the Kingdom, not our own interests, which is really what we’re focused on when we want to know the outcome of our actions.

We don’t get to know that. But what we do get is a kind word of encouragement from our Creator. This is one of the things I look forward to when I get to heaven: for Jesus to smile at me, pat me on the back, and sum up all the things I’ve done to serve Him (a paltry offering compared with all that He has done for me!) with the simple phrase, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

Here is the passage from Matthew 25. It’s probably worth noting that I am aware that my message above, that the outcomes from our service to God are in His hands, is not exactly the same as the message of the parable, in which the first two servants seem to be rewarded and praised because of their outcomes–they each doubled what they were given. However, at the risk of having a theological argument with myself, I will contend that even if the first two servants hadn’t doubled what they were given, they still would have gotten rewarded since they were earnestly trying to provide good outcomes for their master; the third servant was punished because he didn’t even bother trying to use what he was given in a productive way.

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 

“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ 

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

“The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

“ ‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

Jesus, in Matthew 25:14-30 (NIV)
Posted in Christian, Faith | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Hope as an Anchor for My Soul

Posted on October 5, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 6:19-20 (NIV)

Hope is an alluring and powerful force in the psyche of we human beings. No matter how desperate our circumstances, if we have even the smallest strand of hope to hang onto, that can enable us to rise above the miry pity of misery and suffering and end up victorious in the long run. This synopsis summarizes a vast majority of our favorites stories, both fact and fiction. Especially here in the U.S., books and movies that show us that good can overcome evil, even against the most overwhelming odds or even when all seems lost, tend to succeed since they enable us to believe that anything is possible.

But here is where we need to pay attention to the object of our hope. If we hope in the wrong thing–or rather, place our hope in someone who is not worthy to deliver on that hope–we are on a crash course with disappointment.

Along these lines, I’ve been thinking lately about why this particular presidential election season in the U.S. seems even more partisan and full of vitriol than I ever remember it being (Note: this is not going to be a political blog post!). One answer I’ve landed on is because we all have ideas about how the country should be run and, perhaps even more powerfully, how it should not be run. As such, we tend to place our hope in the candidate who we believe offers the brightest future for our families, our country, and ourselves–or at the very least, the person least likely to really foul things up.

Remember what I said earlier about how powerful hope can be? Well, if I strongly believe a particular candidate stands in opposition to the future I hope for, then it’s likely I will have a strong, even visceral, reaction against that candidate or anyone who supports them. Frankly, on a human level, I have to admit I have wrestled with this myself (although I won’t say which candidate, and I hope you can’t tell!).

So here’s the thing I’ve realized, and I have to keep telling myself repeatedly: When I’m feeling this way, it’s because I have placed my hope in the wrong person.

And no, I don’t mean that I’ve realized I should vote for the other candidate!

Here’s the headline for the breaking news story that shouldn’t really surprise anyone: No politician is going to deliver on everything we hope for. All of them will always disappoint us in meaningful ways (some more than others, of course!). But to be fair to politicians, the same is true of every human being–including ourselves! I don’t care who it is–a spouse, friends, teachers, kids, coaches, sports heroes, military heroes, healthcare heroes, managers, CEOs, workers, etc.–the list goes on and on. Well-meaning people will hopefully not intentionally disappoint us, but they will nonetheless. We are all fragile, fickle, and broken human beings, after all.

There is one, however, who is worthy of our hope. As we saw in the book of Hebrews earlier, if we hope in God, our hope is firm and secure. It’s important that we recognize, though, that where we will spend eternity, as well as the quality of our day-to-day lives right now, are vastly more important than the things we tend to focus most of our energy on–our families, our jobs, our vacations, our stuff. God may not necessarily care about getting you a new TV, but He cares deeply about your relationship with Him, how much you love Him and trust Him. And He wants us to be with Him in heaven so much that God the Father sent God the Son and God the Spirit to enable this.

So whenever I get worked up that one candidate might infringe upon my way of life or my future, I have to remind myself to trust God, to hope in Him alone. One candidate won’t get me to heaven, and the other won’t keep me from getting there! To think any other way is like building a house on quicksand instead of a firm foundation of bedrock, to borrow an idea from Jesus:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Jesus, in Matthew 7:24-27 (NIV)

Hopefully all of us are smart enough to choose building our lives upon a foundation of solid rock rather than sand! So why would we anchor our hope in a political candidate rather than the Creator of the Universe?

Posted in Christian, Faith | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment