The Slave Returns

Weekly Message

Sunday, March 15, 2014

The Slave Returns

Monday, March 17, is St. Patrick’s Day. Scarce a one among us is unaware of the patron saint of Ireland. But how many know how he achieved that distinction?

Patrick was not Irish. He lived on the mainland in the fifth century A.D. and was kidnapped by seagoing raiders and forcibly taken to Ireland to serve as a slave. So Patrick was a slave, but his unfortunate position did not necessarily instill a great hatred for his captors. Patrick was a brilliant observer and studied the Irish people and their culture. He became a student of the Irish, as it were.

But still, he was a slave and when he found opportunity to escape, he seized it. In time, though, back in Britain, Patrick heard in a dream, the voices of his former captors calling to him. He determined to return to Ireland and do what he could to assist the people. Among other things, he brought to them the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In time, Ireland came to love this humble of humblest men. And so it was that the former slave, Padraig, or as per the anglicized version, “Patrick,” became the patron saint of Ireland. And now people around the world celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

This celebration has a more commercial tone in America than it does in Ireland. Here, “St. Paddy’s Day” is for celebrating, carousing and drinking far too much. In Ireland, the people take a more demure approach in observing the day.

St. Patrick died in 461. He was not only the church’s missionary to Ireland, he also served as bishop. Patrick was the first westerner to condemn slavery.

Now here’s my thought on this, followed by a question, a rhetorical one. Patrick didn’t have to return to Ireland. After all, they did hold him in slavery. He could have ignored his dream voices and served the church credibly by remaining in Britain. But instead he chose to put himself in danger for the sake of others. Does that sound familiar?

Who else put himself in danger in order that others might be saved? Jesus did. The first 30 years of his life was spent in relative anonymity. But Jesus knew he was on this earth for a mission from God and he did not falter in taking up the ministry that would eventually see his death, resurrection and ascension.

My question. If you were faced with doing something that went against the grain, even something that could possibly lead to your death, but you knew for a certainty that God was calling you in this matter, what would you do? Would you hop aboard a boat and return to Ireland, as St. Patrick did, or would you simply ignore the calling and continue on as always?

We don’t all get called to such potentially dangerous and life-changing situations. But most of us from time to time hear that tiny, still voice calling us to do something that we might not want to do. For many, the answer can only come through continual and diligent prayer.

So this St. Patrick’s Day, try and set aside a moment to reflect upon the great self-sacrifice of St. Patrick. His life is a model for us and it shows us that there are good people in this world.

Amen.

Jesus Movies

Weekly Message

Tom Seymour

March 9, 2014

Lent Begins

Jesus Movies

The current popularity of bible-based themes for Hollywood movies raises some interesting questions. Is it a good thing to portray events as related in scripture in a for-profit format? Do these movies help to draw people to God? And what about the accuracy of such films?

Regarding the first question, the answer is a tough one and there may well be more than one answer. First, we must recall that Jesus overturned the tables of the moneychangers in the temple. Filled with righteous anger, Jesus told those there that they had turned his Father’s house into a den of thieves. Clearly, Jesus wanted for us to see the distinction between true religion and religion-for-money such as the moneychangers and sacrificial animal sellers practiced.

But before that event, Jesus’ disciples wanted to prosecute a man who was casting out demons in the name of Jesus. And Jesus told them to let the man be, that those who were not against them (Jesus and his followers) were for them. Might we tie this into moviemakers who produce what some lump into the category of “Jesus movies?” Perhaps. But in the case of certain movies, certainly not. 

The second question is equally as perplexing. Do these movies draw people to God? Well, few people in the modern era are unaware of the gospel. Religious television shows abound and in towns and cities, church steeples are often the highest manmade structures around. Except for primitive peoples living away from modern civilizations, everyone has heard about Jesus.

On the other hand, many have heard of Jesus, but have only a shallow, passing notion of what and who he is. Jesus movies may well serve to enlighten such viewers.

The last question brings up a point that a great many viewers of these movies may miss. Biblical accuracy as portrayed not just in movies but in the bible itself is in question by bible scholars. Many of these scholars have an ax to grind, too. The “in” thing now among biblical academia is to discredit scripture and Jesus in particular. The unearthing of ancient texts at Nag Hammadi was instrumental in this anti-Jesus movement among scholars. These texts contained many writings, supposed "gospels" from after the time of Jesus. These were from the Gnostics. One modern scholar and noted disputer of our canonical scripture, Marvin Meyer, considers these texts as valuable and perhaps even more valuable than the accepted gospel texts. 

Many, not all, modern bible scholars accept Gnostic (the Gnostics were a group that felt spiritual matters must be experienced physically, among other things. They also wrote their own gospels, many of them fanciful and all of them written long after the four, synoptic gospels, those being the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) teaching and writing but reject the synoptic gospels.

This is not a new movement. It began over 100 years ago, but only lately, in our “enlightened” age, has it become so universally popular among mainstream scholars. An example of this mode of thinking begins with bible authorship, particularly New Testament authorship.

Scholars, analyzing writing styles, have determined that none of the four gospels were actually written by the authors for whom they are named. For instance, the Gospel of John, according to our modern lights, was not written by the apostle John, but by an anonymous author, a Greek-speaking Christian. And the Gospel of Luke? Not a result of the Luke of scripture, but by an unknown person who had access to a large collection of sayings called “Q,” or “Quelle,” German for “source.” From these, scholars say, the false Luke composed his gospels.

The repudiation of what most of us know, believe and cherish continues. Mark did not write the Gospel of Mark, but rather, some unknown did. The author of Mark wrote, like Luke, from existing sources.

The trouble with all this is that authors, with the exception of Luke who was always supposed to be the Apostle Paul’s traveling companion, claimed to have walked and talked with Jesus. They testify that they have seen the word (Jesus is the "word") with their own eyes and touched with their own hands.

This is best stated in the first letter of John: We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life-this life was revealed and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you that eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us-we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

John is talking of himself and the other apostles and gospel authors being with Jesus. So if John is lying and all the other authors are also telling made-up stories rather than factual accounts, all our belief and faith in eternal life through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross is in vain. But John wasn't lying. The only lies are from those who seek to discredit scripture and so steal away our faith.

Getting back to Jesus movies, the Christ-deniers have worked their way into television versions of such movies. People like Dominic Crossan, a de-frocked Roman Catholic priest, and Elaine Pagels, a non-believer and prolific author of pro-Gnostic books, are part of something called “The Jesus Seminar.” You may remember a television “documentary” called “The Search For Jesus.” Rather than working from established scripture, these people presented a Gnostic point of view and took every opportunity during station breaks to point out that nothing in the bible was true as presented.

Satan is alive and well and he loves The Jesus Movement.

It seems the lowest of low, vile acts to use the time of Lent, leading up to the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as a time to try and turn people’s minds against the truths of scripture. But that is exactly what these people do.

So regarding Jesus movies and indeed, any bible-based movies, I must say, “Viewer beware.”

Some of these movies were produced by bible-based people. The current movie Son Of God is such a one, as was Mel Gibson’s The Passion Of The Christ. But not all are bible based and because of that I say again, beware.

John The Baptist Was A Forager

Weekly Message

Tom Seymour

March 2, 2014

John The Baptist Was A Forager

John the Baptist lived in the desert and ate locusts and honey. No doubt, John consumed other foods too, probably plant products. But scripture concentrates upon locusts and honey.

References to food occur throughout the bible. Herbs, fish and olives all come to mind. Drink, too, gets more than ample mention. Wine is used again and again throughout both the Old and New Testaments. Today we know that grapes and wine made from grapes have some health benefits. We know that through science, but in biblical times, people knew simply because they were aware that God had provided grapes for them. The wine Jesus drank at weddings and banquets did not come in a bottle, bought in a store.

I am particularly interested in references to herbs. Herbs, in a biblical context, are not only pleasant seasonings and spices, but actual foods, main-dish foods. In bible times, people depended upon the local flora as a significant portion of their diets. Today, we have largely gotten away from personal involvement in procuring our food directly from the source.

In addition to preaching the word of God, I am a naturalist and as such, concentrate upon wild plant foods. The term “foraging” describes what I do. In fact, I have written several books on the subject and continue to host seminars and plant walks. And guess what? The level of interest in foraging increases each year. It seems that most everyone wants to get in touch with the land, to re-establish their connection to the natural world.

When preaching from the pulpit, I frequently brought in samples of newly-picked plants. I would explain the uses and benefits of these plants and often used the last phrase of the last sentence of Genesis 1:30 to drive my point home: I have given every green plant for food.

Just because we have largely become supermarket-dependent for our physical sustenance doesn't mean that we must continue in that walk. I’m beginning to see that part of my own personal ministry is to expand upon Genesis 1:30 and in a way that not only helps people to become more self-sufficient regarding their diets, but also shows people, even people who do not look to the Lord and have no relationship with Jesus Christ, how much God loves them.

And my plant talks and walks are available for all. If you have a church and wish for a substitute or fill-in pastor with a down-to-earth program, I am available. 

Happiness A Sign Of The Christian Life

Weekly Message

Tom Seymour

February 23, 2014

Happiness A Sign Of The Christian Life

How can people who have not sought a close walk with God live a truly happy Life? The answer is, they can’t.

Sure, people in the secular world can have what passes for happiness. By earning lots of money, we can buy things that please us and therefore, we are happy…well, at least for a while. But happiness based upon material possessions doesn't last very long. In fact, it has an expiration date. After a while, our possessions stop pleasing us and so we search for more and more of whatever it may take to help us think that we are happy. We may have a form of happiness, but without God, we are never fulfilled.

And it’s not only material possessions that blind us to the true nature of happiness. Some people revel in their knowledge. Some just wait for every opportunity to boast of their extensive education. And when the listener evidences a “ho-hum” response, it only aggravates the self-loving types.

If we judge everyone else according to how they compare with ourselves, and we believe that we ourselves are somehow “special” because of our material, academic and other accolades, we are on a path to renouncing true happiness forever.

So how can we, any of us, find true happiness? First, we must walk with God on a daily basis. When we turn to him for everything, that is, when we recognize that God is in everything we think, say and do, we can then leave the door open for him to act and work in our lives. Otherwise, he is just a silent observer. We must invite God into our lives. When we do that, amazing things begin to happen.

Next, having established our relationship with God, we need to review our relationship with other human beings. And if those relationships aren’t operating according to Godly principals, we must overhaul them.

The person who judges everyone else must cease judging. It’s human nature to form opinions and most of us form an opinion of people we meet upon our first meeting. I’m not talking about that. I’m talking of judging from an attitude of superiority. When we think that we are smarter, better, more qualified than everyone else, then we cannot deal with anyone else on anything like an even playing field.

So we must humble ourselves. In order to do that, we must first humble ourselves to God and then we will quite naturally find a new degree of humility in our dealings with people. Without a humble attitude, we are spiritually doomed. We may think that people like us, but when we find out that they only abide us because they must, it becomes a tremendously traumatic experience.

But God can help us to find humility. He does that by giving us a certain knowledge, a conviction, that what we have asked has become a reality. So ask for humility and you will gain it.

So what happens next? Well, just as the apostle Paul said that love does not remember wrongs, we must do just that. It’s like the person who, at the most inappropriate times, brings up someone else’s past offenses…rather they were truly bad or only just bad as perceived in that person’s mind. No matter. The meeting is ruined. The dinner is ruined. The relationship may well become pitched toward an irreconcilable end.

Finally, none of us is an island unto himself or herself. Anyone who thinks so is certainly unhappy. It takes first, a relationship with God and next, relationships with members of our own kind. And in order to have a good relationship, we must work toward a good relationship.

We need friends. Not just acquaintances, but true friends. And what is a friend? A friend is someone you love, in the Godly sense of the word and also, someone in whom you can place your trust.

Will friends ever betray your love and trust? Sure they will. We all sprang from the two original forbears and because of that, are sinful creatures by nature. But because sometimes people let us down, does that mean that we should not trust anyone ever again? By no means.

A righteous person may fall down seven times, but that same person gets back up seven times. And, as Jesus said, “Seven times seven.” We cannot penalize ourselves and our personal happiness by holding the world at a arms length simply because someone, somewhere, failed us.

We as Christians are told to serve as an example to the world. Our Christian walk should therefore, be visible to everyone we meet. We should let our light shine so that people we meet recognize that light and want to be bathed in it. But if we are not happy, our light remains cloaked, covered by an opaque cloth.

So learn to be happy with every new day God gives you on this earth. Be thankful for each new sunrise and don’t disparage the sunset because a new day is sure to follow. Don’t judge others, only judge yourself. Find peace with your walk with God and in your relationship with humanity. Appreciate every blessing, no matter how small, because somewhere in the world, someone else is starving for that same blessing. And walk in humility before God and man.

Do these things and you will be truly happy. And the world will surely note your happiness.

The Pearl

Weekly Message

Tom Seymour

February 23, 2014

The Pearl

Revelation 21:21- And the twelve gates are twelve pearls, each of the gates is a single pearl, and the street of the city is pure gold, transparent as glass.

Scripture makes frequent mention of pearls. Pearls stand as a measure of value, since they were, and are, valuable. Note that in Revelation 21: 21, that pearls are included in a sentence that describes a kind of heavenly gold. Such was the esteem that people in bible times held for pearls.

But what is a pearl? It is a product of strife, formed over a period of time. The longer the strife, the bigger and more desirable the pearl. Specifically, pearls are formed when a foreign object, usually a tiny grain of sand or grit, becomes trapped inside the shell of an oyster. The sand irritates the oyster’s membranes and as long as it remains there, the oyster’s body reacts to the foreign presence and coats it with a smooth, shiny material. The grain of sand then becomes a pearl.

You never find big, beautiful pearls in young oysters. It takes time to form the biggest and best pearls. In fact, not all oysters even make pearls, only ones that are plagued with the grain of sand stuck in their mantle.

Human experiences reflect the oyster and its pearl. Sometimes, we, too, are stricken with something that hurts us, but that we cannot shake. This may be a person in our lives who continually harms us, a bad workplace situation or any number of things. When we put this harmful thing, whatever it is, in perspective and no longer let it dictate our path, then we are like the oyster coating the grain of sand with the pearl material.

In the end, we grow as a result of our perseverance, a perseverance born of a thorn in our side. And like the oyster and the pearl, we don’t grow much if our pearl is small or if it is only short-lived. The best in us only comes out after a lengthy period of adversity, a time when we don’t waver, but continue plugging away, doing what we know to be good and righteous. After our work is ended, our pearl is then of immense value.

We all encounter adversity. Everyone has to contend with some kind of opposing entity. It’s what we make of it that counts in the end. God wants us to take our problems and coat them with the smooth substance of a pearl. If we don’t do that, that little grain of sand will continue to irritate and harass us for the rest of our lives.

But luckily for us, we have the means to produce that smooth, pearl coating. The grace of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross so that we may live. When we give over our problems, our irritating grains of sand to Jesus, He will smooth them so that we can continue in peace, joy and happiness. 

To Walk With God

Weekly Message

February 9, 2014

This is a copy of a sermon I preached in April, 2012. The church was at a turning point and for a while, it looked as if it might not have an adequate number of congregants to continue. But then, in a flash, things changed and people flooded in. I’m not sure of the state of the church at present, but at the time when I preached this message, it was beginning to strengthen in its walk with God.

To Walk With God

We live in an age of micro-managing everything, including our spiritual lives and our church life. We analyze, we quote people with lofty-sounding names and impressive titles; we attend lengthy meetings, we seek, we read,

we form committees. All the while we wander in a spiritual desert while looking for the truth.

But the truth is right there in front of us and has been there all along. It is so simple, though, that we overlook it. “Is that all there is to it?” we ask. Our minds are always busy and so we complicate the simple and obfuscate the obvious.

         

Putting these things aside, all we need do to walk with God and be right with him is follow his greatest commandment. Here it is: “Believe in the name of God’s son Jesus Christ and love one another.”

What could be simpler? Having done this, we can then enjoy the refreshment and rest that God offers to his beloved ones. But sometimes our minds and our determination to do something more or be something more complicates this simple process. It boils down to trust.

Last time we met I spoke on  faith, how to acquire it and how to strengthen it. Today, let’s look at trust. We can have faith, but trusting completely in what our faith tells us is sometimes difficult. Walking with God, or as John put it in his gospel, “abiding in him and he abiding in us,” requires trust and also submission.

We must submit to God’s will in order for him to abide in us. And what is his will? John says to obey his commandments and by doing so we will abide in him and he will abide in us.

Someone will say, “I can’t obey all the commandments…I fail when I try.” True enough. We all fail one time or another. We all have failings and sins. That’s why God provided Jesus, our redeemer, to be our advocate before the Lord in heaven.

Jesus tells us that when we fall, read that to fail, or to sin, we must get up and keep getting up. That means to start over, believing that once we admit failures, sins, the blood shed by Jesus on the cross will erase them. As Paul said, this is by no means a license to continue sinning, or doing wrong. But it does free us to be strong in our faith and to trust in God.

We all have our own wants and needs. And we are told to take these to God in prayer. Does everyone here do that on a regular basis? If not, it’s time to begin. Look to God in all things, both large and small. And then, after handing everything over to God, trust that he will act in our best interests. This does not always mean that things will instantly change and go our way, although that can and does happen. But it does mean that by putting our trust in God, our problems are then in his capable hands and we can go about living a happier life. Simple, yes?

What about corporate, or communal cares and concerns? Let’s take our church. We here have gone through some changes and for a while, our numbers were down and our outlook somewhat grim. We, as a body, set out to do what we could to change that. We did everything that humans can do. We looked at our situation from every angle, we studied and we planned. We did that. We continue to do that. No one can ask more of a small group of believers.

And what do we want as a body? We want more people to share in our church life. We want to be energized and we want to be energizing for others. We want to attract people from the community to come and worship with us. We want to once again have a church filled with young people, to hear children’s laughter. We want to have a Sunday school.

And on a human, nuts-and-bolts level, we have done all we could and are doing all we can. So now it’s time to turn it over to God. That’s not to say that we may rest from our labors, on the contrary. We need to continue, be heads-down chargers, to demonstrate our zeal for the things of God.

But most of all, we need to trust that God sees our work…since as James the brother of Jesus says, “faith without works is dead,” and we need to trust that by putting our situation in God’s hands that he will open the door for us, that he will go ahead of us and make things happen. All we need to do is what we have been doing and then put our complete trust in God. That opens the way for him to do the rest.

We have done good works and we must and will continue to. Now we need to let our light shine through so that others may see the good works we do in the name of God. If we are faithful, God is faithful. That is an absolute truth. And so it is that if we only keep up and trust in God, we will achieve our goals.

If we do these things, people will see it and they will want a part of it. And that is precisely how we as individuals and also as members of the church body need to proceed.

No one is attracted to someone who does not have a glad heart. Our faith and our happiness must be apparent. For that to happen we must let the light of God shine through us. We must smile. We must be kind, gentle and we must let everyone know of our faith and our trust in God Almighty. And then watch out, because once God puts his hand to the steering wheel of this body of believers, he is not going to stop. It will be a long and glorious road trip.

So trust. Trust in God. Trust that Jesus Christ is the only way to the father. Do your best not to fail, but if you do know that you are forgiven. Get up and keep on going. The road may be long but with Christ at the helm, we will reach our destination safely. His burden is light, his yoke is easy.

Short And Sweet Always The Best Way

Weekly Message

Tom Seymour

February 2, 2014

Proverbs 10: 19a - When words are many, transgression is not lacking. (New Revised Standard Version)

Short And Sweet Is Always The Best Way

I once participated in a daily reading of the Proverbs so that in the end, I would have read the entire book. For some reason up to that point, I had only skimmed over Proverbs. But my daily readings changed all that. The lessons learned (and still being learned) have helped me in life, which was the purpose of the book of Proverbs…to help us live our lives to the fullest.

As a professional writer, I have found that achieving any degree of success requires adhering to certain principals. The first sentence of Proverbs 19 says it all. Many words do not necessarily win awards, sell books or induce magazine or newspaper editors to accept a writer’s work. But well-placed words do just that. So how does a writer differentiate between the meaningful and the trivial or nonsensical? I have found that at least for me, the answer lies in writing about what I know the best.

I have 11 published books out on nature topics and hope that the Lord allows me to write even more. Why are all my books on these subjects? Because that’s what I know best. And knowing a topic allows me to write short, concise sentences. A good rule for writers is to say the most with the least words. Adding more words just muddies the waters.

This same principal applies in our lives and in our walk with God. If we talk only to be heard and write only to be read, we accomplish nothing and do nothing to advance the Kingdom of Heaven. But if we choose our words carefully and likewise our actions, we put ourselves in a place where God’s Holy Spirit can work through us.

How many souls have been brought to Jesus by one who talks incessantly? Most people only want to get away from such a one. But the person who talks little but exhibits Christian principals in his or her life, is one whom others seek out.

So let your life follow those writer’s guidelines, the same guidelines outlined in Proverbs 19a. The fewer words the better. Choose wisely and rewards will surely follow.