As you will hear in this PODCAST, the exact same question that I asked of a couple of hundred of the best high school students you’d ever want to meet. Here’s my question:
Do you want to live your life in the midst of God’s blessing?
If your answer to that question is “Yes,” THIS is what God’s blessing means; THIS is what a God-blessed life looks like.
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As you are about to learn in this PODCAST, there is so much more here than meets the eye. At least that meets our eyes.
Acts 9:35 is a truly remarkable statement for original readers of the book of Acts. It will soon be truly remarkable for us. For this one verse exposes the underlying reality in the spiritual climate of the Land that you and I might easily miss. As well as the ongoing spiritual battle for our souls that is being waged every minute of every day in our lives today.
A truly remarkable verse.
So hear it as I begin at verse 32.
“Meanwhile, Peter traveled from place to place, and he came down to visit the believers in the town of Lydda. There he met a man named Aeneas, who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years. Peter said to him, ‘Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up, and roll up your sleeping mat!’ And he was healed instantly.”
Now verse 35,
“Then the whole population of Lydda and Sharon saw Aeneas walking around, and they turned to the Lord.”
Anything jaw-dropping strike you about those words? Are we missing anything here? I’ll give you a hint: Yes! We are missing a ton! All of which has to do with these two telling locations: One a town—Lydda; the other a region—Sharon.
Foreign to us; all-too-familiar to the people of that land at that time.
It’s the old story: We cannot understand the biblical play if we don’t understand the stage on which the play is performed.
So in this podcast, I’ll take you on a fascinating tour of the stage.
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It has become THE iconic image of Christmas: a Manger scene.
So readily recognizable that its image graces the fronts of so many of our Christmas cards.
So singularly significant that churches throughout country often display what they call a Living Nativity.
So emotionally effusive that the mere suggestion of placing a Manger Scene on the steps of a City Hall can stir up a cauldron of contention.
So famously familiar that many-a-home have a Manger Scene proudly/prominently displayed on a table or mantle.
And as you will hear in this PODCAST, so iconic that hand-carved Manger Scenes are far-and-away the #1 hot seller when I take people to my favorite olive wood shop in Bethlehem.
A Manger Scene.
Even though everything about it is absolutely wrong.
No knock on the artisans who hand-craft these treasured keepsakes. But you see, it’s all about a picture. An iconic picture.
Manger Scenes paint pictures in wood.
Luke painted a picture in words. And Luke’s picture, when properly understood, is SO MUCH MORE POWERFUL than any hand-crafted manger scene could ever hope to be.
It is simply an undeniable fact, an inconvenient truth, that from Luke’s quill and parchment to our wooden manger scenes today, so much has been lost!
And we are the poorer for it.
But not anymore. Not after hearing this podcast.
Merry Christmas, from my heart to yours.
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To be perfectly honest with you, the passage here in Matthew 21 is coming — for me,at least — at just the right time. And perhaps for you as well.
Given the current political climate in our beloved country, and the increasing despair that I have felt as the presidential primary season has now concluded, I so desperately need to hear my own message, courtesy of Jesus.
Jesus assured His disciples,
“Whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
As you will hear in this PODCAST, the irony of what Jesus said is so thick that you could cut it with the proverbial knife.
The irony being this: Jesus said those words to the disciples on the eve of His crucifixion in order to strengthen, to fortify their fragile faith. And frankly, to strengthen and to fortify ours.
Jesus knew that the events in their lives were about to spin seemingly out of control. The hopes they harbored in their hearts were about to be crushed into the ash heap of history. The Jesus movement in which they played a central role was about to careen into a wall and to explode into a thousand broken pieces.
The wave they had been riding had peaked on Sunday during the Triumphal Entry, and then again on Monday during the Cleansing of the Temple. But Jesus knew only too well on that Tuesday AM that by Thursday PM that same storm surge would dash them into the jagged rocks of reality.
So to bolster their soon-to-be faltering faith (and ours), Jesus made them (and us) this glorious promise:
“Whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
The only problem with that promise? As many of us have come to experience during own crises of faith, It.Doesn’t.Always.Work.
If it did, none of our loved ones would ever die. (Who of us hasn’t prayed for God, in faith believing — to invoke Jesus’ formula — to heal someone near/dear to us, only to watch them whither away to nothing?)
Our kids would never disappoint us, if that promise worked. (What parent hasn’t prayed diligently for their children, in faith believing, Amen, only to stand by and watch helplessly and at times hopelessly as one or more of our kids go sideways?)
If that promise did indeed work, we would always get the jobs we want, have the perfect marriages for which we pray, have enough money at end of each month.
Fact is, myriads of books been written and purchased and read about that promise. Countless sermons been preached and listened to and heeded. All to affirm the fact that if we pray in faith believing and do not doubt, we will receive whatever things we ask. We CAN move mountains by our prayers, we are told. The mountain of sickness, the mountain of debt, the mountain of broken relationships, the mountain of wayward children.
Over the years, I’ve heard it all, read it all, a thousand times. To the point where I’m sick of hearing it. Because it just doesn’t work… Or does it?
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It is without a doubt one of the most beautiful and meaningful of our Christmas carols.
As you will hear in this PODCAST, its seven stanzas tell the complete story of Christmas, brilliantly combining both Matthew’s and Luke’s Nativity narratives.
The carol to which I refer? The First Noel.
The First Noel, the angel did say, was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay. In fields as they lay, keeping their sheep, on a cold winter’s night that was so deep.
Chorus: Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, Born is the King of Israel.
They looked up and saw a star shining in the east beyond them far. And to the earth it gave great light, and so it continued both day and night.
And by the light of that same star three wise men came from country afar. To seek for a king was their intent, and to follow the star wherever it went.
This star drew nigh to the northwest, o’er Bethlehem it took it rest. And there it did both stop and stay right over the place where Jesus lay.
Then did they know assuredly within that house the King did lay. They entered in then for to see, and found the Babe in poverty.
Then entered in those wise men three, fell reverently upon their knee, and offered there in His presence their gold, and myrrh, and frankincense.
Then let us all with one accord sing praises to our heavenly Lord, that hath made heaven and earth of naught, and with his blood mankind hath bought.
Chorus: Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, Born is the King of Israel.
Let’s talk about those Wise Men, mysterious Magi.
And the star, what it was and why they followed it.
And their gifts, and their amazing significance.
From all of us at the Safe Haven, to all of you, A Very Merry Christmas!
This may sound strange to you, as you will hear on this PODCAST.
But if I kicked a bottle and a genie popped out, offering to grant me but one wish, any idea what I’d wish for? I’d wish for the ability to point my finger at anyone, anywhere, at any time, and become that person for 10 minutes.
On the surface of things, an odd request, I know. But if you think about it, for me it makes perfect sense.
When people share with me their stories, invariably I feel an acute longing to become that person — for 10 minutes — so that I can truly understand what it’s really like to be them.
Just imagine if we each possessed that power. If we did, and become that person for just 10 minutes, we would completely understand. We would understand why they do the things they do; why they say the things they say; why they make the choices that they make; why they act the way they act. All would become so crystal clear.
And in knowing the whys behind people’s words, actions, and attitudes, just think of how revolutionizing such knowledge would be. We would be so much more understanding, so much more forgiving, so much more compassionate, so much more loving.
We would “get it.” And others would “get” us.
I mean, if you could just be me for 10 minutes, you would finally understand why I am certifiably neurotic.
Well, Jesus didn’t have a bottle; He didn’t need one. Jesus never met a genie; there are no magical genies to meet. Jesus wasn’t granted one wish. Wishes were irrelevant to Him. But Jesus did exactly what I would wish I could do. And He did so for much, much longer than 10 minutes.
As a baby, laying in a manger, in beautiful downtown Bethlehem, Jesus became one of us.
Jesus experienced every human emotion, felt every human need, faced every human temptation, and lived every possible kind of human suffering.
He understands exactly what it is like to be you, and what it is like to be me.
This picture of an understanding Jesus is painted ever so clearly in this story. After hearing it, you will never view Jesus the same way again:
A Jesus who “gets it.”
A Jesus who “gets” you.
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God can sometimes seem so distant. Remote. Removed from the intricate details of my daily life.
BUT HE’S NOT. As you will discover by listening to this PODCAST.
God is closer to you than you can possibly imagine.
To prove this point, here’s a pop quiz for you. When Jesus wanted to convey to the people He loved — in the single most culturally-emphatic way — just how close God is to YOU, what image did Jesus invoke?
You, my friend, are in for quite a surprise.
Please note that depending upon your connection speed and web browser, it may take up to 60 seconds for this podcast to play. But it’s worth the wait!!! 😉
Dewey Bertolini 