Berean Podcast

In my short (though it seems to be getting less short) life I have seen many changes. These changes are in technology, culture, society, and religion. It is amazing how something can seem to be such a fixture in life only to become almost non-existent. The VCR and Blockbuster would be a great example of this. Bell bottoms came went and seem to be making a comeback again. Good thing I kept my leisure suit!

I remember sitting in gospel meetings when I was growing up. The location of these gatherings would range from the bleachers at a high school’s football field to the bleachers of a basketball court. I also remember the ones that were in a tent. It always seemed to be on a hot summer day where I was happy to have the program for the service. I wanted to hold the program not to see when it would be done, they always went long, but to fan myself as I sat there in the uncomfortable wooden folding chair. Not sure if I would call them fond memories of growing up, but definitely memories.

I don’t know when the last gospel meeting was that I attended. If anything, these religious conferences become audio recordings you could buy on a cassette tape for a few dollars, then video cassettes, then cd’s and dvd’s, and now you can see or review a series on a streaming service. These tent revivals haven’t completely disappeared, but are now called seminars that you can watch from the comfort of your own home. And now a popular platform for easily gaining religious information is the podcast.

I’m not sure what the podcast has replaced; maybe a combination of things. I don’t see books on topics as much anymore. I have shelves full of books, but haven’t bought many in the last decade. It is hard to find a Christian book store where you can actually go in and browse through the books, or read a jacket cover. So are podcasts a replacement of books? Seminars? Gospel meetings? It’s hard to tell, but they are what is popular on the Christian landscape.

With our busy mobile society, podcasts really fill a need. We can download them to our phone, or just connect while we are traveling to make good use of that time or listen while we’re just cleaning the house. There are numerous hosts and topics to choose from. They are so convenient and really helpful to people who tend to be like me and aren’t big readers.

Be it with gospel meetings, books, seminars or podcasts, don’t forget to be like the Bereans. Long ago, there was this gospel meeting that came to Berea, led by this evangelist named Paul. They listened, good thing to do, then they fact checked him against God’s word. An even better thing to do. We need to be listening to podcasts, even attend a gospel meeting if one comes around, though I would like padded chairs and AC. But never lose sight of the original documents that they are all based upon.

Still A Berean,

Randy

POWERLESS

A week ago, a number of us went powerless. For our house it was only for about 48 hours, though for others it was close to double that. I made a decision--after we lost power for the third time in the first 15 months we had lived here--to purchase a generator. One of the smartest moves I have ever made. Powerful enough to run most things I need, though I need to do some rewiring in order to hook it up to my well pump. I’m still glad to have the power and heat from the space heater, though in the hallway, waking up to 46 degrees one morning was a little on the chilly side.

I am glad I had a generator to put a band-aid on the situation, but that is all I could do. I had to rely on others to make decisions on how things would get taken care of. I didn’t have the means or ability or legal right to repair the down lines or equipment on my own. It was all taken care of outside of my ability and control. Yes, I kept checking the outage map hoping for some good news, but it was less than helpful. Again, I had to wait because all I had was a “band-aid” to help.

I guess a band-aid is what we see in the Old Testament. Yes, they were offering the prescribed sacrifices for their sins. It was kind of like the generator that I offered up to temporarily take care of the problem. A temporary fix but not a true repair, much like the Old Testament sacrifices. These sacrifices were a temporary fix and not able to repair the root of the problem: sin. After the sacrifice, the sin they committed was still there, interest had been paid on it, but it wa still there.

I like what Paul writes to our brothers and sisters in Rome: You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8)

While we were still powerless, unable to take care of the situation ourselves, Jesus came and fixed it. Now I am not saying the linemen who restored power are Christlike, but they were able to do what we were powerless to do. But even more, it says while we were still sinners. A little father down in the chapter it talks about how we were “God’s enemies”, and He still came and took care of our situation.

As you flip the light switch this week, push some buttons on the microwave, or feel warm heat come out of the register connected to the furnace, think about how we take it for granted that the power will be there. The light will come on, the phone will be charged, the tv will entertain us. Then take a moment and think about how we are powerless to take away our sins, and yet they were removed. Let’s celebrate, that though we were powerless, Jesus was not. Let’s rejoice that we can be in heaven. Let’s appreciate the power that was exerted while we were still powerless.

Appreciating the Power,

Randy

Locked Door

The tomb was empty. The women had come and told the apostles this. We read that John and Peter ran to the tomb to see for themselves. Did others come? We don’t know. Those that ran did confirm the tomb was empty. Mary stood outside talking to who she thought was a gardener until she realized it was Jesus as He spoke to her. Jesus was alive! The tomb was empty!

All of this should have been cause for celebration. As we read on in the account recorded by John, we find out that wasn’t the case. The apostles, minus two,

were hiding behind a locked door. Judas, who had betrayed Jesus and took his own life was not there. And for reasons we don’t know, Thomas was also absent that evening. But there was no party to celebrate the risen Lord going on. They were hunkering down so they wouldn’t be the next ones arrested and possibly impaled upon a stake.

We are told that the doors were locked out of fear (John 20:19-20). What could, what would a knock at the door bring? Jewish religious leaders now coming for Jesus’ followers? Or worse, Roman soldiers to rid the land of the followers of this man from Nazareth, who had turned the city upside down with His teachings and claim to be a king. The lock would hopefully keep all that on the other side of the door.

There wasn’t a knock, there was Jesus suddenly standing among them. Like the stone rolled in front of the tomb, the locked door could not keep Him out. As He stands there, the words He speaks to this frightened gathering of those who had spent so much time with Him were simple and comforting, “Peace be with you.” It was a peace they could not get from a lock on a door.

Most of us lock our doors every night. Our reasons for this are similar to those on the evening that Jesus rose from the grave: safety, self- preservation, keeping potential harm on the other side of the door. It is a cultural thing, a wise thing in the world in the times we live in and these locked doors do give us peace at night when we sleep.

Something to think about the next time you lock or unlock your door. . . peace. A peace that surpasses all understanding that Paul tells us about (Philippians 4:7). A peace that may not take away all nervousness or anxiety, but that helps as we realize this world is not our home and Jesus has overcome this world (John 16:33). Yes, we may stress at times, be anxious at times, even freak out on occasion. But no lock can keep us from the love that comes from our risen Lord, and in that we can have peace.

Still locking my doors at night,

Randy