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Isaiah 35:1-10
Imagine what it is like for people in a village in an arid part of Africa -- people having to walk great distances just to be able to find water to drink, even if that water may be polluted and filled with disease. No crops will grow, everyone is either thirsty for lack of water or sick from the water they have. Now imagine a team from an agency like Water Wells for Africa (www.waterwellsforafrica.org) or LIFE Outreach International (www.lifetoday.org) coming in and drilling a well in your village. Everyone is abuzz at the news. The drilling continues, and just when everyone is about to give up hope, suddenly, clear, clean water begins gushing up from the ground! The village begins dancing around the driller, overjoyed that they can now have clean water to drink, that their crops can begin flourishing again, that their village now has a future.
Before Christ came, we all were like that village – dry, parched, and lifeless. So it is appropriate as we anticipate Christ's arrival at Christmas that we have this passage: "For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes" (vv. 6-7). Jesus is our living water; we can only have life through him.
Craig K.
James 5:7-10
When I was in elementary school I remember a story, as clearly as if it were told today, that my pastor shared during a sermon. I do not remember the sermon, but I clearly remember the minister and the story. And the story, of course, has always carried with it the sermon's message.
The reverend spoke of when he was a chaplain in the Navy. A terrible storm was approaching the ship that could not be avoided. Accompanying the storm would be massive waves and high winds. The captain of the ship told the chaplain that when a storm this fierce is approaching, we turn the ship straight into the storm. We meet the waves head-on. The ship could not outrun the storm and confronting the waves in any other direction, sideways or from the rear, would cause it to capsize.
The preacher then shared how this became for him a lesson in life; that we are to meet our problems head-on. We cannot run from them. We cannot sidestep them. But, we must confront them directly. And with the assurance of the Lord's presence, we can do so confidently.
James shared with his congregation these words of advice, "Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord." In our times of trials and tribulations, the prophets to whom we turn are not always found between the covers of the Bible. Although there is sound and undisputable advice recorded in the Bible, those who practice Bible living also offer lessons for daily living. Beyond the Bible there remains one particular prophet in my life -- a small town pastor who served as a chaplain in the Navy during a raging storm at sea. His prophetic word: to always confront our problems straight-on.
(The pastor may personalize this illustration by substituting the first person pronoun "I" for "somebody I know told me…" or "There was an incident… that a friend described to me" or "I read…" Another approach, though I am personally hesitant to do this, is for the pastor to arbitrarily select a name to make the story sound more personal and easier to relate to: "John told me…" or "Mary shared with me this experience….")
Ron L.
James 5:7-10
There was a missionary who had spent 25 years in the field without furlough. Finally, he and his wife decided to travel home to visit old friends and family. They booked passage on a ship and were soon on their way back to America. It just so happened that they were traveling on the same steamer as an important US dignitary. When they pulled into the harbor, the dignitary, who was returning from a short hunting safari in Africa, was greeted by hundreds of people waving flags, screaming, and cheering his name. By the time the missionary and his wife disembarked, however, the crowd was gone. Not even one person was there to welcome them back from their 25-year service in the mission field. The missionary felt tears come to his eyes. Frustrated, he silently asked God: "Is this it? After all my work for you, is this silence the only reward I find when I come home?" In his heart, he heard God's answer. "Be patient, my son. You are not home yet."
Leah T.
Matthew 11:2-11
In chaos theory, a field of study involving mathematics, physics, and economics, the "butterfly effect" is where a seemingly insignificant catalyst causes major effects. The name comes from the legend that the flapping of a butterfly's wing can cause a hurricane.
Whether or not this is true is something for the theorists to decide. However, in Christianity, we may never know how true this is until we get to Heaven. We have our greats in Christian circles: the Pope, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Billy Graham, and the like. However, we may find that people we didn't expect have the positions of most honor – the lady who volunteered at the homeless shelter, the man who gave his last $10 to help a little child in need, the boy who prayed for his classmates every night. As Jesus said concerning John the Baptist, "the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he" (v. 11).
Craig K.
Imagine what it is like for people in a village in an arid part of Africa -- people having to walk great distances just to be able to find water to drink, even if that water may be polluted and filled with disease. No crops will grow, everyone is either thirsty for lack of water or sick from the water they have. Now imagine a team from an agency like Water Wells for Africa (www.waterwellsforafrica.org) or LIFE Outreach International (www.lifetoday.org) coming in and drilling a well in your village. Everyone is abuzz at the news. The drilling continues, and just when everyone is about to give up hope, suddenly, clear, clean water begins gushing up from the ground! The village begins dancing around the driller, overjoyed that they can now have clean water to drink, that their crops can begin flourishing again, that their village now has a future.
Before Christ came, we all were like that village – dry, parched, and lifeless. So it is appropriate as we anticipate Christ's arrival at Christmas that we have this passage: "For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes" (vv. 6-7). Jesus is our living water; we can only have life through him.
Craig K.
James 5:7-10
When I was in elementary school I remember a story, as clearly as if it were told today, that my pastor shared during a sermon. I do not remember the sermon, but I clearly remember the minister and the story. And the story, of course, has always carried with it the sermon's message.
The reverend spoke of when he was a chaplain in the Navy. A terrible storm was approaching the ship that could not be avoided. Accompanying the storm would be massive waves and high winds. The captain of the ship told the chaplain that when a storm this fierce is approaching, we turn the ship straight into the storm. We meet the waves head-on. The ship could not outrun the storm and confronting the waves in any other direction, sideways or from the rear, would cause it to capsize.
The preacher then shared how this became for him a lesson in life; that we are to meet our problems head-on. We cannot run from them. We cannot sidestep them. But, we must confront them directly. And with the assurance of the Lord's presence, we can do so confidently.
James shared with his congregation these words of advice, "Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord." In our times of trials and tribulations, the prophets to whom we turn are not always found between the covers of the Bible. Although there is sound and undisputable advice recorded in the Bible, those who practice Bible living also offer lessons for daily living. Beyond the Bible there remains one particular prophet in my life -- a small town pastor who served as a chaplain in the Navy during a raging storm at sea. His prophetic word: to always confront our problems straight-on.
(The pastor may personalize this illustration by substituting the first person pronoun "I" for "somebody I know told me…" or "There was an incident… that a friend described to me" or "I read…" Another approach, though I am personally hesitant to do this, is for the pastor to arbitrarily select a name to make the story sound more personal and easier to relate to: "John told me…" or "Mary shared with me this experience….")
Ron L.
James 5:7-10
There was a missionary who had spent 25 years in the field without furlough. Finally, he and his wife decided to travel home to visit old friends and family. They booked passage on a ship and were soon on their way back to America. It just so happened that they were traveling on the same steamer as an important US dignitary. When they pulled into the harbor, the dignitary, who was returning from a short hunting safari in Africa, was greeted by hundreds of people waving flags, screaming, and cheering his name. By the time the missionary and his wife disembarked, however, the crowd was gone. Not even one person was there to welcome them back from their 25-year service in the mission field. The missionary felt tears come to his eyes. Frustrated, he silently asked God: "Is this it? After all my work for you, is this silence the only reward I find when I come home?" In his heart, he heard God's answer. "Be patient, my son. You are not home yet."
Leah T.
Matthew 11:2-11
In chaos theory, a field of study involving mathematics, physics, and economics, the "butterfly effect" is where a seemingly insignificant catalyst causes major effects. The name comes from the legend that the flapping of a butterfly's wing can cause a hurricane.
Whether or not this is true is something for the theorists to decide. However, in Christianity, we may never know how true this is until we get to Heaven. We have our greats in Christian circles: the Pope, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Billy Graham, and the like. However, we may find that people we didn't expect have the positions of most honor – the lady who volunteered at the homeless shelter, the man who gave his last $10 to help a little child in need, the boy who prayed for his classmates every night. As Jesus said concerning John the Baptist, "the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he" (v. 11).
Craig K.
