Nov 15

Letting Others Wear Their Mourning Garments

The holidays are approaching.  For the dominant culture it is welcomed and anticipated as the “most wonderful time of the year.”  Yet, for many it is a time they have been dreading.  The calendar is marked off not with anticipation, but with anxiety and fear.  They wonder how they will get through the holidays.  They would gladly skip the holiday season.  But they must pass through these days.

For those in grief and mourning the holidays are a particularly hard time of year.  This may be the first “holidays” without a spouse, parent, son, or daughter.  But whether it is the first or the twentieth, family holes seem to be wider during the holidays.  The feelings of loss and hurt are great.  Couple this with social expectations and cultural pressure to be merry, host family gatherings, and be thankful, and it is no wonder mourners want to “skip the holidays.”  

In the book of Esther, Mordecai, Esther’s uncle, was in mourning.  He had dressed himself in sackcloth and ashes.  He was in deep grief over a new law which meant death to him and all of the Jewish people.  When Esther heard of his mourning and distress, “she sent garments to clothe Mordecai, so that he might take off his sackcloth, but he would not accept them” (Est. 4:4).

Mordecai had the right response for a grieving person.  It is the response, which many in our culture need to be willing to do.  Our culture, especially during the holidays, wants to force happiness and cheer on everyone.  Yet, some are in grief.  They do not need to be forced to move on and “change cloths.”  They need to be able to remember and grieve their loved one as they desire. Grief is a very individualistic experience.  We process loss with different emotions and in different ways;  often what works for one, will not work for another.

Friends and family need to be willing to love, support, and encourage.  They need to be willing to cry and weep.  Family traditions may need to be modified with  new traditions being started.  Extra patience and love needs to be displayed.  

There is a need to be on guard against substance abuse, long-term clinical depression, and loss of faith or church involvement.  But let’s also allow people to grieve.  Give others the right to not be “happy” during the holidays.  Give them the freedom to do what they can do!  Let them talk about their loved one.  Give them the opportunity to cry and share memories from the past.  

So when someone is wearing mourning clothes this holiday season, don’t send them new clothes!  Go and give them a hug, listen from your heart, and cry with them.  

Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/letting-others-wear-their-mourning-garments/

Nov 13

Your Ungodly Alliances Can Impact Future Generations!

We don’t live to ourselves, but depend upon others in many ways. The question that shapes who we are and what we become is, “Who is it that we depend upon?” We are drawn to alliances and relationships with others. God made us this way. But the alliances and relationships we form impact our life and can even impact future generations. Let me tell you an old forgotten story to make my point.

King Jehoshaphat was a good godly king of Judah, but he made an ungodly alliance with wicked king Ahab of Israel. This was a political and military alliance that involved them going into battle together, despite the warning of the prophet Micaiah (2 Chron. 18). Jehoshaphat even gives his son in marriage to the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. Jehoshaphat escapes with his life, contrary to Ahab, but is sternly rebuked by the Lord for such an ungodly alliance (2 Chron. 19:1-2).

But the story doesn’t end there, Jehoshaphat will go on to a successful reign and faithful death, but his son, Jehoram, whom he used to form the political alliance is heavily influence by Jezebel’s daughter. Jehoram will begin his reign as king and the Bible says rather than walking in the godly ways of his father, he “walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord” (2 Chron. 21:6).

Jehoram will be an idolatrous king who ruled unwisely and will be severely punished by God for his wickedness. He was so pathetic that the Bible records about his death, “he departed with no one’s regret” (2 Chron. 21:20). Everyone was glad to see him go! But his wife didn’t die yet. She would continue to exert an evil influence through her son and her own reigning as queen (2 Chron. 22).

This story reminds us of the power of our alliances, partnerships, marriages, and friendships. They can have a powerful influence upon us that continues to grow as the years pass by. This is a warning for all of us, no matter our ages. We can all invite harmful influences into our lives, they may not take out our faith, but they can have severely detreminal effects upon future generations.

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Oct 29

Our Neglected Leaders

It is election time across our nation. Most of our focus goes to the executive and legislative branches of our government. But there is a third branch of government that has great influence and power in our nation. While I am aware that many judges are elected too, for the most part our national dialogue neglects the judicial branch.

Yet, I would argue that the judicial branch influences the righteousness of our nation to a great degree. Our judges, not only enforce the law, they interpret the meaning of laws. This means they influence the moral fabric of our nation.

An ancient King of Judah named Jehoshaphat saw the importance of righteous judges throughout the land (2 Chronicles 19:4-11). He brings about national reform for God by installing righteous judges. He established five principles for judges in Judah.

  1. Judge in recognition that God is in the room. Jehoshaphat said to the judges, “Consider what you do, for you judge not for man but for the Lord. He is with you in giving judgment. Now then, let the fear of the Lord be upon you” (2 Chron. 19:6-7a). Every judge should recognize they judge as one who will be judged before the heavenly courtroom one day. An awareness of the presence of God creates humility, sobriety, and moral integrity.
  2. Judge in a manner that prevents injustice. The king commanded them to “be careful what you do, for there is no injustice with the Lord our God” (19:7b). Judges must prevent wrong and administer justice for society. We need judges that prevent evil from being perpetuated across our nation.
  3. Judge in an impartial manner. The king commanded them to not judge impartially (19:7b). The Old Testament word involves the idea of turning your face towards someone, and thus giving preferential treatment to one against another. We need courts where every person is respected and valued irrespective of their race, wealth, or religion.
  4. Judge in a way that refuses bribes. Jehoshaphat’s judges were forbidden from taking a bribe. The secular ‘golden” rule which says, “He who has the gold, makes the rules” still worked back then too. We need judges who don’t take payoffs from corporations, political allies, or campaign donors. We need judges who refuse to let money rule the integrity of their courts.
  5. Judge courageously with conviction and moral integrity. Jehoshaphat will give some details about how they should decide difficult cases involving bloodshed in his speech (19:8-11). He ends his speech with one final admonition, “Deal courageously, and may the Lord be with the upright!” (19:11). He knew that judges would face threats, opposition, and need courage to rule an unpopular verdict. Judges need courage! They need faith that the Lord will be with them when they act courageously.

We need judges in our nation that follow these principles. Christians need to pray for judges to courageously follow these principles. Christians need to aspire to be judges throughout our nation that live out these principles in the courtrooms of America.

During this election and the presidential election in 2020 Christians will think much about the moral direction of our nation and electing officials to help our nation. We must not forget the judicial branch! If all the judges followed the principles of Jehoshaphat righteousness would flow throughout our land.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/our-neglected-leaders/

Oct 16

God Says, Satan Suggests!

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to make someone start doubting? Doubt enters into our minds quickly when we are challenged by others, especially when we view them credibly. One researcher from the University of Georgia found, “So much of changing someone’s mind is in the way you position your questions or statements and the emotional tone of your voice, as well as your body language”(1),

Satan is the master at this tactic. God says truth, Satan suggests partial truths to pervert and deceive us (John 8:44). This is how Satan took advantage of our orginal parents in the Garden of Eden. God clearly said, “Don’t eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil”(Gen. 2:17). Satan enters the garden and suggests, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?'” Satan casts doubt on the Word of God. He causes Eve to doubt God and her ownself.

Centuries later, Christ is baptized by John. God, the father’s voice, booms from heaven, “You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22). God clearly proclaimed Christ as His son. Satan comes along soon afterwards during Christ’s testing in the wilderness and says, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread” (Luke 4:3). Later he repeats the conditional statement, “If you are the Son of God” (Luke 4:9). Satan sought to put doubt in the mind of Christ of his own identity before the Father.

Satan acts the same way to us today. God says to us through His Word the truth. He clearly expresses His commandments and His will. He defines our true identity in Christ as a beloved and adopted child. But Satan suggests opposing ideas. He casts doubt on the specifics of God’s commands. He suggests that we don’t really have to follow them. He gets us to rationalize our obedience away. Satan suggests that we are good for nothing, always destined to failure, and nothing more than a wretched sinner.

Satan’s methods are not new, rather they are tried and true. God says, Satan suggests! He gets us to doubt the truth of God’s word. It worked on Adam and Eve. In fact, it worked to some degree on everyone else that ever lived with the exception of Jesus Christ. It works on you and me. We must wise up and and shut the devil’s voice out and only listen to God’s truth!

—————–

(1) – https://www.bustle.com/p/9-genius-ways-to-change-someones-mind-according-to-science-2307178

Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/god-says-satan-suggests/

Oct 09

A Forgetful Love

Is your love forgetful? Many wives are already elbowing their husband as they read the title! They are thinking about all the times he has forgotten something important to her! Maybe it was an anniversary, a birthday, or an important item at the store he said he would purchase. Truth but told many of us are guilty of forgetful love!

Would you believe it if I told you the Bible teaches us to have a forgetful love? Paul prescribes a forgetful love when he says that love “keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Cor. 13:5). The original greek word here is where we get our English were log from today. As in keeping a record or log of events. It was used by a ship’s captain to keep a record of his travels and the events of the ship. Other translations render this phrase “thinks no evil” or “not resentful.” The idea is that love forgets past evils and wrongs.

Love must NOT be eager to find, remember, and recount faults (Mat. 7:2). Love refuses to make mental lists of wrongs and review them frequently in our minds. Aren’t we thankful that God forgets our wrongs when he forgives us (Heb. 8:12, Mic. 7:19)? This type of love means that we must not constantly reach back into the past in order to strengthen an argument in the present (Ps. 32:1-2).

Paul isn’t teaching us to be foolish when it comes to the abuses which we may be undergoing. In fact, list keeping in our minds can actually prevent us from dealing with offenses and problems properly (Eph. 4:26; Mat. 18:15-18). But he is teaching us what God expects and prescribes for a healthy relationship. The Bible regularly redirects us from list keeping to loving more! We are to “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph. 4:32).

Do you have a forgetful love or do you keep an ongoing record of wrongs in your mind that justifies your attitudes and actions? Choose to stop list keeping and start loving more.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/a-forgetful-love/

Oct 02

Being a True Friend

Most know the story of David, the famous giant killer in the Bible. He was courageous and powerful as a man of God. He became the famous king of Israel that would foreshadow the coming Christ. But do you know the story of the king-maker behind him? The story of the man who gave up the kingship so his best friend could be king?

Jonathan was king Saul’s son. He was to be the next king, but Saul disobeyed God prompting God to tear the kingdom away from Saul’s descendants. Jonathan became friends with David after he had come to prominence in the famous defeat of Goliath. They were close friends and kingdom leaders spending days around the palace (their story is found in 1 Samuel 18-20).

Jonathan presents three clear challenges for us in our friendships with others.

First, Jonathan refused jealousy. So many friendships are ruined because of jealousy (James 3:14-16). Jonathan, unlike his father who had so much jealousy for David he tried to kill him, refused to be jealous of David’s fame, talents, and future. When tempted to be jealous of a friend, choose to rejoice with a friend.

Second, Jonathan recognized potential in his friend. Jonathan saved a nation by building a leader. He yielded to God’s plan, following the same principles that John the Baptist would express years later about Christ, “He must increase, and I must decrease” (John 3:30). Saul expressed to Jonathan that David was taking his throne and implored him to help destroy David (1 Sam. 20:30-34). But Jonathan chose to help his friend rise higher and to greater successes than he would ever experience. We all need friends like that and we need to be such a friend to others.

Third, Jonathan remained trustworthy and loyal to his friend. Through all the turmoil of his father’s madness and David’s coming and going, Jonathan never wavered. He stayed true to his friend. He was honest, trustworthy, and loyal. David could depend upon him.

What type of friend are you?

Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/being-a-true-friend/

Sep 24

The ESV Scripture Journal Bible – A Great Tool!

I recently discovered this new product from Crossway called the Scripture Journal. Crossway has produced a paperback Bible for each book of the Bible (OT and NT) that contains an entire blank page with each opening. These Bibles are inexpensive and very user-friendly. They are great for taking notes and personal study of a text. We are using them for a class on the book of Luke. We purchased copies for everyone. Everyone can read together and make notes as we discuss. Class members can prepare through the week by making notes.

My plans are to use one each time I study and teach a book so I will have them as a resource. One of the best parts is the economical price of the books. They are selling for $3.50 off of CBD. The entire NT is around $55. Crossway has a deal going for churches of 40% off a case. There are 50 in a case so we purchased 100 of the Gospel of Luke which with shipping came out to about $1.75 a book. The Lads-to-Leaders Bible bowl book is Luke and our teen class and my adult class is studying Luke so we have lots of ways to use them.

I would highly recommend these Bibles for personal and church class use!

Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/the-esv-scripture-journal-bible-a-great-tool/

Sep 18

Am I Living Wrong, because God Doesn’t Answer My Prayers?

Prayer is difficult! It requires faithful persistence (Luke 18:1-8). We may pray for something for years and God never grant the prayer as we desire. This causes us to question God, our own righteousness, and the purpose of prayer.

In the opening of Luke’s gospel he tells about an older couple named Zechariah and Elizabeth. Zechariah was a priest of God. They are described as being “righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statues of the Lord” (Luke 1:6). What a description! This is a description that all Christians would want in application to themselves. They were not living a sinful life! They were not doing anything wrong to cause their prayers not to be answered in the affirmative.

Yet, the next verse says “they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren” (Luke 1:7). Zechariah will be offering incense in the temple when the angel Gabriel will inform him, “your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John” (Luke 1:13). God had heard his prayers.

God had heard all along. They were “advanced in years,” so they endured years of praying without getting what they desired (Luke 1:7). They even suffered a social stigmatism or “reproach among people” because they had no child (Luke 1:25), but it wasn’t because of their sinfulness.

Certainly, sin can keep us from receiving the blessings of God and hinder our prayers. We ought to seek to rid sin from our lives everyday, but faithful Christians should also realize that God not answering your prayers according to your desires, doesn’t mean you are sinning. Zechariah and Elizabeth were barren and suffered for years wanting a child, but it was not because of their sin that God withheld that blessing. He withheld because of his divine plan and will. Ultimately that is the challenge and goal of all of our prayers–to surrender to the will of God and seek His will, not ours (Luke 22:42).

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Sep 17

Getting On and Off the Ministry Highway

The interstate system developed during the 1950s is successful because of the ease of getting on and off the road. The highway never stops. It is a constant flow of 65+ mph traffic. Drivers choose when they want on and when they want to get off. We call these entrance and exit ramps to allow you to get up to speed or slow down to a stop.

Your church should parallel an interstate highway when it comes to ministry. The church should have a constant flow of ministry that is being conducted by the local body that is continuous and ongoing. God expects his body to be doing the work of ministry (Eph. 4:12). This takes numerous shapes and forms including evangelism, Bible school, benevolence, missions, fellowship, youth programs, and discipleship. This should be a busy highway that is going in a God-honoring, God-driven direction to fulfill the local church’s purpose.

All church leaders recognize this busy ministry highway. You spend lots of efforts trying to keep this highway flowing. You seek to prevent bottlenecks and fill potholes when they appear. But have you ever considered how easy it is to get on and off the highway?

I believe many churches do not have the number of workers and volunteers needed to do ministry as they desire because of two key factors:

  1. They don’t make it easy to get involved in a ministry. Thus, people are shy, ignorant, or fearful of getting on the ministry highway.
  2. They don’t make it clear how you will be able to stop involvement with a ministry. Thus, people are afraid to get on the highway because they don’t want to be stuck.

Sound familiar to reasons you have heard? I don’t have the space to address all the ways to fix this issue, but here are some suggestions for you to consider at your congregation.

  • Regularly point out publicly who is the leader and contact point for a given ministry.
  • Develop a packet of information with multiple opportunities and specific instructions for new members to allow them to know easy on-ramps. There could also be a survey sheet for new members to fill out and return assessing their interest in various ministry opportunities.
  • Create “test-drive” programs where you allow potential volunteers the opportunity to shadow or participate in a ministry for a short time to see if they may want to serve in that department before committing.
  • Openly discuss with potential volunteers your time expectations for the ministry and let them know how they can transition from this ministry to other areas of ministry if it does not fit them.
  • Set time boundaries up front in your recruiting so people know when they get on and when they get off.
  • Encourage shoulder-tapping practices by existing volunteers wherein they find new members and tap them to serve in their ministry. They walk along side them and help them transition smoothly into the ministry role. NEVER just throw a new person into the fire without supplying them with needed support and encouragement.

Most of leadership attention for our church’s ministry highway goes into keeping the highway open and running. It seems hard enough keeping everyone on the road and the traffic moving in the right direction toward a desired end. Maybe it is time we back away from the highway, for a short time and consider the ramps onto the road. If we don’t have adequent and easy on-ramps and exit-ramps our ministry road will eventually dry up. New cars won’t get on and the old ones will break down and have to be pulled off. Give some attention to your ramps so you can keep your highway flowing for God!

Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/getting-on-and-off-the-ministry-highway/

Sep 11

Never Forget!

I write these words on September 11, 2019. My Facebook news feed is filled with posts about 9/11. Most of the posts say something like . . . “Don’t Forget,” “Remember 9/11,” “Never Forgotten,” or “Always in Our Hearts.”

All of these expressions of remembrance caused me to reflect on the importance of remembering. Remembering is a God-given gift and duty to recall the past, but not simply to think about the event, but to recall the past with an incentive for present action. It is to recall the impact and lessons from the past and bring them to life in the present. To remember is to honor, to cherish, and to memorialize those deserving of such honor. God expects us to remember.

You would likely be surprised how often God’s people are told to remember in the Bible. For example, the term is used 169 times in the ESV Bible. Israel is repeatedly reminded in their history to remember God’s deliverance from their bondage in Egypt (Ex. 13:3, etc). Joshua erected a memorial at the edge of the Jordan river so the children of Israel could remember their crossing into the promised land (Josh. 4:7). Israelites wore tassels, observed certain feasts, celebrated the annual Passover, and read the law all in attempts to remember.

Christians are instructed to remember the words of Jesus (Acts 20:25), our former bondage of sin (Eph. 2:11-12), and our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 2:8). Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper before his arrest and crucifixion as a memorial for us to remember his death (1 Cor. 11:23-26). We are to remember our leaders and imitate their faith (Heb. 13:7).

What I am trying to say is that God gave us memory to be used as a powerful tool. The past should impact today! We remember with an incentive for present action. We remember so we can be different and better today.

As I think about 9/11 and our country today. We need to remember, but not just by focusing on actual events through pictures and news stories, but remember by recalling the lessons of that day and time. We must be stirred to present action. We must be different today, because we remember!

Permanent link to this article: https://www.joshketchum.com/never-forget/