Waiting for Spring

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Joshua Hawn, First Baptist Church

If there is one thing that Americans lack, it is patience. We hate to wait. We need our food fast, our checkout lanes faster, and our cars even faster. We blaze through yellow lights in order to get to our next destination three seconds faster. If we have to wait for anything, we roll our eyes and complain about having to waste our time. We are an impatient people, especially when it comes to waiting for what should have come already, like spring. Right now it is April 17th, and it is snowing on top of the snow that should have already melted. We look at the part of our yard where vegetables and flowers should be, and grumble that spring should be here, but we are forced to wait.

The Bible uses the word “wait” one hundred six times, and one of the most famous passages that uses the word “wait” is Psalm 27:14, which says: “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” When He says to “wait” on the Lord, He means first that God’s timing is not ours. In heaven, there is no time, no seasons. What we think has been too long on earth has not been too long in heaven. Perhaps you have been waiting for an answer to prayer and feel as though you have waited too long. Remember the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth, who had prayed for a son their whole lives, and when they were past the point of bearing children, the angel said, “thy prayer is heard.”

He means second that God’s timing is perfect. There is a reason spring is not here, and it is for God’s own perfect purposes. There is a reason things happen later instead of now. Remember the story of Joseph, who had to wait two full years in prison after the release of the butler. I’m sure those were frustrating years, but when the time was right, and not a second before, the butler remembered Joseph and told Pharaoh about him.

He means third that God is trying to teach us something by waiting. Getting everything immediately has done Americans a disservice. Instant gratification breeds selfishness and hedonism, while waiting breeds patience and endurance. It also develops dependence on God, which is one of the chief duties of man. That is why Psalm 27:14 says twice “wait on the LORD.”

I know you are waiting for spring and green grass. It will come, but in God’s timing. In the meantime, wait, and trust that God has a beautiful purpose in it all.

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It’s Cold Out There!

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Joshua Hawn, First Baptist Church

I have heard from more than a few people: “I am getting pretty sick of this snow and cold!” It’s true that cold is, for most, not as much fun as warm. My wife was just saying the other day how nice it is tell our children to put on flip flops and run out the door, rather than putting on the coat, hat, mittens, scarf, etc. In one sense, we have to face reality: We do live in northern Minnesota and it is February; you can’t expect 70s and sunny. In another sense, it has been a long time since we’ve had the kind of weather of which most of us are dreaming. The other day I thought for a minute I could almost smell freshly cut grass, and I sighed.

But the seasons are part of this world, put there by God. In Genesis 8:22 God says: “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” Psalm 74:17 says “Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter.” Therefore, to complain about winter is to complain about what God has set up. God says 1 Thessalonians 5:18, says however: “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

Though I don’t always like the cold and the snow, I can thank God for a warm house and a car that works well, even on snowy roads. I can be thankful for living in a country with the technology to make warm clothes to wear outside, and for living in a county that does a fantastic job keeping roads cleaned up.

Warm weather is only a few months away, and I’m also thankful for that.

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A Teacup Half Full

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Joshua Hawn, First Baptist Church

There’s a half-empty cup of tea sitting on the counter at home right now.

It was meant to be a memorial cup of tea that I was drinking in memory of my mother. She was born in England and so tea was a staple for her whole life. I learned from her how to make a cup of English tea, but also how to enjoy one, and was doing that this morning. In fact, it’s her favorite cup sitting there right now. I was drinking out of that cup because today is the one-year anniversary of her death.

It’s cold right now because halfway through my cup I got a call from one of the members of my church that a loved one passed, and would I please come? I was glad to do so, even in the middle of my cuppa. I took one last warm mouthful, closed my eyes, swallowed, got Jacob and headed out the door. I sat with the family, mostly quietly, and tried to be Jesus to them. I never mentioned my own anniversary.

See, it doesn’t do much good to have these anniversaries where we simply will ourselves to mope and be sad, or to reflect all day on what we’ve lost. There’s a cloud over me, for sure, but that doesn’t matter to my friends right now, who need some comfort of their own.  A year ago, Jesus was enough, and He sustained me, and now my friends need Him to. That’s why 2 Corinthians 1:4 says that God “comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” My ministry is offer Christ to those who are hurting just as much as I am today, even more since it is so fresh.

I miss my mom and will, I suspect, every January 30th. I will accumulate these sad anniversaries in my life because of other losses while I also gather happy ones with more gains, and all of them are reasons to be grateful for the goodness of God in my life. When I have a chance, I reflect, but my life cannot be spent in the past. Not while others need Christ’s comfort and help, too.

Mom rarely put her tea in the microwave to heat it up. It had to be perfect from a kettle, like mine was a few hours ago. But I will probably heat up my half-full cup and finish it and go on with my day, and go on with my life… and thank Him for comfort.

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January Thaw

Posted on January 9, 2013 by Joshua Hawn, First Baptist Church

Growing up in Indiana, I don’t remember there ever being what Minnesotans call “January Thaw.” Maybe winters are just milder there. Maybe the Lake Effect from Lake Michigan kept everything pretty even. Maybe I was just too young to notice or care. But I have to say, I’m a big fan of January Thaw.

I love the little taste of spring that we get: the reprieve after a few cold weeks. It’s a little late Christmas gift from God to remind us that it isn’t always this cold, and won’t stay this way. The kids have been outside about every day, and I haven’t had to stop to put on my hate and gloves everything I need to run out to the mailbox. We might even go sledding. It’s been sunny and beautiful here in Park Rapids, and everybody seems happier. You should have heard the singing on Sunday!

I know, I know: it’s just a taste of “warmer” weather. The rest of January and February (and even March!) will be colder and maybe snowier. There will be days for just staying inside and looking at pictures of beaches and lakes to swim in. I’m not so naive to think that spring is on it’s way. But it’s a little reminder from God that “while the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night, shall not cease.” (Genesis 8:22)

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O Come All Ye Faithful

Posted on December 25, 2012 by Joshua Hawn, First Baptist Church

O come, all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant,

O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem!

Come and behold Him, Born the King of angels;

 

Sing, choirs of angels, Sing in exultation!

O sing, all ye citizens of heav’n above;

Glory to God, all glory in the highest;

True God of true God, Light of light eternal,

Lo, He abhors not the Virgin’s womb,

Son of the Father, Begotten, not created;

 

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, Born this happy morning,

Jesus, to Thee be all glory giv’n;

Word of the Father, Now in flesh appearing;

 

Refrain: O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.

 

Merry Christmas!

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O Little Town of Bethlehem

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Joshua Hawn, First Baptist Church

It was Christmas Eve, 1865, and Bishop Phillips Brooks was on a trip to the Holy Land. It was his privilege on this trip to spend Christmas in Bethlehem, the place of Jesus’ birth. He left the city of Jerusalem on horseback on that Sunday and was just reaching dark Bethlehem at twilight. He stopped at the hill which tradition says was the hill where the angels appeared to the shepherds. As Bishop Brooks looked over the serene view of this tiny city, his heart stirred within him. He wrote to his church some time later, “Again and again it seemed I could hear voices telling each other of the ‘Wonderful Night’ of the Saviour’s birth.” This experience stayed with him until three years, when as he prepared for a Christmas sermon, these words came pouring out on his paper:

 

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by.

Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light;

The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

 

In that little town some 2000 years ago, the Everlasting Light did come into the world. John 1 says Jesus: “was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” Jesus, as God, brought the light of God’s glory and holiness into this world made dark by sin. He was the very life of the Creator brought into Creation.

The words “the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight” ring true, because this world is tainted by sin, tragedy, pain, sorrow, and death. We are expecially keen to this fact because of recent events. However, in the midst of that darkness there is the Hope that Jesus Christ brings to all of humanity, if each person will accept it. The problem is that since that time men have not accepted it. Is it any wonder that Jesus said in John 12:46 “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.” How different our world would be if everyone embraced the Light that Jesus is!

This Christmas hymn goes on to say “O Holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray. Cast our sin and enter in; be born in us today. O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel.” Let Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, be the Light in your own life this Christmas.

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Thanksgiving! – Part 2

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Joshua Hawn, First Baptist Church

With Thanksgiving Day only six days away, I want to take some time to write about things for which I am grateful. Webster defines “thanksgiving” as “A public celebration of divine goodness.” I hope that as Thanksgiving Day approaches, you will not only enjoy the family and food that comes with it, but express your gratefulness to God for supplying all of those things.

Today I want to thank God for the Bible. The Bible is the message from God to man. It is intended to show us His heart, His expectations, and His actions in the history of mankind. Though He used men to put it onto paper, it is clearly a divine Book that men, especially the men God chose, could not and would not have written on their own.

Why am I thankful for the Bible? I am thankful that the Bible keeps me from sin. Psalm 119:11 says “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Sin is destructive, and God’s Word has the answers for keeping us from that which is not for our benefit.

I am thankful that the Bible offers me warning and rewards. Psalms 19:7,11 says “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple… by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.” The Bible is not to be read only, but obeyed. When we obey the commands of God, He rewards those who believe His promises

I am thankful that the Bible has informed me of salvation, which comes by faith. Romans 10:17 says “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” We trust Jesus as Saviour when we read what the Bible has to say about Him and His work on the cross.

I hope you are thankful for your Bible as well. Many people all around the world either don’t have a Bible in their own language, don’t have access to a Bible, or aren’t allowed to read the Bible. Thank God that you are able to read your Bible, understand it, and let it change you.

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Thanksgiving!

Posted on November 14, 2012 by Joshua Hawn, First Baptist Church

The year was 1863 and in the midst of a brutal Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln declared a national holiday designed specifically for the giving of thanks to God for all that he had done. In his declaration he listed numerous blessings that God had brought despite the devastating impact of the war. He mentioned that productivity was up. He noted that even though we were at war with ourselves, we were at peace with the other nations in the world. He pointed out that despite the many who died in the war, the population was growing. For all these reasons and more, he implored the people of America to take the last Thursday in November to thank the Lord for all He did.

That day of thanksgiving has since been overshadowed by the meal itself, with some people even calling it “Turkey Day.” With American retailers being the way they’ve been in recent days, Thanksgiving may soon be known only as “that day before Black Friday.” I hope that we can restore a spirit of thankfulness to God for all He has done during this Thanksgiving season.

With those thoughts in mind, I thought it would be good to list a few things for which I am thankful. Since God has been so good to me and our church, I would like to take from now until Thanksgiving to do so, listing one item a day.

Today I will simply thank God for Himself. His sustaining power and love has been enough for me during dark times, and His presence is most welcome during the worst kinds of loneliness. One of my favorite verses of late has been Isaiah 41:10, which states “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” I thank God for God, and will continue to thank Him for the other things in my life here on “First Things First.”

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The God of Second Chances

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Joshua Hawn, First Baptist Church

We were walking around our backyard yesterday and realized that there was much summer work we just hadn’t gotten to yet. Our garden was still up (though dead), and there was still a pile of pine needles and the potential for other piles laying flat over our yard. In an average year, we would have been in jackets and caps in the low 50s on September 30, but I was in a t-shirt and slept with the windows open last night.

This little warm-up has offered us one last chance to get the rest of our “summer” things done and enjoy outdoors. All the missed opportunities are forgotten as we can now take advantage of the chance we have now to finish what we started. When I think of second chances, I think of the way that God offers second chances to us. God is not a God who delights in us living in disobedience to His Word, but He is also not a God who delights in punishing us. God would much rather show His kindness than show His anger to us. It is for this reason that He offers second chances.

Psalm 80:14 says “Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine.” The prayer of the psalmist is for God to return and give another chance at what God wanted. When you look at the lives of Jonah, David, and Peter, you realize that God gives second chances to all who are truly seeking Him.

However, just as the snow will eventually come, there is a time limit with God. He will not give an infinite number of chances to everyone. This is why He says in 2 Corinthians 6:2 “behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Will you obey what God says today, while you still have your second or third or fourth chance?

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Happy 50th Anniversary!

Posted on September 27, 2012 by Joshua Hawn, First Baptist Church

This month, two couples in our church are celebrating their 50th anniversary: Gary and Carol Worster and Gerry & Lorraine Reese. This is worth a celebration, and many congratulations, not simply because they could stay together for that long: they are all wonderfully likeable people. They are to be congratulated because they have kept their vows to one another for five decades, which is longer than some people live. They are to be congratulated because they stand out against a tide of marriages that end in divorce.

Marriage is the backbone of the Home. If a couple can keep vows they made and can love through tough times, they can form a good home. Children get a sense of security and learn to keep their vows as well, whether to their future spouse, employee, neighbors, or nation. A strong marriage will make a strong Home.

Strong homes, in turn, produce a strong nation. Historically, when the Home is strong, a nation is strong as well. When a society lives in immorality, crime and anarchy follow. Marriage, then, is foundational, not just for individual happiness, but for our society as a whole. Proverbs 14:34 says “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”

It is for this reason that the Worsters and Reeses are shining examples for all that is good in our society. They are to be congratulated for their commitment to one another and to their God. They are in a sense guardians of what has made America so successful.

Because of all these things, it is important to consider that any nation, including ours, has a vested interest in upholding marriage, as a matter of advancing a flourishing society. May we seek God’s face in deciding how best to do that.

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