Dreams Do Come True | Pastor Johnnie Simpson Jr.

Dreams Do Come True

Isaiah 40:1-11

40 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that

her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.

3 A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the

desert a highway for our God.

4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall

become level, the rugged places a plain.

5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of

the Lord has spoken.”

6 A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?” “All people are like grass, and all their

faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.

7 The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely

the people are grass.

8 The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”

9 You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to

Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah,

“Here is your God!”

10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is

with him, and his recompense accompanies him.

11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to

his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

Harlem - By Langston Hughes

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up

like a raisin in the sun?

Or fester like a sore—

And then run?

Does it stink like rotten meat?

Or crust and sugar over—

like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags

like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

Langston Hughes, author, poet, and major contributor to the Harlem Renaissance Wrote this

poem called Harlem which took a look at people who have aspirations, dreams if you will and

what happened if they did not come true. How are people affected when their dreams seem to be

taking too long, or don't come true? I'm sure many can relate, this year has deferred a dream or

two, dreams of spending unrestricted time with loved ones, dreams of being able to enjoy things

without social distancing protocols in place. But a dream deferred is not a new concept, prior to

the pandemic people had dreams that may not have come true. When I was younger, I dreamed

of being in the NFL, however that dream did not come to fruition, as hard as I worked playing

football, setting records, scoring touchdowns, it did not come to pass. There are many who had

professional dreams deferred, relationship dreams deferred, even dreams of personal goals

deferred.

In our reading, the Prophet Isaiah was speaking from a place of dreams deferred when he was

writing this book. The first verse of Isaiah chapter 1 speaks of Isaiah's vision, a dream if you will

that God gave to him about the people of God during a time of oppression. God is addressing a

heavenly council and Isaiah gets to listen in on the conversation. The verses I read earlier start a

new section of Isaiah, not just a new chapter. Scholars call Isaiah 40 "Second Isaiah" chapters

1-39 where primarily about God's judgement, it confronted the Israelites about their behavior and

punishment for sins they committed. Now in chapter 40 Isaiah is letting them know that it is not

all bad, Isaiah 40 switches from confrontation to comfort. The people of God are looking for

comfort, 2nd Kings 25 and Lamentation 1 both cover the same time period of Isaiah 40 and in

those books the people say that they have no one to comfort them after the fall of Jerusalem.

The people are suffering,___ the text says that they have suffered "double for their sins." Disaster

and repeated trauma can cause people to be afraid, go numb, and be hopeless. They have suffered

a cultural collapse and communal disaster. God said in Deuteronomy 28 and 2nd Kings 17, that

if the people of God started worshiping other Gods, they would lose their holy land. The

Israelites missed the mark, they messed up, people can be fickle, inconsistent, we can break

promises, and not live up to expectations, no one is immune from this. However because of

Israel's errors, Babylon conquered Israel, deported people, and destroyed temples. As I have said

before they were separated from their community and culture and it hurt. It hurt not to be able to

worship together, it hurt not to be around family, it hurt to be displaced in a foreign land. This

trauma went on for years and years with no relief in sight. Dreams that came and went without

any chance of coming true.

But in the midst of the trouble, there was a breakthrough, Cyrus of Persia came in and conquered

Babylon, so the oppressor became oppressed. The one who was hurting others, got hurt

themselves and with a new leader coming into office, they decided to make some changes and let

the people of God come home. When you are in a bind you can't discount where your help might

come from, you don't know who God will send to get you out of a situation.

God used a man who stutters to tell pharaoh let my people go,

God used a donkey to talk to Balaam,

he made the shepherd boy David, King of Israel,

Peter who denied Jesus three times got the keys to the church when Christ ascended,

Paul who persecuted the church is credited for writing most of the New Testament

You never know who God will use to get you out of a situation so all you can do when your help

comes is say thank you!

A Word of Comfort (v1-2)

Isaiah looks at this opportunity and wants to give the people a word of comfort. Isaiah wants to

initiate a "New Exodus" from captivity and separation back home. Before the people can be

ready to go home, Isaiah has to convince them of two things, that their sins have been forgiven,

and that they can survive the journey back home. They have suffered long enough, doubly

suffered and now God wants to speak tenderly to them. This forgiveness is in spite of what has

happened before, that is what makes grace so special, we all miss the mark. And we all don't live

up to expectations,... but God forgives.

God says they have served, their term and God is now wiping the slate clean for their sins, just

come on home. The text says comfort my people, we are children of God and there are benefits

to being in the family.

A Word of Commission (v3-5)

This word is about preparation, about sending people forth, there is a voice crying out in the

wilderness. Prepare the way of the Lord. A place that is separated from the other people but yet

there is a voice crying out from that place. I know it is rough right now, but get ready for things

to get better. Wilderness and desert are not ideal places in the Old Testament, not a place you

would have wanted to live but the people are in the wilderness, the good news is that the

deliverance is in the wilderness as well. Yes, it is rough in the wilderness or the desert, but the

way out is through the desert.

The text says in verse 3 “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the

desert a highway for our God." Go through the desert if you want to get out, don't stay there.

There is a phrase heard from comedian Steve Harvey, politician Winston Churchhill and many

others, “When you are going through Hell, keep going.” When the trouble comes you have got

to keep moving, if you get stuck there you may never get out. make straight in the desert a

highway for our God. Keep putting one foot in front of the other, keep praying, keep fasting,

keep worshiping, keep meditating on scripture day and night, stopping is how you get stuck,

keep on going. You may not be able to take a bunch of steps forward, but just try to take one. If

you keep taking just one step at a time, before you know it you will have gone further than you

thought you could. Little by little, bit by bit.

You are going to get through the desert, and all the places that are low places you can't get down

to, are going to be made high, and all the high places you can't get over, are going to be made

low. The crooked places are going to be made straight, and the rough places are going to be

made level like a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed.

Something interesting about Hebrew, some of the words in Hebrew can have a positive or

negative meaning depending on how it is used. But not the word used for glory in the text, every

time the word glory is used... it is positive. The word Kabod is used for honor, splendor, noble,

high rank, honorable, wealth, riches, dignity, the word has a weight to it. God's glory is the

heaviest of the heavy hitters and he is coming to show you just how powerful God is.

A Word to Cry Out (v6-8)

Isaiah is then told to cry out, Isaiah asks what should he cry out? All people are grass, the grass

withers, the flower fades, but the word of God is forever.

The Bible is still the bestselling book of all time. People say to write your goals down to help

you accomplish them... Habakuk said to write the vision and make it plain. Proverbs says as a

man thinks in his heart, so is he. People have positive affirmations they repeat, the Bible says I

am the head and not the tail, above and shall never be beneath. Mindfulness teaches us that, and

removing negative thinking to have a better life.We can have positive affirmations on mental

repeat.

In an age where people can forget what they had for breakfast, and the average attention span is

reportedly 7 seconds,What we need is a word, and not just any word but a word from the Lord,

this is what will soothe our doubts and calm our fears. The word will give us power. The word

will keep us from day to day. The word is what will last. This book, these collections of books,

strung together over 1500 years to point us to our savior and show us how to live until our savior

returns, shall never lose its power. The word is more powerful than any person, the word is more

powerful than any principality, the word is more powerful than any prosecutor, the word will

stand forever.

A Word He's Coming Back (v9-11)

God tells Isaiah to get to the mountain top, as high as you can, so everybody can hear you. Here

is YOUR God, the God we have a relationship with. The God who loves us and cares for us, the

God who can forgive us, the God who wants us to come back to him. Come on back home, you

are strong enough to survive the journey, through the challenges of this thing called life. Tell it!

Tell it to all you can, tell it to packed places, tell it to empty places, tell it if nobody says amen,

just tell it. The Lord is coming to us. God is calling us "my people", we are God's people, and we

can trust that God honors his promises and his covenants.

Isaiah said look here is YOUR God, he is coming in strength, he is coming with a reward for his

people. Isaiah made mention of a voice crying out in the wilderness and so did John the Baptist.

John the Baptist echoed Isaiah's words in preparation for Jesus.

Jesus is the one who fulfills the prophecy: “See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm

rules for him. … He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and

carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep” (Isaiah 40:10-11). Jesus, the one who

possesses God’s power but also feeds his flock like a shepherd. Jesus is the one who has the

power to straighten us out, but also the grace and love to restore us.

When the birth of Jesus is celebrated again this Christmas, we should remember the words of

Isaiah: “Here is your God!” Jesus joins Isaiah in bringing us back from exile, wherever you may

be wandering, separated from others in a far-off land. Jesus does the work of restoration,

forgiving you and giving you a new life. He makes the rough places smooth and the crooked

ways straight.

Isaiah dreams for something, and Jesus is those dreams coming true.

Article on Pastors Johnnie and Lataya Simpson

Cross Connection, a publication of The Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church wrote an article on my wife and I, our love of technology and how we came to be a couple. Here is a link to the original article. 

https://www.txcumc.org/newsdetail/clergy-couples-shared-interest-in-technology-brings-them-together-14426562

Here is the article text. 

Clergy couples’ shared interest in technology brings them together

Date Posted: 11/12/2020

By Lindsay Peyton
 
Media ministry and using technology to share the message of the church, initially brought Revs. Johnnie and Lataya Simpson together. Little did they know that what started as a friendship over a shared interest in audio-visual communications would become an enduring love. They also became each other’s support system, as they pursued a new ministry on the pulpit. Now, Johnnie and Lataya are both pastors serving in the Texas Annual Conference.  “Johnnie is truly my partner in ministry and life,” Lataya said. “I’m really glad we get to do this journey together.”
 
They met while attending the same church, Windsor Village UMC, and both working in media ministry. “I was on the audio end, and she was on the video end,” Johnnie said. “We were both making a career in media.”
 
The Simpsons were also both passionate about their work. Johnnie earned a bachelor’s in business management at Prairie View A&M, then an MBA from the University of Phoenix. Prior to becoming a pastor, he worked as an AV/IT field service engineer assisting with designing, installing and supporting technology systems.
 
Lataya earned her degree in journalism at Texas Southern University and began her career working at a local news station in Houston, covering significant stories from behind the scenes. She also worked in publishing sales and owned her own freelance business. In 2006, she also launched a networking agency, Christian Networking Group.
 
When Lataya met Johnnie, she was glad to have someone at church who shared her interests. They kept bumping into each other at outside events too. She especially was impressed with his community service and volunteerism.  “I thought, he’s such a great guy, I should fix him up with someone,” Lataya recalled with a laugh.
 
Johnnie noticed that Lataya was never one to be pessimistic. “There are some people who are negative, who try to bring people down,” he said. “She is edifying. She’s always trying to build people up.”
 
One day, Lataya saw Johnnie in a whole different light. They were talking, and she thought, “I’m going to marry this guy.”  Within a couple of weeks, they began dating. Two years later, they married in 2009.



Called to ministry at a young age
Both were called to become pastors at a young age. Lataya was about 15-years old at the time, but unsure what she would do. She grew up in the Baptist church, where women are not often found on the pulpit. During summer camp, Lataya was with a group of students, when organizers asked if anyone felt called to ministry. At that moment, her heart warmed. “It was like light poured out over me,” she recalled. Lataya raised her hand. They told her, “Do life first. Do ministry wherever you are.”
 
She left feeling uncertain. While she realized that she had been called, she did not see a path ahead. Instead, she focused on sharing scripture with others, teaching Bible studies in high school, and then working in media ministry as an adult.  “I took it seriously,” she said. “Media ministry is as important as preaching the gospel. If no one can hear it, what’s the point?”
 
Still, becoming a pastor was her destiny, a fact that was obvious to others even when Lataya was uncertain. “When I was talking to people about it, not a single one was surprised,” Johnnie recalled. “The only comment I heard was, ‘We knew that was coming.’”  “I’ve had Johnnie to help guide me,” Lataya said. “He was a step ahead.”
 
Johnnie also grew up in a different denomination. “I always knew that my last job would be in ministry, but I didn’t share that often,” he said. “I was always drawn to the church. I love the people. The people I looked up to in life are active in the church and many are pastors. The more I worked in the church, the more I wanted to be there.”
 

After they were married, they both headed to Southern Methodist University, Perkins School of Theology to earn their master’s degrees in divinity. Now, they have back-to-back graduation photos. In the first, in 2017, Johnnie is graduating from Perkins, in his cap and gown, with Lataya by his side and their first two children, Johnnie Simpson III. and Elle Bea Simpson.  Lataya was expecting their third child at the time. In the second photo, it’s Lataya’s turn to graduate, and this time, their new baby, Layla Grace Simpson, is in her father’s arms. Now, Johnnie is 9-years old, Elle, 8, and Layla, 3.
 
Before earning his master’s degree, Johnnie was appointed to his first church Haven Chapel UMC in 2012 in West Columbia, Texas, where he served for three and a half years. Then, he became Senior Pastor at St. Paul’s UMC in Galveston for another year and a half. During both appointments, he continued to work as an audio-visual engineer as well.
 
After graduation, he became a full-time minister and was appointed Senior Pastor at Faith UMC in Dickinson, where he continues to serve.
 
Lataya was first appointed to Wesley Tabernacle UMC in Galveston, while Johnnie was about 13-blocks away at St. Paul’s. Then, she became a chaplain at Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital. Last summer, she was appointed Associate Pastor at Bellaire UMC in Houston. The couple resides in Dickinson Johnnie’s church parsonage.
 
Opportunities to make church inclusive
The Simpsons have endless conversations about being clergy, as well as their continued interest in media. Their understanding of technology has been especially helpful during the coronavirus pandemic as they transferred services online.
 
They also continue to learn more ways to offer church online. Lataya sees opportunities to make church more inclusive. For instance, closed captioning can be added to YouTube videos to reach a deaf or hard of hearing audience. In addition, technology can reach homebound church members or busy families, who struggle to worship in-person. “Even though the pandemic has been awful, we have gained a lot of blessings,” she said. “I have learned so much about how to do church better – and how to live in faith better.”
 
In addition, the Simpsons are both active in social justice and support their local Black Lives Matter chapter. Johnnie is a member of the NAACP. He also serves on the board of directors for the M. I. Lewis Foundation, an emergency assistance program in Dickinson, as treasurer of the Galveston County Long-Term Recovery Group and secretary of the Dickinson Management District.
 
“Johnnie is very engaged in the community,” Lataya said. “He’s out there in the world where God has called us to be.”  Johnnie has been at work on a series of racial conversations, “We Wear the Mask,” with the title based on poet’s Paul Laurence Dunbar work. These Zoom meetings were spearheaded by the South District Missional Discernment Team.
 
Sharing stories to open up conversations about anti-racism
Lataya speaks often about the journey into race relations for adults and children. As a Black woman pastoring a predominately white church, she often shares her own story to open up conversation.
 
The Simpsons have learned how to balance work and life as a clergy couple. Sometimes, that requires turning the phone off, which can be easier said than done, they admit.
 
“We don’t clock in and clock out, but boundaries are important,” Johnnie said. “It’s important to know when to close the shop down and not open it back up when I get home.”  They take time apart, spend time with friends and pursue their own hobbies. “We both have what we enjoy outside of church and we give each other space,” Lataya said.
 


She recommends that other couples approach their relationships with intentionality. “Be intentional about showing love and giving grace,” she said. “Don’t keep a scorecard. Make sure that you are building each other up. Let them know how much you love them. Life is too short to assume they know.”  Lataya also said that self-awareness and spending time on your own pursuits often leads to stronger partnerships, especially when couples support each other along the way.
 
Johnnie advises couples to spend time working on communication. “Don’t let things go unsaid – but also learn how to say them,” he explained. “When things go unsaid, that causes resentment. But don’t blurt things out either. You can create more problems than you solve.”

Lataya said that Johnnie excels at listening. “Everyone needs someone they can confide in, and for me, Johnnie is that person,” she added. “I don’t have to be perfect when I’m with Johnnie. He’s my confidant. You have to have someone in your life that you can talk to about the hard things, where grace can reside.”
 
Johnnie said that Lataya fills the same role for him. “She is also a realistic mirror,” he said. “She’s really good at saying, ‘Let’s take a look at this from a different angle.’”
 
During this challenging period of a pandemic, civil unrest and institutional racism, the couple said there are some thought-provoking conversations around the dinner table and difficult questions raised by their children.
 
“We help each other as much as we can to navigate things,” Lataya said. “I couldn’t do this without him. We can always talk to each other. We get it, and that’s a gift. Together, we can walk through it.”

Frustration | Pastor Johnnie Simpson Jr

Frustration

Isaiah 64:1-9 NIV

64 Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,

    that the mountains would tremble before you!

2 As when fire sets twigs ablaze

    and causes water to boil,

come down to make your name known to your enemies

    and cause the nations to quake before you!

3 For when you did awesome things that we did not expect,

    you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.

4 Since ancient times no one has heard,

    no ear has perceived,

no eye has seen any God besides you,

    who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.

5 You come to the help of those who gladly do right,

    who remember your ways.

But when we continued to sin against them,

    you were angry.

    How then can we be saved?

6 All of us have become like one who is unclean,

    and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;

we all shrivel up like a leaf,

    and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

7 No one calls on your name

    or strives to lay hold of you;

for you have hidden your face from us

    and have given us over to our sins.

8 Yet you, Lord, are our Father.

    We are the clay, you are the potter;

    we are all the work of your hand.

9 Do not be angry beyond measure, Lord;

    do not remember our sins forever.

Oh, look on us, we pray,

    for we are all your people.

We all moments when we struggle with frustration sometimes. Frustration happens when things don’t go the way we hope, resolutions don’t come in a quick and efficient way, when our patience gets low and our hopes and wants are left unattended. 

Like this pandemic. Or hurricane Harvey repairs that still need to be done. Or injustice in our government... frustration over not getting well soon enough, frustration over not getting out of debt when you want, frustration can come over the little things or the big things, short term and long term... 

frustration can build up over time, a few minutes, a few hours, days, weeks, months, years...

People felt frustration, and many other emotions in Isaiah's writing. This book was written in what scholars call the Exilic period. Isaiah was written after the land had been conquered by the Babylonians. A people separated from their land, separated from their friends and families, living life on terms they were not used to and did not like. For many years, Isaiah was written in somewhere between 586 BCE and 515 BCE so it was after Babylon conquered Israel and before the Temple was rebuilt. When Babylon conquered Israel, certain cities were destroyed, along with the major temple, and some of the people were removed from their homelands. The people of God were desperate, they had lost the building they worshiped in, and they were separated from loved ones, for years, for decades. 

We may not have been separated for years, but we are going on many months. Months of having to talk to loved ones in nursing homes through windows, 

months of people passing away in hospital rooms by themselves. 

Months of people calling this a hoax, 

months of people losing their jobs, holiday and travel plans altered or cancelled. 

Months of trying to figure out new technologies, 

months of trying to homeschool children or being nervous every time you dropped them off and picked them up. 

Months of churches not having face to face worship and some of those that did, have to keep taking breaks because someone or multiple people in the congregation tested positive for COVID-19. 

The frustration may not be all because of the pandemic, lives have changed, and this pandemic has made things more complicated. Families have changed over these months, homes don't look the same, people who used to be in the home are not anymore. Or you may have started off in March with one living arrangement now you have more people in your house than you signed up for. Jobs have changed, for those who still have them, schools have changed, little Billy catches a cold, don't you bring little Billy back in this school without a note from the Doctor saying he doesn't have COVID. Elective surgeries have changed, just ordering food has changed. 

Some people feel frustration because they can look at a situation, they can look at the condition of world around us and wonder, where is God? Maybe they wonder Has God decided to take a break while we suffer? I don't see him around; does he not see us out here repeatedly suffering? 

The prophet Isaiah felt like God was absent, not only absent but intentionally hiding from him and the people while they are suffering. The text says also that the people have sinned, missed the mark, fallen short of what God wanted them, what God has called them to be. It has gotten to the point that even the good things the people do are considered bad. Isaiah has asked for God repeatedly and to this point as far as he can tell God has not shown up. God isn't doing what the people want him to do in these times and the people are hurting, they are frustrated, angry even. They are caught in the middle of some bad conditions, some external factors outside of their control.... the pain and the pressure are mounting up. The people of God have an entire nation against them, they don't see God, and they don't know what to do. They are caught in the middle of some trouble and now they cannot even tell who is hurting them. They don't know if they want freedom from their pain or just vindication against those that hurt them. 

Their rebellion has brought the realization that the Israelites need God. 

Verses 1-3 Direct appeal 

Cry out to God, come through the heavens and tear them open. This is a direct appeal to God. Not only a direct appeal but also to remember what God has done. It may feel like God is absent, but we have seen what he has done before, we can pray that he does it again. Hold on to the other times he made a way out of no way, hold on to the other times he delivered you from the hands of the enemy. 

God's presence is awesome and amazing and when you have experienced it you want to have it again and again. You may feel frustrated when you don’t feel the presence of God - When you are missing it in times of trouble you want to call out to experience it again. I remember the song by James Cleveland and even though it's rough right I don't feel no ways tired. I've come too far from where I started from, nobody told me the road would be easy, but I don't believe he brought me this far to leave me. Isaiah is calling on the Lord, I need you, I have to have you, I can't live without you. 

Verses 4-5 Profession of Faith

The text says from ages past no one has heard, in times of trouble we have to work our faith. That is hard to do sometimes, but when we think about it, we use faith all the time. We eat food we didn't grow or process that we bought from a building we didn't build, drive a car on the road with other drivers we didn't train, go to a doctor and take medicine we didn't make. We exercise faith all the time. The text says you meet those who gladly do right. They want the Lord, say so, act like it. Just because there are no seas splitting right now doesn't mean that God abandoned us. 

Verses 5-7 Confession of Sin/Acknowledge God's anger

Isaiah is acknowledging that some of this mess they are in, and there is a confession of sin.  I find it interesting that the prophet says the people sinned because God "hid himself." When I read my Bible, I see that the people of God sinned whether they thought God was around or not. God was right in their face and they sinned. Nobody is perfect but time after time they missed the mark and they overlook their individual responsibilities. It’s seems that they are blaming God for their sins as he talks about God not being there. 

Like Isaiah, sometimes we get frustrated with our situations, but We have to acknowledge that we have contributed to some of our problems... some are our own fault, or maybe we did things to make matters worse.  As believers, we have to take responsibility for our own actions. If we acknowledge our own actions, we can start to take steps to change our situation while we wait on God.

Act like you can change a situation until God comes and changes it

So pray as if it depends on God, work as if it depends on you. We have to be willing to be active participants in our deliverance and that starts with acknowledging that we messed up. 

Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer said that "God would have us know that we must live as men who manage our lives without him." 

Verse 8 Let God mold you

When we acknowledge that we have some work to do and then start to do that work, it is that much better for God to do a work in us. God is the potter, and we are the clay, let those hands shape us, let the fire burn, let us come out of the furnace better than we went in. 

This time of trouble and frustration, this too shall pass, and we will be able to look back on it with a smile and say 'I remember that... that was a wild situation but if it had not been for the Lord on my side where would I be?" 

These down times are not the end times, they are half-time are you ready to play the rest of the game?

Verse 9 Urgent Petition - I just have to say it one more time, God I need you. I need you to breathe, I need you to come down here and see me. I am nothing without you God, I am lost like a ship without a sail. You are our father, and we are your children. We are family and we need some help. No problem with ending a prayer the same way you started, no problem with praying for something repeatedly. 

1 Thessalonians 5:17 New King James Version (NKJV)

17 pray without ceasing,

Philippians 4:6-7 New King James Version (NKJV)

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

God does love to visit...

· God visited Abraham in the guise of angels who sat down for a meal.

· God visited Jacob, wrestling with him in the night.

· God visited Moses in the burning bush, on Mount Sinai and elsewhere.

· God’s presence went with the Israelites through the wilderness in the form of fire and cloud.

· God visited Samuel as a boy, calling him in his sleeping hours.

· God visited Elijah in a still small voice.

God is with us...

· God is with us throughout shelter-in-place and stay-at-home orders.

· God is with us throughout quarantine.

· God is with us throughout social distancing — God is going to come close.

If you still feel some frustration with the perceived absence of God, there is picture I saw with a quote on it. Mike Tyson training with Cus D'Amato. The picture said, when you sometimes can't hear God remember. The Teacher is quiet during the test. 

The Teacher is quiet when the students are taking the test, the teacher is still there, but watching while the students call back to the things they learned coming up to the test. 

It is quiet because we are waiting, waiting not only on God, but on our soon coming King during this advent season. Waiting for Christ blessed arrival.

A PASTORAL LETTER | Pastor Johnnie Simpson Jr.

Ephesians 1:15-23 (NIV)

¹⁵ For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, ¹⁶ I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. ¹⁷ I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. ¹⁸ I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,¹⁹ and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength ²⁰ he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, ²¹ far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. ²² And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, ²³ which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

People don't really write letters as much as they used to. Letter-writing has been primarily replaced by email, texts and direct messages, DMs for short. But letters are powerful and important. The September 2017 issue of The Atlantic magazine had a list of what they thought were the most important letters in history. They  had a wide range of types of letters on this list.

Queen Atossa of Persia is credited for writing the very first handwritten letter in 500 B.C. She "established the genre," according to history professor Brid McGrath, "and made letters the most normal, effective form of long-distance communication for millennia." 

Abraham Lincoln wrote five public letters during the Civil War. In one of those letters Lincoln says "I am naturally anti-slavery," "If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong."

In 1939, Albert Einstein sent a letter to President Roosevelt, suggesting that an atomic bomb was possible. Six years later, the United States dropped nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote "Letter from Birmingham Jail," It became the 20th century's most influential essay on civil disobedience, and inspired major civil-rights legislation. I like it personally because he called out the moderates who tried to stay on the fence during the civil rights movement and not get involved because they agreed with what MLK was protesting but not how he was protesting.

As for the "Golden Record" sent into space on the Voyager spacecraft in 1977, it will probably never be read or answered. But it contains a record of who we are as human beings.

But of the letters written that are important to humanity, I would say that some of the letters the Apostle Paul wrote are just as important. It is with those letters we have our guidelines for the church.  In today's scripture reading Paul has written a letter to  a church in Ephesus, this was an ancient Greek city, today it would be Turkey.

Acts 18 tells us that Paul went to Ephesus after leaving Corinth and eventually planted a church there.

This is a Deutero-Pauline letter written to the congregation of the Church at Ephesus, Ephesians is about Jews and Gentiles coming together to form the church. Written around 60 CE. Something interesting about Ephesians is that it talks a lot about how the church is supposed to act never talks about a building. During those times the believers gathered in houses to worship and fellowship, but they don't mention that in Ephesians, why? The church is the people, not where they meet. Paul said that this church has a reputation. The born and bred church people coming together with those who did not grow up in a church and they did it in a hostile environment.

This church was in a city that was popular for three things, commercial trade, governmental oppression, and pagan religions. While in Ephesus Paul spoke truth to power about what was going on there and when he did, enough people stopped worshiping other gods. Reading Acts 19, lets us know that people were buying pagan books and once Paul started teaching, they burned them and didn't buy any more, and didn't go to the shrines anymore. A man of God preaching the word of God upset the economy, other religions, and the government all at once and now a church dedicated to what that man of God was preaching is still in the city. The people of God caring more about what God says instead of political leaders, the people of God caring more about the people than the economy, the people of God focused on their religion instead of conforming to those around them. I recall Paul saying something in Romans 12 about not conforming to the world but being transformed by the renewing of your mind. This Ephesian church had its act together.

THE CONSECRATION OF THIS BODY (1:15-23): Paul prays that God will allow his church to understand four things about himself.

A. Concerning his person (1:15-17): "So that you might grow in your knowledge of God."

Paul has heard about this church,  their reputation has spread. People know of this church they are not just a social club, they are out an about making change in their area. Paul says he has heard of their faith in the Lord, he knows that they are believers, that they love God, and Paul says in that same verse, their love toward the saints. They Love God and Love people and the people know about it. Paul goes on to say that even though they have a good reputation, they love God, they love people, the Ephesian church is  supposed to still grow in wisdom and revelation. The church doesn't have it all figured out, there is still work to do.

B. Concerning his promise (1:18): "So that you can understand the wonderful future he has

promised to those he called." Some translations say hope, something to hope for. Paul wants the church to open their eyes, open their hearts, and take in what is really important. Some translations say the glorious inheritance among the saints.

C. Concerning his power (1:19-20a): "That you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of

his power.... This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead." The same power that rose Christ from the dead is the same power working in you. The same power that got Christ out the grave is the power that will help you and keep you during this pandemic.

D. Concerning his position (1:20b-23)

1. Christ's position in heaven (1:20b-21): He occupies the exalted place at the right hand of the Father himself.

2. Christ's position on earth (1:22-23): He has been appointed head of the church.

Christ is above all things, all dominion, all authorities, all powers, all presidents, all governors, all mayors, all elections and elected officials, all political parties, all companies. You name it, Christ is above it. Christ is above all. There is nothing that should come between you and God, nothing that should come between you and Jesus Christ, even if you think that person is God's chosen one, the created thing cannot be above the creator.

Paul is using present tense in this language the victory is already won. Christ is already sitting at the right hand of the father and if he is sitting at the right hand already the battle is already over. 

WHO DO YOU REALLY SERVE? | Pastor Johnnie Simpson Jr

In Joshua chapter 24, Joshua is in the twilight of his life, Joshua in chapter 24 is different when compared to Joshua in chapter 1. In Chapter 1 Joshua is getting instructions because he is taking over where Moses left off, now in chapter 24 Joshua has gotten the people together to give them instructions before he goes on to glory. 

 

Joshua has gathered all the Elders, Heads, Judges, and officers of the Tribes of Israel at Shechem to make a covenant. Shechem is a special place, it is one of the places Joseph received when the he was favored in Egypt. The Israelites lost that land then gained it back.

 

Joshua calling all the officials to a place for a covenant was similar to a tradition that the Hittites did when they had a new King or Vassal in place and that was to make a covenant. This ceremony was performed so that all parties could agree on how things were supposed to be going forward. Joshua is talking to the people after the conquests, but before they start to settle in the land.

 

I can see Joshua, like a parent in the parking lot of the store, turning the ignition off, unbuckling their seatbelt, and turning around to the kids in the backseat. “Hey before we go in this store, don’t ask for nothing, don’t touch nothing, behave, act like you got some home training and some common sense.” Parents set the expectation for the behavior before they go into the store. Why, because the parents know their children, they know how they act, and are having this conversation so there can be an understanding. If the kids don’t want to act right once they get in the store, they shouldn’t be surprised about what happens next when they act out.

 

Joshua stopped at Shechem with all the people to get them on the same page  and set the expectations for the Israelites, why, because Joshua knew the Israelites, he knew how they acted, just like a parent knows his children, and wanted to make sure that they were not surprised by what happens next if they went into the promised land acting up. .  

 

Joshua knew how the people had been acting. They have a track record ; In the past, the Israelites had been worshiping other gods. The people of God (big G) had other gods (little g) in their lives and worshiped them. Some of it was from socialization, they lived in areas and were around people who worshiped different gods and took on those religions, some had married people from other nations and took on their gods. The point is that over time, the Hebrew people in the text had allowed other things to come between them and God. They let things come between them and God and the things that came between them became their gods.

 

Did you know that research says that the biggest predictor of future behavior is past behavior? I don’t see them instantly turning away from God, I’m sure it happened over time, little by little. Subtleties like, “Oh, I really don’t feel like studying the scripture today I will do it tomorrow,” then tomorrow comes and goes, days turn into weeks, and months and even years. Or… I think I’m going to miss worship this Sunday, then the Sunday’s just begin to pile up.

 

 I think I’m going to not pray today, then they pile up and before you know it, your prayer life is nonexistent, and people can’t tell the difference between you and a non-believer.

 

It is not about trying to be perfect, but good or bad, a series of small decisions add up, don’t they?  Whether it is skimping out on the job, or not being as attentive in a relationship, or not being diligent in your health things add up over time. Time passed with the people of God and I can see over time as I read the Bible, they had gotten away from serving Jehovah Jireh, the one who provided for them. 

 

This is not new, when we look at the Bible as early as Abraham there were surrounding religions and some of them swayed believers to the them. The Book of Judges tells us that there were Hebrew people worshiping other gods, influenced by those people around them.

 

So…In Joshua 24 verses 2-13 Joshua speaks on the people worshiping other gods, and he speaks on what God has done for them, which is why he wants them to renew their covenant like they did at Mount Sinai. Now look, we know, there are people who can smile in your face, say they are with you and support you but when you are not around betray you and not lose a wink of sleep about it.

 

Unfortunately, The people of God were saying all the right things Joshua wanted to make sure they weren’t just agreeing with no intention of following through. So, he gathered all the people together to offer them guidance and try to get things straight one more time. 

 

Joshua says in verse one of Chapter 24, "thus says the Lord." Whenever you take something on, new old, big, or small, it is best to start with God. Not thus says the GOP, or thus says the DNC, not thus says who you voted for, not thus says your job, not thus says your friends, not thus says your social status, not thus says your achievements, thus says the Lord.

 

 Joshua’s declaration was letting them that this message was from God and not just from Joshua. And it was letting them know the right way to start something. Remember what thus says the Lord. So, if you can’t put God first in everything you do, what good is it?

 

Only what you do for God will last. That is why the songwriter said they would trust in the Lord until they die, that is why Solomon said to trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. We have to bring God back into everything we do and not make what we do into our own gods. 

 

Gather the right people around you. Joshua gathered the Elders, Judges, heads, and officers of the tribes of Israel together to make sure everyone was on the same page. Being influenced by the wrong people is why the people strayed in the first place. Joshua is telling the people to decide today who you really want to serve, don’t play with it! But actually make a decision and act on it. Live life for glory of God, choose whom you will serve.

 

The people remembered what God has done for them, and we should remember what God has done for you and me. Has he been a doctor in the sick room for you? A lawyer in the courtroom 

 

Have exclusive loyalty to God. Choose today exactly who you will serve. Joshua was telling them no if’s, ands, nor buts, you need to decide today who you really serve. Joshua says as for me and my house we will serve the Lord\ .

 

We all slip up and need reminders from time to time of what God has done. There is still time to turn to God, if you have breath in your lungs and life in your body there is still time to choose the Lord. But we all have a choice to make, each and every day. Thanks be to God that his mercies and grace are new every morning, Amen? This biblical story about Joshua reminding the Israelites about their relationship with God can help us think about our own relationships with God and Christ. A lifetime commitment to Christ is desirable, the part of that which matters is where we are in that commitment day by day. 

 

You see …While some of us may have received Christ and never looked back, never thought about it ever again, others may have had to rethink and recommit to Christ at different points throughout our lives. And that’s ok!

 

It’s not to say they "backslid" in faith, but rather that, as maturing in both thinking processes and life experience occurred, there are moments when we have to examine our faith commitment and ask ourselves, "Do I still affirm this?" or "Can I commit to what I now understand of Christ's call?" And as we did so and decided yes, we emerged with a commitment better suited to deal with the challenges of both daily living and the occasional crises that come to most of us.

 

Jesus said, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62), which in some ways is like the New Testament equivalent of the Old Testament story from Joshua. But it's usually not looking back that's happening when we are rethinking our faith commitment, but rather looking ahead and asking if that which we have embraced by faith will be sufficient to carry us as we move forward. You may think you don’t deserve to turn back to God but God’s grace means that you don’t get what you actually deserve for your actions.

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BETTER TOGETHER | Pastor Johnnie Simpson Jr

1 Thessalonians 2:9-13

9 Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.

10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.

11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,

12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.

There was a professor that was looking to determine some of the differences between humans and chimps so he conducted some experiments to note the differences. One experiment had some 3-year-olds face a challenge. They had to pull together on some ropes, and when they pulled on the rope, a flood of gummy bears raining down and they got to eat a bunch of candy. Then the experiment had one child get more candy than the other. What happened when one gets more than the other? A meltdown, a tantrum or a fight? No. Surprisingly, the 3 year olds shared. If one pointed out that they had less gummy bears, they shared. A number of other studies are pointed to the same conclusion: Human beings have a desire to cooperate. Despite what you see around the world, people have an inborn desire to work jointly toward the same end. We are better together.

Duke professor Michael Tomasello is an expert in this field, and he says that his research is revealing that “we want to cooperate because it’s mutually beneficial to do so. But we also want to cooperate because we want to distribute the spoils of our joint effort fairly, because we ought to.” Tomasello elaborated on the human-chimp gap in a 2011 paper in Nature, one of the world’s leading science journals. One experiment had 2- or 3-year-old children in a room without adults; the kids had to pull together to bring a board, like a seesaw, toward them. On each end of the board were two small toys that they could reach once the board was close enough. As the children pulled, the toys rolled toward them; one child ended up with three toys, while the other ended up with one. The “lucky” child, who had three toys, gave one of the toys to the “unlucky” child, who had one — so that they ended up with the same number toys.

A parallel experiment focused on chimps. The “lucky” chimp never tipped the reward to the “unlucky” partner; the chimp took the reward for itself. For humans, it was all about restoring equity. For chimps, it was all about grabbing what was available to be grabbed. Tomasello wrote in a recent paper, “The Moral Psychology of Obligation.“The most basic comparative fact is that, in situations of free choice with rewards for both partners identical, 3-year-old children mostly collaborate with a partner, whereas chimpanzees mostly choose to go it alone,” 

I also read a story about Sidney Poitier, when Poitier came to the United States he got a job as a house boy, and there was an older gentleman on the job with him that showed him how to do the job. Poitier watched how that man worked, and what that man passed on to him. Poitier said that even though he couldn’t remember the man’s name, he remembered how well that man worked and used that as a reference to how Poitier would go about his work for the rest of his life. We are Better Together

You might say that cooperation, working together deepens the sense of “we” — the notion that we’re all in this together, that we all deserve a share. Cooperation is a quality worth celebrating on All Saints’ Day, when we remember the holy men and women who have worked together to continue the ministry and mission of Jesus. In his first letter to the Thessalonians, the apostle Paul prayed that God would “so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints”

Paul was trying to tell the church we are better together in 1 Thessalonians, one of the earliest letters from Paul to a church. Paul experienced a suffering dealing with the Thessalonians similar to what he did in Philippi. Acts 16 tells us that Paul and Silas were beaten and put in prison in Pillippi for casting a demon out a woman who was fortune telling to benefit the business owners.  Paul founded a church in Thessalonica, but had to leave right after the church was founded, while he was away the Thessalonians were persecuted. Paul was worried that the people might think he abandoned the church. Paul was also worried that because the Thessalonians would think Paul abandoned the church, the people of that church might abandon their faith. 

The Thessalonians were being persecuted, they formed this church in an area where there were other religions. There people worshiping idols, other gods. There were trade and craft guilds that had religious elements to them, people had turned their jobs into a religion, there were also imperial cults, religions that worshiped the government. Can you imagine people wanting to worship a government leader? The people of that time were under Roman oppression, the phrase Jesus is Lord was scandalous back then because the people were saying Ceasar is Lord, and the government did not want people declaring their allegiance to anything else. Can you imagine someone wanting to put a government official that high? The Thessalonians were experiencing just that but instead of just being called unpatriotic, or someone going on a Facebook rant about it there were permanent consequences, death, torture. This was real persecution, not someone saying Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas. The Thessalonians experienced some serious oppression. The Thessalonians were trying to do the work of God and worship with their very lives on the line. 

Sometimes when you are stuck in a bad situation, the way to go forward is to look back. Paul tells them that they should remember the labor and toil, they should remember how hard everyone worked while they were with them. Paul says that in the midst of the struggle Paul and the leaders of the church worked day and night in order not to be a burden to anyone else. I looked through all the commentaries I could and all the Greek pointed to that word burden being financial…the people worked to put money into the church and to take care of themselves instead of taking money out of the church. Paul and the church leaders worked, and they preached the Gospel to others. They practiced stewardship and evangelism. The government was pressing against the people, they were surrounded by competing religions, they had trouble on all sides and their response was to keep working and preach the gospel. Rough times did not weaken the Thessalonians faith, it did not stop their walk. They were committed, they persisted, they didn’t give up and say we can’t do this anymore so there is no need to try. The people worked to support the church, and they worked to support others. 

Paul has a format to his letters and there is almost always a portion of Thanksgiving, where Paul thanks God for what God has done, and even thanks the people of the church he is writing. But in this letter Paul has so much to be thankful about that it takes up most of the letter. Paul looks at the situation and thanks God continually for the work that is still going on in spite of the surrounding situation. I know it seems rough right now, but you still woke up this morning, I know it seems rough right now, but you are still in your right mind, with food on the table, clothes on your back, breath in your lungs. And most importantly you have the word of God. I don’t much else right now if I have a word. A word lets me know that weeping may endure for a night but Joy will come in the morning, a word lets me know that many are the afflictions of the righteous but the lord will deliver me from them, a word lets me know that no weapon formed against me shall prosper, a word lets me know that he who began a good work in me shall perform until completion until the day of Christ Jesus, word lets me know they that wait upon the lord, shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings of eagles, run and not grow weary, walk and not faint, the grass withers, and the flower fades but the word of God lasts forever. If Paul can thank God continually because the people received the word, then so can I. 

The people of God work to support the church, work to support each other, and they work because God is at work in them. The reason the people of God back then are able to work while the world is falling apart around them is the same reason the people of God can work while the world is falling apart around them today. Because they have a power greater than them working on the inside of each and every one of them. Paul was looking to help the Thessalonians, but they already had some help they just didn’t realize it yet. If we are going to “lead a life worthy of God,” we are challenged to follow the path of Jesus and become the people that God made us to be. This means receiving the word of God, as the Thessalonians did, but also seeing that God’s word is already at work in us. God wants us to cooperate with one another, and he sends this message through both Holy Scripture and through our bodies, hearts and minds.

There is somebody watching you and how you work, and they are taking whatever work you are passing on. Are you passing on evangelism or are you passing on “I don’t want the church to get too big? Are you passing on sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone you can? Are you passing on Stewardship? Or are you passing on, the choir better sing the songs I want, the pastor better not step on my toes, I don’t need to go to church or participate in anything and they better not take me off the roll…? What kind of work are you passing on to others watching you? 

As believers we have to be willing to cooperate with what God wants and cooperate with each other, the Bible tells us that the power of God is in us when we do these things. The power that help Christ live a life for us, sacrifice himself for us, raise from the dead for us, and we await his return.