Foxhole Faith - Pastor Johnnie Simpson Jr.

Psalm 27:1-9

27 The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell. 3 Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident. 4 One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple. 5 For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. 6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord. 7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 8 When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.” 9 Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation.

I had a Masonic brother I used to talk to after meetings; he told me about a conversation he had with another person. Both were military veterans, and the brother I knew said, "I've never met an atheist in a foxhole." That phrase stuck with me for what had to have been between 10 and 13 years. The brother was convinced that when the bullets started flying during a battle, everyone was calling on God for help. People may pretend they don't need God, but when their backs are against the wall, they call on someone greater than themselves for help. Thus, the phrase, "I have never met an atheist in a foxhole." 

The term 'foxhole' refers to a small hole in the ground that soldiers would use for cover and protection during a battle; they named it after the entrance to a small animal's home, the fox. A foxhole is a place of refuge, a sanctuary when there is chaos and danger. This term is not just for war; we can want to hide or try to get a break from the pressures of day-to-day life. Trouble all around, and I just need a minute to breathe. Troubles and sorrows differ from day to day or person to person. When we're seeking shelter, any bunker, bomb shelter, safe harbor — or foxhole — will do. 

This psalm is for all who feel they're in a foxhole now, felt so in the past, or might find themselves in some kind of hole in the future. There is a phrase that says we are at one of three places in life, going into a storm, going through a storm, or coming out of a storm. Life is full of changes for us all; the only thing different about them is how we handle them. We see someone dealing with trouble here in Psalm 27. 

David, the presumptive author of this psalm, clearly values safety and doesn't like to be afraid. In verse 1 alone, he mentions fear twice! Perhaps this is why the psalm reads like a foxhole monologue. The text has images of "evildoers," "adversaries and foes," armies, enemies, and violence. David longs for security, cover, and "shelter in the day of trouble" (v. 5). His heart faints for fear, and all of his courage has vanished. 

David is in a foxhole, his enemies attacking from all sides, and as I said the phrase earlier, there are no atheists in foxholes; David is calling for air support — the Lord of the air, whom he calls his "light" and "salvation" (v. 1). Just like how a foxhole provides shelter for a soldier, our faith in God can be our shelter and refuge in times of trouble. The psalmist reminds us that "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1)

Faith casts out fear. When we trust the Lord, we can find peace and security during any storm. We don't have to live in fear of our enemies because God is greater than any enemy we may face. As it says in verse 2: "When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall."

But it's not enough to hide in our foxhole of faith and hope for the best. We must be proactive in seeking out God. As it says in verse 8: "You have said, "Seek my face." My heart says to you, "Your face, Lord, do I seek." We must be intentional about putting our faith into action. We must seek the Lord's face and ask Him to help us in our time of need. And when we do, He will be our protection. As it says in verse 9: "Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation!"

Some scholars don't think one person wrote the whole Psalm 27. The rationale for thinking that one person wrote the first half of the psalm and someone else wrote the last half is because verses 1-6 talk about what God has done, and verses 7-14 are the psalmist asking for God to do something in the future. Verses 1-6 are recalling, and 7-14 are requesting something. I say that anyone who does not understand how one person can do both needs to have a conversation with my daughter Elle. I will pick Elle up from school and pass a corner store gas station on the way home. Elle will say, Dad, do you remember when you took us to the gas station to get candy after school? Can we go again today? Other times Elle may say, Dad, you remember when we had a Daddy/Daughter Day, and you took me to the mall and out to eat? Can we do that again? Daddy, do you remember how much fun we had playing Minecraft together? Can we play again? Elle reminds her father what dad did in the past before she asks dad to do something else. 

God, I know you are a heart-fixer. You've done it before; can you do it again?

God, I know you can make a way out of no way. You've done it before. Can you do it again? 

God, I know you are a healer. You've done it before. Can you do it again?

Isaiah 55:11

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Numbers 23:19

"God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

The Bible says he is the same yesterday, today, and forever more.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart. 

So, brothers and sisters, let us remember the times when God helped us in the past. Remember God's faithfulness and trust in Him. Seek God's face and ask Him to help us now, just as He's always been there for us before.

In the midst of the battles we face in life, let us have Foxhole Faith. Amen."

A Light to the Nations - Pastor Johnnie Simpson Jr.

Isaiah 49:1-7

49 Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the Lord called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.

2 He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver.

3 He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.”

4 But I said, “I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing at all. Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand, and my reward is with my God.”

5 And now the Lord says—he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am[a] honored in the eyes of the Lord and my God has been my strength—

6 he says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”

7 This is what the Lord says— the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel—to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the servant of rulers: “Kings will see you and stand up, princes will see and bow down, because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

Lighthouses are fascinating; they're picturesque, standing tall against the elements, offering a beacon of hope in the darkest night to a lone ship seeking a safe harbor. A lighthouse is a symbol of hope against all odds. A light on a distant shore signals safety and salvation even in the hour of one's most desperate need. You look to the lighthouse in times of struggle or need. Sometimes I struggle with pastoring. I desire to be the absolute best at everything I try. When I take personality and psychological evaluations, they all have some sort of language that says I rate high on competition and am a competitive person. Before my first evaluation, I recall several other pastors telling me that the assessment would come back saying that I pay excessive attention to detail, would have a high need for affirmation, have trouble with authority, and would have high competition. 

The pastors told me this because they all had similar results and explained why those results made them good pastors. The problem with authority meant they were leaders and would hold other leaders accountable. Being detail-oriented meant working to ensure things were right in the church and having a high affirmation score meant that I cared for the people and wanted them to care for me. The challenge comes with competition. I want to see tangible results whenever I do something. If I want to be a video editor, I will compare myself to other video editors; if I want to be a singer, I will compare myself to other singers; I want to know where I stand compared to others doing the same thing even if it the results hurt my feelings. I want to be good at everything, and I want to be good at everything yesterday. 

I am not the only one; we are saturated with the image of the American dream to be greater than we currently are. We all have something to aspire to, and when we don't achieve that goal, we can feel down. Social media does not help the matter either. Activity on social media puts a carefully crafted image up for people to aspire to that is not accurate. Even before social media, people called this phenomenon "keeping up with the Joneses," people spending money they don't have to buy things they don't need to impress people they don't like. We have set our sights on the wrong lighthouse. Our priorities are in the wrong place. Some people get seriously depressed because they feel like a failure in their current situation. We come across a prophet feeling like a failure in scripture, according to Isaiah chapter 49. 

Isaiah chapter 49 is part of what scholars call the "Second Isaiah" we are transitioning into a new work. Isaiah 49:1-7 is one of the so-called "(Suffering) Servant Songs" in the book of Isaiah. The others are Isaiah 41:1-2; 50:4-9; and 52:13–53:12. Isaiah 61:1-3 is regarded by some scholars as a fifth servant song, although the word "servant" is not in that passage. The unifying element in these passages, first isolated by Bernhard Duhm in his 1892 commentary on Isaiah, is a description of the Lord's servant, who sometimes suffers significantly due to that divine calling.

Isaiah is talking to the crowd about a conversation he had with God. This crowd is suffering a disaster on two fronts, their homeland has been destroyed, and they are in exile, trying to make due in a foreign land. These people feel like God has abandoned them, and here is a man who has not been successful in trying to talk to them. 

Isaiah is worried that he may not be cut out for this work that God called him to. Isaiah has tried and failed to get the people of God to do what God wants and is beginning to think that he is not cut out for the prophet's life. I have said in other sermons that while the people of God were in captivity, prophets were telling them that the Babylonians would not keep them enslaved for long. Those prophets were popular; the prophets that told the people they were responsible for their problems were not popular. The people did not want to hear that it would take a long time and hard work to get out of this situation. 

Because the people initially did not want to hear Isaiah's message, Isaiah began to wonder if his labor was in vain. Isaiah said he had tried what God told him to do, and in Isaiah's mind, he failed. Where is God when the people are suffering? Where is God when the people are captured, exiled, or enslaved? 

"Even before birth, God knew this unborn Servant, and God named, called, and equipped this one so that the tasks of restoration and salvation may be accomplished."  God says that Isaiah's mouth will be like a sharp sword and that God made him like a polished arrow in God's quiver. A polished arrow goes through a process before it is useful, and God is taking us through a process so that we can be useful to him. We must be ready and willing to be used by God for his purpose. 

God told Isaiah I will restore you just like I restored Israel before. God is still concerned for Isaiah, and God is still concerned for you. No matter how insignificant we may feel, we are never insignificant to God. God says all nations will see his glory; when we serve God, our actions will reflect His glory and will be a testimony to His goodness and grace. God chose Isaiah to be a light to the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, and to free the captives. And just like Isaiah, we, too, have been called to share the light of the gospel and proclaim freedom to those in darkness and captivity.

A lighthouse has one function: to be a light in the darkness. If it can't do that, it's as useless as a flashlight without batteries. A lighthouse cannot do anything but shed light and has no emergency tools or equipment and no life vests. In fact, modern lighthouses generally aren't even inhabited by people.

You won't find many lighthouses 100 miles away from water or on soft and comfortable terrain surrounded by deep, calm water where a lighthouse is not needed. Instead, lighthouses are usually located in high-risk danger zones like rocky headlands or unstable beaches where every wave threatens to undermine the foundation. For that reason, a lighthouse is always a message to a ship's captain that the vessel is entering treacherous water.

The sole purpose of a lighthouse is to be an aid to navigation. Sailors need to "see the light" to avoid danger. A lighthouse exists to facilitate navigation by broadcasting light in a sweeping beam across a vast and restless sea. If one can safely navigate past or through the dangers revealed by the lighthouse, it can mean preserving life and property. 

While sailors need to see the light, Christians need to be the light. Jesus made this clear in his Sermon on the Mount: "You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:14-16). "May we see our lives and the life of the world in the light of the glory of God, in which all our aspirations are lifted up and returned to us in forms we never would have imagined." 

See the light and know that God is still faithful; we can trust God because God loves us. 

From Bethlehem to Rosewood - Pastor Johnnie Simpson Jr.

Matthew 2:13-23

13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

18 “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”

19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”

21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.

I have a good memory, but not when it comes to dates. I can remember what someone said in a meeting a long time ago, and I can memorize paragraphs of information for speeches, plays, and even sermons. I struggle with keeping dates; if you ask me for someone's birthday or anniversary, I will have to close my eyes and think about it for a while. Even though I don't remember many dates, I am still interested in those historical dates. 

Precisely 100 years ago, on January 1, 1923, the Rosewood massacre began. John Singleton directed a movie based on what happened in that town. Rosewood reminds us of the devastating impact of violence, especially on the most vulnerable members of our communities. Rosewood was a quiet and predominantly African American town in Florida. According to the History website, it was initially settled by both black and white people, and the leading industry was the production of pencils. But when the cedar tree population declined, most of the white people moved to the nearby town of Sumner. By the 1920s, Rosewood's population was about 200 blacks, plus one white family that ran the general store.

On January 1, 1923, a young white woman in Sumner, Fannie Taylor, was found covered in bruises. She claimed that a black man had assaulted her. Her husband, a foreman at a local mill, gathered a mob of white citizens to hunt down the assailant. He also called for help from neighboring counties, including 500 members of the Ku Klux Klan. The white mobs searched the woods for any black man they could find. Law enforcement determined that a black prisoner named Jesse Hunter had escaped from a chain gang; law enforcement decided he was a suspect while the angry mobs went after black families that they believed were hiding him.

In Rosewood, one mob pulled a black man out of his house, tied him to a car, dragged him to Sumner, and beat him. Another mob tortured a blacksmith until he took them to the spot where Hunter was said to be hiding. They shot the blacksmith when Hunter was not found and hung him in a tree. On the night of January 4, a mob surrounded a house in which 25 people were hiding, primarily children. A black woman and her son were killed. The gun battle lasted overnight and ended when the mob broke down the door, and the children escaped into the woods.

Newspapers falsely reported that bands of armed black citizens were rampaging. White attackers burned down the churches of Rosewood and then went after people in houses. Dozens died, both blacks and whites. By January 7, most of the town was burned to the ground, and the fleeing black citizens never returned. As for Fannie Taylor, the young white woman? Some survivors believe that a white lover inflicted her bruises. Also, they never found Jesse Hunter, the escapee from the chain gang.

Massacres are not new; they happened thousands of years before Rosewood. Jesus himself faced deadly violence at the very beginning of his life. Right after the wise men left Bethlehem, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him" (v. 13). Joseph heard what the Lord said through his messenger and did it. Joseph did not respond, "I have never taken a family to Egypt before, so I don't see why I should do it now." Joseph didn't say I don't see the need to move right now; I'm safe; maybe we wait until Herod is at my door before I think about leaving. Joseph did what the messenger of God said and was blessed for it. How often has God told us to do something different, and we did not because what we were doing right now was comfortable? 

King Herod felt threatened by the birth of this baby, who had been identified as the king of the Jews. He didn't want any competition, even from a child who had no political or military power at his disposal. Feeling frightened and infuriated, Herod ordered a search and destroy mission to be carried out in Bethlehem.

The Reason

Matthew 2:13–23 is clear that God would act to protect the Messiah, God's Son, from the dangers of life in this world. Herod waited to hear from the magi, who had come from the East, following the star that announced the birth of the one born king of the Jews. He had instructed them that when they found the child, they should return and let him know so that he could also worship. In a dream, it was revealed to the magi that they should not go back to Herod but should return to their country by another route. When Herod realized that they had tricked him, he was angry, and in his jealous rage, he gave orders that all the boys in Bethlehem and the vicinity two years old and under would be killed. 

The Retaliation

There is no record of Herod ordering all children under two years old to be slaughtered, but that does not surprise me. To us, someone doing something horrible like that to innocent children is troubling, but Herod, that is just Tuesday. Herod holds the distinct privilege of being one of the few biblical historical figures that both Christians and Jewish people hate. Herod had to fight for several years (40–37 BCE) to take control of his kingdom, so he never felt secure. He killed descendants of the Hasmoneans so he would have no rival. When Herod suspected a takeover from his family, he killed his wife Mariamne and one of his sons (one at that time and the other sons later). Before Herod died, he commanded that at his death, political prisoners should be killed so that there would be mourning throughout the land. 

Herod had secret police to monitor what people said about him in public, over 2,000 bodyguards, and a fortress that he and his family (whom he liked) could hide in during an insurrection. Emperor Augustus remarked, 'It is better to be Herod's pig [Gr. hys] than his son' [Gr. hyios]". This quote referenced how Herod, as a Jew, would not kill pigs but had three of his sons, and many others, killed.  People called Herod "the evil genius of the Judean nation" and as one who would be "prepared to commit any crime in order to gratify his unbounded ambition. "

The Return

Joseph returned home after God told him to do so through his angelic messenger. Joseph again followed what God told him to do, and miracles happened. Joseph fulfilled a scriptural prophecy by going to Galilee because the Messiah was supposed to be born in Bethlehem and a Nazarene. 

As followers of Jesus, we are challenged to see our neighbors as gifts, not threats. Author and pastor John Pavlovitz said, "When you meet another person, you are coming face-to-face with a once-in-history, never-to-be-repeated reflection of the image of God. … each [is] made of God stuff. … Every single day you encounter thousands of breathing, animated thumbnails of the Divine." Every person you meet is God's stuff. It doesn't matter where they were born, whether old or young, red or blue; your neighbors are "thumbnails of the Divine." They are gifts, not threats. Worthy of respect, not hostility.

What a difference this makes from Bethlehem to Rosewood. Some of the heroes of Rosewood were John Wright, the white owner of the general store, who allowed blacks to hide in his home during the massacre. Two wealthy white brothers, John and William Bryce heard about the violence and sent a train to rescue black women and children. And, of course, many brave black women and men, including Sylvester Carrier, protected their children. A survivor of the massacre, a young girl at the time, says, "Cousin Sylvester snatched me and said, 'Come here, let me save you. …' I squeaked down between his legs."

Once we see our neighbors in this way, we are challenged to take action to protect the most vulnerable people around us. They could be special-needs adults, low-income neighbors, recent immigrants, political refugees, members of a minority group, or neighborhood children. Joseph decided to protect the vulnerable when he "took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod" (vv. 14-15). Joseph lived as an immigrant in that foreign land until an angel appeared and said it was safe to return to Israel. Then he returned but made a detour when he learned that the son of Herod was ruling over Judea. Instead of moving to Bethlehem of Judea, he headed north to Galilee, where "he went and lived in a town called Nazareth" (v. 23).

This story contains so many examples of vulnerability. Jesus and his family were political refugees, immigrants, members of a minority group in Egypt, and finally, Southerners who settled in the North. And just as Joseph cared for his vulnerable child and wife, we are challenged to care for the at-risk people around us. When we hear "weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children" (v. 18), our challenge is to respond with compassion and care. We cannot cover our eyes and ears, ignoring the violence around us. When Jesus grew up and saw vulnerable people around him, he "had compassion on them" (14:14). The word compassion comes from the Latin words passio and com, which literally mean "suffer" and "with." To have compassion is to "suffer with" people, to take their pain seriously, and do whatever we can to alleviate it.

God is active in preserving and protecting us and our future. We can have compassion for others because God has compassion for us. Through our struggles, grief, unstable economies, and political turmoil, God is with us through it all. Even when we cannot track him, we can still trust him. 

Through it all - Andrae Crouch. 

I've had many tears and sorrows, I've had questions for tomorrow,

there's been times I didn't know right from wrong. But in every situation,

God gave me blessed consolation, that my trials come to only make me strong.

Through it all, through it all, I've learned to trust in Jesus, I've learned to trust in God

Through it all, through it all, I've learned to depend upon His Word.

A Baby Changes Everything - Pastor Johnnie Simpson Jr.

A Baby Changes Everything

Luke 2:1-20

2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,

    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

I was excited about having a child in my marriage, and a baby, under any circumstances, is a miracle.

But first-time parents know that a new baby brings changes. Parents worldwide nod their heads in comprehension when they hear this statement: “A baby changes everything.”

Suddenly, you can’t just get up and go. You must consider the baby’s needs. It becomes harder to go out with your single friends, and you gravitate toward the ones who also have children.

If you do get up and go, taking the baby with you, you’ve got to cart around all that baby gear: diaper bag, stroller, car seat, portable playpen, and all the rest. And let’s not even talk about the lack of sleep! Even if you do not have children of your own, watching someone else’s children or being friends or relatives to parents changes the dynamics of the relationship. Even being around children that you have no relation to changes things. 

As any psychotherapist will tell you, many people spend years sorting out mistakes their parents made as they learned their new job and finding ways to forgive them — even as they are having children of their own and making a different set of mistakes. The cycle continues, generation after generation. It’s the most important job in the world, and no one is adequately trained ahead of time. All we can do is make the best of the situation with what we have, which is exactly what Mary and Joseph do, make the best of the situation. 

The text says that Mary and Joseph are traveling to Bethlehem for a census.  There are problems with the date in Luke; it is difficult to construct an accurate date for Jesus’ birth based on inconsistencies in the chronology suggested between Luke and Matthew. Augustus was emperor from 27 B.C. until A.D. 14, so Augustus’s reign did not present a problem. The problem arises in aligning the reigns of Herod the Great, who died in 4 B.C. (as described in Matthew 2:19), and the reign of Quirinius, who came to power in 6 or 7 B.C., and who Luke claims was the governor of Syria at the time.

Joseph didn’t need to go to Bethlehem he also didn’t need to take Mary with him if he went.

Shepherds are not a reputable occupation at the time. These are model outsiders! How many churches would turn this pair away if they came knocking at our church doors today?

Even if things did not go as planned, new life breaks forth. Jesus, God’s work, arrived during political events and had no vacancies. The essential message of Christmas is that even when things do not go as planned, God arrives. We forget the scary nature of the first Christmas—that it was all about unexpected things in places unsought. Christ arrived in a manger in a cattle stall. If the Son of God can arrive in such circumstances, so can truth. So can joy.

For weeks television advertisements have told us how we should feel this day. We ought to feel warm and loving, especially if we have spent a small fortune on gifts for our family and friends. We hope that most in our congregations do feel great peace and joy this day, but let us take care not to presume. Some may come to church this night dealing with the death of a loved one, worrying about mounting financial debts, or struggling with tensions in their relationships. The good news from the Scriptures this night is more powerful than the pain that some may bring.

Christ is born for you!

Mary recounts the mighty deeds of the Lord, who has just intervened in her life. God has “brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly … has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty” (Luke 1:46-55). It may seem like these things have little to do with the plight of a young, unwed mother in Galilee, but clearly, Mary sees her experience in the context of a much grander plan.

Who are the powerful cast down from their thrones? Nothing like that has ever happened in Mary’s experience. The Roman emperors have reigned for generations, and the throne’s present occupant gives no sign of resigning. When has Mary ever seen, in her short life, all the hungry people of the earth invited to a great banquet and the arrogant rich sent off to try their hand at begging? These promises, compelling to one such as her, have yet to be realized.

This baby changes everything, not only for his parents but for the whole human race. The birth of Jesus changes the religion game entirely because upon hearing this lovely story, we rediscover — or maybe understand for the first time — that God’s deepest desire for us is that we enter the place of holiness not through a portal of fear, but through a portal of love.

That same Jesus is calling us on Christmas Day, as he has a habit of doing, calling us to himself and into a deeper relationship with him. Everything about the life we’ve been living that’s bitter, ugly, broken, or shameful, we can lay on the straw beside the manger. We need no longer carry such burdens; the grown-up Jesus will bear them for us. There is no anger, no judgment before his manger-bed, and there is only grace, acceptance, and love.

The timeless invitation comes to us this Christmas, as it has in so many Christmases past. Come, draw near to Jesus Christ, whose coming into our world changes everything!

Spread the good news.

He was placed in a manger on some wood.

A Commanding Name - Pastor Johnnie Simpson Jr.

Matthew 1:18-25

18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

I am particular about my name, I have many stories around my name. 

We all love our names

-most beautiful thing to us

-sales and social skills tell us to use someone’s name repeatedly in conversation 

-All Saints Day and Charge conferences we call names.

We joked about the NFL franchise in Washington DC not having a name for a while and being called "The Washington Football Team" This is the first year that the Washington, D.C. NFL team has been called the Commanders. For 87 years, they were the Redskins, a name that was found to be disparaging to Native Americans. Then, for two years, they were simply “the Washington Football Team.”

“Washington’s leaders,” according to ESPN, had stressed “that the franchise would like to incorporate the military because of its connection to the nation’s capital. Commander is a term used most often in the military as a naval officer rank, but it also can be used as a generic term.” According to team president Jason Wright, “It’s something … that embodies the values of service and leadership that characterizes” the D.C. region.

In today’s story of Mary and Joseph, God’s work often upsets comfortable social expectations and conventions. The first Christmas was not produced by a flawless lead-up and elaborate preparations dictated by convention. 

Mary and Joseph are engaged

Mary is pregnant with a Child that isn't Joseph's

Joseph wants a quiet divorce

Joseph has a dream, the Angel tells him to go through with the marriage and name the child Jesus. Joseph follows the command. 

Names have meaning in the Bible, for example, Jacob’s name is changed to Israel after his successful wrestling match with a divine being. Abram’s name is changed to Abraham after the creation of the covenant with God. Saul becomes Paul after he becomes a follower of Christ. The names of newborn children, says Fuller, are “carefully chosen to reflect the circumstances of their birth as well as to indicate something of their personality or status.”

The name Moses means “to draw out,” reflecting Moses’ rescue as an infant from the waters of the Nile.

The name Miriam means “drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved.” It later evolved into the name Mary.

The name Elijah means “the LORD is God.”

And the name Immanuel means “God with us.”

The name Jesus means “the LORD saves.”

Joseph trusted God (through God’s messenger of the angel) and was willing to take on shame (marrying a woman carrying another man’s baby). He was willing to be obedient, even at the cost of his reputation.

The angel basically said, “I know this is not what you expected, Joseph, but it is going to be OK. God is about to do something wonderful, despite the fact that according to Jewish custom and law you are in a rather socially unacceptable situation.”  God is at work. Amid all our less-than-picture-perfect Christmases, the Christmas trees that are not quite as perfect as we want them to be, the lives that are not as perfect as we want them to be, God does something new.  Discipleship is rooted not in certainty, but in a trust-filled relationship with God. There will be times of uncertainty, impracticality, and even seemingly foolish action.

Verses 22-23 call back to Isaiah 7:14 Jesus, the first name, means “the LORD saves,” and that Jesus will save his people from their sins (v. 21). Jesus has been sent to earth to be the One to save us from all the sins and shortcomings that fracture our relationships with God and the people around us. We make such a mess of our lives, as individuals and as communities, that we need a Savior to rescue us. Jesus does this by offering us forgiveness for our past failings, and guidance for the path that lies ahead.

As we move toward Christmas, let’s keep the commanding names of Jesus and Immanuel in front of us. They tell us that Jesus is our Savior, coming to save us from sin and deliver us to new and abundant life. He is also Immanuel, God with us, the surest sign that our Lord is with us in every time and place and situation. With Jesus, we are never trapped in our sins and shortcomings. With Immanuel, we are never completely alone.

The Authentic Messiah - Pastor Johnnie Simpson Jr.

Matthew 11:2-11

2 When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 6 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

7 As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces.9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written:

“‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,

    who will prepare your way before you.’

11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Authentic

adjective

1. Conforming to fact and therefore worthy of trust, reliance, or belief.

2. Being so in fact; not fraudulent or counterfeit.

3. Executed in a manner so as to produce legal effectiveness.

I have a bit of a challenge with authenticity. I don't always say what is really on my mind because I worry about if someone can handle it; however, the more I hold back, the more frustrated I become, and so then I let it out, and someone's feelings get hurt, or somebody gets cussed out. So, I have to balance being real, being true to myself, and not steamrolling everyone I'm around. 

But we all struggle with this in one shape or form. We want to be authentic, and we want to be authentic naturally. I remember when people started saying the phrase "keep it 100," meaning they wanted someone to be 100 percent authentic. Being authentic also meant you did not have to tell someone you were telling the truth; it should come naturally. Andre 3000 said in the song Walk it Out remix, "walk it out like an usher if you say real talk, I probably won't trust you.

Companies everywhere are sensing that consumers gravitate toward brands that appear to be authentic and genuine. Starbucks is popular because it imitates original Italian espresso bars. BMWs Mini taps into people's natural desire for joy and freedom on the road. Organic foods are flying off the shelves because consumers sense that they are connected to farming practices that are healthy and good.

I believe authenticity is one reason the church won't grow. People outside the church know enough people on the inside are fake. We hug people and then talk about them behind their backs at brunch. We are quiet in the meeting, only to have a bunch of stuff to say in the meeting after the meeting. People see that; they may not say anything, but they see it. 

We find ourselves looking at a story about authenticity in scripture with the story around Matthew chapter 11. 

The Request

John made a request of Jesus. John sent messengers to see if Jesus was the one, or should we search for another? John was worried and confused in jail for speaking the truth to power.  John wondered if he was following the right person. I don't blame John for wondering if he was following the right savior; if we are being real, we wonder the same thing. God, I don't understand; I thought this was the job you had for me, but it seems like everyone in here has lost their mind. I thought this spouse was forever, but I don't know if we will make it to next Friday. Encounters with Jesus regularly left people confused. Not only did people get confused looking for Jesus, people got confused and made a fake Jesus when they couldn't find or did not like the real one. 

How else can so-called evangelical Christians wholeheartedly support putting people in power with no morals? Claim to love all God's children, but if they come out a shade or two darker than you are comfortable with, there is a problem. Claim to love God but allow his children to be in danger by going to school, playing in a park, or starving on the street. Some people don't like the real Jesus that demands a fundamental change in their lives and some uncomfortable times, so they make up one to make themselves feel better. I don't blame John for being confused because some people are even more confused today. The Kingdom of God is not always comfortable and will require some sacrifice. 

The Reassurance

Jesus responds with a track record. Being authentic, Jesus responds with what he has done. Jesus does not respond with a bunch of titles; Jesus responds with action. I ask the church what have we done? Does the community know we exist? Does the community know we exist if we take away the one or two big programs we do a year and then pat ourselves on the back? Are we using Christianity for anything more than fire insurance to ensure we don't burn when we die? Have we gotten so focused on our personal relationship with Christ that we don't have any room for anything else? Christianity is about action, and Christianity is about community. 

Jesus being authentic, also didn't gossip about John behind his back once the messengers left. Jesus had good things to say about John. Jesus said John was the last and greatest of the old-school prophets. Jesus asked the people what they were looking for. They would not find nice robes here; they would not find a reed, which was a shot a Herod. Herod had coins printed with the image of a reed on them. Not only did Jesus speak well of John in his absence, but he also called out the person persecuting John as well. That is the mark of a real friend, how they treat you when you are not around. 

John is the messenger foretold by the Old Testament's Malachi, the one who will prepare the way for the Authentic Messiah. John is not a royal yes-man in soft robes but is "like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi" (Malachi 3:1-3). John accomplishes this mission by calling people to repentance and baptizing them to cleanse them of their sins.

Likewise, if we want to be Authentic Disciples, we will align ourselves unequivocally with Jesus and his distinctive, even radical, way of life. "Let your light shine before others," says Jesus to his followers, "so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven" (5:16). An authentic relationship with Christ calls for community and calls for action. We cannot wait for someone else to do the work of the Kingdom; we must be willing to do it ourselves. 

Your Latter Will Be Greater - Pastor Johnnie Simpson Jr.

15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.

In the second year of King Darius, 2 1 on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 2 “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jozadak,[a] the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, 3 ‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? 4 But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 5 ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’

6 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. 8 ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 9 ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LordAlmighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

Now and then, I look at my yearbooks from school, and I go online and go through my old pictures on Facebook and Instagram. Doing that makes me feel good inside; sometimes, I want to remember a happy time and feel that way all over again. In the past, while there were some great times, there were also some not-so-great times, and the not-so-great times taught me some valuable lessons that I probably would not have learned if everything had been great all the time. So, when I look at where I am now, I know my present is much better than my past, and my future will be better than my present. I may not get there the way I planned or on the path that I chose, but I know my situation is better now than it was in the past.

Three major characters in the history of the Jerusalem Temple of God are Joshua, Zerubbabel, and Haggai. Joshua was the High Priest at the time, Zerubbabel was the King, and Haggai was the scribe, the prophet if you will. The temple was destroyed, and the people of God got conquered, captured, and enslaved. The people of God were in captivity for a while, but now it is time to go home. When they get home, Haggai wants them to rebuild the temple of God. The prophet addresses an argument in the first chapter of the Book of Haggai; he is ready to rebuild, and some people don't think now is the right time. They want to put it off for some unknown reason, and Haggai says it will never be enough. I know and have dealt with some people like that; they don't want to make decisions and act on them, they want to keep referring them to another committee, won't sing or play a song because they claim to be worried about not doing right, so they don't do anything at all. People pretend like they want everything to be perfect, and pursuing perfection prevents them from taking any action. Haggai says enough is enough, and it will never be enough for all the posturing. 

Haggai says in 1:5-6:

5 Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."

You are planning and doing a whole bunch, but it is never enough. How many business plans sit in someone's head because they haven't taken action, waiting for the right time? How many goals aren't accomplished because we think now is not the right time? How many conversations do we miss out on because we are waiting for a better time to have that conversation? 

Les Brown says: 

"The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step, keep with the problem, or determined to carry out their dream."

The other thing preventing the people from participating in rebuilding the temple was nostalgia; they remembered how great the old temple was and because the new temple didn't look like the old temple yet, the people did not want to get involved. By the time Haggai said what God had told him to say, they had been trying to rebuild the temple for nearly 18 years; they had only poured the foundation and not much else. People caught up in perfection and others in love with the past kept the church from getting back on its feet in the present. 

Did you know that religious institutions and industries in America contribute about $1.2 trillion a year to the U.S. economy and society? That figure includes church-run hospitals, church-related colleges, and other institutions birthed by churches and other religious groups. But it also includes local parishes of all sizes across our country, even some that are in the process of closing their doors. These organizations are running based on the work our predecessors did. However, we are not putting as many new organizations out there; we are riding on the backs of what we used to do.

At the same time, some of the older members look back to the time when the church was in its heyday. The building was in miraculous shape, the pews were full, and the building buzzed with activity. 

Haggai says it is time to get back to helping the church, and you know how he knows it is time? Haggai looks at everyones' homes. This is during the feast of booths, where the people remind themselves what it was like to wander in the wilderness. So they don't stay inside their homes; they build tents outside the houses, like camping. Well, Haggai can see some pretty nice homes and some excellent camping setups and see oh ya'll have time for these things but not for God? 

This is not just about money but time and priorities; what are you putting in front of your relationship with God? 

Haggai said the people had a job to do, and we needed to get started on it now. 

Take Courage

Over and over again, the bible says fear not, and Haggai is telling us we don't have to be afraid of the immense task in front of us. Take courage because you have the most incredible support you could have backing you up. The splendor of the temple will be better than the former temple. That word for splendor in Hebrew is Kabod; it means honor, wealth, glory, literally weight. When God shows up, he will throw his weight around; you have the best VIP pass you can obtain with the weight of the Lord God almighty backing you up. Take courage, and be active in pursuing what God has for you. 

Work

This will not be easy; it will take hard work. If it were easy, everyone would have already done it, but I don't know anything worthwhile that doesn't get accomplished without hard work. 

God is With You

God will never leave you nor forsake you

Nothing can separate you from the love of God

Romans 8:38-39

38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In his own time and place, Haggai calls us to hear and rely on the facts: that God is truly present with the people, that the relationship between God and humanity is real, and that the community will flourish in ways pleasing to God. 

The same God that brought them out of Egypt is the same God that brought them out of Babylon, and that same God is with them as they rebuild and is with us as we rebuild what we have lost in our lives. Everything belongs to God, and he will help our latter days be better than our former days. 

Your Latter Will Be Greater

Your past does not negate God's prophecy; your best is right in front of you. People may try to put a period in your life, but God says it is a comma. Your problems are way smaller than God's promises.