The Lord Works in Mysterious Ways

Reaching Higher: A Series on My Journey of Discipleship

Jeremiah 29:4-14

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%2029%3A4-14&version=NIV;NLT

[Preface: This series is autobiographical to the extent that it is loosely based on my spiritual journey. In some ways, you could compare it to the stock market with a gradual overall increase, but many ups and downs; even a crash or two. Through it all though, the Lord has loved me and been with me the whole time. I hope you find my journey encouraging, but also, that the Lord might speak to you through it.]

They say that the Lord works in mysterious ways. Take me for instance.

Even though I’ve lived in Columbus, Ohio since 1985, Michigan is still home to me. I grew up there from kindergarten through high school. I graduated from Michigan State University; met my wife and married her; started our family; and started my career.

 

I can’t claim that I was exiled to Columbus, the heart of the Ohio State Buckeyes. After all, it was my choice to move here.

 

But I repeat, Michigan will always be home to me. As a testament to that, my basement office is decorated completely with Michigan State memorabilia. The Lord does work in mysterious ways.

 

Unlike me, the Jews who Jeremiah was writing to, had been exiled. They didn’t choose to go to Babylon; they were forced to. They were violently ripped out of their homes; their community; their jobs; their religious traditions; everything that was familiar to them.

 

In the opening line, Jeremiah makes a bold statement that God Himself claimed credit for their exile. The Lord goes on to say that they should “build houses, marry and have children; seek peace and prosperity for the city; even pray for it”. But why?

 

¹⁰ This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.          NLT

 

Indeed, the Lord does work in mysterious ways. Even when you can’t see it; the Lord has a plan for you. Even if you’ve been exiled from all that is familiar; even in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic; even when life hurts deeply; the Lord has a plan for you.

 

It would be nice if He gave us a roadmap that laid out His plan in black and white. But it doesn’t work that way. Sometimes we go through seasons of life without direction; without focus; without meaning. The good news is that the Lord is always with you; always at work; and always loves you.

 

Yes, the Lord works in mysterious ways.

 

 

 

 

Band of Brothers

Reaching Higher: A Series on My Journey of Discipleship

Luke 6:12-13; Mark 6:7-13

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%206%3A12-13%3B%20Mark%206%3A7-13&version=NIV;NLT

[Preface: This series is autobiographical to the extent that it is loosely based on my spiritual journey. In some ways, you could compare it to the stock market with a gradual overall increase, but many ups and downs; even a crash or two. Through it all though, the Lord has loved me and been with me the whole time. I hope you find my journey encouraging, but also, that the Lord might speak to you through it.]

 

At the end of the summer of 1971, when I decided to drop out of college and stay in East Lansing, I didn’t have a clue what I was going to do, or where I would even live. Thankfully though, the church I attended owned a house that they rented out to young men.

 

 

This house became known as the Hagadorn House because it was… well… on Hagadorn Road. The other guys in that house, and in our college fellowship group, soon became my closest friends.

 

We lived together, ate together, worshiped together, prayed together and played together. In fact, our softball team was called… The Hagadorn Brothers. We became a Band of Brothers.

 

¹² One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. ¹³ At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles.        NLT

 

Even though this was early in Jesus’ ministry, he had a large following; possibly as many as the 120 disciples that are mentioned in Acts 1:15. From this group, Jesus chose, and appointed, his apostles. Apostle means “one who is sent with a special mission”.

 

⁷ Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits… ¹² They went out and preached that people should repent. ¹³ They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.            NIV

 

These men became a Band of Brothers who spent all their time together, day and night, for three years. They experienced highs like, healing the sick and driving out demons; as well as lows like arguing over who was the greatest, and completely rejecting Jesus at his hour of greatest need.

 

We all need a Band of Brothers, or Sisters, to laugh and cry with; to support one another in the good times and in the bad; to do the work of the Lord together. Like the Apostles, we have also been chosen and sent on a mission; a mission to love and serve others, and to share the love of Christ.

 

Who is in your Band?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lesson of the Fish Fry

Subtitle: Breakfast on the Beach

John 21:1-14

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2021%3A1-14&version=NIV;NLT

 

Easter is when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. Normally, it’s a busy week with services on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and two on Easter Sunday; a sunrise service and a special Easter day service. Following this, we normally go home for time with family to celebrate Easter.

 

For over a decade, my wife and I have celebrated Easter Sunday with our daughter, her husband and our grandchildren; as well as my brother and his wife. Together we have enjoyed our annual Easter egg hunt, opened Easter baskets filled with goodies and shared an Easter dinner with traditional ham and cheesy potatoes.

 

Because of the stay at home order, Easter will be significantly different this year. However, in an effort to still “eat together”, we are going to celebrate our Easter dinner with our daughter and her family… virtually.

 

The menu and food preparation has been divided. An exchange will be made, at the appropriate social distance, on Saturday. Then, using Face Time, we will enjoy our Easter dinner together… just in different homes. We’ll see how it works.

 

In John 21, we read about Jesus and some of his disciples having a fish fry on the beach. Not exactly an Easter celebration, but a time of fellowship, discipleship and teaching.

 

You may have experienced déjà vu all over again as you read this story, because previously, in Luke 5, there’s a similar story with the same results. Only the first time when Simon Peter caught a boatload of fish, Jesus told him that from now on, he would fish for people. “So they pulled their boats on shore, left everything and followed him.”

 

So why does Jesus host a second fish fry on the beach? Could it be, that he is reminding his disciples of this earlier lesson? Could he be trying to get them to refocus on their mission? Could he be calling them once again, “to follow me”?

 

During your celebration of Easter this year, I hope you are able to enjoy some of your traditional activities.

But also, remember the lesson of the fish fry. We, like the disciples, have been called to catch fish; to share the Good News of Easter; to follow Jesus wherever he leads.

 

May you have a wonderful Easter; the best day of the year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Summer of ’71

Reaching Higher: A Series on My Journey of Discipleship

Luke 4:14-21

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%204%3A14-21&version=NIV;NLT

[Preface: This series is autobiographical to the extent that it is loosely based on my spiritual journey. In some ways, you could compare it to the stock market with a gradual overall increase, but many ups and downs; even a crash or two. Through it all though, the Lord has loved me and been with me the whole time. I hope you find my journey encouraging, but also, that the Lord might speak to you through it.]

 

Leading up to the summer of 1971, I had a decision to make… where to spend my summer.

 

There were two options before me. First was to spend the summer in California as an intern with Campus Crusade for Christ. The second was to go to East Lansing, Michigan, to participate in a local churches summer training program. I was torn; but chose the latter. It was a great decision!

 

It was my second summer in a row that was a mountain top spiritual experience. During the day we worked a regular job, but at night we listened to speakers based on various books that we were required to read. The authors included John Stott, Francis Schaeffer, Paul Little and CS Lewis.

 

In Luke 4:14-15, Jesus returned to Galilee where he was “teaching in their synagogues”. On one such occasion, he returned to his home town of Nazareth and read these verses from Isaiah.

 

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,
¹⁹     to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”   NIV

 

He then sat down, and with all eyes upon him said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” He was announcing who he was, and the beginning of his ministry.

 

But Jesus wasn’t born in a vacuum; there was context to his life. He didn’t just get up one morning and decide to walk throughout Galilee preaching the Good News and healing. So how did his Heavenly Father prepare him?

 

We know that just before starting his ministry, Jesus insisted that John baptize him. Following this, the Spirit immediately led him into the wilderness for forty days to be tempted. No doubt both of these events were a part of preparing him for what was to come. But how did he learn so much scripture?

 

According to Ray VanderLaan, an ordained minister, author and founder of “That the World May Know Ministries”, he attributes it to this.

 

“The people of Galilee were the most religious Jews in the world in the time of Jesus. He was born, grew up, and spent his ministry among people who knew Scripture by memory, who debated its application with enthusiasm, and who loved God with all their hearts, all their souls and all their might.

God prepared this environment carefully so that Jesus would have exactly the context he needed to present his message of “The kingdom of heaven" and his followers would understand and join his new movement. He fit his world perfectly.”

 

In other words, in the love and sovereignty of God, He prepared Jesus for his ministry; for the Lord’s master plan of redemption. This was the culmination of millennia of planning and preparation. But, the Lord didn’t just plan Jesus’ ministry; he planned yours and mine too.

 

At the end of the summer of ’71, even though I was going into my senior year at Michigan Tech where I was studying to be a geological engineer, I made the decision to drop out of school. The focus of my life had changed from the sciences to people.

 

Eventually, I went into full time urban youth ministry for twenty-five years and men’s ministry at my church for another six. And, almost fifty years later, I still keep in touch with many of my friends from that summer of ’71.

 

What has the Lord prepared for you to do in the year 2020?