Dirty Diapers

A Series on Spiritual Turning Points
Moments in Time: Epochal
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Mark 1:1-15 

[God is always at work in our life – drawing us to him, helping us to become the person he created us to be and leading us to opportunities to serve him. In this series we will look at spiritual turning points in the lives of real people and the moments in time that it happened. Applying this to our own life, sometimes this happens suddenly, sometimes gradually, but always with purpose.]

 

Children… change… your… life! That’s a fact. When you start a family, nothing is the same. Your life is not your own. You’re rudely awakened at all hours of the night. You clean, or change, poopy diapers at the most inconvenient times.

 

As a new dad, I remember coming home from work one day really needing to use the only bathroom that we had in our house. But when I ran upstairs and lifted the toilet lid, to my dismay, there was a dirty diaper in it. So first, I had to clean the diaper which meant picking it up out of the “water”.

 

Having a baby is epochal. It’s the beginning of a new era of life. The Gospel of Mark is also epochal. The first verse of the first chapter makes a bold proclamation!

 

¹ The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.       NIV

 

Jesus was, and is, the King of Kings. His kingdom is not a physical one, but one of the Spirit. It can’t be seen. And John the Baptist, as prophesied in Isaiah and quoted by Mark in his Gospel, announced that the king would soon be arriving to claim his kingdom. 

 

^2b “Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
    and he will prepare your way.
³ He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming!
    Clear the road for him!’”           NLT

 

In order to “prepare the way for the Lord”, John called people to repent of their sins and be baptized. In fact, Jesus himself was baptized by John. And when he did, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus and a voice came from heaven saying, “You are my Son, whom I love.” This wasn’t just a baptism. It was the anointing of the king.

 

Following this, the Spirit sent Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan for forty days. Jesus was being prepared to begin his kingdom under the crucible of severe temptation. And when he returned, he began by making a profound statement – a declaration really – worthy of a king.

 

¹⁵ “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”     NIV

 

Jesus’ declaration that “the kingdom of God has come”, was an epochal shift. From that time forward, redemption changed from the daily animal sacrifices of the Law of Moses to the human sacrifice of the Son of God – once and for all.

 

The Lord’s prayer that we still pray 2000 years after Jesus walked this earth, recognizes and embraces his kingdom.

 

"Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 

 

That kingdom is ours to continue. Let us do so purposefully as we pray his prayer and do his will to share the good news.

 

Copyright 2026 Joseph B Williams

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www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

Unexpected… even Extraordinary

A Series on Advent
The hymns of Luke’s birth narrative: The Benedictus by Zechariah
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Luke 1:67-80 

[In Luke’s Gospel, there are four songs sung by different individuals that were involved in the story of Christ’s birth. In this series, we will look at the meaning of those songs, how the singer was involved in the birth story and what it means for us today.]

When I was about eight years old, I was playing with some friends near the intersection of a residential side street and M46 – a busy two-lane highway. A boy started chasing me, so I ran from him. Without thinking, I darted across M46, right into the path of an oncoming car driving at least 45 mph.

 

Thankfully he missed hitting me, but both he and I were visibly shaken. Before this, I’d played on the same street many times without an incident. There was no reason to believe that it would be different this time. It was totally unexpected.

 

Zechariah and Elizabeth lived in the hill country of Judea, outside of Jerusalem. They were very old and had no children as Elizabeth was unable to conceive. Despite this, they were both considered righteous in God’s eyes.

 

In fact, Zechariah was a member of a priestly order. On one occasion, while serving at the Temple, he was chosen to keep the incense burning in the Holy Place. This once in a lifetime experience led to something unexpected… even extraordinary.

 

As he performed his duties, the angel Gabriel appeared to him. That was surprising enough, but then he told Zechariah that Elizabeth was going to have a son. Not only that, but their son “would prepare the people for the coming of the Lord”.

 

This was amazing news! Except, Zechariah didn’t believe it. As a result, Gabriel told Zechariah that he wouldn’t be able to speak until the day his son was born. Can you imagine what that would have been like for him?

 

He couldn’t tell anyone what had happened, particularly Elizabeth. Even more frustrating, he couldn’t tell her what was going to happen that would change their lives. However, any doubts must have gone away when Elizabeth became pregnant.

 

During the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, Mary arrived with unexpected news of her own. When Mary greeted her, Elizabeth’s baby moved in her womb, and she was filled with the Holy Spirit. Mary stayed with them for about 3 months.

 

Finally, when the baby was born, Zechariah must have been bursting at the seams to talk. Afterall, he’d had nine months to contemplate what had happened to him and Elizabeth, as well as Mary’s miraculous pregnancy. Also, he’d considered how the Old Testament prophecies applied to both Elizabeth and Mary’s babies.

 

Because he still couldn’t talk, Zechariah wrote on a writing tablet, “His name is John”! Immediately, Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he pronounced his prophetic hymn of praise, the Benedictus, or “praise be”. It began like this.

 

⁶⁸ “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
    because he has visited and redeemed his people.   NLT

 

Continuing, Zechariah praised God for sending a Savior from the line of David; for remembering his covenant with Abraham; for rescuing Israel from her enemies. Then he praised the Lord not only for his son, but also for Mary’s.

 

⁷⁶ “And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High,
    because you will prepare the way for the Lord. ⁷⁷ You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins.     NLT

 

Paul wrote, “We are God’s handiwork created to do good deeds”. Even with his doubts, God worked through Zechariah. The same is true for us. Even with our shortcomings, God works through us. And the results will be unexpected… even extraordinary. 

 

Copyright 2025 Joseph B Williams

Feel free to share this blog with others.

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

The Way Back

A Series on Living in the Wilderness: Part 2
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Luke 3:1-20 

[This is Part 2 in a series of looking at people who lived in the wilderness. Not necessarily the wilderness of nature, but the wilderness of life. In fact, there are times when we all feel like we are living in the wilderness. During those times, it’s important to remember that the Lord is faithful. That He loves you and is always with you.]

 

In the 2020 movie, “The Way Back”, Jack Cunningham’s life was a disaster. His son had died from childhood cancer, and to deal with his loss Jack started drinking heavily. As a result, his marriage fell apart.

 

His life was spiraling downward when he got a call from his former high school principal asking him to coach the basketball team. It was a game that he loved and had excelled at, but coaching seemed impossible. Despite this, he gave it his best shot.

 

Slowly, coaching basketball looked like it would be his redemption until another tragedy occurred resulting in him falling off the wagon. Recognizing his problem, Jack went to a rehab facility and began his journey to a new life. John the Baptist had a story of redemption to tell also.

 

² … At this time a message from God came to John son of Zechariah, who was living in the wilderness. ³ Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven.        NLT

 

John was living in the wilderness eating locusts and wild honey and wearing camel hair clothing when God gave him this message of redemption. In that culture, it was a revolutionary message that didn’t require a system of sacrifices, but a changed heart that was to be reflected by how you lived.

 

John was a prophet in the mold of the Old Testament. He called the Pharisees and Sadducees a “brood of vipers”. He spoke out against Herod the Tetrarch for marrying his brother’s wife. Unfortunately, this led to John’s imprisonment and ultimately to being beheaded.

 

Despite his brief, and what would appear to be inconsequential life, he had a huge impact. He had disciples who believed in him. People from all backgrounds listened to him and did what he told them to show true repentance. He spoke without fear.

 

⁴ “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming!
    Clear the road for him!              NLT

 

This verse is a quote from Isaiah who prophesized that the Messiah would come. And when he did, it was expected that exiled Jews from around the world would also return. Israel would then be an autonomous nation, not under the oppressive rule of Rome. But John’s message was different.

 

In the movie, Jack’s wife said to him, “We can’t change the past Jack. What we can do is choose how we move forward.” In preparing “the way for the Lord”, John had this same message to show people “the way back” ... not a political message, but a spiritual one. The message is the same today for you and me.

 

Copyright 2022 Joseph B Williams

 

 

 

Now you’re Cooking with Gas

A Series on the Milestones in Jesus’ Life

Mark 1:1-11

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%201%3A1-11&version=NIV;NLT

 

When I was in high school and was working on my math homework, sometimes I would get stuck and I would ask my Dad for help. What I really wanted though, was for him to just tell me the right answer. That would make it much faster and easier. But he never did.

 

He would make me work through the problem by asking me questions that made me think. Ugh! Then, at some point, a light would come on; and suddenly, I would get it.

 

Usually at that time Dad would say, “Now you’re cooking with gas”. I didn’t know exactly what that meant, or where the saying came from; but I knew it was his way of saying, “Good job, Joe Boy. I’m proud of you”. When he said that, I felt like I could conquer the world; or at least the world of math.

 

John had a mission that was inspired by the prophet Isaiah. “He was a voice shouting in the wilderness.” John was preparing the way for the Messiah by calling people to confess; to repent; to turn away from their sins; and to be baptized. Then one day, Jesus came to be baptized.

 

⁹ At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰ Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. ¹¹ And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”     NIV

 

John had prepared the way for Jesus. In the process, John had become very popular; but now it was time for the focus to shift to Jesus. His baptism was the passing of the mantle of ministry. It was a milestone in Jesus’ life.

 

With his Heavenly Father’s affirmation, Jesus was sent into a life of ministry. It was to be a life of trials, troubles and temptations. Yet, he went into it knowing that his Father, his Dad, loved him and would always be with him constantly at work through him and in him.

 

You probably haven’t heard an audible voice telling you, “You are my son, my daughter, whom I love.” Yet, this same affirmation; this same love; this same promise is there for you and me today. How should we respond?

 

Are You Ready for Some Football?

Isaiah 40:3-5

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2040%3A3-5&version=NIV;NLT

 

Football is in the air. High school, college and NFL teams are all preparing for the beginning of their fall season. But preparations began much earlier. The same is true for the Big Ten Network (BTN). They began preparing for the first game of the fall a long time ago.

 

For example, during the month of April each school’s spring game is televised. Then in late July, the two-day Big Ten Media Days are on the air for hours at a time. Once the Media Days are over, programming is peppered with previous years’ regular season games, bowl games and special programs. Finally, for three weeks in August, BTN airs their Bus Tour of fall practices for every school.

 

All of this is to prepare us, the fans, for the season to begin; to get us hyped up! Are you ready for some football?

 

³ Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland
    for our God! ⁴ Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten

the curves, and smooth out the rough places.          NLT

 

In ancient times, when eastern monarchs would set out on an expedition, they deployed advanced workers who would prepare the way for the monarch. Like Isaiah describes, they would build a road that was worthy of their king.

 

When he wrote this, Isaiah likely had in mind the return of the exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem. For us, we normally think of it as a reference to John the Baptist preparing people for the Messiah to arrive.

 

The bigger picture is that God is always at work in our lives. He is always “clearing the way through the wilderness for the Lord”.  He is constantly at work preparing our hearts, our circumstances, our relationships and our experiences to bring us closer to Him and to serve Him with a devoted heart.

 

When I say “always”… I mean “ALWAYS”! You think BTN spends a lot of time and money to prepare you for football season? God does eternally more to prepare you for Him!

 

 

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