Many people have speculated, prognosticated, predicted and fretted about when the end of the world will come. Nostradomus had his theories as have the Mayans, Jehovah Witnesses and a host of writers, like Tim LaHaye, and pastors, like Jack van Impe. No one has successfully predicted the end. Most of these predictions come from some reading and study of the book of Revelation in the Bible. This month at Pathways we have discussed what Revelation says now and, more importantly, what it said to the people who originally read it during the first century. John, the writer of Revelation, wrote to people who had a specific understanding of John's words. Today many of us want Revelation to say something specific to us about what the future holds. Why is this? Perhaps it's because we see the mess all around us with war, famine, pain and suffering and we want to know when it will all get better. Whatever your reason for wanting to know how it will all end, take a look at it for yourself to find out what Revelation had to say 2000 years ago and what it has to say today.

 

This week one of my friends had a baby boy. After nine months of carrying him in her belly, craving pickles and ice cream, and counting down the days until she could meet him, she spent twelve hours long in various stages of labor. I guess we can blame that last part on Eve and that really stupid decision she made in the Garden of Eden. But in the end, all the morning sickness, sacrifices, the labor pains and pushing were worth it because when I visited the hospital a precious, round-faced little boy swaddled in a blanket was waiting with bright eyes to greet the world. He was celebrating a new beginning -- a beginning to what will hopefully be a long, wonderful life. We, too, celebrate new beginnings in our lives as adults. When we accept Christ's gift or forgiveness and healing we have a chance to start a new, fresh life where all those old hurts and ugly habits are left in the past. When we go through a struggle or a loss, we have the opportunity to ask God for a new beginning. We have a wonderful opportunity to walk away from those old things and start on a new path toward God's plan for our lives. This week at Pathways ended a series on celebration. We have walked through many Old Testament celebrations as we have focused on our own celebrations of the past, of God's grace and God's goodness. Fortunately, the celebration doesn't end just because the sermon series ended. Keep celebrating -- good times and bad, past present and future.

This month at Pathways we are focusing on a theme of celebration. May brings us a variety of holidays, beginning with May Day and Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day in the middle and ending with Memorial Day. The celebration theme is also clear throughout the Bible. Many of the Jewish celebrations or holidays are detailed throughout the Old Testament. The Israelites celebrated both good times and bad. Their celebrations, like ours, were a way to mark history. We celebrate Independence Day on July 4th as a way to remember the United States gaining its independence from Great Britain.  Thanksgiving is celebrated to remember the Pilgrims and Native Americans coming together when America was initially settled. For the Jewish followers, they celebrated events in their history like the exodus from Egypt. In Joshua, chapter 4, the writer details a historical event of the Israelites crossing the Jordan on their way to Jericho. God asked Joshua to take twelve stones from the river bed and place them in a circle as a memorial to God’s deliverance that day. The stones were meant as a way for the story to be passed from one generation to the next so their history would remain intact. This week we celebrated both the life and death of a dear sister in Christ. She lived a full, amazing life and left a legacy of love with those who cared about her.  What are the stones of remembrance you are leaving behind? What are the stories that will be told when you are gone?

May is a month of celebration at Pathways.

 

We began by celebrating the sacrifice, care, love, generosity, and devotion of mothers. We also want to spend time in May thinking about the history of the church and the journey God has taken His people through. May is also a good time to think about what God is doing in each of us, day to day. Perhaps you have survived some tragedy or major illness and you can see how God used that tragedy to bring you closer to Himself. Or maybe you have gone through a challenging time and you can celebrate God’s never-ending presence in your life.  Better still, hopefully you have wonderful memories of life’s milestones and you can praise God for His many blessings.

 

Whatever it is, whether good or bad, happy or sad, God is in control and we can rest assured that He will never leave us. What a great reason to celebrate!

Have you ever gone to a wedding and wondered, why is the bride dressed in white? (Men ignore this next part)Have you ever noticed that the groom does not look as good as the bride? Why is the whole wedding ceremony focused on this clean, spotless, new woman? She is washed in purity, the purity of her groom’s sacrifice. Wedding ceremonies are designed to point to the cross, we don’t think about it in our day, but it points to Christ. Weddings for the Jews were designed to remind the people of God’s covenant with them. In our day, we should be reminded of the covenant that God has made with us in Christ. We live life new. Every Sunday is a day to be reminded of what God has done, and how He has made us new. It is a "new day" to celebrate the resurrection, which is really another word for "new life." 

Think back to childhood and the recess favorite game “Red Light, Green Light”. When the person who is “It” shouts “red light” all the other runners stop in their tracks and anyone who fails to stop is out of the game. When “green light” is called all the players run wild as they listen for the next “red light” to be shouted. The point of the game is for one player to be standing at the end, deemed the best listener in the game, the person with the best reflexes in response to what they hear. This week’s sermon at Pathways was about the story of the man born blind who was healed by Jesus. He was found by Jesus and the disciples to be begging. He had never heard of Jesus and he didn’t ask anyone to heal him. Jesus saw the potential in this man and after creating some spit-mud to apply to the man’s eyes, he instructed the man to wash in a nearby pool. The man followed Jesus’ instructions, even though Jesus was a stranger with a strange request. As the story goes along the man goes from not knowing Jesus at all, to knowing Jesus was a man, to thinking Jesus was a prophet sent by God, to finally believing that Jesus is the Messiah. His faith journey is contrasted with that of the Pharisees in this story. Instead of celebrating this man’s newfound sight, the Pharisees questioned why this Jesus fellow would dare to break the law by healing someone on the sacred Sabbath. They eventually kicked the blind man out of the synagogue or church. Who was left standing in the “Red Light, Green Light” game regarding this event? Who listened and responded the best and quickest?  How that you know the story, you too are a part of this “game”. How will you respond to what you hear?

 I married late in life at the ripe old age of 37. I had very few serious criteria for a wife, including a few oddball requests to God for a wife who was already a homeowner. God brought me a wonderful woman, far better than I had prayed for or expected to marry. I was smitten by her and still am smitten by her today. We have been married long enough to no longer deserve the term “newlyweds” but we still live with the same fresh love as we did on our wedding day. I married my wife because I loved her and wanted to spend the rest of my life getting to know her better and spending time by her side. When I think about my relationship with God it is really a lot like marriage. God and I have an intimate relationship – He knows me better than I know myself because He is my creator, counselor, savior and friend. I don’t know a better way to experience freedom than in relationship with God. I need freedom – freedom from myself. There are so many things on a daily basis that make me want to serve myself. I look around and want a newer car because I see my neighbor’s sweet new car in his driveway. I want the latest phone because I see others enjoying cool new features that my year old “dinosaur” doesn’t have. These selfish drives are a prison that keeps me focused on myself and what I don’t have or think I deserve. Spending time in a relationship with God reminds me that He is all I need to have true satisfaction in life. The new car in my neighbor’s driveway will eventually need the same oil changes, new tires and costly repairs that my older model needs. That new cool phone will be a dinosaur soon enough. God’s love for me never gets old or worn out. I never need a newer version of God’s love because it never changes. The more I spend time with God, talking with God, learning about who God is and serving God, the more freedom I have from the prison of discontent. Just like I spend time with my wife to keep the love alive in our marriage, the time I spend with God is vital to my relationship with Him. That’s true freedom!

 

-Pastor Joe Miller

This weekend marked the official start to spring with the vernal equinox, or one of the two days of the year when the length of daylight and darkness are equal. It is an amazing sign of God’s skill and creativity as designer of the universe. The placement of the sun and the earth’s orbit around it is perfectly placed for our survival. The earth is tilted just so, allowing the seasons to change in both hemispheres. As we celebrate the start to spring, many of us are wearing snow boots, warm coats and gloves as we shovel snow from our sidewalks. The weather in the Midwest has offered us a strange start to the season best known for shades of green, blooming flowers and ever-warming sunny days. The freezing rain, sleet and snow this particular weekend led to the cancellation of church here at Pathways. For those of you who are followers of Christ and believe in God as creator, take this opportunity to re-read the first chapter of Genesis and celebrate God’s sovereignty over creation, including the weather. Enjoy some time snuggled in warm clothes while you take some time to worship privately in the warmth and safety of your home. This is also a great chance to reconnect with family as you enjoy some unexpected time together.