I’m always struck by Luke 3.1, 2: Luke firmly fixes John the Baptist’s appearance in history:

• In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, 
• Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and 
• Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and 
• his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and 
• Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 
• during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, 
• the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. (Luke 3.1, 2, ESV, bulleted for clarity)

Peter’s testimony is clear:

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. (1 Peter 1.16 – 19, ESV)

And John echoes the theme: this stuff really happened!

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. (1 John 1.1 – 4, ESV, emphasis mine)

It’s always fun to note whom the Gospel writers are careful to include in the nativity stories.

• Shepherds: low-class working men (Luke 2.8 – 18)
• Magi: upper class, educated, foreigners (Matthew 2.1 – 12)
• NOT Herod and the upper class of Jerusalem (Matthew 2.3)
• Simeon: a regular guy (not a priest) who listened to God (we don’t know that he was old) (Luke 2.25 – 35)
• Anna: an old widow (Luke 2.36 – 38)

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. (1 Corinthians 1.26, 27, ESV)

If you feel as I do that it appears that there is less and less room for Jesus or Jesus followers in the public square, we’re not experiencing anything new.

And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. (Luke 2.7, ESV)

No matter how this is explained, it’s still a good metaphor: no place for Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus. It’s becoming that way in the US. No place for God so that a football coach who just wants to pray after every game at midfield has to get an OK from the Supreme Court.

If one gets one’s marching orders from something or Someone other than the state, there is often “no place.” “Freedom of worship” means you can go to church if you want, just don’t bring any of its values into the public square.

It’s OK. We’re in good company. There was no place for Jesus either.

And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. (Hebrews 13.12 – 14, NIV)

It’s time to start recording some highlights from Luke’s gospel, the next book in our New Testament Reading Plan for this year. Chapter one starts with some vignettes on faith, or its lack.

• Zechariah believes not

And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” (Luke 1.18 – 20, ESV)

• Zechariah believes and “fulfills his ministry.” Zechariah might not have believed at first, but after being struck dumb, he does believe and takes appropriate action.

After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived… (Luke 1.24, ESV)

There’s only one virgin birth. John the Baptist’s birth is by ordinary means. Zechariah had a required action for Elizabeth to conceive – this falls under the category that if you’re praying to win the lottery, you must at least buy a ticket!

• Mary believes, understanding, as The Passion Translation puts it:

No promise of God is empty of power for nothing is impossible with God. (Luke 1.37, TPT)

This is a great verse, usually translated “For nothing is impossible with God.” But the translator of The Passion Translation explains:

This verse can be translated in two different ways: “There is nothing impossible with God” or “The word of God will never fail.” The translator has chosen to include both for this verse. – Note on Luke 1.37

Dawson Trotman, the founder of The Navigators, preached a sermon on prayer called “The Need of the Hour.” He seemed to understand the double meaning of this verse when he said:

Let me tell you what I believe the need of the hour is. Maybe I should call it the answer to the need of the hour. I believe it is an army of soldiers, dedicated to Jesus Christ, who believe not only that He is God, but that He can fulfill every promise He has ever made, and that there isn’t anything too hard for Him. – Dawson Trotman, The Need of the Hour, emphasis mine

• Then when Mary visits Elizabeth, Elizabeth seems to contrast Mary’s faith with her husband Zechariah’s initial unbelief:

And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” (Luke 1.45, ESV)

Do we believe? Do we act on our belief?

[Abraham] did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. (Romans 4.19 – 21, ESV)

By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore. (Hebrews 11.7 – 12, ESV)

I wrote back in August 2020 about Colossians 4.17:

And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.”

I wrote a couple of days ago about Paul’s letter to Philemon, verses 1 and 2:

Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our beloved fellow worker and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house…

I argued two years ago that each of us has received a ministry from the Lord, and we need to fulfill it. It needn’t be considered a “spiritual ministry.” I just now put two and two together: one of the ministries of Archippus was hosting the church. We don’t know that he was even an elder. He just had a big-enough house to host the people when they met. Why would you need encouragement for a ministry like that?

Have you ever hosted a small group in your home? It’s fun at first, but then it gets tiresome. There is work involved! You can’t even opt-out of a meeting!

What about the brother I wrote about yesterday? I’m sure it’s fun to get written up in your alumni magazine, but what Rick Hagans did was hard work! Running a home for men on the street and another home for homeless women and children is no mean feat.

The lesson remains: God gives us something to do. It’s our job to do it, day in, day out. One of my ministries is the daily Ewellogy. Thanks for reading! It’s fun to write, but it’s also daily. So Paul’s word to Archippus encourages me, also.

And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.” (Colossians 4.17, ESV)

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord…(Colossians 3.23, ESV)

Some stories are too good not to share: this one is about Rick Hagan, Auburn University, class of 1984. He was written up in the Summer 2022 edition of Auburn Magazine. I recommend you read it in its entirety (it’s not long – I just don’t have permission to print it all).

Here’s the pictograph summary:

Here are a few highlights:

Rick Hagans ’84 has spent his life walking, preaching, rescuing and breathing hope into those who no longer have any… 

[After dropping out of Auburn and then dropping out of bible college,] In the fall of 1980, he returned to Auburn and started a ministry in a room downtown, but so many people showed up on the first night that the police had to shut it down.

So, Rick and Kim rented a house and opened “The Challenge.” In addition to college students, addicts, alcoholics and the homeless began to come hear Rick preach.

“We would get all the leftover hot dogs after Auburn football games, so these men figured out that we would feed them,” Hagans said. “1982 wasn’t a very good season, so we got a lot—a lot—of hot dogs.”

…In the early ’90s, Hagans opened “His Place” in Opelika, a ministry that provides food, lodging, an intensive recovery program, support and the word of God.

Around the same time, a woman and her newborn were living in a tent that got blown away during a storm. With no other options, police brought her to Hagans because they knew he wouldn’t turn her away. From there, Rick and Kim opened “Hosanna Home” for women and children in the former Chambers County Tuberculosis Hospital in Lafayette, Ala. Both “His Place” and “Hosanna Home” are fully supported by private donations...

He has ministered in the slums as well as in the largest church in New York City—and everywhere in between. He led a group that built an orphanage in Mexico and led a Bible study for U.S. congressmen in Washington, D.C. Hagans says coffee tastes just as good when you drink it with hobos as it does when you drink it with congressmen.

“There’s good in both and there are needs in both,” Hagans said. “My mission is to meet those needs and make sure all of them know Jesus.” – From Walking Humbly with My God, Auburn Magazine.

I get the impression that he just stumbled into ministry, and God multiplied his efforts, using him in mighty ways. Reading about Rick strengthens my faith in God! You can read more about, and donate to, Rick’s ministry here.

I don’t know Rick, but I think he would gladly apply Paul’s words to himself:

God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. (1 Corinthians 1.27 – 31, NIV)

And according to the article’s title, Rick lives by these words:

He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6.8, NKJV)

Yesterday we talked about the main message of Paul’s letter to Philemon: “Charge it to my account.” Today, I want to talk about the very first sentence of the letter:

Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our beloved fellow worker and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house… (Philemon, verses 1 and 2, ESV)

It’s a simple sentence: “to…the church in your house.” The church isn’t the building, it’s the people. In this case, a group of people meets in Archippus’ house. It’s a simple sentence but a huge paradigm shift for most North American Christians. “Church” is:

• Not the building
• Not the 11am Sunday service (as opposed to Sunday School)
• Not the denomination you’re affiliated with (“The Roman Catholic Church” or “The Presbyterian Church” or “Baptist Church” (of whatever flavor)

It’s THE PEOPLE, either local or worldwide for all time. As the tee-shirt says:

That’s not even quite right. We are the church, like it or not. And we’re called to be “the called out ones” especially when we’re not in the building! I wrote about this back in 2020 after hearing Todd Wagner, then pastor of Watermark Church in Dallas.

If we primarily define church as a building, we miss the point of what God intended His Church to be: a group of people that are on mission 24/7 to bring hope and restoration to a broken world. This could not be more important. We’ve let culture define what the church is, causing people to first think of walls and windows instead of men and women who love and care for them. – Todd Wagner, February 2020

Jesus was clear – I’m not building a building, I’m calling out people who will successfully storm the gates of hell:

I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16.18, ESV)

The little letter to Philemon, a fellow who lived in Colossae, is short but rich. The main idea is that Philemon should forgive his runaway slave Onesimus who became a believer, probably while in custody with Paul. Paul’s appeal has been compared by many to Jesus’ work on our behalf:

So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. (Philemon, verses 17, 18, ESV)

“Charge that to my account” is exactly what Jesus is saying to the Father about you and me. “I know they have sinned, but charge it to my account.” It’s a beautiful picture.

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5.21, NIV)

Friday, July 8, I published Education?, the story of Casey and the air conditioner. If you missed it, it’s worth the read. Casey himself commented on the blog, and his words make an excellent illustration of yesterday’s Put on… blog from Colossians 3.12 – 17. Specifically,

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Colossians 3.12, NIV)

What might that look like? Here is Casey’s own description of his philosophy of life:

Thank you for your kind words, and I’m just glad I was able to help someone in need. It brings me joy to be able to help my family. Sometimes I feel like I don’t have much to offer them except the lessons I’ve learned from others and pay it forward. If you don’t share your talents and abilities at times without worrying about what you’re going to get out of it what good is it really? But I will say I got an awesome breakfast out of it! – Casey Gifford

Sounds like compassion, kindness, humility, and gentleness to me!

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. (Philippians 4.9, NIV)

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. (1 Timothy 4.12, NIV)

Yesterday we looked at the list of things God wants us to put off. Thankfully, the list is followed by what we’re supposed to put on:

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with

• compassion,
• kindness,
• humility,
• gentleness and
• patience.
• Bear with each other and
• forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
• And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
• Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.
• And be thankful.
• Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you
  • teach and
  • admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit,
  • singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
• And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3.12 – 17, NIV, bulleted for clarity)

I usually use this text for a short homily when I perform a wedding. I look at the bride and groom in their finery, and I say something like:

You guys clean up really well! But soon you will take off the wedding clothes and put on regular clothes and go about normal day-to-day living. On one of those days, Joe will do a “husband error.” Mary, that’s when you’ll need to exercise forgiveness, peace, and love. On another day, Mary won’t be smiling, and she won’t feel as deeply in love as she does now. She’ll be down or out-of-sorts for some reason. On those days, Joe, you’ll need to put on compassion, kindness, gentleness, and patience.

It’s good, practical counsel. It’s a good way to live. It’s not blasting back at people on social media, for example. It’s appreciating those who showed up for work to serve us today. It’s a way Christ-followers can stand out.

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, 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 who is in heaven. (Matthew 5.13 – 16, ESV)