The Shield ONLINE

The people knew Jesus was a miracle worker, casting out evil spirits, healing the sick, even giving sight to people who were born blind! So when someone they love died the obvious question was, "Why did you let them die?" Death stinks. There are no words of comfort or solace that change that fact. Even Jesus wept because of the pain and loss brought on by the death of a friend, and he is the one person who actually had an understanding of the bigger picture. What do we choose to do when we know that? What CAN we do?

Paul is losing his life of freedom and privilege. And he's threatened with losing his life altogether! But somehow he is going to respond to all that as if it is meaningless. It's like he's got some secret which allows him to be content in even the most chaotic and dangerous of situations... Want to know what that is?

Easter eggs are hidden in movies, on purpose or by accident, to give thoughtful viewers something to find and think about, or something to notice and wonder about. Scripture is rife with the same kind of gems waiting to be uncovered! Today, as we celebrate Resurrection Sunday, we're going to look at a couple of these and see if they can bring us at least as much joy as a few colored eggs and jelly beans do.

A long time ago, when I was in a customer service job, there was one annoying and mistaken client who, after long minutes of berating me for a problem of his own making, said, "If you don't do what I tell you, I'm not going to be your customer any more!" and I thoughtlessly said - out loud - "Promise?" He may have been a jerk, but that didn't give me license to respond in kind. It's been over 30 years and the memory of that mistake still helps keep me from going down that road again. I developed tools to be better and allowed God to work on growing my self-control in this area (and others). But what about someone like the Apostle Paul? What happens when he makes a mistake - or a series of them? Is there any way for him to go on? Can God still use someone who has put themself in a deep hole of trouble?

What group or groups do you belong to? How does that set you apart or make you special? Now ask yourself why you think that makes you better than people who are not part of those groups. No, don't get defensive - we all do it. We should at least try to be honest with ourselves. We all like to think that WE are better than THEM because we are set apart. The problem here goes two ways: First, it isn't true, and second, the OTHER groups think the same things about YOUR group. Instead of excluding the OTHER, we need to treat everyone as part of US. Why? Because that's what Jesus commanded us to do.

Accusations of wrongdoing, a brutal assault on the one being accused, and his arrest without cause or charges having been considered... This is the story we are diving into today. And it's one that should speak into the lives of each one of us! There should be an awareness of one, very important, very key idea that goes with us in everything we do: Are we listening to what God is saying? And what if we're wrong?

The great thinkers in each group were utterly baffled as to how anyone could see things in a different way. But the two groups reached opposite conclusions about many things! There was a distinct turning towards nationalism taking place which was causing one group to exclude the other, or at least to encourage them to practice their way of life somewhere else... Politics in America in 2024? Nope, Christians in Jerusalem, about 57 AD. And key leaders in each movement are about to meet face to face... What they choose to do is incredible.

If you thought it was the last time you were going to see beloved friends, what would you say to them? And why? What would you want to remind them of or warn them about? Paul, sailing past his former home, stops to say goodbye to one of his dearest church families. And he leaves them with warm words to guard them against a chilling reality... There are already wolves among them.

Have you ever been certain of a thing but someone you know is absolutely convinced that you are wrong? Have you ever wondered how people can be so foolish as to believe, follow, or be so moved by a particular belief that you know is seriously out of line with what God wants? What if someone you've respected and trusted for a long time says or does something that is completely contrary to what you KNOW to be true? How can we know? If there are two conflicting beliefs about an action, can we know which one is right? Does it matter? What if it isn't about being right? Lots of questions will be answered by today's message, but some won't be. There's a lesson in that for all of us...

There's a lot of humor and happiness in the story of Jonah that we tell to kids. But we can't get there unless we leave out a lot of anger, hatred, bitterness, and stubborn pride. This is a story about God's inconceivable grace for all of the people he has created - yes, even THOSE people. Why do we think it's about a whale? This week, the story of Jonah told twice - the happy kid story and the gratingly uncomfortable story from scripture. They're both funny, but is either of them meaningful to us in the modern world?

There was one Christmas message I preached when I first started as a full-time pastor to adults that ran about an hour. There was so much good material, I wanted to share it all! But as I spoke I could see people's eyes glazing over. A large family left partway through, late for the work shift that started early that afternoon. I could see the wish in the eyes of some others that they could do the same. I try to keep a better check on how long I speak now. Paul, in Acts 20, began a little after sundown, preached so long that someone actually DIED from it, then kept going until after sunrise. Is there a message in there we could benefit from hearing? I think so, and I promise it won't take very long for me to get to it...

No, this isn't a message about the destruction of Alderaan. It's also not a message about the Apostle Paul, though many think that it is. Paul is firmly in the back seat (or maybe the trunk) throughout this story. It's a little bit about a riot, but not much. It's kind of about the frequent failure of good intentions and how we need to act more mindfully when others are going to be affected by our actions. But mostly, it's about Jesus, and how we all can and should try out doing what HE says instead of what our feelings are leading us to do. At least until we find out if it works or not. Really. Acts 19:21-41 examined and what it could mean in the modern world considered.

Have you ever thought that if you offered the right prayer in the right way that God would do what you asked? There's a word for that. Magic. Magic was a way to control the gods or the elements or other people (or sometimes all three) to get the result the spell-caster wanted. It's what most people are trying to do when they pray. Today's story is about a group of exorcists who found that you can't co-opt the power of God. I don't know if what happened to them inspired them to look into how to truly follow Jesus, but it did help thousands of other in their time and it can help us today as well. Join us as we go on an adventure that begins in the book of Acts...

When he went back to Ephesus, Paul spent three months preaching in the synagogue. One commentary notes, "Three months in a synagogue without a riot is something of a record for Paul." Which is kind of funny, but it may simply be evidence of the Holy Spirit working in his life, helping him to grow in love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. Today, as we return to the book of Acts, we should all be asking the question Paul asked a group of men he met with when he got back to Ephesus: Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? Well, did you? How would you know? Could others tell? Could you go three months without a riot if you were talking about your faith every day? If you didn't receive the Holy Spirit, what WERE you baptized into? Because it wasn't Jesus.

When you get a gift, do you ever have that urge to give something of equal or greater value back? Either out of gratitude or from some twisted desire to avoid some perceived "gift deficit" where you think you owe someone for having given you something? Most of us feel that, at least sometimes. So what do you give to God for the gift of life and the ability to become who you choose to be? When the gift is your very life, what is the appropriate reciprocal gift? And what does that have to do with the Unexpected True Story of Christmas? Find out in today's examination of some of the things that happened not long after Jesus was born. Important things that can (and perhaps should) change the way we approach life from this point forward.

I want to give you a gift. Well, it's not from me. it's from God. You know, the LORD? YHVH? Our Creator? Yeah, he has this really important and, dare I say, intimate gift he wants us all to have. But you're going to need something. You need to take a breath. Today, the gift of breathing light into your life and the things that can change... Happy Christmas.

We three kings from orient are... Not from the orient. We three kings... No, not kings either. We three... Well, maybe, but probably not. Properly considered, the story of the Magi isn't even part of the birth narrative of Jesus, but because we have incorporated it into our Christmas mythology for centuries, we should look at what it could have meant then and what it might mean for us today. And what was up with that star?

It's the wee hours of the night and you are wakened by a commotion outside. What's going on? Then, a knock at your door - more of a pounding, really. You open to find a man, caked with dirt, smelling of sweat and animals, someone you would cross the street to avoid if you came upon them in town. He asks you if there's a baby in your home that he could come an look at. Obviously, he's insane! You are about to tell him so when you realize that there are about fifty more just like him in a big unruly mob jostling up behind him, trying to see around you... This is quickly becoming a very Unexpected Christmas Story. Questions or comments? email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org or post them here. Want to hear more? Check our archives or visit our podcast at http://bit.ly/shieldonline Can you help The Salvation Army in Nevada County, CA help people in need? Donate here: https://grassvalley.salvationarmy.org Grace and peace to you.

As the woman, pregnant, in labor, clinging to the donkey she rode, was ushered up the walk, the innkeeper came out, waving them away into the snow as he turned an bolted the door behind him. Nonsense. Sure, it makes a fun story, but it's insane, which should be immediately obvious to anyone who hears it. So dust off your Bibles and follow me as we journey through the REAL story of the amazing birth of Jesus.

Advent starts next week and we'll talk about the Christmas story throughout the season. This week, though, we're going to talk about two women who had obviously rejected God's ways and brought great shame to their families and communities by their brazenness. Except, maybe that wasn't the way God saw their stories... An Unexpected Christmas Story begins here... Questions or comments? You can put them here or email roger.mccort@usw.salvationarmy.org Podcasts of our messages can be found as The Shield Online on iTunes and Spotify and all the rest or on your favorite podcast app. Our archive is also available here: http://bit.ly/shieldonline Can you make a gift to help The Salvation Army in its mission to share the gospel of Jesus Christ by meeting human needs without discrimination? You can do that here: http://grassvalleyredkettle.org or here: https://grassvalley.salvationarmy.org Grace and peace to you and yours in the coming days!