Welcome, Purpose, and Links

Hello,

My name is Mike Sechler. I am currently the pastor at Oakland Evangelical Free Church, and this blog is a place for me to set down some of my thoughts about life, scripture, church life, discipleship and whatever else comes into my mind at the moment. A number of my posts are articles that I have written in the past or that I have just written for the local paper or for my church.

I hope you find them enjoyable and edifying.

Along with this blog, I also have a blog where I review and recommend various resources including books, movies, websites, podcasts, and all sorts of other media.

I am also keeping a record of all the sermon recordings, so if you are interested in listening to them here are the links.

2017

Love Made Manifest

Have you ever been in love? How do you know? Is it the tingles in your stomach? Is it the way you feel when your true love looks at you? Is it your desire to do anything to make the other person happy?

How would they know you love them? Do you say I love you? Do you give them flowers and gifts? Do you spend all day gazing into their loving eyes? An even more important love is the love of God for us. Do you know God loves you? How do you know? 

1 John 4:9 tells how we see the love of God for us through Jesus coming, "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him."

Through Jesus, the love of God is made manifest or show to us, and He does this in a number of ways. First, simply by coming and being with us, He gave us the very presence of God. Joseph and Mary got to experience God's love in a very unique way as the human parents to Jesus. They held Him as a baby. They raised Him as a boy, seeing Him grow and mature.

Then when Jesus started His public ministry, a large part of what He did was spend time with people. His disciples literally lived with Him for years. He went and stayed at people's houses and went to parties with many of them. Furthermore, He was not limited in spending time with just the good people or the important people. Rather, He spent time with the poor, the outcasts, and the sinner, but also with any leaders who would have Him.

He even got close enough to touch and be touched. He was held, cuddled, and swaddled as a baby. He walked among crowds where even ceremonially unclean people, like a woman with a bleeding illness could touch Him. He touched people with leprosy and with blindness. He allowed little children, who were not valued as much in that society, to come to Him.

He also came to tell us that we are loved. When talking to Nicodemus, He says that His coming is a very sign that God loves the world (John 3:16). He tell His disciples that He loves them, that they should remain in His love, and as a result they should love one another (John 13:34, 15:9). Furthermore, for those who chose to follow Him, we are told our very identity is transformed by belonging to Jesus (Philippians 1:21, Galatians 2:20). He spoke regular words of love and encouragement to His followers and through them to those of us who follow Him.

Jesus's words of love were backed up by actions of love. He said that He came to serve and to be served (Mark 10:45.) He healed the sick, fed the hungry, visited the lonely and outcast, rescued the demon-possessed, and taught the truth. Finally, He gave His life to ransom the prisons, namely us, from the chains of sin.

While we know how to show love through giving gifts at Christmas and other times, God gives the best gift in sending His son. The baby Jesus was wrapped up like a baby in swaddling clothes, but Jesus was also wrapped in burial linen. It was not until He was unwrapped at Easter that the final gift was revealed. He came to provide salvation from our sins and the gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23). So this Christmas, I encourage you to open your eyes to the love the God shows us through Jesus.

Greatest Miracle?

 

If you have been a Christian for a long time who has read their Bible and/or gone to church, then you know lots of miracle stories. Christians believe that at times God has supernaturally broken into the natural order and changed things for His purposes. You might remember Noah's flood, or the Red Sea dividing for Israelites to walk through on dry land, or the manna and quail to feed them in the wilderness, or perhaps you think of the miracles of Elijah and Elisha. And then we think of the miracles of Jesus from turning water into wine, to healing illnesses, to casting out demons, to raising others from the dead, to the fact that He was also raised from the dead.

Certainly each of the miracles is astounding in itself and beyond our comprehension, but have you ever considered which is the greatest miracle of all? Which miracle best displays God's mastery of time and space? Certainly the miracle of creation itself is bigger than all of those other miracles and if God can create the universe by speaking it into existence, then the other miracles that involve manipulating, restoring, or creating parts of the universe, seem small in comparison. But to me the most amazing miracle of all is actually what we celebrate at Christmas. Namely that the creator of the universe, the one who is before, after, above, and beyond the universe, came into the universe and became a human like you and me. 

Colossians 1:15–18 says this about Jesus "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent."

Jesus, the Son of God, God the Son, an equal and eternal member of the triune God, creator and upholder of the universe, the Alpha and Omega, became a human. This does not mean He gave up His divine nature, but instead He added to it human nature. Therefore He became truly human just as He was truly divine. The creator of a universe that is 93 billion light years across, entered into His creation and took on a form that is just a speck on a planet that is just a speck in a solar system that is just a speck in a galaxy that is just one of billions of galaxies. The difference between His divine nature and human nature is so vast as to be uncountable and unimaginable. That is why this miracle seems to be the greatest to me. God came down. God with us. Immanuel!

Why did Jesus do it? To redeem His creation that He loved. To redeem those who see His love and love Him back. So maybe the biggest miracle of all for me personally is that God came down to rescue and redeem me. Have you experienced the miracle of Christmas, namely that God came to love you and be with you?

Jesus, the Son of God, God the Son, an equal and eternal member of the triune God, creator and upholder of the universe, the Alpha and Omega, became a human. This does not mean He gave up His divine nature, but instead He added to it human nature. Therefore He became truly human just as He was truly divine. The creator of a universe that is 93 billion light years across, entered into His creation and took on a form that is just a speck on a planet that is just a speck in a solar system that is just a speck in a galaxy that is just one of billions of galaxies. The difference between His divine nature and human nature is so vast as to be uncountable and unimaginable. 

Do you call Him King?

Isaiah 9:6-7 says, 

For to us a child is born, 

to us a son is given, 

and the government will be on his shoulders. 

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, 

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

Of the greatness of his government 

and peace there will be no end. 

He will reign on David’s throne

and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it

with justice and righteousness 

from that time on and forever. 

The zeal of the LORD Almighty

will accomplish this.

In the Christmas story recounted in Matthew 1 & 2 and Luke 1 & 2 Jesus is called a son who is both Messiah and King in the line of David, who fulfills this promise. At the time, Joseph, Mary, the wise men and the shepherds, believed this because they had gotten special messages from God, but the baby Jesus was a regular human baby. He didn't yet fulfill these promises with any of his own actions yet. They worshiped the baby because they believed What God had said about Him.

We, on the other hand, have the advantage of reading the whole story of Jesus's perfect life, death, and resurrection. We also have 2,000 years of history showing his impact on billions of people and the whole history of the world. In his first coming and its after effects, he's already fulfilled many of the prophecies in Isaiah 9 and in other places, and they'll be completely fulfilled when it comes again.

So, around the Christmas season, as we think about these things, and we see various Christmas plays, it's easy in our mostly Christian context to mouth the words that Jesus is King and Messiah. So the real question for those of us who say that Jesus is our King at this time of the year is whether or not our words and actions show that He is our King, not just in December or on Sundays, but at other times. Is he your prince of peace on Monday morning when it is really hard to get up to go to school or work? 

Is He your wonderful counselor when you have to face that boss who is often unjust and selfish? Do you really believe He is mighty God when you're facing that cancer diagnosis? Do you still believe He is righteous and just when you see Christians being persecuted and killed around the world for their belief in Him?

It is good and right for us at this time of the year to remind ourselves who Jesus is and to sing Christmas carols declaring Him to be our King and Savior. But during the beautiful times of the season, let's commit ourselves to calling Him King and obeying Him as our master, even during the hard times.

Better than Santa

During this time of year our family watches Christmas movies, and many of them are  either about Santa or include him. Santa is almost always a good character that encourages people to behave better with the promise of reward. Christmas movies always turn out happy with a good focus on family and giving to others. For the most part then, watching Santa movies are happy times with the family, but I want to point out that while Santa may be fun, Jesus is an even better focus for the CHRISTmas holiday. If we compare the two, we will discover that Jesus beats Santa in every category.

Santa gives gifts to good boys and girls on Christmas. James 1:17 says that all good gifts come down from the Father of heavenly lights, and John 3:16 tells us that Jesus is the gift of the Father to the world so that those who believe in Him might have everlasting life. All good gifts are ultimately from God and for those who believe, we get to experience His goodness for eternity.

Santa seems to have quite a bit of knowledge of our activities since he knows when we are sleeping and when we are awake, and when we've been good and bad. Psalm 139 tells us that God knows us intimately and that there is no place where we can go that he is not there, and Psalm 147:5 says that God's knowledge is infinite, so God has more knowledge than even Santa.

Santa wants people to be good, not bad, but he seems to be kind of a legalist with your reward depending exclusively upon how good or bad you are. Some of the stories seem to indicate that if you are bad, you might only get coal for a present! God wants us to be good and gave us His law for our own good (Deuteronomy 10:12-13). Furthermore, Jesus tells us that if we love Him, we will do what He commands (John 14:15). But He also recognizes that on our own we cannot love Him, so He came to redeem us even when we were bad and still His enemies (Romans 5:8). Even our ability to be good after He has redeemed us comes from Him. He gives us His Spirit and changes our hearts so that we learn to love what is good. Then we can be good because we have new desires and the power of the Holy Spirit working in us (study Romans 6-8). 

Finally, while Santa is fun fairy tale to encourage us during the Christmas season, Jesus is really God incarnate who came to earth to show us God's love for us. He not just a fairy tale, but a real man, who lived, died, and rose again, so that we can know His love at all times and during all seasons. During the Christmas season it's okay to have fun with your family, give gifts to one another, and watch holiday movies, but it is most important to remember and put a focus on the one for whom the holiday is named. Christ is not just the reason for this season, but rather this season should help us remember that Jesus should be our reason to live and love well during all times of the year.

John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Christian Duty to Vote.

 If you are a Christian you should be a good citizen and seek the good of your nation, state and community by understanding the issues and voting wisely. It is one way to promote good values and by doing so we are loving God and loving our neighbors.

Sample Nebraska Ballots from the state of Nebraska.

Nebraska Online Registering to Vote. This closes today, October 18, but in person registration at your county courthouse stays open until the October 25.

Nebraska Voter Guide from Nebraska Family Alliance. A conservative group that promotes conservative family values. It will walk you through a ballot from your area, showing you information on specific  family related issues.

Information about Nebraska Ballot Measures 434 and 439 about abortion.

What Time Is It?

I've recently been preaching through the book of Ecclesiastes and came to Ecclesiastes 3, where the music group the Bryd got the lyrics of their song  “Turn! Turn! Turn!.” If you know the lyrics then you know some of the words of the Scripture. 

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh.

We can learn several lessons about time from this passage. First, we should prepare for different seasons of life. Sometimes we get to rejoice in the birth of a new baby, and other times we have to go to the funeral of a loved one. Jobs come and go. Friends come and go. Families come and go. The weather and the season change constantly. If we can only be happy and content if we get all the circumstances just right, then we are going to end up discontent tomorrow because a new season of life will come upon us.

Second, we need to understand what time it is. We need to spend time considering the times. Each day we should reflect on what that day holds. At each season of life we should consider how things have changed. Parenting a 4 year old is different than parenting a 14 year old and still different than parenting a 24 year old. And it will be different still when you are 84 and your kids need to help parent you. If you do not recognize how things have changed you are not going to love others well. For instance, if you think a 14 year old is just going to believe you and obey you just because you said so in the same way a 4 year might, then you are in for a shock! Likewise, if you are getting older, you should consider that in your desire to not burden your kids and to remain independent, you may be causing them more trouble because they can see you need help, but you keep resisting them.

Therefore, at each stage of life and each change of circumstances you should reconsider how things have changed and how your attitudes and actions might change accordingly. Furthermore, wise people will plan for the future recognizing that changes will be coming. How might you plan for retirement? How might you help your kids or grandkids prepare for their futures? If you do not know what to expect or how to prepare, then get help from those who have been through those changes already.

A final lesson from this chapter is that God has put eternity in our hearts, so that we can see that there is more than just this earthly life, so our consideration of time needs to be made with eternity in mind. Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount talked about things on this earth will be destroyed, but we can build up treasures in heaven. It is always the right time to consider our relationship with the eternal God. Am I spending my time today in such a way that God is glorified and I am becoming the type of person who is ready to spend time with Him in heaven? The more we learn to love like Jesus in our time on earth, the more we will be prepared to spend eternity with Him.