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The Understanding! -- John 3:22-36 By Pastor Lee Hemen November 9, 2014 We may think we know something to be true when in fact it is not. This can cause jealousy, anger, or misunderstanding. Kind of like those biblical sayings that are not really in the Bible but folks think they are: “Spare the rod and spoil the child,” “cleanliness is next to godliness,” “God works in mysterious ways,” “pride goes before the fall,” or “moderation in all things.” None of which are found in Scripture. Folks need to read their Bibles more in order to know their Bibles more! Here we discover that the disciples of John the Baptist were not immune to misunderstanding what God desired and how he was working through John and through Jesus. It resulted in an interesting discussion and following statement by John that clarifies for his followers and others exactly who Jesus is and who John is and what their ministries were meant to be. John wanted his disciples to come to an understanding about Jesus, let’s fi...

John 1:35-51 – The Calling! By Pastor Lee Hemen October 12, 2004 Tom T. Hall, an old country western singer, wrote a song that went, “If you love somebody enough, you'll follow wherever they go. That's how I got to Memphis.” The sentiment of the song is quite true because if you truly do love someone enough you will follow wherever they go. This is why Jesus would later relate to his followers, “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. (Matthew 10:37-38 NIV)” When Jesus calls us we are to leave everything and follow him. A young man went to the same work he did every night with the same crew and the same duties he always did, but this evening he would be called. He never suspected that his friend would introduce him to the one who calls us eternally. Just as those who thought they were following a good an...

The Lamb of God! -- John 1:29-34 By Pastor Lee Hemen October 5, 2014 I remember some of the names my mother had for me. Some were rather embarrassing, and no I am not going to share those with you! We all have nicknames or pet names others have given us that we would rather not share with anyone. Yet there are some names we are proud to let others know we have. Names like father, mother, grandfather or grandmother, aunt or uncle, brother or sister, son or daughter. These names are ones we often carry with pride and enjoy when we are called by them. John the Baptist not only testified about the Messiah to come, but he also gave him one of the most endearing and fascinating names ever. It is a name that people have used, found comfort in, and wondered at for thousands of years. Here in John’s gospel we see him writing about John the Baptist and his ministry down by the Jordan River and it was there while he was doing his baptizing that John the Baptist shares with others th...

The Testimony! -- John 1:19-28 By Pastor Lee Hemen September 28, 2014 Did you ever witness something you had a hard time explaining? I have. We were headed home from camping and the night sky filed with a brilliant light that flashed across the starlit darkness. At first we thought it was a UFO, but we knew they did not exist and so then we wondered where in the world the streaking light was coming from. We then realized that we were near Vandenberg Air Force Base. It is a United States Air Force Base located 9.2 miles northwest of Lompoc, California. It is under the jurisdiction of the 30th Space Wing, Air Force Space Command. And then we understood immediately what the strange light was, a rocket fired from Vandenberg. A person’s testimony is simply them trying to explain to others what they have experienced and witnessed. Here in John’s gospel we are discovering what he experienced and witnessed concerning Jesus. Sometimes it was difficult for him to do so, but John persisted in his...

The Incarnation! – John 1:14-18 By Pastor Lee Hemen September 14, 2014 Joan Rivers made no apologies for all the plastic surgeries she had over the years. Sometimes we can look in the mirror and not like what we see. When you look in the mirror what do you see? What do you think it would feel like to be a different person? Vernon Grounds writes that “You will never know. You may modify your body by exercise and diet. You may change your mind and your behavior. You may even resort to surgery. But you and I will forever be the unique individuals God created us to be. Regardless of how much we may try, we can’t actually experience what it is to be another person.” He continues by relating, “What was it like, then, for God to take on our human nature and live as a man who was despised and misunderstood on this fallen planet? He already knew exactly what sinful people go through. After all, He is all-knowing. Yet He voluntarily came… That’s what the incarnation is all about.” Yet, how does ...

The witness! -- John 1:6-13 By Pastor Lee Hemen September 7, 2014 Testimony is built not only upon what people think they saw but also on the forensic, that is the physical tangible material evidence as well. Dennis Fisher writes in RBC about a young boy Yves Congar. He was just 10 years old when World War I began and the French town where he lived was invaded by the German army. His mother encouraged him to keep a diary, and what resulted was a clear description of a military occupation, complete with written narrative and colored sketches. His diary recorded a disaster from a child’s perspective. He was a personal witness to what occurred. His witness had such a deep effect on him that he felt called to share Christ with others. The other day the news interviewed several people concerning a shooting and they soon discovered that while each one saw it occur, each person had a different perspective. In fact, each one brought into it their eyewitness testimony their own version of the e...

Jesus' Elijah - John the Baptist - Mark 9:11-13 By Pastor Lee Hemen June 13, 2010 AM The Twilight series of novels and movies have intrigued folks, making them into a multimillion-dollar profitable business. I believe it is because of the mysterious nature of the main characters involved. People love enigmatic characters. There are enigmatic characters throughout the Bible such as Deborah the female judge who roused the Israelite people from their lethargy to throw off the yoke of subjugation by Jabin, the king of Hazor. I also enjoy Josiah who stands as an amazing king of the line of David for unswerving loyalty to Jehovah. He repaired the temple of God, discovered a scroll of the law written by Moses. However, at the height of his reign he tries to stop the military advance of Pharaoh-Necho II against Assyria and dies doing so. Then there is John the Baptist. Born six months before his cousin Jesus, John became “the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight...

Losing Your Head for God - Mark 6:14-29 By Pastor Lee Hemen January 24, 2010 AM It is humorous that when some folks try and share their faith today, they end up endorsing what amounts to neo-paganistic superstition. From walking spiritual mazes to Christian chanting has become the latest in fashionable religious practice in some circles. Quasi forms of spirituality have always been used by those who feel guilt over their lack of sincere faith since the Garden of Eden. Take for instance one recent public service announcement where one starlet grandly announces that she believes in many differing forms of spirituality. What she is tacitly confessing is her lack of any kind of concrete faith. One wonders why. It could be a shallow attempt to excuse a life of ungodliness. Often, those who are caught up in a lack of faith desire to make excuses by trying to convince others that their own brand of spiritual superstition is just as valid as Biblical Christianity. Here in Mark’s gospel we find...