Written by Rev. Calvin Lindstrom

Seven years ago I heard a fascinating lecture by Professor Gregory Athnos of North Park College. A musician by training, Prof. Athnos had the opportunity to spend significant time studying the artwork found in the Roman catacombs. It was an eye-opening experience for him and a relevant study for Christians today. While today the cross is one of the most identifiable symbols for Christians, the early church in their artwork focused more on the theme of resurrection. This was in no way a diminution of the suffering of Christ but rather an expression of their hope that the Lord Jesus Christ died for sinners and was raised to new life.

What is also significant is how the early church took key stories from the Old Testament and used these stories as celebrations of triumph over death. The story of Jonah and Daniel in the Lion’s Den are often featured in artwork found in the catacombs. Though technically not stories of resurrection, they do point to God’s mighty power and deliverance over death. Certainly these stories foreshadow the greatest triumph over sin and death in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I think for just about every Christian the last several weeks have been, at minimum, unsettling. There is still much that concerns us. We mourn with those who have lost a loved one to this terrible virus or have gone through a time of great testing. We weep with those who have lost employment or who face great uncertainties for their business or ministry moving forward. We are alarmed at the rapid expansion of government power at the city, state, and federal level. Can we even contemplate the cost of this pandemic to our nation? So yes, it is proper to weep and be greatly concerned about what is taking place. But in the midst of this, there should be hope.

 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. (1 Thessalonians 4:13)

We do not sorrow as those without hope.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Peter 1:3)

It is significant that this is the first major holiday that we will not celebrate as we normally would. But this shouldn’t mean a diminished celebration. While your gathering might be much smaller or more subdued than normal, if you are focused on the triumph of the Lord Jesus Christ, how can you not be filled with joy and hope?

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. (Romans 8:37)

Though this time is difficult for many, we have an opportunity to share the hope we have with those who are fearful and anxious. Because we have placed our trust in Jesus Christ, we have something unimaginable to look forward to.

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love Him.” ~1 Corinthians 2:9

Like those in the early church who suffered, let your focus be on the joy of Christ’s resurrection and your resurrection to come.

Rev. Calvin Lindstrom is the pastor of Christian Liberty Church and Schools in Arlington Heights. Christian Liberty Academy is a private Christian institution that was founded in 1968 to meet the educational and spiritual needs of families in their community. He also serves as a board member for Illinois Family Action.

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Recently, accusations of sexual assault against U.S. Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh have dominated the news. Judge Kavanaugh adamantly declares his innocence, while his accuser proclaims his guilt. Some say the accusation is false, while others believe the accuser. Since there is nothing new under the sun, it is helpful to turn to Scripture where we find stories of two men who were accused of rape.

In 2 Samuel 13, we read that Amnon lusted after his sister Tamar. His desires consumed him. The wickedness of his desire was so deep that he raped his own sister. His assault left her broken. She lived as a “desolate” woman, grieving, ashamed, unmarried, and childless. Amnon was guilty. He had committed the crime.

In contrast, we read the story of Joseph and wife of Potiphar. Genesis 39 tells us that Joseph worked in the house of Potiphar, the captain of the guard. Potiphar’s wife was quite taken with the handsome Joseph. She asked him continually to join her in her bed, but he refused. One day she took him by his cloak and insisted that he lie with her. He refused and ran out the door, leaving his cloak in her hands. She was so angry with his refusal that she used his cloak as “evidence” in a false allegation that he had attempted to rape her.  Joseph was innocent. He had not committed the crime despite the so-called “evidence.”

Today, we have women like Tamar and women like Potiphar’s wife, both of whom are broken but in different ways. We need to pray for people like Tamar who have been sexually assaulted. We need to pray that God will mend their broken hearts and restore to wholeness what has been crushed in acts of violence. We also need to pray for those like Potiphar’s wife, who have falsely accused men of crimes they did not commit.

And we must pray for men whose lives are destroyed by false accusations.

We need to pray that God will shine His revealing light on the matter before us today and bring forth truth. We need to pray for all the brokenness involved as well as the restoration of any names that have been smeared. No matter which side of the political aisle we stand, we should pray for God to reveal the truth.

By now, most of us have put away our Christmas lights and decorations.  However, the hope and truth of the Christmas story still remains.  Luke 2:7 says  “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.” This one verse tells us that Jesus was born in a manger, because there was no room at the local motel.

The coming of the promised Messiah had been anticipated for thousands of years, yet when the Son of God came into the world, there was no room for Him.  Every day, the Lord Jesus knocks at the door of our heart.  The question I have for you today is:  Do you have room for Jesus?  Do you make room in the “inn” of your life for the Lord?

We already know there is resistance to the Lord in the world today. We see this in the following:

• The ACLU threatens to sue cities over nativities scenes and crosses
• Schools are banning prayers at sports games
• There’s been talk of changing the “In God we trust” motto for several decades
• There are even Churches that are edging Jesus out

I want to know, do YOU have room for the Lord in your daily activities?  Do you make Him a priority? Do you give Him the time He deserves?

I hear what you’re saying, “Brother, I’m busy.  I work two jobs to make ends meet.  I’m also trying to go back to school and the never-ending task list is growing every hour.”  I get that. But, if we’re not careful, we can make an idol of our busyness.  An idol is anything that knocks God off the throne of our hearts.

The late-great Adrian Rogers said, “If Satan can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy.”  Even the busyness of ministry work can take us away from our alone time with the Lord.  It can sometimes “replace” our relationship with Him, since it’s “working unto the Lord”.  In all honesty, “working unto the Lord” should never replace “spending time with the Lord”.

In our home, we have a cordless phone.  Yes, we’re one of the few remaining houses that have a landline.  When the cordless phone is off the hook for too long, it no longer works.  The signal has lost its power.  The phone must be rested back onto the base in order for it to work again.  One of the reasons why we’re losing strength is, we’ve been disconnected too long.  We need to get back to the base for power.

• Back into our prayer closets
• Back into His presence
• Back into His Word
• Back into Church
• Back into fellowship with other believers

We need to get back to the base for power so that we can be connected again.  If there is no room for Jesus in the “Inn” of your life, then you need to clean house.  Do whatever it takes to make Him the center of your everything.

Dr. Joey Krol is the Senior Pastor of Galilee Baptist Church in Decatur, IL.  He is also the author of “Common Misunderstandings about God, Jesus and the Bible.” (Available on Amazon) He lives with his wife, Aubrey, and their two kids, Timothy and Hannah.