Waiting On Hope

Nick Minerva • Dec 19, 2022

In between the Old and New Testaments of our Bible is typically known as the 400 silent years. It’s called that because there was no direct revelation from God during that time. But historically, it was anything but silent. In fact it was filled with war after war. For nearly 200 hundred years Israel had been under Persian rule. Then Alexander the Great begins his conquest of the known world and Israel falls under Greek rule for nearly another 200 years. After Alexander the Great’s death there was no successor which led to years of fighting between his generals. One of the generals took Egypt to the South and another took Syria to the north and they were constantly at war with each other, leaving Jerusalem right in the middle of their fighting. 


Greek culture was on the rise which led to splits inside Jerusalem as well. Many people wanted to adapt to the Greek culture but others did not. Those who did not became what we know as the Pharisees. In their effort to preserve their traditions they became more and more legalistic making their requirements stronger and harder. On the other hand you have those who are whole heartedly embracing the Greek philosophy. They became known as the Sadducees and they got to the point where they no longer believed in the supernatural. So not only were wars going on over Jerusalem, there was also political infighting taking place inside Jerusalem. 


Eventually the Jewish family known as the Maccabees were all able to gain control of Jerusalem. But after generations of fighting with the Syrians, the Maccabees lost control when Rome rose to power and took over Jerusalem in 63 BC. From that time on the region of Palestine, including Jerusalem, was under Roman oppression. 


God’s people were a weary nation who for hundreds of years had tried to re-establish themselves and failed over and over again. These people who were once world leaders. The known world once held them in awe and feared their power. But not any more. And their two leading religious groups cared more about politics and gaining power then shepherding those they were called to minister to. The only tiny sliver of hope these people dared to hold on to was the promise of a coming Messiah. 


And then on one random night, the sky open up to one of the most unlikely audiences. Shepherds. They were among the first to hear from God in over 400 years! Consider how crazy this would have seemed. Imagine you are working the graveyard shift, leaning on your shepherd staff, watching sheep sleep, fighting sleepy eyes yourself, and then all of a sudden, there’s an angel looking at you. Any parents ever wake up to see one of your kids just staring at you? It’s freaky! But this wasn’t just a creepy toddler. This was an angelic being accompanied by the glory of God shining around them. Look at verse 9 of Luke 2. 


Luke 2:9

Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.


Terrified. All of us would have been. But this angel’s message wasn’t one of fear, but good news. Good news. After all these people have been through, heaven steps down with much needed good news. The long awaited Messiah has finally come. 


After the good news is given an entire host of these angelic beings suddenly appear, praising God! The Greek word that we translate to “host” actually means army. The fighting force of heaven just appears and starts singing about the glory of God and peace on earth to a worn out and war torn people. How’s that for a Christmas special?


Obviously these shepherds drop everything and go check this out. Verse 15 says they go straight to Bethlehem. 


Luke 2:15

When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”


The proceeding verses tell us that after seeing Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus the shepherds told everyone what had happened. Everything was just like they were told. And the people they told were amazed. This was clearly a life-changing experience. How could it not be? You just saw a host of angels tell you that hundreds of years worth of prophecies were beginning to come to fruition. And you know it wasn’t some weird dream, because all your fellow shepherds saw it to and fact checked that message and it was 100% verified. This little weary world was beginning to rejoice. 


But notice what happens next. To be honest, we mostly miss it. 


Luke 2:20

The shepherds returned…


Returned to what? They returned to shepherding. The sheep still needed watching. Their country was still a broken and oft fought over backwater region. Pagan Rome was still ruling the world. Jesus’ earthly ministry would not even begin for another 30 years. Currently, I am 35 years old. If I was one of those shepherds I would live nearly my life over again before Jesus even did a miracle. How anti-climatic! Outwardly, nothing changed for these shepherds. And it’s not a stretch for us to relate to these guys, is it? 


Our lives are filled with hurt. The political landscape is a zoo. How many spiritual leaders care more about power than shepherding? My heart so resonates with the line from the song “I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day” that says:


And in despair I bowed my head

"There is no peace on Earth, " I said

For hate is strong and mocks the song

Of peace on Earth, good will to men. 


This was originally written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow shortly after his wife died in a fire and after he received news that his son had been paralyzed after being shot fighting for the Union Army in the Civil War. Henry wondered how he could sing about “peace on earth” with so much injustice and violence. But he kept listening. And so should we. He ends the poem with this reminder. 


Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

The Wrong shall fail,

The Right prevail,

With peace on the earth, good-will to men.”

 

So even though nothing changed outwardly for the shepherds, and even though we can look around and still wrestle with much of the same difficulties Henry Wadsworth Longfellow did, we can listen and know that God is not dead but has come to us! Yes, we are in the messy middle waiting time between Christ’s first and second Advent. But strengthen your heart. Just like the shepherds glorified God while they waited for anything to happen, we to can glorify and praise God while we wait for his second coming when wrong will finally fail and there will be peace on earth. 


James 5:7-8

Therefore, brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and is patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.

A Creed To Remind The Gathered Church Of Its New Life In Christ

By Nick Minerva • 14 Jul, 2023
When I was pastoring I wanted to read a blessing over the church that would remind all of us of our new life in Christ. So I wrote this new life creed and every week I would read it and remind us of what Christ had done for us. We gather together as believers professing our great need We acknowledge that we have fallen short We confess that we are rebels who have gone our own way Apart from Christ, we stand condemned, guilty, and unable to save ourselves But what we are incapable of doing, God did In his infinite love, God made a way of salvation for all who would believe Jesus willingly laid down his life and received the just punishment we deserve So that could walk in new life So yes, we confess our great need We humbly recognize that apart from Christ we are incapable of any good thing But we also proclaim that because of the finished work of the cross we will never be apart from Christ We are forever secure in the love of the Father We have been sealed by the Holy Spirit All because of the sacrifice of the Son, Jesus Christ. We are no longer in bondage to sin We are no longer facing righteous wrath We have been declared holy by our King And nothing on heaven or earth will change that reality This gathering is a testimony to our redeemed state We pursue holy living to be an authentic demonstration of the love we have for Christ We believe that we have been empowered by grace to meet our every need And we gladly anticipate the complete fulfillment of our adaption and the remaking of this world at the coming of our Lord To Christ be glory forever and ever Amen

A Praying Church: A Book Review

By Nick Minerva • 23 May, 2023
Prayer is one of those topics that always seems to convict me. I have never heard a sermon or read a book on prayer and not been challenged. Even as I am writing this review there is a bit of imposter syndrome because I know I should pray more. In A Praying Church , Paul Miller writes about how to become a people of hope in a discouraging world through prayer. And he does so in a way that was very authentic and accessible. While I was consistently challenged, I was also consistently encouraged. Throughout the book, he takes you on his journey of developing a personal prayer life plus countless stories of ministries that developed communal prayer as a vital component of their life together. One thing that struck home with me throughout these stories was the reality that prayer always grows out of desperation for God. There were several things that I found very helpful in this book. One of them was the connection between a life yielded to the Holy Spirit and a vibrant prayer life. The power to do anything of eternal importance comes from the Holy Spirit and the Spirit moves in response to prayer. Paul shows us a biblical pattern we see throughout the New Testament. Prayer-Spirit-Jesus-power. However, this is not a simple formula to get God to do what you want. Another thing I appreciated about this book is Paul tells us time and again that the Spirit often moves in ways we don’t expect and that almost always includes difficulties. The Spirit enables us to look more like Jesus and that means joining him in the fellowship of his suffering. So this is not a “how to turn God into your personal genie” scheme, like many books on prayer. God often answers in ways we don’t expect and in places we don’t anticipate. This book is also full of practical help. I’ve already mentioned the stories he tells, but Paul also offers several helpful charts, strategies, and ideas to help put into place what he writes about (and lives by.) At the end of each chapter, he has a section called “A Word To Pastors” with a few paragraphs of wisdom to help them become a person of prayer and then lead their congregation to become a church of prayer. This book also made me thankful that I am a part of a church that has sought to grow in corporate prayer over the last few years. This would be a great book for any ministry leader who is burdened with the prayer life of his or her church. But it’s also a great read for any believer seeking to develop their own prayer life. Crossway was kind to send me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. You can get a copy of it at the affiliate link below.

Non-Toxic Masculinity: A Book Review

By Nick Minerva • 28 Apr, 2023
Let me start this review by saying everyone should read this book. If you've grown up in Evangelicalism, you‘ve no doubt heard of purity culture. For the last several years we have seen the harm that has come as a result of this sub-group of Christianity. In Non-Toxic Masculinity, Zachary Wagner does an excellent job unpacking its teaching and the damage that has come as a result. He explains so well the angst I've been feeling with the movement and how often the Church falls short and winds up doing more damage. But unlike many critiques, this one also points a way forward. We know what toxic male sexuality looks like. We see it in the news and unfortunately, in the Church. But what does healthy male sexuality look like? What does it look like for me? What will it look like for my boys? In my heart, I know what I want it to look like, but so often I struggle to find the right words to express it. Non-Toxic Masculinity paints a healthy picture that is (re)humanizing and ultimately looks like Jesus, who, like all of us, had a sexual body. Zach is also very transparent in this book and God used his transparency to encourage, challenge, and convict me. As you read his story you will no doubt find yourself resonating with him on some level. Every man should read this book for themselves first and foremost. But if you have sons, nephews, grandsons, or young boys in your life, reading it is a must. Non-Toxic Masculinity is a breath of fresh air that will prove to be a tremendous resource for generations. Thank you Zach for writing it and sharing your story to serve us.
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