Pastor's Pen

2011-09-02T11:51:00.000-07:00

Liberty

“Democracy is Christ’s government in church and state.”

This is probably not the definition you have heard of democracy. The attempt to secularize American education has largely been successful, and darkled much of the Christian aspect of our governing documents.

The above quote about democracy was taken from George Mason’s Virginia Declaration of Rights, presented to the general assembly in July, 1776. While brief, it does summarize the essence of American democracy, for it is the Christian ethic, the Law of Moses and Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, which is necessary for our democracy to function.

Actually, it was George Mason who provided many of the seminal ideas which became part of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution of the United States. The Declaration of Independence, for example, is a great Christian and spiritual document. It naturally arises from the Christian practices of the colonists. Thomas Hooker, a Connecticut pastor, addressed the Connecticut General Court in 1638 with these inspiring words: “The foundation of authority is laid in the free consent of the people…The choice of public magistrates belongs unto the people by God’s own allowance.” It was Thomas Jefferson , author of The Declaration of Independence, who freely “acknowledged his best ideas of democracy had been secured at church meetings” (from a speech by President Calvin Coolidge, quoted in Thinking Cal Coolidge on the Declaration of Independence, by L. John Van Til, The American Story, June 29, 2009).

As I write this, the 10th Anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks is near. Called simply “9-11”, this will be a time when Americans will reflect upon that attack. Hopefully, it will also be a time when Americans reflect upon how precious are liberty and freedom.

May we understand that liberty as we know it is rooted in the nature of God, the Yahweh of the Bible. Tyranny and despotism are rooted in the nature of man. It is not a mistake for America to have as its motto, “In God We Trust.” This creed must be believed and our practices conform to it if the liberty that has made America such a great land is to endure.

But there is one more thought to share. Christ’s government in church and state is frustrating unless His government rules the individual spirit. Does He rule your spirit?

With the 10th Anniversary of 9-11 approaching, may we not take our heritage for granted. Christianity is the heritage that has made liberty possible.

“Proclaim liberty throughout all the land…” (Leviticus 25:10). Know where this scripture is found? If you answered “It is inscribed on the Liberty Bell”, you are correct. America! God shed His grace on thee.

Democracy is Christ’s government in church and state. This is how He meant it to be. The opposite of tyranny, Biblically inspired democracy is what has spawned…

liberty.

2011-08-26T13:39:00.000-07:00

Be Ready When the Hard Times Return

I can recall, while growing up, of stories told about “The Great Depression.” Of course, these stories always involved a warning: be careful how much you spend and what you spend on, because someday you may need that money to survive.

So naturally, I have to wonder about the yo-yo performance of the stock market recently. Fear and greed may be what moves the market, but in general it is a strong forecast of what lay ahead for the economy. Right now, it is telling us that uncertainty lay ahead; it may be telling us that another difficult time, even a recession, is in the near future. This would be devastating to the national economy and to thousands of families, probably the same ones who suffered through the last recession.

How do we get ready if the hard times return? One of the most prudent steps we can take is to reduce or eliminate our personal debt.

Julie Crawshaw of MoneyNews.com has recently written that the “Misery Index”, the unemployment rate plus the inflation rate, is at a 28 year high. It is 62 % higher than when President Obama took office.
Mort Zuckerman, who writes for U.S. News and World Report, has expressed concern that Mr. Obama’s stimulus plan has backfired against the President. Every job gained since 2000 has been wiped out in the past three years – over 7 million. Zuckerman argues that from the moment the Obama administration has come into office there has been no net increase in full-time jobs, only in part-time jobs.

Then when Congress politicizes the nature of debt (debt is almost always bad, don’t they know that?) and raises the debt ceiling (the amount of debt the country may legally have – who do you think will pay for it?) we have to wonder just how long the republic will endure. Some things are simply out of our hands, and this economy is one of them. Is it all smoke and mirrors? This has to end sometime, and when it does there will be a lot of pain.

As I consider these articles and recall the stories told by grandparents and parents, I think of the Biblical admonition, “Owe no man anything, except to love one another” (Romans 13:8).

I really don’t know what would happen if another “depression” hit the country. I know that particular word would not be used by either government or media for fear of inducing riots in the streets. But I have come to believe that such a terrible episode is within the realm of distinct possibility.

Neither you nor I can live like the Federal government. No business can operate this way and remain solvent.

I encourage you to become personally disciplined in the use of money, and especially credit. Learn to control your impulses when shopping and learn to resist the temptation to impress others with what you have rather than who you are. Work toward becoming debt-free. Owe no man anything, except courtesy and politeness.

Do you need help in this area? There are several sources to assist you in developing a discipline as regards money. One of the better ones is www.mastermoney.org. Go here; learn from the experts, and …

be ready when the hard times return.

2011-08-20T05:43:00.000-07:00

What Do You Want America to Be?

The stock market is on a roller coaster ride as investors wonder what is happening, our Washington politicians cannot produce a budget that is reasonable, and our President (as of this writing) promises people in Illinois that he “has a plan” to be unveiled after Labor Day.

The debt ceiling was raised recently, but do people really understand what this means? It means we may now legally acquire more debt. That is not more income, mind you, just more debt. If you keep acquiring debt and do not increase income, what happens?

Is the America you want for the future one where everyone works for the government? Where the citizenry considers itself entitled to government payments? Where the government obviously keeps everyone on a short leash? Or is it an America that maintains its heritage, with certain truths being self-evident: “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (from The Declaration of Independence)?

One remedy that would help America’s debt crisis is the teaching of (unrevised) history. So says Niall Ferguson, a professor of history and business at Harvard University. “It’s impossible, I think, to understand the rise of the United States separately, as a story on its own of American exceptionalism. You have to understand it as part of the extraordinary explosion of dynamism from Western Europe, not just across the Atlantic, but all around the world” (Ferguson).

Okay, so when does he place the start of such dynamism, having begun in Western Europe and eventually contributing to the founding of America - the greatest nation in history? If you guessed after 1411, you are correct. You might have even guessed October 31, 1517 – the day Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses on the door of Wittenberg Cathedral as a precise date, although Reformation thinking and discussions had begun prior.

It is impossible to understand America apart from understanding its history. And its history includes Christian people coming to these shores in search of religious freedom, and the right to follow their individual consciences. This is a direct result of the Protestant Reformation. The Reformation made a major contribution to our understanding of personal responsibility, individual freedom, and treatment of others. The Protestant work ethic offered dignity to work of any kind and frowned upon laziness; the command to love your neighbor as yourself led to a compassionate society where advances in science and medicine occurred, and where honesty and trust were most highly valued in business dealings. Easy credit was discouraged and avoided. It was feared that too much debt would not just lead to financial ruin, but make it impossible to repay your neighbor. “Dirt, debt and the devil” were dreaded.

What is clear is this: to really know America we must understand its religious history, and the values that history represents. The values represented by Judaism and Christianity differ greatly from those of other faiths or from those of no faith. It is this knowledge that enables us to understand the country’s religious, political, and economic liberty.

The lessons of our Christian religious history will help us solve our debt problem and determine what we want America to be.

2011-05-19T15:16:00.000-07:00

Faithfully Serving Christ

I had to view the web site for myself. There it was – a huge announcement that the end of the world and the final judgment was to arrive on May 21. I could not help but think, “How many others have been caught up in this date-setting mindset, later to learn they are wrong?” It was Jesus himself who said, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know” (Acts 1:7). And at another time, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matthew 24:36). Well, the Father and a man named Harold Camping, apparently.

By the time you read this, Harold Camping and his prophecy will have proved false. Who is this man, anyway? Camping is a very successful businessman from California, who retired from the building industry and began Family Radio (www.familyradio.com), comprised now of dozens of stations. Pleasant stations for listening, I should add. Now, at the age of 89, he has alarmed many by saying that he is “absolutely certain” about this date.

I noticed while reading the home page of his web site two days before the “absolutely certain” date that donations were still being solicited and received. Hmm, I wonder why?

Michael S. Rosenwald of The Washington Post writes that Camping “says he came up with the very precise date of May 21 through a mathematical calculation that would probably crash Google’s computers.” This contrived date is the result of Camping’s study of the dates of floods, the use of numbers in the Bible, multiplication, addition and subtraction. In other words, it is a convoluted mess, impossible for anyone to understand. Really, it may be that Camping is “losing it” as they say.

The words of Jesus are plain enough. No credible person can claim to know the exact date of Christ’s return and the end of the world. To claim otherwise is to put oneself squarely in the category of “false prophet.”

Let’s be clear. The Bible says of itself, “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16- NLT). The Bible is intended to be understood, believed and obeyed. It is here for our personal benefit and for the benefit of others. It contains no hidden codes or mathematical formulas that only a few can detect and understand. Its teaching is clear.

And when it comes to the return of Christ, the Bible’s teaching could not be clearer. He could come at any time, the world in general will not be looking for Him and will be surprised, and His church is to be faithfully serving Him on earth until that time, doing what Jesus would do if He were bodily present. That would be teaching God’s truth and helping others along life’s way.

In the spirit of Harold Camping, let me make a prediction. Here it is: there is no person who can correctly date the return of Christ, because there is no person who knows.

And since we don’t know, we should stay busy…

faithfully serving Christ.

2011-05-06T08:27:00.001-07:00

Make Jesus Lord

“Dad, we got Osama bin Laden!” shouted my son as he awakened me from sleep. I said little and rolled back over to continue my Sunday night rest.

The next morning, like a lot of Americans, the reality sunk in. The number one criminal in the world had been executed in a daring, heroic raid. I watched the President’s announcement from the previous night and, like most other people in the world, sighed in relief that this perpetrator of evil was gone.

And yet, at the same time, I sensed sadness. The sadness that such a person would misuse his life so horribly, becoming a hardened killer. When one considers the wealth, intelligence, organizational and leadership skills of Osama bin Laden, it makes you wonder how much good he could have done, if only Quranic teaching had not warped his mind. There are two things for which we can thank Osama bin Laden: he taught the world what a fully committed follower of Muhammad acts like practicing jihad, which Sunni Muslims refer to as “the sixth pillar of Islam.” Osama also taught us that justice always prevails in the end. You just can not do wrong and get away with it.

Romans 13 has something to say about the role of government in fulfilling natural law (God’s law) on earth. “(The government) is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid, for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil” (verse 4). There are other verses that say the equivalent, promising that God will use human agents (government, military, law enforcement) to bring justice to bear against those who practice evil.

No one, regardless of how wealthy, clever or charismatic he may be, can perpetrate evil against others and last. Those whose names are remembered with respect are those who understand natural law and, even if they do not acknowledge Jesus as the source, practice the ethical and moral teachings of Jesus (Mohandas Gandhi, for example, who used Jesus as an example of how to live, but did not acknowledge Jesus as his personal Savior). The names we remember with pain and disgust include Hitler, Jack the Ripper, Timothy McVeigh, Lenin, and now you may include the name Osama bin Laden.

God establishes government. A major purpose of government is to prevent and punish evil (violation of natural law). The government that chooses instead to perpetrate evil, thus defying God’s natural law, will crumble. As for me, I commend the Navy SEALs who fulfilled our government’s role in seeing that an evil man was eliminated and justice was done. I am proud to be an American, proud of our military, our intelligence service and of our President and his staff in seeing this operation through to completion.

But in another vein I consider the lost potential of bin Laden’s life. A lot of “what if’s” cross my mind. What if someone had presented Osama with the truth claims of Jesus when he was younger? What if he had used his wealth and personal magnetism for good? What if he had not become so proud that he had chosen to bow before Christ and acknowledge Him as Lord? What if his arrogance had not led him to become a law unto himself? What if he had chosen to honor natural law rather than violate it? What if he had desired to treat others by the Golden Rule rather than murdering them? What if he had chosen God’s grace and mercy rather than God’s justice (and the instrument of government that delivered this justice)? What if…

Today I view the justice that has prevailed as regards Osama bin Laden. I remember that justice always wins in the end. I know that government is to be respected as an instrument of natural law and justice. I pray that those in government will know this and practice it. I remind myself that the teachings of Jesus show me the way to live.

Most of all, I celebrate the grace and mercy of God that is freely bestowed upon any person willing to acknowledge the pride and vanity that are latent within the heart, and who turns away from such to make Jesus Lord.

2011-04-21T11:27:00.000-07:00

Worship Him

This week I have been working on two sermons – one for Good Friday and the other for Resurrection Sunday, otherwise known as Easter.

Then, on Thursday, I was informed by my younger son that Good Friday coincides with Earth Day. Furthermore, that school children will be taking field trips to his place of work for Earth Day. He didn’t say it, but it is doubtful any public school will be commemorating the death of Christ on Good Friday.

We call it “Good” because it was good for us and the cosmos, not Jesus. It was by His death that our personal sins were forgiven and, according to Romans 8:22 – 23, all of creation will be redeemed. Good Friday is a day when Christians reflect upon the sacrifice of Christ and express sorrow for their sin.

I know what Earth Day means, and I know how it is sometimes celebrated. I know it was promoted by Senator Gaylord Nelson and environmentalists and first held in 1970. It is not a coincidence that Earth Day was placed on the calendar in such close proximity to the most important Christian holiday. By the way, “holiday” comes from “holy day” and is derived from Christian holy day observances.

Earth Day is a pagan holiday for some – a time to worship earth. For others it is a day to reconsider their roles in taking care of earth. For promoters of Earth Day It is the time to express worry about Mother Earth. Is Mother warming too fast? Is Mother having too much difficulty with carbon dioxide? You will observe that the typical participant in an Earth Day rally is a privileged person whose basic needs are met. People who worry about earth are people who have the luxury to worry about earth. It is easier to worry about earth when pressing personal needs are met. Have you noticed that people who live in underdeveloped countries where sanitation measures are lacking and disease is rampant or where famine is stalking don’t seem to celebrate Earth Day? Earth Day is a creation of the affluent and those with too much time on their hands.

I wish everyone in North America would read The Skeptical Environmentalist by Bjorn Lomborg. Lomborg details in his work the environmental problems that have been overcome in recent years. He then considers the more radical concerns of present day environmentalists, doing a cost versus benefits analysis of their agenda. He puts things into perspective. Disaster, my friend, is not around the corner.

Here is the point: as American culture has abandoned its Christian heritage, it has grabbed at ideals and false gods to fill the void. Mankind is religious. If Good Friday demands I repent of my personal sin and I don’t want to do that, then I will substitute something for it. In this case, I replace Christ with Earth. I will not speak of a Heavenly Father, but of a planetary Mother. I will disregard the stories in the Bible, and replace them with legends of the pre-industrial, pristine past. I will ignore the possibility of living in a perfect heaven and I will attempt to create a perfect earth – by my standard of what is perfect, of course, not yours.

We should work together for clean water and air, healthier environments and lifestyles. This we should be doing as good citizens of the planet – 365 days a year. But while doing this, let’s never forget that it was Christ who gave us this earth in the first place. He owns it and He will redeem it. He visited this planet to show His love for it and for mankind.

Worship Him.

2011-04-15T07:28:00.000-07:00

It’s Time to Pray and Act

I am tired of reading, listening, and watching news about the budget debate in Washington. What is there to debate? The March 2011 Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report shared that for the forty years prior to Barack Obama’s election, federal deficits averaged around 35% of the country’s annual GDP. That number rose to 62% by the end of 2011. If action is not taken that number will rise to 87% over the next ten years. This information is easily accessible to anyone owning a computer by accessing www.cbo.gov.

Most businesses, every single church I know of, and families all had to tighten the belt in recent years. Job losses and the worst recession since the Great Depression forced such changes.

Here is the news the federal government needs to produce: debt reduction is real, not a political illusion. The country will not go broke. The government is tightening its belt, and while it may hurt for a while, it is a long term cure for what ails us. Remember when the budget debate was about “millions” or even “billions”? Well folks, it is now about “trillions”. Is this a runaway train or what?

What is wrong with a picture where businesses, churches and families all can cut back spending on non-essentials, but our government cannot? My hunch is that our political leaders, with some exceptions (like Paul Ryan) are afraid of cutting back. The political repercussions are too scary – note the government union workers and their spirited demonstrations in Columbus, then multiply that by about, oh, one hundred and you can see what could happen. That would be a mob and would mandate force and a possible police state. It is a politician’s worst nightmare. Cool heads and steady hands must prevail in this debate and political posturing should end. This is a critical moment in our country’s history. The financial mess in which the nation finds itself is non-partisan. Both parties are responsible and both parties must find people willing to work together to lead in this matter. Let’s be frank about it: unless the country cuts spending seriously and begins reducing debt just as seriously, the term “trillions” will be replaced very soon by “quadrillions” and every cent gathered by the government will be used for debt repayment.

But really, I want to take another tack. The scriptures say, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

My tack is twofold. First, this is the time for people to pray. Pray that God gives our political leaders courage. They are all pretty bright individuals who understand what needs to be done. They do not lack in intelligence. Neither do they lack knowledge. But many seem to lack courage. And they appear to live from election to election. Pray that God will raise up statesmen and save us from mere politicians.

And here is the second tactic: put some strength to your prayers. Write your congressman and senators and ask that they work with others, even those from the opposing party, to bring the ravenous spending appetite and mindboggling debt of the federal government under control – for our sake and the sake of our children and grandchildren. Be nice – they are people, too. Be encouraging. Let them know you are praying for them and our country. Perhaps we will see a great movement of God in our time and through our government, one that would parallel the beginning of America through the Continental Congress.

It’s time to pray – and act.

2011-04-07T13:32:00.000-07:00

Do Something for Japan

James Hudson Taylor was founder of the China Inland Mission in 1865. Now known as Overseas Missionary Fellowship (www.omf.org), OMF is an outstanding missionary organization. Taylor would be pleased to see OMF today.

One of Taylor’s primary concerns was that Christians around the world – and this would include affluent Chinese Christians – share any abundance they might have with those less fortunate, the poor. Although J.H. Taylor is renown in church circles as a missionary spokesman who spent his life in China, the truth is that he made frequent return trips to England to impress upon people his worthy cause, to raise money. He needed funds! As someone (not Taylor) once said, “Prayer is what turns the wheels of the church, but money is the grease.”

Okay, here is what I am driving at in this week’s column: would you consider giving a special gift to help Japan? Almost overnight many Japanese lost everything. They lost loved ones, their home, their job9 and their possessions. I mean everything.

When Taylor would return to England and address the need to give in the churches, he would use Psalm 41:1 – “Blessed is he that considers the poor; the LORD will deliver him in the time of trouble.” Taylor would then proceed to tell people that the one who is blessed is not the one who quiets his own conscience by gifts that cost no self-denial. Rather, the blessing that God promises is for those who “consider the poor” – those who think about their plight and what it must be like. The blessing is for those who ponder what spending a week in the shoes of the poor would be like. The blessing is for the one who decides that he, materially well off, could do without a few (or many) things and redirect his spending to make sure the very basic needs of the poor are met and their misery is lessened. The one who is blessed is the one who sacrifices in order to provide for the poor. In some supernatural and wonderful way, God in Heaven will make certain that such a one is blessed himself. Taylor would then remind his audience that Jesus spent a great deal of His time ministering among the poor and afflicted, seeing that their basic needs were met. He would conclude his exhortation by telling his audience that such giving, to assist the poor in their desperation, is Christ like.

As I write this, reports are that another earthquake has shaken northern Japan, and a tsunami may follow. If ever you have wanted to help people, now is the time and Japan is the place. The evangelical churches and mission societies in Japan have come together in an effort called CRASH Japan, and your donation through either OMF or The Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM) will go to that fund. Our church recently sent funds to TEAM, P.O. Box 969, Wheaton, IL 60187 and designated those funds for the Japan Earthquake Relief Fund. Or you may donate online by going to either the TEAM or OMF web site (TEAM’s web site is www.teamworld.org). I found the TEAM web site easier to navigate.

Now is the time to…

Do something for Japan.

2011-03-31T15:06:00.000-07:00

Glorify God in Art

Last week I attended an art show sponsored by the Canton Institute of Art. The majority of the works were realistic expressions of the world and life. My favorite was a watercolor of a village at dusk. It was calming and meditative. It reminded me of having seen the paintings of the Dutch Masters a few years ago when they were on tour. The Dutch Masters, heavily influenced by the Reformation in northern Europe, painted for the glory of God. They painted God’s world as it really exists.

Then today I received a photograph of a fresh snowfall on fields. The beauty of the photograph is directly related to the reality of the world as God has made it.

These experiences make me realize that God’s world possesses unsurpassed beauty. This reality expressed through art is what makes it meaningful.

Philosophy and art have always been twins. Philosophy, the way leaders in society think, forms the culture. Art then becomes the expression of the philosophy and the culture. If the society is, well, bankrupt of Judeo-Christian values then the art will reflect it.
In the last century most, if not all, moral restraints were removed from art. In music, “rap” lyrics speak of rape and other assorted sordid practices; in visual art, Robert Mapplethorpe’s homosexual representations - and the works of others - openly flaunted every measure of good taste, not to mention morals. When even the standard of good taste is violated, one must assume that art, and society, have gone about as low as possible. I might have written “gone to the dogs”, except that I have too much respect for dogs. The rejection of absolute morals and the secularization of our society has produced art that, while called contemporary, is often ugly and, frequently, downright repugnant.

There is a point in time when contemporary art as we know it began. In 1913 at the International Exhibition of Modern Art in New York City, critics and patrons were stunned at Marcel Duchamp’s “Nude Descending a Staircase #2”, a completely new style of work by the cubist painter. It is a good thing the work was named, or no one would know what Duchamp was trying to express. Due to the attention given this work and sensing the change in cultural values (in prior shows, such work would not have been admitted), the race was on. Now artists became “contemporary”, competing to see who could come up with the most extreme and strange interpretations of modern life.

That competition may now be slowing. There is a swelling opinion among art critics that it has gotten out of hand. The bizarre has become the norm, and this does not bode well for galleries and funding.
But this style of art does say something to us. It says, “Society has lost its way. We as a people have lost our values, purpose, sense of awe and destiny. And we are going crazy as a result.” I use the term “crazy”, but the Biblical word is “fool”, as in “The fool has says in his heart, ‘There is no God” (Psalm 14:1). If art is a reflection of the culture, and it is, then what are we to make of it when every standard of decency is violated, when religion is mocked, when respect for others is ridiculed? Doesn’t it say that our society is bankrupt of morals and the traditional values that have built a strong nation? Have we become a nation of fools?

By contrast, the paintings of the Dutch Masters, the village at dusk and the photograph of freshly fallen snow over fields are refreshing to the spirit and express the beauty of God’s creation and that may be found in life.

If you are an artist, or an aspiring artist, please consider these suggestions. Forget about impressing your peers with your avant-garde style. Separate yourself from the craziness of the world of geopolitics. Instead of attempting to be novel and provocative, how about concentrating on balance, color and unity? How about looking for real beauty in the creases of an older person’s face, an infant’s innocence or a mountain’s grandeur? How about less subjectivism and more objectivism? Maybe, just maybe, your art can influence philosophy rather than the other way around. Maybe you can, through art, help rescue society from the craziness of atheism, humanism, evolutionism and the other isms that are unraveling society and individual lives.

Like the Dutch Masters, the village at dusk and the photograph of freshly fallen snow -

Glorify God in art.

2011-03-18T08:05:00.001-07:00

Trust God’s Heart

By now everyone in the world has learned of the terrible earthquake and tsunami that has shattered Japan. On top of the natural disaster, nuclear plants at Fukishimi have exploded, sending radiation and contamination throughout the region. Only time will tell how many people are injured by this radiation. Some, perhaps many, will experience premature death.

Such events have happened before in history. On November 1, 1755 a three minute long earthquake struck Lisbon, Portugal. We now know this earthquake would have rated a 9 on the Richter scale. Buildings shook and fell, leaving massive amounts of rubble. As the earth shook, people fled their homes and other buildings into the streets where gaping holes, some as wide as fifteen feet, suddenly opened in the earth and into which untold numbers were swallowed. Thousands went the Tangus River in the middle of the city, thinking it safe. They were wrong. Within a short time following the quake, an enormous tsunami several feet tall swept into the Lisbon harbor and up the Tangus. Boats, rafts and all those aboard were tossed around like toothpicks by the violent current. A large number of drownings occurred, and the waves caused by the tsunami were later noticed in Britain and north Africa. This event, known as the Great Lisbon Earthquake, rates as one of the worst natural disasters of all time. All of Europe and most of the world was shocked. Lisbon, a city with 100,000 residents, had seen half that number very suddenly and tragically wiped away by death. Its buildings lay in ruins, with many precious works of art and history destroyed.

A lot of thought was later given to this tragedy. Whenever something on this magnitude happens, people try to understand. Had God sent it as judgment? Or perhaps there is no God, and it just was “one of those things.” Or maybe God didn’t cause it, but permitted it. Or maybe evil is inherent in the world, and this is an example. Maybe the earthquake and natural disasters are just the result of what we call nature. The French philosopher Voltaire in his work Candide made this last view popular. He proposed that evil surrounds us and we must learn to live with it. His explanation might have satisfied some in France, but it did nothing to help the Portuguese who were stunned, grieving and desperate for a word of hope.

While no one can fully comprehend natural disasters, and so cannot adequately explain them, the scriptures call us to faith in God at such times. It is precisely because we cannot comprehend fully nor explain adequately such mindboggling, numbing events that we must turn to God and find our consolation in Him.

The Biblical character Job is our role model. He lost his family and his possessions. He then lost his health. There was no scientific or philosophical explanation that satisfied him. His friends tried, but failed to solace him with their explanations. They even tried to invoke God in the discourse: “Job you are getting what God thinks you deserve.” Job’s reply was, in essence, “Well, I know God. He is my friend and He is not like this.” It took some time, but eventually Job was proved right. God is not like that.

Toward the end of the book, God replies to Job. God knows what is happening and it is all under His control. It really doesn’t matter whether Job understands it or not. Actually, there is much Job does not nor will ever understand – just like us. Job has a responsibility, and it is not to understand all of God’s ways. It is rather to understand God’s character, God’s heart. His then to trust God’s heart. God will bring good from every situation, and especially one that involves pain.

The disaster striking Japan is mind numbing and any explanations we offer are inadequate. I hope you are praying for the Japanese people. If possible, I hope you will consider helping the churches of Japan during this time by making a donation (I suggest www.teamworld.org and look for Japan Earthquake Relief Fund).

There is only one message we can offer that provides hope: trust God. Trust God in both the good times and the bad. He is good and good will triumph.

When difficulties arise you do not understand,
Trust God’s heart.

2011-03-11T08:11:00.000-08:00

The Most Innocent Neighbor Among Us

I recently attended a banquet sponsored by The Alliance Pregnancy Center (www.alliancepregnancycenter.com). This is a wonderful group of people performing a great service to the northeast Ohio community. While I listened to presentations regarding statistics and needs, the thought kept running through my head, “I wonder what God must think about elective abortion?”

Actually, I know what God thinks about it. While several passages of scripture teach the Creator’s high regard for life, there is one in particular that comes to mind. Amos 1:13 – “This is what the LORD says: For three sins of Ammon, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because he ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to extend his borders...”

Ammon is now known as “Amman” and is the capital city of Jordan. You can see that centuries ago the strife between Esau and Isaac, Arab and Jew, was real. Not only was it real, but it was brutal. Greed for land had bred a cruel genocide – the killing of pregnant women and their fetus. This particular brutality is singled out by the living God deserving judgment (“even for four” is a figure of speech meaning the about to be mentioned item is the worst). I suppose this dreadful act is especially marked for judgment because the fetus has never sinned against any one.

When Jesus was asked, “What is the greatest commandment?” He replies by giving the Shema of Deuteronomy 6 (“love God”) and then quickly adds, “And the second is like unto it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:36-40). What is interesting about this episode from the life of Jesus is that He was asked for one specific commandment- “ What is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus provides an answer that links two commands, one to love God (Deuteronomy 6) and the other to love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18). It is hardly an act of love to kill an innocent child, whether born or unborn. Amos’ point is: this is a particularly grievous sin against God. It was not Amos’ opinion; it had come from the LORD, who was fully aware of what was happening. Amos was simply God’s messenger.

I have heard and spoken words of forgiveness and reconciliation to women who have chosen abortion. The regret and guilt many bear crushes them. God is merciful and does forgive and a woman need not carry guilt– but there are consequences to a person’s behavior and living with regret can be one of those consequences. Living with “what might have been if…” can be difficult.

Perhaps it is time to offer a preventive rather than a redemptive word, since an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So here is my word of preventive therapy: God will take notice of brutality against the unborn.

Elective abortion of an unborn is under God’s watchful eye. If the killing of the unborn in Amos’ day, about 750 years before Christ, caused God to take note you may be assured that He is taking notice today. It does not matter whether abortion as a choice is protected by the Constitution of the United States or not, it is still wrong in God’s sight. Just as He brought judgment and punishment upon the Ammonites for murdering pregnant women and their fetuses – whom He counted as persons – so He will judge the person and nation that violates the lives of those made in His image and likeness today.

We have been led into thinking that national peace and material prosperity are the measures of a country’s greatness. Political leaders tend to dismiss morality as being irrelevant or personal. But the scriptures teach clearly that the morality of a state is what genuinely determines its greatness. This is because the morality of a state is foundational – peace and prosperity are the results of a strong moral foundation.

Loving neighbor as self is one of the building blocks for a strong foundation. Let’s begin to love and provide resources for the unborn child…

the most innocent neighbor among us.

2011-03-03T15:38:00.000-08:00

Being Honest

Every elected official wants to save money. At least that is what they say. In Wisconsin, the legislators have had an opportunity to prove if they mean it or not. Its Governor has introduced legislation that requires a put up or shut up vote.
In the Badger State, 14 state senators did not want to put up or shut up. Rather than fulfill their responsibilities and debate then vote on a proposal by Governor Walker, they skedaddled to other states. Some were reported partying in Chicago. What was the proposal these party-going senators feared so much? It was a budget repair bill – a debt refinancing that would save Wisconsin taxpayers $165 million in fiscal year 2011. They were torn between voting in a way that reinforced their rhetoric or voting for some core supporters. On the last day of February, Governor Walker warned these AWOL senators that if they refused to return to Madison, establish a quorum and cast their votes the bill would die. And, the next day –March 1- an option to refinance a portion of the state’s debt would expire. An opportunity to save the taxpayers’ money would be forever lost. They returned, some under arrest, to cast their votes.
I am not interested in writing about the legislation or the politics involved. But it does concern me that a group of state senators would flee the state to avoid debating and voting on a bill. Isn’t this one of their functions, perhaps even the primary one?
At this point, I have to tip my hat to Governor Scott Walker. The son of a pastor (he can’t be all bad), the man evidently is a rare commodity: an honest politician. He ran on a platform of fiscal austerity, advertising that this budget cutting measure is exactly what he would propose. His opposition campaigned against it. Now he has followed through, expressing the wishes of the voters. An interesting article in the February 26, 2011 edition of The Wall St. Journal was written by John Fund. Titled “Wisconsin’s Newest Progressive”, it is a very revealing narrative of state of present affairs in Wisconsin.
Mr. Fund quotes Governor Walker as saying, “I won (the election) because people will ultimately respond to the truth.” This has been the pattern of his campaigns in Democratic Milwaukee County, where Walker has won three county-wide elections. He goes among the people, conducting what he calls “reality tours” and laying the cards on the table. People may not like what they hear or his proposals, but they find the candor and honesty refreshing. They understand that the solutions may not be painless because he tells them otherwise. But they vote for him anyway. After all, it makes little difference whether Republican or Democrat, an honest person in an elective office is valued by everyone. Maybe Scott Walker has learned from history. It is no accident that “Honest Abe” Lincoln is considered our greatest President.
This article is not an attempt to promote Scott Walker; but it is an attempt to promote honesty in government, business and our personal lives. This kind of transparency is what is meant in the words of 1 John 1:6-7, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” While these verses have primary application to our communion with God, the term “walking in the light” refers to transparency and honesty – before God and others.
“Walk in the light” states the Bible. “Tell the truth” says Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. There is no substitute for …

Being honest.

2011-02-24T16:35:00.000-08:00

The Best Protection for Your Job

I have been reading with interest about the public workers unions’ demonstrations in Ohio and Wisconsin. The public union and collective bargaining battles are actually spreading across the United States. With money not available to provide the benefits which had been expected and with the opportunity to strike being threatened, these public demonstrations are cause for concern. Change is in the wind. These demonstrations are reminiscent of the workers’ strikes in the 1930’s. Those strikes led to the founding of the American labor union movement, the most notable union becoming the AFL-CIO with its well-known spokesman, John L. Lewis. Just as those strikes changed the face of American labor, so do these current strikes speak of change that is looming. And, be assured, it is looming.

I have been wondering about the future of labor unions. If they continue to exist (I think they will), what form will they take? Of course, if they become extinct - well, the question becomes moot, doesn’t it?

Most laborers in “the rank and file” – the ones who do the physical work – paid some pretty hefty dues to support the union bosses – the ones who do the negotiating and provide information to the press. During the time of union prosperity, the rank and file made decent wages and the bosses became wealthy. At least, that was the talk around my boyhood home, near Akron, Ohio where the URW (United Rubber Workers) were headquartered. A sad thing has happened however. The rubber workers have disappeared from Akron and the URW was swallowed up by the United Steel Workers in the 1990s. Perhaps they overreached. Good wages and outstanding benefits being paid, along with the job protection afforded loafers invited foreign competition. And foreign competition, especially from Asia and South America, meant lower prices for the consumer. How could Akron with its cost of labor compete against an Asian or South American company that paid its worker a pittance in comparison? Why not take the factory where you can pay for cheap labor? If not to a foreign company, then at least move the factory to a “right to work” (workers not forced to join unions) state. That way the company can compete.

Overreaching could happen to the public workers unions also. Let’s face it. Some things have to change.
Mediocre workers can no longer be paid the same as productive ones. The unions can no longer afford to foist this economic policy on Americans. This applies to public workers as well as those employed in the private sector. Firemen who can’t fight fires and policemen who won’t police need to be replaced. Poor teachers in the schools have got to go, making room for teachers who prepare their lessons and challenge the students to learn. Bringing it home, mediocrity in the pastoral ministry should end also (pastors have no union, but should work diligently, too). People need to take pride in their work and need to work at their work. Employees need to see employers as partners, not as adversaries. Employers and management need to treat employees and workers well, knowing that apart from the person “on the floor”, there will be no business and no job for anyone.

But wait a minute. Does all that ranting sound like it comes from the First Century? Maybe even from the Bible?
“Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism. Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven” (Colossians 3:22-4:1).

In those words are bits of wisdom for you and me. Seek high standards of reliability. Work hard and be a producer. Keep in mind that the annual review is not as significant as the eternal review – you are working “as for the Lord, not for men.” Increased productivity and honest, diligent work is what God wants from us all.

These principles provide economic success and economic success is…

the best protection for your job.

2011-02-18T08:36:00.000-08:00

National Bankruptcy

This morning I read in the daily paper that the Federal Government might close down. From Associated Press, the exact words were “In a deepening struggle over spending, Republicans and Democrats swapped charges Thursday over a possible government shutdown when funding expires March 4 for most federal agencies.”

Along with state workers demonstrating in Wisconsin and Ohio, it appears that something everyone fears is finally on our doorstep: our country is drowning in debt. The debt crisis is unusually grave and it is no time to blame others. If we can unite on this issue, Republicans and Democrats alike, it may not be too late for resolution.

But don’t hold your breath. And don’t stick your head into the sand, either. It is time to expect a difficult episode in American history. Let’s just admit it and stop the denial coming from Washington: the country is broke. The official accumulated debt of the federal government has passed $14 trillion dollars and this is understated. According to the U.S. Treasury, in a report dated January 21, 2011, the public debt is just under $21 trillion dollars. This includes “off-budget” items like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, student loans, bailouts and other debts that are presumed uncollectible. And like the Energizer Bunny, it just keeps going and growing. This is a number that is, frankly, unimaginable. I have read commentators’ pieces where they write about trying to imagine this debt. It goes something like, “imagine you had a trillion dollars in $100 bills. Now stretch those bills from end to end and they would stretch from New York to St. Louis…” Sorry. I can’t imagine like that. Perhaps others can, but regardless it is a grim picture of greed, avarice and irresponsible politicians trying to buy the next election. There may not be any elections to buy in the not-so-distant future. Nearly every country that has undergone financial upheaval has seen a despot or the military take control, at least for a temporary period. Witness Chile under General Pinochet.

By the way, I have written nothing about Social Security, local governments and their problems, nor the public threats made by Moody’s, the debt-rating agency, to downgrade the credit rating of many states. This downgrade, if it occurs, will make borrowing more expensive if even possible by those states. Look for the state governments threatened by a downgrade to exercise bully efforts against Moody’s. And for heaven’s sake, think twice before purchasing a municipal bond.

You would think that with the peril this poses for every citizen, something would have already been done. Incredibly, just last December, three months ago, Congress (the previous one, not the sitting one) passed a 2% reduction in Social Security withholding. Intended to stimulate the economy, it adds to Social Security’s woes and serves to worsen the debt.

Other than being prudent in managing our own finances, we must ask God to guide our national leaders in the decisions to be made. We are still under the command to pray for our rulers (1 Timothy 2:1-2). If the debt problem of the United States is not handled properly and soon, we will face…

national bankruptcy.

2011-02-11T08:14:00.000-08:00

Pray for a Positive Outcome in Egypt

Are you praying for a positive outcome in Egypt?

The stakes are high in this most populous Arab nation. As this is written I might also add that the tensions are high as well.

Any person who has seen the televised news has noticed the enormous crowd gathered in the public square in Cairo. Most are young and most are desperate. They desperately desire a new life, with opportunities for personal growth, for jobs that pay decent wages and a brighter future. Many – perhaps most – have set aside their personal differences in the hope for an American style democracy. The United States is regarded as the bastion of liberty. The Christian-based moral code in America has provided a basis for genuine liberty – freedom within the boundary of mutual respect for others and reverence for God. Actually, apart from the aspect of reverence for God, there is no basis for respecting others. It will not occur. Hence it is one boundary.

The scenes of the crowd and the interviews of young adults in Cairo who want hope, jobs and liberty lead me to recall the French Revolution. The French Revolution was a mass movement against an autocratic king, and it had as its motto: “Liberty, Fraternity and Equality.” The masses poured into the streets and gathered in Paris, where eventually the king was guillotined. Celebration occurred for a while – and then, because there was no Christian moral foundation upon which to construct a new government, “might makes right” became the law. The French Revolution became one of the bloodiest and worst in history.

The Christian morality that had established order and security – respect for others was advocated, violence was eschewed, and this even though the king was not liked – had been undermined by “reason.” That is, leading intellectuals had led the French to believe that the Biblical basis for law, the way we treat others, was archaic and obsolete. God was not absolute. Man’s reason was absolute. Man was not a sinner who needed restraint, but inherently good and this goodness should be expressed. This expression would take the form of whatever a person desired. That is, whatever he or she wanted to do, then simply do it. At the start of the French Revolution, a “Festival of Reason” was held, where a prostitute climbed onto the altar at the Notre Dame Cathedral and was proclaimed “goddess of reason”. The deceived masses then declared – someone declared, anyway – that the cathedral was now dedicated to her worship. This was like saying, “anything goes.” Before long, people moved from one indulgence to another, eventually murdering one another. The French were rescued from this fratricide by Napoleon, the ruthless dictator. This little man with the big ego consolidated the French by turning their now violent nature loose not on one another, but on neighboring states.

But back to Egypt. Many of those gathered at Cairo’s Tahrir Square think that American style democracy is waiting in the wings for them – if only they can persuade Hosni Mubarak to resign as President. Perhaps they are right. But they may be wrong. Waiting in the wings may be a despot and unspeakable factional violence.

This is why we pray for Egypt and the Egyptian people.

Pray for a positive outcome in Egypt.

2011-02-04T08:25:00.001-08:00

A Contentious Spirit

I have been following the events in Egypt recently. Having visited in the country, I have a real concern for the people.

The events also make me think about the issue of contention and strife.

Contention among people, even those who share much in common, is not all that unusual. The Bible records many such instances. There were Cain and Abel, in the very beginning of the human race, then Ishmael and Isaac, Rachel and Leah – Biblical history is full of contentions, and it continues today. Pastor James asks the question in his epistle, Chapter 4, “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?”

In reading modern literature, you might conclude that the causes of contention and strife are racism, poverty, nationalism and religion. However, these topics are not the cause, but are symptoms of an underlying dysfunction. It is the dysfunction of the individual soul, or “heart” as the Bible calls it. We could say, “the heart of the problem is the heart.” In essence, James tells us that people become contentious and fight because of covetousness. People want something that belongs to another, and if they can’t get it through legitimate means, they will fight for it.

Ever heard the word “hedonism” used? It refers to the satisfying of immediate, pleasurable urges through indulgence. To be hedonistic means also avoidance of considering long-term consequences. The word translated in James 4:1 as “desires” is actually “hedonism” (“hedone”). People engage in covetous pursuits and strife without consideration of the long-term consequences. They make enemies of others who would prefer being friends; they sully themselves by preying on the vulnerable, they ruthlessly attempt to seize what they desire. They even make plans for conquest: the word translated “battle” is “strategize.” Ambushes, artillery barrages, and preemptive strikes are all part of strategizing in war time. In personal attacks and office strife, to strategize usually means undermining, slandering, backstabbing and all other types of attempts to discredit others.

Returning to Egypt: yes, there are grievances. Good jobs are lacking in this non-industrial country, large families are the norm, overcrowded living conditions in Cairo especially, and a long-ruling President who has made no real dent in these pressing problems have generated frustration. But there is no mass starvation, the military offers a secure job for young men and protects the citizenry, and the treaty established with Israel has brought peace and stability to the country. Consequently, there is much for which to be grateful. This is why there exists the conflict between those who support and those who oppose President Mubarak. If a new President is selected, will anything change? My opinion is that it could change for the worse, but not likely for the better.

It should come as no surprise to those who have read James 4 that strife and conflict arise from the fallen nature of man. We all want the perfect world. The perfect world once existed, but sin has ruined it. We need to work at rehabilitating this imperfect world through good works, and be mature enough to understand that only the return of Christ will forever fix the problems we face, making our world perfect again. Pray for the Egyptian people and the witness of the Church in that troubled land.

And while we are praying for others, let us pray about our own covetous attitude.

Avoid a contentious spirit.

2011-01-21T10:38:00.000-08:00

Down – But Not Out

He had been knocked down many times, but never had he been knocked out.

And he wanted the other Christians to know it – and follow his example.

Of course, I am speaking of Paul. And, of course, if you are familiar with his epistles, you know that I am referring to 2 Corinthians. It was from people in this church that he had received harsh and unjust criticism. Some had even gone so far as to allege that he was in ministry for the sake of pride and influence, perhaps to gain wealth.

You really have to wonder why anyone would say such things. Was it jealousy? Perhaps someone disliked the message Paul presented. He might then have decided that since he couldn’t change the message, the messenger would have to go.

“Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. I have worked long and hard, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm” (2 Corinthians 11:24-27, NLT).

I can hear someone say now – “Hey Paul, if you had more faith these things would not have happened to you. Just think about a new chariot and a healthy, young horse to pull it. If you don’t envision it, you’ll never have it.”

That kind of attitude is exactly what his enemies had developed. His only crime, if I can figuratively say it, is that he chose to faithfully pursue and complete his calling from God.

The attitude of keeping on and of keeping the faith is becoming lost to contemporary American Christians. We in the Western world have become accustomed to instant gratification. Consequently, we easily put aside long term gain, which may invite inconvenience or discomfort. The value of persevering through difficulties is lost. Everything has to be quick, fast, instant. And easy.

The fact is, it takes time to cultivate the spiritual graces. God is very interested in seeing spiritual values developed in our lives, and He is in no hurry.

We can all be very glad that Paul, the Apostle, chose not to seek sympathy from others, did not exaggerate his victimization, and did not retreat from adversary. He was neither interested in instant gratification nor in doing things the easy way. Had he been a 21st Century American, he might have done just that. But he chose to be courageous and to persevere in the face of difficulties. We are the beneficiaries.

Does life seem difficult for you right now? If so, may you gain strength from the same source as did Paul. Persevere through troubles, knowing that the living God is with you. He is using any difficulty you may face to develop spiritual values and Christian graces.

Its okay to get knocked down, but don’t let yourself be knocked out.

2011-01-14T07:36:00.000-08:00

The Forgiving and Life-Restoring God

Ever heard of Katyn Woods?

As the year 2010 was ending, the Russian government finally provided an answer to a puzzling situation remaining from World War II. The puzzle was: what really happened at Katyn Woods, Russia (an area near Smolensk)? The grisly truth showed the true character of the dictator, Joseph Stalin. Stalin was guilty of many crimes, but Katyn Woods was exceptional.

In 1939, Stalin and Adolf Hitler had their respective representatives sign a non-aggression pact. Part of the pact involved the partition of Poland. That is, Germany would invade, the Soviet Union would not intervene and then the two countries would partition Poland, half going to Germany and the other half to the Soviet Union. Nice little agreement between the two monsters, wasn’t it? Following the defeat of Poland by the German forces, the Soviet Union sent in an army to “stabilize” the region. It was stabilized all right. Stalin, who earlier had had his best generals executed – he feared them – now had the Soviet army round up the top Polish military minds. Thousands of Polish military officers were taken to Katyn Woods, where on March 5, 1940 Stalin himself gave the order that they should be shot. They were – and then buried in a mass grave. This mass grave was later discovered by the German army and exposed to the world.

But for decades scholars have wondered who was responsible. As time progressed, the Polish people became more suspicious that the Soviets were responsible for the needless slaughter of their fathers, brothers and sons.

The Russian Duma (the legislative body), in a gesture intended to resolve the tension and mistrust that has existed between itself and the Poles since 1940, provided information from its archives proving Russian responsibility for what happened at Katyn Woods. Russian propagandists had for years attempted to blame the Germans for the massacre, but finally had to admit culpability.

This episode, sordid as it is, does remind me of an important scripture: Numbers 32:23 – “…you may be sure that your sin will find you out.”

The practice of sin will most certainly manifest itself – it is just a matter of time. The effects are not only witnessed in a person’s life, but also manifested in his personality. Matthew Henry, a Bible commentator from an earlier era, has written for every era these words: “Be sure your sin will find you out. Sin will surely find out the sinner sooner or later. It concerns us now to find our sins out, that we may repent of them, and forsake them, lest they find us out to our ruin.”

Listen, my friend, you cannot get away with wrongdoing. It will catch up with you sooner or later. The time to turn away from such practice is now. Need help doing it? Then seek the presence and power of God in your life.

The announcement from the Russian Duma concerning Katyn Woods helps to write the history books correctly. The sin of the Soviet government, carefully hidden for sixty – five years, has now been found out.

Your sins will be found out, too. Turn from them now, and turn to the forgiving and life-restoring God.

2010-11-06T11:04:00.001-07:00

Bringing People Back to Faith

A recent story in the news is that, on the day following the general election, the Federal Reserve began purchasing Treasury bonds in large numbers – 600 billion dollars’ worth. In other words, The United States is borrowing money from itself (the purchase of a bond is a loan to the issuer of the bond) – and the Fed has its printing presses working overtime.

Does this sound as crazy to you as to me? Don’t most people know you don’t handle debt by going deeper into debt? Could this drastic action mean the beginning of the end of the American economy? I don’t know the answer to that last question, but there are a few things I do know. I know that foreclosures abound. I know that unemployment remains high. Now it appears that a third wave is about to engulf us – the wave of inflation. Already I see its creeping effects: gasoline and grocery prices climbing. These are the staples which people need daily and they are becoming increasingly expensive.

A leading writer on economics (Brian O’Connell) has stated that this latest action is the Fed’s way of saying to Americans: “Stop saving.” Or to put it another way: “Start spending and borrowing – get this economy moving.”

The manipulation of the economy is a frightful thing to me. Who is doing the manipulating and why? And if this person today is “OK”, so to speak, remember that the next person may not have benevolent ends in mind. But the worst part of the “quantitative easing” (government speak for borrowing from itself) is that it signals desperation.

The Federal Reserve obviously underestimated the depths of the Great Recession. Perhaps they should have asked an Alliance, Hartville, or Louisville, Ohio resident – any resident – how bad the recession was and continues to be. In December 2008 the Federal Reserve Board reduced its interest rates to near zero. It has maintained a similar stance since. But tough times continue. Maybe not as tough as when the nearly zero interest rates were targeted, but tough nevertheless.

The point in stating all this is that those who save and try to live within their means, being frugal and responsible, are penalized. Those who accumulate debt are rewarded – or so it seems. Just how convoluted can things be when savers are penalized? Is this not indicative of how far removed from sound stewardship principles the country has gone?

But it will not stay this way forever. Eventually the way God has ordered the world to run comes to the fore, correcting the flawed notions of mankind – yes, even those of the brightest economists.

If harder economic times than we presently face are in the future, and I think they are, then let us prepare to thank God. It will be His way of doing a great work in the lives of people.

It will be His way of inviting people to repent of greed. Greed is just another word for covetousness, which God has warned against in the Tenth Commandment.

Economic hardship will be God’s way of inviting people to understand the principles of Biblical stewardship and avoid undue indebtedness. To understand and employ these principles is to avoid making a disaster of one’s life.

Economic hardship may well be God’s way of…
bringing people back to faith.

2010-10-01T12:20:00.001-07:00

Loving Someone to Christ

I recently read an article entitled “Downward Mobility in an Upscale World” by Shane Claiborne. Shane is founder of The Simple Way – a faith community in Philadelphia that ministers to inner city persons. We might call it “rescue mission” ministry, except that “rescue” is what all ministry is about – rescuing people from sin and its awful effects, whether it be those circumstances that force people onto the street, into the ghetto, or propels them into an affluent lifestyle that is indifferent to the legitimate needs of others.

Shane Claiborne and those who share his passion to make the Kingdom of God known by taking it to the streets of the inner city are some of the most committed Christians in the world.

I began to think. Perhaps you don’t possess a passion for the inner city, or for cross cultural (foreign) ministry. But somewhere in every Christian’s spirit there should be a passion for Christ and His Kingdom and a passion for others. The others may be family, friends, or even the neighbors on your street. If there is no passion for anyone you know, love or with whom you work or play to encounter Christ, then something is wrong. You are not a committed Christian. Shouldn’t we all be committed Christians? Is there really another kind?

As a college student I was challenged by a particular speaker at a student assembly. This man had taken Bibles into the European nations at that time under Communist rule as well as the Soviet Union. He asked the student body to pray that God would dismantle the Iron Curtain and make possible the free distribution of Bibles and freedom to preach the Gospel in that part of the world. Specifically, he asked that we pray freedom of religion become a reality in the Soviet Union. I prayed this way for twenty years – until 1989 when the Berlin Wall fell, Communism was toppled across Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union established freedom of religion. I was amazed in 1997 when I was privileged to travel to Ukraine and minister to Ukrainian and Russian pastors, sharing with them the goodness and reality of Jesus Christ. My passion for this part of the world, made very real through prayer over twenty years, is still strong.

My passion for our own nation and my community is stronger than ever.

Shane Claiborne writes, “When we get to heaven and are separated into sheep and goats (Matt.25), I don’t believe Jesus is going to say, ‘When I was hungry, you gave a check to the United Way and they fed me’ or ‘when I was naked, you donated to the Salvation Army and they clothed me.’ Jesus is not seeking distant acts of charity. He is seeking concrete actions: ‘You fed me…you visited me…you welcomed me in…you clothed me…”

Jesus is not seeking distant acts of charity. He is seeking concrete actions.

It is time for Christians to move beyond talk and engage in prayer for those in spiritual and material need. This will kindle passion for them. Then, with the passionate love of Christ providing the motivation, we can speak and minister to them – directly and effectively.

This is what we mean when we talk about…

Loving someone to Christ.

2010-09-24T08:22:00.000-07:00

Bind Yourself to Them

There is probably nothing that a pastor enjoys more than sharing the grace of God. To tell hurting people that they can be forgiven and to see them respond to this message is extremely meaningful. To tell others of God’s great compassion and love and see them light up with hope is very satisfying.

But the good news does not end with that content. It begins there. The good news is much more expansive than receiving God’s forgiveness and love. It expands into the area of a person’s attitude, character, morals and family life. The good news received personally challenges a person to extend the realm of Christ. This is done by sharing verbally what Christ has done personally for the person, a personal testimony. The realm of Christ is then extended through actions – that is, application of the good news. Displaying God’s love, compassion and forgiveness in daily life creates a powerful witness to others.

When such actions are put on display in the midst of serious opposition, such actions become all the more remarkable. When a follower of Christ continues displaying God’s love, compassion and forgiveness in the face of persecution, the realm of Christ is genuinely glorified.

All of the above is mentioned to encourage you to attend a conference at The Chapel in Marlboro. Open to the entire public and at no cost the Ohio-Western Pennsylvania Regional Conference for Voice of the Martyrs is to be held on Saturday, October 16, 2010. Events begin at 9:00 a.m. and continue until 5:00 p.m., with a lunch break from Noon – 1:30 p.m. Speakers include Gracia Burnham, Steven Khoury, Gatenah Getanah, Brad Konneman, Robert Brock and Mujahid El Masih.

Let me tell you a little about one of the lesser-known speakers: Mujahid El Masih. From Pakistan, in 1997 some Christians were falsely accused of tearing out pages from the Quran. Thousands of Pakistani Muslims were incited to riot against the Christians living in two villages in that area. The villages were burned and the believers tortured and persecuted. Mujahid El Masih was one of the leading Christian pastors in the area. His life was spared – and he doesn’t really know why, except that God showed him mercy. Advised by trusted friends to leave Pakistan, God opened a door for him and his family to come to The United States. Pastor Masih is very studied in Islam as well as Christianity. He presently ministers to all – but especially Muslims, sharing that the real and living God is one of mercy, compassion, forgiveness and love. And that through Jesus Christ this God may be known. His web site is www.fortheloveofmuslims.org.

When James Calvert went out as a Christian missionary to the cannibals of the Fiji Islands, the ship captain tried to dissuade him, saying, “You will lose your life and the lives of those with you if you go among such savages.” To that, Calvert replied, “We died before we came here.”

This conference will inspire and motivate you to understand and intelligently pray for those who genuinely suffer for their faith. Hebrews 13:3 states, “Remember those that are in bonds, as bound with them…”
Think about those who are persecuted for their faithfulness to Christ. Pray for those who are expanding the realm of Christ through their suffering. Learn of their courage and faith.

Bind yourself to them.

2010-09-10T15:17:00.001-07:00

Serve Him by Serving Others

“Signs and wonders,” he told me. “You need signs and wonders.”

I knew what he meant: miracles of physical healing that are well-publicized. What I could not seem to convey to him is that signs and wonders are all around us – just not the type he was seeking. Many of the signs and wonders of our time are not exciting, but frightening. Rather than welcoming them, we find them disturbing. You want some signs and wonders? Try these: national economies in turmoil, with the European continent on edge; wars in the Middle East and the threat of a nuclear armed Iran and North Korea; garbage and waste from large cities being transported and dumped into landfills or the ocean; families strained to make ends meet and institutions to help the poor struggling to survive; betrayal of spouses and children proliferating through adultery and divorce, creating a class of people who lack the security provided by a stable family and home environment. There is more, but certainly you catch the drift. Personal difficulties have reproduced exponentially, becoming social predicaments that affect us all.

But since these signs are not immediate, some dismiss them as merely “problems”. Problems they are, to be sure – but rather significant (“signs”) and overwhelming (“wonders”). Signs and wonders were never meant to entertain us. Regardless of the nature, signs and wonders were always intended to call a person to faith in God – and then to an obedience to God. Having gotten our attention by the sign, God then would urge us to continue in a lifestyle of service. For example, these words from Romans 12 are important in this regard: “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service…” (Romans 12:1).

Did you catch a few of those words? How about “sacrifice” and “holy” or “acceptable”? Does this verse sound punitive to you, or as though God is depriving you of your personal liberties? If so, you are as wrong as can be. As we move along through life there is something we all encounter: unhappy people. Lots of them. Most if not all of them are persons who thought they knew best what would make them happy – and they pursued those things. But in the end, even having achieved those things, their lives are unfulfilled and unhappy. My question for you: “Don’t you think that the Creator knows what is best for the created ones?” Don’t you understand that God knows better than you what will bring real happiness and fulfillment to you? Of course He does!

Signs and wonders abound – and anyone can see them. What we really need is for the church to adopt its prophetic voice and announce to the world where we are headed if we do not repent. Add to this the message of the Old Testament prophets that God is merciful and will accept and restore us if we turn to Him and perhaps we will see a turning, a revival in the land.

In the meantime, God calls us in these times to faith. During these times of troublesome signs and wonders, He calls His church to obedience. He lies before each of us an opportunity –

to serve Him by serving others.

2010-09-03T08:32:00.000-07:00

Our God Speaks!

From the earliest days, followers of Jehovah have maintained that He has spoken. It’s a good thing, too! The creation speaks of a Creator; the human conscience seeks relief from guilt, the mind seeks ultimate answers (what is good, fair, right, wrong – and who ultimately decides?). Further, from where do these concepts of fairness, right and wrong, justice, mercy and goodness originate anyway? These revelations all are evidence that point toward a Supreme Being, God. But still, our understanding of life is deficient unless God speaks in some fashion to reveal Himself and answer the most profound questions of human existence.

One of the great teachings of the Bible is a simple one: God speaks. He really does. When He created the world and all that is in it, following each day, He said, “It is good.” After the creation of mankind, made in His image and the grand conclusion of His creative acts, He said, “It is very good.” From this we learn that there is an expectation that God should speak to us. And He does.

He speaks in many ways, seldom in a bombastic, loud, overbearing way. Most frequently it is through the convicting power of the scriptures.

Both internally and externally the scriptures prove their trustworthiness. The scriptures also carry the imprimatur of divine authority, often quoting God (“thus says the LORD…”). Externally, from archaeology, history and every point of confirmation possible, the Bible stands as true. Its remarkable accuracy establishes its inerrancy – it is without error. Internally, not only does the Bible call the reader to believe its information as factual, it claims for itself to be the written revelation of God to mankind. Consider, for example, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the child of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” When the statement “inspired” or “breathed out by God” is used, it means that God is speaking again – this time through the scriptures.

If we really want to know what God would tell us, we should first consult His written word. Perhaps later, in a specific situation, He will speak in a way directly to our need (usually a prompting within our spirit). But the first stop is always the written word, for it is God’s general statement to the world of mankind. It really tells us what we need to know for the situations of life. How much more do we need than correction when our attitudes are wrong? Or reproving when our actions are offensive? The scriptures teach how to “do right” in any situation and encourages good works.

What a fulfilling life to obey what God has spoken!

The verse I used above reveals what God intends to teach us through the Bible. Our lives are to be lived in such a way that “the image of God” (each person) is to reflect Godly character. After all, an image is just a reflection of reality. If our lives are to be lived profitably, we will read the Bible and apply its teachings to life. We will refer to this book often for guidance, instruction, correction and learning what “good” is and how to implement good into our lives (“good works”).

We will refer to the Bible often because God has spoken and continues to speak through its pages.

Our God speaks!

2010-08-27T12:08:00.000-07:00

Beware the Unrealistic Approach

Walid Shoebat is a name to remember. An ex-terrorist, he has a web site where he attempts to educate the world about Islam, his former religion. It is worth a look – you will keep returning as new developments in the Islamic world make you question what is happening. There is a good chance that www.shoebat.com will have the answer.

So it was with interest that I read, “Americans need to understand the level of deception and lies as well as the ends that Muslim clergy like Imam Rauf will go to advance their agenda of advancing Sharia law and Islamic domination in America” (I added the italics) . Imam Rauf is the one who is pushing for a mosque to be built at Ground Zero – a real slap in the face of those who died in the 9/11 attack and the safety personnel who died trying to rescue them.

I read President Obama’s greeting to the Muslim world at the start of Ramadan. I am grateful that the President has sent a greeting since it is a gesture of good will to about 1 billion people. I am not holding my breath however, to see if a Muslim leader sends out greetings to Christians on Christmas or to Jews on Yom Kippur. It will not likely happen. I was troubled by a few phrases in the President’s greeting.

“Muslims provide support to others to advance opportunity and prosperity for people everywhere.” They do? A record of assistance provided by national governments to needy areas of the world shows that Muslim donors have long contributed toward other Muslims in need, almost exclusively. And when aid from these governments has been given to non-Muslim areas of the world, there is almost always an accompanying incentive to convert to Islam. It is, “There is more where that came from if you become Muslim.”

The President applauded Islam by saying, and I am paraphrasing, “Islam has had a role in advancing justice, progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.” This is almost laughable, except for the Muslim women and girls kept in bondage and non-Muslims tortured and martyred. TIME magazine recently featured a story on Islamic torture of a young woman, using her mutilated photo on its cover. President Obama would do well to speak with both Muslim women and non-Muslims who have escaped from Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan and elsewhere. He would soon learn that persecution is active.

In an exaggeration, President Obama shared “Islam has always been part of America” and “American Muslims have made extraordinary contributions to our country.” Not until immigration laws changed in the 1960s did Muslims begin coming to America in any noticeable numbers. Not that I mind their coming, but the absence of this religion has been helpful to the building of our republic; its presence has now, quite obviously, created tension. It has also generated pandering by our President to Muslim-majority nations. Christianity has provided a strong cohesion to American society. The American Muslims who have contributed are not those like Imam Rauf, but those who have reshaped their faith to fit a democratic, pluralistic mold – and who have decided that freedom of religion, speech and press are good things, not bad. The unfortunate aspect is that these Muslims, those attempting to adapt to American culture, are frequently considered poor Muslims overseas, in Muslim-majority countries.

While I appreciate the President’s Ramadan greeting and its attempt to create good will with Muslim-majority nations, I think it also serves to dumb down the American public to the danger that an unrealistic approach will bear.

Walid Shoebat has written a book that every American should read: Why We Want to Kill You. This former terrorist will share in the pages of this book what the world is realistically facing in Islam.

Beware the unrealistic approach.

2010-08-14T08:06:00.000-07:00

Get Rid of It Now!

I do not have the statistics handy, but I read recently that Mao Tse-Tung has the dishonor of being the worst mass murderer in history, with Joseph Stalin in second spot. Both were Communist leaders, intent on burying the individual freedoms represented by The United States under the thumb of government-run tyranny.
It was shocking then, to read that a bust of Stalin has been erected at The National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia. That’s right – “National” meaning “taxpayer funded”. This bust is the fourth at the display, joining Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman as opponents to Adolf Hitler. Never mind that the other three were champions of freedom and that Stalin had been an ally of Hitler’s until the German invasion of Russia in June, 1941. And please, American citizens, do not remember that no Soviet forces participated in the D-Day invasion. The Russian army was attacking on the German eastern front, D-Day occurred on the Western front.
Gosh, history can really be inconvenient, can’t it? That is why so much revisionism is now taking place. Like putting a bust of Stalin on display at The National D-Day Memorial – what a great ally! Yeah, right. Does anyone care?
One man who cares is Dr. Lee Edwards. Edwards is Chairman of Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. This organization has a web site every American should visit and every school should require its students to explore: www.victimsofcommunism.org. This web site will link to www.globalmuseumoncommunism.org. The museum web site is thoroughly historical and objective, lacking propaganda. It attempts to teach the truth about Communism from Karl Marx’s The Communist Manifesto to the facts about present day Chinese suppression of liberties in Tibet. Dr. Edwards is leading a campaign to have Stalin’s bust removed from The National D-Day Memorial. Those who gave their lives on the beaches of Normandy did so in defense of liberty. Frankly, a bust of Stalin on display at The National D-Day Memorial is an offense to their memory.
The News and Advance of Lynchburg, Virginia reported in its August 2, 2009 issue on the sculptor of the Stalin bust, Richard Pumphrey. Pumphrey, a professor at Lynchburg College, is quoted as saying, “He was just a terrible person, so the challenge is to embody the terror he instilled.” Pumphrey continued, “I was angry every day I worked on him ( the bust of Stalin). Knowing how bad a guy he was, you’ve got to reveal it…you should feel the figures in addition to seeing them. You should sense their nature just by looking at them.”
Dr. Edwards’ web site http://stalinstatue.com is for those who want to see the Stalin bust removed from among the others. At this site you may leave comments and sign a petition. Many of those writing in are refugees or the children of refugees who fled the madness of Communism in Eastern Europe. They know from experience that “he was just a terrible person”, as Richard Pumphrey said. The Director of the D-Day National Memorial, William McIntosh, said that the intent of displaying a Stalin bust is that he was an ally. No mention is made of his earlier alignment with Hitler. Theirs was a treaty between two devils - broken only because Hitler knifed Stalin in the back first. Had the pact never been signed August 24, 1939 it is highly debatable that Hitler would have invaded Poland and launched the Second World War on September 1, 1939. At that particular moment in history, Stalin was the crutch upon which Hitler leaned.
Shame, shame on The National D-Day Memorial. Stalin was no lover of life, liberty or the pursuit of happiness (except his own). His bust represents everything America opposes and much that is wrong in the world today.
Perhaps you would like to visit http://stalinstatue.com and join Dr. Edwards’ campaign to have the bust removed from The National D-Day Memorial. It is worth a stop at this web site just to read the comments.
By all means write or call your congressman and tell him, “Get rid of Stalin’s bust at The National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia and …
get rid of it now!”

2010-08-06T12:09:00.001-07:00

Marriage is Sacred

I heard the news reported on the car radio. I immediately thought of my sister and her family. Residents of California, they had been part of the majority of voters who had supported Proposition 8 – defining legal marriage as between a man and a woman. Now, the news report stated, a federal judge had declared the proposition to be unconstitutional (August 4, 2010). This ruling opens the path to marriage between homosexual partners.

Marriage is the central institution of any civilization. So, what is the nature of marriage? Even primitive societies recognize marriage. Centuries of moral understanding and social mores regarding the institution of marriage have always understood it as between members of the opposite gender. Can this accumulation of knowledge from previous generations spread over every civilization be wrong? The answer, of course, is no.

I am inclined to think that the centuries of moral understanding and social mores that declare marriage to be between a man and a woman will prove to be wise, correct and beneficial to society. This most recent ruling will prove to be foolish and detrimental.

Anyway, the definition of marriage has already been decided by the Highest Court of the Universe. Marriage is not for one mortal to decide. God Almighty has instituted marriage and He has established it as between a man (Adam) and a woman (Eve). Homosexual marriage is not normal, regardless of what a federal judge rules. This appears to be the actual intent of the ruling as the judge stated that Proposition 8 was “a desire to advance the belief that opposite-sex couples are morally superior to same-sex couples.” Everyone knows that an opposite sex couple may be obscenely immoral; but what has that to do with the nature of marriage? The judge shared his opinion on this by stating, “Gender no longer forms an essential part of marriage; marriage under law is a union of equals.” This is what he considers the nature of marriage then: a union of equals without regard to gender.

“…marriage under law…” To what law is he making reference? Proposition 8 was an attempt by the electorate to establish a definitive law. Proposition 8 “violates equal protection under the law”, according to Judge Vaughn R. Walker. The equal protection clause is the law in reference. Really? This is an incredible ruling. The equal protection clause is the rationale behind this odd ruling? It is a ruling that is contrary to what every society, every where, in every period of time, has considered normal.

How refreshing to return to the scripture. The first miracle performed by Jesus in His public ministry was at a wedding. Christ honored the wedding with His presence. He later defined marriage by saying, “At the beginning God created man and woman, and a man should leave his father and mother, and be forever united to his wife. The two shall become one - no longer two, but one!” (Matthew 19:5-6 NLT).

Jesus here affirms three principles of marriage. First, it is between man and woman. Secondly, it is intended to be permanent. Thirdly, it is sacred. That is, defined and instituted by God. If sacred, then it is not to be messed with. The consequences of redefining marriage away from God’s design will be disappointing to those who engage in same-sex marriage. It will create chaos for society at large. God’s moral law will withstand all who attempt to undermine it. You don’t break God’s law – it breaks you.

Remember this when the topic arises. Mankind has always defined marriage as between a man and a woman. God instituted marriage. And…

Marriage is sacred.

2010-07-29T18:13:00.000-07:00

Christ in You

Ever been to Murfreesboro, Tennessee?
Murfreesboro is a delightful town, not too far from Nashville. I visited there a couple of times in the late 1960’s while a college student. I remember it as rustic and yet bustling with energy. I have been told that it has changed a lot since the 60’s, acquiring businesses and many new residents. The population is now 100,000 or so. It is home to many effective churches and a few years ago acquired the presence of the newspaper The Sword of the Lord, dedicated to consecrated Christian living.

Now Murfreesboro is about to acquire something else: an Islamic Community Center.

The proposed center, funded I suspect by the Saudi government, is impressive – 52,000 square feet. It will feature a mosque, educational classrooms, a soccer field, tennis court, gymnasium and swimming pool. For good measure, a cemetery also – no good Muslim wants to be buried alongside Christians. The director, an Imam, is Egyptian educated.

Let’s be frank about the selection of Murfreesboro for the placement of this Islamic Community Center. Murfreesboro represents the heart of Christian local church evangelistic efforts in America. Much of the local church evangelism that is done in the United States is a result of the Christian publishing done in Murfreesboro. Some have referred to Murfreesboro as “the buckle on the Bible belt.” I can say, “That is an apt description”. The Islamic presence will attempt to make the Christian community of Murfreesboro look intolerant. If it succeeds, the media will have a story that will appear internationally. As we all know, the major transgression any American can make in this day and age is to appear intolerant. In Saudia Arabia and other Islamic countries, intolerance of other faiths is a cultural norm. I wonder what will happen if this religion gains the upper hand in America? You and I both know the answer to that question. Jihad will spare very few. This is not as if the Baptists or Presbyterians want to construct a new church here.

In light of Islam’s intolerance against other religions, it is no surprise that some of the more enlightened residents of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County have issued warnings. Lou Ann Zelenik, the Republican candidate for Congress, calls the proposed center “an Islamic training center.” If you don’t understand this phrase, read “a place where terrorism will be advocated.” She is probably correct. A weekly paper called The Reader has joined the controversy by publishing articles about the harshness of Sharia law (“cut off his hand if he steals” – this will effectively stop his stealing with the hand, but how about giving him a chance to repent and reform first?). Many residents of Rutherford County, Tennessee recently spoke against the project at a public hearing. As I write, I am unaware that the county commissioners have made a decision on permitting or denying the project to advance.

This information leads me to wonder, what if an Islamic Community Center moved in next door to me, in my neighborhood. How would I react? After the initial surprise, I would hope that I could approach these new neighbors as a Christian witness.

I would want to love these persons with the love of Christ. I would want to befriend them. I would try to keep in mind that these are people, too. Their hearts yearn for truth – the truth that only Jesus and the Bible give. Then, having befriended them, I would hope to inform them that Jesus died for their sins. I would want them to see the change He brings in a life by seeing it in me.

I would want to remember that the nation Israel faced persons who did not share their faith. But those non-Hebrew people witnessed the presence of God in Israel’s national midst. Consequently, they wanted to learn about Israel’s God. At Jericho, Rahab hid the Hebrew spies because she had “heard how the Lord made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt” (Joshua 2:10).

I would want them to see the reality of Christ in me and…

Christ in you.

2010-07-23T08:43:00.001-07:00

He is Lord

Liar, Lunatic, Lord – or Legend. Which was Jesus?

I was reading a lecture recently. It was written by an agnostic, and was a reply to the late C.S. Lewis’ statement about Jesus: He was a lunatic, a liar, or Lord. These were the three choices Lewis set forth In Mere Christianity. “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God…”

The essayist proposed that there is a fourth alternative. Jesus is a legend. That is, the followers of Jesus have made him more than he really is and the Gospel stories are a mixture of truth and falsehood. The essayist said this was not a religious decision, but one based on history.

Apparently first hand sources, like Matthew, Mark and John are insufficient historians. Or does his proposition mean that because there was no editorial board piecing together, say, the Encyclopedia Britannica, the Gospels are not reliable history?

What about these Gospel accounts? Luke states that his document on Christ is based on historical research, including interviews of persons “who were eyewitnesses” (1:1-4). Should Luke’s testimony be rejected?

No, not at all. On the contrary, every test to which Luke’s Gospel is put demonstrates an amazing historical accuracy. This Gospel has especially been scrutinized for two reasons. First, Luke was not present to observe the life of Jesus, but became a follower after Jesus’ departure from earth. Secondly, his claim to have done significant research is either a boast or a statement of fact. Skeptics would love to prove that this is a boast; all they have done is proved that Luke is a credible historian.

But this is true of the entire Bible, really. It stands the test of scrutiny, far beyond any other book of religious writings. There are clear reasons to accept the accuracy and authority of the Bible. Anyone who has studied the fulfilled prophecies knows there are many, and their fulfillment has been precise. Especially interesting are the prophecies that regard the first coming of Christ (He will come again, and this is prophesied also). Only God could have brought about the fulfillment of so many prophecies.

Jesus acknowledged the authority of scripture. He frequently quoted scriptures, and used the Old Testament as a way of calling attention to Himself as the promised Messiah. This was habitual in the life and teachings of Jesus.

Of all the world’s great books, the Bible alone provides a completely rational explanation of the universal existence of severe problems (sin and evil), feelings of guilt, longing for hope, reality of shame, presence of religion and longing for God.

Is Jesus Christ just a legend? Not if the Bible is true. And, the Bible is true! The Bible passes every test that can be applied in order to evaluate its divine origin and authority.

Jesus is not a legend. The countless lives His power has changed realize He is neither a liar nor a lunatic.

He is Lord.

2010-07-16T13:07:00.000-07:00

Let Jesus Give You Joy

What is it that people want most? What is the basic human need; something that strikes each of us?

Almost everyone will acknowledge that, in his or her deepest recesses – the soul – there is a yearning for more. “The yearning” is deeply felt and understood. The answers to life that are offered by others can confuse and make one desperate. To compound matters, common observation would lead one to conclude that others are just as unfulfilled. This craving for meaning, significance, purpose, security and serenity consumes us.

Centuries ago it consumed a Roman citizen by the name of Aurelius Augustine. Born in present day Algeria, Aurelius Augustine was a brilliant lad. His father was a wealthy man who provided a very comfortable home with all the amenities of life. He was sent away for superior schooling and at a young age, fifteen as I recall, read Cicero’s philosophy. From this time he acquired a love for the subject of philosophy. Despite being gifted intellectually and offered the finest schooling, “the yearning” began to consume Augustine. During his teen years, he turned to lewd behavior. This continued for several years. He fathered a son out of wedlock, whom he raised. Never quitting on his education, he traveled from Africa to Italy in order to learn from the world’s best teachers.

But “the yearning” never went away. Something was wrong. He was continually restless. The comfortable lifestyle, the sexual conquests and the educational attainments could not satisfy his soul. Later however, in Milan, Italy he was to find the answer to “the yearning.” He wrote about it later, in a book called The Confessions. “The heart of man knows no rest until it finds its rest in Thee, O God.”

What Augustine sought is the same for us all. It is not a feeling. C.S. Lewis described his quest as a seeking for “joy.” He maintained that this joy is not just a general sort of happiness, nor pleasant thoughts, nor a feeling. In the book wherein he describes his spiritual journey, Surprised by Joy, Lewis calls this joy “an unsatisfied desire which is itself more desirable than any other satisfaction.” He refers again, in his work The Pilgrim’s Regress, to the soul’s “Desire.” He came to conclude, “And if nature makes nothing in vain, the One who can sit in this chair (Desire) must exist.” The “Desire” is what Lewis called it. It is what Augustine called “no rest.” It is what I call “the yearning.”

And it is the experience of us all.

They found the answer. Joy replaces Desire; peace replaces restlessness when the One who exists is admitted into life. Jesus said, “My joy may be yours, and it enables you to enjoy life to the fullest” (John 15:11, loosely paraphrased).

Let Jesus give you Joy.

2010-07-09T08:09:00.001-07:00

Consider a Christian School for Your Child

I was observing school children. It was the last day of school and a very happy, wholesome group of children were bounding through the hallways of the church, anticipating their summer vacation.

You may ask, “Why were they at the church?” The answer is, “Because we have decided that Christian schooling is an important alternative to public schooling for many families.”

American education worked superbly when a Christian consensus maintained a strong morality and sense of God’s presence in the schools. That consensus no longer is maintained in society or in the schools. Does that mean things have changed?

I have read that in the late 1940s, many if not most public school teachers began the day by reading a Bible verse, either saying a prayer or reciting the Lord’s Prayer, and giving the Pledge of Allegiance. The Christian consensus was the common fabric holding society together. The public school teachers of that time listed the worst problems they faced as gum chewing, running in the hall, talking, making noise, getting out of line, violating the dress code and littering.

Now that the Christian consensus has been abandoned by many in society and is lacking in the public schools, there is a whole set of new problems. Today’s problems are: drugs, alcohol, pregnancy, suicide, rape and robbery. Perhaps the best book on social decline is written by Bill Bennett, Index of Leading Cultural Indicators (Simon and Schuster, New York, copyright 1994).

I understand that the current problems listed are actually taken from a “Safe School” questionnaire and the comparison of then to now may not be completely fair. But really, who would have thought to take a “Safe School” questionnaire sixty years ago?

Decent and honorable public school teachers whom I know report that many students are in no mood to learn and make it very difficult for them to teach the students who want to learn. Consequently, many dedicated school teachers leave the public schools in frustration, seeking a more satisfying career elsewhere.

Failure to maintain excellent educational standards and mounting moral problems have led to private Christian schooling and home schooling. That is why Good Shepherd School is housed at our church.

I became shockingly aware of the need for private Christian schools when my son, now thirty-four years old, was ushered into an assembly before the senior prom at his local public high school. There he and the other senior boys from the school were provided a prophylactic in preparation for prom night. This was sixteen years ago, mind you. This was done without parental notification of any kind. I considered it then, as I do now, an endorsement of adultery.

Good Shepherd School is now enrolling for the fall, as are other Christian schools.

Consider a Christian school for your child.

2010-07-03T04:46:00.000-07:00

Pray for Christopher Hitchens

I read this morning (July 2, 2010) that Christopher Hitchens is ill. He is to undergo chemotherapy for cancer of the esophagus.

Who is Christopher Hitchens? This resident of Washington D.C. is an author and a leading polemicist of what is called “The New Atheism.” Just what is new about atheism I do not know. But I do know that Hitchens’ 2007 book God is Not Great is a best-seller. He has also authored other books that attempt to convince the reader that there is no God.

When coming across such writings, I tend to remember the comment of a Soviet teenager during the days of Communism: “If there is no God, why do they try so hard to convince us?” You would think the burden of proof would have been upon those who believe in God rather than the atheists, would you not?

Besides his writing, Hitchens also engages in debate, frequently debating the existence of God.

He now has begun what will be a battle, much greater than a mere debate. The battle is not against an army, but a disease. It is a malevolent disease and the man needs prayer. “There is no atheist in a foxhole” goes an old saying. I have already prayed for Hitchens this morning, and invite you to do the same. Let’s pray that God uses this disease, this battle, to bring Hitchens to faith.

Twenty-one years ago the Berlin Wall fell and Communism went into retreat. Explanations for this electrifying moment in history vary. But one common thread exists in all the explanations. Communism offers no inspiring faith in which to believe and absolutely no hope for a world to come. Communism is fundamentally a faith, but one based upon belief in no God. Everything else springs from the basic tenet of atheism. It is no wonder then that Communism fails. Atheism has proved to be a miserable failure. Atheism fails politically. It fails philosophically. It fails religiously. It fails because it does not strengthen a person, a society or the world. Atheism makes it impossible to understand why life is important - why life has value or what meaning life possesses.

I do concede that the many different religions in the world can be confusing. I know it and so does Hitchens, since he makes the argument. But think for a moment. Why is there religion of any kind? People are compelled to acknowledge a Higher Power, God. This is a bona fide testament to His existence. People universally are inherently religious. The confusion of different religions creates a demand that God speak, that He reveal Himself to us, precisely so we may not remain confused. This is where Christianity’s thrust is found – “God, who at many times and in many ways has spoken to our ancestors through the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us through His Son” (Hebrews 1:1-2). The opening verses of the Biblical book of Hebrews establish what is to follow: how it is that God has spoken and revealed Himself through Jesus Christ. Christianity proclaims that God has spoken. There is a reason the Bible is called “the Word” – it reveals the truth about the one living God. It is how He has spoken. The Bible tells of His existence, His nature and His acts. It reveals His will for every person and instructs as to how we may know God. By knowing God we can satisfy the craving of our spirit in this life and know with certainty that there is a better life to come.

This all takes me back to where I began. Christopher Hitchens, one of the prominent spokesmen for atheism today, has cancer. He is in a battle for his life. There is also a battle going on for his soul. Pray that God speaks to Hitchens through this battle.

Pray for Christopher Hitchens.

2010-06-29T06:04:00.001-07:00

Fathers are Important

How important are fathers anyway?

Perhaps this question crossed your mind as you noticed “Father’s Day” on the calendar. Since 1987 there have been two dozen scholarly studies published, covering over 22,000 separate sets of data concerning the role of fathers. All the research has the same conclusion - active fathers in the family are essential in preventing behavioral problems with boys and psychological problems in girls. An active, nurturing father is crucial to the stability of the family. His presence in the home strengthens society and positively influences the next generation.

It seems to me that a reasonable result of such research would be public policies and media pieces strengthening the traditional family. Dr. Anna Sardaki, from Uppsala University Department of Women’s and Children’s Health (Sweden) has said, “We hope that this review will add to the body of evidence that shows that enlightened father-friendly policies can make a major contribution to society in the long run by producing well-adjusted children and reducing major problems like crime and antisocial behavior” (quoted from www.LifeSiteNews.com).

But where the media is on this research? Why is it that I keep reading and hearing about “non-traditional” families (read: homosexual partners)? Yes, the media loves reporting on the novel and faddish. Perhaps the traditional family is not news anymore, but with the stress placed on families today (economic, drugs, peer pressure), I would think this research would be news.

Reporting in the February issue of Acta Paediatrica, Swedish researchers showed that regular positive contact with a father reduces criminal behavior among children and enhances skills like learning, reasoning and language development. Need a translation of all this academic talk? What this means is that when a father is around, children learn right behavior, learn to obey laws and do better at school and in life. There is simply no skirting the findings: having both a father and mother in the home and active in the children’s upbringing results in positive benefits. The child is more intelligent, behaves better and performs better at tasks. Further, from what I have both observed and from what I read in the Bible, a child brought to church by both parents will have a better self-image and a much stronger spirituality.

In the United States, more than one million children are separated from a parent through divorce. This is an enormous tragedy. In 2006, over one and one-half million children were born to an unmarried woman in the United States. Some of these women will marry the father of the child. But many of these children will be raised in a one-parent home – most without a father. The United States leads the world in the percentage of mother-only families.

Want to do missionary work this summer? Don’t bother going overseas – go through your neighborhood visiting in the homes of single parents. Love the kids to Christ. Bring them to a church Vacation Bible School. Do a backyard club with Child Evangelism Fellowship. Direct them to a strong Bible teaching church. Better yet, if their parent will not take them to church, invite them to attend with you. The children of The United States are a mission field.

Call the Bible only an ancient book if you like, but it certainly possesses wisdom for our time. Marriage viewed as a sacred institution and intended “till death do us part” is not quaint. It is wise and practical. Marriage defined as between a man and a woman is not “homophobic”, but serves as a foundation for family. And family is a unit where a man is married to a woman. Along with their children they represent the definition of “family” - a group of related persons bound together by the marriage bond, birth, blood or adoption.

What makes a father important is not biological function for perpetuating the race. A father is important for the commitment he displays to marriage, for the security that results in the lives of the family members; for the instruction he provides the young and the love he gives. Best of all is when he serves his Maker, and models Christ.

Fathers are important.

2010-06-16T13:12:00.001-07:00

Trust God and the Truth He Has Revealed

I recently finished the new biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, titled Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy and authored by Eric Metaxas (Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, TN, copyright 2010).

Biographies are interesting to me. If written honestly, a biography will present a person’s positive traits and his or her flaws. In reading this exhaustive and authoritative biography, one learns that Bonhoeffer possessed outstanding traits in abundance and very few flaws of character. He is best remembered for his heroic public outcry and stand against the Third Reich in Germany.

Part of the Nazi strategy for Germany was to silence the churches. It was thought this could best be accomplished by infiltrating and then compromising the church – which was done successfully. The church was even given a new name: the Reich Church. Some voices spoke out against this infiltration – and many of these church leaders were punished. No voice spoke louder than that of Bonhoeffer, a professor at that time with the University of Berlin. With overseas friends, he was able to communicate clearly the Nazi threat to Europe and the world. Along with other pastors, Bonhoeffer and other pastors became known as “the young reformers.” Bonhoeffer was their leader.

Bonhoeffer and those of like mind formed a group called The Confessing Church. The Confessing Church stood in opposition to the Reich Church and made public outcries against the persecution of Jewish persons. Bonhoeffer and The Confessing Church used the metaphor of a bicycle wheel: “defend the victims who have fallen under the wheel” of persecution. “Cast yourself into the spokes of the wheel itself” to halt the government’s murderous progress. Many of those “young reformers” were put into concentration camps. The others were harassed.

What really enlightens the student is the connection Bonhoeffer rightly made between the health of the church and the national interest. He understood that a healthy church, discerning clearly what is right from what is wrong, and basing this understanding on the Bible’s teaching, is vital to having a healthy country.

For his outspokenness against Nazi policies, the war and the Fuehrer; for aiding Jewish people in hope of seeing them survive; in discovery of his complicity in a plot to remove Hitler, Bonhoeffer was arrested in 1943. Eventually he was executed for his role in the conspiracy against Hitler in 1945, about three weeks before the end of the war.

There will always be opposition to God’s truth. Occasionally the opposition will be strong. People who faithfully serve the risen Christ may be ridiculed. Some will be persecuted. A few will die the death of a martyr, like Bonhoeffer.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s life is a not-too-distant example of steadfastness in the face of danger, of pursuing faithfulness at all costs. While he may have lost his life in this temporary realm, he gained life abundantly in the next world and in another place, the Heaven of God. He joined an exclusive group, the martyrs – of whom God has said they are especially “blessed.”

Bonhoeffer’s life teaches many lessons. Perhaps two that should be especially remembered are, first, faithfulness is remembered; secondly, righteousness does prevail.

Be faithful. Practice the right. Trust God and the truth He has revealed.

2010-05-28T16:59:00.000-07:00

Be a Friend to Israel

I read recently that “Jewish support for the President (Obama) is plummeting.”

This is interesting, and entirely predictable considering that the current administration has shown a great deal of opposition to Israel’s interests in the Middle East.

Is Israel important? In my opinion, the answer is “Yes.”

I have in my office a portrait of Harry S. Truman, former President of the United States. The portrait hangs for a couple of reasons, but first and foremost is this: The United States was the first country to recognize the independent state of Israel in 1948 and Truman was the President who made it possible. Since that day, Israel has been a solid ally and partner with The United States in opposing Communist tyranny around the world. Today it stands as an opponent of Islamic extremism – and has plenty of experience in battling this foe. Our nation can learn from Israel.

What policies have our current administration pursued that has so disappointed the Jewish population? For starters, President Obama has stated his desire to see Jerusalem divided (a city united under Jewish rule since the 1967 War). He has advocated having Israel give back to the Palestinians the strategically located West Bank – the same Palestinians who refuse to discuss peace negotiations with Israel. Iran proceeds to develop nuclear power, and presumably weapons, with the stated intention of blowing Israel off the map and barely a word is heard about this very real and imminent threat. President Obama also has discouraged Israel from launching a preemptive strike against Iran’s nuclear sites. Most chilling, however, is that the Obama administration has now begun trying to force Israel to disclose and then dismantle its defensive nuclear weapons, which Israel denies possessing. (Hint-hint: the President would not be urging the dismantling of non-existing weapons).

This has demoralized the American-Jewish population. On April 15, Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, sent a letter to President Obama. In this letter, criticism was leveled against the present American administration for beginning to turn against Israel. “Why does the thrust of this Administration’s Middle East rhetoric seem to blame Israel for the lack of movement on peace talks? After all, it is the Palestinians, not Israel, who refuse to negotiate.”

Apparently, having read the polls and letter, and having gotten an earful from New York Senator Charles Schumer, the President has invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House. This “charm offensive” as it is called by political watchers, is intended to repair some of the damage caused in the American-Israeli relationship.

This type of news is disturbing to any student of the Bible. One of the most dramatic aspects of the Bible, compared to other religious volumes, is the large amount of prophecy contained in its pages. Some of this prophecy was fulfilled in earlier days – centuries after being first recorded – and its fulfillment is remarkable. The virgin birth of Christ, for example, was prophesied by Isaiah over 700 years before fulfillment. Or Israel as a nation being dispersed among many nations, and then restored.

What does the Bible say about Israel? Plenty! There is a future for Israel. Basic to our understanding of prophecy regarding the nation Israel is this: God told Abram, the father of the Jewish nation, “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you” (Genesis 12:3). The principle is clear. History has demonstrated repeatedly its truth. The friends of Israel will prosper. The enemies of Israel will suffer.

Our nation needs to …
be a friend to Israel.

2010-05-20T08:36:00.000-07:00

Enforce It or Change It

I read where the Mayor of Columbus, Ohio – Michael Coleman – has issued an order forbidding any city employees from traveling to Arizona on business.

The reason? He doesn’t like the new law passed in Arizona to protect itself from illegal immigrants. Just why the Mayor of Columbus, Ohio has any good reason to stick his nose into this matter is puzzling. Also puzzling was the headline statement that appeared on MSNBC. As anchor Contessa Brewer discussed Arizona’s new law, the headline statement read, “Law Makes It a Crime to Be Illegal Immigrant”. What part of the word “Illegal” do the Mayor and MSNBC not understand?

Much of this debate has been framed around peripheral issues: the strain on social services, the loss of entry-level jobs to non-Americans vs. the taking of jobs that Americans wont do, the supply of cheap labor (often referred to as “keeping prices low”).

Another problem – let’s face it – is the Democratic Party of politicians sees these immigrants as a new source of votes. I suspect that Mayor Coleman, in planning his political future, is ingratiating himself to the party leadership. I haven’t heard Hizzoner providing any statement whatever regarding the increase of border-related violence and the need to stop it. Give Arizona credit – the legislature and Governor are attempting to stop the violence.

I want to stick my head out and say, “Romans 13:1.” This verse from the Bible states “Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.” Laws are passed for the public good – to protect the larger peace-loving citizenry from deception, predators and those who would inflict bodily or personal harm. Arizona passed this law to protect its larger peace-loving citizenry. Laws can be repealed or they can be changed. Until the law is changed, it should be respected and obeyed. If a worker is “undocumented”, then he or she is here illegally. Enforce the law – it is the will of God. Arizona has brought this issue front and center. This Administration and Congress can no longer ignore laws they don’t want to enforce.

Most Americans do not know that the Mexican government educates its citizens on successful illegal immigration to the United States. The Mexican government’s official publication Guide for the Mexican Migrant is a “how to” booklet written in comic book format. Making it, of course, easily read and comprehended. It provides counsel such as: “Crossing the river can be very risky, especially if you cross alone and at night. Thick clothing increases your weight when wet and makes it hard to swim or float” (this booklet is translated into English at http://www.dallas.org/node/108).

In February 2006 the Charlotte News and Observer reported, “In North Carolina, not a single business has been fined for hiring illegal immigrants since 1999.” Not only Arizona, but other states and localities – including Mayor Coleman and Columbus - need to enforce the law. Lack of enforcement is the heart of the problem – and God has graciously warned us against such apathy.

The scripture speaks clearly. The law exists to protect people. God stands behind the law. This country is not despotic. There is a system to change laws deemed unjust.

Enforce it or change it.

2010-05-14T13:00:00.000-07:00

Living the Values of the Bible

Is there really a culture war occurring in America?

I am uncertain about the appropriateness of the word “war”, but otherwise, yes, there is a very real cultural divide. A lot of the divide relates to money and education or liberal versus conservative. But the fundamental basis for the divide is worldview. It is between those who believe in the existence of a transcendent-personal God and the truth of the Bible and those who do not. This basic difference has repercussions, affecting values, work ethic and family structure. In short, those who believe in the values revealed in the Bible tend to develop a stronger moral and economic society (culture) than those who reject the Bible.

The United States of America is, as far as I can determine, the first nation in history to have established itself on the Judeo-Christian ethic. Of course, the cultural divide is between those who appreciate this unique heritage and those who do not. The secular government combined with the underpinning religious values has made America – and those countries that have copied her – so powerful. The culture war is between those who wish to retain this heritage and those who wish to redefine America.

One of the arguments against America’s cultural heritage is that one culture is just as good as another, otherwise known as cultural relativism. So, the argument goes, let’s just become multi-cultural, with all the implications. As one who has traveled overseas and visited other cultures, I can tell you this idea is at best naïve and at worst inane.

Come on now, do you honestly believe one culture is as good as the next in the real world? Daniel Etounga-Manguelle, a leader in Cameroon, has said sarcastically, “We Africans really enjoy living in shantytowns where there isn’t enough food, health care, or education for our children. Furthermore, our corrupt chieftaincy political systems are really marvelous and have permitted countries like Mobutu’s Zaire to earn us international prestige and respect. Moreover, surely it would be terribly boring if free, democratic elections were organized all over Africa. Were that to happen, we would no longer be real Africans, and by losing our identity – and our authoritarianism, our bloody civil wars, our illiteracy, our forty-five-year life expectancy – we would be letting down not only ourselves but also those Western anthropologists who study us so sympathetically…” (quote cited in Kairos Journal).

The values revealed in the scripture make a very real difference in the culture. In the early 1960’s, Ghana and South Korea were on equal economic footing. It was in the mid-sixties that an evangelical movement began sweeping through South Korea. Not only did the churches witness their numbers increase dramatically, but Biblical values and morals began affecting the society. People showed up for work on time. They worked diligently and hard. They did not use the office time to flirt or browse the internet. By the 1990’s South Korea had become an economic powerhouse - having the world’s 14th largest economy, even though the country itself was rather small. Ghana had an economy only 1/15th that of South Korea. And in only thirty years!

Can a Biblical value system make that much difference? According to Harvard professor Samuel Huntington, the answer is “Yes.” What made the difference between South Korea and Ghana? Huntington writes, “South Koreans valued thrift, investment, hard work, education, organization and discipline. Ghanaians had different values. In short, cultures count” (Harrison and Huntington, Culture Matters: How Values Shape Human Progress, Basic Books, New York, copyright 2000, quote taken from the foreward, page xiii).

Professor Lawrence Harrison, who coauthored the above cited book, has a list of values that elevate a culture. Nepotism, elitism, tribalism, cronyism and tyranny are not the values that work. What does work is: futuristic planning, dignifying work, frugality, emphasizing education, merit based advancement, community spirit, a rigorous ethical code, impersonal justice and fair play, dispersed authority and freedom for dissent.

Religion plays a big part in the culture. Religion addresses issues like justice, fair play, education, compassion, dignity of the individual and his or her work, the importance of family and fidelity in marriage, and providing honest work for fair compensation. It should come as no surprise that the cultures embracing Biblical values are the cultures where prosperity, liberty, education and optimism exist. The culture is most enhanced when Biblical virtues are infusing it, especially evangelical Christianity with its retention and teaching of the Protestant work ethic. South Korea is 50% Christian and the percentage is increasing. In Ghana, Muslims and animists outnumber Christians three to one. The moral and economic disparity is appallingly real. Values do make a difference –culturally and personally.

The culture war is not fought best with debates or arguments. It is best fought by…

living the values of the Bible.

2010-05-07T08:03:00.001-07:00

The Highest Aspirations of the Human Soul

Three years ago my wife and I traveled to Georgia on a brief four-day vacation. A year before our trip I had read a biography of President Franklin Roosevelt. I had wanted to visit Warm Springs, where the President’s winter home, “The Little White House”, is located. We got to Warm Springs and spent the next day visiting the President’s home, now part of the National Park System, and a state park nearby named for him. We also stopped at the church where he worshipped while in Warm Springs. We then came home.

I was thinking about Roosevelt the other day, when I heard that National Day of Prayer was declared unconstitutional (a decision certain to be challenged). FDR was the longest-serving President, having won four terms. He faced two very great crises: the Great Depression and The Second World War. I had remembered the church he attended and I wondered, “Had his faith been a factor in leading the country through those tumultuous years? What would he think about the National Day of Prayer being declared unconstitutional by a federal judge?”

We will never know for certain what FDR would have thought of the spiritually bereft society that secularists are advancing in America. But there is one act he performed that provides insight.

In March 1941, the President was asked to pen remarks. Not just any remarks. These remarks were to serve as an Introduction to a pocket-sized book. These books were to be published in great numbers and distributed to the troops. Each soldier would receive a copy.

Roosevelt thought about what to write. Although the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was nine months away, intelligence reports had already come to him indicating that the Japanese were preparing to attack the United States. Just where the attack would occur and when was a mystery and would remain one right up to December 7. Roosevelt was convinced by this time that the United States would eventually enter a state of war with the Axis powers. The President had come to loathe Hitler and had just begun to provide, through Lend-Lease, much needed war material to Great Britain and his friend, Churchill. He knew this was tantamount to declaring war on Germany. Knowing fully well that the soldiers receiving this little book would in all likelihood be facing combat, he wanted the words to have effect.

Before sharing the words selected by the President, it may interest you to know what the full title of the book to be distributed was: The New Testament of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: Prepared for Use of Protestant Personnel of the Army of the United States. The title page further stated “Published under the direction of the Chief of Chaplains (Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, 1942).

President Roosevelt’s Introduction
The White House
Washington
March 6, 1941

To the Members of the Army:
As Commander-in-Chief I take pleasure in commending the reading of the Bible to all who serve in the armed forces of the United States. Throughout the centuries men of many faiths and diverse origins have found in the Sacred Book words of wisdom, counsel and inspiration. It is a fountain of strength and now, as always, an aid in attaining the highest aspirations of the human soul.

Very sincerely yours,
Franklin D. Roosevelt

In the past few years, using “Separation of Church and State” as a pretense, a radical secularism emanating from various sources has aggressively attempted to remove references to the Christian faith from our national life. Franklin Roosevelt’s words remind us that Christian faith, resting upon the scripture, is where strength of personal and national character is to be discovered.

It is from the scripture that the person and the nation attains…
the highest aspirations of the human soul.

2010-04-23T12:26:00.000-07:00

A Good Shepherd

“I AM the Good Shepherd,” said Jesus.

I was reading this passage from John’s Gospel, Chapter 10 recently, when an online magazine to which I subscribe arrived. The magazine, Kairos Journal, had an article entitled, “Fathers are Shepherds.” I use some (okay, a lot) of this material to pass on what may be helpful information for you. “Kairos” by the way, is a Greek word for “the times.” In other words, it is a magazine with articles written for our times – Christian commentary on current events.

Ephesians 6:4 states, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

There are two statements of wisdom contained in this verse. The first is negative, the second is positive. The first is, “do not provoke your children to anger.” Children may be small and immature, but they are made in the image of God. They possess this image from conception. A father should not bully, mock or dismiss a young child. Such behavior certainly does provoke a child to anger. It also dishonors God, who has given this child life. The positive statement is, “bring them up in the discipline (or nurture, loving concern) and instruction of the Lord.” The best way to accomplish this daunting task is to teach your children the scripture. Fathers are to be men of the Word, men of scripture. They are constantly to be pointing their children to the Bible. A wise earthly father uses the Lord Jesus Christ as his model. Jesus always pointed people to God the Father and His Word.

I cannot think of any father who does not want to be loved and respected by his children. It is not that the father should want to hear his praises sung by the kids. He should want to hear God’s praises sung.
No father can coerce his child into the Kingdom. But a father can model Christ’s love and spirit by not provoking his child to anger. A father can expose his child to God’s Word. And a father can bring up his child in “the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

In my own experience, there was one thing I did as a Dad that really helped. Our three children were young then, and one day, just thinking it might be a good idea for discussions around the dinner table, I made a copy of the Ten Commandments and displayed it on the refrigerator. The two older children had started school and could read. They began reading these commandments and asking questions. It provided many positive discussions about God, ethics and morality. I recommend this to anyone who is a parent. If it works for you as well as it did for me, you will be well on your way to shepherding your child in the love (discipline) and ways (instruction) of God.

Every Christian father is a shepherd. Let’s try to be …

A good shepherd.

2010-04-16T06:27:00.000-07:00

The Way to God

Is Jesus the only way to God?

This is an interesting question that is being bandied about in both academic and religious circles today. It is an important question, and one that begs a clear answer.

Jesus Himself stated that He is “the way” and that “no one can come to the Father (God) except by Me” – John 14:6. The entire purpose of John writing the Gospel that bears his name is stated as, “These things are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you might have life through Him” (20:31). This “life” means reconciliation to the Creator God.

It is common today to hear people say that Jesus is one of many paths to God. This means that people can be reconciled to God from their fallen state on the basis of sincerity. Almost everyone, even an agnostic, knows that something is missing from the human experience. Some seek the quest for “enlightenment”, others for “self-realization.” The Christian term is “reconciled”. All of these terms express the idea of man’s sin – his fallen state. Jesus has come to provide that reconciliation to God, which is to be enlightened and self-realized.

The sinless life of Christ (His accusers tried desperately but unsuccessfully to find an incident in which He had broken the Law), the atoning death and the resurrection all affirm that He is extraordinary. But does that mean He is the only way to God? Yes, I believe it does.

There are various scriptures to support the following credentials of Jesus – too many to include in a short essay. Trust me on this matter. Jesus was born of a virgin. Thus He did not possess a fallen nature. Jesus claimed to be God incarnate, and demonstrated this claim through miracles. Jesus lived an impeccably sinless life. He died an extraordinary death; one He claimed was to establish “the new covenant in My blood”. He arose from the dead, triumphant over the power of sin.

The command of Christ was then that His followers should go into the entire world and proclaim what He has accomplished. This, He assured them (and us) would bring the benefit of eternal life to those who believe. Further, the followers of Jesus (Peter, speaking for the rest) all believed “there is no other name given among men whereby we can be saved” – that is, reconciled to God.

Finally, the New Testament is filled with examples of people who were without hope and spiritually blind to the truth of God. Then they heard about and believed upon Jesus as the way to God. Their lives were transformed.

The clear message of Christianity is that Jesus is the Savior. He is the only Savior. If a person wants to be reconciled to God, he or she must put faith in Jesus Christ.

Jesus is not just a way; He is “the way” to God.

2010-04-10T07:44:00.000-07:00

In the Beginning God Created the Heavens and the Earth

The opening phrase of the Bible states, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” I thought of that verse recently when a brochure was placed on my desk Thursday. “Creation Fair 2010” the brochure was titled.

I commend the Akron Fossils and Science Center (www.akronfossils.com) for hosting this fair. Designed to offer evidence for intelligent design and creation rather than accidental occurrence of life, the brochure makes the fair look very inviting. .

In the past decade or so there have been serious issues raised by scientists themselves regarding the Darwinian theory of life, usually called “evolution.” The heart of the controversy is that the empirical evidence and the materialist philosophy are at odds with one another. That is, the evidence from science does not support the philosophy that life just happened and that matter is all there is. Or, as Carl Sagan put it, “The cosmos is all there is, ever was, or ever will be.” The evidence points to an Intelligent Designer, a Supreme Engineer, God. The philosophy of current Darwinian theory is that “all living things are the accidental products of a purposeless universe.”

Ironically, on Monday of last week I was visiting at Caesar Creek State Park in Ohio (south of Columbus, off Interstate 71). This state park possesses a treasure trove of fossils – so many that you are welcome to take them home with you, provided each fossil fits in the palm of your hand. I took two. The evidence for a world submerged in water is overwhelming. The only way to explain away a worldwide flood is to say that this portion of Ohio was under water millions or billions of years ago. How the life forms were pressed into rock or sludge and preserved as fossils rather than dying and rotting in water or being eaten by scavengers is not addressed. Of course, a great flood with the water violently moving and eventually vigorously receding provides an excellent explanation. But that might invite God into the study. No longer would it be science. Why not?

It is not considered science due to an underlying philosophy, not due to the evidence.

Just one last thought – and that poses another problem, incidentally. If matter is all that exists, what is mind? What is thinking? Is there such a thing as information? Am I conscious or am I dreaming? Is there reality or are all delusional? What is truth or are there many truths, perhaps no truth? What is reason?
Anyway, there is in evolutionary philosophy an idea called “reductionism”. This is the idea that everything, including everyone’s mind, can be reduced to a simple, material base. From this very simple, single molecule (or particle, or cell – depending on who is speaking), all life has emerged – people, animals, birds, trees, plants. In his best-selling book Darwin’s Black Box, Michael Behe – a molecular biologist – explains that even a basic molecule is irreducibly complex. This very complexity calls for an explanation. The only explanation that fits the evidence is, of course, an Intelligent Designer. Behe permits the reader to know that the interaction of proteins and enzymes, indeed the entire molecular structure, is mind-boggling. His description of the molecular structure for vision is in itself enough to convince an unbiased observer that this can not be reduced to one simple particle. It is simply impossible. Molecular mechanisms are intricately designed.

I think I’ll go to Creation Fair 2010. I am interested in learning more of how…

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

2010-03-26T15:14:00.000-07:00

The Time for Renewal is Now

At one time in our land, churches would hold “renewal meetings”. Some churches referred to them as “revival meetings.” Usually extending over a period of three to five days, most often a guest speaker would present a fresh challenge to those gathered nightly. The regular attendees of the church were implored to bring guests, and all would be encouraged to renew their basic Christian beliefs and commitment to Christ.

It is time for renewal again – individually, corporately as church bodies, and nationally.

I see in the news -March 25, 2010- where Osama bin Laden has again released an audio tape. This one, rather short in length, warns of further attacks against The United States if any of the Guantanamo terrorists are found guilty and executed. There is a little more to it than that, but that is the essence of it.

The last twenty-five years has seen increasing numbers of Islamist attacks against Western countries, and persons of Jewish and Christian faiths. It was convenient at first, due to slack security, to attack individuals and the consulates of nations abroad. Then the attacks moved to suicide bombers at Marine barracks in Beirut and in the open waters of the Persian Gulf. There were several attempts at killing and creating terror that fortuitously were uncovered by the authorities and stopped. Then in 2001, the attack on the World Trade Center brought the desire for conquest from militant Islam into the open. Suddenly the American people understood that these were not separate acts of violence perpetrated by unconnected persons, but a coordinated effort by sophisticated Islamist terrorists bent on destroying the Western culture.

This latest threat should be taken seriously as the terrorists are constantly developing new plans and acquiring new weapons. We now know, for example, that Al-Qaeda terrorists are training in Iran. Presumably with the Iranian military and government’s full knowledge and cooperation.

But in America there seems to be little concern. We take for granted the efforts by our nation and the peace-loving nations of the world to subdue and eliminate this terrorist threat. We assume safety. However, we must not ignore the very real danger posed by these people. These terrorists know that they could never defeat Western soldiers in traditional battle – so they have devised violent guerrilla tactics to deliver death to American people.

They also know that the West has left its Christian moorings and is adrift morally and spiritually. They believe that Americans will eventually succumb to jihad ferocity, saying “Enough!” and raising the crescent moon and star of Islam over Washington, DC. Why shouldn’t they believe this? They understand that America is in a spiritual vacuum. America is in need of renewal.

It is time for us to recall and relive the words spoken by the LORD to Solomon: “If my people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).
It is time for each of us bow before the powerful Presence, pray and seek the face of Jesus, our Lord.

This renewed vitality will provide courage in our souls.
This renewed morality will invite healing to our land.
This renewed love will invite our enemies to Christ.

The time for renewal is now.

2010-03-20T04:34:00.000-07:00

Avoid This Malignant Influence

Pornography has a malignant influence.

Last week I received information from a counseling center in northeast Ohio, advising that a support group for sexual addiction is now available. In particular, the information mentioned the number of persons who increasingly are ensnared in the trap of pornography. Please don’t misunderstand. I appreciate that the counseling center is willing to tackle this social menace. And I feel compassion for those ensnared. It is the proliferation of pornography and the recklessness of those who produce it that troubles me.

Pornography as a problem has increased with the advent of the internet. But don’t be fooled – this problem, which the Bible calls “fornication” (“pornea” and “graphos” in Greek, from which we get the word “pornography” – fornication writings, literally), has been around a long time. The first instance we have of such prurience mentioned in the Bible is Genesis 9:22-25. Noah, not realizing this change that the flood had brought upon earth (the now reduced time required for fermentation), becomes drunk and is lying naked. His youngest son, Ham, finds great interest in this – probably becoming aroused. Upon learning of Ham’s twisted interest in visual sexual stimulation, Noah announces a curse upon Ham’s youngest child, Canaan. This means that Ham’s sordid attitude, his homo-eroticism, would influence his entire family. Much later, under Joshua’s leadership, the LORD commands the Hebrews to eliminate Canaanite culture. The entire civilization established by Canaan and his descendants was rife with pornographic images, vile orgiastic religion and sexually transmitted disease. The whole culture was influenced and contaminated by what began as Ham’s indulgence in pornography.

I heard Billy Graham say once, “If God doesn’t bring judgment upon America, He will owe an apology to Sodom and Gomorrah.” Mr. Graham was referring to the obsession with sex that characterizes American society. Is it no wonder our enemies refer to this land as “the Great Satan”? No doubt they are shocked by the raw sensuality of our pornographic society.

It is bad enough that individuals are made into imaginary sexual beings through photographic enhancement or that they are viewed as toys, playthings for the viewer. This is exploitation, and it is wrong. Another tragic aspect of all this is the disconnection that pornography makes between sex and marriage. This disconnection is undermining the strongest cord that provides a secure society, the stability of the family. Pornography viewing can lead to sexual fantasizing and then to active engagement of the fantasy. A woman I know who has had multiple adulterous relationships bragged, “I like sex.” Well sure, most people do! But we must learn to exercise this gift from God wisely and discriminately. God’s gift to us of sex needs to be confined to marriage. Otherwise, sexual addiction lurks in one’s future. Pornography does not support the stability of the family. Quite the opposite is true. It promotes the idea of sexual engagement anywhere, anytime and with anyone. Many sex addicts will admit that their problem began with viewing pornography. This addiction and the others that frequently follow contribute to the instability and breakdown of the family. As the family dissolves, so does the nation. Decadence becomes the norm.

But let’s be hopeful. After all, the “good news” is that Jesus is alive and He saves. He can deliver a person from any vice or addiction. Avoid visiting bookstores that sell lurid books and magazines. Procure filtering software for your home computer (check out www.filterreview.com). Replace a bad habit like viewing pornography by taking up an exercise regimen or reading a good book. .

We all need to be reminded occasionally how very powerful God has made the mind. We also need to be engaged in seeing that it is transformed, Romans 12:2. Trust the scripture to do its work in transforming your mind.

Sexual addictions are devouring more people every day. They often begin with pornography.

Avoid this malignant influence.

2010-03-12T07:41:00.001-08:00

Under God

I read this past week where the federal appeals court in San Francisco has ruled that the phrase “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance is Constitutional.

I suppose the ruling left some people swearing – and no doubt using God’s name in doing so. Which, if you really stop to think about it, makes you wonder: if there is no God, why use His name at all?

It doesn’t really matter whether it had been ruled constitutional or not, the fact remains that this nation is under God, as are all nations. It is just unfortunate that people do not take time to understand what that means.

Did you ever pause to consider what life would be like if there were no God? That is, if life happened by chance and random, cosmic accident?

Lee Strobel, in writing The Case for the Creator, presents the thoughts of William Provine. Provine is from Cornell University, where he has been on the faculty since 1969. A Ph.D from The University of Chicago, Provine’s area of expertise is in the history of evolution and genetics. I have heard Provine lecture and listened to these very words. Writes Strobel, “If Darwinism is true, then there are five inescapable conclusions:
• There’s no evidence for God
• There’s no life after death
• There’s no absolute foundation for right and wrong
• There’s no ultimate meaning for life
• People don’t really have free will”

Obviously, the five articles of faith for those who choose not to believe in God are diametrically opposed to what those who choose to believe in God embrace.

But in attempting to write with brevity and clarity, allow me to reply.

• The evidence for a God is abundant throughout nature, from the smallest cell to the galaxies – the symmetry and design of our world is unmistakable.
• People, both ancient and modern – and from all cultures, have ascribed to the belief in life after death since the beginning of time. Why would this knowledge be intuitive if not true? There are simply some issues outside the parameters of science, and this is one.
• From childhood people have a sense of fairness, decency, right and wrong. How can even a child cry out “it’s not fair” if there is no God given standard of right and wrong that provides a moral framework for the world?
• The soul of man craves for ultimate meaning and must have it for life to possess any rational basis. Otherwise, there is no such thing as sanity and there is no reason for anything.
• The fatalism of being trapped in making responses based on genetics and environment, means that a person has no more significance than a tree or an animal. Can this be, or does “mind” really count for something?

I am appreciative of the court’s ruling, but in a few days it will be largely forgotten. Long after it is forgotten however, the living God will still rule over the nations. Nations are all...

Under God.

2010-03-06T09:01:00.000-08:00

Choose God and His Way

I am looking at two books. The one to my right is the Bible. The one I just laid down and to my left is The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor, had been in the United States, studying at Union Theological Seminary, when Hitler was elected Chancellor of Germany. Though warned against returning and promised asylum in the United States, he returned to Germany anyway. His intuition and keen mind told him that the church was in for persecution, and he wanted to be a force for good and strength in the German church.

Eventually he was arrested and sent to a concentration camp. At first, he was permitted his books and papers. Gradually they were taken from him. Then, to ridicule him, all clothes except prison garb was taken from him. He had nothing but the clothes on his back left. One day he was brought before a couple of camp guards. He was ordered to remove his clothes, and stand before them nude. Bereft of his degrees, family, library, work and stripped of every shred of human dignity, Bonhoeffer stood there. Here was a man who had been acclaimed by Karl Barth as “a theological miracle.” He had led a Nazi resistance movement and had counseled the church to remain strong in its opposition to anti-Semitism and Hitler’s war policy. He had now been discovered to have been involved in a plot to assassinate Hitler – an allegation to which he confessed. Standing naked before his accusers, Bonhoeffer said, “You have taken my books, my church, my family and my clothes. You have taken everything from me it is possible for you to take. But there is one thing you can never take. That is my ability to choose how to treat you. And I choose to love you with the love of Christ.” Their choice was to hang him. Bonhoeffer’s choice was to love them.

Animals have instinct. Humans have choice. That is a large portion of what it means to be “made in the image of God.” Freedom of choice is something that we all possess.

We can return hatred with hatred – or with love.
We can return anger with anger – or with kindness.
We can return slander with slander – or with forgiveness.
We can choose to worship things – or choose to worship the one true and only God.

This was Joshua’s point when he gave his final charge to the Hebrews: “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15).

Be sure your choices are those to honor the living God and, to the best of your ability, obey His will.

Choose God and His way.

2010-02-26T13:11:00.000-08:00

Take These Steps to Conquer Debt

Last week the newspapers and internet news sites all warned about credit card rules changes. New laws passed by Congress last year, intended to protect credit card users, went into effect on February 22.

I believe that when used wisely, credit cards can be a helpful financial tool. I am impressed that far too many people do not understand with each swipe of a credit card, a loan is being taken out. And oh my goodness, what interest rates the borrower is paying for these loans!

Shakespeare, in Hamlet, gives the classic advice of “Neither a borrower nor a lender be.” The wise person will use credit cards prudently, paying them off in full each month if at all possible. Otherwise, real financial struggles are bound to ensue.

Another adage I have heard for most of my life, and that I have used frequently in sermons or counseling, is “These three things avoid: dirt, debt and the devil.” I’ll write about dirt and the devil another time. Today is the time to address the problem of debt.

Encouraged by government and advertising, debt is devouring America. I have my honest doubts about the survivability of our country because of its debt. Basic financial and Biblical principles are being violated. While I cannot do anything about the government’s appetite for debt, I can do something about my own. And you can take steps to get your own debt under control. Howard Dayton, cofounder of Crown Financial Ministries states, “Are you drowning in debt? The truth is, if you don’t control this area of your life, it will control you.” He then goes on to offer some action steps. I share them here and have added a step or two in the hope of making the plan clearer.

1. Complete a Debt List and a Financial Statement. On the Debt List, write down everything you owe, including credit card balances. These forms may be downloaded free at www.crown.org
2. Place this information into the Financial Statement as “Liabilities.”
3. Then list your Total Assets, including real estate values, cash, chattel, etc. Put this information into the Financial Statement as “Assets”. Be honest with yourself, and do not inflate estimated figures.
4. Look at the Financial Statement to see if there is anything you don’t need that can be sold to eliminate debt.
5. Track every penny you spend for the next 30 days. Take paper with you wherever you go and write down everything you spend. Each night review what you spent and record it in a notebook.
6. If married, both husband and wife need to track spending. Each night meet together to record and review what was spent. Begin these daily meetings by praying for God’s peace and for each other.
7. Eliminate credit card debt first. Pay off the smallest balance first, and when that is done, apply what you were paying on the smallest balance to the second smallest balance. REMEMBER: you must stop accumulating new credit card debt in order for this to work.
8. After paying off the credit cards, pay off consumer debts, like car loans. Then, begin making extra principal payments on your mortgage.
9. Finally, complete a Monthly Income and Expenses form. This is a spending plan that tells your money where you want it to go instead of you wondering where it went. This form, too, may be downloaded free.
10. Once a spending plan has been drawn up, maintain it weekly.

Take these steps to conquer debt!

2010-02-19T16:23:00.000-08:00

Be a Hero

I finished reading AMERICAN IDOL this week. It is the story of Willie Mays, the baseball great. Willie was one of my favorites as I was growing up. I recall practicing the “basket catch” he made famous, thinking that someday I might be playing in the big leagues. Perhaps the basket catch is his trademark, but his hitting and base running is most memorable. He will always be one of the greats.

The book also reminded me of a very important aspect of life – especially for a boy, I think. That is the aspect of having a hero. A hero is someone to admire, respect and emulate. Willie Mays, and many other ball players – Al Kaline and Larry Doby come to mind, fit the role of hero for me. I never recall hearing or reading where my heroes were using drugs, toting handguns or anything other than playing ball and doing a doggone good job of it.

Heroes are made, not born. Today there seem to be too few of them. Modern day heroes are not necessarily sports figures that play well and play by the rules. Now that I have matured some, I understand that heroes are people who live for something or someone other than self. It is the mother who struggles to get up at night to nurse a sick child. It is the father who consistently and faithfully works at a job he may not particularly enjoy in order to provide for the family he loves. It is the teen athlete or scholar who refuses to experiment with drugs or cheat because he wants to excel fairly. It is the older, unmarried girl who refuses to engage in premarital sex because she wants to remain pure for marriage. It is the soldier in Iraq or Afghanistan who serves his country courageously. It is the pastor who works diligently to prepare fresh thoughts for a sermon, even though the congregation is small and rural. The list goes on, but I am sure you understand the point. These persons, and many others like them, are heroes. They put principle and others above self-interest.

Heroes are not perfect people. No one is perfect. The only perfect person to ever live was Jesus - and look what they did to Him! But it is Jesus who calls us to live for Him with these words, “He who finds his life shall lose it; and he who loses his life for My sake shall find it” (Matthew 10:39). With those words Jesus not only calls us to live for a higher principle, but to live for a higher person – Himself. Only by so doing will a person find the real meaning of life. To live for Christ is to be a hero.

Heroes make an impression. For some, statues are erected. For others, books are written and films made. For the follower of Christ, other lives are affected and positive change occurs. The world becomes a better place and the ranks of heaven are enlarged.

Be a hero!

2010-02-05T13:58:00.000-08:00

His Promise Will Not Fail

He was a year younger than me. We had been friends since childhood, belonging to the same Boy Scout troop.

I conducted his funeral last week.

There is an odd feeling that comes over you as you look into a casket and see a familiar face. I have done it before, of course: family members, neighbors, church members. But when it is an old friend, and memories go racing back to Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and just plain “hanging out” together, it really has an effect.

I was able to share the words of Jesus at the funeral, “In My Father’s house are many mansions…” (John 14:2). Mansions are not built to be landmarks. They are built as homes, dwellings. Luxurious homes at that. And this is just one metaphor that describes the wonderful place the Bible calls Heaven. One thing for sure – Heaven is a real place. Otherwise, there would be no mention of it by Jesus (“I go to prepare a place for you…”) and certainly no metaphors attempting to describe it. Heaven is referred to quite frequently in scripture. When a metaphor is used it is because our minds are too small to fully understand this wonderful place.

The Bible also refers to Heaven as “paradise.” This word is interesting. In ancient times it was used to picture a manicured garden, with trees and flowers as well as herbs and, occasionally, vegetables. A paradise was a place for rest and physical, emotional refreshment. Then later, by the time of Julius Caesar, it became descriptive of the garden of a king or provincial ruler. Apparently the rulers were the only ones who could afford a beautiful, manicured garden. Their gardens were set in contrast to the garden of the common person, which would be very plain and practical, providing food rather than refreshment. The ruler’s garden, the paradise, would be unimaginably splendid to the common man. The commoner would not be able to see it, for the paradise would be behind walls. But the king’s servants would communicate to all how very luxurious the king’s garden was, in contrast to the average family’s vegetable patch. The ruler’s garden would have fragrant flowers, fruit producing trees with blossoms in the spring, a shade tree or two, vines and undoubtedly a fountain. This would provide a refreshing and stimulating environment. In reality, the commoner could only imagine and never actually realize the splendor of the king’s garden.

When Jesus told the dying thief, “Today you will be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:43), it was an overwhelming thought. That repentant, believing thief had no idea what was in store for him. “Eye has not seen, nor has the ear heard, neither has entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

The dying thief had no idea of the beautiful, refreshing and inspiring garden to which he was going, or of the mansion – home that awaited him. Neither do we.

But we know that such a place awaits the follower of Christ. He has promised it to us.

His promise will not fail.

2010-01-29T14:24:00.000-08:00

He is Lord

“God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” So wrote C.S. Lewis in The Problem of Pain.

These are the words I recalled upon learning of the massive earthquake in Haiti. Several thousands of persons perished, very suddenly and unexpectedly. Into eternity they went – forever gone from this world.

The Bible reveals a God who is there, who is not silent, who has spoken – and He is Lord. Meaning, He is all-powerful.

Is God all powerful? Is God good? If the answers to these questions are “yes”, then why did He not stop the earthquake? Or the tsunami that hit Indonesia a few years ago, or the killing of children by an insane parent?

In 300 B.C., Epicurus put it in a way that is still common. We think of God as infinite in His power. We also consider God as infinite in His goodness. Furthermore, we consider God as infinite in His compassion. On the other hand, evil exists in the world. Not only does evil affect the perpetrator, but it also affects the good person. And further, not all evil is moral – caused by bad people. Some evil is natural – caused by bad things. Bad things happen to good people. If God is able to remove evil but does not, then perhaps He is not so good and compassionate after all. Or perhaps He is good, but not all-powerful. That would explain why evil events or things, earthquakes and tsunamis, happen in the world.

Epicurus asks questions that many sensitive and thoughtful people still ask. Maybe you are one of those asking. Don’t overlook Lewis’ thesis: pain is the megaphone of God. Apart from it, people would be deaf toward God. Could better ways, more tender ways, be used by God? Of course, and in many instances are used by God to seeking souls. But to the non-seeking soul, God must reveal mankind’s impotence against the forces of nature. Only by seeing themselves in such an impotent state will people turn to God. He alone is omnipotent; in a time when bad things happen, where else may we turn for ultimate and everlasting hope?

Omnipotent versus Impotent.

Not really much of a choice, is it?

It is not wrong for God to reveal our entirely dependent nature. He knows our pride and stubborn spirit will refuse to bend to Him. Occasionally He uses a means to shock us out of a spiritually lethargic state. Means that we call “natural disasters.” Only by such a means will we recognize the great need we have of God and His salvation.

In the midst of tragedy, we strive to assist and minister to those who are suffering. But all the while we come to learn that God alone can ultimately, finally and fully bring healing to others. And His healing is not just physical; it touches the soul (mind) and spirit (the immortal) of man.

Do you trust in the omnipotent God to be there for you and with you through life’s most difficult moments? “Yes, even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, You are with me…” (Psalm 23:4).

We must trust in Him. He alone is greater than the forces of nature, of the traumas of life, and of the grim reality of approaching death.

He is LORD.

2010-01-22T13:37:00.001-08:00

Go to Church!

I call it “a key to happiness.”

I am fond of quoting Abraham Lincoln on the subject of happiness. Lincoln once said, “Most people are as happy as they choose to be.” I think, for the most part, Lincoln is right.

But there may be a key factor missing in Lincoln’s analysis. In fact, it may be “the key.”

Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert has made the study and practice of happiness a passion. He has done much research into this area and written about it in Stumbling on Happiness (copyright 2005 by Vintage Books, a division of Random House Inc, New York). I suppose the title of the book comes because humans are pretty poor at predicting what will bring them happiness. Gilbert shows that more money does not do it. Marriage will do it, provided we are committed to the marriage. Dr. Gilbert defines happiness as “a general sense of satisfaction with life and a sense of well-being.” Fair enough – but how do we come to this place?

Gilbert provides many – not as many as you might think – pieces of evidence from his research. Commitment to a relationship is a big one. Focusing on little things is another. There are more.

But I want you to think about this one. Gilbert writes, “Churchgoers are happier than non-churchgoers.” Did you read that? Why might that be? Gilbert continues, “It is not the religion part that makes people happy. It’s the going-to-church part. It’s the community part. It’s the holding hands and singing. It’s the knowing-folks-who-would-bring-you-soup-if-you-got-sick part.”

It’s the community part. Hmm. The Bible calls it koinonia. This word is translated “fellowship” or “community.”

John Wesley wrote on “the means of grace.” He divided the means (things we do that strengthen the life of the believer and give witness to the world) into a.) works of piety, and b.) works of mercy. One of those works of piety, something we do by which God strengthens the life of the believer, was “belonging to community”. That is, belonging to and attending faithfully the local church.

Attending church is good for you. It provides opportunity for relationship-building, for making friends. It also strengthens you as a person and, consequently, strengthens your home and family. It surrounds you with people who care and love you, who pray with you in a time of hardship and, as Gilbert writes, bring soup to your home and family when you are ill. In short, it becomes family. The lessons learned from the Bible help you understand God and His ways, challenge you to know and serve Him, and empower you to overcome all the challenges life throws in your path. You become a better person rather than a bitter person.

Want to be happy? Listen to Harvard Professor Dan Gilbert.

This Sunday…

Go to church!

2010-01-12T07:44:00.000-08:00

Be Part of the TEAM

One of the most amazing Bible stories involves Paul, the Apostle. He had been ministering the Gospel in the pagan city of Lystra, when suddenly a mob scene broke out. Paul and his companion, Barnabas, had been honored as deities. They had corrected this wrong notion, and promptly seen the adoring mob turn into a murderous mob.

This mob, urged on by Paul’s enemies, dragged the apostle out of the city and stoned him. Convinced he was dead, the mob returned to the city. He may have been dead. According to 2 Corinthians 12:2-3, not even Paul himself was sure whether he experienced Heaven in reality or in a vision while comatose. Either way, the disciples, the church, gathered around him – probably praying – and what do you know? “But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe” (Acts 14:20).

Paul’s enemies thought he was dead – and probably had checked to make sure of it! Nevertheless, the Lord had other plans. The enemies were wrong, both in their opinion and in their conduct. It was probably good that they considered Paul dead, as it satisfied their thirst for blood and prevented an assault on the church.

Do you ever feel attacked? Or that your “enemies” have successfully killed your credibility, voice or influence? Do you feel beaten down by life’s events? Perhaps you really do have enemies. Most likely you are overcome by life’s difficulties. Things like job loss, death of a loved one, or loneliness.

It is not an accident that the scriptures record “…after the disciples (church) had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city.” The company of the church is powerful! The comfort, encouragement and strength that others from the body of Christ impart is used by God to miraculously revive a person’s spirit. The company of the church changes a person’s attitude and life. You receive strength from others who gather around you during a crisis. And when a person you know is experiencing a crisis, you are able to impart strength to that one.

Look around you today. Do you see a person who has been, figuratively speaking, stoned and left for dead? Pray for that person then go, bring life back into him or her. Provide words of encouragement and hope. Help that person get back up and return to the city – the place of life. Take the person out for lunch, or out to shop. That is the wonderful power of the church: prayer - inviting God’s participation in a situation, and action – doing what needs to be done.

I read an acrostic that went like this: “T.E.A.M. – Together Each Achieves More”.

Are you part of God’s TEAM, the church?

Be part of the TEAM!

2010-01-09T07:15:00.000-08:00

Pray for Your Leaders

I’ve been thinking about taxes recently – probably because I have begun accumulating the necessary items to prepare my taxes for filing.

Ben Franklin, writing in Poor Richard’s Journal, said “the only certainties in life are death and taxes.” Okay, we all know it takes revenue to support government services. My question is, how much constitutes the “fair taxes” I keep reading about?

Work was part of the original creation. God worked – then rested on day seven. He assigned work to Adam because it was good for Adam. Work is good. Compensation must be fair. The danger comes when a government removes all incentives to work through excessive taxation. A person no longer finds work fulfilling and meaningful – the reward for his work go elsewhere, not to provide for his own needs or those of his family. When incentives for wealth creation are removed, revenues to the government actually decrease. They also decrease to charities. Plus individuals and their families suffer lower standards of living. It is not an accident that the most repressive, overly taxed societies are also societies that have a low standard of living. Who wants to work if he can not retain the fruit of his labor? The answer, of course, is “no one.”

Herbert London, President, The Hudson Institute, writes that “from the standpoint of government policy, there is not any difference between a tax of zero and a tax of 100 percent. On its face this seems counterintuitive. Yet a zero tax derives no revenue for the government, and a 100 percent tax rate results in disincentive for work, which consequently yields zero revenue for the government.”

Establishing tax rates becomes a balancing act – trying to achieve the proper balance between incentives for work and providing government services.

Karl Marx wrote, “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” Unfortunately, this seems to be the goal of government, whether Communist or not. Progressive taxation, the current policy, is certain to doom our nation. As tax rates progressively increase, incentives for work progressively decrease. People are not interested in working to meet the needs of unknown others or of funding extravagance by elected officials. Reduced work effort and productivity mean that government revenues actually decline, as does giving to charities and standard of living.

The problem is that we do not understand the theology of work. In Genesis 2:15 the scripture says, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” There was but one person, one man – and he was to work the land for the benefit of himself and, later, his wife. There is a self interest in work. This is not wrong. Self interest is the greatest possible incentive. We provide for ourselves and our own because we desire to survive. This survival, life, we desire to experience as comfortably as possible. Resentment results when a person is forced to give the results of his labor to others. Especially is this true when the recipients work less diligently or do not work at all.

These thoughts lead me to this conclusion: the need to pray for government leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-3). Pray that government leaders are given wisdom to find the proper balance between incentives for work and providing government services.

Pray for your leaders.

2009-12-17T05:55:00.000-08:00

Make Spiritual Resolutions

The New Year will soon be upon us, and with it a list of “New Year’s resolutions.” For many of us that list will include items like “lose ten pounds” or “watch less TV”. Most New Year’s resolutions that I have made are items that should have and could have been addressed at an earlier time. I did not have to wait until the first of the year. But the New Year does speak of new beginnings, and serves as a convenient time for making some life changes. I have read where New Year’s Resolutions last for all of about three or four days in most cases. But if you can hold on to the resolution for six weeks – 40 days – most experts agree that you will have developed a habit.

I encourage you to make spiritual resolutions. Then give these resolutions six weeks of practice.

I think of Jonathan Edwards who wrote in his diary, “Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s glory and to my own good, profit, and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now or never so many myriads of ages hence.”

Or Matthew Henry, who wrote, “I do in the beginning of this New Year solemnly make a fresh surrender of myself, my whole self, body, soul, and spirit, to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, my Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, covenanting and promising, not in any strength of my own, for I am very weak, but in the strength of the grace of Jesus Christ, that I will endeavor this year to stand complete in the Will of God.”

Are you puzzled about spiritual resolutions? Let me suggest a few.
• Resolve to read a Psalm or two daily (one if lengthy, two if short). This portion of the Bible will warm your spirit and bring you into God’s Presence. You will learn from the Psalms of God’s greatness and man’s frailty. You will learn to trust God in the disappointing experiences of life and praise Him for the pleasant experiences.
• Pray daily for someone else. Especially for someone you do not particularly like or with whom you had a dispute. Pray that God will bless and work in that person’s life.
• Purchase a good devotional Bible and read from it daily. Don’t know which one to buy or use? Try Seasons of Reflection, 365 daily readings from the Bible, published by International Bible Society (Colorado Springs, CO). If you already have a Bible reading plan, stick with it.

My prayer for you and everyone I know is that the coming year will be a year when you will draw close to the heart of God, experience God’s grace and peace in abundance, and mature in your spiritual life.

For that to happen,

Make spiritual resolutions.

2009-12-11T13:43:00.000-08:00

Keep The Truth Central

I read in the newspaper a few days ago that “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” is to be shown on television. This is one of the many stories of Christmas, we think. This is one of the many stories of Christmas?

Fact is, there is nothing about the Grinch that has anything to do with Christmas - at least not the Christmas that I celebrate.

Please don’t get me wrong. I know that children enjoy the story. And I also know that the Grinch has a change of heart, going from a “bad one, Mr. Grinch” to a pretty decent resident of Whoville. I also realize that Christmas has taken on huge secular proportions. It is more a holiday for merchants than for Christians.

But we need to keep the truth central to the holiday. And the truth is: this is a remembrance of the birth of Jesus Christ, the God-sent Son. The coming of Christ is simply without a doubt, the most astounding event in history.

Charles Schulz, the creator of the Peanuts cartoon strip, was an ordained minister. Many of his comic strips contain Biblical truth, though the casual reader may not know it. There is one production of Schulz’s that is remarkably clear and to the point, however. It is the program, A Charlie Brown Christmas, also seen on TV. In this particular program, Charlie Brown has failed in his attempts to find the true meaning of Christmas. Then Linus approaches and begins reciting a passage from the Bible:

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Then Linus remarks, “That is what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”

Linus is right. That is what Christmas is all about. There are not many stories of Christmas. There is one.

Keep the truth central.

2009-12-04T12:13:00.000-08:00

Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus, You Soldiers of the Cross

I have sung a hymn from time to time that goes, “Stand up, stand up for Jesus, you soldiers of the cross.” I’ve wondered about the meaning of those lyrics occasionally. After all, they have seemed irrelevant for the most part to me and Americans of my generation. But not now.

The Manhattan Declaration was released on Friday, November 20, 2009. While many have not heard of this document, it was a strong statement by the Christian Church – Protestant, Orthodox and Roman Catholic. It is not unusual for Christians to come together on urgent matters, and this declaration addresses three critically significant issues. Christian leaders agree that the issues of the sanctity of human life, the integrity of marriage, and religious liberty are under attack as never before. These are moral issues of the most important type, and The Manhattan Declaration (www.manhattandeclaration.org) deserves a serious reading by all, whether Christian or not.

Thirty years ago warnings began that a “culture of death” was encroaching American society. Abortion as a convenient birth control method was then promoted. A fetus soon was referred to as “cell tissue” and compared by “feminists” to a cancerous tumor; euthanasia proponents seemed to be capturing headlines as they pushed for federal or state laws legalizing suicide. The putting to death of the elderly, against their will, was seen – and still is seen – as a way of relieving economic strain.

Sanctity of life means more than abortion and euthanasia today: it includes assisted suicide and the destruction of human embryos for medical experimentation. If this continues unabated, look for genocide and “ethnic cleansing” on the horizon. And do not think of “ethnic” as meaning racial (black or white) or national heritage (Irish or Russian). It will mean whatever group happens to be out of favor at the moment (Fox News commentators, Jews, Christians, bankers, illiterate or disabled persons, etc). And yes, the elderly are still vulnerable.

Marriage has been taking a beating in the courts recently. “What is marriage, anyway?” I was once asked. Before being able to reply, I was informed, “It is just a piece of paper issued by a court.” Really? Or is the “piece of paper” (the certificate) documentation of the commitment by a couple to one another? The redefining of marriage that is current is another blow against the long held understanding – and Biblical teaching – that marriage is between a man and a woman. If something is not done soon – now – to put the brakes on this runaway train the word “marriage” could soon mean a man and his dog or a woman and her cat. Think this is silly? Well, think again. There are already some persons who consider bestiality (human sex with animals) “OK” and are calling that society recognize its legitimacy. We need to understand that marriage is not just about romance, although it includes that dimension. Marriage is also about the generation, promotion and protection of life in what is known as “family.” Marriage is about romance, commitment, affirmation, nurture, procreation, values and emotional stability. And because marriage is precisely about those things, it is the union of a man and a woman.

The Manhattan Declaration says it better than me in stating, “…the use of anti-discrimination statutes … force religious institutions, businesses, and service providers of various sorts to comply with activities they judge to be deeply immoral or go out of business.” Incidents are then cited showing the erosion of religious liberty.

You may want to read The Manhattan Declaration and you may then want to sign it. I urge you to read it. Then pray and use your conscience about signing it. The time to be silent is over. For the sake of us and our children and grandchildren, it is time for Christians everywhere in America to take a stand.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, you soldiers of the cross.

2009-11-26T08:39:00.000-08:00

Grace to Finish the Race

I was reading from Hebrews 12, "let us run with patience the race that is set before us". It made me reflect for a moment upon the bumps or crises we encounter in the race of life.

He was a pastor from Virginia, and I was visiting with him. "Everyone I know who has become a Christian has done so in a time of crisis," he said. I began to think about it. The more I ponder it, the more it seems true.

A crisis brings a person to God. It is when a child is suddenly stricken with illness that the parent prays. It is when a business faces bankruptcy that the owner turns to God for help. It is when the weather becomes so severe that people can not manage that it is called "an act of God." Curious, isn't it?

I read recently about Saul of Tarsus, from the Biblical book of Acts, Chapter 9. We know him today as "the Apostle Paul." Something happened to change him from Saul of Tarsus to the Apostle Paul - and that something was a crisis. He was smitten with temporary blindness as he traveled from Jerusalem to Damascus. During this time of crisis, he turned to God. In turning to faith, he learned two valuable lessons that crises will teach.

First, he learned the importance of depending on the Lord. When our strength is consumed, God's resources are available. Paul was extremely well educated, came from a good family and was apparently in robust health. He had power and possessions - and the pride that accompany them. But when the crisis hit in his life, he realized that what he needed most was the Lord. He needed to no longer serve self, but serve God.

Secondly, he learned to trust God. Are you able to trust God in the perplexing crises of life? I believe the answer to be "yes." One of the familiar greetings in the New Testament is "Grace and peace to you" (Philippians 1:2, among others). "Grace" is "the unmerited favor of God." It is God's favor and, quite often, God intervening in our lives to assist us in time of crisis. When writing 2 Corinthians (12:7), Paul discusses a "thorn in the flesh". This is a deliberately vague reference to a physical ailment. By keeping this ailment unidentified, the scripture makes it applicable to us all, in any type of ailment. The answer Paul received to his prayer is not, "I will heal you" but "My grace is sufficient for you." It is God's grace that keeps us from despair. How does God show His grace? Occasionally through direct action, usually through His body, the church. That is, through Christian friends who pray for you and come alongside to help, as best they can.

Are you going through a crisis? If so, turn to the One who can help you most- the living God. If you are not presently in a crisis, be assured that one will come into your life eventually. Be prepared for it by turning now to the living God. Learn to trust Him fully and depend upon His grace to see you through.

We need His grace to finish the race!

2009-11-12T11:51:00.000-08:00

The Virtual World

The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded recently to – drum roll, please – President Barack Obama.

Congratulations, President Obama, upon receiving this award. Certainly you must have accomplished some laudable achievement to have been so honored.

Wait a minute. No achievement comes to mind. Nor have any of the President’s public relations personnel presented a peace accomplishment.

What gives?

Welcome to the frightening world of virtual reality – where what a person says and how he looks is more meaningful than what he does. You may thank screen actors and entertainers for this new world, although they are not entirely to blame. None of these people have accomplished anything lasting, but portray on the screen those who have. How many surgeries have been performed by Leonardo DiCaprio? What startup business has Madonna been supervising recently? Yet these people make huge amounts of money. You may also thank the creators of computer games, who have led many into this intriguing and deceptive world. Virtual reality is, of course, unreality. But who cares? Certainly not the Nobel Peace Prize Committee.

Virtual reality has influenced the world more than you may realize. The awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to President Obama demonstrates that words and image now trump action and achievement. To speak words of hope is more important than to perform hope-giving deeds.

The culture of words has trumped the culture of deeds in our time. These cultures define “success” in different ways. The culture of deeds considers people successful who are laborers, entrepreneurs, soldiers, schoolteachers, charitable workers, accountants, police and fire fighters, etc – people who actually do something and accomplish a mission. The culture of words, the virtual culture, considers people successful who talk – especially on TV– and are looked upon with approbation by peers or media. These are people who are clever, articulate and look good in front of a camera.

In the culture of deeds, personal responsibility for one’s behavior is important. Bad ideas are repudiated. Poor decisions result in bankruptcy, divorce or some other failure. Good ideas and decisions result in prosperity and stability. The person makes decisions, acts on it and experiences the consequences.

In the virtual culture of words and image, there are no negative consequences. Presidents can talk about what they are going to do and be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Professors who have no experience running a business and who never served in the armed forces spend their time denouncing American industry and the military without fear of censure - their statements are quoted on TV and occasionally in the daily paper; former members of Congress who receive guaranteed generous pensions speak lunacies about global warming (the planet has been cooling for the past several consecutive years according to the British Broadcasting System) or some other intellectually fashionable fad, demanding societal changes that any rational person knows would destroy the economy and cause untold misery for millions of people. Nothing done by the virtual reality culture results in producing jobs, increasing wealth, or improving the life of the average American citizen. There are no negative consequences, as long as the person looks good and is articulate. If a person speaks words of hope and as long as he or she looks good doing it, nothing else matters. Deeds no longer count.

President Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on the basis of his words and image, not on the basis of his deeds. In the new world of the “virtual”, what more can we expect? This is the unreal world of “hope so” and make believe. Obama looks good and talks well, so we will make believe that he has brought peace to some part of the world, even though he has really, non-virtually, not done so.

Welcome to the virtual world.

2009-11-06T08:20:00.001-08:00

I Am Praying for Her

“I don’t like her.”

It could just as easily been written, “I don’t like him.” Either way, it is something to consider.

Life is filled with episodes where misunderstanding occurs. Someone may disagree in an unpleasant manner. We enter into a business arrangement with another person and then that person violates his or her word. We may be the object of another person’s gossip, and genuinely find the situation puzzling – and maddening. Consequently, we conclude “I don’t like her.”

Jesus said, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Are there any practices we can incorporate to help us deal with a person we don’t like? Yes, there are a few.

It is important to understand one huge truth: you may not ever be able to change another person, but you can change yourself. Your attitude about a person you don’t like must change if you are to have peace of mind and maintain a sound relationship with God. Think about ways to change yourself, rather than ways to change the other person.

Seek contact. Remember that the other person is just that – a person. Most of us avoid a person we don’t like, and so that person becomes a monster in our minds. Don’t allow the person you don’t like to become a monster in your thinking. The more you are exposed to a person, the more you see the humanness of that person – warts and all.

Do something nice for the person. Is this difficult? Then send a card. Just purchase one with a prayerful message and sign your name. Nothing more. By doing good to another, the barrier of animosity starts breaking down. This is important for your own well being – you need to do this for yourself, if not for the other person.

Look for humor. Joke about whatever annoys you, and if you are able to poke fun at your own reaction, do it. Nothing neutralizes bad feelings like a good laugh. In many situations you have two choices: either to become angry or to laugh. Choose laughter.

Act friendly. We do not usually act the way we feel. We feel the way we act. Do good things and you feel good. Act the way you want to feel. Feelings always follow actions.

Resist criticism. Otherwise, the criticism will put you in a position from which it will be difficult to extricate yourself later. You probably do not know everything and later information could change your thinking about the person you don’t presently like.

Remember happy shared experiences. Recall the good times. Emphasize this in your thinking.

Cultivate a grateful heart. Remember all for which you should be grateful. Develop a thankful heart, and every time an annoying or maddening thought crosses your mind, erase it with a thought of gratitude.

To maintain your spiritual equilibrium, learn to change your thinking from “I don’t like her” to…

“I am praying for her.”

2009-10-28T10:50:00.000-07:00

The 101% Principle

I’ve been thinking about the Corinthian church recently. Founded by the Apostle Paul, it was a church with great potential, but also with its problems. It was probably the most difficult church of any that Paul helped start and then established. It was riddled with division and immorality.

I used to think such difficulties were limited to churches. I have since come to learn that any organization made up of people can suffer the same condition.

What strikes me about Paul’s letters to the Corinthian church is that he holds out great hope for these people. He tells them that their disputes can be settled, they can rediscover unity and work together to further the cause.

I think Paul had a basis for holding out this hope. God had shown Paul that these people were redeemable. They were redeemable because they were made in His image and His Spirit was actually at work among them.

I read recently of “the 101% Principle”. This is the idea that you find 1% that can be affirmed in a person or group of persons. Then you give 100% of your attention to it (the 1% that is good or admirable in a person). This admiration and affirmation is stressed long and hard. Then you are able to confront about disturbing matters.

I should tell you that I do not think confrontation is best handled in a loud, argumentative way. It can be handled in a thoughtful and considerate way. Unfortunately, some persons will conclude that you are not serious. But most will, upon reflection, appreciate your tactful approach. It respects their dignity as a person.

The Corinthian church had divisions. Some wanted to follow one person, some another. Four groups were competing for leadership. Nothing has been more detrimental to the local church than when pastors begin competing against one another for a following. They should be cooperating with one another, building a following for Christ. We all need to learn that God will raise up a person when He desires; we should not be involved in promoting ourselves.

The Corinthian church had also fallen into defilement. Sexual immorality was taking place, and the leadership was content to ignore it. Some behaviors are ignored to the hurt of the church’s witness.

However, in spite of these serious problems, the Corinthian church was commended by Paul. How could such a church be commended? Paul saw the 1% that was good in them: they had been touched by God. His Presence and blessing were among them (1 Corinthians, Chapter 1). As a result, they were entirely capable of making right decisions and living honorably.

If we learn properly from Paul, we will begin to incorporate the 101% principle. Start looking for the good in another person. Emphasize it in your thinking. Learn to pray for the person. Even those who are wretched individuals have something in them commendable. You may have to look long and hard, but discipline yourself to look for good in another. Affirm this good. Then if you need to speak about differences, this will smooth the way.

Now, granted, the other person may not change. The 1% may not enlarge itself into 2% or 15%. But one thing will change when you use the 101% Principle. You! You will begin to see people in a different light, a better light. Life will be better and happier for you. And really, that is enough reason to begin using…

The 101% Principle.

2009-10-23T08:59:00.000-07:00

Say a Great Big Yes to the Lord

One of the finest examples of American entrepreneurship is that of R.G. Letourneau.

In his biography R.G. Letourneau: Mover of Men and Mountains, the story is told of Letourneau beginning his career in Stockton, California. One of his first jobs was regrading dirt to level out farmland. Becoming frustrated with moving dirt by crawler-tractor, he sought a better way. In 1922 he constructed the first all-welded scraper and fashioned designs for scrapers. One thing led to another, R.G. Letourneau, Inc. was born, and R.G. (Robert Gilmore) became the greatest obstacle-mover in history, building enormous earth-moving machines. During the Second World War, his company produced 70% of all the army’s earth-moving machinery. As a result, he became a multi-millionaire.

Letourneau was a believer in Christ, and he always spoke of God as Chairman of his Board. He also practiced tithing, giving 10% to his church. As his wealth increased, so did his percentage giving. He eventually was giving 90% to his church and other Christian organizations, keeping 10% for his needs and those of his wife, Evelyn. In respect to tithing, his testimony was simple. He was convinced that as a result of tithing and giving above the tithe, his business had been divinely blessed. “The money came in faster than I could give it away” was one refrain he frequently repeated. He then elaborated on this by using an illustration from one of the huge Caterpillars. “I shovel it out, and God shovels it back, but God has a bigger shovel.” A special friend of Billy Graham, Letourneau assisted greatly in establishing the financial base for Mr. Graham’s evangelistic efforts. Letourneau also established an outstanding Christian university in Longview, Texas that is thriving to this day.

R.G. Letourneau’s life verse was Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” His life evidenced the truth of this scripture.

Letourneau’s life and book remind all of us that mountains are here to be moved. Jesus Himself, in speaking of mountains in our lives – anger, depression, vices – said as much. “I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’, and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” – Matthew 17:20.

America needs more men like R.G. Letourneau. Men who take time to think creatively. Men who know God and desire to serve Him. Men who are unafraid of what others may think.

Another favorite quote from R.G. Letourneau is, “You will never know what you can accomplish until you say a great big yes to the Lord.”

How about you?

Say a great big yes to the Lord.

2009-10-18T13:53:00.001-07:00

Learn to Praise God in Adversity

Someone has said, “If life is a classroom, adversity is its teacher.”

Every adverse incident in life has teaching power. The most powerful lessons are learned in the crucible of adversity.

We can also learn from others who have undergone hardship and who desire to pass along their lessons. And do you know what? We need to learn from others. One of the great sources for learning from adversity is the Bible.

For example, the lesson regarding Paul and Silas in prison is instructive. This lesson is found in the Biblical book of Acts, Chapter 16. Unlawfully arrested and placed in jail, these men were found singing praises to God. Their praising was not because the accommodations were luxurious; on the contrary, the accommodations were horrible. Their faith-filled perspective and joyous singing was noticed by the other prisoners and the jail keeper.

We love to sing praises, don’t we? But the context of our doing this is usually comfortable accommodations and lack of persecution. Do we love to give God praise in the worst of circumstances? When someone criticizes you or treats you offensively, do you praise God or do you complain? What lessons might others be learning from you?

After a while of singing praise choruses, Paul and Silas experienced divine intervention. The Lord caused an earthquake to occur, setting Paul and Silas free. Could it have been that God intervened precisely because Paul and Silas chose to praise Him rather than complain to Him? Which response do you think invites God to intervene in a positive way? How do you respond to adversity?

Following the earthquake, Paul and Silas saw others come to faith in God. Their worship and praise had left a mark. Others had seen their positive faith response in the midst of adversity. Paul and Silas had taught the others that there is a God. Furthermore, that God is in charge of even a bad situation. He can use it for good. Having absorbed these lessons, the listeners wanted what Paul and Silas had. They wanted a personal relationship with this personal God.

If life is a classroom and adversity is its teacher, then we are to praise and worship in every conceivable situation. If life is a classroom and adversity is its teacher, then God wants to use us in every situation to convey lessons about His goodness and sovereignty. If life is a classroom and adversity is its teacher, then when we pray, God is invited to intervene in our circumstances.

Learn to praise God in adversity.

2009-10-09T08:47:00.000-07:00

Nothing Less Will Do

Sir Wilfred Grenfell.

Probably not a name you have heard. People in Labrador, Canada have heard the name, however. While a medical student at London University in the late 1800’s, Grenfell was impressed by the sermons of Dwight Moody. He surrendered his life to Jesus Christ and, in the same year, joined the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen. During the next five years he served as surgeon on the first hospital ship dispatched to the North Sea fisheries. In 1892 Grenfell initiated missionary service to the fishermen of Labrador. He soon became absorbed in improving the living conditions of the inhabitants of the Labrador coast, and he undertook to raise funds from numerous speaking tours. In these tours he would invite people to join him with the words, “I can not guarantee you will make money, but I can guarantee that you will have the time of your life.” Later he established the Grenfell Association, with branches in England, the United States, Newfoundland and other parts of Canada. Upon his retirement in 1932, as a direct result of his labors, there existed six hospitals, four hospital ships, seven nursing stations, two orphanages, two large schools, fourteen industrial centers and a cooperative lumber mill. All done in the name and in the spirit of Christ.

I read about Grenfell just recently. Honestly, before a week ago I had never heard of him. His rhetoric, “I can not guarantee you will make money, but I can guarantee that you will have the time of your life”, made me think of the words of Jesus, “whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple” – Luke 14:27. Both were phrases calling for total commitment.

Jesus made a call for total commitment. In thinking about this call and in studying the history of the disciples, we can surmise why. Only Jesus knows the future. Only obedience to this call will sustain us in the troubles that lay ahead. Only Jesus offers His Presence in the here and now, and eternal life in the age to come.

Andrew and Peter died by crucifixion – their courage sustained by total commitment to Christ and His offer of life. . Bartholomew died by being flayed to death – sustained by total commitment to Christ. Shall we continue through the list? Only John died a natural death of old age – and that was after being returned from exile on the small island of Patmos.
James, son of Zebedee, was beheaded
James, son of Alphaeus, was beaten to death
Thomas was run through with a lance
Matthias was stoned and then beheaded
Matthew was slain by the sword
Thaddeus was shot to death with arrows
Philip was hanged
All found the courage to withstand their trials by having made a total commitment to Christ.

Christianity is not just a feel good, experience success in your sex life, Sunday morning religion. It is a hungering and thirsting after God. A hungering and thirsting that brings a person to Christ, Who alone knows the future of this person and has the supernatural ability to sustain in all trials.

For courage to face difficulties, for inner strength to endure difficulties, fully commit to Christ.

Nothing less will do.

2009-10-02T09:02:00.000-07:00

Thoughts on Issue 3

I see where Ohioans get to vote on whether or not to permit casino gambling - again. This vote will take place on Tuesday, November 3. It will be the latest in several attempts to place casinos in Ohio by using the ballot. So far, this measure has been defeated each time it has appeared. It seems that proponents are determined to wear the populace down until the measure passes. It takes a lot of money to keep putting this on the ballot – who is providing this financing?

There are good reasons why State Issue 3 should not pass – and this is not being written for political purposes. I write this as a pastor, concerned about public morality, further disintegration of the family, and the destructive, addictive effect of gambling.

Advertisements want people to believe that tens of thousands of jobs will be created. A Hiram College Public Policy Research Group study has decided differently. Money will simply change hands and replace existing jobs. This study goes on to inform us that the objective of casinos is to provide multiple forms of entertainment under one roof. This insures that customers stay in the casino; consequently, established businesses in the vicinity of the proposed casino will lose customers and sales. “It’s really an exchange of money, it’s not economic growth,” said Thomas Pascarella, professor emeritus of economics and management at Hiram College. The Canton Repository reported on September 30 (page A-12) that Professor Pascarella said that “Ohio’s casinos will largely attract local visitors and won’t bring in a large amount of money that wouldn’t normally be spent in the community.”

Now to answer the question, “who is providing this financing?” This expensive issue is on the Ohio ballot again thanks to gambling interests, including an organization called Penn National Gaming. This company would gain a casino monopoly in central Ohio. To curry favor with business leaders in Columbus, Penn National Gaming has promised to make annual financial contributions to an agency called Experience Columbus. This agency exists to boost the prosperity of Columbus by marketing it as an appealing, exciting place to visit and do business. The Columbus Dispatch wrote in its September 27 paper, “Most of the business and civic leaders Experience Columbus represents oppose Issue 3 for good reason: The temporary construction jobs and low-wage service positions it would bring aren’t worth the increased crime, gambling addiction and corruption that typically accompany big-time casinos.”

Casinos do not stimulate economic development. They depress it. “The House” rarely loses – it can not afford to lose. “The House” loses just infrequently enough to keep people coming. The unspoken slogan of the casino is, “A sucker is born every minute.” The individuals “gaming” in the casino are the losers. The money they lose could have been spent on authentic economic development, by patronizing establishments that enhance a community – restaurants, concerts, theaters, automobile dealerships, appliance stores and home remodeling firms. Some might take the money that they would otherwise lose to “The House” and build a roomier house for the family, thus adding to the value of the community. Further donations could be made to churches and synagogues or other charities that assist people.

Rest assured – and do not allow media advertisements to confuse you - if Issue 3 passes, there will be more poverty, homelessness, hunger and addictions as a result. The United States International Gambling Report Series is a 3,000 page compilation of decades of research on gambling. It concludes that casinos cost communities $3 in lost economic development, increased crime and social problems for every $1 they generate in benefits. Is this what you want for Ohio?

Make sure you are registered to vote in November. Vote for the public good by voting “no” on Issue 3, casinos in Ohio.

2009-09-25T12:01:00.001-07:00

Make the Way Smoother

Once upon a time, long ago a king had a highway built for his subjects. After it was completed, but the day before it was opened to the public, the king decided to have a contest. He invited as many as desired to participate. Their challenge was to see who could travel the highway best on the day before its official opening.

On the announced day, several people showed up. Some were in chariots, harnessed to great horses; others were on horseback. Some came in light clothing, prepared to run. Others had on thick sandals, planning to walk the new highway. People traveled the highway all day.

During the day, the king had positioned himself at the end of the section of road used for the contest. Each subject remarked to the king what a superb highway it was and how much the people in the kingdom would use it. However, they all had one and the same complaint: there was a large pile of debris and rocks left in the middle of the highway at one spot. This was an obstacle that caused them to leave the highway for a short distance and hindered their travel.

At the end of the day an older man – the last contestant – approached the king. He looked weary and explained to the king, “I stopped along the way to clear a pile of debris and rocks off the new highway. I knew this would make travel easier for the public tomorrow. That is why I am last to finish the contest. But while clearing the debris I found a bag of gold. The bag of gold was under all the debris. Please return it to the rightful owner.” The King became excited and declared, “You are now the rightful owner of the gold. You have earned it – for the one who makes the highway smoother for those who follow is the one who travels the highway best.”

Galatians 6:7 states, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

Making the road smoother for those who follow is one of the great purposes of life. When we help others, God is pleased. When we bless others, it displays a selfless, Christlike attitude. This attitude is what we are told to cultivate: “Let this mind (attitude) be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…” (Philippians 2:5).

As you travel the highway of life, make sure you make the way smoother for those who follow.

2009-09-18T12:38:00.000-07:00

It Is Later Than You Think

“It is later than you think” reads an inscription on a sundial.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America may have discovered just how true that saying is at its recent convention. While debating whether practicing homosexuals could be ordained (the convention voted they could, the Bible teaches they should not), a tornado hit and damaged the center where the convocation was being held.

What was particularly odd about the occurrence is its rarity. No tornado had been experienced in Minneapolis, the site of the convention, for ninety years. No severe weather warnings had been announced. Just “ka-boom!”, a tornado out of the blue.

Or was it really out of the blue? Jesus warned against seeing what we call “disasters” as tokens of God’s judgment (Luke 13:4-5). Even acknowledging the words of Jesus, it still seems more than coincidence to me: a rare tornado appearing at this specific time and place and while this particular issue was under discussion. Can it be that God is beginning to close this age of grace and return to a more stern control of mankind?

Maybe the guy holding the placard in the cartoon is right – “Repent now, because it is later than you think.”

I found the news report interesting that while the tornado appeared in Minneapolis and was striking the convention center, Lutheran Bishop Mark Hanson was reading Psalm 121 to the “nervous assembly”. I would think “frightened assembly” might be a tad more accurate. It is ironic that this Psalm, speaking of God’s power and concern for His child, would be regarded in the crisis of the tornado, and other scripture that address appropriate lifestyle and moral choices would be later flagrantly ignored in a vote – after the tornado had passed. But then, isn’t that really the spirit of our time? Make the Bible and morals a cafeteria: pick what you want and leave what you don’t want.

God can use nature to bring people to repentance. He used a thunderstorm and a lightning strike to convict Martin Luther (for whom the Lutheran Church is named) of sin. The Minneapolis tornado provided a thought-provoking point: the winds and the seas are at God’s beck and call and they can be used to call people back to Himself. If we really believe that God is all He claims to be, then we would conclude that this tornado was no coincidence. It was what Bible students called “providence.” God let it happen, willed it if you please, for a reason.

One conclusion is that this tornado was a divine warning that we repent from personal sin and that our churches quit condoning destructive behaviors.

God wills certain providences in our lives also. These providences are not always as dramatic as a tornado. Nevertheless, they are all intended to remind us of our dependency upon God, our mortality and our need to repent from personal sin and destructive behaviors.

This time as I write it, I may be closer to the truth than anyone thinks, or even than the sundial or guy holding the placard would have us believe. Repent now, because …

It is later than you think.

2009-09-11T13:04:00.000-07:00

A Compliment Guy

“The Compliment Guys” is what they are called. It came from a story in American Profile magazine (www.americanprofile.com). The story concerns two young men who are students at Purdue University. They have begun taking Wednesday afternoons, positioning themselves at a conspicuous spot on campus, and passing out cheery compliments. “I just wanted to go out and do something nice for people,” explains Brett Westcott, who came up with the idea. He has been joined by Cameron Brown, who says, “I’d noticed a lot of people were down and sad around campus with the economy so down. A lot of my friends were graduating without jobs, so I wanted to go out there and give them something to smile about.”.

I genuinely commend these two and wish their tribe to increase.

Mark Twain said, “I can live on a good compliment for six months.”

About three years ago our Adults Pastor began a ministry called “Kindness Evangelism.” Part of the kindness was to share words of encouragement. That is the essence of a compliment: words of encouragement that refresh the spirit.

Did you know that you can become a compliment giver? Listen to these words from Cameron Brown, “Giving a compliment is pretty easy, really. We say things like, ‘Great coat. Cool headphones. I dig your goatee. Very nice bicycle.’ If someone is eating an apple, we’ll compliment them for having a nutritious snack. If they’re drinking from a water bottle, we give them a thumbs-up for staying hydrated. Everybody has something to compliment. Everybody has something good in them. It just takes a second to find it.”

Joseph was one of the two first missionaries sent out by the church. He is forever known as “son of encouragement” (or Barnabas, Acts 4:36). It was not an accident that the Holy Spirit instructed the church to set aside Barnabas and Saul to become the first missionaries (Acts 13:1-4). Saul, who would later become known as the apostle Paul, would become a writer of New Testament epistles and the object of hateful rejection. He would need lots of encouragement – compliments if you will, and Barnabas would be just the guy to supply it! Someone you know and love could use a compliment today. Go ahead and give it!

Did you ever pause to meditate on the teachings from James 3:9? In speaking of the use of our tongue, this epistle makes the point that we can use it to praise or curse. Wouldn’t you rather use your tongue to praise? Words of encouragement can breathe new life into a person, and words of criticism can deflate a person’s sense of well-being. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” states Proverbs 18:21. Compliments don’t cost you anything to give. But the rewards you receive are great. I suggest you make a practice of finding one good thing about everyone you meet today – and then tell them.

Now answer this question: would you rather be around a person who encourages or a person who criticizes? What makes you think anyone else is different? Be an encourager – pass out a compliment. You will discover that strangers will become friends and friends will be loyal.

Become a compliment guy!

2009-09-04T16:54:00.000-07:00

Washington’s Prayer

I found it interesting to read in the paper that a group called “The Freedom from Religion Foundation” in Madison, Wisconsin took exception with a local school district’s core values. The district had a statement that included “belief in God” as a core value. The Freedom from Religion Foundation web site referred to this as “suspect wording” that is in violation of the First Amendment. An attorney by the name of Rebecca Kratz sent a protesting letter on behalf of the foundation.
The First Amendment to the Constitution, ratified by Congress on December 15, 1791 states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Of course, Congress had nothing to do with establishing the school’s core values, including “belief in God.” And since when does “belief in God” establish a religion? And if so, which religion does it establish?
This is just an egregious action by the Freedom from Religion Foundation to impose its (atheistic) belief system, which is a religion, on others through intimidation.
As the Revolutionary War drew to a close, George Washington wrote a letter to the thirteen governors of the states. Entitled “Circular Letter Addressed to the Governors of all the States on the Disbanding of the Army”, Washington made a plea that the leaders of the newly born nation conduct themselves in a way that honored God. The letter states,
I now make it my earnest prayer that God would have you, and the State over which you preside, in His holy protection; that He would incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government, to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another, for their fellow-citizens of the United States at large, and particularly for brethren who have served in the field; and finally that He would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind, which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without an humble imitation of whose example in these things, we can never hope to be a happy nation.”
Washington’s advice was generally followed and a great nation was born. You will observe, I hope, that his vision for The United States was established upon the foundation of belief in God - “that God would have you, and the State over which you preside…”
We would do well to learn from George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and others who, in seeking wisdom and strength of character have chosen “belief in God” as one of their core values. You know, like the local school district has chosen to do.
Our country was established by people who had “belief in God”. If you ever question it, remember
Washington’s prayer.

2009-08-28T11:42:00.000-07:00

The Need of the Nation

I was watching the congressman conducting a “town hall” meeting. The subject was the health care bill that had passed the United States House of Representatives. The people speaking seemed almost unanimously opposed to it – and their reasons were many. Not only did they present arguments against the measure, but did so passionately. The congressman responded by saying something along the lines of this plan is “the need of the nation.”

Thirty years ago I studied Francis Schaeffer’s series entitled How Should We Then Live? The present controversy regarding government-sponsored health care is eerie. Could this be the playing out of the warnings delivered by Schaeffer?

Senior adults are living longer. The government programs designed to assist this segment of the population, Social Security and Medicare, are unbelievably strained. The insurance industry is dictating to physicians what they may and may not do if they want payment. It is likely that the government sponsored health plan will have its people doing the same thing. It should come as no surprise that the legislation which passed the House has a provision that every five years Medicare recipients (seniors) will be getting a rap on the door from government representatives. These representatives will be “sharing options” with senior citizens. No one knows what these government trained persons will be reporting back to the authorities, but everyone knows reports will be filed. Perhaps they will, in time, decide who receives additional medical procedures and who does not. This will be only one small step from their deciding then who lives and who should be put to death. Forced euthanasia could easily become reality. This was Schaeffer’s ominous warning to a society that had abandoned God – turned its back on the Bible and its standards. Schaeffer had predicted that a “culture of death” would then arise.

Does this seem impossible? If so, keep three thoughts in mind. First, the forced elimination of people groups has happened in other countries, even well-educated and civilized countries (post-World War I Germany); secondly, the costs of the social programs aforementioned are unsustainable at present rates; thirdly, President Obama has begun talking about “termination of life” issues (July 2009– as reported in the August 21, 2009 The Sword of the Lord, Murfreesboro, TN, page 5). Not “end of life” issues, mind you, but “termination of life”. If this phrase does not send a chill up your spine, you must not have a spine!

As Francis Schaeffer shared over thirty years ago: it is a very small philosophical step from abortion to euthanasia. Both the unborn and the elderly are helpless to stop the strong and empowered from killing them. The elderly, particularly those with dementia, are expensive to society. Furthermore, caring for them is inconvenient. A great deal of tax money can be saved and used elsewhere, so some may be thinking, if only these inconvenient, no longer productive persons would die.

From there, it will be another small philosophical step to eliminate other undesirable persons: those with debilitating diseases, prisoners, Christians, Jews, Muslims, atheists – whoever is empowered and strong will make those decisions.

The Christian must always be mindful and remind others of this: God has created life. He is closely associated with life. Throughout the pages of the Bible God is described as the Source of Life. He calls us to life, eternal life, through Jesus Christ. He provides meaning to life in the present world. He and He alone, should determine when physical life as we know it ends for a person.

Support life. Respect life. Return to the Bible and its standards. Return to God.

This is the need of the nation.

2009-08-20T16:43:00.000-07:00

A Fully Committed Heart

“The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him” – 2 Chronicles 16:9.

Did you ever pause to think that God may be searching for you? Searching to show Himself strong on your behalf and to encourage you?

Just what is He seeking in you?

A heart fully committed to Him. That is, a person of strong faith – willing to trust God in any situation of life.

I was at the hospital bedside of a close friend. He had suffered a massive stroke and lay, unresponsive, in the critical care unit. As I spoke with him, and proceeded to pray with him, my mind went back to the time when he was vigorous. I clearly remember him visiting people, sharing his faith and inviting them to have faith in God also. He was able to trust God fully in life, and I was certain that He would continue to trust God now while facing death.

A heart fully committed in faith to God is beautiful, and it builds a strong person.

How does a person begin this journey to build a heart that is fully committed to Him? You will notice that I deliberately used the word “build”, because this is something we do over time.

First, you have to be available. Are you willing to put yourself in God’s hands, obediently doing what He commands? Can you work God into your schedule, busy as it is, and spend some time with Him? Your time will be well spent as you learn to discern His voice. If you are not certain just what to say, try this: “Lord, here I am. I am available to You today.”

Secondly, reach out to someone. Call a discouraged person, visit someone who is hospitalized or disabled, send a note or card to someone in need. Reaching out to a person is Christlike and pleases God. He will notice these acts of love and compassion.

Thirdly, decide right now that you really don’t know everything. A spirit of humility, admitting that you are not always right or that you know everything, will enable the Holy Spirit to teach you through His Word and through others how your life may be more effectively used by God.

Fourthly, make a decision that you will be faithful. Be faithful to God, be faithful to truth and be faithful to the church. Being faithful is the great virtue promised by Christ to be recognized at the Judgment Day – “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of the Lord” – Matthew 25:21. God desires to see this determination above all else.

Here is a building project very much worth the effort:

a fully committed heart.

2009-08-13T06:53:00.000-07:00

Purity

Purity.

I was thinking about Philippians 4:8-9 two days ago, “Whatsoever things are true, whatever is noble, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is a good report, whatever is virtuous and worthy of praise, think on these things…and the God of peace will be with you.”

I was interested in the phrase, “whatever is pure”. This “freedom from anything that taints, impairs or infects” means more than sexual activity outside the bounds of marriage. It is the tainting of the mind with any ungodly thought: lust, envy, greed, revenge. The point seems to be: think upon purity and you will live purity.

It is hard to be pure in an impure world. Do you know what? The world is no more impure now than it was in the days of Paul, otherwise the admonition to think upon purity would have no meaning. The world has been impure since the days of Cain (Genesis 4), and will remain impure until the return of Jesus Christ. So we may learn from the example of others, even if those others lived long ago.

There are examples given in the scripture of person who focused on pure thoughts and whose lives reflected it. Daniel is such an example.

Daniel lived a pure life in a society that would make Times Square blush. The raw, open hedonism and violence of ancient Persia and Babylon is appalling. Yet, here was Daniel, choosing to think upon and live a life of purity. Amazing! Well, maybe not so amazing – for when we read the story of Daniel’s life, it is said, “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself…” There it is – “he purposed in his heart.” He had determined to not eat food that had been offered to idols. This determination was extended to other areas of his life as well.

The lesson here is clear. A person must make a determined decision that he or she will focus on that which is pure.

It is interesting to see that Daniel’s determination to think upon the pure and to live that way kept him in a spirit of prayer. Actually, of all the lessons we can learn in studying Daniel’s life, the lesson of prayer’s importance is primary. One thing is for certain in Daniel’s life: he did not consider prayer to be wasted time. He did not just work it in to his busy schedule. He understood that through prayer, he was inviting Divine strength into his soul.

The lesson here is clear also. Prayer invites God’s strengthening presence into our souls. A person can not think pure thoughts and live a pure life apart from God’s help. Prayer is calling to God for this help – a Divine strengthening.

Want to think pure thoughts and live a pure life? Determine that you will focus on the pure, and eliminate the impure. Then pray for Divine strength, inviting God’s morality into your choices.

You will discover God’s peace when you choose…

Purity.

2009-08-07T09:35:00.000-07:00

World-Changers

I have been pondering Deuteronomy 7:6 – “For you are a special people who belong to the Lord your God.”

The Lord has His special people on the earth – and you can be one of them! Bill Bright called these special people “world-changers.”

Romans 4 from the Bible tells me that any one who chooses to be a follower of Jesus Christ is a “special person” who can become a world-changer.

What is one of God’s “special people”, a world-changer, supposed to do?

Last week I was watching members of a local high school football team work out –doing exercises and running through drills in preparation for the upcoming season. It dawned upon me that these young fellows were “special people”. They are members of the football team, and will be representing the local school in athletic competition this fall. They are different, set apart from the remainder of the student body. Their time is spent differently: in practice after school hours, in games on Fridays and in watching film on Saturdays. Their exercise habits are different: they go through grueling practices every week day. Their eating habits are probably different, also: eating lots of protein for muscle-building and carbohydrates for energy and stamina.

God’s special people have also been set apart from the rest of humankind, and represent Him before the watching world. God’s special people make a difference in their world. That is what makes them world changers.

Don’t you love the thought of being a world changer?

God’s special people possess the indwelling presence of God himself, the Holy Spirit. This Presence reveals itself from time to time, especially in difficult moments. God’s special people possess a wisdom (derived from knowledge of the Bible), an inner strength (derived from the Lord’s presence), and a positive outlook (derived from faith, hope and love). These are qualities all people desire, but only the believer has them in abundance and perpetually.

The world changer also has a God-given desire to serve. His or her motive is to glorify God and provide benefits to mankind. Consequently there is service in the community and friendship extended to others, especially those deemed undesirable by society: the poor, the elderly, the widows and orphans. God’s special people, the world-changers, desire to see certain virtues, as expressed in the Ten Commandments, prevail in society. The world-changers are convinced that the practice of these virtues will promote liberty and justice, eliminating tyranny and oppression. World changers will conduct gatherings to offer worship and praise to the God who has birthed them to eternal life. They teach illiterate people how to read and write. They teach healthy practices and establish hospitals in remote areas of the earth. They teach primitive tribal groups modern agricultural practices and proper nutrition.

Most amazing of all is the perspective on life these special people possess. They speak of another world yet to come, even while serving effectively in this world. . This other world is called “heaven”. These special people speak of dwelling in the actual presence of God forever in this coming world and actively solicit others to join them. They quote Jesus, for example, who said “What will it profit a person if he should gain the entirety of this (temporal) world, yet lose his (eternal) soul?” from Matthew 16:26.

Yep, for sure God has His special people.

And for sure they are world-changers.

2009-07-31T08:22:00.000-07:00

The Euphrates River is Drying Up!

The July 14, 2009 issue of The New York Times had a very interesting article, and one that relates to Biblical prophecy. Written by Campbell Robertson, the article is entitled “Iraq Suffers as the Euphrates River Dwindles”.

The report gives its location as Jubaish, Iraq. It begins by telling of “reed gatherers” who are standing on land they once floated over, crying out to visitors, “There is no water!”

There is no water due to the water policies of Turkey and Syria, a two-year drought and misuse of the water by Iraqi farmers. The great Euphrates River is half the size it was just a few years ago. Fear is that in another year it will be half the size it is now – a stream rather than a river, apparently.

This is interesting news. But what really caught my attention was what The New York Times proceeded to print. “The shrinking of the Euphrates, a river so crucial to the birth of civilization that the Book of Revelation prophesied its drying up as a sign of the end times, has decimated farms along its banks, has left fishermen impoverished and has depleted riverside towns as farmers flee to the cities looking for work.”

By the way, the underlining is not mine – it is part of the article appearing in the paper.

In case you are wondering, the passage in Revelation was left uncited, but is 16:12 – “Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.”

It is safe to say that the Lord is preparing the world for the coming of Christ. That the drying up of the Euphrates is mentioned in Bible prophecy, and that we see it happening presently is no accident. Ever since the unbelievably exciting establishment of the Israeli state in 1948, the end-times prophecies of the Bible have been slowly but surely unfolding before our very eyes. The groundwork is being laid for the “taking up” of the church, mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (the word “rapture” is rapturo and is translated “caught up” in verse 17. Hence, the usual expression for this event is “the Rapture”). The Rapture is the next epochal event on the calendar of Bible prophecy.

It is after the Rapture that the complete fulfillment of the prophecies in Revelation will occur – right now what we witness are the preliminary stages. The foundation is being laid and after the Rapture – well, just hope you are not left behind. There will be a period of time called “Tribulation”, a period of man’s sinfulness given its full expression. Finally, and mercifully, the Lord Jesus Christ will return to earth to put an end to unrighteousness and begin a reign of righteousness.

Which brings me to the point of this entire article: are you ready for the Rapture? You can be by making sure you are in a right relationship with God through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

And by the way – don’t put this decision off. One of the world’s great rivers is drying up. The New York Times recognizes it as a fulfillment of Bible predictions.

The Euphrates River is drying up!

2009-07-24T12:17:00.000-07:00

Choose to be Happy

Abraham Lincoln once said, “Most people are as happy as they choose to be.”

I’ve been thinking about that quote a bit lately. It seems to me that there are a lot of unhappy folks today – and many of them are in our churches! Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, has written “The most unhappy people in the world are not the unbelievers, many of whom are ignorantly and blissfully happy in their sin, albeit temporarily. The most unhappy people in the world are Christians who resist the will of God for their lives! The Christian who refuses to do the will of God must be prepared to pay the price of disobedience. Whatever we sow, we reap, the Bible tells us. It has long been my conviction that I have never met a happy, disobedient Christian or an unhappy, obedient one” (from The Most Unhappy People by Bill Bright, copyright 2003 and reprinted in Pulpit Helps magazine, August 2009).

What Bill Bright is saying is pretty simple stuff. It is, “Look – you want to be happy? Then obey God. You want to be unhappy? Then disobey God.”

I am not an advocate of a Pollyanna naiveté that would ignore tragedy or injustice. These things do not make us happy. But I do advocate a trusting and obedient spirit toward God – this generates a deep happiness, or joy, regardless of circumstances.

“Joy-stealers” are those things that strip joy away. These “joy-stealers” are the things that motivate us to disobey God – envy, worry, fear, unforgiveness, perfectionism and inability to control others. This list is incomplete, but covers a lot of ground. It is time for each of us to purge these joy-stealers from our lives, begin living in obedience to God, and watch our attitude become one of happiness.

Reuben A. Torrey, a Christian educator from another era, told of a lady who came to him and stated that she was not happy – she had tried the Bible’s promise that “whatever you ask believing, you shall receive” but that it had not worked. To this lady Dr. Torrey showed the verse from 1 John 3:22 – “we receive from Him (God) anything we ask, because we obey His commands and do what pleases Him.” He then asked the lady, “Were you keeping His commandments and doing those things pleasing in His sight?” She confessed that she was not. Dr. Torrey then gently pointed out her problem, the same that plagues many of us – the reason her prayers were unanswered and she was unhappy was due to her disobedience to God

“O how happy is the person who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But whose delight is in the law of the Lord…” Psalm 1 begins.

Disobedience to God is the source of unhappiness. Obedience to God is the source of happiness.

Choose to be happy by choosing to obey.

2009-07-21T16:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, John Calvin!
July 10 is an important day. It is the birthday of John Calvin. Calvin, one of the great Reformers, was best known for his Biblical and philosophical analysis of Christianity that has become known as “Calvinism”. The reformers who preceded him were mostly known for their zeal. Calvin provided a distinct theology. John Calvin was born in 1509, and this year (2009) is the 500th Anniversary of the man’s birth.
One of the best known of Calvin’s sermons is entitled “What It Is to Know God”. Sermons were written out word for word in his time, so it still exists. Calvin begins, “By the knowledge of God, I understand that by which we not only conceive that there is some God, but also apprehend what it is for our interest, and conducive to His glory, what, in short, it is benefiting to know concerning Him.” He proceeds to share how we come to conceive that there is God, how we begin to understand God, and what it means to glorify Him.
Now, keep in mind, this was one sermon. Read over Calvin’s proposition again.
The fact is, this one sermon contains almost the whole of the purpose of Christian ministry.
I was thinking about this recently, while rereading Calvin’s sermon. So much of what is presented in churches today is either unbiblical (which means it is not Christian, incidentally) or it is baby food. No wonder so many American Christians are spiritual babies. Hebrews 5:12 – “You ought by now to be teachers, but you have need that one teach you again the first principles of the word of God; and are become such as have need of milk, rather than strong meat.”
Here is what I have concluded – and you may disagree if you like. John Calvin (and others from time to time) became a mature and great Christian because he had a great understanding of a great God. He disciplined himself to be aware of God’s presence at all times and in all circumstances of life. His life is an example for us all.
Human that we all are, apart from such self-discipline we bounce to extremes. It is easy to forget God in good times. And when times are difficult, we think God has abandoned us.
One thing John Calvin did not do was forget God. Nor did he ever consider that God had abandoned him. He reaped the benefits (called “blessings”) of this God – awareness, too. His heart was kept grateful, his ego was kept humble; his life was kept faithful, his mind was kept sharp. The greatest benefit was that Calvin’s influence has and will live through the ages.
Happy Birthday, John Calvin!