"Baby Jesus" is safe but Jesus did not come to be safe

“Infinite, and an infant. Eternal, and yet born of a woman. Almighty, and yet hanging on a woman's breast. Supporting a universe, and yet needing to be carried in a mother's arms.  King of angels, and yet the reputed son of Joseph. Heir of all things, and yet the carpenter's despised son.” Charles Haddon Spurgeon

This time of year you’ll see “baby Jesus” everywhere—on cards, in stores, even on front lawns of homes. Some churches even have a live nativity scene, complete with an infant, lying in for “baby Jesus.” I’ve always wanted our church to have a nativity scene. I think that it’s the one time of year that those who don’t know the Lord are much more heedful of what the message that we are communicating even with our symbols.

  One of the reasons though that “baby Jesus” is nearly everywhere is that “baby Jesus” is safe. Please understand, I’m not some Grinch who’s anti-baby. I like babies. It’s just that “baby Jesus” isn’t what Christmas is all about. Even our multi-cultural, pluralistic world is fairly comfortable making Christmas only about “baby Jesus” but it’s an unbiblical reductionism.

  A little girl of ten years went with a group of family and friends to see the Christmas light displays at various locations throughout the city. At one church, they stopped and got out to look more closely at a beautifully done nativity scene. "Isn't that beautiful?" said the little girl's grandmother. "Look at all the animals, Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus." "Yes, Grandma," replied the granddaughter. "It is really nice. But there is only one thing that bothers me. Isn't baby Jesus ever going to grow up? He's the same size that He was last year."

  But Jesus did grow up! Did Jesus enter into human history as a baby? Yes. Is Christmas meant to celebrate the coming of Jesus into human history? Yes. What’s the problem? The reason we celebrate the coming of Jesus is not because He was born in a manger. It’s because of what He did on the cross about thirty years after His birth. If the most critical aspect of Jesus’ life is that He was born of a virgin, that there was no room for His parents in the Inn, that He was born in a stable and laid in a manger, that angels appeared to shepherds who were the newborns first visitors – if that’s it, then we have nothing to celebrate. If Jesus was born, lived for about thirty years, and died…even if it was a tragic death, but that was it, end of story, then we have nothing to celebrate.

  When we celebrate the birth of Jesus, we are only celebrating because of what He came to do and that Jesus accomplished what He came to do. To only celebrate “baby Jesus” is to forget the reason why He came. To only celebrate baby Jesus may be safe, yet it’s sentimentalism.

  The Old Testament prophet Isaiah writes of all aspects of Jesus’ life. In chapter 9, He writes of this special child being born to us. But we find Jesus’ mission toward the end, in Isaiah 53. While it begins with His childhood, it ends with His sacrificial death. “He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities” (vs. 2). “He poured out His soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors” (vs. 12).

  That sounds more like Easter than Christmas. Yet, we only celebrate Christmas because of Easter. For more than 300 years after Jesus' time, Christians celebrated His resurrection but not His birth. That’s because if there had been no Good Friday and no Easter, then Christmas isn’t even “Happy Holidays.” We’re left with a world where Scrooge, Mr. Potter and the Grinch are the “heroes” because there is no hope. At best Christmas would be about bribes, not gifts because God’s great gift to a lost and guilty world had never been given. While most don’t realize why we give gifts, it’s because God the Father started it, “Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15). “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

  Some years ago a powerful Christmas card was circulating with the title "If Christ Had Not Come." It was based upon our Savior's words "If I had not come." The card represented a pastor's falling asleep in his study on Christmas morning and dreaming of a world into which Jesus had never come. In his dream he found himself looking through his home, but there were no little stockings in the chimney corner, no Christmas bells or wreaths of holly, and no Christ to comfort, gladden and save. He walked out to the street, but there was no church with its steeple pointing to Heaven. He came back and sat down in his library, but every book about the Savior had disappeared. The doorbell rang and a messenger asked the preacher to visit his poor, dying mother. He hastened with the weeping child, and as he reached the home he sat down and said, "I have something here that will comfort you."  He opened his Bible to look for a familiar promise, but his Bible ended with Malachi. There was no Gospel and no promise of hope and salvation, and he could only bow his head and weep with her in bitter despair. Then, two days later he stood beside her coffin and conducted the funeral service. There was no message of consolation, no hope of heaven. Without the Gospel, we have no hope.

  But it isn’t enough that Jesus came, it’s that He came with a purpose…He came to die. That was God’s purpose even before Creation. God in His omniscience knew that man would choose to sin and follow Satan, that we would choose sin and death rather than Paradise. The cross wasn’t Plan B. It was God’s plan from before the beginning, “you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you” (1 Peter 1:18-20). Baby Jesus not only grew up, He grew up and gave His life for our sins. He was the first Christmas gift sent from God the Father to pay the penalty for our sins.

  Like any gift though, it’s not yours until you receive it. This Christmas, have you embraced Good Friday and Easter? In others words, have you accepted God’s gift of salvation? Have you repented of your sins and thrown yourself on Christ’s cross, believing that it is only in Jesus’ death that we can be forgiven and have hope? The Christmas story always begins with “For God so loved…” He loved you and me, even though we were so unlovable. Have you accepted His gift of salvation for you?

God's Christmas gift cures me of my Grinch

“Christmas is the season for giving.” Oftentimes, particularly at this time of year, we hear that phrase, “Christmas is the season of giving.” But what does that really mean? How do we even know what giving really is? Are there levels of giving? What’s truly generous giving?

            Personally, I’m very thankful for the work of the Salvation Army and their famous red kettles, particularly during the Christmas Season. Yet, is it really giving when I reach into my pocket, throwing in whatever change I happen to find readily available? Or, if I’m more serious, in this credit card age, I open my wallet to dole out a few bucks. Is that truly giving? It probably won’t alter my lifestyle. There’s nothing that I will do without because I gave, though it is still a gift on my part, in that I did not owe anything and did not receive any services or benefits for my “gift.” And though I may throw something in…I find that I am sometimes annoyed with the hassle. There is more natural Grinch in my soul than Christlike generosity.

I believe that giving, generous and sacrificial giving happens when we have seen it modeled. It’s commonly know that one of the best ways to learn is to not be verbally taught or to read about what you wish to learn, but to have it modeled by someone who is already proficient in it.

For example, this time of year, I always become reminiscent of yesterday. While my family always celebrated Christmas, more often than not, they were Christmases you’d sooner want to forget. My Dad was always angry and miserable to be around at Christmas. My Mom would nearly always cry…almost every Christmas. Money flowed. There were many big ticket items but it was about “getting” never about “giving.” That came through in my own heart as I would compare what I “got” compared to my siblings and particularly compared to my neighbors. Whereas, I would get a bike, my neighbor would get a mini-bike. If I received a set of plastic hot wheels that I’d be thrilled with it…until I saw that he had received an electric race track.   

It wasn’t until I left home and had found a new one that I began to truly understand the meaning of Christmas. I can remember a small house in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, a parsonage. It was there for the first time that I saw love and giving truly modeled at Christmas. Dave and Mary Cummins welcomed me into their home as their “quasi” adopted son. They didn’t have a lot of money and lived fairly simply. There were five nearly adult daughters and a growing number of son in-laws when I entered the picture. In my biological home, I rushed down the stairs with my sisters to see what Santa had brought ME. In the Cummins’ home, Dad would sit in his easy chair, the family would gather, and Dad with his rich bass voice would read the familiar Christmas account from Luke 2. Then, presents would be distributed to delighted “oohs” and “aahs.” None of the gifts were spectacular. Some were even home made. Mom Cummins made me my first robe which I wore for years. It was a Christmas gift. Others who had no family or place to go would soon join us around the Christmas dinner table that day. It was there though that for the very first time that I saw love and generosity modeled. Truly a “God bless us everyone” scene. And I, maybe for the first time, saw giving and love modeled.

It struck me though that only someone who has met Jesus, only someone who is a Christian and seen sacrificial giving can fully understand sacrificial giving and then begin to give as they have been given. Most give out of their abundance. Their lifestyle is not altered, there is no true sacrifice on their part. Their giving rarely inconveniences them.

Jesus, when He entered time and space, as God the Father’s first Christmas gift, modeled for us everything that true giving is all about. No wonder the Apostle Paul cried out with a heart overwhelmed by gratitude, “Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15).

God’s gift was planned. When our first parents disobeyed God and sinned in the Garden, God promised that He would send a gift to fix it (Genesis 3:15). His gift would cure them of sin, guilt and death – the curse of sin. God’s gift was inconvenient though perfectly timed. Jesus, leaving the glories of Heaven, to come to earth to be born in a manger. Perfect heaven for sin-filled earth…divine love motivated such a gift. God’s gift was sacrificial. Jesus was born to die. Even at His birth, He was wrapped in “swaddling clothes,” not royal robes befitting a king. “Swaddling clothes” were used to wrap corpses before burying the body. God the Father knew that His Son would end His life on this earth by dying a horrible death, one that’s unimaginable to most of us…the painful death of a common criminal on a cross. And yet, knowing what would transpire in just a matter of three decades, His angels were still sent to announce to a dark, oppressed world that was about to miss out on the arrival of the first Christmas gift: “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” That angel was joined by “a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!’” (Luke 2:10-14). It was God who first modeled true Christmas giving.

Last night, I felt that God gave me a peek at what normally happens when those who have met Jesus, those who have seen and comprehended God’s sacrificial gift for them, and have accepted God’s Christmas gift of His Son for them, how they in turn can’t hardly help but respond with generosity. It explains a Dave and Mary Cummins. It explains a church family in tough economic times, even after many of them have already stretched financially, giving once again generously.

My church, Grace Church, the church God has given me the privilege of pastoring for twenty-five years now, has just come through a major capital campaign. We’ve asked our church family to commit and give beyond their means so that we can build a new building, a new “tool” to be used for the glory of God. Yet, like every church family, we have some families with deep needs. And it seems that those needs are always felt even deeper at Christmas. We wanted to do a special offering at our Christmas Eve service with all of the money given to help those families.

One of our church leaders was hesitant (and rightfully so). We’ve asked for a lot over the course of the last few months. We’ve asked our church family to give generously and sacrificially…and they have.

Yet, last night, they did it again. Even though we’re not a huge church, even though we did not have a huge crowd with folk already out of town or with family, our church family dug deep…more than I would have ever imagined. And we were able to take some needed gifts to some needy families in our church.

But the story doesn’t end there. Last night at one of our services, I learned that a single lady in our church was going to spend Christmas all alone. To me, one who has spent too many Christmases alone, that’s just wrong. Our family is beginning vacation. It started after the service last night. My wife and our three children graciously and willingly give as part of our church all of the time. Yet, I knew that this wasn’t right and though it might be a little bit of inconvenience, I was going to ask my wife after the service to see if it would be okay if we added a place at our own Christmas dinner table. Yet, before I could have that conversation, I learned that another church family had already invited her to join theirs.

Yes, Christmas is the season of giving. And it’s true, you do not have to know Christ to give generously and sacrificially. Some do. Yet, when you have been given so much from a loving God who owed you nothing. When you’ve seen giving modeled in heavenly proportions…how can you do any less and how could you not desire to give more and more. It’s the supernatural outcome…because you are the recipient of God’s greatest gift, His Son, Jesus.

If Christmas is about "peace on earth," where's mine?

“Unless you're in a James Bond movie, it's really unlikely that the pressure that you're feeling is anything but self-induced.”  Seth Godin

  For many, Christmas, and being with family is one of the highlights of the year. Yet, for many others…it’s anything but “Peace on earth.” Already, you’re dreading the obligatory holiday gatherings. Hopefully, most of that dread is not within your own family but with extended family.

  Yet, some of the tension is self-induced. Some of us have watched too many sappy Christmas movies. We’ve allowed ourselves to succumb to idealism and need to replace it with a healthy dose of realism. If you and your spouse tend to periodically squabble the other 364 days, like most married couples, it’s highly possible that you’re going to have a disagreement on December 25^th, too. If your children fight, complain and whine the other 364 days of the year…like most children, it’s nearly guaranteed they’re going to do that on December 25^th, too. Our sin natures don’t go comatose just because it’s Christmas. Why is that?

  Many of us overextend ourselves financially, particularly at Christmas. When we give a generous gift to someone, particularly one of our children, and they’re not overjoyed with our gift, we may be hurt…offended. But is it truly a gift? Or, is it a gift with strings in that we expect appreciation?

  When a gift is truly a gift, there are no expectations. Gratitude is just an extra blessing. We also need to honestly ask ourselves if we model gratitude. If our children do not see us thankful for God’s blessings, His salvation, forgiveness, our church, job, home and countless other blessings then what are they learning from us? It’s a reminder to us to be continually thankful to our Heavenly Father for His constant bounty of blessings in our lives. With knowing all that God has given me, shouldn’t my life be filled with continual thanking of Him?

  Many of us overextend ourselves physically, particularly at Christmas. If you’re not getting adequate rest, you’ll have difficulty controlling your spirit. Most of us find carnality more quickly rises to the surface when we’re fatigued. If we’re biting off heads or finding ourselves on the verge of an emotional meltdown, we’ve missed God’s plan of “peace on earth.” We probably need to cut back on our obligations and be willing to disappoint or irritate a well-meaning relative who insists “everyone has to be there for Christmas.” As an adult or married couple, you need to wisely do what’s best for you (and your family) both physically and spiritually.

  And since Jesus wasn’t actually born on December 25^th, do we have to actually celebrate on December 25^th? If another day would make the time of getting together more pleasant for most, why not schedule it for another day? The specific day isn’t the point, it’s the getting together that’s important. While Christmas is an opportunity to encourage family gatherings, it’s not a biblical command.

  Many of us foolishly think it will be different this time. If Uncle John drank too much last Christmas, he’ll probably drink too much this year. If Aunt Martha was inappropriate last year, she’ll probably be inappropriate this year. If Cousin Bob bragged about his new car, new house, Harvard bound kids, etc., things aren’t likely to change. But you can. You have the Holy Spirit indwelling you. You should be growing in your Christian walk and can choose how you’ll respond. Romans 12:18 commands us, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”    

  Many of us are the only Christians at our Christmas gathering. Some will be visiting family members who are contemptuous of Christianity and even hostile to the gospel. Christmas isn’t the time to argue whether Christ was born of Virgin or if the Bible is truly God’s Word.

  The Holy Spirit brings peace (Gal. 5:22), and believers are to be peacemakers (Matt. 5:9). Sometimes the divisiveness that happens at extended family dinner tables isn’t because an unbelieving family member decides to persecute a Christian, it’s because a Christian is a Crusader rather than a missionary. While it’s true the gospel exposes sin, the gospel does so strategically, in order to point the lost to Christ. Antagonizing unbelievers at a family dinner table (or even a company Christmas party) because they think like unbelievers isn’t the way of Christ. Some believers foolishly think their belligerence is actually a sign of holiness. It’s not. Your presence should be one of peace and tranquility. The gospel you believe ought to be what disrupts, not you’re your own obnoxious argumentativeness. There’s a big difference between the two.

  And please keep the main thing the main thing. Our country today is polarized on political differences and ideology. No one is going to Heaven or Hell because they’re a Democrat or Republican, because they’re a Liberal or a Conservative, or even a member of the Tea Party or a card carrying member of the ACLU. Amazingly, Jesus had those who were ardent supporters of the Roman government and those who were fanatical revolutionaries seeking to overthrow Rome among His disciples. He taught and modeled for them to keep the main thing the main thing. There is only one Government that ultimately matters – that’s His reign. All of the rest are merely re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic of a doomed world. Personally, I want to rescue as many as I can off this sinking ship as I can, don’t you? Christmas with unsaved friends or family members isn’t the time for a political debate that’s not going to make any ultimate difference whether it’s in DC or Madison. We must be focused on eternity.

  Jesus is the Prince of Peace and came to bring “peace on earth.” He gave us the responsibility to share His message of how to have peace with God. By His grace, let’s choose to let Him fill our hearts with His peace so we can share it with those who don’t know Him. We’re His ambassadors in a world that knows little of true peace. Jesus brought peace through His humility, love and grace. That’s the starting place for us as well.

Why am I always amazed when God answers prayer?

“The story of every great Christian achievement is the history of answered prayer.” E.M. Bounds

  My wife, Jane, and I don’t cry together often yet we did this past Monday…but it was a really good cry. We were just both overwhelmed with God’s goodness and His provision that it brought tears to our eyes. It literally took our breath away.

  For us, our commitment to our Building Changed Lives Together Campaign begins in January. While all along we’ve been giving toward our new building, this past Sunday, we’d talked about December and what we were going to give. We decided that we’d give $250.00 for the new building, plus our regular giving. In December, with Christmas around the corner, without long range planning for us and as it was not in the budget – that was a chunk of money for us.

  Monday, I came home after lunch and Jane was in the midst of emailing me. With tears in her eyes, she says, “You’re not going to believe what happened!” Jane has a used book business that we run out of our home and on Monday morning she sold a book for $250.00. And we didn’t even buy the book. It was given to us by a friend who often has extra books from their business that they need to discard and had given it to us.

  If you’re familiar with Amazon and that Amazon ranks their books by popularity in sales, this was a book that had very little chance of ever selling. It was ranked at 2.3 million. Many used book dealers won’t even buy books for resale that have a ranking of less than a million because they want to move books and don’t want a lot of books in their stock. Add to that, most of the books that Jane sells average between $8 to $10 a book.

  When we committed to that extra $250 over our regular giving and over our commitment, we had no idea where the money was going to come from. But our Heavenly Father did! God already had a lady somewhere in Missouri ready to order a book from a used book dealer in Rochester, Wisconsin because He knew that we needed $250 that we didn’t really have to give away for His glory!

  Talk about seeing your sermon come to life. Last weekend we worked through Philippians 4:10-20 and we specifically talked about God’s promise in verse 19, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

  Jane and I got so excited that we decided to start a memory book of how God provides and answers our prayers during this Capital Campaign. Since we made our commitment, we’ve already seen God begin to provide in phenomenal ways…ways that we never even imagined.

  Over the course of my life, I’ve seen God provide for me over and over again. Here’s my problem – I have a very short memory. Unfortunately, I tend to make the current problems I’m facing so big that I can completely forget God’s big blessings and provision in the past. The same Heavenly Father who took care of me yesterday is going to take care of me today. Too often I forget what He’s already done for me.

  Then, we had this other great idea. If a “How God provided memory book” would be good for us, it might help everyone in our church family. Many of you are probably like me. God has taken care of you and provided for you so many times, but you just tend to forget, particularly during tough times.

  So this morning, we have some “How God provided memory notebooks” available for anyone who wants one. Please feel free to pick up one when you leave this morning. I hope that you’ll use this over the course of the next three years…maybe longer. It will help all of us remember that the God we’re bringing our problem to today is the same God Who provided for us yesterday. Talk about a way of encouraging and affirming our faith.

  This is all supremely biblical. Later today we’re having a baptismal service. God designed baptism to be a physical reminder of what’s already taken place spiritually. As one dies to sin and was dead spiritually prior to coming to Christ in salvation and being regenerated, so going down into the water is a symbol of that dead condition. Yet, coming back up out of the water is a beautiful symbol of the resurrection and the new life that every believer has in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:5-6 says, “even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

  It’s why God had the Children of Israel keep a jar of manna in the Ark of the Covenant. He didn’t want them to forget how He’d providentially fed them for forty years in the wilderness. He had them bring twelve huge rocks from out of the Jordan River when they crossed over on dry ground during the flood season to remind them of how God had miraculously intervened for them and brought them into the Promised Land.

  Sadly, too often, in the Church, we don’t keep answered prayer or God’s provision diaries. We don’t have many symbols of how God has provided for us in the past. We also don’t share enough with each other of God intervening or answering our prayers. We’re working on that at Grace and will continue to take steps to grow in this area in our church.

  God has already used our Building Changed Lives Together Campaign to bring about spiritual growth in my life and in our family’s life. We want to keep a record of it so that we can look back and remember what God has done. I hope you’ll do the same. And if you have children at home, what a wonderful way to build a foundation of faith in their hearts as they see the written account of how our Heavenly Father provided for your family during this time of challenge and commitment for your family and our church family.

Giving from the heart...not because you have to

“Man sees your actions, but God your motives.” Thomas à Kempis

Okay, now that Christmas and the Christmas shopping season are here, can I make a little confession? Many years Jane and I make a deal on how much we’re going to spend on each other and what the budget is. When it comes to Jane, I’m a “dirty” dealmaker. We’ll set a certain amount and Jane will honor it, BUT it nearly kills me. And I nearly always break our deal. Why? Well, I love giving gifts to Jane. I love making her happy….because I love Jane and I am so thankful for her! I consider myself one of the most blessed men in the world.

  I agree with Winston Churchill’s classic line. Towards the end of his life, when Churchill was honored at a banquet, someone asked him, “If you could come back as anyone after you die, who would it be?” He thought for a second, stood up, turned to his wife, and said, “Mrs. Churchill’s second husband.”  One of my biggest regrets over the course of my life is that I haven’t done more for Jane during our thirty plus years of marriage. Remember that line from It’s a Wonderful life: “George lassoes the moon for Mary.” If I could, I’d lasso the moon for Jane.

  Though there are many reasons that I love giving Jane gifts and doing things for her, two stand out in my mind. First, Jane gives and gives and gives so much to me. I want to give; I want do things for Jane. Second, Jane is thankful for everything and every gift that I give her.

  One of the frustrations and even exasperations for many of us at Christmas are the obligatory gifts. Those are gifts that you feel you have to give, yet don’t necessarily want to give. Sometimes your family has a huge gift giving tradition that probably should be retired now that everyone is grown and the list of relatives who you’re purchasing gifts for has become onerous. You hardly know your second cousin’s wife and other than Christmas, never see them or have any contact with them, yet still there is that pressure to have a gift for them. Or, you have a co-worker who daily wears on your last nerve but every year they bring you a gift. You find that you feel obligated to give them a gift in return. But guilt and obligation are terrible motivations for gift giving. Rather than feeling joyful that we can give, we find that we feel resentful.

  It’s the difference between Law and Grace, or even tithing and grace-giving. Under the Law or Old Covenant, Jews were required to tithe. It was obligatory. It was something like a tax. It’s obvious that they began resent it and obeyed the letter of the Law but missed the spirit of the Law. For example, Jews were required to bring an animal sacrifice in worship to God. They obeyed the letter of the Law, but began bringing rejects from their flocks. Malachi 1:8 records God’s rebuke of this practice, “When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor?” The people of Malachi’s day were giving God the leftovers. They had no use for a blind, lame, or sick animal, so they’ d give it to God. But God tells them that He’d rather that they close the doors of the Temple than to have them offer these junk and cheap sacrifices to Him.

  Can you imagine a husband going down to the local thrift store to buy his wife a Christmas gift? He doesn’t even go to the higher quality displays but goes to the bargain bin to find his wife her gift. And then he’s surprised that her response is a little south of less than thrilled with his junky gift.

  Our culture takes for granted that which is free. But just because something is free doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s cheap. Salvation is a free gift. You cannot earn it or pay for it. You can only accept it freely, BUT it cost God everything. It cost the Father the life of His beloved Son. Once you accept such a precious gift, it demands everything you have in response. And when you recognize that you are not your own, you were bought with a price, and that all that you have has been freely given to you by God, how can you hold back anything from Him?

  The only thing that a holy God owes us is His justice and judgment. Instead, He freely gave His own Son to die on the Cross for us. God’s justice was satisfied as our judgment was poured out on Jesus. He died in our place and took our Hell. Is it any wonder that Paul says of God’s gift for our salvation? “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15, NASV).

  When I begin to comprehend how much I am loved by God and how gracious and generous God has been with me, giving back to God becomes one of the greatest joys of my life. I love to give because I am giving in gratitude. And I proactively look for ways that I can give more.

  Somehow though in the Church we’ve communicated that giving is similar to courtesy. For example, frequently we teach children to say please and thank you as a matter of courtesy—as a way of teaching them how to get along in society. It’s the price they must pay to get their milk and cookies. We’re more concerned with the outward performance of good manners than we are with true gratitude.

  There’s a great chasm of difference between giving thanks and having a thankful heart. Our Heavenly Father cares more about thankfulness that flows from the inside out than obedience we wear like a cheap suit. We have missed the gratitude that God desires in our giving when we focus on a tithe, or worse, wonder if we tithe on the gross or the net.

  Giving is an act of worship. It’s demonstrating gratitude to the One who has given so greatly to us that it will take us all of eternity just to begin to thank Him. If we want to receive the blessing that God wants us to receive from giving, rather than hearing it as a command, we need to hear it as an invitation. It’s our opportunity to say thank you back to God for His love and generosity to us. God is honored (and we are healthiest) when our hearts and minds flow naturally with His and we give from a heart overflowing with gratitude and generosity just as His does toward us.

Let's stop treating Millennials like a generational menace

“The youth is the hope of our future.”   Jose Rizal

Over the course of my life I’ve observed what I would consider an unbiblical perspective toward young adults in general. Specifically, I’m talking about those who are out of high school and usually in that category known as a twenty-something. My experience has been that in the Church, for the most part, this group is treated akin to an overgrown teenager.

  Our current economy has only encouraged this disdain. Many in this age group find they either had to move back home after college because of a lack of available jobs in their field or because of economic necessity. Those who did not go off to college often have never left home.

  Please understand, my intent is not to justify either immaturity or irresponsibility. Accompanying the transition into adulthood, there are normal adult responsibilities, i.e., holding down a full time job, handling one’s personal finances, domestic responsibilities (cooking, cleaning, washing one’s own clothes, etc.), or pursuing a post-high school education. There needs to be a transition into a healthy adulthood after high school.

  Yet, personally, I believe that there are some assumptions of what are “adult” responsibilities which I don’t find are biblically justified. My experience has been that these are more common in the Church than the secular world. For example, there is frequently an unspoken assumption that you’re not really an adult until you’re married. Another one that I find illogical is that you are not really an adult until you live on your own. While I believe in adult independence, I’m not sure how it reputedly demonstrates adult independence if one has to live with a room mate to be considered to be out on “one’s own” or can barely afford groceries. To be sure, if a twenty-something is living with their parents there should be some home responsibilities, much as they’d have if they were living independently. A cooperative living situation should not be a blank check for irresponsibility.

  For some reason, too, this generation of twenty-somethings, seem to be a little more immature than previous ones. Personally, I think some of that is the result of their parents’ rampant divorce rate, cohabitation, absentee parenting, unrestrained materialism and a valueless culture. Because of this immaturity, I’ve met older adults who want to wash their hands of them.

  Some time back I had an extended conversation with someone in their fifties that was exasperated with twenty-somethings and their immaturity. He was washing his hands of them and had determined he’d no longer be involved in a ministry to them. After listening to his venting, I suggested that if all of us as older, hopefully more mature Christians washed our hands of investing in this generation and were unwilling to seek to help them or mentor them…who will?

  My own experience when I was their age was that I was frequently treated with disdain in the Church, yet treated as an equal outside of the Church. At work, I was expected to perform as an adult. But at church, because of my age, my input was given very little credibility or value. Often I was treated poorly, sometimes made the butt of jokes…just because of my age. Not a situation, I must confess, I always I responded to in a Christlike manner, unfortunately. The Bible college I attended was very legalistic and epitomized this problem. It was assumed that college students weren’t responsible enough to even know when to go to bed or get up, just because of their youth. It’s noteworthy when someone turns eighteen, even our secular government recognizes that they’re old enough to vote or die in a war. If they commit a crime, the courts treat them as an adult who is fully responsible for their choices. Where they live, their grasp of life skills, their marital status or even their mental/emotional maturity are not factors that are considered for those rights or responsibilities.

  The Apostle Paul wrote to his young protégé in the faith, Timothy, “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). At Grace, we’re committed to respecting adults of all ages, no matter what their living situation or marital status. We’re committed to planning generationally. Some day, in the not too distant future, twenty-somethings will be the leaders of our church and many of them are already.

  At this phase of their lives, most of them don’t have financial resources to make huge investments in our Building Changed Lives Together Campaign. We determined though, even if they’re living with their parents, that they’d receive the same materials as every other adult in our church. Why? We want to make a strong, philosophical statement! This new tool is a generational one. And one day all of its responsibilities as well as the direction of our church will fall on their shoulders. We want their input both in the design of this building and financial commitment for our new building. As we’ve stated from day one of this Campaign, it’s going to take both wide and deep financial commitments. It’s is just as important for those still saddled with college debt and commencing their adult lives to be part of this, as it is for those of us on the other side of those financial obligations. It’s about being a church family that’s multi-generational. It’s about ownership and stewardship.

  So to all of our wonderful twenty-something adults who call Grace their church home, please partner with us. Do what you can financially and please share your input and observations so that we construct a new tool you will use to serve the Lord when the baton of leadership is passed off to you.

The cost of taking up your cross...

“Riches are not an end of life, but an instrument of life.”

               Henry Ward Beecher

  I’ve been thinking about money a lot lately. Okay, I think about money a lot – period, but probably a little more lately. Now don’t rat me out…after all, I’m a Pastor and am not supposed to think about such worldly matters…and if you believe that….

  Some of my friends will ask about our proposed building plans. I’m quick to quip, “Got a million dollars lying around some where?”  

  As I was thinking back over my life, I’ve never been someone who wanted or needed to have lots of money. Yet, one of the biggest struggles in my life with money though was walking away from making money. Maybe it plugs into some male ego thing of needing to win or conqueror.

  There have been two major decision hurdles that I’ve had to cross that were very, very difficult for me. They were truly repentance moments where I turned from heading one direction and start heading in the opposite direction. They were Matthew 16:24 moments for me. There Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Taking up your cross is a one way trip. It’s the death to self, your own agenda, drives, and wishes.

  That first “take up your cross” moment was when I was fifteen and I gave up drinking. Even at that age, I’d already become a very heavy drinker and had a reputation as my high school’s drunk. I’ll never forget pouring out a half gallon of Bacardi as parts of me screamed that I needed and that I couldn’t give up…but I did. It was a life changing “take up your cross” moment.

  The other “take up your cross” moment was a few years after I’d graduated from Bible College with a degree in Pastoral studies. I’d served at a church in Central Illinois as their assistant pastor. Then, Jane and I had returned with our little family to the Detroit area with plans of planting a new church in Ann Arbor. I’d worked my way through college working for a commercial roofing company. After graduating, I’d returned to that field but this time selling roofing. God had blessed and I’d been very successful.

  When a company offered me an opportunity to launch an office for them in the Detroit area, I jumped at it. Again, God blessed and I was able to break all records for sales for a new office, selling something like $1.25 million that year and winning “Salesman of the Year.” Unfortunately, in my youthful naïveté, I failed to get a contract. The owner of the company reneged on his promise for my commission and I was out my commission. But the Lord used it because I really, really enjoyed selling and making money. That’s when I faced another “take up your cross” moment. I had to choose whether I wanted to stay in the ministry or pursue a career in sales. At that point, I could have gone anywhere in the country with another roofing company. The company I’d worked for had a reputation for their record year which I was a major part of. It would have been easy to have found another position. A couple of roofing companies contacted me. One, even after I’d been pastoring our church for a few years, to see if I’d consider going back into roofing. 

  Please understand – there is nothing wrong with money. Money is merely a means of exchange. It’s our attitude toward money that’s either good or bad; godly or ungodly. There are several common attitudes toward money.

  Some despise money and the making of money. Yet, they have to survive and so they’re usually dependent on others to supply the hated “exchange” they need to survive. They also violate God’s will and command that we’re to use the gifts that He’s entrusted to us as a stewardship. We’re to be creative (Genesis 1:28). That’s why working and creating is so fulfilling. It’s how God designed us. Work isn’t part of the curse. Those who won’t work and aren’t creative are often some of the most miserable individuals on earth. They’re not fulfilling their God-ordained design and purpose.

  Some love to spend money. They’re consumed by consumerism and materialism. They live for bigger, better, brighter believing it will somehow bring meaning, fulfillment and satisfaction to their lives. It never will. Instead it succumbs to idolatry and they’ve fulfilled the tragedy of Romans 1:25, “they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator.”

  Some love to save money. Obviously, there’s nothing wrong with saving money. Saving money only becomes an issue when we hoard it and neglect Kingdom opportunities. We have a responsibility to use our money for our Lord (it’s all His after all). We are also to use our money to minister to the poor, particularly those who are fellow believers (1 John 3:17).

  Some love to make money. Some are just gifted at working, being creative or making the right investments. They know how to take a little bit of capital and make it grow, often exponentially. The Bible commends them for their wise money usage (Matthew 25:14-23). There’s nothing wrong with being wealthy. Some of the godliest individuals in the Bible were also some of the richest – Abraham, Job, Lydia – to name a few.

  Some love to give money. God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7). Our generosity has profound potential to bring God glory. Miserliness, on the other hand, sours the effects of the gospel in our lives and others. Each of us, in assessing our own level of generosity or stinginess though needs to ask some vital questions:

·        Does my generosity lead others to give thanks to God for His glory?

·        Does my lifestyle generosity obedience to the gospel and is it for to the glory of God?

·        Do I really believe God will reward me for my generosity?

  We must all heed the warning found in Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

  We are so blessed that we worship a God who gives freely and lavishly. So do we resemble our Heavenly Father? Is this kind of giving reflected in our checkbooks? Does our lifestyle keep the free flow of grace going to the glory of God? The Father gave His Son for us. Will we clench His grace tightly or let it flow freely through us toward His work? Let me encourage you to let the “treasure” God has entrusted with you to slip through your fingers into ministry and let God get all the glory.

High pressure giving tactics are just wrong!!

“It's so easy to manipulate an audience, but it's nearly always clear that you are being manipulated.”  John Boorman

  Do you hate feeling pressured? Manipulated? I know I do. Usually, I find that if I feel I’m being manipulated, either I react negatively. Or, if I don’t discover it until after the fact, then I feel used and taken advantage…and even resentful. Most of us feel that way.

  Some years ago when Jane and I were living in Detroit, we were in the market for a new car. If you’re like me, car shopping rates right up there with visits to the dentist, tax audits and jury duty. After negotiating with a salesman, his sales manager thought that he’d give us a shove to close the deal. So across the showroom, he yells at me, “Mr. Carson, what will it take for us to close this deal and sell you a car?” And I very quietly responded, “I don’t know. I do know though that I won’t have that conversation with you across the middle of this showroom.” Then, Jane and I thanked our salesman, hurriedly left and never went back. I didn’t know where I was going to buy a car BUT I did know where I wasn’t going to buy a car. None of us like to feel we’re being pressured or manipulated.

  At Grace Church, we’re committed to the biblical reality that every square inch of our life belongs to God. There’s nothing that any of us possess or own that was not given to us by God. That means that how we handle our possessions generally and our money specifically – how we spend it, where we give it and how much we give is supremely spiritual. It’s a matter of obedience and faithfulness between every believer and the Lord Jesus.

  Please write this on your heart – when you give at Grace Church – you are not giving to Grace Church. Our church just happens to be the place in time and history that God has brought you to where you are worshipping the Lord with your gifts. All giving is to God. It’s why we call it an “offering.” It’s being offered to God and our giving should reflect our love, gratitude and obedience to Jesus.

  If someone gives because they’ve been manipulated, besides being spiritually unethical, God will not bless it. This is a spiritual work and your commitment and giving to our campaign, Building Changed Lives Together, must first be a work of the heart. Each one of us needs to give because we love Jesus and believe that our gift is His will and honors Him.

  That’s why we’re so committed to the commitments for our Building Changed Lives Together campaign being confidential. Just two individuals in our church will know what you’ve committed: Dave Thompson and Jackie Strelow. And this is important; they’ll only know what you’ve committed, so that we can plan for the future based on the total of everyone’s commitments. If you’re situation should change between your commitment and when you’re able to give it, we’d appreciate it if you would please let one of them know. But they will never know how much you give. Only our Financial Secretary knows that information so that we can give you a receipt for your gift, so that you can receive tax credit for your giving with the IRS.

  We believe that this is very, very important. If anyone feels pressure, we do not want it to be from our church. If the Holy Spirit is tugging on your heart and urging you to give, that’s fine. It’s between you and the Lord. We’re working to make sure that you know what’s at stake, that we believe that this is God’s will and what we believe that God is calling us to do. BUT there is no pressure. No one is going to call you up or come to your house, and put the squeeze on you in any way for a commitment.

  We also don’t want to know who gives what because that might tempt us with pride. Pride is so pervasive and tempting. We want to make sure that your reward for your commitment lasts forever and is out of this world (Matthew 6:1-4) because only God really knows.

  There are many ways that churches raise money. And committed Christians differ on some of this and use various methods. We believe that whatever God has given to you is yours to use and dispense as you see fit, hopefully in a way that honors the Lord. For example, Inspiration Ministries has an annual auction of items donated to their ministry, (cars, boats, collectibles, etc). That’s a wonderful and creative way to raise capital. Some people donate collectibles, stocks or even property to a church that the church can then sell to raise money. Many Christians leave money or property in their estate to the church. Some establish trust funds to benefit a certain ministry, usually in a special way.

  Some churches have big fund raisers. They’ll have a Vegas night or some other money making event that will financially benefit both the church and the participants. Some form of gambling is used. But the Christian life is a life of faith. It’s anything but a gamble. We rest in the promises of God.

  Others have big dinners, car washes or some other benefit, and either charge or ask for donations. At Grace, we truly do not want to judge what others do. We’re just very hesitant to do anything that might somehow communicate that the Gospel is for sale. We believe our financial responsibilities are the responsibilities of the people of faith. If those who do not know the Lord want to give to our church, we’re not going to prohibit them. BUT we don’t want to solicit it. Their greatest need and our greatest desire for them is for them to receive God’s free gift of salvation. Salvation can never be purchased. It’s all of grace and we’d rather never have a building, than have someone miss the wonderful gift of salvation because they confused it with some donation to our ministry.

  And just as none of us would go to our neighbors asking them to contribute toward our child’s college fund, we believe that our new building, as well as our normal bills are our responsibility.

  2 Corinthians 9 records a “fund raising” plan in the early church. At Grace, we are committed to seeking to please God even as we seek to encourage giving. We believe that growth in giving and generosity is spiritual work and helps us mature in our faith. We also want to live out the words found of 2 Corinthians 9:7 “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” We truly want you to give to our Building Changed Lives Together joyfully, knowing that you’re not giving it to Grace Church. You’re giving it to King Jesus who died on the cross for our sins! It’s truly a gift of love and gratitude!

If this is the Communication Age...whatever happened to the communication?

“Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after.”  Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Recently, Jane and I bought a new dish. Okay, it’s not really ours. And while it’s something you use, you can’t eat off of it…though you can eat in front of it, or at least you can eat in front of what it serves up to you.

  For some time, we’d had the most basic cable plan. But as Time Warner began to lose more and more stations, and kept raising our monthly bill higher and higher, we finally decided to switch. (And yes, I know that I’m a pastor and should only be reading my Bible and praying 24/7 BUT I really do like NCIS. Does it get me off the hook if I also watch the Packers periodically? :) ).

  But all of a sudden, for less money, we went from 20 channels to 120. We now have at least two jewelry stations, a horse racing channel and even the Weather Channel (I’ll be glued to that one come January). To make certain that the one eyed monster increases my spirituality, there are several religious channels as well…even a Prayer Channel. I figured it out. I can watch every channel in a 24 hour period, but only for 12 minutes a channel.

  Do you remember in the movie, You’ve Got Mail, how excited Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan would get when they received an email? Well, the excitement is long over. Do you find yourself ignoring more emails these days? When you do open one, do you find you skim, only to discover later that you missed some vital information? How many times though do you check your email a day? Compare that to how many times we receive “snail mail.” Can you imagine someone going out to their mailbox every hour to see if some new piece of mail might have arrived? Yet, many of us check our email several times an hour.

  Does it bother you when you see people that are “over connected”? They’re ranks are growing. They’re everywhere. I notice it most when I go out to eat. I’ll be sitting at my table and I’ll look over and see what is obviously a couple. One or both of them is texting away on their phones, having a conversation with someone possibly hundreds of miles away, yet ignoring the person sitting right across from them at the table. Sometimes they are even so gauche as to actually talk on their phone to someone miles away while ignoring the person that they’re sharing a meal with.

  When the Blackberry came out, they were referred to as the “Crackberry,” because owners were addicted to their little screens. But the infection has spread so that now someone who doesn’t have a smartphone is considered a caveman. There’s even smartphone envy where you find yourself coveting the more up to date one with the latest features.

  The truth is that Communication Age is aging us…at the very least, it’s stressing us out. And I haven’t even mentioned Facebook, Twitter, Instant Messaging or the thousands of radio stations we have available. Is it any wonder that there is an epidemic of IOF (Information Overload Fatigue)?

  My two favorite words are “Honey” and “Dad.” When I’m referred to by either of those two names, I try to listen up. Yet, I find that often I can be so overwhelmed with all of the other communication channels that I miss out on my two favorite “channels.” I’ve had to take some proactive steps. I try to put my phone or laptop away. Turn off the TV (muting it doesn’t work for me…too many eye candy distractions). But I know that I’m suffering from IOF when Jane or one of my kids says, “But I told you about…” and I’d totally missed it.

  All of us deal with IOF. We’re bombarded with communication from countless sources. That poses a big challenge for us here at church, particularly right now.

  We’ve come to one of the most important moments in the history of our church. There’s a lot of information that we’re seeking to communicate clearly and in a very timely manner. So we need you, as part of the church family, to listen very carefully and to process this information.

  Because we know the cultural struggle that we have with IOF, we’ll be repeating, working through, defining and explaining much of the information again and again. We want to make certain that everyone hears and understands what we’re seeking to do and where we’re seeking to go.

  Please understand, this is NOT about us. We truly believe that if we’re going to be and do what God has called us to do; we must take these next spiritual steps forward. We are at a historical crossroads in our ministry. We have a both a tremendous opportunity and an awesome responsibility.

  So what can you do? Listen. It’s that simple. Yet, none of us want you to just listen just to us. The most important voice that you must listen to is the still, small voice of the Spirit of God in your own heart (Psalm 46:10; 1 Kings 19:11-13). I’m confident that if each of us will do that, and if we’ll come humbly and obediently before the Lord, we’ll move forward with this next step for our church.

  I know that God wants us to be more effective in making disciples of Jesus Christ. We’ve been limping for a long time. We’ve been attempting to use a 1955 tool of a building that greatly handicaps us.

  All around us are lost individuals looking for answers, reason, hope, love, forgiveness. Most don’t even know what they’re looking for. They just know that what they have is leaving them empty.

  We have the living water that satisfies thirsty souls (John 4:13-14). We have a Great Commission given to us by King Jesus to share that living water with everyone, whenever and wherever we can. That’s what this is all about, that’s what Building Changed Lives Together is about. It’s about reaching our community, our loved ones, our friends and neighbors for Christ. It’s about pleasing King Jesus and hearing Him say, “Well, done, good and faithful servants.”