Change your diet. Change your life!

“A Bible that’s falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.”

Charles Spurgeon

  Our national obsession with cooking shows, famous chefs and new cookbooks continues to grow. It’s estimated that we spend more than five hours a week consuming “food media,” yet only four hours actually cooking. That means the average adult spends more time watching, scrolling and reading about food than actually cooking. More than half of the 2,000 surveyed admitted that they’d rather watch a meal being cooked, or look at photos online than actually cook with many saying they’re too short of time, or the dishes look far too complicated to manage.

  Doesn’t that sound like a lot of Christians? Studies reveal that the typical Christian is biblically illiterate. The outcome of that is why many believers are both miserable and miserable to be around…just like those who don’t know Jesus.

  The solution isn’t overly complicated. It’s simply that you’ll never be a healthy, growing Christian or have all the blessings and the life that God desires you to have – if you do not habitually read your Bible, His instruction manual. To put it another way, you won’t have peace unless you have a regular connection with the Prince of Peace.

  Yet, there are all types of excuses for not reading our Bibles. They’re just that though, excuses! Here are some common ones. Are any yours?

  I don't have time. We always find time if something is a priority. What’s important to you? How do you find time for that?

  I’m not a reader. Then, be a listener. Most of us have smartphones and a blue tooth. Download a free Bible app and listen as you drive. You can even listen when you exercise or do tasks around the house.

  Reading makes me sleepy. Switch times and locations. Get a cup of coffee or hot tea. Stand up and read if you need to.

  I never get anything out of it. Ask the Lord to open your spiritual eyes before you begin reading (James 1:5), so that you understand His Word.

  The Bible is too confusing to me. It can be. Start with what’s clear like the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John). If you want something practical, read a New Testament letter like Ephesians, Philippians or one of the Thessalonians, or even the book of Proverbs. The Books of Revelation or Ezekiel are not the best places to start.

  How do you start reading the Bible?

  Pick a regular daily time. Make it an appointment like breakfast or lunch. Most of us keep our appointments. Choose a good time that works for you. Most find that starting the day works best. Some like to end their day reading their Bible. The time is unimportant; the consistency is. Pick a period of time when you’re not rushed. We all know a steady diet of fast food isn’t healthy. Short, rushed Bible reading isn’t spiritually healthy. You’ll need at least 15 to 30 minutes (most of us waste far more than that each day on social media). Plan a time when you’re alert so that you can be focused and give your full attention.

  Pick a Bible you can understand. There are many good translations available from the ESV (English Standard Version) to NASV (New American Standard Version) or the NLT (New Living Translation). It’s important that your Bible is easy to read with large enough print, durable enough to use and inexpensive enough that you don’t feel bad writing or marking in it. Your Bible is meant to be used. It’s not a museum piece.

  Read God’s Word not someone’s interpretation of God’s Word. There’s a place for devotionals like Our Daily Bread or Today in the Word, but they’re not a substitute for the real thing. They’re someone else’s interpretation of what the Bible says. Usually, they’re snacks, not meals.

  Have a plan. I enjoy reading the Bible all the way through each year. I haven’t always done that, but I appreciate a holistic approach. God’s Word isn’t a novel, designed to be read from Genesis straight through to Revelation. If you do that, you’re likely to drop out somewhere in Leviticus. What I enjoy about a Bible reading plan is that most have a daily section from the Old Testament, the New Testament along with Psalms and Proverbs. It helps balance out things. For example, when I’m drilling through some of the tougher portions of Job, my soul is also being fed from where I’m reading at the same time in the New Testament.

  If you’re going to read a book of the Bible over a period of days or weeks, read the whole book through first at one sitting. For example, if you want to read Romans set aside a time to read the whole book at one time. It will give you an overview and make your later sectional reading more profitable. This probably won’t work with a large book like Isaiah. Even there though you can read it in a couple of days to get the big picture.  

  God gave us His Word so that His Word would mold us to be more like Jesus. God wants us to understand the Bible, but it doesn’t stop there. We’re to apply His Word to our lives. It helps then to ask some key questions as you read the Bible…

  What is God trying to teach me? At salvation, every believer is given the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16), yet we’re still tempted to think the way we did before salvation. Lasting transformation begins with the renewal of our minds (Rom. 12:1-2). Reflect on wrong thinking that the passage exposes.

  What does God want me to believe? It’s easy to understand truth at an intellectual level without allowing it to change how we live. God doesn’t want Christians to just know their Bibles. He wants Christians who think differently because they know their Bibles. Scripture must change our outlook on life and our worldview.

  What does God want me to do? When Scripture changes how we think, it produces tangible applications in how we live. Sometimes a passage gives us a direct command. Think about what sinful actions the passage exposes in your life and what godly actions you must pursue (James 1:22-27).

  No other book will so radically change you as the Bible both for this life and eternity. It’s silly to own a Bible and rarely read it. As we enter 2020, make this the year when regular Bible reading is a part of your daily life.

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

Worst Christmas Ever

“It is not materialism that is the chief curse of the world…but idealism. Men get into trouble by taking their visions and hallucinations too seriously.”  H.L. Mencken

Have you ever had a miserable Christmas? I’ve had a few. Do you know whose fault it was? It was my kids! No, that’s not true. It was my fault. The person who caused my unhappiness looked back at me from the mirror.

  Do you know the biggest cause of personal misery? Other than your own sin nature – idealism. I’m not sure that I’ve ever watched a Hallmark movie, at least I’m not going to admit it, yet between my ears I had a picture of a Hallmark Christmas…and when it didn’t turn out that way, I was disappointed, even angry.

  Ours is a world where the standard promoted is perfection. We shop for the perfect Christmas gift. We expect the perfect Christmas gift. We attempt to take perfect Christmas pictures. We want the perfect house when all of the relatives visit. We want our kids to be perfectly behaved. Our spouse is to be perfectly dressed, loving and helpful. We try to prepare the perfect meal and the weather needs to cooperate and be perfect. So, how’s that working out for you? Not so good…that’s what I thought.

  So, please turn off the TV, set aside the Christmas cards with pristine scenes, walk hurriedly by the perfect nativity scenes at Kohl’s and clear out those imaginary pictures in your mind. That first Christmas was not only not ideal, it was a huge mess, glorious, yes, but still a mess. Why?

  Mary and Joseph were traveling a long way from home. It’s about 90 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Assuming approximately 20 miles a day on the back of a donkey when Mary is nine months pregnant (Joseph no doubt walked the whole distance). How ideal are you at traveling with no modern conveniences? Add, to that it was hot, dry and dusty.  

    Mary and Joseph were going to Bethlehem to be taxed, and so was everyone else. How do you feel about taxes? How do you feel about large crowds? Does it put a big smile on your face and put you in a great mood? Do you like being shoved and jostled? I didn’t think so.

  Were you born in a barn? Dave and Karyn Borucki raise goats and recently had a litter all born at the same time. I dropped by to congratulate them and check out the new kids. They were glad to see me but Dave warned me to be careful where I stepped. When you think of clean or sanitized, does “barn” come into your mind? Have you ever been in a barn that didn’t smell?

  Most mothers aren’t beautiful during childbirth. I’m sure that Joseph thought Mary was beautiful. I’ve had the awesome experience of being there for the birth of my three children. After hours of labor and with that first small cry, Jane was the most beautiful woman in the world to me. On a human level though, beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder.

  Then, where is that OB-GYN? Joseph was the OB-GYN, nurse and everything else. What are most first-time Dads like when their wife is giving birth? Frantic, nervous, terrified. Then, you realize all that blood is not from the baby, but from your wife. There were no sanitary receiving blankets. Swaddling clothes are cloths used in the practice of swaddling, or essentially “wrapping” an infant tightly in cloth. The idea behind it is that it helps the baby transition from the womb (a very snug place) to the outside world. So, no doctors or nurses. Not even a midwife. Just a young Dad, his teenage wife and their brand new son.

  The first visitors smelled too. We’ve glamorized the shepherds. We’ve given them long flowing, colorful robes and put perfectly shaped shepherds rods in their hands. Everyone’s beard is immaculately trimmed and of course they’re kneeling in a very reverent pose. On many Christmas cards, baby Jesus is smiling and looks like He’s even waving at them.

  But these guys were ordinary shepherds, blue collar workers. They made just enough money to survive. They had rough hands, clothes that were dirty and tattered from a life out in the open fields. As they came to Jesus, they smelled like sheep and human body odor. They were working stiffs doing an ordinary job on an ordinary night when they had an extraordinary encounter with God.

  Even the lighting was far from perfect. We take electricity for granted. Walk in a house, flip a switch and we have light…lots of it. Our family has vacationed a few times in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until then, I don’t think that I realized how dark darkness could be.

  Maybe you’ve had to change a tire or work on a car problem in the dark. The oft repeated phrase is, “move that light over here.” But what if there was no light. Just an ancient lantern that’s very susceptible to a slight breeze snuffing it out. And you’re in the midst of a medical procedure that you have no experience in. There are no copies of Delivering Babies for Dummies lying around. You can’t even Youtube it.

  What’s the lesson for us? We must learn to look for God in the less than ideal, in the ordinary and not the spectacular. What was for them so ordinary became so eternally extraordinary! And it was all God!

  Over the next few days as you approach Christmas, put your antenna up and look for divine encounters in your everyday life. Take a page out of Mary’s book. The Bible tells us that this teenage Mom treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart (Luke 2:19). Focus on the Savior who left the perfection of heaven to come to a dirty, smelly world for dirty rotten sinners like you and me. This Christmas take some  time to ponder all that’s happening and be “amazed” as all who heard it were amazed at the shepherds' story (Luke 2:18). Everyone heard about it. Most were impressed for a New York minute. But God gave His Son for us so that we’d be amazed! It’s why for those who know Him know it’s Amazing Grace! This Christmas, please take some time and be amazed again!

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

“I’d like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony.”

“I’d like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony.”

                                                            Bill Backer & Roger Cook

Okay, I confess. I’m a bit of an iron marshmallow. Christmas is a time for warm memories for me. Add to that, being from Atlanta, I’m a Coke fanatic. I still remember having a youth pastor who’d grown up in Central Illinois and being shocked that he had this weird soft drink product in his office called “Pepsi.” Until then, I don’t think that I ever knew that there was such a product.

  Coca-Cola is as Georgian as peaches and peanuts. In 1886, pharmacist John Pemberton from Columbus, Georgia invented the original Coca-Cola drink (though it was originally sold as a medicinal beverage). In 1892, the Coca-Cola Company was formally founded in Atlanta.

  I remember being shocked when I first came to Wisconsin and a friend showed me the “pop machine” in the dorm. If you’re in a restaurant in Atlanta and you request a drink, you might say, “Coke.” You’ll often then be asked, “What kind?” Sprite or Fanta Orange are acceptable responses.

  One of Coca-Cola’s greatest marketing campaigns was in the early 70’s, with the song, “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing.” It was later re-recorded as a Christmas version with an international, multi-ethnic choir holding candles. It was a beautiful picture!

  Yet, our world knows nothing of unity. The first attempt, The League of Nations was a greater failure than the United Nations has been. Ecumenicalism is a futile attempt to break down walls between religion, but there can be no unity with such diametrically opposed worldviews. Hatred, prejudice, division, enmity, poison our world and our relationships.

  As a result, it’s easy to understand the despair of Longfellow in his heartfelt Christmas song, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day:

And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth,” I said;

“For hate is strong,

And mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”

  What the world can never do by edict or political gamesmanship, a tiny infant, the God-man has already done at His incarnation. It wasn’t His birth that brought peace and true unity, it was His sacrificial death. The Church of Jesus Christ has something a lost world can only philosophy about and long for – Unity. Believers will be united in heaven for all eternity, but Jesus plan and command is for it to start here and now. As Paul wrote, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28).

  Our unity has precedence over every area the world is divided over: ethnicity, economy, sociological groups, politics and genders. It also includes age and forms of worship – we are all one in Christ Jesus.

  That struck me anew as I came across a new Christmas album by Jonathan Butler. Each year I like to find a new Christmas album to listen to, to breathe fresh air for me into the familiar holiday. Over the years it’s been albums by Pentatonix, Kenny G, Celine Dion and the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir (to name a few). This year it’s Jonathan Butler.

  Jonathan Butler is a South African singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Cape Town during the travesty of Apartheid, he began singing and playing acoustic guitar as a child. His first single was the first by a black artist played by white radio stations in racially segregated South Africa.

  What I love most about Butler is that though we’ve never met, he’s my brother in Christ. Let me share his testimony from his web page:

  God’s word became real to Butler when he was just a teenager. At 19-years-old, Butler’s life forever changed when he became a Christian. ‘It was love that drew me to Christ,’ he smiles, ‘the love of someone who cared enough to talk to me about Jesus and take me in when I was basically a broken young man in South Africa. It was my late brother-in-law, my wife’s brother, who led me to Christ. He was that person in my life that actually took the time to talk to me about Jesus, and it didn’t take me long to give my heart to Christ because of that’.”

  In spite millennia of division we frequently forget the power and common foundation of the gospel. The gospel alone breaks down the dividing walls and brings unity. Christians are to live out Jesus’ command, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” That means that as a Christian, I have more in common with a black South African than I do a Caucasian American who is an unbeliever.

  That was wonderfully brought home to me when Jane and I visited Taiwan. As we attended a worship service where we couldn’t understand much of what was said, we were family with people that we’d never met before. Each Sunday Peace Church shares a meal together after their worship service. Though they’d never met us, we were invited to join them for their meal. Jane and I were with brothers and sisters that we’ll spend eternity with. Christmas is the great uniter!

  Each week I pray for a list of pastors and churches in our community who preach the gospel, that God will bless them and their ministries and use them to reach more with the gospel. That’s because we’re co-laborers, not competitors. We may differ on minor doctrinal nuances, yet we are united at the cross and in the gospel. We’re united because God the Father gave His only Son as the first Christmas gift 2,000 years ago.

  I listen to Jonathan Butler on Spotify. Let me encourage you to download his Christmas album and let it be a reminder to all of us of the blessed unity that we have in Christ because “unto you is born a Savior.”

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

Recipe for Disaster???

“Satan gives Adam an apple, and takes away Paradise. 

Therefore in all temptations let us consider not what he offers, but what we shall lose.”  Richard Sibbes

Many of us enjoy making some special dish at Christmas. It’s the only time of year that I make it, but at Christmas I love to make Chex Mix. While you can buy Chex Mix, it’s just not the same. And it’s very simple to make, yet you must be very conscientious about not letting it stay in the oven too long or it will burn. Not paying attention is a recipe for disaster.

  Christmas can be a recipe for disaster, a moral one. Though the message underlying Christmas is the Savior’s birth, it’s too easily set aside. Christmas, rather than being spiritually driven becomes emotionally driven.

  Hallmark cashes in on emotionalism, raking in over half a billion from their Christmas movies. Some 100 million watch Hallmark during the holidays, making it the most-watched cable network among 25-to-54-year-old women. Christmas is the season of feelings.

  At this time of year many of us are emotionally moved by our favorite Christmas songs. I know that I am. Silent Night or I’ll Be Home For Christmas, and many others can cause my eyes to mist over.

  For a myriad of reasons the holidays result in us being more emotionally driven, rather than spiritually, volitionally or intellectually driven. Please understand, God designed us with feelings. Yet, when our emotions are in the driver’s seat, we’re on dangerous turf. Since the Garden, Satan has used our emotions against us, gaining entry into our lives. Scripture refers to this as the “lust of the flesh” (1 Jn 2:15). Jesus resisted this attack in Matthew 4 and we can too, but we must be biblically wise.  

  Many of us are vulnerable because the season is so emotionally charged. If we’re not spiritually prepared, holiday parties can be fraught with moral danger carrying lifetime wreckage. The statistics are tragic! In a survey conducted by Men’s Health magazine 44% of the males said they’d had an affair with a co-worker at a holiday office party at least once in their life. A survey conducted by Canon revealed that 1/3 of the workers either kissed a co-worker or ended-up going home with them after the company party. Nearly 25% of the female employees in one study said their boss made a pass at them during the Christmas party.

  But it’s not just workplace parties that can make us more susceptible to immorality. Family and neighborhood parties can be spiritually deadly, too.

  The Bible contains horrible accounts of familial sexual sin. Amnon raped his half-sister, Tamar (2 Sam. 13). Lot’s daughters conspired to get him drunk so they could sleep with him (Gen. 19). Noah was oblivious that he was publicly naked after becoming inebriated, losing his family’s respect (Gen. 9). It’s part of why God’s Word commands us: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s…wife, or his male servant, or his female servant.”

  God though doesn’t want a bunch of killjoys. His will for us isn’t some stained glass cave. For example, over 100 people are killed in car accidents each day. It doesn’t mean we should trade in our car for a horse and buggy.

  Celebration is a vital part of life. The people of God in the Old Testament celebrated with regular festivals. One of Jesus’ greatest stories (Luke 15:11-31) was of a huge celebration, when the prodigal son returned and his Dad said, “Let’s have a feast and celebrate.” Holiday parties are great Kingdom opportunities. Here are some suggestions to help you keep them Christ-honoring.

  If you’re married (and if possible), take your spouse. Marriage is God’s gift to us. It’s heartbreaking that so many have never seen a healthy marriage, much less a Christian one. We’re to be distinctly different in our marriage, not because we’re nice…but because we’re redeemed.

  It’s not a sin to drink. It’s a sin to be intoxicated. Jesus created wine at a wedding. It wasn’t the cheap stuff. Good food and wine are God-given pleasures, as is intimacy in marriage. Yet, Scripture prohibits drunkenness.

  Be a good leaver. At the first company Christmas party that I intended, the foreman became a drunken fool. It grew worse as the night went on. I’ve found that if I leave early, I rarely see that. Then, my friends are not embarrassed the next day at things they said or did in front of me.

  Remember WHO you represent. We’re ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20). It’s not a Sunday gig. We’re 24-7, round the clock representatives of our Savior, whatever the occasion and whoever we’re with. Our words and actions reflect on King Jesus. Have a great time, yet never at His expense.

  Commit the event to the Lord beforehand. Before we go, we can do spiritual groundwork. You can pray for God’s blessing over the festivities, the safety of those who take part and for grace as you seek to be salt and light. Ask Him to help you be a channel of His love and a fountain of encouragement and blessing to all who will attend, even the wait staff. 

  Speak up yet speak wisely. These events can be times for loose lips and dumb deeds. Often all it takes is redirecting a gossipy or cruel conversation about someone absent. A voice of caution might keep someone from doing something they’ll regret later and possibly keep someone from getting hurt or someone’s property being seriously damaged.

  Graciously share Who’s birthday is being celebrated. It’s not the time to climb on a table and preach. Yet, I’ve found that talking about the Savior is more of a natural talking point at Christmas. These parties are when you may find yourself talking to someone you don’t normally interact with and about more meaningful things than the weather. For me, it can be something simple like discovering the holidays are difficult for them or they’re carrying a burden, and assuring them I’ll be praying for them. Social events have often been the start of a lifelong friendship for me.

  Have fun! “A merry heart does good like medicine” (Prov. 17:22). I have to think that Jesus was pleasant to be around. Why else was He invited to so many parties? God doesn’t want us to be sour grapes, but people of His grace. Being Christlike means being incarnational like Jesus. Our Lord came into this world as one of us and wants us to be part of ours, making a difference. Even Christmas parties are an opportunity to serve Him!

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

Worse than Christmas Shopping!

“There are two ways of spreading light.

Be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”

                                                                                                   Edith Wharton

How do you feel about Christmas shopping? Perhaps you’re a cyber shopper, so it’s not a huge deal. Yet, even for the avid cyber shopper, there are a few items that you still have to venture out to purchase.

  Amanda MacFarlane wrote an article, 5 Reasons Why I Hate Christmas Shopping. She writes: “I am all about cute holiday traditions. However, scrambling to find ‘the perfect gift’ just isn't very cute. It’s become a running joke of mine to say that Christmas shopping is just going to a store, listening to Mariah Carey approximately 2,000 times, and questioning your buying decisions until you start wondering how well you know your loved ones. Call me a Grinch, but for ‘the most wonderful time of the year,’ Christmas has a big flaw called gift giving. I could give you a list as long as Santa’s filled with reasons why I dread this holiday tradition every year, but here’s the big five.” 
  1. It’s expensive. 2. It’s time consuming. 3. I never know what to gift people. 4. I never know how much to gift people, and 5. No matter how well-organized you are, there will always be a last minute gift to buy.

  I love her conclusion: “Here’s a bedtime story for you: ‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, because everyone was at Macy’s frantically getting a gift for their cousin Steve…” What I should be doing on Christmas Eve is sitting by a fireplace drinking hot cocoa, not being told that the store will close in 15 minutes over the loudspeaker.”

  Do you know what’s worse, a whole lot worse, than being a Christmas shopper? Being a clerk at a store waiting on Christmas shoppers. Most of them are working long hours. Many stores open early in the morning and then are open until midnight. Some are open 24 hours during the holidays.

  Put yourself on the other side of that counter for a moment. These employees are tired. Their customers are tired. The children of their customers are tired. Then, there are always those extra special blessings – Mr. Grinch and Mrs. Scrooge – who are unhappy and committed “missionaries of misery” who feel it is their mission in life to make everyone around them miserable, too.

  Are you like me? I appreciate it when clerks wear name tags so that I can engage them in conversation by their name. Not too long ago I was at Sam’s Club. The clerk who waited on me looked like she was carrying the weight of the world. As she waited on me, I asked “Chris, how’s your day going?” Her response caused me to almost audibly gasp, “I’m just so depressed.” I quickly responded as she was called away to help another customer, “I’m a minister. I’ll pray for you, Chris.” That encounter weighed heavily on my heart all night. Even now it brings tears to my eyes.

  One of my favorite parts of Christmas are Christmas lights! When our children were small, we’d drive around looking at lights (we still do). I love Christmas lights! During this hectic, frenetic, even insane Christmas season – can I challenge you with something? Bring the light!

  Isn’t that what the Lord Jesus did as He entered space and time that first Christmas? Our Lord brought light to a dark world. Later, in His adult life, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12).

  But it doesn’t end there. If you’re a Christ-follower, then you are to light your world. Jesus said in Matthew 5:14-16: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

  I had a bring the light moment recently. It was in a hospital room but Jesus was there – and I was the one who had His light shared with me. Recently, our church’s now “retired” secretary, Patti Hall, had to be hospitalized. I popped up to pray with her and encourage her BUT I was the one encouraged…and Patti consistently does that for others. As I entered the room, Patti’s kindness, though she was the patient, with her nurse was so touching. If she hadn’t been lying flat on her back with tubes running out of her arm, I’d have thought that we were visiting in her family room. I went to encourage her and be a blessing to her, but I was the one who was encouraged and blessed by her! That’s what Christians are commanded to do. You and I are to leave every place we go a little brighter because we brought His light with us.

  Have you ever noticed that light shines brightest where it’s darkest? It doesn’t take a lot. Sometimes we shine when we simply restrain ourselves. Someone cuts us off in traffic or nearly runs us over with their shopping cart, perhaps they inadvertently cut in front of us at the check-out line, or it’s a new cashier that’s frazzled and having a hard time keeping up.

  Instead of complaining or giving them a piece of our mind, ask God for His peace and power to control your tongue and attitude. Then, notice the clerk’s name, use it and have a short encouraging conversation. Maybe bring some perspective that this is all temporary or add humor.

  If you have to take something back or if the store is out of an item, be gracious. Mistakes happen. It’s doubtful, too, that the one waiting on you is the one who made the blunder. Be kind even when there’s an error.

  If you have children, try to not take them out when they’re tired or hungry. Pay attention to them so they’re not running around, bothering other shoppers or store employees.

  And if a clerk gives you good service, make sure that you tell a manager or head cashier. Post it on the store’s Facebook wall or send them an email. Most easily complain. Few take the time to compliment.

  The Lord Jesus came as the light of the world. As His followers, let’s bring His light and spread it around this Christmas with those who may need it the most!

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

Who shot JFK?

“It is highly convenient to believe in the infinite mercy of God when you feel the need of mercy, but remember also His infinite justice.”

B. R. Haydon

On this day on November 24, 1963 in the basement of the Dallas police station, Lee Harvey Oswald, the alleged assassin of President Kennedy, was shot to death by Jack Ruby, a Dallas nightclub owner. Oswald had been brought to the basement of the Dallas police headquarters on his way to a more secure county jail. A crowd of police and press with live TV cameras rolling gathered to witness his departure. As Oswald entered the room, Jack Ruby emerged from the crowd and fatally wounded him with a single shot from a concealed .38 revolver. Some called Jack Ruby a hero, but he was still charged with first-degree murder.

  Did Oswald assassinate Kennedy? It appears so. Because Jack Ruby took justice into his own hands, we’ll never know for sure. It’s why there are so many Kennedy-assassination theories. Questions like: Was Oswald guilty? Did he act alone? Was there a conspiracy to assassinate the President? will probably never be fully answered. Jack Ruby impeded justice.  

  God is always just and the ultimate standard of righteousness, “For the LORD is a God of justice” (Is. 30:18). The justice of God is another way of speaking of God’s righteousness. Scripture teaches that God Himself is the ultimate standard of what is right (Ps. 119:137). God then defines what is right and what is wrong. Something is right because God says it is right, and something is wrong because God says it is wrong. God stands as the final measure of righteousness, not personal experiences/feelings, popular opinions, political majorities or any system of this world.

  Injustice is perpetuated in this world. It’s tempting to point fingers, yet even Christ-followers can be complicit in spreading injustice. It’s heinous that someone can be accused, tried and convicted in the media or the lunchroom before entering a courtroom. “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.”

  In the early 1990’s Steven Cook accused Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of sexually abusing him during the 1970s. Later, Cook withdrew those charges after concluding his memories of the alleged incident which were evoked during hypnosis were “unreliable.” Though innocent with the charges withdrawn, some will no doubt always wonder if perhaps Bernardin was guilty. His name was dragged through the mud for months as he was presumed guilty by the media, the public, and even many of his parishioners. Only after a year of this abuse did the truth come out. His accuser admitted, as he lay dying from Aids, that he’d fabricated the story. Cardinal Bernardin visited Steven Cook and forgave him. A friend though of the late Cardinal shared that “the agony of having to endure those humiliating charges changed him forever.”

  Proverbs 18:13 warns, “If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.” If you’ve ever been a victim of a false accusation, you know how painful it is. Yet, our sinful nature is quick to believe the worst. Often we’ll gossip and spread the rumors. It’s sin! At work or in the neighborhood and even at church, we believe the worst but don’t know all of the facts. We must show others the grace that we’d want shown to us.

  The disadvantaged often are the greatest victims of injustice. The Old Testament ethic consistently defended the “quartet of the vulnerable,” (widows, orphans, immigrants and the poor). Scripture understands that these groups are disproportionately disadvantaged. They’re vulnerable, at least more so and more often than other groups because they often have little social power, influence or financial resources.

  God’s Word repeatedly commands special protection and treatment for these vulnerable groups because of their inherent disadvantages. If anyone must speak up and defend the “quartet of the vulnerable,” it should be us, as Bible-believers. This isn’t political, it’s biblical.

  Injustice is a threat to justice everywhere. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., made that observation in his famed work from a Birmingham Jail. Looking around the world we see those who are oppressed—who lack spiritual and religious freedom, who’ve never heard the gospel or have a knowledge of Jesus. It’s an injustice. We must stand up against injustice, boldly proclaiming that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

  We must share the only hope for justice – God’s mercy. The Bible confronts us with the reality that only God is righteous and we’re not, “there is none righteous, not even one” (Rom 3:10). Our condition of sin renders us separated from God, deserving of His justice and punishment.

  Wonderfully, it’s not the last word! God sent His Son, Jesus to pay the penalty for all of our sin. 1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God.” The good news of the gospel is that God, because the penalty is paid can be just and forgive us if we but repent and commit our lives to the Savior. God can justly forgive sin and restore that person to a right relationship with Him, crediting to that person Christ’s righteousness (Rom 3:21-26; 2 Cor 5:21).

  We who have been forgiven must be committed to justice and righteousness. We’re to “practice righteousness” and not “practice sin” (1 Jn 3:4-10). Amazingly, what God commands us to do He also enables us to do. Moral obedience doesn’t stem from some mustering up of human strength or ability. It’s God’s Spirit who dwells within every believer that empowers us to do what is holy, just and righteous (Rom 8:13). We’re freed from the penalty of sin and freed of its power to live righteously.

  Our God is a God of justice. Those who know Him must be His emissaries of justice in an evil, unjust world. Are you?   

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

The Field of NEW Dreams!

“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment

until it becomes a memory.”

  It seems that nearly every snowstorm, my friend, Tim Mocarski, posts on his Facebook wall, “Pitchers and catchers report in __ of days.” As we’re having a bit of “November-mas,” let me share a story happening next summer. On August 13^th of 2020, the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees will play in Dyersville, Iowa,—that field made famous by the movie, Field of Dreams. It’s being dubbed “MLB at Field of Dreams.”

  It’s one of my favorite movies. If you’re like me, it brings tears to my eyes every time. Though called “a baseball flick,” the real story is father-son relationships. At the end, Kevin Costner’s character asks his dad, “Have a catch?” World Magazine editor, Marvin Olasky writing on this:

  “My lifetime catches with my father: zero. He had no interest in baseball. I never played until I was 11. At that point I was a fat kid with a lazy left eye, so my batting average during one year of Little League was .182, if I generously count as hits what were probably errors. Still, I wanted to get better. Become a better fielder. So I nagged my father to come out on the street and throw me some ground balls. I said ‘street’ because we lived in urban Massachusetts and had no back yard or nearby green space. That meant a missed ball would go rolling and rolling. One day, finally, my father agreed. We stood in front of the house in which we had an apartment. I walked 20 yards away. He threw me a ball that bounced twice before it should have hit my glove—and I missed it. Embarrassed, and blaming my father rather than myself, I ran after it, yelling something like, ‘Why didn’t you throw it straight?’ By the time I reached the ball and turned around, he was walking up the steps to our front door. He went inside. That was it. We never again even started a catch. Nor did we talk much—and once I became a teenager, we spoke hardly at all.

  Cut to October, 1984. I was 34. He was 67—and dying of bladder cancer. I lived 2,000 miles away and flew to Boston with the public goal of providing some comfort and help, but my private motive was selfish: To learn how he’d transformed from a brilliant student to a person who had spent the last 30 years disengaged and defeated. One evening we sat on a Danish Modern couch in their apartment. After some perfunctory remarks I threw him a question about his dropping out of graduate school. The question was harder and curvier than a polite inquiry should have been. He got up and walked away, saying over his shoulder something like, ‘Why don’t you mind your own business?’ I put away the conversational ball and went to sleep. The next day I asked no more questions. My father and mother drove me to Boston’s Logan Airport. He wore a baseball cap because chemotherapy had left him bald. I pulled my suitcase out of the trunk, shook his hand, leaned over, and whispered in his ear, ‘I love you,’ because that seemed the right thing to say to a dying parent. I never saw him again.

  This October is the 35th anniversary of our non-conversation. It still haunts me. In the magic of Field of Dreams, the son and the dad finally have a catch. That catches my tears, every time.”

  That touched me. One of the great regrets of my own life is the fractured relationship with my Dad. During my formative years he was a great business success, yet a prescription drug addict. Later he cleaned up his life and even became very active in his church. But he and I seemed unable to ever resolve our unresolved issues. Though I’d love to point a finger at him, like Marvin Olasky, I’m sure there are many fingers pointing back at me. And now that my Dad is gone, it truly is unresolvable. There’s not anything specific that I know of, yet I’ve prayed to my Heavenly Father, “to the extent that I sinned in my relationship with my Dad, please forgive me.” Based on Scripture’s promise in 1 John 1:9, I know that God has.  

  Some situations, as Romans 12:19 reminds us (“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all”), are unresolvable. Yet, many others are. And if you can, please do solve them. Still, many others should just be buried and forever forgotten.

  Looking back I truly believe my Dad did the best he could and he really did a lot for me. His own father was a drunk, horribly abusive and even ended up for a time on a Georgia chain gang. Yet, my Dad paid for his children to attend private schools and also paid for me to attend high school in Wisconsin. He didn’t have to. Yes, he was difficult to live with and left scars on our lives. Yet, I truly believe it was out of ignorance, not malice.

  Sadly, I know that I too have left wounds on my own children’s souls. All parents do. None of us are perfect. We’re all sinners. With my own children, I’ve sought to own my sinful failures and asked their forgiveness. I don’t want unfinished business between us.

  As we come into the Holiday Season old wounds tend to resurface. Many of us need to forgive and move on. As believers, we ourselves have already been forgiven an unpayable debt, so, we too must forgive, “forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph. 4:32). Most of our parents did the best that they could or knew how to do.

  As parents, though we determined to parent better than we were parented, we too have our own failures. It’s why we all need grace and grace is not something to horde, it’s given to be given away.

  During this Holiday Season when you’re tempted to let loose, remember again how much grace you’ve received. Not only that, you and I would not be who God has shaped us into if we’d not first been wounded. Years ago I determined to have the spirit the Patriarch Joseph had toward all of the evil his brothers had done to Him, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good…” (Gen. 50:20). That’s so freeing!

  Whether it's a parent or a sibling – choose to be a person of grace! While we can’t change yesterday’s memories, we can make new ones. If we build it, maybe they will come. Make new memories while you still can and thank God that His grace is enough for yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

Change is beautiful!

“Change is the only constant in life.”

     Heraclitus

  Autumn is my favorite time of year. While I love spring with the flowers blooming and green coming back to the trees and grass, I love God’s wonderful palette of colors in the fall. I’ve always been just a tad envious of folk who are able to go on a fall color tour.

  Recently, when we visited Jane’s Mom in northern Michigan the trees were on fire with their many colors. I love the cooler nights and the crispness in the air. There’s nothing like a warm fire, hot chocolate, snuggling up and gazing into the dying embers. It all brings back fond memories for me. In the south, we rarely raked leaves but would rake together huge piles of pine straw. I remember leaping into those piles and pinecone battles with my friends.

  The Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, was right – change is inevitable. To quote the Borg from Star Trek, “Resistance is futile.” Yes, some changes aren’t good or moral, yet God’s grace is sufficient and we can trust Him even as we sail into new unchartered cultural waters. Our Heavenly Father is never surprised by any of the cultural changes, even the evil ones.

  Yet, I am so thankful that God does not leave me in spiritual comfort and what too often can devolve spiritually into stagnation. The Christian life is to be one of constant change and forward movement. There is to be no plateauing and settling for the status quo.

  Recently, I shared with our leaders God has worked in my heart and changed my commitment and dependency on prayer over the years. Please understand I have light years to go yet. If you’re looking for a “prayer warrior,” I’m not your guy. Yet my dependency and internal default setting have drastically changed. During my first years of ministry, I was a doer and program focused. I’ve learned though and am continuing to learn that if God is not in it and He’s not doing it, it’s a waste of time and effort.

  Then, God has changed my outlook on trials and difficulties. This may surprise you, but there are folk that I tick off (sometimes I think that I’m a “Professional Ticker Offer”). I don’t like to upset people. I certainly don’t like trials or deep waters, yet I’ve learned more and more that it is in the trials that my loving Heavenly Father burns away the dross from my life. In the past, I’d chafe in the fire, or moan and groan…or even become angry. God has worked in my heart (I haven’t arrived), where more often I ask Him to burn away the dross that He needs to in my life and teach me the lessons that I need to learn from the heat. I want to grow and be more like Jesus. I know that means that He has to do some pruning of my heart and life. As the Lord Jesus said in John 15, “every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit” (vs. 2).

  Then, I’m so thankful for the changes in my marriage. Jane and I are more in love, closer and more honest with each other today than when we got married…sometime back when the dinosaurs roamed the earth. It’s very hard for me to watch couples who grow apart overtime when the Lord wants us to grow closer together as we grow closer to Him. That’s the key – growing closer to Him. As both husband and wife become more like Jesus and draw closer to Him, a wonderful outcome is growing closer to each other. Jane and I truly enjoy pleasing each other and making each other happy. Personally, I think that a healthy Christian marriage is one of the greatest witnesses for the power of the gospel. Only His grace can take two selfish sinners and make them more loving, selfless and sacrificial.

  Now that all three of our children are adults, I’m so thankful for the changes in our relationship. We’ve moved from parent and child to friends. All three of them are unique and God uses them to challenge me and be a blessing in my life. And I am so thankful that in the goodness of God (not because they had great parenting, especial a great Dad), that all three love Jesus, want to serve Him and others. Their spiritual maturity and compassion often challenge me to try to keep up with them.

  Then, I’m so thankful for the changes that God has and continues to bring about in our church. We have more and more who are committed to serving the Lord and reaching those who don’t yet know our Savior. I have the best job in the world, I have the privilege of sharing with folk how they can be forgiven, how their life can make an eternal difference and count for all eternity. I have the privilege of sharing biblical truth of how they can walk with Jesus, know His love, joy, and peace…be a better spouse, parent, employee, etc. Rarely do I hear moaning or groaning at church.

  I’m so thankful that God is working and changing in our church family. We’re more and more committed to not being some religious social club but a lighthouse of God’s love, grace and kindness to our community!

  As I’m aging, I’m even thankful for a few aches and pains. I know that may sound weird. Yet, as the writer of Ecclesiastes powerfully unpacks in his poetic description of aging and deterioration in chapter 12, it’s a constant reminder that the best is yet to come! I have a new body awaiting me! I  can’t wait to pitch my glasses once and for all. And I get to see the Savior who knew all about me and what a mess I was, yet chose to love me and die for me. As I grow older, I understand more and more what the Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 1. Read it for yourself in verses 21-25. It’s summarized though in verse 21, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” I long and pray for that to be true in my life!

  As a believer, the best is always ahead. The Christian life is to be one of constant godly change! I want to embrace and love change if it means that I’m becoming more like Jesus and one step closer to Home!

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

A Longsuffering God

“God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.” Augustine

  Popular Christian fiction author, Francine Rivers, shares that God used the Old Testament book of Hosea to bring about a radical spiritual transformation in her life. Though raised in a religious home, Francine didn’t come to Christ until she was nearly forty. Prior to committing her life to Christ she was an author and wrote historical romance novels. Yet, after she became a believer, she found that her writing: “died a swift death–not because I chose not to write, but because everything I wrote made no sense.  I struggled.  Writing was my ‘safe place,’ it was my ‘identity’…It took three years for the Lord to get through my thick skull and show me how my priorities were upside down.  I could almost hear Him saying, ‘You say you love Me, but you don’t even know who I AM.’  Sadly true.  For most of my life, I longed for a Savior, but I didn’t want a LORD.  I never bothered reading the Bible.”

  As she began reading the Bible, immersing herself in God’s Word, her death grip on her writing loosened. Finally, she let it go completely and without regret. Jesus became the center of her life. It was the book of Hosea that God used to break through her last walls of resistance. Later, she would write a bestselling novel based on Hosea, Redeeming Love. She describes it as “…the book of my heart. It is my confession of how I viewed and treated God before I knew Him, my yearning for a Savior and my deepest, life-long need for a loving, all-knowing LORD to direct my steps.”

  Today we’re beginning a several week study, Relentless Love, from the book of Hosea. If you asked most Christians to find the Hosea in their Bibles, they’d have to check the index. The most minor thing about what’s known as the Minor Prophets is their place in the life of the contemporary church. Many have never read the Minor Prophets and most have read or studied Hosea (it takes about half an hour to read it).

  It’s common for even Christians to develop their own view of God. Yet, the only way to truly know who God is to read God’s description of Himself as found in His Word. As we make our way through Hosea, we’re going to discover several truths about God. First, and primary…

  God is so longsuffering. I’m so thankful that He is. Being longsuffering is a little different from being patient. While longsuffering is similar to patience, it has more to do with the longevity of patience. It’s patience with muscles. The Bible uses a word for longsuffering that means “forbearance or the disposition to endure long under offenses.” God’s longsuffering is an expression of His unrestrained love and grace! The idea is that if God followed the desire of His heart immediately, He would bring an end to all sin, suffering and this world…including us.  

  As Hosea illustrates God’s longsuffering, it’s a shocking book! God commands iHIsHHis prophet to marry someone who is going to be unfaithful to him. It was a marriage doomed for heartbreak before the “I do.” But it doesn’t end there. Hosea is to forgive and restore his wife, and marriage.  

  Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessings is one of my favorite hymns. Robert Robinson wrote the words for it when he was only 22. I love the poetry, which so often describes my own journey of faith: “O to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be.”

  Robinson became a pastor in England, but that wasn’t the end of the story. At the end of his life, Robinson had wandered away from God again. The story goes that one day he was riding in a coach with a woman, who was humming the hymn that he wrote many years before, “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” She asked him if he was familiar with it and he replied, “Madam, I am the poor unhappy man who wrote that hymn many years ago, and I would give a thousand worlds, if I had them, to enjoy the feelings I had then.” The last verse described his own heart that had abandoned his relationship with God.  

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love.

  Too often that’s my heart and no doubt, your heart. Hosea is God’s reminder to us that He loves us even when we run away from Him to chase other lovers. As Hosea honestly deals with the nation of Israel’s sin, idolatry and the promise of God’s chastening, he repeatedly draws out the gracious nature of God who continues to plead with those who have repeatedly gone after other lovers. From this message of judgment, the bright beam of God’s love and faithfulness breakthrough.

  Hosea reminds us of God’s nature. Our God is a forgiving and pursuing God who chases after His people even in their sin. At the same time, we’re confronted with the horror of sin and its consequences.

  This book teaches us that we all, like Israel, are spiritual Gomers (Hosea’s wife). We too easily give ourselves to other loves and idols of the heart. We minimize our sin and think of our sin as doing bad things, or saying wrong words or thinking evil thoughts. The book of Hosea teaches us that sin is first a matter of the heart and that sin is not just evil, it’s spiritual adultery. It’s only when we see ourselves as spiritual adulterers that we see the heinousness of our sin and yet the overwhelming love of God.

  All roads lead back to our hearts. It doesn’t matter whether we’re fighting against anger, addiction, doubt or discontent. The book of Hosea illustrates the truth confessed by David: “Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight” (Psalm 51:4). Our greatest need isn’t behavior modification or an attitude adjustment, it’s a heart transplant (2 Cor. 5:17). I don’t like seeing the evil sin in my own heart. Do you? Yet, I know if I don’t surrender and allow Jesus to heal me, sin will destroy me.

  Hosea repeatedly confronts us with the noxiousness of our sin, yet the overwhelming longsuffering and grace of God! It’s a message we need! God’s loving call doesn’t cease even as He pronounces judgment, His love beckons us again and again. The question is: Will we heed His call?

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.