The Greatest Story

 “There’s nothing more important than a good story.”  Lauren Graham

 Do you love a good story? I sure do. Years ago I loved to hear Paul Harvey share The Rest of the Story. Today one of my favorite podcasts is Mike Rowe’s The Way I Heard It. Both are such gifted storytellers.  

  I’m thankful theaters are finally open again and Hollywood has started releasing blockbusters. Watching a movie at home isn’t the same as a large theater with a big screen and a tub of popcorn. 

  Apparently, it’s something that’s hardwired into us – we crave a good story. Maybe it’s because stories give us a sense of place in this eternal, supernatural existence. They stir our imaginations and help us make sense of love, betrayal, hatred, and compassion. Stories prepare us for experiences like sorrow and suffering. The ways we interpret our lives, our relationships, our past, and our future are all tied up in stories.

  Even our fairytales are connected to reality. We long for someone to love us in spite of our beastliness and break us out of our castle of suffering. We crave a hero to free us from our sleeping enchantments of ignorance, pain, and injustice. In our heart of hearts, we really don’t want death to be the end. “It can’t be,” we tell ourselves, “that evil is allowed to ultimately triumph. That’s just not fair!”

  Though most people in America hang Christmas decorations and exchange gifts on December 25^th, few say they could give all the details about the biblical Christmas story. 53% of Americans say they could retell the biblical Christmas story from memory, but only 22% say they could do so accurately, according to Lifeway Research.

  In a world of heroes, villains, comedies, tragedies, twists of fate, and surprise endings, there’s only one story—one grand narrative that encompasses all other stories on earth: the good news story or the gospel story. Do you know the gospel story?

  Someone told it like this…Once upon a time, the universe was created as part of a larger, supernatural, spiritual world. The good King (Jesus) and the evil sorcerer (Satan) really do exist. Unfortunately, years and years ago, all of humanity was blinded by an evil spell. The first prince and princess (Adam and Eve) sacrificed their innocence and were expelled from paradise. Ever since that day, all the King’s children (including you and me) have longed to get back into paradise. We wake up each morning longing for the spell to be broken. 

  Thankfully, on the first Christmas, the heroic King punched a hole between His world and ours, coming to save us from the evil spell! Jesus grew up living a sinless life. He calmed storms, healed the sick, and raised the dead. After He laid down His own life to die on a cross, God’s Spirit raised Him back to life three days later. Jesus is the only true hero with a qualified resume to save us, transform us, and one day restore us.

  Finally, one day soon, evil and death will ultimately lose, the King will ultimately win, and His followers will live happily ever after with Him! As C. S. Lewis declared in The Weight of Glory, “The door on which we have been knocking all our lives will open at last.”

  In more modern terms that’s the gospel story but you don’t have to invite someone to church to hear the gospel story. You can tell it. All of us share stories. Shouldn’t we be able to share the greatest story? Maybe begin by retelling the story to a friend who has the Bible in front of them. They can correct whatever errors you make. The aim is to retell the story according to the following guidelines (the acronym is SAM):

  Simple: Only use words that the listener understands. If you’re sharing it with a child, make sure you use words on their level of comprehension. If it’s a child or an unchurched adult, use words on their level and that would be in their common vernacular. Being incarnational means leaving the “language” of your world and entering theirs.

  The Lord Jesus was the master of this. When He talked to Nicodemus, the religiously schooled theologian, He used complex words and concepts. When He talked to blue-collar fishermen, He used the metaphor of fishing. As He talked to the woman at the well in John 4 who had come to draw water, Jesus talked about being thirsty and her thirsty soul.

  Accurate: You can simplify the story by leaving out some things—place names, names of persons, details about a particular location, yet don’t add things to embellish the story.

  Memorable: Retell the story in a memorable way. What’s memorable? Feel free to use facial expressions, body language, and actions to get the emotion and the drama in the story across to your listeners.

  Can you imagine sharing the new spiderman story in a dull monotone lecture style? Stories of heroes are exciting! Love stories are emotional.

  Jesus is the greatest hero of all time. It’s an exciting story! And it’s a beautiful love story. You and I, because of sin, were the ugly stepsisters. Jesus the Prince didn’t leave His throne for Cinderella. He willingly left His throne for us, the ugly stepsisters. Not only did He leave His throne, but He also let evil men nail Him to a cross. He could have called the armies of heaven to rescue Him, but He didn’t. Instead, He willingly laid down His life for us, to pay the price for all of our sins.

  If you’ve committed your life to Christ, it’s your story. And if you haven’t yet committed your life to Christ, it can be your story starting today.

  Will you surrender your life to Jesus today? Trust Him. Commit your life to Him. Put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, finding your ultimate fulfillment in His eternal story. If you commit your life to Christ, then His story will become your story!

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. 

 

He's the YOU you need!

 “God made Christmas happen; friends make Christmas beautiful, music makes Christmas festive; giving makes Christmas joyous, love makes Christmas.”  William Arthur Ward

 

  According to this year’s data the most played Christmas song is Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas, followed by Wham!’s Last Christmas, and Ariana Grande’s Santa Tell Me. Some top songs make indirect references to the religious aspect of Christmas, but most stick to love, the weather, or an occasional chestnut. Globally, the most popular Christmas song to mention Jesus is Boney M.’s Mary’s Boy Child/Oh My Lord, which comes in at No. 71. It’s followed by Nina Nesbitt’s O Holy Night at 79 and Josh Groban and Faith Hill performing The First Nöel at 90. 

  The presence of Jesus in popular Christmas music varies widely by country revealing differences in musical taste, holiday traditions, and the spread of Christianity by missionaries, markets, and immigration.

  Though it’s not the intent of the song, Mariah Carey’s, All I Want for Christmas is you has the right goal – it’s just the wrong “you.” Many believe that if they had someone to love or to love them, if they had someone in their life, some “you” then Christmas would be perfect. Experience demonstrates that a human “you” won’t satisfy. The only “You” that will truly satisfy our heart’s greatest longings is the YOU who came on that first Christmas 2,000 years ago, the Lord Jesus Christ. 

  Two millennia later tragically most of the world still doesn’t know who that YOU truly is. While Jesus has been acclaimed as the greatest religious leader to ever live, the most influential person to have walked on this planet, and unique to the degree that no one can be compared to Him, the true Jesus is still an unknown. Considering Jesus Christ merely on the basis of an exemplary life and His superior moral teaching will never remove the stumbling blocks to Christianity raised by an unbelieving world. The real test of what one thinks of Jesus revolves around who He claimed to be and what He accomplished during His brief mission to this world. Without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ life is an empty stocking. 

  John Blanchard estimated that, of all of the people who have ever lived since the dawn of civilization, there have been about 60 billion people that have walked this planet. Of those 60 billion, only a handful have made any real, lasting impression or have actually changed the world. And in that handful, there is One who stands head and shoulders above all of the others—His name is Jesus. More attention has been given to Him; more devotion has been given to Him; more criticism has been given to Him; more adoration has been given to Him; more opposition has been given to this one person than all of the others combined.

  Every recorded word that He said has been more sifted, analyzed, scrutinized, debated—every word—than all of the historians and the philosophers and scientists put together. After 2,000 years, there is never one minute on this earth that millions are not studying what He said. Here’s a person who lived in a minuscule, tiny little land two millennia ago; and yet, His birth divides the centuries—BC and AD; Before Christ and Anno Domini, the year of our Lord. Even the more modern BCE, which attempts “religious neutrality” and to deny the impact Christ had on this world, still begins with Christ’s entry into this world of time and space. 

  He never wrote a book and yet, library after library could be filled with the volumes, the multiplied millions of volumes, which have been written about Jesus. He never painted a picture, so far as we know; and yet, the world’s greatest art, the world’s greatest dramas, the world’s greatest music, the world’s greatest literature has Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, as its source. He never raised an army, yet multiplied millions have died for Him. He never traveled more than fifty miles from His birthplace and yet, His testimony has gone around, and around, and around the world. He only had a handful of followers that followed Him in His ministry; and yet, today, over 30% of the world’s population names His name—the largest such grouping on Earth today—Jesus of Nazareth. A public ministry of only three short years and yet, here we are, 2,000 years later, saying, “Jesus, Your name is wonderful,” because His name is. He had no formal education. He didn’t attend a university or seminary yet thousands of universities, seminaries, colleges, and schools are built in His name. No one can call himself, herself, educated who does not understand Jesus Christ. As historian Kenneth Scott Latourette said: “Jesus has had more effect on the history of mankind than any other of His race who ever existed.” 

  Who is Jesus? He is many things but the reason that He came was to be our Savior. There is only one Savior, Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). In His Son, God sent the greatest gift for sinners like us. No wonder the Apostle Paul exclaims, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Cor. 9:24).

  The greatest event in all human history is the coming of a Savior from heaven to earth. Without His coming, there is no meaning to history. Jesus came into the world to save the world and us from divine destruction.

  Why do we need a Savior? Because we are all guilty sinners. We need a Savior to take the guilt of our sins and to die our eternal death. That’s why Jesus died on the cross. All have sinned, including the virgin Mary; we all need a Savior. The shepherds of Bethlehem represent all sinners. To them, God announced that He had sent a Savior—His greatest gift to mankind. In Him, we receive grace and salvation. 

  A missionary, Gene Dulin, tells of standing in Austria, looking at a hand-carved nativity scene. The figures were a bit larger than life-size. It was one of the most beautiful that he’d ever seen. As he stood contemplating the meaning of the nativity, a grandmother stopped with her three-year-old grandchild. She stooped over and began talking with the child. She pointed to Mary, then to Joseph, and to the baby. Dulin says that while he couldn’t understand her language, he knew she was telling the story of Jesus to her grandchild. Then Dulin added, “For 2000 years parents and grandparents have passed on the story of Jesus. It has changed millions of lives and the whole world.” And it still does! That’s the gift of the baby in the manger but He didn’t just come to be born. He was born to die so He could be our Savior. Is He your 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. 

Christmas Stress

 “Three phrases that sum up Christmas are: 

Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men and Batteries are not included.

  A few days before Christmas two men in Florida decided to go sailing while their wives went Christmas shopping. While these guys were out sailing a terrible storm arose. They had great difficulty keeping their boat under control. As they maneuvered their way back to land their boat got grounded on a sandbar. Finally, they had to jump overboard and push with all their might trying to get their boat into deeper water. As they did the wind was blowing terribly, the waves were rushing on them, they were soaking wet and knee-deep in mud. But then one of the guys looked at his buddy and said, “You know it sure beats Christmas shopping though.”  

  Too often what should be the most wonderful season of the year, the time of year that should bring us joy and warm our hearts, instead often brings stress, anger, headaches and depression. The stress associated with Christmas can make what should be a joyous time of year a miserable mess. Because of this, many (maybe that’s you) actually dread Christmas. The stress that can plague us at this time of the year are rooted in three basic sources; Time (getting everything done), Money (paying for it) and Emotions (conflict with family and past painful memories that resurface).

  Through the years I’ve suffered from all three of those. You’d think that if you had some bad Christmas memories from growing up, you’d write new chapters in adulthood. I wish that were true. There are some pages though from raising my own children that are worthy of a good book burning or at least chapter burning. I’m so glad God is gracious and my own family is forgiving. Let me share some thoughts for a less stressful Christmas.

  Remember, it really is all about Jesus. Ask most people what Christmas is about and you’ll hear a myriad of answers. Sadly, what’s lost in the Christmas rush is that it’s a celebration of Jesus. His miraculous birth 2,000 years ago and His birth in our hearts is the reason we celebrate Christmas. It’s not about Santa, holidays, family, gifts, food or anything else. When we look to things of this world to give the season true meaning, none of it works. Jesus is the most wonderful part of Christmas. Each time family, food, and parties get to be too much, turn your eyes back on Jesus. The world may forget, but we remember that Jesus is the reason for the season.

  We must choose to purposefully reclaim the joy of Jesus in the festive season. Jesus is the source of joy for believers. Joy is independent of outward circumstances. It rises from within and is a choice. Be overwhelmed with joy or with stress. You decide.

  No matter how many cookies you burn, candy you eat, or family criticisms you endure; determine to rejoice in the Lord. Smile when another car takes your parking spot. Laugh when the Christmas lights blow a fuse. Things go wrong. Roll with it. Keep rejoicing in Jesus because you’re celebrating His birth, after all.

  Slow down. Have you ever noticed when people are stressed not only do they do everything faster, but they talk faster? So slow down. When we’re pressured we foolishly skip on what will give us the strength to truly have peace in our hearts – time with the Lord. Please don’t do that. You don’t have to make your Quiet Time a marathon. Some days it might be more like a short sprint. It will though better prepare you for whatever is thrown at you if you start the day with the Prince of Peace. Spend time in His Word. Pray for wisdom and strength. I’ve found starting the day praying Psalm 19:14 helps me: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

  Set limits. Determine your family’s limits when it comes to holiday get-togethers. As much as you may want to please everyone, determine what you and your family can handle. Put the most important events on the calendar early so you don’t overschedule.

  Set limits on spending and gift-giving. Having a budget will help you stay on track and not have a regretful January when the bills arrive. Keeping the gift-giving simple is an easy way to maintain the focus on the birth of Christ and not the commercialization of the holiday. 

  One gift that we too easily overlook can be one of our most precious gifts – T-I-M-E. Perhaps instead of this year’s hot toy, give your child an hour or two each month with just you and your child. Too many of us herd our kids when they need one on one time with us. If you know your Dad loves sports, schedule to go to a game with him. If your Mom loves a certain activity, give her the gift of time by doing with her what she loves. Go sit with a grandparent and listen to their stories (even if it’s for the 100^th time).

  Give sacrificially. Gift giving began when our generous God gave His Son as the very first Christmas gift to this world. “Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!” (2 Cor. 9:15). Jesus willingly gave up glories beyond our wildest imaginations to come to earth for us. He unobtrusively came into the world in a stable; amongst cattle, donkeys, and sheep. He came to give His life. He was born to die.

  When we contemplate such love and sacrifice, you’d think Christmas would be a time when people would lay aside their own demands and bend over backwards to accommodate others. Selfishness sadly often contaminates what should be a season of giving.

  As God was kind to us, even when we were His enemies (Rom. 5:10), it’s a time for us to let His kindness flow through us. It’s a time to be kind to that tired and whiny child or that sibling who can drive you nuts. After all what’s the opposite of selfishness? Grace - undeserved favor. Selfish behavior produces anger and hostility. Instead, as we have been given the gift of grace, give it to others and watch irritation and selfishness shrink.

  Over the years our family has gone out and sang carols to shut-ins or folk alone at Christmas. We take baked goods to neighbors. We look for ways to be a blessing to someone in need, usually anonymously. We always find that giving does so much for us. It changes our hearts and gives us just a glimpse of our Heavenly Father’s generosity to us.

  The peace of God can’t be purchased. It’s a gift. Peace and being stress free comes from Christ living in our hearts. Open your heart and choose to let Him give you His peace this Christmas.

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. 

Children are God's Gift

 “Fathers and mothers do not forget that children learn more by the eye than they do by the ear… Imitation is a far stronger principle with children than memory. What they see has a much stronger effect on their minds than what they are told.”  J.C. Ryle 

  A man shared with his pastor that for years he went to church at Christmas and watched as the advent candle was lit by these beautiful families, so well-dressed, well-mannered, and well-spoken. He thought to himself: “I wish I was living in a family like that. I wish my family was so put together.” What he didn't know is that beneath the surface of so many of those apparently perfect families were real-life problems and challenges. 

  Families aren’t just for perfect Facebook or Instagram posts. It’s not just for cheery-faced families or individuals with Hallmark-card lives. Our Heavenly Father is a God who loves and cares deeply for people with real struggles. There are no perfect families. Read the Bible and you’ll quickly discover some very messed up families. It's why we need the cross! Wonderfully, we have a perfect loving Heavenly Father.

  I laughed when I read one Mommy blogger who posted: “Do you know how many parenting experts there are out there? At least 3 billion. If you include random strangers in grocery stores offering free advice on how you should raise your kids, closer to 5 billion. Parenting gurus with research and thought-provoking philosophies. Books filled with creative ideas for cajoling babies to eat, poop, and sleep on command. For every child behavior issue, there are twenty experts with solutions.” The truth is there are a lot of opinions on parenting but only one true Authority. He created us and knows what’s best for us and our children.

  This morning we are having a child dedication for several Grace Church families. More accurately though it’s a Parent Dedication. These parents are committing to raise their children in a way that pleases the Lord and according to God’s Word. But because there is some confusion on what it means to dedicate a child to the Lord, let me explain what we believe that Scripture teaches about child dedication.

  First, a child dedication service is not biblically required. There are examples in Scripture where a parent dedicated their child to the Lord, but they’re not commanded nor are they the norm. For example, Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel dedicated him to God (1 Samuel 1)) and she left him at the Tabernacle so that his whole life would be dedicated to the Lord. Many others though did not. FYI: We do not want anyone to leave their child at church this morning, though I’m sure some parents wouldn’t mind if we took them for a few hours.

  Second, a child dedication service does not attain salvation for that child. Anything that we say and do this morning will not make this child spiritual, saved or destined for heaven. Salvation is an individual, personal decision and by grace alone (Eph. 2:8-9). A parent can’t trust the Lord for their child. God doesn’t have any grandchildren. What saves us is God’s grace. What saves us is trust and faith in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. This dedication is a prayer and commitment, asking God to please one day bring our child into a saving knowledge of Christ. It’s a prayer by the parent/s committing to raise that child in obedience to Scripture.

  Third, a child dedication service is not related to baptism or circumcision. Jewish people to this day have a male child circumcised on the 8^th day. It’s a ceremony that indicates trust that this physical action identifies them with the physical nation of Israel that was given physical promises through their patriarch Abraham. Christians do not believe circumcision is necessary as any marker of true religious faith.

  A baby dedication also has nothing to do with baptism. Baptism is the outward symbol of saving faith in Jesus Christ. It’s the public act of being immersed in water to symbolize that we have immersed our lives into Christ. It’s much like a wedding ring. A wedding ring doesn’t make you married but symbolizes that you are married. Baptism is a symbol one has personally trusted in Jesus Christ. A child doesn’t have the intellectual capacity to make that commitment. Search the Bible for yourself and you will not find one case of a baby being baptized.

  Child Dedication is an acknowledgment that your child is a gift from God. “Children are a gift from God; they are His reward” (Psalms 127:3, Living Bible). Like everything else that we have, children a gift from a generous God (James 1:17). It’s because children are a special gift that we find instructions in Scripture about how parents are to raise their children. It’s because children are a special gift that those who cannot physically have children adopt or search for medical solutions. Because children are a special gift our hearts bleed when we see children mistreated or harmed.

  God expects parents to train their children in righteousness. Though Ephesians 6:4 says fathers, primarily because Dads are to be the spiritual leaders in the home, it’s for both Dads and Moms. “…Do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). Too many parents put all of their focus on the temporal and external. Your child’s education, appearance and abilities whether they are academic or athletic are minor compared to their inner spiritual life. Yet, it is very difficult to model what you are not. One of the greatest gifts that you can give your child is to love and obey the Lord yourself.

  God is using your child to make you more Christlike. All of us have spiritual character deficiencies. A child has a way of highlighting those chinks in our armor. God uses children to drive us to dependence on Him. If you think that you have all of the answers to parenting, you’re foolish (idiot seemed a little strong). Too many of us fail at parenting because we parent the way that we were parented and assume it’s good enough. God wants us to parent as He parents us. That means care, compassion and correction. It means dependence on His power and His truth.

  Children are a wonderful gift from God and He uses them to make us, to show us how much He loves us, to draw us closer, and to be more dependent on Him. They are His wonderful gift to us! And may we as the Grace Church family pray, encourage, and support these young families as they seek to raise their children to glorify the Lord!

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. 

Black Thursday?

 “How many never in their lives read through all the Scriptures? 

These have a sword but only to hang on the wall.” William Gouge

  So how did your Black Friday go? Did you know that long before there was a “Black Friday,” there was a “Black Thursday?” But it had nothing to do with Christmas shopping. Black Thursday was a riot back in 1901 over a new translation of the Gospel of Matthew. 
  Greece is largely considered the birthplace of democracy. Who would have thought that a new translation of the Gospel of Matthew would cause a major riot, but that’s what happened on November 8th, 1901. Translating Matthew into the common Greek vernacular led to bloody clashes in Athens. A newspaper called Akropolis published it in demotic Greek, the modern version of Greek. Greek has evolved from its ancient roots to the point that modern and ancient Greek sounded almost nothing alike. 

  The differences resulted in a “holy war.” On one side, ancient Greek proponents—particularly in the Greek Orthodox Church—believed that if they watered down their language, they might lose claim to their Byzantine landholdings. On the other end, demotic or common language Greek proponents said language isn’t as important as investments in artillery. So when the newspaper published Matthew in the common language—alongside a political editorial—violence broke out. Eight demonstrators died. Ultimately, proponents of the ancient language failed in their efforts to make it the preferred form of communication. Modern Greeks speak and write in the demotic form, but the Greek Orthodox Church continues to use ancient Greek as the liturgical language in its worship services.

  While in Greece they fought over versions, in modern-day China, the government is making access to the Bible more difficult. Though most Bibles are printed in China as they are the only ones with the special printing presses needed to print the thin paper, Chinese citizens with iPhones can no longer download the Olive Tree Bible app after Apple removed it from their app store at the request of the communist authorities. 

  The Bible software maker in the US was told it’d have to file special permits to comply with rules regarding “book or magazine content,” which censor religious literature. Those who have already downloaded the programs can continue to use them but can’t get updates. According to the human rights group, Amnesty International, Apple has consistently submitted to China’s censorship demands. But China is not alone in its censorship of Scripture. According to The Voice of the Martyrs, in over fifty countries it’s illegal to own a Bible.

  We’re so blessed in America! Yet, what’s tragic is not that we don’t have access to a Bible, but that so many Christians rarely read it.

  Would you please make this the year that you determine to habitually read the Bible? Many Christians when asked about their Bible reading say: “I’ve been really busy.” Many others who are extremely busy still read their Bibles. Those who claim busyness are up to date on the news, watch movies and sports, use social media, exercise, and a host of other things. Let’s be honest, none of us are truly too busy to read the Bible. So, why read the Bible?

  The Bible is God’s love letter to you. When Jane and I were dating, I was thrilled to receive a letter from her. I’d read, re-read, and re-read again those letters. I never could get enough of Jane! God’s Word is His love letter to you. Do you treasure it? How’s your relationship with God growing or stagnant? Reading our Bibles helps keep our relationship with our Heavenly Father fresh and growing.

  The Bible is the best resource for positive behavior modification. At the most basic level, we read the Bible so we know how to live. It guides us on how to behave as the people of God in a sin-contaminated world. But not as a rule book or as a list of things to do if we want to stay on God’s good side. As the people of God with His Spirit living in us to guide us, we’re motivated to live rightly. The Bible shows us what it means to live in a way that pleases the Lord. Sometimes it’s by direct commandments, but mostly it’s by principles and examples, leaving us to apply them and work out how to live it out in our own lives.

  If you’ve been a Christian very long, when it comes to what’s right and wrong, you probably know what God wants you to do 99% of the time. The difficult part is actually doing it or remembering to do it. God’s Word is a reminder for us on how we should live in a way that’s right.

  The Bible is the best resource for wise life investment. We read our Bibles to know what goals to set and to help determine what to pursue in life. Reading Scripture challenges us to not fritter away our lives. We need purpose, we need goals. Out of all the things I can do, what will I choose to do more of? It will be different for each of us because God has designed us uniquely and called us to different tasks.

  The Bible challenges us to ask life-directing questions: How will I spend my time? How will I spend my money? Which people group or subculture will I reach out to? The big story of the Bible is about investing in the real world, eternity. We must set life goals that make sense against that story.

  The Bible is the best tool to view this world. We read God’s Word to inform our worldview and see life the way that God sees it. Once you see the world as God sees it, the other things follow – how we behave, who we are, and where we’re heading. It’s why Paul prays "having the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and His incomparably great power for us who believe” (Eph 1:18-19). The Bible tells us how God sees life and that we’re part of His story. It tells us how God sees us and His perspective of our world.

  Consistently reading the Bible helps us grow to be more like Jesus. Do you want true life change? Commit to reading and studying God’s Word consistently. It will revolutionize your 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. 

The Turkey of Comparison

 “Comparison is the death of joy.” Mark Twain

   Each year I struggle with a bit of buyer’s remorse. Usually, I’m the one at our house who shops for the turkey for Thanksgiving. I compare prices and brands (Is Butterball better than Honeysuckle? What about the less expensive store brand?) I’ll visit a few stores checking prices to get the best deal. Over the years I’ve found that you have to wait until about a week before for stores to lower their prices but don’t want to wait too long in case they run out. But this year with rumors of shortages of everything for your Thanksgiving feast, I was telling Jane that I thought we needed to buy early, so I purchased the turkey nearly a month before I normally do. It was higher per pound than I normally pay but I wasn’t sure if the prices would go up or down…or if they might even run out. And when I bought our turkey, there were only two others left. But it put a warm spot in my heart to walk down a store aisle the other day and see that the turkeys they had on sale were a full 40 cents more per pound than I paid! I won…maybe. 

  We’re entering into the full-blown comparison season. We’re going to be spending time with family and friends, and the turkey of comparison will attempt to gobble his way into our hearts to steal our joy. Don’t let him!

  It’s noteworthy that the first records of comparison in the Bible were between siblings. It’s often our soft spot. Cain compared how God responded with acceptance to Abel’s sacrifice and it so angered him that he took Abel out. The “baby wars” between Leah and Rachel are the stuff of legend. Rachel seethed with jealously that her less attractive sister was “Fertile Myrtle.”

  The Apostle Paul warns us of the danger of comparison in 2 Corinthians 10:12, “Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.” Did you catch that? “they are without understanding.” That’s a polite way of saying that they’re stupid.

  I can’t help but think that Paul wrote those words from the winner’s circle of defeating the comparison temptation. He knew as every preacher knows the subtle temptation of comparing your ministry with someone else’s.

  Later this week when you roll in for Thanksgiving and throughout the holidays, the turkey of comparison will be strutting to compare things like cars, houses, landscaping…even decorating. But he’s not done. He wants you to compare your spouse, your kids, and even your parents. You’ll look at your clothes compared to others. They bought a new outfit to dribble their giblet gravy on but you’re wearing what you wore last year and the year before. Your kids will whine and act like kids but your cousins’ kids will be angelic. Then, someone will talk about their 401K or their promotion or their work benefits and you find yourself shrinking in your seat. Their pumpkin pie looks better than yours. Even your stories and jokes aren’t as good. If you lost weight last year, they lost more. If you got Covid, they got it worse…and the comparison goes on and on. At the end of the day the turkey isn’t the only thing being cooked, so is your heart.

  Contentment is something we can and need to learn. Our Heavenly Father gives us exactly what we need. All that we have and are, is from Him. Our Father truly knows best. So you have to fight the temptation of comparison. You may need to go full-blown Pilgrim with an ax looking for Tom Turkey in your own soul. Here are some “comparison hunting” strategies.

  Remember that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalms 139:14 reminds us of this biblical fact. That means that each of us is God’s unique creation. As we surrender our heart and will to Him, He can mold us and transform us into exactly what He wants us to be. When you feel inadequate or feel the temptation to compare, quietly whisper a prayer of thanks to God for making you exactly the way you are. 

  Realize we all have different strengths and weaknesses. No matter how hard you try, someone will always be better at something than you are. When you are tempted to compare, recognize instead that it’s an opportunity to practice humility and appreciate the gifts of others.

  Choose praise over pettiness. When you notice your host could give Martha Stewart a run for her money, praise her for her talent. If your brother has a newer car, compliment him on it (it’s okay if it’s a sports car to ask for a ride). That joy and sincere smile eradicate self-pity that wants to take root in your heart. Genuinely complimenting others outwardly keeps us from complaining inwardly and cultivating a jealous spirit. 

  Rely on God’s opinion rather than the opinion of others. We must remind ourselves to live for an audience of One. We have to take control of our thoughts and direct our thinking in order to keep our minds from going down a sinful dead end. Not only are you fearfully and wonderfully made, but in Christ, God sees us as perfect. That means we have God’s measuring stick, not our own or that of others to live by.

  Truly thank the Lord for what you do have. Practice being grateful for your blessings instead of fixating on someone else’s. You can even be thankful for things you don’t have that you don’t want! This will probably shock you but while you’re fighting the temptation of comparison with someone who has more than you, someone is fighting that same temptation about you because you seem to have so much that they don’t have.

  Comparison is selfishness disguised. It has us looking at others and thinking about ourselves. We must train our minds to want to please God instead of attempting to impress others. When we stop thinking of how others view us, we can be free from the burden of selfishness.

  Comparison steals our joy and contentment. When we compare ourselves with others, we’re not using an accurate measure. Dragging around the world’s expectations hinders us from the journey that God has in store for us. We cheat ourselves out of God’s blessings when we try to live the life we see others living. When you live your own life, and stop envying someone else’s, you can see your blessings more clearly. Each of us must learn to rejoice and be thankful for what God has given us because the truth is that it’s so much more than we will ever deserve!

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. 

Killing Flies with Cannons

 

“Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.” Oscar Wilde

 

  It gives a whole new meaning to the term “bad haircut.” A court in India ordered a hair salon to pay a model $271,000 to compensate her for a bad haircut. This model had been employed by hair care product firms because of her long hair, but the offending salon chopped her hair short against her instructions, causing her a huge monetary loss. India’s National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) ruled that she lost “her expected assignments and suffered a huge loss which completely changed her lifestyle and shattered her dream to be a top model. She underwent severe mental breakdown and trauma due to negligence...in cutting her hair and could not concentrate on her job and finally she lost her job.” 

  This model had gone to the hotel in 2018 to get a haircut and gave specific instructions to the staff about the look she wanted. But the hairstylist cut a major part of her hair, leaving only 4-inches from the top touching her shoulder. When she complained to the salon, she was offered a free hair treatment to make up for the mistake. The woman told the court that the treatment was “dubious and it resulted in damage of her hair. She also suffered the loss of income due to a mental breakdown after the shoddy haircut and, thereafter, the torturous hair treatment. She left her job also… She has gone through the pain and trauma for the last two years after this incident. She lost her self-esteem due to little hair.”

  Probably there was financial loss and some compensation may have been justified but her hair will grow back. What’s the old saying, “the difference between a good and a bad haircut is about two weeks.” $271,000 compensation? That’s way over the top for one bad haircut!

  Overreacting is the norm of today’s world. You’ve probably been in a restaurant where someone had a meltdown because their order was incorrect. Many of these incidents have been captured on YouTube. This world is filled with petty individuals and dramaholics.

  Sometimes these individuals find their way into our churches. Recently, I learned of an administrative assistant at an area church who each week has church attendees point out all of the mistakes she made in the church bulletin. How sad! These missionaries of misery typically overreact about things that don’t really matter, the minute details, the little goofs that have no bearing on anything of significant importance.

  Yet let’s admit it, most of us have our “shooting flies with a cannon” moments. Often, we’re toughest on ourselves. Somehow we’ve lost a grip on the reality that mistakes happen. As famed English poet, Alexander Pope, wisely observed, “to err is human.”

  Mistakes are a part of life. Who hasn’t been driving down the road and realized that they’d left their blinker on for countless miles or forgot to turn off their high beams until an oncoming driver flashed their lights at them. I find that I’m a professional at misplacing things. Often I find what I lost last when I’m looking for the current item that I’ve lost.

  Accidents happen…it’s why they’re called “accidents.” Wise parents help their children handle mistakes by not overreacting. There’s a huge difference between an accident and purposeful rebellion. For example, children spill things (so do adults). That’s completely different from a child who dumps things in anger or throws them. A response to an accident should be a different response than one for rebellion or disobedience.

  My friend, Kathy Lincoln, would wisely say: “You have to know the difference between a lump in your oatmeal, a lump in your throat, or a lump in your breast.” Most gaffes we encounter aren’t worth the angst we give them. Often they’re not permanent and are easily solvable.

  One of my favorite things to say to a clerk or food server who is horrified that they have made a mistake is: “If that’s the worst thing that happens to me today, I’ve had a good day.” Please understand I can slip into being an ogre of overreacting as well as anyone. Something though about being in innumerable ICU units and emergency rooms over the years has given me a needed sense of perspective. It’s a broken, sin-contaminated world. Mistakes are ingrained into it. How should we handle mistakes?

  See mistakes as a blessing and an opportunity to grow. David McCullough’s, The Wright Brothers, records the many failures Orville and Wilbur had before they finally succeeded in inventing the airplane. Mistakes can lead us to discover diverse ways of successfully completing a task. Without mistakes, we’d miss learning many things that make our lives so much more fulfilling.

  Mistakes can be relationship builders. Mistakes provide us with an opportunity to build relationships with those that we otherwise wouldn’t have a relationship. Seeking out help or advice after blundering is an opportunity to make a new friend. None of us are experts at everything. God designed us to need and depend on others.

  Mistakes are an opportunity to show grace. Why did Peter love Jesus so much? Because Jesus was so forgiving and patient with Peter’s continual bungling. Compassion and patience build relationships.

  Think of some of the individuals you feel closest to. Often they’re the ones who’ve shown you the most grace. Graciousness deepens our relationships and trust. One study by Jonathan Haidt of New York University showed that the more employees look up to their leaders and are moved by their kindness, the more loyal they become to him or her.

  When you make a mistake, admit it. Confucius said, “If you make a mistake and do not correct it, this is called a mistake.” James 5:16 has the best way to handle it, “Confess your faults to one another.” Don’t blame others, instead take personal responsibility. Stick to the facts and don’t make excuses. It’s not a time for humor or making light of the situation. Apologize that you blew it. If there’s damage or restitution needed, cover it. If possible, outline your new direction or decision, provide the process and timeframe for correcting future mistakes.

  We all blunder. We need to show grace when others make them and take responsibility when we make them. Thankfully, we have a forgiving Father for our countless sins. We’re to forgive others as He has forgiven us (Eph. 4:31-32). Being a forgiver is what it means to be a Christ-follower.

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.  

Don't Bury Your Praise!

 “Eternity will be too short fully to recount His praise. 

Let us not shorten our joy by neglecting to begin on earth.”  Henry Law

   A gravestone has finally returned to its resting spot in a Michigan cemetery after it went missing nearly 150 years ago. It was discovered by an auctioneer who found the gravestone during a Lansing, Michigan estate sale last August. The family had used the marble slab to make fudge, but no one could remember where it came from. 

  So, with the family’s permission, the auctioneer contacted a local cemetery preservation society to return the stone to its rightful place. Society members looked for relatives of the gravestone owner, Peter J. Weller, who died in Lansing in 1849, but they couldn’t find any survivors. Eventually, they learned that when Weller’s grave was moved to a different city cemetery in 1875, the monument somehow ended up in the family’s home. On Sept. 26^th, the group conducted a memorial service for Weller marking the return of the gravestone. 

  We’ve all made our cooking mistakes but I think that they really “fudged” on that one. Using a gravestone to cook with has to be up there with one of the top gauche decisions of all time. It’s a bit like using a human femur to stir soup. Some things just ought not to not be done.

  Just as wrong is designating gratitude to the month of November or to the Thanksgiving Season. Praising God needs to permeate our lives 365 days a year, 24/7. Nothing so changes your life as growing into a person of praise. Too many of us compartmentalize praise and make it “church stuff,” when it should be life stuff. Gratitude should be woven into the fabric of everything we do, not relegated to a few hours at church on Sunday. 

  Have you ever tried to think of things to praise God for and struggled to come up with much? While I rarely have difficulty coming up with things to pray for, praise isn’t as easy. Here are five that will help: 

  1) His love endures forever! God loves us so much, He sent His Only Son to be the sacrifice for our sins. Never mind all the time that we spent ignoring Him, disobeying, etc., He still loves us. (John 3:16; Rom 5:8).

  2) His grace is amazing! His capacity for forgiveness is never-ending. No matter how much we fail, His grace is more than enough. (Eph. 2:4-5).

  3) He is sovereign overall! While none of us know all of the mysteries of life, God does. When you feel out of control, or that the world is out of control, He has it all under control (Ps. 103:19).

  4) He is omnipotent and omniscient! God has the power to do anything and everything! He knows everything and is never surprised. Nothing is beyond His power or knowledge. (Mt. 19:26).

  5) He is always faithful! The Bible promises that the Lord will be with us always, and He’s our ever-present help in times of trouble. (Ps. 46:1). God is awesome and has designed us to praise Him. After your personal quiet time with the Lord, the best place to praise the Lord is in your own home…Our homes and marriages should be permeated by praise. Parents become frustrated when their child whines or chronically complains. Yet, where did they learn that? Too often, it’s from us. How often do our children hear us praising the Lord? How often do we thank our spouse or praise our children? 

  If you put a dollar in a jar over the course of a week for every time you complained and took one out for every time you praised the Lord or thanked someone, you’ll probably have lots of money in the jar by the end of the week.

  Praise and gratitude must be the believer’s default setting. Last year when the pandemic rules began to loosen New York Times reporter, Soumya Karlamangla described how she experienced “a small burst of joy.” Every return to some old, familiar activity, from hugging people to getting haircuts to wandering the aisles of grocery stores, became “almost wondrous” to her. At least for a while, but then, she admits, the feelings began to fade. 

  Karlamangla had some advice for people looking to preserve that “post-lockdown feeling:” practicing the lost art of gratitude. “Once a day, stop and appreciate what you’re able to do now that you weren’t last year. You can make a mental note, tell your partner, text your friend or write it down in a journal. The method doesn’t matter, as long as you’re making a deliberate effort to acknowledge that things have improved.” 

  She goes on to cite scientific evidence of the physical and mental health benefits of cultivating gratitude, including better sleep and higher levels of happiness. “Feeling thankful for the little pleasures in our lives,” she concludes, “can add up to make us happier people overall.”

  Precisely because the pandemic was so disruptive to normal life, our emergence from it provided incredible opportunities for embracing this kind of gratitude. Habitually practicing gratitude is extremely beneficial for us, even for those who don’t believe in God. For that reason alone, we can hope that Times readers take Karlamangla’s advice seriously. Yet for us as Christians, gratitude isn’t some mental health strategy. It’s a profound way of telling the truth: to ourselves, to others, and to the whole world.

  Complaining isn’t harmless; it’s serious sin. The Apostle Paul wrote, “And do not grumble, as some of them did — and were killed by the destroying angel” (1 Cor. 10:10). Think about it. Who are our complaints really against? God. That’s so convicting! Who gave you whatever you find it most tempting to complain about from your spouse to your children to your job to your country to your government to your church (Nah, no one ever complains about church).

  Israel lost forty years wandering the wilderness because when they should have been praising the Lord for His deliverance from slavery in Egypt and provision and protection in the wilderness, they bellyached. We must grow weary of wandering in our own wilderness of discontent and ask the Lord to forgive us. Then, we must learn the habit of praise. Yes, there are some terrible things going on in our world and in our lives. Our Father though is in control. He’s the One we need to share our cares with. We must learn to live in Philippians 4:6, and not just at Thanksgiving, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

  Grumbling should be as rare for a believer as using a tombstone to cook with. Let’s commit to being people of praise!

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 Literal Devil? This is 2021 not 1321!

 “There is no devil in the first two chapters of the Bible and no devil in the last two chapters. Thank God for a book that disposes of the devil.”  Vance Havner 

   During the autumn of 1944 Germany had been beaten back behind its borders. The Nazi war machine was in tatters and the repeated bombing raids of the Allies all but assured that Hitler’s forces would never rise again. Around the perimeter of Germany’s borders, the Allies spread a thin line of forces. One person observed that Allied forces were was so scattered that a man could slip in between its lines without being observed. 

  All across Europe, there was celebration. Parties, dances, speeches all of them rejoicing in Germany’s defeat. The war was effectively over. The only problem was that somebody forgot to tell Hitler and Nazi Germany. 

  Even as his forces were being shattered and driven back Hitler was devising a plan for one last onslaught. Underground factories churned out more weapons, armament and ammunition. More of Germany’s young and old men were conscripted and trained for war. As Europe celebrated, Hitler conspired. His goal was not to drive back the Allies into the sea, as much as it was to divide the British to the North and the Americans to the South, so demoralizing them that they would sue for peace on his terms. Hundreds and thousands of men died because somebody forgot that the enemy still lived and that the war was not completely over.

  We have a much greater and more evil Enemy than a Hitler. His name is Satan. Intellectuals and those in academia are shocked that there are still people who believe in a literal Devil. After all, this is 2021, not 1321.

  If you do not believe in moral absolutes, if you believe that good and evil are relative and on a continuum, then it’s easy to scoff at a literal devil. When evil is relative, it quickly becomes a socially constructed concept, different for each culture and society. It’s held then that different cultures have varied ideas and beliefs about what constitutes “evil.” What is evil to some may well be acceptable and even valuable for others. Morality, good and evil become nothing more than an opinion a world flooded with them.

  To explain away evil or to suggest that it’s only a social construct or a psychological problem is impossible to rationalize away in light of some of the vile evils of just the last century. Was the Holocaust, the genocide of six million Jews who were systematically murdered, nearly two-thirds of Europe’s Jewish population a sociological aberration? How could one witness Auschwitz or Treblinka or any other death camp and come to that conclusion? Or conclude it was a psychological failure not a moral one?

  What about Stalin’s Great Purge? How does one rationalize that evil is not real or there is no face of the Devil behind the large-scale repression of the peasantry or the ethnic cleansing by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union? After assessing twenty years of historical research in Eastern European archives, American historian, Timothy D. Snyder concluded that Stalin deliberately killed about 6 million, which rises to 9 million if foreseeable deaths arising from his heinous policies are taken into account.

  Is the Rwandan Genocide of a million souls, the Cambodian Genocide that butchered between 1.5 and 3 million people at the hands of the Khmer Rouge, or Mao’s Great Leap Forward that ultimately exterminated tens of millions, with death estimates ranging even between 15 and 55 million, making the Great Chinese Famine the largest one in human history just social constructs? Just ask the families of the 17 victims of Nikolas Cruz if evil is subjective? Ask them if there is no such thing as right or wrong?

  Evil has a face. Such depths of perversity can’t be explained without a literal Devil. Satan is the great deceiver. One of his greatest deceits is to convince people that he doesn’t really exist. But Satan really does exist, just as surely as God exists. He isn’t some vague, impersonal force; he is a real person—that is, he has a real personality. Just as you and I can think and make decisions and act, so Satan can think and make decisions and act. The difference is that everything he does is evil—without exception—because he is totally opposed to God.

  The Bible teaches that Satan is the number one enemy of God and mankind. Satan comes from a Hebrew word meaning adversary. Devil comes from an equivalent Greek word also meaning adversary or slanderer.

  Throughout Scripture Satan is known as “the ruler of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2); “the god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4); “one who has the power of death” (Heb. 2:14); “the cosmic powers of this present darkness” (Eph. 6:12); “the great dragon (Rev. 12:9); “the evil one” (Matt. 6:13); “the tempter (1 Thes. 3:5); the accuser of the people of God (Rev. 12:10); and “the father of lies” (John 8:44). But praise God, he is a defeated foe. Wise are the words of Ann Voskamp, “Satan prowls but he’s a lion on a leash.”

  While Satan is a very powerful, spiritual being who hates God and His people, he isn’t equal with God but is engaged in a constant battle against God. We must not take him lightly. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against…the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ”

  The most important truth that Christians need to remember is that Satan is a defeated foe. By His death and resurrection, the Lord Jesus overcame all the powers of death and evil, and someday His victory will be complete.

  While skeptics deny the reality of Satan, Bible believers cannot. God’s Word warns us to be aware of his plans. “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Believers must resist him vigilantly and steadfastly, aware of the reality of his plans to defeat us. When tempted, we must submit ourselves to the Lord, resist him and he will flee (James 4:7).

  A little girl was once asked how she defeats Satan. She said, “When Satan comes knocking at the door of my heart, I send God to answer the door. When Satan sees God, he says, “Oops, I am sorry, I must have the wrong house.” We can’s defeat Satan on our own. We need God’s strength to enable us to conquer him. We must fight Satan, but we must only fight Satan through the power of God proclaimed through His Word. The victory was won 2,000 years ago but we must be vigilant in the fight until Satan’s final defeat. We will win but only in our Savior’s power!

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.