Who will rescue you?

“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation.” Henry David Thoreau

Earlier this month three men in their 40s were on a fishing trip in a 20-foot skiff with an outboard motor near Micronesia, about 1,800 miles east of the Philippines. Their initial goal was to fish around an island named Pikelot, but the skiff was damaged when they approached the island from surging swells. They hit a coral reef, putting a hole in the boat’s bottom, causing it to take on water. Their only hope was to make it to a nearby island. They ended up stranded on an uninhabited Pacific Island with no radio or means of calling for rescue. 

  When they’d been missing a few days the Coast Guard received a distress call from a woman who said her three uncles were missing and hadn’t returned from their fishing trip. The initial search area was more than 78,000 square nautical miles. With no other way to communicate their dilemma the three-fisherman spelled out ‘HELP’ on the beach using palm leaves. Navy and Coast Guard aviators eventually spotted the sign from several thousand feet in the air. It was a crucial factor in their being discovered and rescued after their nine-day ordeal.

  Don’t you love a great rescue story? That’s what the gospel is all about. It’s the greatest rescue story ever told. The continual theme throughout the Bible is our desperate situation, all the way from the Garden to the last pages of the book of Revelation. Yet we were in worse shape and more desperate than those three fishermen. Our need for rescue is not just about this life, it’s about eternity. And worst of all, most of us don’t even know that we need to be rescued. We know that something is wrong but we’re often unsure of what it is. Like that hole in the boat, we know that we can’t fix it ourselves.  Why is that?

  Recently, I’ve been reading the book of Ephesians in my personal devotions. Ephesians 2 outlines for us why we desperately need rescuing yet are often totally ignorant of it. We know something is wrong. We know there’s something missing and a deep discontent in our hearts and lives. But we don’t know enough to even cry out to be rescued.

  It goes all the way back to those first chapters of Genesis with Noah’s ark. Though often presented as something like a child’s fairytale, Noah’s ark is the account of the world being so vile, astonishingly more than we can begin to imagine today, that God destroyed it after warning all of its inhabitants with the preaching of Noah for well over a hundred years. Because of Noah’s faith in God, he and his family were rescued from the floodwaters. The message of Noah’s ark is that for God to be holy and just, He must judge sin, yet He will always show mercy and rescue those who trust Him and have faith in Him. So, what do we need to be rescued from…

  The biggest problem we have is sin. Ever since Adam and Eve, we all sin and choose to sin. Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Sin is the cause of all our problems. It’s the cause of disease and death. It’s why there are wars in the world and fights in our homes. While some sin more than others, God is perfectly holy and just. Because He is, He can’t allow any sin in His presence which includes heaven.

  The cost of sin is death. Think of a child and a parent. When a child disobeys, the relationship with the parent is strained. The parent still loves the child and still has the child’s best interest at heart. The child never stops belonging to the parent. However, the child will experience consequences: mistrust, discipline, a sense of guilt, etc. So, it is with us and God. When we sin, we’re rebelling against God’s rule in our lives. According to Romans 6:23, the cost of our sin is death. When we sin, we experience “death” (a brokenness resulting in pain). God is perfectly just and the only just payment for sin is death, both physical and finally eternal.

  The God of love is the God who rescues. Like a parent with a child, God loves us and does not want to punish us. Yet, like a judge in a court of law, God is just – for justice to be justice, the penalty must be paid. A loving God’s plan from the very beginning was to pay the price of His own justice with the death of His perfect Son on the cross. That’s the full meaning of John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

  On the cross, a just God took all of the guilt of this world and placed it on His own innocent Son. It’s why darkness filled the world the day Jesus died. God couldn’t bear to look at His own Son. Because Jesus paid for all of our sin, God can now be both just and Justifier (Romans 3:26) of those who put their faith in Jesus. God rescued us from our sin and guilt.

  Just as God rescued Israel from slavery in Egypt (the book of Exodus), God rescues us from the slavery to our own sin. If you somehow foolishly don’t believe that sin is enslaving, try quitting gossip or griping or anger or impatience on your own…and those are some of the seemingly insignificant sin habits in our world.

  God’s rescue is a gift that you must personally accept. Did the Coast Guard owe this rescue to the three fishermen? If the stranded men had to pay for this rescue, it would potentially have been an impossible debt for them to repay. The Bible continually speaks of salvation as a free gift from God. Scripture emphasizes the fact that salvation is something given freely by God rather than something we can earn. Ephesians 2:8-9 contrasts salvation as a gift from God with human efforts when it teaches, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

  What must you do with a gift? You must accept it. If you have to earn it or pay for it, it’s no longer a gift. God gave His Son, Jesus, to die for us. How could we even imagine paying God back for the gift of His Son?

  A gift simply must be accepted. If one of those stranded fishermen had turned down the Coast Guard’s assistance, could they still be rescued? No. What if they’d said, “I’ll repair the boat or make my own.” They’d have died on that island. In the same way those who refuse God’s free gift of salvation will die in their sins and ultimately face God’s justice.

  My friend, God wants to rescue you, yet you must accept His gift of salvation. Have you done that? Have you accepted His free gift of rescue?

Can we help you spiritually? 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 Adam Sandler???

 

“What distinguishes genocide from murder, and even from acts of political murder that claim as many victims, is the intent. The crime is wanting to make a people extinct. The idea is the crime.”

                                                                            Philip Gourevitch

 

It’s a scene being repeated on university and college campuses across the country. On April 5^th Rutgers University President, Jonathan Holloway, held a town hall with students. It devolved into anarchy, and for his safety, he had to flee the scene with a police escort. But Jewish students who came to ask about how the administration would keep them safe on campus were left to beg the remaining police to escort them out as other Hamas supporting students chanted genocidal slogans calling for intifada and the destruction of the Jewish state. How deplorable! On an American university campus students are screaming for Israel to be annihilated and celebrating the intifada, which is physical violence and murder of Jews.
  As the war in Gaza grinds through its deadly sixth month, this month also marks 30 years since the world turned its back on Rwanda’s Tutsi minority. The 100 days of killing that became known as the Rwandan genocide began on April 7, 1994. Hutu extremists murdered 800,000 Tutsis. Mark it down! If Hamas had their way, it would be a genocide of Jews in Israel.
  Hamas is committed to exterminating all Jews. Don’t be fooled. They don’t want a Palestinian State. They and other radical Islamic groups won’t be satisfied until all Jews are exterminated. This is not about land, it’s about genocide.
  Worldviews matter. If Hamas had their way celebrity Jews like Adam Sandler, Hailee Steinfeld and Ben Platt would be exterminated, along with an estimated 2.4 million Jews that are our friends and neighbors, living in the U.S., who are part of the 16 million Jews in the world.
  Not all Palestinians are aligned with Hamas. Hamas is an evil, terrorist nation that not only kills Jews but uses Palestinian civilians, women and children, as human shields. To oppose Hamas is not to hate Palestinians.
  What’s the bottom line? As Bible-believers, we are pro-Israel yet to be obedient to Scripture, we cannot be anti-Arab. Add to that, many Arabs are Christians and our brothers and sisters in Christ. We share a solidarity with them as Christ-followers. Radical Islam’s first objective is to eradicate all Jews, but then to eradicate all Christians.
  Even though many Jews are atheists, they’re still God’s chosen people. The nation of Israel is the land that God promised them. Here’s what the Apostle Paul said. “The God of this people Israel chose our fathers…He gave them their land as an inheritance” (Acts 13:17, 19). “The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29). Israel’s continuing chosenness gives ongoing spiritual significance to their land. If God had rejected the Jews, it would be theologically reasonable to expect Him to take their land away from them forever, just as He has with other nations. But since He hasn’t rejected them. The land given to them by God is still their inheritance. That’s the biblical logic that led Robert Murray M’Cheyne to anticipate in 1839, with astonishing foresight, that God would eventually restore the Jewish people to their ancient homeland, which He did in 1948.
  After the cross and the birth of the Church though Israel as a nation is no longer the special focus of God’s redeeming work. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the promises made to Israel. The Church, the New Covenant community is made up of both Jews and Gentiles. A person isn’t saved on the basis of being genetically related to Abraham, (Romans 9). While we look prophetically for a great turning of the Jewish people back to God through Christ, as Christians, we must be clear in our conviction that no one enters the family of God or receives the blessings and favor of God apart from a personal faith in Jesus Christ.
  Supporting Israel is not a blank check. It’s the responsibility of the international community to hold Israel accountable to the rules of war. Reasonable attempts must be made to minimize civilian casualties of Palestinians in Gaza. While much of the world is condemning Israel, as Bible-believers and those committed to justice, we must call out the unspeakable evil perpetrated by radical Islam. There is no choice but for Israel to take strong measures against Hamas’ decades-long campaign of terror. Yet, to defeat Hamas, they can’t be evil like Hamas. Non-combatants must be protected as much as possible.   
  None of this in light of what biblical prophecy tells us is a surprise. The book of Revelation tells us that Israel would be attacked. As Jesus’ first coming was promised, so is His return. There is coming a day when our just God will finally bring all the evil in this world to an end.
  Until then, we live with an ever-present fear of horrible destruction. Let one person press one button and a nuclear disaster could happen. There are wars on top of wars. Russia has invaded Ukraine. China threatens Taiwan. Israel is attacked by Hamas from the south and Hezbollah to the North.
  So, what can Christ-followers do? First, “Pray for peace in Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6.)  Israel is special to God by covenant. Jesus was born there. He died there. He rose from the grave and will ultimately return there. The tiny nation of Israel has been the most disputed land in history. It’s the staging ground of God’s story of salvation and His final redemption.
  While we don’t always know what governments should do, we do know what we as Christ-followers must do. The only thing Christians can do with absolute certainty is to share Christ’s gospel of peace. During times of conflict and international crisis, it becomes even more vital for believers to make evangelism a top priority. By loving people and proclaiming the good news, we can bring hope and healing amid the chaos and uncertainty that crisis produces. These situations provide unique opportunities for evangelism. When people fearfully face challenges and seek answers, they’re more receptive to hearing the message of Christ. By prioritizing gospel sharing in these difficult days, we demonstrate the love and compassion of Jesus while offering the transformative power of His grace.
  My friend, if you’re unsure of your own spiritual state, may this and other crises be a catalyst to turn you to Christ. Jesus Christ died on the cross for sinners like you and me. He does not want anyone to perish. He loves us and longs for each of us to know His forgiveness and peace.

Can we help you spiritually? 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. 

Isn't the Old Testament...just old?

 

“The Bible was not given to increase our knowledge 
but to change our lives.” D.L. Moody

 

Have you ever had a TV show that for you was a “must see”? I’ve had a few; 24, Star Trek Next Generation and Band of Brothers. The only one with depth and life lessons would be Band of Brothers. The others were just “entertainment.” The Bible is so different. It’s life changing, both for this life and eternity. 

  This morning we’re picking up our series in 2 Samuel with chapter 5. Unlike most TV shows, Scripture doesn’t have happy endings. The heroes often act terribly unheroic – just like us. And rarely do most TV shows have an ongoing story. Everything is tied up in a nice, neat package in less than an hour. But life isn’t like that. Our failures often have long-term consequences, affecting us and our descendants. So, 2 Samuel, like the rest of the Bible, isn’t about good people. It’s about a great and gracious God.

  Like us, David truly loves God and wants to do the right thing, but he has a sin nature. When he succumbs to sin, it has huge ramifications. God though loves to take our messes and transform them into His masterpieces. It’s why we need a Savior and someone to rescue us…from ourselves. As we work through 2 Samuel, I hope it encourages you to read and study not just 2 Samuel but all of the Old Testament. So, here are some reasons why New Testament Christians should study the Old Testament.  

  The Old Testament was Jesus’s only Bible and makes up 75% of our Bibles. If word count says anything, the Old Testament matters to God. The Old Testament was His first special revelation. It sets the foundation for the fulfillment that we find in Jesus in the New Testament. The Old Testament was the Bible of Jesus and the early church (e.g., Luke 24:44; Acts 24:14; 2 Timothy 3:15). It’s a major part of our Bible. Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). “The Law and the Prophets” that Jesus is referring to is the Old Testament.

  The God of the Old Testament is the same God of the New Testament. The book of Hebrews begins: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son” (Hebrews 1:1-2). The same God who spoke through Old Testament prophets like Moses, Isaiah, and Malachi speaks through Jesus! The same God who had His hand on David’s life is the same God who had His hand on the early church in the book of Acts.

  Sometimes someone will ask, “Isn’t the Old Testament’s God one of wrath and judgement, but the God of the New Testament is about grace and freedom?” Yet God is as just and wrathful in the New Testament as He is in the Old. That’s because He’s holy and has perfect justice. Certainly, there are numerous expressions of God’s righteous anger in the Old Testament, just as there are massive manifestations of blood-bought mercy in the New Testament. Wonderfully, in Jesus all saving grace reaches its climax. In the whole Bible we meet a God who is faithful to His promises. He takes both sin and repentance seriously, and so should we!

  The Old Testament announces the same “Good News” that New Testament Christians enjoy. The word gospel means “good news.” It refers to the truth that, through Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection, God reigns over all and rescues sinners who commit their lives to Him. Paul wrote, “the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘In you shall all the nations be blessed’” (Galatians 3:8). Abraham knew of the message of global salvation that we enjoy. Prophets, like Isaiah, anticipated the day when the Messiah, and the many servants identified with Him, would share comforting news to the poor and broken, news that the saving God reigns through His coming King and deliverer. Reading the Old Testament is one of God’s ways for us to better grasp and cherish the gospel.

  Jesus said that all the Old Testament points to Him. After his first meeting with Jesus, Philip told Nathanael, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote” (John 1:45). Do you want to know as much about Jesus as you can? The Old Testament authors wrote about Him! Speaking of the Old Testament, Jesus said, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about Me” (John 5:39). Following His resurrection, “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, [Jesus] interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27).

  That doesn’t mean we limit teaching about Jesus’ to a few messianic prophecies about His first coming. The Old Testament clearly anticipates both the first and second coming of Jesus, David’s greater Son. If you want to know Jesus, read the Old Testament as well as the New. It’s vital that we read, teach, study and live out the Old Testament like Jesus and the Apostles did for our own personal spiritual growth and the good and spiritual growth of God’s church.

  New Testament authors expect us to read and study the Old Testament. The New Testament quotes the Old Testament in ways that encourage us to look back to the original context. For example, Matthew 27-28, portrays Christ’s pain and triumph at the cross by referring back to Psalm 22. To fully understand their words, New Testament authors lead us back to the Old Testament through their quotations, references and allusions.

  In our study of 2 Samuel, we’ll see both the highs and lows of a man of God. We’ll see the heavy destruction of giving into temptation. We’ll discover that like us; David needed a Savior. From a human perspective David had it all – power, fame, wealth – but like us, without Jesus, it’s never enough. 

Can we help you spiritually? 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. 

"Flowers" Aren't Enough?

 “You know the perfect storm? Not when you fail, but when you succeed and you finally get your perfect life, with you at the center. It’s the poison of your kingdom coming, 

and your will being done.”  Ray Ortlund

 
At the 2024 GRAMMYs, Miley Cyrus’s hit, Flowers, took home two awards for Best Pop Solo Performance and Record Of The Year. Following her first win
, she performed her song featuring the unforgettable ad lib, “I started to cry and then I remembered I just won my first GRAMMY!”

  Flowers is one of the top songs of the year. It has a catchy tune and unlike too many popular songs isn’t laced with profanity. The song is focused on self-empowerment. Many fans believe it’s aimed at Cyrus’s ex-husband, Liam Hemsworth. In the song she nods to her prior relationship with near Taylor Swift levels of easter eggs. It’s a song of independence and a freedom of need from anyone else. As the chorus states:

 

I can buy myself flowers

Write my name in the sand

Talk to myself for hours, yeah

Say things you don't understand

I can take myself dancing,

I can hold my own hand

Yeah, I can love me better than you can.

 
  It appeals to a culture where the greatest achievement is self-sufficiency. Yet, despite her popular song that hasn’t worked out very well for Cyrus with her much publicized bouts of depression, drug use and alcoholism.  
  Like other stars who seem to have it all, I fear for her. The failure of the myth of independence, self-sufficiency, fortune, sexscapades, fame is all around us. The list of celebrities who struggle with addiction, depression, and relationship stability is legion. Though just thirty-one Cyrus is already known for having a dozen different romantic relationships. Based on her past record, it is highly doubtful that independence, self-sufficiency, or empowerment will be in her future. But what about us?
  God designed us for Himself and a relationship with Him. The only thing that will ultimately fill that hole in our soul is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He is there to help ease human loneliness. Yet, God also designed us for relationships and community. Sometimes Christians foolishly suggest that Jesus should be enough, but that never was God’s plan. Remember that the only thing declared “not good” in the Creation was man alone. Jesus encouraged us to meet with each other to find Him: “When two or more gather in my name, I will be there” (Matthew 18:20).
  As we read Scripture, we see a myth attacked that even many Christians hold – marriage and family is enough. Yet, the message of the Bible is about finding connection to Jesus and a believing community, along with one’s biological family. Family is not enough. The message of Scripture is of loving our neighbor and lifting up our brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s a message of timeless truth that a lonely culture desperately needs to hear. 
  In our hunger for relationships American Christians are waking up to a need to move away from the attractional church model or a consumer driven one. People are starving for meaningful relationships. It’s not about “what’s in it for me,” it’s about glorifying Him and loving each other. Thinking too much about yourself will wreak havoc in your life. It’s why we need a church family.
  A family of believers helps us stay grounded in the Word. It’s not just about our feelings, God’s Word is our true north. It speaks truth to us, grounds us, gives us wisdom, and a whole lot more. We’ll have healthy relationships as we’re all in the Word consistently, growing in grace.
  A church family helps us stay more sensitive to the Holy Spirit. It’s vital that we’re biblically literate and feeding our souls on God’s Word. The Spirit uses the Word to cultivate spiritual growth, godliness, and unity. We need a healthy discontent that motivates us to seek to be more like Christ.
  A church family encourages you to serve the Lord and those around you. As believers, we’re invested in the spiritual wellbeing of our brothers and sisters because we’re invested in God’s kingdom. God designed us to serve Him and each other. Together we unite for a vision and mission so much bigger than ourselves.
  As a church family, we love those who apart from grace we probably wouldn’t like and definitely wouldn’t socialize with. Because of the cross, we’re blood brothers and sisters. We believe that others have the potential and ability to achieve what God has called them too. We become their cheerleaders and encouragers. We continually share hope.
  When you love your brothers and sisters, you give away one of your most limited assets – time. Selfishness shrinks. As we take the time to listen to someone who is burdened or struggling, we demonstrate God’s love. Life is not just about us or even our family. Praying for and with others helps us fight our sinful nature of being self-absorbed.
  A healthy church family has an open circle. They’re continually looking to welcome others into the family. They’re not cliquish. A healthy church grows warmer through fellowship, deeper through discipleship, stronger through worship, broader through ministry, and larger through outreach.    
  A healthy church family is future oriented. They recognize that they’ll never be “home” on this earth. Their heart beats with Christ’s love for those who don’t yet know Him. Their hands reach out and their feet are ready to go wherever the Father leads them. They desire more than addition — they desire multiplication through evangelism, disciple-making, more small groups, and church planting until He returns to take us Home.
  The key to happiness isn’t from self-empowerment. A major source of depression is the societal problem of lost connections. It’s why an all-wise God designed us for community. The fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) grows in the garden of healthy Christian community.

Can we help you spiritually? 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.