Family Traditions

 

"I make our family traditions a priority.” Martina McBride

One of the highlights of my childhood years was going rabbit hunting at my grandparents’ farm in South Georgia. In his book, Uncle Remus, Atlanta writer, Joel Chandler Harris, writes about rabbits living in briar patches. It’s accurate and why we’d hire someone to bring dogs to chase rabbits out of the briars which were very thick, often growing waste high.
  I’d stand with my grandfather, PaPa, who waited with his shotgun for a rabbit to run across the grassy road. Other hunters were trying to keep up with the dogs. I loved it! It was exciting to be in the woods with my dad, brothers, Mike and Mark, grandfather, and my Uncle Harold, who was an unforgettable character with a sense of humor that was as big as he was.
  We didn’t have a lot of traditions in my family yet the ones we had have stayed with me through the decades, like going to Ormond Beach each summer. We’d play in the ocean in the morning after a breakfast of cold cereal out of mini-cereal boxes, sandwiches for lunch and then so my mom didn’t have to cook, we’d go to a local cafeteria for dinner every night.
  Jane’s family had more traditions. One that I loved, and we still continue was on Christmas morning. Every year no gifts were opened until Dad Quick read the Christmas story from Luke 2. It was wonderful!
  There’s something powerful and positive about family traditions. Jane and I tried to have some when our children were growing up. Yet, to be honest, because of growing up in a family with substance abuse issues, there were many things about family I just didn’t know. For children growing up where there is addiction, staying out of the crosshairs of rage is a priority.
  Jane and I did many of the same things each year, yet they weren’t as purposeful, looking back as I would choose now. Then, when you grow up in a family without a biblical worldview, there is so much you’re working to learn because you never saw it modeled.
  Kent and Barbara Hughes wonderful book, Common Sense Parenting, that’s been reprinted with the title, The Disciplines of a Godly Family, was the first time that I had heard of having purposeful godly family traditions. Unfortunately, we did more by accident than planned, at least on my part.
  Yet, it’s never too late to begin. Some of you may have just returned from a dysfunctional family gathering over Thanksgiving or observed destructive patterns in the families of some of your loved ones. If you’ve grown up in a destructive family tradition, you might feel negative or despondent about it. All of us are a product, to a significant degree, of the way we were brought up. God’s Word teaches that there’s always hope! You can change the past path and set a new course from what you had even with your children when they were growing up. You can do it now or with your grandchildren. It’s never too late to move forward to honor the Lord.
  One of the myths of American culture is that family events must be big and expensive to be significant. Children have no concept of costs. They’re aware of love, joy and a sense of harmony. Every parent has discovered to their chagrin after purchasing a big ticket, must have gift for a child at Christmas, that it’s all too quickly discarded for the next novelty. The things which have lasting significance can’t be purchased. Consistent and simple is more important than a one-time big bang. This is also one of the blessings of a church family. Some of us have learned from our mistakes (yes, that’s my hand up in the back) or grew up in a godly home. So, interact with others, share your past, ask lots of questions, get input. None of us have it all together. We’re all works in progress of His great grace!
  Birthdays and Holidays. As children thrive with daily consistency, patterns and consistency for birthdays and holidays give them a sense of security. Creativity and some imagination go further than spending lots of money. In my opinion a backyard party where children play and interact with other children and adults has more value than the bells, whistles and noise of say a Chuck E. Cheese. A friend once referred to Chuck E. Cheese as a “kid casino.” He may have been on to something.
  A downstairs playroom accomplishes the same thing. And if you’re part of the Grace Church family, our gym and building is available to you. We have so much sports equipment at church and there are countless Nerf guns and other fun items. It’s yours to use!  
  On holidays being with loving grandparents and extended family gives a child roots. There’s something about those family recipes, sitting together at a large family table or sitting with your cousins at the “kids’ table” that gives us precious memories. I’m not a big sports fan, yet there’s something special about gathering with the family to watch the big game or play games or just laughing at the same old stories until you’re crying.
  If your situation isn’t healthy or healthy for your children, limit it. Learn to be a good “leaver.” When I know that at a party or event alcohol will be consumed, I leave before those I care about become intoxicated. I don’t want a friend or family member to be embarrassed or feel they need to apologize for something said or done when they were under the influence.
  Vacations. Visiting with distant parents/grandparents has some benefits yet it limits special times that you can have with your own children. When our children were young because of limited finances, we often would have to stay with relatives for vacation. We had a tradition though that right after Christmas we’d drive to a hotel within about three hours. One year all of us were armed with laser tag gun sets and battled throughout the hotel…and they didn’t kick us out lol.
  There are benefits of returning to the same place if you can periodically. Rather than having to learn about the location, you can focus more on learning about each other. Yet, we also made fantastic memories visiting some great sites in our country like Washington, D.C. or Yellowstone.
  In the Bible, particularly in the Old Testament, you’ll find that God gave His people several special days. It helped them to know God better and gave them spiritual memories.
  Traditions are important for a healthy family. As we move into 2024, prayerfully look for some that you can start or determine to continue!

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. 

Purity is Creepy???

 

“To see evil and not call it evil is evil.” John Hagee 

Imagine attacking a politician because he/she is too concerned about their own personal morality and more than that, the protection from pornography of their own underage child. Yet, that’s exactly what’s happened recently with the newly elected Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson. 

  What’s the “deviant” thing that he’s done that’s brought so much mockery from the national media? Johnson is taking flak for using an accountability software called Covenant Eyes to protect himself and his adolescent son from watching pornography. The program shares what sites you visit with an accountability partner. It red flags when you visit a porn site, using accountability as a means to protect those who subscribe to the service.

  Rolling Stone called his actions “creepy.” The New Republic suggested that Johnson has “unusual porn habits.” Los Angeles Times columnist, Robin Abcarain in criticizing Johnson said, “Porn is not, in and of itself, a problem” and even went so far as to say that “there is a wealth of research disputing the very concept of pornography addiction.”

  Wow! Porn isn’t an addiction??? Even Psychology Today defines an addict as: “A person with an addiction uses a substance, or engages in a behavior, for which the rewarding effects provide a compelling incentive to repeat the activity, despite detrimental consequences. Addiction may involve the use of substances such as alcohol, inhalants, opioids, cocaine, and nicotine, or behaviors such as gambling.” Work with someone with difficulty staying away from porn and they’ll admit it’s an addiction. Talk to a spouse whose mate is addicted and how it impacts their relationship, and they’ll have no problem labeling pornography as an addiction.  

  It’s noteworthy that in the same news cycle ridiculing Johnson, a U.S. judge approved JP Morgan Chase’s $290 million settlement for women who Jeffrey Epstein sexually abused and that the largest U.S. bank turned a blind eye to the late financier’s sex trafficking. Nearly every day there’s a report of someone, often a teacher or minister, being charged with a sex crime. Where do those mocking Johnson think sex crime begins? Trace it back, the abuser first began by viewing pornography, often something in today’s XXX world that’s fairly innocuous.

  Have we so quickly forgotten the MeToo movement? Again, where does sexual abuse begin? I seriously doubt that you’ll discover any sexual abuser who was not first a porn addict.  

  None of us are surprised when those on opposite ends of the political spectrum attack each other. There’s plenty of fodder from which to hurl bombs, but one’s personal morality? It’s as abhorrent as those who took cruel shots at President Obama’s then underage daughters. Ours is truly the day of which Isaiah the prophet wrote: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil” (Isaiah 5:28).

  Please understand. I’m not suggesting that anyone who looks at pornography will eventually commit sexual crimes. God’s Word repeatedly teaches that lust is a sin. Jesus said that “anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” He was saying that sins of the eye and mind are as wrong as sexual acts.

  All sin has a high price, but sexual sins have a higher price than many others. Pornography attacks Imago Dei, the dignity of men and women created in the image of God. It warps God’s precious gift of sex which should be shared only within the bounds of marriage (1 Corinthians 7:2-3).

  A biblical perspective of human sexuality must recognize that sexual intercourse is exclusively reserved for marriage for the following purposes. First, it establishes the one-flesh union (Genesis 2:24-25; Matthew 19:4-6). Second, it provides for sexual intimacy within the marriage bond. The use of the word “know” indicates a profound meaning of sexual intercourse (Genesis. 4:1). Third, sexual intercourse is for the mutual pleasure of husband and wife (Prov. 5:18-19), as well as procreation (Genesis 1:28).

  Pornography is damaging to both singles and marrieds, yet is especially crippling to marriages, as it damages the ability of its users to maintain an ongoing, committed union. If a Christian is single, he/she violates it by engaging in random sexual fantasies with the innumerable others that are viewed in pornography. It’s attempting to enjoy the ecstasy of sexual union without any of its commitments or responsibilities. Since a one-flesh union is both authentic and exclusive, it’s falling far short of the biblical standard and carries a high personal price to one’s own soul and mental health.

  When a married person uses porn, he/she steals from the sexual energy the couple has vowed before God that’s to be reserved for one’s spouse and is instead wasted in selfish, private fantasies. In essence, it’s embezzling from one’s spouse what is rightfully his/hers, and is instead spending it irresponsibly, much as a gambler steals funds from an employer to support an addiction. What properly belongs to one person is thus stolen, making the term “cheating” all the more applicable.

  Sexual perversion is not new. It goes back nearly to the Fall. Some well-meaning Christians believe that we must attack this perversity head-on in a Fallen world. The Bible never teaches that. God did not call Christ-followers to reform a dying world but instead to share the hope of the Cross in regeneration. The best way to make a difference in our morally insane world is to model a biblically healthy sexual ethic, as can be done in a Christ honoring marriage.

  No one dines at a great restaurant because they attack all of the other restaurants for foul food. They dine there because it’s so much better. Marriage needs to be presented not merely as a license for sex but as a living metaphor of Christ’s love for His Church.

  Do you want to be a beacon of hope to a hurting world? Honor the Lord through biblical purity. Honor Him by sacrificially loving your spouse in a way that pleases King Jesus. Let the fulfillment of your own committed marital love be a model of God’s grace!

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. 

PNA

 

“If you believe what you like in the gospel, and reject what you don’t like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself.”  Augustine  

Although about two-thirds of Americans have a prescription medication, approximately 50% of them don’t take their medications as prescribed. It’s a phenomenon known as “medication non-adherence” (MNA). It’s the cause of a huge amount of unnecessary physical and emotional suffering, financial loss, and premature deaths that cost too many individuals precious time that they could have with their loved ones. 

  When someone tells you that a kidney stone is painful, believe them. After self-diagnosing that my recent extreme back pain was a pulled muscle (Web MD told me to get my will prepared), but after no relief I realized that “Dr. Carson” was painfully wrong. After one trip to Urgent Care and another a day later to the ER, they diagnosed correctly that it was a kidney stone. When I was able to schedule an appointment with my urologist, Dr. Tran, I was feeling a lot better and assumed I’d probably passed the stone. But kidney stones are one of Dr. Tran’s specialties and he informed me that based on the size of the stone and the small amount of time that had passed, it was unlikely that it’d ever pass on its own. Now I had a choice, to trust “Dr. Carson,” who was relying on Google or the expert who’d gone to medical school, had a license to practice medicine and over a decade’s experience. It seemed wiser to trust the expert, so I did.

  A pastor is a “soul doctor.” The Bible teaches that he’s to be a man of God and saturated in God’s Word. God has not called us to share our feelings or opinions but His truth. He’s to love the Lord and those He’s been called to pastor. He’s to want God’s best for those under His care.

  When a pastor shares counsel either in the pulpit or personally with you that’s based on God’s Word, it’s wise to listen. Yet as many ignore their doctor’s advice, many in a church ignore their pastor’s biblical counsel. Here are some of the more common areas.

  Meet your Savior daily for breakfast. Nothing is so life altering, so prepares you for every part of your day than starting the day in God’s Word and in prayer. Yet, you’ll continually meet Christians who long for peace yet won’t take the time to meet regularly with the Prince of Peace.

  When something is important, we make it a priority. One of my mentors used to say, “No Bible, No Breakfast.” It doesn’t need to be a spiritual marathon. It needs to be consistent. And it doesn’t have to be in the morning in case you’re not a morning person. It doesn’t even have to be reading, though there are some benefits of reading with engaging several senses. You can easily listen to a passage of Scripture, if that works for you. There really is no excuse. We have so many tools today. You won’t be a healthy Christ-follower without consistent time with the Lord!

  Gather personally for weekly worship. As our culture increasingly becomes unchurched, there are innumerable options and “obligations” on Sunday morning than ever before. The early church felt the same pressure. A high percentage were slaves, which is why they’d either meet before the workday began or after it. The church that I grew up in was one of the first to have a weekly radio broadcast. It was designed to minister to those who couldn’t attend worship, usually because they were physically unable to come. With the advent of Covid, every church launched a media ministry.

  Watching worship can never replace being personally part of a worship service. It’s the difference between a microwave dinner and a homecooked meal. It’s why Scripture commands us to gather for weekly worship (Hebrews 10:25). It’s amazing that while we’re casual about personally attending worship in America, the persecuted church throughout the world takes great risks to gather for worship. They know that personal involvement is key to spiritual health, even though it’d be safer to watch a media ministry. It's in community that we’re stretched as we interact with those unlike us, economically, personality wise, politically, marital status, age-wise. Most of us tend to group with those like us. It’s not God’s plan. God uses the diversity of a church family to help us grow spiritually.

  Make serving and sharing part of your life. Selfishness comes naturally. Because of sin we all have an “I” problem. Yet, self-oriented individuals are miserable. We are saved to serve (Ephesians 2:10). Why do most people visit a therapist? “To talk about MY problems.” Love, joy and peace don’t come from being self-focused. Serving the Lord is to stretch us! While it’s true we’re to serve our families, remember Jesus washed Judas’ feet. Service often includes those we may not want to serve. Selfishness guarantees carnality but serving is vital for spiritual growth.

  Then, we weren’t saved to hoard the gospel. We were saved to share it. The most miserable Christians and churches are those that have discarded the Great Commission. They become petty and self-focused. Seeing individuals rescued and lives revolutionized is our purpose.

  Praise and gratitude are habitual. Read the pages of Scripture and you can’t help but notice how the Bible is filled with praise and gratitude. It’s God’s will that they fill our hearts. Yet, observe a world without Christ and you can’t help but notice how its brimming with griping, complaining and criticism. Sadly, most wear their unhappiness right on their face.

  As Christ-followers, we’ll never have pain-free, trouble-free lives, but we know the One who is in control. We also know how blessed we are. This life is as close to Hell as a Christ-follower will ever get…and it’s so short in comparison to eternity in heaven! Even our suffering has a purpose. Our heavenly Father is in control of the heat and will let nothing happen that’s not in His plan, even though we may not understand. The worst we experience is being used for His glory and our good (Romans 8:28).

  Obviously, there are many more. These are some of the basics. Please make these a part of your life and you’ll be astounded how much they help you. I love our church family and I love you. More than that God loves you and wants the best for you, so please follow His prescription!

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. 

The Blessing of Pain

 

“Pain isn’t the enemy. The inability or unwillingness to face pain is a far greater danger.”  Samuel Chand 

To be honest, I haven’t been through much physical pain in my life, at least not nearly as much as many friends that I know, even many of you at church. Some of you know that last Sunday after church I had Jane drive me to Urgent Care. For some reason I’d been in excruciating back pain that would come and go during the previous week. On Sunday morning it hit with a vengeance. Praise the Lord! He gave me the strength and grace to preach in both services. I can’t remember being in such pain. On a scale of 1 to 10 I’d put it at a 15. It turns out that I have a kidney stone. 

 There are many kinds of pain: physical, emotional, relational, even spiritual pain. I know that I’ve faced most of them with the loss of my mom and through the years, bouts with depression. Yet, I believe that Sam Chand pegged us right, at least he’s pegged me: In his book, Leadership Pain: God’s Classroom for Growth, he writes: Christians often have more difficulty handling personal pain than unbelievers. They look at the promises of God and conclude that God should fill their lives with joy, love, support and success. That’s reading the Bible selectively. The Scriptures state – clearly and often – that enduring pain is one of the ways, perhaps the main way, God works His grace deeply into our lives.”

  November is the Thanksgiving month. Too often we forget, I know that I do, The Blessing of Pain. As Christ-followers, we have something that those who don’t know Jesus can’t have. Instead of escaping pain, in Christ we can actually embrace pain. Let me suggest why.  Pain helps us grow. Read the pages of Scripture, you will be pressed to find anyone that God didn’t greatly use that He also didn’t greatly wound – from Joseph the Patriarch to the Apostle Paul.

  Some years ago, my dear friend and Jane’s brother in-law, Fred Froman, shared with me that when he’s going through pain he prays, “Lord, help me to learn the lessons that you want me to learn from this.” That’s been my prayer ever since. Over the last few years our family has gone through a valley of relational pain. I’ve found myself continually praying that prayer because I know God is good and I want to trust Him. That’s a prayer that I’m sure the early church frequently prayed as they suffered so much.

  Someone wonderfully wrote: “As Christians we would never learn how to forgive if we did not know the pain of mistreatment. We would never learn how to be kind if we have not experienced unkindness. We never ‘grow’ in treating people fairly if we have not experienced the pain of being treated unfairly. We would never grow in giving if we have not been taken advantage of. We would never grow in prayer if painful circumstances didn’t drive us to our knees. We would never appreciate joy if we didn’t know the pain of sorrow. We would never experience the Lord’s comfort if we didn’t know grief. We learn what is involved in being in a good relationship by having been in a bad one. A tree grows stronger as the winds bend it back and forth, and in like manner we grow stronger to face life as the winds of pain buffet us. In Christ we learn the winds of adversity may bend us, but they will not break us. So, there can be no growth in our lives if we never experience any pain.”

  Pain helps us evaluate what’s truly important in life. When we only experience pleasure and happiness, we easily lose sight of what’s truly important. Too often we place material possessions at the top of the heap of our priorities, yet a knock at the door delivering bad news or a call from the doctor, informing you that you or a family member has cancer stops us in our tracks and motivates us to inventory our priorities. It’s in time of pain that we realize that our most valuable possessions are the relationships we have with others, the love we share with family and friends, and our relationship with Jesus Christ. Pain causes us to realize that laughter, love, a greater awareness of the frailty of life, the coo of a baby, a sunrise and sunset are more valuable than a full bank account.

  It’s through pain that we learn our own frailty and dependence upon the power of God. When pain comes it drives us beyond ourselves. There are some things in life we can’t handle on our own. Pain brings us to the end of ourselves. What do we do during times of pain? Where do we turn?

  Paul points us to our source when we face our own fragility. He prayed in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 three times to the Lord to remove a “thorn in the flesh” that he was experiencing. He records the Lord’s answer and his response to the Lord, “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Paul learned that God’s power was sufficient for his weakness, but he’d have never known that if not for his pain. As Christians, we possess the Holy Spirit who indwells us that enables us to be strong even when the pain of life makes us weak.

  Pain reminds us that this life is temporary, and we have an eternal Home in heaven as our ultimate destination. My earth suit is wearing out, but I have a perfect, glorified, painless one waiting for me.  And I have so many family members and friends waiting for me in Heaven. It will be a reunion beyond words. When we lose someone that we love, pain pierces our hearts. We weep much because we loved much. It reminds us that death is only a heartbeat away for all of us. Our Savior though is “the resurrection and the life.” While pain can temporarily fill our eyes with tears, Jesus promised to one day dry all tears in a Land where there will no longer be any suffering or pain.

  While our first inclination is that all pain is to be avoided, the Bible teaches that’s not the case. Our Lord sees the end result as the most important aspect of what we experience. As Christians, let’s be thankful that even in the midst of our pain we serve a Savior who wept through human eyes and has the power to weave both the good and bad into a masterpiece so that when it’s all said and done, it will amaze us.

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. 

Spooky Speech

 “Profanity is wrong not simply because it shocks or disgusts, but at a much deeper level, profanity is wrong because it trashes that which God has declared to be holy and good and beautiful”  Ray Pritchard'

What are some of the worst smells? What smell, if you’re standing near someone and smell this odor coming from them, you move downwind? 

  Like a hammer and nails to a carpenter, books are the tools of pastors. Yet, books like quality tools can be very expensive. My mentor, Pastor   Dave Cummins, took me to my first used book sale when I was a freshman in college. He taught me to scour used bookstores and thrift stores for quality yet inexpensive books. Fortunately, Jane is very gracious because I’ve probably dragged her into more used bookstores than most of you could ever imagine. Because it became a fun hobby of looking for great finds, our family sold used books to fund our children’s college education.

  Amazon altered the used bookstore world and there are few left. In the past, besides books you’d often find that many used bookstores had a resident cat, and some bookstore owners weren’t meticulous about hygiene.

  Unbeknownst to a cat owner, cat urine stench will seep into their clothes. I’ve moved downwind a few times. My worst experience was being trapped on an elevator with a bookstore owner who reeked of it. It seemed like one of the longest elevator rides of my life and it was only one floor.

  The Bible teaches that Christ-followers are to be distinctly different. John Stott says we’re to be a Christian Counter-Culture. That means a Christ-follower should be the best employee or employer, neighbor, or citizen.

  Being a Christian should also radically change the way that we talk. While an unregenerate culture can gossip, complain, insult, etc. – Christ-followers are to be different. It’s noteworthy that in a culture that purports to value education, most people today would have difficulty having a conversation without coloring the air blue with four-letter words.

  As Christ-followers, our language is to be different. While most know that the third commandment of the Decalogue prohibits taking the Lord’s name in vain, we often fail to see how other “bad words” hurt our testimony. They’re so commonly used in our world that we hardly give it a thought.

  In a column in World magazine, Janie B. Cheaney, compares such talk to B.O. She writes: “Bad language divides into two general categories: profanity (misuses of divine things and divine names) and vulgarity (impolite words for anatomy and bodily functions).” Yet even a lost world knows better. Earlier this year in an interview with Vanity Fair, Selena Gomez shared that when she worked for Disney, they “explicitly told” her to not say the phrase “What the hell?” Even a pagan company realizes that commonly used profane/crude phrases hurt their image and corporate bottom line.

  Such words quickly become a habit. We don’t even notice how much of such communication has crept into our words or even social media posts.

  Did you know that one of the most-read series of the last few years, The Hunger Games trilogy, doesn’t have a single swearword in all of its pages, even though God is totally irrelevant to the story which ends without hope?  

  Possibly, some of you may be thinking that I’m drawing attention to this is because I’m a pastor and I automatically talk “heavenly,” so this is a non-issue for me. Believe it or not, I wasn’t raised on an Amish Compound. In high school, before the Lord got ahold of my heart, I ran with a rough crowd. Then, two of my early jobs were in commercial roofing and in water well drilling for the oil field. The language in both places was crude. And I’d be a liar if I said that at moments of frustration or anger (pastors get angry, too), that those words don’t cross my mind.

  The Bible teaches that as a born-again Christian, my tongue and words are not my own (1 Corinthians 6:20). Jesus bought us off the slave market of sin when He died for us. That means believers can’t just talk as they please. As Christ-followers, we are to be distinctly different in nearly every way. To quote Scripture, “we are not our own.” That means that it’s a sin if we talk like an unbeliever, whether it’s gossip or gutter language.

  While our sin debt is paid and we are now free, as Christians, we must be careful that our liberty doesn’t erode into license. Ephesians 4:29 prescribes how we are to talk: “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” It’s hard to see how crude language builds up others or gives grace. More often it’s used by a Christ-follower to somehow look “cool” to a lost world or rationalized as building gospel-bridges. It just doesn’t work. It’s like a senior citizen trying to dress like a teen. Everyone knows that it’s not appropriate…except the senior.  

  It’s heartbreaking that the place we’re most likely to use crude words is in our marriage or with our family. We feel it’s safe to let our guard down. Yet, from a biblical perspective, our kindest and most gracious words should be around those who are closest to us and who we love the most.

  But what do we do about unbelievers who use language that bothers us? Ignore it! God has called us to lead the lost to regeneration, not bring about external reformation. For years I worked in the business world. I never corrected anyone’s language because for someone who hasn’t committed their life to Christ, talking like hell is the least of their concerns. Speaking of hell, Christ-followers using that word casually bothers me more than most other crude words. That’s because Scripture teaches that hell is real, horrible, and everlasting. It’s not something that I believe we should joke about or allude to casually. Incidentally, check the New Testament out for yourself. Jesus talked more about hell than heaven. I don’t want anyone to go to that horrible place, not even my worst enemy.

  In America, certain words can’t be used on TV networks or in G-rated movies. Those words will be “bleeped” out by censors. G-rated is a good standard for Christ-followers but instead of “general,” let’s make that “G” stand for godly or gracious. Remember the popular book, “What would Jesus do?” or WWJD. As Christians, we should change that to “What would Jesus say?” WWJS. I think that guideline would glorify our Savior. 

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. 

Please don't date set!

“The apostolic church thought more about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ than about death and heaven. The early Christians were looking, not for a cleft in the ground called a grave but for a cleavage in the sky called Glory.” Alexander MacLaren

 Recently, California pastor and the head of the church, Harvest Christian Fellowship, Greg Laurie, claimed in a sermon that the Hamas’ attack on Israel was predicted in the scriptures 2,500 years ago. In his sermon on October 8^th, Laurie said, “that End Times events were foreshadowed to take place around Jerusalem…if you get up in the morning and read this headline, ‘Russia Attacks Israel,’ fasten your seatbelt because you’re seeing Bible prophecy fulfilled in your lifetime before your very eyes.”

  While I appreciate that Laurie went on to say that we don’t know when Jesus will return, I believe he overstepped what the Bible tells us. No one can connect a straight line from the attack on Israel by Hamas with Old Testament prophecies. Yet, because of what is happening in Israel many well-meaning Christians are asking, “Is what is happening in Israel today the fulfillment of biblical prophecy?”  The simple and I believe biblical answer is, “No one knows.” What is true is that we must be very careful about reading current events into the Bible.

  As believers, we grieve over the horrific events of October 7^th. Like any other nation, Israel has every right to defend itself. We must remember these militant Islamic groups don’t believe Israel has a right to exist and will not be satisfied with Israel being driven from the Middle East but will only be satisfied with the extermination of every Jew on the planet. It’s impossible to negotiate with someone who wants you annihilated.

  Modern day Israel was born on May 14, 1948. At the end of World War II sympathy for the Jews increased after the Holocaust. A year prior to that, the United Nations proposed a partition of Palestine for Jews. While Jews approved the plan, Arabs opposed it.

  Once Israel declared its independence as a nation five Arab nations declared war on the fledgling country. Unbelievably Israel won and many Palestinians fled. Another war erupted in 1967, the Six Day War. Israel was outnumbered 30-1 and again won. The Yom Kipper War erupted in 1973 and Israel defeated their enemies again. There has been bloodshed in the Middle East for centuries. While we long for a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Arab conflict, no lasting peace will be achieved until Christ returns.

  God is not done with His chosen people, Israel, though something like 50% of Jews claim to be atheists. Personally, I believe that the promises God made to Israel in the Old Testament will be literally fulfilled – in God’s time when Jesus Christ returns.

  This conflict is very complicated, and one cannot also justify the often brutal treatment by Israelis of Palestinians. Yet, nothing justifies the massacre of civilians or terrorism as Hamas did recently. To equate what Hamas has done in this recent attack to Israeli brutality isn’t a moral equivalent. Yet, our love for Israel must not negate our love for Arabs and Muslims, “For God so loved the world…” The gospel is global.

  When events like these take place, some begin to read today’s news into ancient prophecy. Others date set. The Bible warns us to be cautious with prophecy and to not date set. The date-setting predictions people make have always been wrong. Throughout history, self-proclaimed prophets, well-meaning preachers, and outright charlatans have declared that a specific date was the day that Jesus would return, and then He didn’t. Those prophets had just proven they were not true prophets (Deuteronomy 18:21-22). Here are some reasons that we must not date-set.

  Date setting contradicts Jesus’ clear teaching. While the Bible does promise Christ’s return, Jesus Himself stated that no one could know the time: “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows” (Mark 13:32). It’s hard to imagine intentionally avoiding Jesus’ words (which are also recorded in Matthew and Luke), but I surmise that a desire to sell books or gain followers is more valuable to some than truth. Anyone who proposes a date for Christ’s return is directly opposing Christ Himself. We must honor all of our Lord’s teaching, whether it pertains to the past, present or future.

  Date setting claims more knowledge than Jesus had. Whether you interpret Jesus’ words in Mark 13:32 in relation to the Rapture or in relation to His return to earth to establish His kingdom, Christ did not claim to know the date. It is both wrong and arrogant to claim to have more knowledge than Jesus.

  Date setting eradicates the imminency of Christ’s return. Once a date for Christ’s return is set and announced, the implication is that Christ could not return before that date. That contradicts the New Testament’s teaching of imminency (that Jesus could return at any moment). Rather than living ready for Christ’s return, we look for signs or events preceding His return.

  Signs are not for the Church. The Apostle Paul’s instructions were to “wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, Jesus our deliverer from the coming wrath” (1Thessalonians 1:10). Let’s not lose our focus or the joy of our blessed hope (Titus 2:13) by embracing the fallacy of date-setting. Christ’s return could happen at any moment.

  As wars take place around the world, with pandemics and other global crises, the fear of end-time catastrophes grips many hearts. It won’t be long and yet another New York Times bestseller filled with dates and frightful predictions will hit the shelves, or some TV preacher will be on the airwaves with the latest prediction. Yet before that happens, the moment could arrive. Christ could come and He could come today. His return is imminent. We are wise to remember His words and be ready: “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows.” Let’s choose to be among those who are prepared and waiting for His return rather than trying to force God’s Word into today’s headlines.

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. 

Only a Man Named David

 

“A hero is someone who has given his or her life

to something bigger than oneself.” Joseph Campbell

 

Fame, power, and wealth can carry a steep price. Celebrities place great value on how they look and what they wear and how much they make. But they get bored with it all and forget about the important things of life like health, marriage, family and doing things for others. Even Bible characters, even those described as having a heart for God like David was (Acts 13:32), can easily forget God. That was King David. Even the greatest hero or heroine has a sin nature and feet of clay. 

  Oliver Cromwell was a political and military leader in 17^th century England who held the official title “Lord Protector of England.” He once commissioned an artist to paint an official portrait that would enshrine his appearance so that future generations would know what he looked like. It was typical in such portraits for the artist to paint the person’s appearance in a way that made the person more attractive. (It was an early version of photoshop.) According to one famous anecdote, Cromwell told the artist who was painting him to paint him “warts and all.” God’s Word certainly paints its characters warts and all. That’s one way that we know that God is the author. Human authors would have edited out those parts that reveal their evil, failures and foibles.
  That’s certainly the case with David. 2 Samuel continues the account of David, one of the Bible’s greatest heroes – but paints him “warts and all.” While 1 Samuel shares the account of a godly David struggling and on the run for his life because of the sins of others yet still trusting God with a deep faith, 2 Samuel tells the story of that same faith but now it’s needed because David suffers from the consequences of his own sins. The responding mercy and grace of God for a faltering David amplifies the truth of Romans 5:20: “where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.” David desperately needed God’s grace and so do we.
  We need to hear that message again. Ours is the day of Celebrity Christianity. The Church can’t seem to divorce herself from this People magazine approach to spiritual leaders of today or heroes in the biblical narrative. We hang our hopes on some seemingly great man or woman of God, perhaps a leader of a ministry or church. And when there is a  surrender to the same sin nature that each of us has, other Christians are disillusioned and even abandon Christianity. They had their eyes on a man or woman of faith when Christianity is about Christ.
  The message of 2 Samuel is about walking through with life as a fallen sinner. It means dealing with danger, enemies, jealous friends, marriage, broken relationships, bitter adult children, pride, politics, betrayal, humiliation, rejection, siblings, sickness, sexuality, justice, fear, peace and death. Yet always at the forefront and in the background of circumstances, events and people is God. It’s always God who is there and with whom we deal. God can never be dealt with in some antiseptic, sterile theological laboratory as a specialty of heaven, but in the muck and mud of this earth.
  2 Samuel is simultaneously heavenly and earthly. David’s life doesn’t present us with some sanitized ideal but with a roughed up, scarred life in which we see humanity at its best and its worst. We see God’s hand in the mess of the human situation. Perhaps no other biblical account has the extreme ups and downs than the life of David. It’s a life that hides from God, yet turns to God, comes alive before God, more aware of God and continually responsive to God with a tender, trusting heart.
  David never forgot who really placed him on the throne. Even after experiencing remarkable success in battle, David remained humble. Later in his life, in 2 Samuel, after David was crowned king and had conquered his enemies, the prophet Nathan told him of God’s promise to extend his dynasty forever. David responded in humble prayer: “Who am I, Lord God, and who are the members of my household, that You have brought me this far?” (2 Samuel 7:18). While David knew immense success at everything he went after, he never took the credit or considered himself worthy of greatness. He continually gave all the glory to God. He’s an example to us.
  One of the greatest examples that David gives us is his integrity. He doesn’t blame Saul or that he was the youngest or was mistreated as a young man. Instead, he takes personal responsibility for his sin and failures. He openly admitted when he was wrong and took the blame for his choices. That’s a sign of deep integrity. Even in the church when we’ve been infected with the Adamic blame game, David models for us how to be cured and healed and freed.
  We can never be fully human without God. Contemporary humanity has attempted to jettison God as our Designer and His manual, The Bible, of what it means to have a fulfilled humanity. The results are monstrous. Each human life is a great gift with every part designed by God. It means that every person, every part has a purpose and is blessed by God and life God’s way is meant to be enjoyed and fulfilling.
  We can run from God, but we can’t hide, as David learned. We can’t ever escape God. He’s always there, whether we like it or not. We can act like He doesn’t exist just as one can say that the sun doesn’t exist, but the sun keeps on shining, and God is always there. But what we lose is our humanity and we suffer. Our lives are diminished and impoverished.
  Ultimately, 2 Samuel points us to the future coming “Son of David,” the one true King. Jesus is the pivotal point in all of God’s revelation. He gathers 2 Samuel and all of Scripture into His orbit. He’s the center and provides coherence. Between the lines of 2 Samuel and David is the coming King, King Jesus. 2 Samuel is just another page in His great story!
  As we work through 2 Samuel, we’ll see David with his successes and failures. We’ll see hope and grace. Yet, best of all, we’ll see King Jesus Who is our one true King! Is He your King? 

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.