A Christ-follower with a limp

Sunday, April 17, 2022

FORGIVENESS!

“To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable
because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you” C.S. Lewis

It was the slap heard around the world. What was to be another self-congratulatory Academy Awards Ceremony went viral after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock in the midst of the ceremony. Social media and pundits debated “should he?” or “shouldn’t he?” on whether Smith should have reacted or if Rock overstepped boundaries with his cruel joke. Yet, what was missed by many was something that distinguishes Christians and the Church from every other segment in society – FORGIVENESS.

Denzel Washington did something increasingly rare these days. He sought redemption for someone who’d made a serious mistake. After the incident, Washington and actor/director Tyler Perry reportedly put their arms around Smith and prayed with him during a commercial break. Why? During an interview, Washington said, “But for the grace of God go any of us. Who are we to condemn?”

It appeared that most of the rest of Hollywood, after at first giving Smith a standing ovation when he won “Best Actor” for his role in the film “King Richard,” quickly turned on him and condemned his behavior. Smith apologized to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and later apologized to Rock. But the Academy has banned Smith from attending a ceremony for ten years and he’s now resigned from the Academy.

The Academy doesn’t understand God’s forgiveness. God’s desire is redemption. It’s what’s wrong with our world today. Relationships from marriages to parent-child ones to work ones to even our penal system know nothing of forgiveness, repentance, redemption, and restoration.

Condemnation is the norm in our politics and culture these days. Condemnation only leaves people condemned. It never gives hope or produces life change. Instead, it has the effect of hardening hearts, both of the one who condemns and the one on the receiving end.

The message of the Cross, Easter’s message is that there’s a better way. It’s what we celebrate today! It’s what believers celebrate every Sunday.

In her book, Hope Has Its Reasons, Rebecca Pippert, shares of counseling a woman that could not forgive herself for aborting her unborn child.

The woman told Pippert, “I cannot forgive myself! I have confessed this sin a thousand times, and I still feel such shame and sorrow. The thought that haunts me the most is how could I murder an innocent life?”

Pippert took a deep breath and said what she’d been thinking. “I do not know why you are so surprised. This is not the first time your sin has led to death; it is the second.”

The woman looked at her in utter amazement. Pippert continued, “When you look at the cross, all of us show up as crucifiers. Religious or non-religious, good or bad, aborters or nonaborters-all of us are responsible for the death of the only innocent One who ever lived. Jesus died for all of our sins-past, present, and future. Do you think there are any sins of yours that Jesus did not have to die for? It does not matter that you were not there two thousand years ago. We all sent Him there. So if you have done it before, then why could you not do it again?”

The woman stopped crying. She looked Pippert straight in the eyes and said, “You are absolutely right. I have done something even worse than killing my baby. My sin is what drove Jesus to the cross. It does not matter that I was not there pounding in the nails, I am still responsible for his death. Do you realize the significance of what you are telling me? I came to you saying I had done the worst thing imaginable. And you tell me I have done something even worse than that.”

Pippert comments, “I grimace because I knew this was true.” Then the woman said, “If the cross shows me that I am far worse than I had ever imagined, it also shows me that my evil has been absorbed and forgiven. If the worst thing any human can do is to kill God’s Son, and that can be forgiven, then how can anything else-even my abortion-not be forgiven?”

Pippert concludes: “I will never forget the look in her eyes as she sat back in awe and quietly said, ‘Talk about amazing grace.’ This time she wept not out of sorrow but from relief and gratitude. I saw a woman literally transformed by a proper understanding of the Cross.”

Smith’s slap is a minor misdemeanor compared to Deicide, the murdering of God. If we’re honest, we can all relate to the Apostle Paul’s confession of 1 Timothy 1:15: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—and I was the greatest of them all” (Living Bible). I too am the worst sinner that I know. I am responsible for murdering God and so are you. The reason that we can forgive is that we have been forgiven of so much. There is nothing that Christ’s death on the Cross didn’t pay for.

A constant theme of the New Testament is that Christians, the forgiven, are the forgivers. We’re following Jesus’ example who from the Cross said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

Ephesians 4:32 commands us, “ forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” The first Church martyr, Stephen, prayed for the forgiveness of the ones hurling stones at him. The history of the Church is a constant thread of forgivers. One of the greatest indications that one is truly a Christ-follower is that one has not only been forgiven but is also a forgiver.

It’s the only way you can explain the wives and children of the five missionaries killed by the Auca Indians in Ecuador who returned to share the gospel of forgiveness with the ones who’d murdered their husbands and fathers. Other than the power of the gospel and God’s forgiveness how else do we explain the response of the families of those slaughtered by White Supremacist Dylann Roof? Roof murdered nine people during a Bible study at Emanuel African Methodist Church in Charleston. He was convicted and sentenced to death, but the survivors and relatives of the victims extended grace and forgiveness to him, his wife and his children, shocking the nation!

Easter reminds us that two things distinguish Christians from a hateful, vengeful world. We’ve been forgiven and we forgive! That’s real power! That’s the gospel! Have you met the One who can truly transform your life? Have you met Jesus, the One who died in your place? Have you been forgiven? Are you a forgiver?

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.

Sunday, April 10, 2022

Lucky or Puddles?

“Wake up every morning being thankful for the gift of life

with the thought that something wonderful is about to happen.”

When Robin Hughes read a book about the weather to her kindergartners, she noticed that they looked confused when the children in the story started to sled, make snow angels, and participate in other fun snow day activities. And that’s when it hit her: How many of these Floridian children had even seen snow? Curious, she asked them just that…and only two kids raised their hands.

“I was shocked that they had not seen snow. It’s hard for kids to understand the concept because they don’t have the relevant knowledge,” said Robin. That’s when she began to think outside the box. With family still living in Kentucky, she texted her sister a very important request that started with a classic question: “Do you want to build a snowman?” She then explained that, should it ever snow enough in Kentucky, she wanted her to try to overnight a snowman through UPS to her school.

When January 8^th rolled around, her sister’s city had an impressive 10” of snow — enough to build a small snowman. After a bit of planning, she carefully secured the snowman in foil and then surrounded it with ice packs and Styrofoam. The sisters paid $75 to have him overnighted to Florida…and then it arrived! It was a moment of truth: Had the snowman survived the trip? Robin and another teacher gathered the students together for the big reveal, explaining beforehand that if their snowman friend arrived intact, he’d be named Lucky. If not, he’d be called Puddles. Thankfully, as soon as Robin opened up the box, she excitedly let everyone know that Lucky had made it all the way from Kentucky without a scratch!

“I was so excited because he made it and just the pure joy [the kids] had seeing this snowman,” Robin said. “They wanted to touch him. ‘Is he coming to life?’ [they asked].” Since that day, the children have yet to get over their love of Lucky. Currently, he’s being kept in the school cafeteria’s freezer. But at least twice a day, he’s taken out on a silver platter for them to touch, admire, and ask questions. As is the case with all snowmen, Lucky won’t stay like this forever. The school devised a great plan for where he’ll go next. When spring rolls around a melted Lucky will help water the newly-planted garden near the kindergartners’ class.

When I heard about Lucky the Snowman, “I thought what a great story, and then I thought, what a great teacher!” What a fantastic way to celebrate and enjoy the little things in life and bring joy over something that most of us take for granted – snow! Too many of us miss out on day-to-day blessings and enjoyments.

If you hang around some Christians, you’d conclude that believers are to be miserable. Years ago I remember entering a local restaurant for a pastors’ meeting. As I walked in the hostess asked, “Are you here for the pastors’ meeting?” and I quipped, “No, I’ve been sick.” Too many pastors and Christians have faces that look like they chronically imbibe sour milk.

One of the continued themes of Scripture and particularly the book of Ecclesiastes is that God wants us to enjoy life. God created Eden which was beautiful and perfect. It included everything our first parents could ever imagine enjoying. God wanted them (and us) to enjoy His creation. He wants us as His children to enjoy life.

That begins with enjoying the Giver, yet our thoughtful Heavenly Father wants us to enjoy His innumerable gifts in the here and now. Too often we’re spinning like hamsters on a wheel and miss out on enjoying His countless good gifts. God wants us to enjoy this life.

It means that we have to slow down. I’m looking forward to warm weather. There’s nothing like a walk in the warm spring air, smelling flowers in bloom, hearing birds singing, or listening to the wind in the trees. I love to sit on a bench in our front yard and read, and enjoy God’s wonderful creation right in front of me.

The Bible talks a lot about enjoying your marriage and your family. It seems that the longer we’re married the little annoyances become big and traits in our spouse we appreciate shrink. As I’ve done marital counseling over the years, I’ve often found that the annoyances that are “big” usually add up to about 5 or 10% of the relationship. Yet, what’s overlooked is the 90% we appreciate about our spouse. It’s a matter of focus.

Then, far too many parents miss out on enjoying their children being children. Each stage is a new adventure. It’s never boring. Parents tend to love the early years but allow the teen years to become irritations and even battlefields. That transition from childhood to adulthood is exciting. We’re to give our children roots and wings. As they begin to move into adulthood, we see the character and spiritual seeds we sowed during those formative years bearing fruit. It can be very fulfilling!

We must learn to enjoy the little things. We’ve been fed a lie that enjoyment is only in the big things like a super vacation or an extravagant meal. What’s lost is the day-to-day and moment-by-moment enjoyment that God has given us. The “little things” become big when they’re missing.

For example, most of us give little thought to a warm shower but if the hot water heater goes out, all of sudden what was small becomes huge. Our chocolate lab, Ernie, is aging. It won’t be long before he won’t greet me at the door anymore. It will be a tough day. There’s just something special about a soft bed with clean sheets where you can smell the freshness. Or how about homemade bread or a tomato fresh from the garden?

As we learn to stop and take the time to enjoy the “little things,” each day becomes a new adventure. This week take time to enjoy God’s wonderful creation, even if it’s a snowman delivered by UPS.

Sunday, April 3, 2022

Elections Have Consequences

“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither Liberty nor safety.” Benjamin Franklin

Like you, I’m thankful things are opening up across the country from the pandemic. Yet, I’m cautiously optimistic. If you follow politics, then you know that politicians are driven by pragmatism and a desire to stay in power.

Most Americans have wearied of the mandates. With mid-term elections approaching, those who put in place many of the draconian mandates know voters have short memories. Elections have consequences. If Christians do not vote for those who understand the vital importance of religious liberty, if power-hungry leaders are re-elected, once November is past or if there’s another virus blip, it’s not unimaginable that those same leaders will again use their power to re-issue draconian mandates that impact the Church.

It’s noteworthy that those most opposed to the beliefs of Christians consistently sought to shut down church assemblies. They’re very cognizant of the power of assembled believers. While they have little problem with Christians worshiping in the privacy of their own homes, they fear gathered assemblies and are opposed to the public expression of faith and religious freedom.

Here are a few examples: A church in Nevada had to seek relief in federal court from the Governor’s executive order subjecting churches in the state to strict numerical limits on congregants at religious services while allowing casinos to operate at 50% capacity. Across the country, marijuana dispensaries, liquor stores, and abortion clinics were deemed essential while churches were not. These closures infringed on the 1^st Amendment as enumerated in the Bill of Rights, our right to the free exercise of religion.

Ideology became very clear when the same politicians encouraged demonstrators and rioters to assemble with no social distancing and spotty mask-wearing. Using the pandemic as an excuse, officials threatened to permanently shut down synagogues, banned drive-in church services (even where worshippers remained in their own cars), and forbade singing or chanting in religious services, while decreeing that massive protests with screaming and singing were allowed. Ideology drove the double standard by which some rights were protected and others were not.

Historically, religion and its adherents have been often oppressed by government. America has been singular in its dedication to preserving the freedom of its people to expect and experience religious freedom. Tragically, that’s rapidly changing, yet too many of us are unfamiliar with our history and the high price our ancestors paid to secure religious liberty.

If one goes back to incidents such as the great flu pandemic in 1918 and 1919, lessons were learned and Christians took time to work through these things. Three important principles developed from that crisis.

First, actions undertaken by the government should be temporary. Second, the actions should be rational. And third, they should be generally applicable.

Yet, in the COVID pandemic, one by one, most governments violated one or more of those principles. In other words, a restriction handed down by the government in the name of something like a pandemic must be temporary, rational, and generally applicable.

Generally applicable, in that it applies to everyone equally. It’s not targeted. It’s not targeted toward Jews or Baptists. It’s not targeted toward bakers or mechanics. There may be differences because of the particular circumstances but the law is to be generally applicable.

Those were continually violated. Restrictions were put in place that put religious congregations at a distinct disadvantage when it came to gathering together. Over time, that very issue of a restriction of necessity being justified by it being generally applicable was violated repeatedly. But it’s the principle of such a restriction being temporary that perhaps has been most egregiously violated.

Add to that the toxic comments of leading media outlets recklessly blaming religious groups for the spread of COVID, further polarizing people of faith from those who do not value faith or religious freedom or are anti-religious. Elites know that fear of things like Covid is a powerful motivation to manipulate public opinion toward a targeted group that they want to cancel out the influence of.

This is vital! If we lose our religious freedoms in America, we are not the only ones to lose. If America loses its enthusiasm for defending religious liberty, what are the implications for religious believers now being horribly persecuted all over the world?

Already diabolical harassment and murder of Christians are taking place in Iraq, Syria, Nigeria, and China and it only increased during the pandemic. One factor unites all these stories and all the suffering endured by Christians persecuted for their faith across the globe — an almost total media silence in the mainstream media. Shockingly, that silence extends to the plight of the Uighurs in China. It’s beyond question that members of this Muslim ethnic group are being herded by Beijing into “reeducation” camps that employ torture and other grotesque methods to pressure Uighurs to abandon their religion and culture.

Too many Christians vote economically or along party lines or even for personal benefit. It’s time for Christians and the Church to vote first for Kingdom values. It’s a crucial moment for believers across the country to understand what’s at stake and shore up religious freedom at home and abroad. If America’s desperately important policy of defending religious freedom around the world is brushed aside, it’s great news for dictators, torturers, and sinister specialists in religious “re-education” everywhere. Yet, whether the Church will step into the breach is an open question.

It’s time for the Church to be the Church, even in the voting booth. Elections have consequences. We must vote for those who understand the importance of religious freedom whether they’re evangelical, Jewish, Hindu or Muslim. Houses of worship must never again be indefinitely closed. Indefinite restrictions on religious freedom contradict the ideals on which our great country was founded. We must vote for and support those who understand our basic rights that God has blessed us with in America.

Sunday, March 27, 2022

Christian Know-It-Alls Are Frightening

“Pride is a person having too high an opinion of himself. Pride is the first sin that ever entered into the universe, and the last sin that is rooted out. Pride is the worst sin…Pride is God’s most stubborn enemy!..There is no sin so much like the devil as pride.” Jonathan Edwards

In the third century, Cyprian, the bishop of Carthage, wrote that Christians don’t “speak great things, but we live them.” Yet, it’s easier to speak about truth than it is to live out the truth. But Christians who only talk yet fail to walk are frightening. The most frightening Christians that I encounter are those who act like they have all of the answers. They love to share their opinions and pontificate to other “mere mortals.”

No doubt you’ve run across them. Hopefully, you’re not one. It sometimes feels like they’re ubiquitous. They either have a blog or use their Facebook page (or post on everyone else’s) sharing their insights. They’re on Twitter slamming all the other ignoramuses out there.

By now probably a couple of names have popped into your head. These individuals believe that it’s their calling to correct everyone else who is not as enlightened as they are. Sometimes they’re disciples of some celebrity pastor and quote them ad nauseam. They’re modern-day Pharisees.

I wish I could say that pride or arrogance weren’t sins I struggle with. I frequently find Benjamin Franklin’s insights very apropos for my own life.

In his autobiography, Franklin focuses on the weakness of human pride. He observed, “In reality, there is, perhaps, no one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride. Disguise it, struggle with it, beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive, and will every now and then peep out and show itself; you will see it, perhaps, often in this history; for, even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility.” Most can relate to being “proud of our humility.” Like Franklin, we must admit that we, too, struggle with pride.

The greatest danger of being a spiritual know-it-all is that you’re stuck spiritually. If you believe that you have the answers, you are no longer growing. Your pride has become a blockage to continued spiritual growth.

If you believe that you have all of the answers, attending church is little more than symbolic. You don’t come as a student or a disciple. Christian know-it-alls rarely attend a study or small group, after all, they have the answers. If you read books, you read those that agree with you. Mr. or Ms. Know-it-All doesn’t really think that they have to learn anything. They’re already there. They are, in effect, unteachable.

When you put a word like “unteachable” next to this, it’s a major sin problem. Christians, when thinking biblically, operate out of the realization that they actually do not know everything that they need to know. As believers, we are to be learners until we get Home to glory.

We have things to learn both intellectually and empirically. God designed the local church to provide a context where we can grow in godliness and Christian maturity. Consider Ephesians 4:11-14: “And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.”

Notice that from Ephesians 4 that God provides teachers and these teachers are to teach Scripture. Saints (Christians) need to be equipped to serve so the local church is built up and this must go on until we all grow into Christlikeness. Christlikeness and spiritual maturity are the goal. So what are some symptoms of being a Christian Know-it-All?

They tend to be critical and petty. It’s almost like they thrive in finding out someone’s “wrong view” about something. Instead of seeing the church as a place to grow, they see it as a place to show what they know.

They talk (or post) a lot but don’t listen very much. This makes sense–why not talk (if you know it all) and why listen (if they don’t)?

They enjoy squabbling about little things. They will argue about all kinds of things that would seem to be of secondary (or even lesser) importance.

They tend to lack compassion. Having no perceived weakness of their own, they can’t relate to others who are struggling. Often times they’re condescending or devolve into harshness or disengagement with the weak.

They like to talk about people. This is divisive to unity in the Body. Instead of prizing unity, Christlikeness, and spiritual maturity, they delight in knocking others down, disrupting unity, and building themselves up. Their conversations with other Christians devolve into stories of how much they know and how much others do not.

They only seem to have a lot of biblical knowledge. They drop $5 words to effectively argue their point. Often they’re involved and appear to have things together. However, the fact that they’re unteachable makes them dangerous in the local church and a detriment to their own spiritual health and the growth of the Body.

The Lord designed for a church family and small groups to be places where we feel the liberty to be the most authentic version of ourselves and admit how little we know and how often we struggle. Those who are truly wise depend on God’s grace and work to remain humble.

Humility and teachability go together. Humility begins by simply realizing you’re not God and how little you know. Spiritual growth always begins with humility. We must come cognizant of how little we know and thirsting to learn, to grow, and to apply God’s truth to our lives. The goal is not to outshine other believers but to be more and more like Jesus.

Do you have a goal of becoming wiser and growing in your faith? Get to know God. Study Scripture. Listen to teaching, even teaching you don’t necessarily agree with. Read books and determine to read those who differ from you. Apply what you learn to your life.

As you expose yourself to other insights and perspectives, you’ll be wiser, and know better how to walk with the Lord and serve Him. Humility reminds us of how little we know and that we can learn from anyone. All of us have so much to learn. It’s why we must remain teachable, humble, and lifelong learners until we get Home.

Saturday, March 19, 2022

What Would Jesus Post?

“All of us would be wiser if we would resolve never to put people down,
except on our prayer lists.” D.A. Carson

Though his worldview leaves much to be desired, Comedian Louis CK, tells fans he meets in public that he won’t take a picture with them, but he will talk to them. Some people are satisfied, but many walk away angry and frustrated. For many it’s because they weren’t after the opportunity to meet Louis—they wanted to be able to show people they met Louis.

The phrase “What would Jesus do”?, often abbreviated to WWJD, became popular particularly in the United States in the late 1800s in response to the widely read book by Pastor Charles Sheldon, In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do? The phrase had a resurgence in the 1990s as a personal motto for many Christians who used the phrase as a reminder of their belief in biblical values and the moral imperative to act in a manner that would demonstrate the love of Jesus through actions of the adherents. In popular consciousness, the acronym signifying that question—WWJD—is associated with a type of bracelet or wristband which became a popular accessory for many believers, particularly young people.

Maybe it’s time to blow the dust off of WWJD yet make it WWJP? – What Would Jesus Post? Matthew 12:36 reminds us that God is listening and someday we will give account for every word, which would include even words posted on social media. As Christians, we represent Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:20 reminds us, “we are ambassadors for Christ.” As believers, what we say and do on social media matters.

While many Christians carry themselves with kindness and grace at church, once they tap that social media app they transform from kind Dr. Jekyll to evil Mr. Hyde. In the cyber world of Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tik-Tok, Jesus Christ can disappear from our lives. Yet, for believers, all of life should be centered around Christ, making His name great and honoring Him. Here are some things to consider:

Be cautious about self-elevation. Pride is an evil, yet subtle sin. Glorifying and drawing attention to self is one of humanity’s oldest sins. Adam and Eve fell prey to the serpent’s lies, desiring to elevate themselves and to be “like God.” The same serpent is quietly hissing in our ears today. Avoid the temptation to use social media as an avenue to make yourself look great because only God is truly great (Jeremiah 9:23-24). Be cautious even about “spiritual bragging.” Things like how much you’re reading your Bible, praying or serving the Lord. The sin of pride is very subtle.

Continually celebrate God’s goodness! Rejoice and celebrate a friend’s birthday. That friend is a gift from God to you. If you could jump up and down on social media, jump up and down over the birth of a baby or grandchild. And please go crazy over wedding anniversaries. In a day of rampant divorce where the typical U.S. marriage lasts only eight years and where cohabitation is accepted as “normal,” wedding anniversaries should be celebrated. It encourages others that God’s blueprint really is best!

A healthy dose of real is a good thing. While no one wants to see a sink filled with dirty dishes, be cautious about acting like you have it all together. None of us do. We tend to only share the photo of our family smiling perfectly, but wouldn’t want the world to know that in order to get the picture we screamed at our kids or bribed them with ice cream. We share pictures of perfect families, perfect homes, and perfect lives and feel the need to continually share little snapshots of “perfect,” yet we know it’s all a sham.

Christ didn’t die on the cross for us because we’re perfect. He died for us because we’re one big mess. So have the courage to share some reality. It’s okay to share photos of crying kids. Laugh at your own cooking failure or home maintenance fiasco that now needs to be repaired and countless other big “F’s” from your life. As ambassadors for truth, being trustworthy is more valuable than being attractive.

Speak out for biblical truth, yet avoid being partisan. Both parties are made up of sinners and have their foibles. Wise were the words of President Abraham Lincoln: “My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.” Politics are a serious distraction from the gospel and the Great Commission. For example, it appears to me that neither side truly cares for the poor, the immigrant, or the disenfranchised – the very ones God’s Word continually commands us to care for. So please stay with clear biblical values and avoid blind partisan loyalty. We are to be Kingdom people, not political animals.

Be positive and encouraging. Sadly, there’s far more bad news than good on social media and Christians can easily tap into that. To chronically be negative fails to share words that build up (Ephesians 4:29). There is a lot of good and beauty in this world and we’re to focus on it (Philippians 4:8). Too many Christians are known for what they’re against rather than what they’re for. Too many seem consumed with outrage. While some battles are worth fighting, in reality, most won’t care about these controversies after a few weeks have passed. As Christians, we’d be better off representing our Savior with dignity and charity than having a meltdown over the headline of the day. With our social media accounts, we need to share truth, beauty, and goodness, after all, this is our Father’s world!

Commit to being Christlike. Jesus said that a lost world will know we’re His disciples by our love for one another. Being kind and gracious honors our Lord. He didn’t call us to “win” because He’s already won. He does call us to live in a way so no one questions whether we truly know Him and are Christ-followers.

Most Christians are more concerned about social media censorship than they are about how social media is shaping our hearts and what we’re communicating about our faith. Too few Christians are concerned about social media discipleship. We’re more interested in the ways we can form the world than we are in the ways the world is forming us. That’s not to say social media/internet censorship isn’t a problem. It is. Yet, as Christians, we are too often more interested in protecting our expression than we are the condition of our own hearts. The bottom line is: Would someone want to be a Christian if they saw your social media posts?

Sunday, March 13, 2022

Just a Little Red Paperclip

“Sometimes it’s the little things that count most.” Alexandra Adornetto

Stuck in a dead-end job and with little money, 26-year-old Kyle MacDonald, came up with a plan. Starting with one red paper clip and a dream, he would trade on the internet until he exchanged it for a house. He advertised the paperclip on craigslist.com and two women swapped a fish-shaped pen for it. Later that same day, MacDonald was able to trade the pen for a small ceramic doorknob with a smiley face on it. He traded the doorknob for a Coleman camping stove. Next, a US navy Marine swapped a generator in return for the stove. Then a guy from New York swapped “instant party package” (a beer keg and a neon Budweiser sign) for the generator. The beer package went to a DJ in Montreal, in exchange for a snowmobile. By this time Macdonald was starting to attract attention and he was invited onto Canadian TV to tell his story.

As a result, he was able to trade the snowmobile for an all-expenses-paid trip to an obscure little town in Canada called “Yahk.” He then traded the trip for a 1995 delivery van. He gave the van to a musician wanting to haul her gear around in exchange for a recording contract, with studio time and a promise to pitch the finished CD to music executives. He swapped the recording contract with a singer who gave him a year’s accommodation in a house in Phoenix Arizona. He exchanged the accommodations in Arizona for a day with Alice Cooper. The day with Alice Cooper he swapped for a snow globe of the band KISS! Now if you thought that was a weird swap get this. The KISS snow globe was swapped for an acting part in a movie! Apparently, actor Corbin Benson is an avid snow globe collector and was particularly interested in the KISS snow globe, so he swapped his part in the movie for the snow globe! Finally, a local municipality in Saskatchewan Canada handed over the title deeds for a house for the movie role. That’s the amazing story of how Kyle MacDonald turned one little red paper clip into a house! Macdonald says he has offers from Hollywood studios to turn his story into a film.

This morning we’re beginning a new series on the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel, God of Reversals. Throughout this book, we’re going to observe that those who seem to be big in their day, in the forefront, the leaders, the ones in charge, the celebrities of their day – that sometimes in a moment – they are displaced and replaced. Often, God uses the little things, those that we wouldn’t consider, to put in places of priority and His blessing.

If we’re honest, most of us feel like little people. Other than our families, our church, and to some level, in our community, we’re virtually unknown. It’s easy to feel like little more than your social security number with no real identity.

There are 331 million people in the United States and nearly six million in Wisconsin. Then, there are nearly 200,000 people in Racine County with about 11,000 in the City of Burlington. The Village of Rochester where I live has a population of just under 4,000. If I walk a few houses down from my home, I don’t know anyone. You probably are in the same boat. Essentially, we’re a bunch of little people, just a bunch of nobodies. Even in our small worlds, we are smaller cogs.

Little things though are important. Spark plugs are rather small, but without them your car engine won’t run and you won’t be able to get anywhere. Microchips that keep your computer running and hold billions of bits of information are usually smaller than a thumbnail. Athletes lose races by a hair, politicians lose elections by a single vote, vacuum cleaners won’t run because a tiny screw is missing. It just keeps adding up. Little things matter and they count.

If you look in Scripture you’ll find the same pattern developing. That’s mainly because God looks on the inside, not the outside. He doesn’t look at how big a house someone lives in, or how much money they have, or how educated they are. He looks at the heart. And God loves to do big things out of little packages.

It’s a pattern that we find throughout the book of 1 Samuel. God used a godly woman struggling with infertility and her desperate prayer to change the destiny of a nation. He spoke and woke up a sleeping little boy and shared the future of the nation of Israel. He took a young man who was so shy, he hid out rather than be chosen as a leader. He takes another young man who when his family was asked to bring in all their sons, they completely forgot that he even existed. Then, God took a sling and a rock and took out a giant who was ridiculing His name.

God loves to use the little things. He loves to bring about total reversals.

The book of 1 Samuel could be pulled right from today’s headlines. There are wars, compromising religious leaders, political gamesmanship and intrigue, committed friendships, and even romance.

It reminds us that there are no little things and no little people with God. It fleshes out that wonderful reminder found in Matthew 10 that God knows even when a sparrow falls and knows how many hairs we have on our heads. No one is a nobody with God. No one is a little person. Your life counts. You’re important to God. He’s got a place for you in His plan!

Remember the last time that you stubbled your toe or got a splinter in a finger. All of a sudden something that previously seemed small and insignificant was very important. A match doesn’t seem important unless you’re in complete darkness.

God designed you. He created you and He has a plan for your life. He uses those who surrender to Him, then what was small becomes huge.

What changed? It all depends on whose hand your life is in. That’s the message repeated over and over again in 1 Samuel. Those who surrendered their lives to God, even though their lives seemed insignificant, made a difference in eternity.

All of creation is created by God, blessed by God, loved by God. Even small, out-of-the-way communities; even unglamorous, common, run-of-the-mill places and things. Even young, scared, poor, forgotten people.

God is the God of Reversals. He loves to use the little things and little places so that He gets all the glory! He loves to use “little people” like you and me! That’s one of the great messages of 1 Samuel. I hope that you’ll join us on this journey.

Sunday, March 6, 2022

Vladimir the Terrible

“Man…does not do evil against his will, under pressure, as though he were taken by the scruff of the neck and dragged into it, like a thief…being dragged off against his will to punishment; but he does it spontaneously and voluntarily.” Martin Luther

Do you remember the 2001 Pixar hit, Monsters, Inc.? The film centers on two monsters James P. “Sulley” Sullivan and his one-eyed partner and best friend Mike Wazowski who are employed at the titular energy-producing factory Monsters, Inc., which generates power by scaring children. The more the monsters make children scream, the more energy they collect.

One evening after work, scarer Sulley, discovers that an active door has been left. He inspects the door and accidentally lets a small toddler girl into the factory. The monsters in Monsters, Inc. are anything but monsters. They’re not evil or dangerous or even scary. They’re just misunderstood.

But there really are monsters. Obviously, not the type found in Monsters, Inc. Our sixth president, John Quincy Adams, said, “America…goes not go abroad in search of monsters to destroy.” Inherent in his statement is the assumption that there really are monsters in this world.

Yet, that’s the problem with our leaders in Western Civilization – they don’t really believe that there are monsters. There is a widespread belief that terrorists, tyrants, and demagogues are just misunderstood and if we could just sit down and talk with them, we could reason with them and come to some sort of middle ground. They’re not evil, they’re just trying to get their message out. That’s how Osama bin Laden and his deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri described September 11^th as a “message with no words” which is “the only language understood by the West.” Terrorism then as some political scientists describe it is only a “communication strategy.”

It was that kind of naïve reasoning that led to then British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain to claim “Peace for our time” in his September 30, 1938 remarks in London concerning the Munich Agreement with Adolph Hitler. The phrase is forever remembered for its bitter ironic value since less than a year after the agreement, Hitler invaded Poland and World War II began after France and the United Kingdom declared war on Germany following Hitler's refusal to withdraw from Polish territory.

The leader of the independent Orthodox Christian Church, Metropolitan Epiphanius I of Ukraine, was more in line with Scripture when he recently likened Vladimir Putin to the Antichrist, “The spirit of the Antichrist operates in the leader of Russia, the signs of which the Scriptures reveal to us: pride, devotion to evil, ruthlessness, false religiosity…This was Hitler during World War II. This is what Putin has become today.”

One of the most highly regarded books of the 20^th century was Ernest Becker’s “The Denial of Death.” It’s regarded as a classic for its analysis of how human beings deny their mortality. But there is something people deny more than mortality: evil. Yet, we are seeing evil unfold before our eyes in Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. In spite of the denial of those who also deny the truth of Scripture, the last century has seen more glaring evil than at any other time in human history. The descendants of Hitler, Stalin and Mao are Kim Jong-un, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin and the leaders of Iran, to name a few. The forces of evil in the world are now so powerful and so many and so difficult to corral.

Iran continues to move ahead with its nuclear ambitions, which are a threat to both the United States and to Israel. North Korea has launched at least one hypersonic missile with nuclear weapons in the hands of an unstable, tyrannical, arguably insane regime.

Consider the deceit and accusations of bigotry against any who dared to suggest that Covid-19 came from a Wuhan Lab. In spite of Communist China’s denials, the evidence seems undeniable. Yet, many Americans, especially the elite in the political class and media, immediately recoil in horror at anyone referring to China as an enemy because much of American foreign policy had been predicated for the last several generations on the opportunity of developing an unprecedented partnership with China that would basically create a new form of world stability. The United States now finds itself facing an evil world rival on an even greater scale than the Soviet Union through the entirety of the Cold War.

It’s apparent that Putin is driven to be Vladimir the Terrible in his attempt to regain lost Russian glory. To understand Putin, one has to understand Russian history and the fact that what you have in Putin is a medieval mind with modern nuclear weapons. Putin’s understanding of Russia goes back to a ruler like Ivan the Terrible of the 16^th century.

Historically, Russia has been led by despots, by tyrants, and there’s no national embarrassment for them in that. In fact, there is a sense of national glory tied to that kind of tyrannical leader and behavior.

U.S. president after president, administration after administration watched Putin rebuilding Russia’s nuclear arsenal, even as the U.S. was spending less and less on defense. We’ve seen Putin not only build Russia's military but use it. Georgia, Crimea, Eastern Ukraine. No one should be surprised by what’s happening, yet most seem shocked, not just surprised.

Understanding and knowing the Bible matters. Your worldview matters. As Christians, we must understand that. The Bible teaches, even when it allowed for kings, limited government. While the Bible does not provide support for one form of government over another, Scripture teaches a limited role of government.

Due to our fallen human nature, God chooses to use government as a tool to uphold order, justice, and the rule of law. Thus, believers are to respect and pray for their leaders while submitting themselves to the authority provided by the government. Scripture makes clear that God has placed limits and expectations on the government. In the Old Testament, for instance, Israelite kings were expected to obey God’s laws as written in the Pentateuch. In the New Testament Romans 13:1-7 and 1 Peter 2:13-14 teach the same with the focus primarily on justice, law and order.

Because of the evil of the human heart, the government is to be limited, controlled, and held accountable. That’s the foundational problem with Putin and other diabolical leaders, there is no accountability or control.

But there is a God in heaven (Daniel 2:28). The same God who allows evil men to rise can and will take them down. While we do not know the future of Ukraine, we do know the future of this world. The King of Kings is coming back and one day there truly will be “peace on earth.” As the Apostle John said, “Even so come Lord Jesus” (Revelation 2:20, KJV).