Love Letters

 

“A real love letter is made of insight, understanding, and compassion. Otherwise it's not a love letter. A true love letter can produce a transformation in the other person, and therefore in the world. But before it produces a transformation in the other person, it has to produce a transformation within us.” Thich Nhat Hanh 

Have you ever read the love letters of famous people? Some of them are wonderful. Mark Twain wrote this letter to his future wife, Olivia Langdon: 

  Out of the depths of my happy heart wells a great tide of love and prayer for this priceless treasure that is confined to my life-long keeping. You cannot see its intangible waves as they flow towards you, darling, but in these lines you will hear, as it were, the distant beating of the surf.”

   Johnny Cash wrote this very honest love letter to his wife, June Carter Cash: “Happy Birthday Princess, We get old and get used to each other. We think alike. We read each others minds. We know what the other wants without asking. Sometimes we irritate each other a little bit. Maybe sometimes take each other for granted. But once in awhile, like today, I meditate on it and realize how lucky I am to share my life with the greatest woman I ever met. You still fascinate and inspire me. You influence me for the better. You're the object of my desire, the #1 Earthly reason for my existence. I love you very much. Happy Birthday Princess. John”

  This past Christmas season Jane and I watched a movie, Christmas Oranges. In it the father and his daughter were estranged. She wanted to rebuild the relationship but feared her Dad might not read her letters, so she mailed them to his brother to give to her Dad at a time when he felt that they’d be accepted. For some reason the brother just kept them, never sharing them. But when the letters were finally shared, the transformation in the relationship was miraculous.   

  The Bible is God’s love letter to us. Yet, it’s shocking how many Christians rarely or never read it. It’s like having a love letter locked away in a box. A love letter that’s never been read is heartbreaking.

  Maybe you started out the new year committed to faithfully reading your Bible every day but you’ve quit. Today is a new day. Every great habit has to simply start. Here are some suggestions to help you make reading God’s love letter a part of your daily life.

  Choose a Bible version that’s understandable and easy to read. There are very few people who regularly read Shakespeare. The language is archaic and difficult to understand. For most, it’s too much effort.

  The Bible was originally written in Hebrew and Greek. We’re blessed today that we have a variety of accurate versions to choose from. Find a version that works for you. If you have difficulty reading, consider the New Living Translation (NLT), or a study Bible in the English Standard Version (ESV) or the New International Version (NIV). The NLT version of the Bible is the most readable while still being literal in its translation; Study Bibles contain footnotes that explain difficult passages of Scripture. 

  Start small yet be consistent. We all know individuals who were determined to get in shape and start by working out for several hours. They may have done it for a couple of days but soon quit. Starting to read the Bible is like that. It’s better to read for a short period of time consistently, like 5 or 10 minutes, than it is to go on a reading marathon and quit after a few days. Determine to read a chapter or at least half a chapter if possible. Then, pick up the next day where you stopped.

  Chose a time and place convenient for you. It’s best to read in the same place every day. As you do that, you’ll discover there are less distractions.

  Many read their Bible first thing in the morning, choosing to spend time with God before daily distractions get in the way. I’ve found that works best for me. It’s too easy to rationalize that I’ll read my Bible later, but I usually never do. Yet, if mornings aren’t your thing, don’t sweat it. Reading the Bible is more important than the time you read God’s Word.

  It’s best to not start at the beginning. The focus of the Bible is Jesus. It’s truly His-story. If you’re new to Scripture, the best place to start is one of the Gospels, like Mark or John. The Gospels are biographies of Jesus. Once you know Jesus, the rest of the Bible begins to make sense.

  Whatever you do, pick one book of the Bible and then stick with it. Otherwise, you’ll waste time thumbing through the Bible, never quite landing. You’ll also lose the context of a passage. That’s why it’s best to choose one book and read a little each day, one chapter perhaps.  As you work your way through that book, it’s easier to follow the thread of thought and increase your understanding of what God is saying.  

  Pray and ask God for wisdom before you begin reading. God wants us to know Him and He’s promised to give wisdom to those who ask for it (James 1:5). So pause before you open your Bible and ask God to open your spiritual eyes and speak to you. Ask God to use His Word to teach you, to direct you and even to re-direct you, when necessary. Ask Him to use His Word to help you know Him and love Him. Be intentional about getting God’s Word into your thoughts and you’ll soon see your relationship with God thrive and your life change. That’s the purpose of  reading the Bible!

  God’s Word was never meant to just inform us. God wants His Word to transform us. The Bible is God’s love letter written to His people, which includes you. Do you want to know how much God loves you? Read His Word! Start today!

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 Bear Necessities

 

“Anyone can smile for a photo,

but who is still smiling after the selfie?”  Ken Poirot 

Apparently, humans aren't the only species that take selfies. A wildlife camera in Boulder, Colorado, snapped hundreds of images of a curious black bear last November. The city’s Open Space and Mountain Parks Department set up nine cameras to learn about local wildlife. One of the cameras captured 580 images, about 400 of them were of the same bear. 

  A spokesperson for the Department stated, “These pictures made us laugh, and we thought others would too.” It seems that the bear discovered one of the cameras. Most animals don’t notice them, which are activated by an animal stepping in front of them. They capture animals like deer, beavers, and less curious black bears going about their business. But this bear was enthralled by the camera, posing for some 400 “selfies.”

  That obsessed focus might work out for a bear, but it’s probably not so great for human beings. Studies show that on average, people spend 60% of conversations talking about themselves. That figure jumps to 80% when communicating via social media platforms like Facebook or TikTok.

  God did not design us to be self-focused, even in our own thoughts. The first thing that God declared was not good was for human beings to be alone (Genesis 2:18). We were designed for relationships and community.

  If you’ve just emerged from a life isolated in Antarctica, selfies are those pictures individuals take of themselves with or without a duck face. For some odd reason, the “bathroom” selfie is one of the more popular forms.  And while selfie pictures can be fun and an opportunity to share life and events, selfie thinking can be disastrous. Why?

  Selfie thinking tends to make pain bigger. Ours is a sin-contaminated world and sin is painful. Each one of us is affected by this pain. It can be physical pain, the pain, and strain of relationships, or even mental and emotional pain. The list is endless. Just watch the evening news and the majority of the stories are about someone or some group’s pain.

  As a selfie increases the size and focuses on the individual, self-focus only increases pain. When we spend an inordinate amount of time and energy thinking about ourselves, how we’re suffering, what’s wrong in our life, the pain we’re experiencing, or things we feel we did wrong, it amplifies our pain. It can trap us in a vicious cycle of overthinking and blowing pain out of proportion. It’s a major contributor to depression and anxiety, drains our time and spirit, and leads to unhealthy coping strategies.

  Selfie thinking feeds our pride. Pride blinds us to our own sin. It’s difficult to accept that it’s us and our problem because we’re too proud to accept that we’ve sinned and have issues because we’re consumed with ourselves. Someone said, “pride is the only disease that makes everyone sick but the one who has it.” Pride feeds a sense of self-importance.

  Imagine visiting Niagara Falls with a friend. You’re both viewing one of the most awe-inspiring natural scenes in America, but then you realize your friend is only taking selfies. A hundred pictures later, and your friend is the picture in every single shot. Who wants to see Niagara Falls when your friend is only taking selfies without even the Falls in the background?

  Social media has given everyone a platform to post their opinions. Usually, the one posting assumes their opinion is a fact, after all, it’s their opinion. Yet, a fact is a statement proven to be true or false by data or evidence. Most opinions are based on emotions, personal history, and values—all of which can be completely unsupported by real evidence. It’s like being blind and not knowing it. Leonardo da Vinci wisely observed, “The greatest deception men suffer is their own opinions.”

  The Christian life is anti-selfie thinking. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). Denying your self is not thinking harshly of your “self” or hating your “self.” It is just not thinking or focusing on yourself.

  It’s this simple, if you’re living for self, you’re not following Jesus. “No one can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24). The word “deny” is the same word used of Peter’s denials. It means to repudiate, renounce, or disown. Jesus wasn’t talking about denying yourself little pleasures, like giving up dessert. He’s talking about a complete way of life involving a renunciation of living for your own selfish interests and embracing living for the sake of Christ. Denying self and taking up one’s cross are foundational for a life of following of Jesus. It means surrendering the right to control your life and giving that right to the Lord Jesus.  

  To American ears, self-denial sounds so negative, but remember that it was Jesus who said this. In the short term, self-denial is difficult and not very pleasant. But there is joy and peace in the present from it and eternal blessings in the future when a Christian follows Jesus on the path of the cross. In Luke 9:24 Jesus said, “For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.” When you die to self and follow Jesus, He graciously gives you the ultimate in fulfillment as the by-product—the joy of eternal life and of being affirmed by Jesus before the Father when He comes in glory (9:26)!

  In the movie Chariots of Fire, Scottish runner, Eric Liddell competed in the 1924 Olympics in Paris but Liddell refused to run on a Sunday. After his gold medal in the 400-meter race, he didn’t return to Scotland to have his picture on a box of Wheaties or to live off his endorsements. Eric accepted God’s call to serve as a missionary in China. During the Japanese invasion, Liddell was arrested with other Chinese Christians and placed in a prison camp. Even in the camp, Liddell led others to Christ and discipled them. Months before China was liberated, Eric Liddell died as a prisoner in that camp. At the young age of forty-three, he met his Master face to face. His last words were, “it’s complete surrender,” referring to how he’d given his life to serve the Lord. He’d run another kind of race, for another kind of prize and he received another kind of medal, more priceless than gold and that never perishes.

  Jesus doesn’t call most of us to be missionaries in a faraway land, yet He calls all of us to deny ourselves and follow Him. Selfie thinking is miserable. True fulfillment comes from following Christ. So please feel free to take fun pictures, even selfies, yet make the Lord Jesus the primary picture in your heart and seek to live for Him!

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. 

 

 

Groundhog Day Again?

 “The eight laws of learning are explanation, demonstration, imitation, 

repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition.” John Wooden

 “That's right, woodchuck-chuckers — it’s…Groundhog Day!” Do you remember that line from the Bill Murray movie, Groundhog Day? Every February 2^nd is Groundhog Day, the day when the superstitious look to a small mammal to determine how soon spring will arrive.

  The 1993 movie focused on a weatherman, Phil Connors, who was given the same assignment every year. For the fourth year in a row, he was sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to cover the annual Groundhog Day events. Begrudgingly, he went and gave his report. However, upon awakening the next day, he found himself in a time loop. Once again it was Groundhog Day. Once again, he experienced the events as they had already occurred one day prior. The same thing happened the next day, the next day, the next day, and so on. It’s a silly (sometimes funny) movie.

  Been there! Done that! Variety is the spice of life and gives it meaning. That’s the message of our culture but it feeds our need to constantly seek new foods, clothing styles, appliances, technological toys, and other objects of our desires. We’re programmed to look down upon the drudgery of repetition or routine. Repetition is the stuff of dullards, not the cool or hip.  

  Routines are caricatured as boring, yet the writer of Ecclesiastes famously reminds us, “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun” (1:9).

  Did you know that God has made all of creation to exist and flourish in a repetitive pattern (Genesis 1–2)? The heavens declare His glory, the sun runs its course with joy (Psalm 19:1–6), the rivers clap their hands, and mountains sing His praises (Psalm 98:8). Creation glorifies God through its constancy—including humans, God’s most treasured creatures. Our bodies require daily food and rest. We’re designed to find purpose in knowing and glorifying God again and again.

  There’s deep joy, even fulfillment in the repetitious. Too many overlook the beauty of the ordinary and repeated. Attempting to avoid a life with repetition is foolish and futile. It’s a fundamental reality of being human. As someone said, “we are creatures of again; we are made for again.”

  In his book, Orthodoxy, G. K. Chesterton chastises adults for a disconnected view of reality: “Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, ‘Do it again’; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, ‘Do it again’ to the sun; and every evening, ‘Do it again’ to the moon. It may not be an automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.”

  Too often we miss the joy of the repeated in God’s world. When was the last time that you were grateful for these consistent recurrences?

  The repetitions of nature. Recently, I’ve been reading Exodus in my devotions. The 9^th plague that God inflicted on Egypt to convince Pharoah to set Israel free was darkness. It was pitch black for three days.

  Even on overcast days, we enjoy the consistency of the rising sun, giving us some measure of daylight. Winter may seem long, yet we know spring is coming. Snow and cold are always followed by warmth, the blooming and regreening of our world. Repetition. It’s happened every year since the beginning and will continue to happen.

  The repetition of relationships. No one is shocked when parents love their children. We’re shocked when they don’t. That repetition of relational love goes back to Creation when Adam looked into Eve’s eyes and then that first couple looked into the eyes of their firstborn son. We expect men and women to fall in love and commit to each other. Valentine’s Day is a few weeks off. 30,000 employees with profits of some $4 billion annually at Hallmark Cards are thankful they do. No one is surprised by love and romance. It’s part of our design. It always has been and always will be. The continuation of relationships is designed to be expected and anticipated. It’s a source of repeated joy and fulfillment.

  The repetition of God’s mercy. Lamentations 3:22-23 says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning…” What’s amazing about that verse is that the prophet Jeremiah penned those words after the nation of Israel’s continual rebellion against God. They’d now been captured by the Babylonians and the city of Jerusalem was left a smoking ruin. Jeremiah knew that God wasn’t done. He would forgive them and return them to the Promised Land.

  You and I experience the same mercy. As believers, as those who know better, we find that we commit the same sin over and over again. We’re good at the repetition of sin; God is great at the repetition of mercy. He forgives us again and again…for the same sin. That doesn’t mean that sinning isn’t serious or it’s like free credit. God’s mercy means that a loving God knows the frailty of our humanity and paid all of our sin debt on His Son’s cross.

  The repetition of God’s faithfulness. Jeremiah ends his praise in Lamentations with “great is Your faithfulness.” What does that mean? It simply means that if you’re a Christian, you’ve been adopted by a Father who will never ever change His mind in regard to you. He will never write you off, leave you or forsake you. If you’re a part of God’s family, you have a Friend who sticks closer than a brother. You can’t talk about the one true God without coming to this truth: Great is the faithfulness of our God!

  There is an ecstasy of having our hearts set ablaze with the hope of the gospel—again and again. It’s a repetition that we’re impoverished without. 

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. 

1 Samuel: More than just a great story!

 

“Every story deserves a great ending.”  Christopher Nolan

Do you love a good story? A good storyteller can have you on the edge of your seat. There are no better stories than the stories found in the Bible, but they’re not just stories – they’re history. They’re not make-believe or “once upon a time.” They all happened. They’re as much history as anything written by popular American historian, David McCullough. 

  There’s an account about the great Reformer, Martin Luther, related to the stories in the Bible. The great turning point in Luther’s life came when he was assigned to teach the book of Romans at Wittenberg University. When he came to Romans 1:17, “The just shall live by faith,” God used it to transform his life. The Reformation was conceived from that encounter with Scripture. Yet, that wasn’t Luther’s first contact with Scripture. 

  When he attended seminary he studied books of canon law and church tradition but amazingly for someone studying for the ministry, he was never actually encouraged to read the Bible. In that dark period of Church History, the Bible wasn’t considered worthy of any real investigation. Church leaders were concerned with other things. Nevertheless, one day Luther found in the university library an old copy of the Latin Vulgate, the Latin translation of the Bible done 1100 years before by Jerome in the town of Bethlehem.

  Luther blew the dust off of it and began reading in one of the early books. That book turned out to be 1 Samuel and what he found amazed him. He was reading a story, not heavy theology, as he expected Scripture to be, but the story of a boy named David, and he was fascinated. It didn’t change his life at that point, but it intrigued him. That experience became part of what God used to make him into the world-transforming figure that he became.

  Today we’re returning to our study of 1 Samuel: God of Reversals. We’re in the latter half of this great book. And we’re jumping in this morning with the most famous story in 1 Samuel – David & Goliath.

  David is the hero and a dominant character of both 1 and 2 Samuel. We first met this young man in our study before Christmas in chapter 16 when he was anointed king by the prophet Samuel. Yet, 1 Samuel is much more than a sling, a rock, and taking out a giant story. In it, we will often find a reflection of our own lives.

  1 Samuel has highs and lows. It has motives that are maligned and unjustly questioned. Doing the right thing and what pleases the Lord often isn’t rewarded. Instead, it carries a high price.

  It has one of the most wonderful friendship stories in Scripture. It’s unusual in that it touches an area that’s often overlooked yet desperately needed – healthy friendships between men. Jonathan and David are comrades in arms. They have a friendship stronger than many brothers. In today’s world, most men have difficulty even knowing how to have a friendship. A good friend is often considered someone who likes the same sports we do or that we play golf or go fishing with. Yet, God intended friendship to be so much more.

  1 Samuel has messy families. A younger child is disdained by his older sibling. There is an angry, ongoing conflict between a father and son, or a daughter who is caught between loyalty to her spouse and her father. It bubbles over with plots, divisions, and conspiracies.

  It’s a horrible version of the original “Bad Boss” story. Not only is there abuse of an employee, but he’s not just terminated, there’s an attempt to exterminate him.

  1 Samuel is filled with political intrigue. Power plays and plots are normal. Jealousy and envy grow like dandelions in the Spring. Perceived usurpers and threats to current leadership are hunted down. The innocent or anyone who stands in the way of the political machine pays a high price.

  The obnoxious, rude, and even foolish are here. Doing the right thing or living the right way doesn’t seem to add up. A love story peeks out from its covers. There is temptation in the midst of the terrible trials to stop trusting God and go spiritually AWOL. Even witches and the occult are dabbled in.

  During the coming weeks, we’ll discover 1 Samuel is a page out of today’s world, our world, my world, and your world. The problems, struggles, and issues are ours, too. It’s not just theoretical stuff. It will resonate within our own lives and hearts. We’ll see our own lives reflected in these pages.

  But most of all, it’s God’s story. When it seems that evil will win and wrong prevail, we see that all along God has been working. He’s using even trials, difficulties, and suffering to accomplish His will and purpose.

  Christian counselor and author, Paul Tripp writes: What is the biblical story? It’s the story of a God of love invading the world in the person of His Son of love to establish His kingdom of love by a radical sacrifice of love, to forgive us in love and draw us into His family of love, and to send us out as ambassadors of the very same love.”

  1 Samuel is first and foremost God’s story. As God works throughout this book, He is also working in our lives, even when it doesn’t look like it.  He’s not surprised by anything that we face or struggle with. God takes what from our side of eternity is a hot mess and transforms it into a masterpiece of His grace. It’s not just back then, it’s today. It’s not just for great heroes of the faith, like David. It’s for you and me.

  1 Samuel isn’t just some well-written story. It’s a picture of our own lives and our own relationship with a loving God. It reminds us anew that even when all seems dark, He’s still there and we can trust Him. 

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. 

True Hope

 

“Hope is the only tie which keeps the heart from breaking.” Thomas Fuller

 When was the last time that you had the experience of getting into a new show highly recommended by a friend, but just a few episodes into it you’re bored to tears and are like, “Am I missing something? Am I dumb? Does everyone else have a much more sophisticated entertainment palate than me?” Or you wonder how the storyline of a movie can possibly end well? Things are a mess now, but you hold out hope…“I know they’ll pull it back around at the end; it will all make sense.” But then it doesn’t. 

  Sociologists tell us that the primary American emotion is disappointment. Disappointment is the cause of much of the hidden trauma in American life. Another word for it is “hopelessness.

  Did you know that the Bible mentions the word hope over 120 times? Hope is one of the most important foundations for the Christian. Biblical hope has as its foundation, faith in God and His Word. So while the word hope in English often conveys doubt, for instance, “I hope it won’t rain tomorrow,” that’s not the meaning of hope in God’s Word. Biblical hope is a reality, not a feeling. It carries no doubt. It’s a sure foundation upon which we base our lives, believing and knowing we can trust God no matter what.  

  There are many reasons why people become hopeless, but God and His Word answer every one of them with His sustaining hope. These are some of the more common sources of hopelessness.

  You feel alone or abandoned. On October 4, 1970, famed rock star Janis Joplin, at the age of 27 was found dead in her hotel room. Questions arose as to whether the cause of her tragic death was suicide or an accident. Just before the incident, Janis had confided to a friend, “When I am not on the theatre stage I just lie around and watch television and feel very lonely.”

  You can be in a crowd and feel overwhelmed by loneliness. One can be married or have a family, and struggle with loneliness. Amazingly, in a culture with so many ways to stay connected, loneliness is an epidemic.

  The Lord Jesus understands our feelings of loneliness. He faced them, too. His closest friends – the disciples – didn’t help Him when He needed them most. In the darkest hour of His life, He was all by Himself, crying out to God. His friends weren’t praying with Him, instead, they fell asleep. When He needed them most, they abandoned Him. Yet, to those of us who have trusted Him as our Lord and Savior, He’s promised:  “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

  You feel like life is out of control. We typically experience this in one or more of five different areas of life:  time, money, family, relationships, aging/health. Many are experiencing a growing sense of being out of control in some area of life. While days are twenty-four hours in length, we constantly feel hurried. We seem to have more to do and less time to do it in. Though our world is very affluent, many struggle with intense worry that there won’t be enough. There is often a growing sense of despair.

  Jesus told us that He came to give “abundant life” to those who follow Him. The abundant life is one that’s free of hurry, worry, loneliness, anger or despair.  Jesus put it this way in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” A very real part of being a Christ-follower is the experience of a qualitatively different way of life, a fulfilled one. While our lives may at times feel out of control, our Heavenly Father has the smallest detail under His complete control and we can trust Him.  

  You’ve done something terribly wrong. With the Lord Jesus, nothing is beyond being made right. On the cross, He died for our worst mistakes – all of our sins – past, present and future. Yet, what could be more hopeless than to have murdered someone and then be sentenced to death?

  Karla Faye Tucker was an accomplice to a brutal ax murder of two people and sentenced to death. Soon after being imprisoned, she took a Bible from the prison ministry program and read it in her cell. She later recalled, “I didn’t know what I was reading. Before I knew it, I was in the middle of my cell floor on my knees. I was just asking God to forgive me.” Karla Faye became a Christian in October 1983. Though in 1998 she was executed for her crimes, in one of her last interviews she gave glory to Christ for transforming her life. Some of her last words were: “...I would like to say to all of [the family of the victims] — that I am so sorry. I hope God will give you peace with this…Everybody has been so good to me. I love all of you very much. I am going to be face to face with Jesus now…I will see you all when you get there. I will wait for you.” As the lethal chemicals were administered, she was praising the Lord. It’s the same hope our Savior gave to the dying thief. We too can have that hope.

  You’ve been deeply wounded by someone. Family members are frequently those we trust the most. Our mate is the one we expect to be closest to—until death do us part. We have a deep love for our children, but they can often turn on us. We expect even the closest person in our lives to die eventually, but as painful as that is, it’s not betrayal.

  Betrayal by a spouse, child, family member, or close friend is devastating. It produces a feeling of worthlessness for having trusted an untrustworthy person. It breeds anger and depression. It causes us to second-guess ourselves and raises questions about our judgment. Because of this person’s knowledge of our heart, it’s a devastating wound.

  Many Bible heroes experienced this hurt during their lives: Joseph, Moses, David, Paul, and Jesus. They show us that we’re not alone. They also show how to handle betrayal and not succumb to bitterness. Jesus’ words from the cross must become our words, “Father, forgive them.”

  One of the wonderful traits of our Heavenly Father is that He will never turn on us or break a promise. Sin cuts us off from God, but He provided a Savior for us. And though God may step back for a little while when we need to learn lessons about the cost of sin, He still loves us and will never forget us or abandon us. We’re His children and He loves us no matter what, even when we’re a hot mess. So while this world may be hopeless, our heavenly Father is the God of hope – our hope! Always remember that!

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. 

 

 

What's YOUR word for the year?

 “Don't gobblefunk around with words.”  Roald Dahl

 

Do you like words? Do you enjoy playing with words? I do. One of my favorite podcasts is Presbyterian pastor, George Grant’s Word Play. 

 If you Google it, you’ll find that as many famous people took their last breath, they had one last word. For example, as he lay dying, Abraham Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth, uttered his final word, “miserable.” It’s not a surprise that Romantic poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s last word was “beautiful.” Civil War General and later president, Ulysses S. Grant, whispered “water” as he died. On his deathbed, Martin Luther was asked if he continued to stand by his doctrine that helped launch the Reformation, to which Luther gave an emphatic reply, “Yes!”

  It’s amazing how often we describe something with one word. Any restaurant would love to be described as “fantastic,” but “mediocre” isn’t going to encourage customers. We often describe people with a singular word. “Cool” is cool. Yet, most wouldn’t find “cold” a compliment.

  Listen to friends talk and you’ll find that they often have one word that they consistently use (hopefully it’s not an obscenity.) Some people’s lives could be described with one word. A neighbor that’s thoughtful might be described as “kind, whereas a cruel boss is a “jerk.”

  At the beginning of the new year, most of us come up with resolutions. But 9 out of 10 people will fail with their resolutions. 50% of those resolution makers will fail by the end of January.

  Three friends grew weary of making and failing at their resolutions (Jon Gordon, Dan Britton and Jimmy Page) and determined to focus on one word each year. Ultimately, they wrote a book, One Word That Will Change Your Life. No resolutions, no goals…just one word that gives meaning, mission, passion, and purpose. One word to help them be their best for the coming year.  

  Every New Year’s Eve they gathered with their children and each came up with a word. Then they made paintings of their words that hung in their houses to remind them to focus and live out their word for the year.

  Do I believe that “one word” is the secret to having a fulfilled and meaningful life? Not necessarily. I do know that the great Greek philosopher, Socrates, was on to something when he said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Too many of us drift through life void of a sense of  purpose or meaning. Read the obituaries and you’ll see how trivial too many lives are. God wants us to live with meaning and purpose.

  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. illustrates this. On August 23^rd, 1963 a quarter of a million people came to Washington DC to hear Dr. King speak at the Lincoln Memorial. That’s astounding, particularly for that day. Think about it. How did he get so many people to come? He didn’t have a newsletter or a Twitter account. He wasn’t making YouTube videos or using Google ads. He didn’t have a website, Instagram or Facebook.

  Dr. King didn’t have any of the tools that make it so easy today for us to reach people and start movements and yet 250,000 people still came. Why? Because he stood for something important. The cause he believed in moved hearts and led them to action. It was so important that people willingly spread the word and promoted his cause because it was their cause too. If you were going to sum up Dr. King’s life in one word – it would be cause. He lived and tragically died for a cause.

  God is not in the mass production business. He has a special purpose for your life and my life. The Bible is very clear as to what our purpose in life should be. We are to bring glory to our Creator. It is only as we live for Him that our lives have meaning, after all, He designed and created us.

  A life without the right purpose is a miserable one. Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, discovered the futility of a life that’s lived only for passing pleasure and this temporal world. Ecclesiastes is a summary of his attempt to find meaning elsewhere. He summarizes his failure at the end: “Here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). Ultimately, he realizes that life is all about honoring God with our thoughts and lives and obeying His commandments.

  One day we will each stand before God in judgment. Part of our purpose in life is to fear and obey Him. And God generously rewards those who surrender their lives to Him and live for Him. What a wonderful blessing if each of us would hear Jesus say to us as we stand before His throne: “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:23).

  Maybe you’re wondering what’s my one word? To be honest, I’ve never done this before. Yet if I were going to sum up my goal for 2023 into one word it would be “closer.” At the end of this year, I want to be closer to Jesus than I am now. I don’t want to have to tell anyone that I’m a Christian. I want it be so obvious that they can nearly smell the aroma of the Savior on me.

  One of my favorite accounts from the Gospels is in John 12. A group came looking for the Lord Jesus and they said to one of His disciples, “Sir, we would see Jesus.” As I begin my day I pray that I’ll grow more Christlike. I want to be closer to Jesus and I want others to see Him in me.

  And then I want to be closer to my wife and family. Jane and I are celebrating 40 years this coming July 2^nd. I am so much more in love with her than I was when I said, “I do.”

  I’m also praying that our church family will be closer to the Lord and to each other. It’s only as we’re passionate about the Lord and love each other that we can truly offer hope to a hurting world.

  Do you have one word? If it will help you move closer to Jesus. Maybe it’s time to paint out your word?  

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. 

How are your 2023 investments?

“That only is worth my having which I can have forever. 

That only is worth my grasping which death cannot tear out of my hand.”  Charles Spurgeon

 It wasn’t until I was in my teen years that I met someone who drank Pepsi. Atlanta has been the home of Coca-Cola since the late 1800s. For a mere $2300.00, Asa Candler bought the recipe for the carbonated soft drink from John Pemberton in 1888. Today Coca-Cola is worth nearly $100 billion. 

  As 2023 rolls around, all of us are looking for good investments. Some will invest in getting more healthy by losing weight, exercising more, and a healthier diet. Others will invest in positive change by pursuing a new career, spending more time with their spouse or family, spending less time on social media or even quitting smoking. While all of those are worthy goals, they only make a difference in this short life. As believers, we want to be wise and invest in eternity. We’re going to live forever, so let’s make investments in the real world. If you’re not already, determine to…

  Read your Bible daily. Can you imagine going on a trip where you have never gone without consulting your GPS? Each day you and I start a new journey into life that we’ve never experienced. We have no idea what to expect, what we will face, or what interruptions or emergencies await us.

  It’s estimated that a little over 30% of Christians read their Bible daily. Is it any wonder many Christians flounder through life and live essentially like unbelievers? We’ll go the wrong way if we’re not checking the map.

  When you use GPS, you use it turn by turn. That’s the way that we need to read the Bible. It’s better to read a little and truly contemplate it, than to do a reading marathon and blow by the details. God gave us His Word for it to transform us to be more like Jesus. It’s not so that we have the “right answers.” We read it so that we become the right kind of people.

  Pray daily. For most believers, prayer is like a spare tire. It’s something you only use when you face an emergency. Yet, prayer is meant to be an ongoing conversation with our best Friend. Most of us have those that we talk to every day, whether our spouse or a good friend. The Bible tells us the Lord Jesus is a friend that’s “closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24).

  In the early chapters of Genesis God met with our first parents every day. God’s desire from the beginning hasn’t changed. He wants us to meet with Him. He wants us to share our joys and burdens with Him.

  One reason so many Christians struggle with emotional problems and lack peace is that they’ve not learned the habit of prayer. Philippians 4:6-7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

  Attend church regularly. Avid sports fans will nearly stop heaven and earth to watch their team play. If their team wins, they’re elated. If their team plays poorly, they’re frustrated and even angry. If their team loses, they’re disappointed. Many believers are more devoted to their favorite team than they are to the God who gave His Son for them.

  The shutdowns of Covid gave us a false message – that watching worship is the same as being in worship. It’s not. While it’s true that there are times because of work or health, we need to miss worshiping with our church family. Yet, most of us need to be honest about our priorities. We wouldn’t miss work or let the kids miss school for the reasons that we rationalize missing attending church.

  The first thing that God said was not good was for human beings to be alone (Genesis 2:18). God designed us for community. While we can watch church online, we miss personal interaction. While we may receive a blessing, we miss the opportunity to be one.

  We grow spiritually by giving of ourselves not just getting for ourselves. God designed us for each other. We need each other. Faithfully attending the weekly worship gathering helps grow and become more like Jesus.

  Share your faith. Jane and I will have been married 40 years this coming July. There’s no question that she’s the love of my life and my best friend.

  Wouldn’t it be weird if I had friends or neighbors that never knew I was married because I never talked about Jane? It would be hard for others to believe Jane was important to me if I never acknowledged her to others.

  We talk with others about what’s important to us. If you spend half an hour with most people, you’ll know what they value. Our values and priorities quickly bubble to the surface.

  If we really love Jesus, don’t we want to share Him with others? If we really care about others, don’t we want to share the One who can make a difference in their lives, both in this world and the next?

  Think about how easily we talk with complete strangers about the weather, politics, our favorite sports team, and a hundred other trivial subjects. Yet, somehow we can’t seem to get around to talking about the One who changes lives and destinies, and who can change this world.

  The best place to start with sharing your faith with a friend or neighbor is to begin praying for that friend or neighbor. As you pray for them and their spiritual condition, you’ll be amazed at the opportunities that the Lord will give you to share your faith.

  2023 is a new opportunity to invest in what really matters. Let’s commit to investing well this year. Then, when the curtain falls on 2023, we can look back with a sense of fulfillment that we were wise and invested well.  

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.