We are so blessed!

“God does not help those who help themselves. Rather, He helps those who cannot help themselves, know it, and rely on Him.” 

Dean Ulrich

  Over the years I’ve been at several grand openings and building dedications. I was at the grand opening of our local Walmart and both area Kwik-Trips. Typically, at those events, they recognize the owner, architect, bankers, contractors, various dignitaries and key management personnel. On Sunday, February 18^th, we will have our Grand Opening/Building Dedication and will thank and recognize many of those individuals. Today though we want to praise, thank and honor the One behind this building.

  If God had not been with us, if our Heavenly Father had not blessed us and undertaken for us – we would not be here this morning. There are so many things that we need to thank Him for that I hardly know where to begin. Let me mention a few…

  We are so thankful for God’s protection. Life is so fragile. It’s easy for construction workers, particularly if they have been doing the same task for years to become overconfident or hurried. Years ago, when I was in commercial roofing, I saw my share of accidents. In fact, I have a scar on my forehead that I’ve carried all my life from my first day on the job when the boss was too hurried and caught me in the face with a roofing shovel. I remember holding a friend down and urging him not to move after he fell 15’ through an uncovered skylight backwards. Blood was trickling out of his ear. Fortunately, he was not killed though he ultimately lost the hearing in that ear, but it could have been so much worse. To my knowledge there were no accidents on our project. Sadly, one of the contractors did have some equipment stolen but the God of all justice may still bring that to a fulfilling conclusion.

  We are so thankful for God’s provision. This was a huge step of faith for our church family. Our original budget was $1 million. You could hear an audible gasp when the first estimates came back at $2.2 million. Yet, with lots of hard work and some very difficult decisions, we whittled it down again and again. Yet, we still came out with a beautiful building that is a viable tool that enables us to minister and accomplish our mission of reaching our world with the gospel for the glory of God! I feel both blessed and humbled to pastor such a generous church family. So many of you sacrificed, not just money, but hours upon hours.

  Then, we had friends across the country who helped us and sent funds to assist us. And we made new friends who for some reason that we can only explain as a “God thing,” were burdened to help us. I am awed by it all. There are horror stories of the difficulty of working with governmental authorities, yet repeatedly we found them stepping up to assist us!

  We are so thankful for God’s providence. Are you like me? I find that I’m often in a hurry. Patience is a fruit of the Spirit that God is continually cultivating in me. Unfortunately, I’m a very slow learner. It seemed to take so l-o-n-g from the time the land was purchased, to paying it off, to organizing a building committee, to selecting a contractor and putting that first shovel in the ground. But I wasn’t in the driver’s seat, the Father was.

  What a tragedy it could have been if we had begun building and faced the economic downturn our nation went through a few years ago. We have sought to err on the side of being fiscally conservative. If we had failed financially, it’s not just our testimony that would have been hurt, it would have hurt the cause of Christ and given skeptics cause to mock.

  When we built, interest rates were very low and financial institutions were looking for worthy projects. Construction was beginning to catch on fire (which is one reason our costs increased). Yet, with Foxconn coming to our area and some major Milwaukee projects, further delay would have only increased our costs where they could have become unreachable for us and given us less options of contractors. God’s timing is always perfect!

  We are so thankful for God’s pressure. We human beings love comfort and ease. This project has helped my prayer life grow. So many times, I didn’t have a clue on how we were going to put something together or finance it. And I just prayed…and over and over again, God answered our prayers. It’s truly been a very humbling experience. It’s helped Jane and I, and our whole family learn to be more generous. As opportunities came up, God would lay on our hearts to be the one to take care of it. That’s true for many of you as well. And I need that pressure. My faith and dependence on the Father needs to grow deeper. This pressure has been a blessing for me!

  We are so thankful that this is only Phase #1. This project has created a buzz and excitement in our church family that I’ve never seen. It’s drawn us closer together. We’ve spent hours with each other. It’s given us a greater love and appreciation for each other. And we need the pressure of a project unfinished to keep us dependent on the Father. It reminds us that though this phase of our building is complete, the task is unfinished. Our mission is not about a building, it’s about the Great Commission!

  In fact, I’m even thankful our new chairs didn’t arrive for today (though it sure would have been nice). It reminds us that we do not need all the bells and whistles to worship our Father. It reminds us that a church is people, not a building. We have each other! Your brothers and sisters are the church. This building is only a tool for us to get together in.

  This building, serving, worshiping and honoring the Father is only a foretaste of what we have waiting for us in Heaven, when we join King Jesus and all our brothers and sisters through the ages – and the Church finally meets for the very first time! It won’t be a soft opening. It will be the real deal!

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. 

Memories: God's blessings from the past give us strength for the future

“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.”  Dr. Seuss

The people of God are to have incredible memories. Scripture constantly warns believers of the danger of forgetting, exhorting them to remember God’s faithfulness. Deuteronomy 8:2 says, “You shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you.” Each time we celebrate Communion, we are to remember Jesus’ words, “Do this in remembrance of Me.”

  For sixty-two years this building we are meeting in this morning has been the home of Grace Church (originally Bethel Baptist). It’s hard to believe that today is our last Sunday worshiping here. God has been so good to us and used this tool for His glory! When I think about that small group of believers back in 1955 who had a vision and passion, I’m staggered by their great faith. Just a handful of believers saw a tremendous need and acted in faith to meet that need.

  If you know our history, then you know that they were given these two parcels. In a short time, they built this building. There weren’t very many of them, yet with the resources that they had, what they did was nearly miraculous. They literally poured their blood, sweat and tears into this place. As the Lord has done for them, He’s done for us! I’m continually staggered by God’s hand of grace on us as we’ve moved forward with our new building.

  As I’ve reflected on our moving from this facility, I’ve gotten very nostalgic. Like many of you this building holds truckloads of memories for me. I still vividly remember the fall of 1988 and opening those heavy solid red doors to walk in for the first time, the red carpet, pews and of course, the lime green walls. My current office was the nursery. The basement was essentially two large rooms. For many years our family lived next door in what was the parsonage. The parking lot was our children’s playground. (The church was too but I probably shouldn’t mention that… 😊).

  There have been Christmas programs where we did what we could with our small stage. Then, the place would be packed with kids and their families during Kids’ Cooking Camp or special meetings and services. We worshiped together, sang together, praised and prayed together, wept together and rejoiced together!

  Some of you trusted Christ as your Savior in this building. Many of you took steps of faith forward in your walk with the Lord here. You began to read your Bible or pray, or serve. Many of you raised your family here…if these walls could talk, this brick and mortar place overflows with powerful and wonderful memories. Yet, after the many, many worship services, what I most remember are the events: church dinners, parties, fellowships, children and teen activities.

  During my thirty years here, there have been a few weddings. Because the auditorium is so small, most couples had to choose another venue. Yet, there have been a few and they were always wonderful! We crammed everyone in and then crammed them in again downstairs for the reception. 

  While there have been a few weddings, it seems like there have been lots of funerals…too many. One of the heartbreaks of a long pastorate is that you must bury your friends. I’ve stood before the casket of many, many friends, brothers and sisters, over the years…often in this very building.

  Several funerals were packed, standing room only. Some were for dear gray headed saints who longed for Home. Some were tragic, at least from our side of heaven. The Father reached down and picked a choice flower from His garden. We weren’t ready for their Homegoing. Those losses are always a mixed blessing. They’re a blessing because you know that the believer is now Home with Jesus and there’s no more suffering. Yet, it’s hard for us. We’re close. We’re a family. We take death very personally. Most of us sit in the same spot each Sunday, but suddenly there’s an empty space. A teary-eyed spouse now comes in alone as the God of comfort begins to heal their heart. We’re careful about what we say but we know, and we hurt too. We’ve lost a friend, a brother or a sister.

  Some of my favorite memories though have been the many baptisms. Some were young people. The Holy Spirit had worked in their heart and they wanted to obey Scripture in believer’s immersion. Several times I’ve been the one to introduce the person to Christ. Sometimes it was after weeks or months of opening God’s Word in a Bible study and suddenly the Spirit would open their eyes. They finally understood what the Cross was all about. They realized that they weren’t a good person and needed a Savior, that Jesus died for them – that God loved them so much that He gave His only Son – so they could be forgiven and know where they would spend eternity.

  As they grew in grace, they realized that the next step was commitment – that they needed to make a public testimony of what had taken place in their heart. Some had resisted God working in their life for years…decades. But they found that could not outrun what Francis Thompson powerfully labeled “the Hound of Heaven.”

  Only Heaven fully knows how God has used this place. It’s been a tool in His hand for many decades. Next week we move our church family to a new home and tool, but it has the same purpose. It’s to bring glory to God. It’s a place to worship, to fellowship. It’s a place for Christians to grow in grace. It’s a place of hope for the hopeless. It’s a place where many who have not yet met Jesus Christ as their personal Savior will be born again.

  As this building has been a wonderful tool in the Master’s hand, let’s pray and determine that by God’s grace we will use the new one to be a tool for His glory as well and our feeble efforts there will please Him!

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. 

You get what you honor....

“Ability without honor is useless.”  Cicero

  My family probably can’t remember the last time that I kept the game on during a meal, but I was glued to the set for this year’s Rose Bowl game. Though I did mute the volume during our New Year’s Day dinner, I was very distracted. It was a nail biter and even made Rose Bowl history in that it was the first Rose Bowl to go into overtime and ultimately had a double overtime. Of course, the right team won – at least from my Georgia roots perspective, with the Dawgs defeating the Sooners 54-48.

  This is a typical complaint from sports fans but I really felt that the ESPN analysts were very one sided and seemed to have some kind of bromance going with Sooner’s quarterback, Baker Mayfield. To be sure, the Georgia Bulldogs are not saints, but Baker Mayfield is an anti-hero. USA Today dubbed him the “Anti-Tim Tebow.” What a terrible reputation! Though he’s the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner, according to the mission statement, he shouldn’t be: “The Heisman Memorial Trophy annually recognizes the outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity…”

  Integrity is not one of his character traits. Mayfield is known for being obnoxious and obscene. He’s a star fit for a TMZ episode. While a gifted athlete, he’s known for his arrogance and unsportsmanlike conduct. Next year he’s probably headed to the NFL. Unfortunately, in our sullied culture, he’ll fit right in with the likes of a Ben Roethlisberger and Adrian Peterson. Sadly, we’re numb to it and overlook it as long as you’re a star.

  But as Christians, we can’t. Too often we forget something vital – you get what you honor. It’s deplorable that too often in the Church we honor and measure by the same wrong standards a godless world measures by. We value and are enamored by the same wrong things. And then, we wonder why we who are called to be transformed and difference makers don’t. 

  Years ago I observed this in the Christian school movement. Parents were urged, even guilt tripped, into pulling their children out of the “godless” public school so they could be taught biblical values BUT they weren’t.

  You get what you honor. Most Christian schools honored the same things the public schools honored, athletics, appearance and academics. What you reward, you reap generationally. Like a lost world, they had little concern for the disenfranchised and often failed to honor those who loved the Lord.

  As Christians, we’re to be a “Christian Counter-culture” (to quote John Stott). Our yardstick must be biblical and is distinctly different. Jesus modeled this for us. The twelve men that He chose to lead His church were a bunch of losers from the world’s perspective. The most gifted one was Judas, yet spiritually, he was a zero. How do we counteract this?

  We honor true beauty. Proverbs 31:30 says, “beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” That fits with Isaiah’s prophetic words about the coming Savior, “He had no… beauty that we should desire Him” (53:2). There may be a time to commend beauty, like about a bride on her wedding day. Biblically, though what is truly beautiful is godliness and character. We’ve all met some beautiful very ugly individuals. In the world’s eyes, they were beautiful but their attitude and arrogance was detestable. What we must notice and praise is inner beauty. 

  We honor wisdom. One can be brilliant and a fool. Scripture repeatedly speaks of the value of wisdom – not just knowing it – but applying it to life. The book of Proverbs defines and describes wisdom in seeing and living life according to God’s perspective. We need to encourage and note those who live out God’s truth. Too often in the Church we’re content with merely knowing God’s truth. That’s not a biblical perspective. It’s not enough to have the right answers. We must live righteously.

  We honor stewardship. We all know very talented individuals who never lived up to their ability. Perhaps they had athletic or musical ability, but peaked in high school or college. Their life is one that’s continually rear view mirror oriented, focused on the past, on what they used to be and do. God is the great “I am,” not “I was.” At the Bema, the commendation from King Jesus is not for ability but for faithfulness, “Well, done good and faithful servant.” God is more pleased with a C student who does the best that he/she can, than an A- student who sloughs and lives off their reputation rather than the faithful application of their abilities.

  We honor those who are spiritually fruitful. When was the last time you praised someone for being kind or patient or even joyful? Our culture honors the tough and mean, not the loving or gracious. But what does it really take to blow your stack? Just a short fuse. Do you pray, think or talk about spiritual fruit? If it’s not even on our radar, it’s not going to be cultivated in our hearts or in those around us like our family or friends. We certainly think and talk about those who are spiritually fruitless – those who are cranky or impatient. Our focus should instead be on those who are living out the fruit of the Spirit.

  We honor those who possess eternal riches. So what if someone has a huge house, terrific toys or a cool car. It’s just stuff that rusts and decays. The Apostle John said, “Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper…just as your soul prospers” (3 John 2). Our souls prosper as we make the changes that allow the love of God to flow in and out our lives back to God and to others! When you’re spiritually rich, you’re focused on glorifying God. You’re selfless and thinking about others and their needs. You’re motivated to care for others, knowing that as you seek to bless them, God will bless you. You’ll long for the love of God which you possess to be known and possessed by others.

  I truly hope Baker Mayfield repents and lives for Jesus. Otherwise his life won’t even be a smudge on the pages of sports history. Our lives and the lives of those around us can count for eternity but we must be focused and live for the real world, for eternity. 

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. 

I'm with Dr. Seuss

“The more that you read, the more things you know. 

The more that you learn, the more places you will go.” Dr. Seuss

  Have you seen the new church sign at the new building? Our property was previously a gravel pit and there are lots of rocks. Installing the new sign should have been a fairly simple task. Dig a few holes (we rented an electric post hole digger) but because there were so many rocks, we had to rent a jackhammer. Ultimately, we dug nine holes for the two we needed.

  On most projects, I’m a “go-for” – go for this or that. I remembered that I had an ice chipper at home that we use to break up ice in the winter, so I grabbed it. I’m not known for having a vast array of tools, so several guys were shocked I owned such a beast. In the end, it made a big difference.

  You probably know someone with a garage full of tools but they’re rarely used. Or, you know someone with a kitchen that’d make Rachel Ray turn green with envy but they never cook. God has entrusted each of us with a wonderful tool – our minds. Too often they’re unused. Much of our free time is spent in “amusement” (TV, social media, etc.). Muse means to think; A-muse mean to “not think.” We’re managers of what God has given us. That demands that we use the “tool” He’s entrusted to us, our minds. One of the key ways that we use our minds is that we read. Reading good books is like giving your mind vitamins!

  Periodically, someone will say, “I’m not a reader.” That’s tragic. It’s very hard to think without being a reader. Our Bible is a written document meant to be read. It’s hard to think about God and what He has to say without being a reader. It’s usually apparent when someone is not a reader. They’re no longer being stretched with new thoughts, concepts or ideas. Frequently, they suffer from the hardening of the attitudes and opinions.

  No one wants a doctor who stopped learning 20 years ago after she graduated from med school. Too often Christians are a turn off because they aren’t growing. Many times it’s because they refuse to read. They foolishly associate reading with school, yet our Heavenly Father has enrolled us in the school of life. We must never stop learning and growing.

  “You are what you eat.” It’s equally true, “You are what you read!” Because God has given us a Book, He expects us to read it. Yet, don’t stop there, start there. And read more than Christian books. The Apostle Paul was familiar with pagan philosophy and writings. He quoted Menander (Acts 17:28, 1 Corinthians 15:33) and Epimenides (Titus 1:12).

  A few of years ago I was challenged to increase my reading. This past year, I read nearly 50 books (the average American reads 4). Now I’m not suggesting that you read 50 books, but 1 or 2 a month is not out of the question. Here are some reasons that you should read.

  Reading enlarges our world and helps us minister more effectively. Through books, we’re given an opportunity to become informed about the lives of others in the world and in our community. Prior to coming to Wisconsin I’d never heard of the “Ice Bowl” and couldn’t understand the obsession with the Packers…until I read Bart Starr: America’s Quarterback and the Rise of the National Football League by Keith Dunnavant. It gave me a brand new perspective. As I read Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance, it opened my eyes to issues facing the poor. Reading helps us work through difficult topics and learn from those unlike ourselves. It helps us to learn about and better understand so we can love our neighbor.

  To stretch me spiritually. God is closer than you think by John Ortberg encouraged me to seek to know Jesus better and deepen my walk with Him. You and Me Forever by Francis & Lisa Chan reminded me to keep my marriage fresh. Jane and I will have been married 35 years this July. I don’t want to coast in these later years, so I need a kick-start periodically. 

  To be more compassionate. Gospel Justice by Bruce Strom is about the injustice that those who can’t afford a lawyer or understand the law face. It reminded me again that God is a God of justice, yet there is so little of it in our world. As a believer, I must be committed to helping those being treated unjustly. It’s hard to imagine what it’s like to have a child incarcerated. When I Lay My Isaac Down by Carol Kent opened my eyes to that heartache. As a pastor, because I deal with death all the time, it’s easy to become jaundiced to loss. Losing Mum and Pup by Christopher Buckley is his story of how he lost both of his parents within a year’s time. It made me more compassionate to those who have lost a loved one.

  To mentally relax. During this past year I’ve often felt stressed with the pressure and details of our new building. Periodically, I’d read a book by John Grisham or a historical account like The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown to help me decompress. I hardly knew what rowing was before. It detailed the improbable, intimate account of how nine working-class boys from Washington State showed the world at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin what true grit really is. With a team composed of the sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the University of Washington’s eight-oar team was never expected to defeat elite American teams, yet they did, and went on to shock the world by defeating Hitler’s rowing team.

  To challenge my presuppositions. After I finish a book, I struggle with what to read next. There are so many good books I want to read, but I force myself to read books that stretch me like Heaven is a place on Earth by Michael Wittmer. It was a different interpretation of end times. The Bookseller of Kabul horrified me in what life is like, particularly for women, in much of the Islamic world. It made me thankful for friends who risk their lives to take the Gospel to that region of the world.  

  So what have you got on your book shelf? God has given us a wonderful tool between our ears. Please read and use it for His glory. Start small. Begin with what you’re interested in. Most of us can spare half an hour a day. Reading enriches and transforms our lives in ways that few other hobbies can. The rewards of reading are worth the effort of what it will do for your life and your walk with Christ. What are you going to read next?

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. 

Some Righteous Resolutions

“Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” Carl Bard

  Every year, around 45% of Americans seize upon the desire for a fresh start at New Year’s and make one or more resolutions. We determine to lose weight, exercise more, quit smoking, or get out of debt. We feel determined. We join a fitness center or a 12-step program. We create a plan for change. Yet every year, 97% of us fail. Early efforts prove to be a flash in the pan. In the end, we forget and quit. It’s over and nothing changes.

  Please do make some of those needed changes and stick with them. Yet, let me add to that – consider what really counts, the eternal and spiritual. If you get out of debt, lose weight or stop smoking – it only counts for this short life. Changes though in our spiritual life make a difference in eternity. It’s the difference between buying a gift for someone at the Dollar Store or at Neiman Marcus. Which would you rather have? So let me share some suggestions on eternal changes to consider.

  Reading your Bible daily. This is one of the most important commitments a Christian can make. Each day we must make decisions and want to accomplish something. If you begin your day with the Bible, you’ve already accomplished one of the most important things you’ll do that day. You’ve spent time with your Heavenly Father who loves you and knows exactly what you’re going to face that day. It’s best to start small and be systematic. If you’ve never done this before, begin with one of the Gospels. Read a chapter or least half a chapter a day. I’d consider adding a chapter from Proverbs. The book of Proverbs has 31 chapters and you can easily read the chapter that coincides with the day. Perhaps you’ve never read the Bible through. There are several Bible reading plans available. We have one on the back table available and a link at the bottom of this week’s Sword Challenge that will direct you to four different options.   

  Committed prayer time. Reading our Bible is allowing our Father to speak to us through His love letter. Prayer is our conversing back with Him. Too often our prayer life is little more than a grocery list. How would we feel if the only time that we heard from a friend was when they needed something? God wants us to talk to Him. But it’s normal to struggle with what to pray about. I love this simple approach called A.C.T.S. Adoration: Give God praise and honor for who He is as Lord over all. Confession: Honestly deal with sin in your life. Thanksgiving: Verbalize what you're grateful for. Supplication: Pray for the needs of others and yourself.

  Commit to worship and community. God designed us for worship and community. Our struggle is that there are so many options and we seemingly have so many things to do. It’s easy to deceive ourselves in to thinking that we’re faithful in worship if we attend once or twice a month. Let me encourage you to commit to attending every Sunday unless you’re providentially hindered. And determine to make some type of Grace Group part of your life, whether it’s one that meets on Sundays or one that meets every other week on a weeknight. Since sin entered the world, we’re resistant to community. We like to keep others, even brothers and sisters in Christ, at a safe distance and not let them glimpse into our souls. Community is essential to our spiritual health and growth. You will never grow spiritually and have all that God has for you ALONE. 

  Grow past that sinful habit that keeps throwing you spiritually. For some it may be something overt like substance abuse, porn addiction, anger or materialism. For most of us though, it’s an attitude which pops up as a sinful behavior. First, remember that it’s already paid for and conquered at the Cross, and your Heavenly Father already knows about it. But you can never just stop something. Scripture teaches the principle of godly replacement. Check out Ephesians 4 for a wonderful model of leaving something and replacing it with something godly, eternal and better. This might be one where you ask a mature Christian friend to help and share with you where he/she thinks that you most need to grow. Most of us are blind to our own spiritual weak spots. Our attitudes are usually the biggest barriers to a vibrant relationship with the Lord and with others. Some of the more common sinful attitudes are arrogance, a critical or negative spirit, a selfish one, or even a fearful or doubting spirit.  

  Grow in generosity. If you focus on the other four, the Spirit will make this one nearly happen spontaneously. First, praise God each day for His countless blessings. Then, most of us need to grow and learn to be lavish in our praise toward those closest to us. Praise and affirm the ones that God has brought directly into your life – your spouse and children. For many of us, one encouraging word a day would be a huge step forward. How sad that we often are kinder and more gracious with a clerk in a store.

  Then, be generous in sharing your faith. Everyone that you meet will spend eternity somewhere. Ask the Lord for daily opportunities to share the gospel and seek to build gospel bridges. Finally, be generous with your time and money. Ours is a narcissistic world, but we are not of this world. Those who are spiritually mature and love the Lord are always generous. You can’t be close to a generous God without becoming generous as He is. 

  Finally, write it down and date it. Writing it down helps keep us accountable. You might ask a godly friend to be your accountability partner. As you look back at it at the end of 2018, it will encourage you. You probably won’t get as far as you desire, yet you’re headed in the right direction! And God is more interested in our direction than in our distance. 

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. 

I'll be Home for Christmas

“I’ll be Home for Christmas, if only in my dreams.”

  Have you ever noticed that many of the Christmas movies center around home and family? Most of us have a mental picture of the perfect Christmas scene – a peaceful picture of home with loving family gathered together for the holiday. Yet, even when everything is seemingly perfect, there’s still some dull nagging in our hearts that there’s something more. Even when we’re home, in an ideal, nearly perfect home…there’s an innate longing for something else, a longing for the perfect home.

  Home has a powerful influence on us. Billions are spent annually by those retracing their ancestry. Those who were foreign born long to return home, even if home is continents away. Home is such a powerful part of our make-up that children who never find a place where they feel they belong struggle with an incapacity for attachment into their adult lives.

  Most of us have had the nostalgia longing for a special place from our youth…the family home or annual vacation place. It carries a very special spot in our hearts. Yet, if we have the opportunity to return to the actual place, it’s filled with disappointment. It doesn’t live up to our expectations. The reality of actually being there leaves us with a sense of loss. 

  That song, “I’ll be home for Christmas” has long been one of my favorites. Originally recorded in 1943 by Bing Crosby, it became a top hit. It was written to honor American soldiers overseas who longed to be home at Christmas. It’s sung from the point of view of a soldier stationed on a foreign battlefield during World War II, writing a letter to his family. In the message, he tells his family he’ll be coming home and to prepare the holiday for him. He requests snow, mistletoe and presents on the tree. It ends on a melancholy note, with the soldier saying, “I'll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams.”

  The U.S. War Department released Crosby’s performance of the song in a December 7, 1944 broadcast. It touched the hearts of Americans, soldiers and civilians alike, in the midst of World War II and became the most requested song at Christmas U.S.O shows. GI magazine, Yank, said Crosby had “accomplished more for military morale than anyone else of that era.” 

  It wasn’t until college that I recall ever hearing that song but it became very special to me my junior year. That year, I had no Christmas plans and was staying in the dormitories for the entire holiday season. On Christmas Eve, I worked a 16 hour shift through Christmas morning as a security guard at Brownberry Ovens in Oconomowoc. It was one of the few times that they shut down all year and they needed someone in the plant. Needless, to say it was a very lonely Christmas. 

  Yet, even in the most idyllic home and Christmas gathering, the child of God still senses it. We are not Home yet. The Apostle Peter refers to us as “sojourners and exiles” (1 Peter 2:11). Add to that, believers in Christ are soldiers engaged in spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:10). Deep within us there’s a longing that nothing on this side of eternity can satisfy or suppress. We want to be Home. It’s great to know that we’re on the winning side, but we often grow weary of the battle.

  Home, then, is a powerful but elusive concept. The strong feelings that surround it reveal that deep longing that we all have within us for a place that suits us, where we can be or perhaps find, our true selves. Even with the very best Christmas, there’s a sense of “Is this it? Is this all there is?” No place, home, or actual family satisfies those yearnings, though many situations arouse them. The concept of home awakens a desire that just can’t be totally fulfilled, so we end up disappointed under the weight of our own impossible expectations. Why? We are made for another Home.

  As we turn to the pages of Scripture, Hebrews 13:14 encourages us to remember and find strength in the fact that “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.” It’s a losing battle to pursue lasting satisfaction in this life. The words, “here we have no lasting city” drive us to the only source of contentment on this side of Home: the promise that Christ is always with us (Matthew 28:20) on our journey because we’re not Home yet. He’s bringing us home to a place where love, joy, and satisfaction never end. As Randy Alcorn writes, “Things won't always take a better turn on an Earth that is under the curse. Sickness, loss, grief, and death will find us. Just as our reward will come in Heaven, laughter (itself one of our rewards) will come in Heaven.” Christmas, then, is a reminder that Jesus, in the Incarnation, left His Home in Heaven for us so that we could have a true Home.

  In another December, December of 1903, after multiple attempts, the Wright brothers were finally successful in getting their “flying machine” off the ground. Thrilled, they telegraphed this message to their sister Katherine: “We have actually flown 120 feet. Will be home for Christmas.”

  Katherine hurried to the editor of the local paper and showed him the message. He glanced at it and said, “How nice. The boys will be home for Christmas.” He totally missed the big news, man had finally flown. 

  Many at Christmas miss the biggest news. They’re looking for Home here but Jesus came so we could have a Home there, a perfect and everlasting one. Jesus came to this earth, took on human flesh, lived a perfect life, died for us thus paying our debt of sin so that we can have a Home where there’s no more pain, dissatisfaction or death. It’s His Christmas gift to us. Your name is on the tag (John 3:16). So have you accepted God’s Christmas gift to you so that you can have a real Home for all eternity? 

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. 

Real Royalty!

“He was created by a mother whom He created. He was carried by hands that He formed. He cried in the manger in wordless infancy, He the Word, without whom all human eloquence is mute.” Augustine

Maybe I’m missing something but I just don’t get it. Personally, I don’t see why it even made news, but it did. I’m referring to the recent “history-making announcement” that Prince Harry and his American girlfriend, Meghan Markle, are engaged and will wed in the spring (Uhm, should I stop yawning now?). But don’t we celebrate every 4^th of July about getting free from royalty, for something like 240 years now? Didn’t that mean we switched tea for coffee? Soccer for a man’s sport, like football? Stopped talking funny and all proper? Replaced tiny cars with big ones? (They don’t even drive on the right side of the road.) And who wants to live on an island when you can have a continent?

  Yet, in spite of all the reasons that we’re glad that we’re not British, countless Americans still treat British royalty like royalty…even though in the U.S. of A, we don’t have royalty. And if Meghan and Harry get married at 3 am, gazillions of Americans (particularly those of a certain gender) will get up to watch the whole affair.

  Have you ever noticed that the very ones who should have sought out royalty at Christ’s birth didn’t? In the narrative of His birth I find one part that always leaves me bewildered. It’s in Matthew’s Gospel. When the wise men came to Jerusalem looking for the “King of the Jews,” the theologians and professional clergy all knew, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel’” (Matthew 2:5-6). So since they all knew, why didn’t the religious leaders go to Bethlehem? After all, it was so close, a mere six miles. If they knew that the Messiah was to be born there, why didn’t they go and check it out for themselves?

  Comparatively, the Magi knew so little, yet came so far and gave so much. The priests and teachers of the law knew so much but did so little. If Jesus came to Milwaukee, would we go and see Him? What if Jesus came to Chicago, would we be too busy to check it out? But they didn’t.

  Why not? It’s the age-old problem, good people, nice ones, and particularly religious people don’t think that they really need Jesus. In spite of those silly Facebook quizzes about who is naughty or nice, most of us believe we’re on God’s “nice list” and Jesus didn’t come for “nice people.”

  Nice people think that ultimately their niceness will pay off, that in a sense God owes them. Good people are fastidious in their compliance to ethical norms. They faithfully fulfill all the traditional family, community and civic responsibilities, but it’s often a slavish, joyless drudgery.

  The word “slave” has strong overtones of being forced or pushed rather than drawn or attracted. A slave works out of fear—fear of consequences imposed by force. This goes to the root of what often drives the “good” and religious crowd. Ultimately, good religious people live good lives out of fear, not out of joy and love…and certainly not freedom.

  The bottom line is that though they may be kind to others and even helpful to the poor, at a deeper level, they’re doing it either so God will bless them, or so they can think of themselves as nice, virtuous, charitable people. They’re not really doing things for other people or even for God. They’re not feeding the hungry and clothing the poor for the poor. They’re feeding and clothing themselves. The heart’s fundamental self-centeredness is not only kept intact, it’s nurtured by fear-based moralism. Religious and moral duties are an incredibly heavy burden. Emotional frustration and inner boredom with life is repressed and denied. Good people are under extreme pressure to appear, even to themselves as nice, happy and content.

  But the greatest loss though is a lack of assurance of God’s love and acceptance. What are some signs of a lack of that assurance? Every time something goes wrong in their life or a prayer goes unanswered, they wonder if it’s because they aren’t living as morally or upright as maybe they should. Theirs is a “hope so” religion. “I hope God really loves me.” “I hope I’m forgiven.” “I hope I’m on my way to heaven.”

  Jesus came to give us assurance and true hope as part of God’s forever family. He came to be our Savior, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior” (Luke 2:11). The religious leaders in Jerusalem were ignorant of their greatest need. Though they were good and religious, it wasn’t enough – they needed a Savior, and so do you and so do I.

  Perhaps you’re very nice, religious and believe in Jesus, but for far too many that belief has never led to a point of personal commitment. You know Him intellectually, but not personally. And we all have the same great need. It’s the one that the angel told Joseph about, “you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).  We all have a sin problem. It’s one that we can never solve ourselves. It’s why Jesus came. But we must come to Him, like the shepherds and Magi. Christ never turns away any heart that’s open to Him. Those who seek Him find Him. The wise still seek Him. Have you sought Jesus as your Savior? 

  If you want to watch the royal wedding next year, go ahead and enjoy it. Yet, whatever you do, please don’t miss out on the real King and true royalty that can make a difference in your life now and for eternity. Crown the one true King, King Jesus, as King of your life today.  

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.