A Christ-follower with a limp

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Evil: It isn't just a show

“The devil divides the world between atheism and superstition.”

George Herbert

This Halloween if you want to risk a friend rolling their eyes, tell them that you believe that Satan is real. About 50% of Americans don’t believe in the existence of the devil. The latest surveys indicate that born-again Christians are the most likely to believe in the devil (86%).

Yet, nothing delights Satan more than when people do not believe in him or take him seriously. Years ago liberal theologian, Rudolf Bultmann dogmatically stated, “it is impossible to use electric light and the wireless, and to avail ourselves of modern medical and surgical discoveries, and at the same time believe in the New Testament world of demons and spirits.”

Many believe the devil is a fable, just a bit of fiction, some cartoon character dressed in red with a pitchfork and tail. They contend that truly educated and thinking people don’t believe in a literal devil.

If Satan is only a myth, how do you explain evil? One can’t turn on the evening news without being repeatedly confronted with the reality of evil. Evil is very real! No honest person can deny the problem of evil. Because of that any world-view, religion, or philosophy that acknowledges evil is real, and as a really evil thing, present in our world – is a thousand times more plausible and livable than a religion or world-view or philosophy that denies the reality, or the evilness, of evil. One of the most undeniable facts of our existence, is that evil is real, and evil is evil, too often very evil.

To attempt to deny that evil exists is to live with your head in the sand and to attempt to deny reality. Yet, trying to deny reality – whether related to evil or any other aspect of reality, doesn’t work. Reality is like gravity – sooner or later, it catches up to you. The longer that you pretend it isn’t there or try to deny it, the harder and more forcefully it crashes in on you.

For example, some religions tell us that suffering (a type of evil) is just an illusion and you can escape this illusion by achieving a certain frame of mind. This, though, denies the reality of evil. But when the evilness of suffering, sickness or death hits you, you find that any “truth” that tells you that suffering is merely a state of mind or a figment of your imagination and that you should be unbothered by it, is an offensive and unlivable lie.

While atheism doesn’t fit with the unavoidably moral universe in which we undeniably find ourselves, it’s often accompanying “privation theory,” (that evil is only the lack of good,) doesn’t do justice to the fact that evil is an objective and often horrible real entity. Evil is not merely the “lack of good,” it’s positively vile.

Even most atheists acknowledge the reality of evil. Yet, if you claim there is evil and injustice in the world, where does one find a moral standard of justice? Doesn’t it seem logical that if there are moral laws, there must also be a moral Law-Giver? For there to be a judgement of evil, it must be based on more than one’s own subjective and benign moral feelings.

C. S. Lewis’s response to this idea is worth pondering: “My argument [as an atheist] was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust. A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line…Of course, I could have given up my idea of justice by saying it was nothing but a private idea of my own. But if I did that, then my argument against God collapsed too…” If there is “evil,” that argument presupposes “good” and some standard of what is good and what is evil. Otherwise neither exists or it is all subjective. The most logical argument is that both exist and God is the moral Law-Giver.

In his book, The Death of Satan, noted scholar and professor at Columbia University, Dr. Andrew Delbanco, argues that “a gulf has opened up in our culture between the visibility of evil and the intellectual resources for coping with it.” He goes on to argue that many secularists attribute all human cruelty and evil to psychological deprivation or social conditioning, and, in so doing, trivialize the heinous evil that humans are capable of.

He then recounts the story of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who along with many American elites during the Holocaust gave “no priority to the rescue” of the victims. Later on, after the evidence for the atrocities became too great to disbelieve, the President was given Kiergegaard to read and said that, for the first time, the Christian philosopher gave him, “an understanding of what it is in man that makes it possible…to be so evil.” Dr. Delbanco contends that secular liberals (a group of which he considers himself a member) had lost any concept of radical evil.

It’s been often said that one of Satan’s greatest tricks is to make people believe that he doesn’t exist — and that’s true. When we deny his existence, we become blinded to the reality of evil, and we fall for his lies about God and about ourselves. Satan is real; the cruelty and vileness of our headlines scream it every day.

Yet, the most important truth about the devil is this: He is a defeated enemy! By His death on the cross Jesus overcame Satan’s charges against us, and by His resurrection from the grave Jesus conquered Satan’s rule of sin and death. Someday, and I hope soon, Christ’s victory over Satan will be complete. Satan and his evil horde of demons will be banished forever.

Jesus has won the victory! He died to set us free from Satan’s power. While we need to be wary of Satan, we do not need to fear him – he’s a defeated foe. He may tempt and attack us, but the grace of God in Christ will always make us victorious over him. As 1 John 4:4 promises, “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world” (NLT). We must turn to and rely on the Lord Jesus, who defeated our great Enemy. As we build our lives on Him and His truth, He gives us hope and power, both now and forever.

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.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Greed Wins Again!

“Greed is the inventor of injustice as well as the current enforcer.”

Julian Casablancas

Earlier this month (October 8^th), a fan was kicked out of a basketball game for holding up a sign calling for freedom for Hong Kong and for yelling a freedom-for-Hong-Kong slogan. One of the teams on the court was a Chinese team from Guangzhou, the Loong Lions. But this game wasn’t being held in Beijing or Peking. It was in Philadelphia…the birthplace of American freedom. Just feet from where our forefathers signed the Declaration of Independence, Americans were told that they couldn’t show public support for basic human freedoms in China. This was right after the NBA forced an apology onto the Houston Rockets general manager for tweeting, “fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong.” Why? Greed!

The NBA is poised to make $1.5 billion off its streaming agreement with Chinese media company, Tencent, over the next five years, so the NBA is willing to slam dunk basic human rights to increase their bottom line.

Basketball is the most popular sport in the world’s most populous country. There are more NBA fans in China than there are people in the United States. The NBA is willingly being fiscally blackmailed by a repressive nation known for forced abortions, harvesting organs, and the abuse of religious minorities, like the Muslim Uighur community.

That’s not to mention China’s recent blood-drenched history. Chinese Communists make the Nazis look like Boy Scouts. There’s a general consensus among historians that after Chairman Mao and the Communists came to power, political purges caused the deaths of tens of millions.

Today most have forgotten the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. Estimates of the death toll vary from several hundred to several thousand, with thousands more wounded. What’s ironic is how quickly the NBA was ready to boycott North Carolina over bathrooms a few years ago, but now kowtow to a brutal Chinese government…all for the love of money.

Yet, the NBA is hardly exceptional. In recent years, American and European companies have made a regular habit of apologizing for their accidental contradictions of China’s Communist Party line. Last year, Marriott fired a social-media manager for liking a post complimenting the hotel chain for its (unintentional) endorsement of Tibetan independence. Around the same time, Mercedes-Benz issued an apology for quoting the Dalai Lama on Instagram. After learning that one of its t-shirts featured a map of China that didn’t include Taiwan or various disputed islands in the South China Sea, the Gap expressed its regrets and affirmed its respect for “China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Versace apologized for a similar offense last August, saying, “Versace reiterates that we love China deeply, and resolutely respect China’s territory and national sovereignty.”

By itself, U.S. consumer brands’ disinterest in advocating for Tibetan independence or democracy in Hong Kong isn’t especially concerning. But capitulation on these largely symbolic issues (symbolic in the sense that Gap T-shirts won’t make or break the “Free Tibet” movement) clearly indicate that corporate America is virtually absent of a moral compass or compassion for the oppressed or brutalized. Greed massacres freedom!

Christians have largely been concerned about Big Brother, and the oppression of biblical values but been oblivious to Big Business’s oppression of Christianity. But corporate America is no friend of grace or the people of God. Think about it. If corporations won’t support the defense of basic human rights by an oppressive regime like China, do we believe that religious freedom won’t also be sacrificed? Giant corporations like Google, Twitter, Facebook have been caught censoring Christian posts and organizations.

Just consider the malicious media slandering and political blackballing of Chick-fil-a because their owners dare to espouse a biblical worldview. Yet, it’s common knowledge that Chick-fil-A serves, employs, pays, and offers benefits to people who consider themselves gay, queer, lesbian, bi, and any other sexually-specific identity a person wants to claim. They don’t discriminate or show partiality or prejudice. They simply sell chicken sandwiches in clean restaurants (except on Sundays).

What infuriates those who hold a different worldview is that the owners of Chick-fil-A are Christians who personally hold to a belief in the biblical moral ethic. That’s it! They’re believers striving to honor God and live in obedience to His Word. That obedience means loving others, serving others, helping others and doing all things (even selling chicken sandwiches) as though they’re working for God Himself and not for man.

Even an innocuous site like Pinterest censors and blocks certain Bible verses and Christian terms in its search engine. While a quick search makes it clear that some Bible verses are still allowed on Pinterest, one employee whistleblower revealed that the company’s auto-complete function was modified and there is hostility against some Christian beliefs.

Yet, none of this should surprise us. Jesus promised that, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you” (John 15:18). While in America we should defend our Constitutional rights while we can, just as the Apostle Paul defended his rights as a Roman citizen, we must also be known as the people of love and grace. We’re to turn the other cheek (Mt. 5:38-40), and love and pray for our enemies (Rom. 12:14-21).

Most vocations are no longer exempt from the conflict between career and convictions. As Christians, we must develop a “theology of getting fired” and answer the tough questions before they’re forced on us: “What am I willing to take a stand for and get fired over?” God’s grace is sufficient. He has called us to live as His light in an increasingly darkening world. We’re not the first who’ve faced these dilemmas. As God has been faithful to all those who have come before us, He will be faithful to us!

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Forgiving the Unforgivable

“Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a permanent attitude.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

If you haven’t seen the video of Brandt Jean forgiving and then embracing Amber Guyger, please Google it to watch it. It’s a powerful example of grace and forgiveness where humanly we’d expect hatred.

Amber Guyger is the former Dallas cop who mistakenly shot and killed Brandt Jean’s brother, her unarmed black neighbor, 26-year-old Botham Jean. Botham, an accountant from the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, was watching TV and eating a bowl of ice cream in his own apartment. Guyger stepped into his apartment after mistaking it for her own and thought he was an intruder. She fired two shots, striking him once in the chest, killing him. Last week she was convicted of murder and sentenced to 10 years.

During his victim impact statement, Brandt Jean stunned the courtroom and the world. This was his opportunity to tell Guyger exactly what he thought of the former officer after she was sentenced for murdering his brother last year. His older brother, Botham, was his best friend.

There were only two rules for his “victim impact statement” – no threats and no profanity. Yet, what came next was a stunning moment for those in the courtroom and those who watched online. Even jaundiced courthouse veterans wept at something that they’d never seen before.

Brandt took a breath into the microphone and began to speak. He hadn’t told his family what he planned to say, he told Guyger. He spoke for himself, not them. “If you truly are sorry, I know I can speak for myself, I forgive you.” He told her that he wanted what Botham would have wanted. “I think giving your life to Christ would be the best thing that Botham would want for you. I love you as a person, and I don’t wish anything bad on you.” He continued, telling Guyger that he didn’t even want her to go to prison. “Can I give her a hug, please?” Brandt asked the Judge. “Please.”

Judge Tammy Kemp gave him the OK. Guyger hesitated for just a moment and then she rushed toward Jean and wrapped her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her as she sobbed uncontrollably. They whispered as they embraced, words heard only by them. Twice Jean and Guyger started to pull apart, but then hugged again. Both were in tears when they finally broke away.

Yet, that wasn’t the end. Powerfully moved by what she’d witnessed, Judge Kemp stepped out of the room for a moment and returned with a Bible. She embraced and whispered to Botham’s mother, “I’m so sorry for your loss. Thank you for the way you modeled Christ.” She then stepped up to the now-convicted murderer, placed the Bible in front of her, and gently said, “Read this.” Guyger jumped to her feet and embraced the judge, who in turn, hugged her back, whispering something inaudible in her ear.

Not surprisingly, Madison, Wisconsin organization, the Freedom From Religion Foundation filed a complaint with the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct that Judge Kemp had overstepped her authority when she prayed with and gave a Bible to Amber Guyger.

Yet, without the moral absolutes of the Bible, there could be no true justice system. Right and wrong would be subjective or cultural. The Bible says that murder is always wrong (Ex. 20:13). America’s Founding Fathers recognized the need for moral absolutes found in Scripture. It’s why the two tablets of stone symbolizing the Decalogue are portrayed at the United States Supreme Court Building. Amber Guyger was judged and found guilty of murder by the moral absolute standards based on Scripture.

While human courts rightfully demand justice, the only hope of forgiveness is also found in God’s Word. It would have been an injustice for Guyger to have faced no penalty in a human court of law. Wonderfully for Guyger and for all of us, God has another court and is the final Judge.

When Jesus died on the cross, He took all of humanity’s punishment upon Himself. He took the guilt of our sins and carried them for us. In a prophetic portrait of the future Christ, the prophet Isaiah wrote, “But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Hebrews 9:22 says, “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”

The horrible weight of sin is so great that only shed blood can atone for it. Only by the sinless Savior’s death can we understand the extreme consequences of the price of sin. Only by His substitutionary sacrifice can there be forgiveness. If we do not embrace the Cross, we can never receive absolution from guilt. Jesus’ cross is essential for us and for God to be just in offering forgiveness. It’s our only path to forgiveness and freedom.

It’s because Botham Jean had personally experienced that forgiveness that he could offer it to the one who murdered his brother. And only if Amber Guyger accepts God’s salvation, can she experience forgiveness from God.

Forgiveness is an act of love, mercy, and grace. It’s a decision to not hold something against another person, despite what they’ve done to you. But it is not automatic. Even God cannot forgive someone who doesn’t want it.

Do you want to have your sins forgiven? Forgiveness of every sin, even murder, is available if you will simply place your faith in Christ as your Savior. Ephesians 1:7 says, “In Him [Jesus] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.” Jesus paid our sin debt, so anyone can be forgiven. All we must do is ask God to forgive us, believing Christ died to pay for our forgiveness, and then God will forgive us! It’s that easy! You can’t earn forgiveness or somehow pay for it yourself. You can only receive it, by faith, through the grace and mercy of God. My friend, have you asked God to forgive you?

Sunday, October 6, 2019

Finishing Well

The race is not always to the swift but to him who keeps on running.

One of the heroes in Christian History is William Wilberforce. As a young man, Wilberforce was very discouraged one night in the early 1790s after another defeat in his 10 year battle against the slave trade in England. Tired and frustrated, he opened his Bible and began to leaf through it. A small piece of paper fell out and fluttered to the floor. It was a letter written by John Wesley shortly before his death. Wilberforce read it again: “Unless the divine power has raised you up... I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprise in opposing that (abominable practice of slavery), which is the scandal of religion, of England, and of human nature. Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God? Oh, be not weary of well-doing. Go on in the name of God, and in the power of His might.”

The slave trade ended because one British politician persevered and committed nearly his entire life to see it end. It took forty years and didn’t end until one month after his death. His lifelong perseverance brought about a radical spiritual and societal change.

Perseverance is to be a trait of all Christ-followers. The Apostle Paul persevered. Near the end of his life he wrote, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

Yet, many Christians don’t persevere. Nearly every day we learn of another professing Christian, sometimes a very famous one, that’s become disillusioned and jettisoned their faith. Why? How does someone walk away from what at one time they so strongly affirmed that they believed?

They had unrealistic expectations about God and Christianity. C.S. Lewis referred to this as the “problem of pain.” There’s an erroneous belief, sometimes taught by well-meaning Christians, that God will protect His children and their lives will essentially be pain-free.

Such teaching flies in the face of the clear teaching of Scripture. The book of Job is right in the middle of the Bible. No one suffered as much as Job. Yet, he was one of the godliest, faithful men in all of the Bible. Beginning in Genesis all the way to the book of Revelation, there’s account after account, even promises of suffering, trials and unbelievable pain.

God never promises us a pain-free life. The Bible promises something much more powerful, God’s grace to persevere through the worst pain (2 Cor. 12:9) and that all pain for the believer is temporary (2 Cor. 4:16-18).

While some Christians, because of suffering or disillusionment, abandon their faith. What’s more common is a kind of passive Christianity. Often this is a believer who at one time had a vibrant faith but now are just going through the motions. They may still go church or call themselves a Christian, but something happened, perhaps a struggling marriage or wayward child. While they never say, they no longer “trust” God, they’ve become overwhelmed by pain and sadly, Satan has sidelined them.

God rarely conforms His plan to our wishes, which is a good thing. Better than that, we have a Savior who understands all of our sufferings because Jesus has suffered more acutely than any of us ever will.

They feel betrayed by the Church or a Christian they admired. There are no words for the horror of a spiritual leader molesting or abusing someone under their care. Yet, we know that the poison of a lost world has too often contaminated the church. Then, spiritual leaders can be absorbed with their agenda and self-glory, not God’s. Some manipulate or use those whom they’re responsible for to promote themselves. Narcissism and empire-building is not just a secular world problem. It’s why James warns those in leadership or teaching positions of their greater accountability, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (3:1). Probably, the greatest betrayal takes place in the home with a parent who claims to be one thing at church, yet lives a double-life. While we all sin and none are perfect, such duplicity and betrayal leave deep, lifelong scars.

The solution is to look to a Savior who was betrayed and murdered, yet trusted God. He understands the depth of betrayal that none of us can begin to comprehend. We must as the writer of Hebrews urged us to do, “Look to Jesus” (Hebrews 12:1-3) who will never fail or disappoint us.

They are covering personal sin. Each one of us is designed by God and made in His image, Imago Dei. We were never designed though to live with guilt or a pained conscience. As a result, one has to do something with guilt because the shame and pain can become unbearable. So, like our first parents, we cover ourselves with fig leaves. Some cover guilt with the fig leaf of bitterness or anger. Blaming others, continually focusing on them and how they have been wronged. It helps keeps us from having to look at the darkness within our own hearts. Others will abandon a Bible-believing church that teaches about sin and personal responsibility, yet keep some veneer of spirituality by being part of a church where, as Scripture describes it, their ears are “tickled” (2 Tim. 4:3). Sometimes they will even go to counseling to rid themselves of guilt and “repressive biblical truth.”

The only true hope and cure is confession and forgiveness. Jesus died for all of our sin. Nothing surprises Him. He longs to forgive and free us from guilt. He’s the Good Shepherd searching for the lost lamb (Matt. 18:12-14).

What’s the key to being able to endure? You can’t…on your own. We foolishly believe that we’re strong and sufficient in ourselves. We’re not. The key is to rely totally on Jesus. Paul gives us the prescription of perseverance and spiritual success, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). We plug into His power by regularly reading God’s Word, honestly praying and crying out for His strength, surrounding ourselves with other believers who pray, support and encourage us. And we must focus on our eternal future, the finish line. As Esther Kerr Rusthoi powerfully wrote as part of a hymn many years ago:

It will be worth it all when we see Jesus,
Life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ;
One glimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase,
So bravely run the race till we see Christ.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Pride: Public Enemy #1

“Pride will always be the longest distance between two people.”

During the Battle of the Wilderness in the Civil War, Union general John Sedgwick was inspecting his troops. At one point he came to a parapet, over which he gazed out in the direction of the enemy. His officers suggested that this was unwise and perhaps he ought to duck while passing the parapet. “Nonsense,” snapped the general. “They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist….” A moment later Sedgwick fell to the ground, fatally wounded.

Pride is a killer. One of the first victims of pride is relationships. There are many reasons for the great political division in our country today. One of the core issues is pride. How often does a politician admit that they were wrong, or that they don’t know the solution? Instead, each clings to the arrogant belief that they have all of the answers and the other side is all wrong. What is lost is the true need of what’s best for our country.

Pride is the great divider. Pride and Satan are nearly synonymous. Satan loves pride. It’s truly a devilish evil. Yet, most of us don’t consider pride a heinous sin, but it is. It’s at the top of the list of evils that God hates (Prov. 6:16-17). There are few things that the Bible talks about God hating, but God’s hate for pride is repeated several times in Scripture.

God not only hates pride, but actively opposes it. “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). God hates pride because the proud person tries to displace God. Wayne Mack insightfully writes: “Pride consists in attributing to ourselves the honor, privileges, prerogatives, rights and power that are due to God alone…Pride, at its core, is idolatry of self. A proud person has put himself or herself in God’s place.” Pride separates us from God and causes us to foolishly try to take His place. God loves unity and community. Pride is a catalyst for division.

Pride is the root of division in the home. Satan separated Adam and Eve from each other with the “pride of life” (1 John 2:16) that they could “be like God” (Gen. 3:5). Why do couples fight? One thinks that he/she is right. Or, they want their way. They may be angry that they feel slighted. Not only does pride cause arguments, it stokes the fire of division.

The marital division can’t be resolved until one party confesses wrong-doing. I’m embarrassed to admit that over the years, my wife, Jane, has frequently been more Christlike than I’ve been. Even when she was not at fault, Jane would initiate confession and restoration by first taking responsibility. What caused me to cling to anger and offense? Pride.

Pride is the root of division in the church. You’ll rarely find division in a church over a biblical issue. More frequently, it’s over power or someone has an agenda. Sometimes they’ll cloak pride with a veneer of “spirituality,” much like the Pharisees. Pull back the façade and underneath is pride. For example, there was great division in the Corinthian church. The Apostle Paul addresses it in the first three chapters of 1 Corinthians. What was the core sin? Pride. When there’s more heat than light among God’s people, you can almost be certain that the root issue is pride.

What’s the cure? We must cultivate humility. I’m not sure when it happened, but humility is rarely valued in the Church today. Yet, if anyone should be characterized by humility, it should be a Christian.

First, we know from Scripture that there is nothing that we have (talent, finances, position, etc.) that we didn’t receive. Then, you can’t accept the gospel until you admit the evil of your own heart, your inability to merit any favor with God and total dependence on God’s mercy and grace for salvation. Apart from Christ’s cross, we’re hopelessly lost and doomed.

Routinely confess your sin to God. Too few have a regular practice of rigorous honest self-examination. In light of God’s Word with the Spirit acting as a surgeon, we must investigate the condition of our own heart. Coupled with confession, (1 Jn 1:9), it’s an essential practice of humility.

Acknowledge your sin to others (James 5:16). When we’ve wronged others, we must honestly confess it to them and take personal responsibility. Humility before God is incomplete unless there is also humility before others. A true test of our willingness to humble ourselves is a willingness to share with others the weaknesses that we confess to God.

Be gracious and patient when you’re mistreated (1 Peter 3:8-17). When something is unjust we want to react and rectify it. Patiently responding to the unjust accusations and actions of others demonstrates our strength of godly character and provides an opportunity to put on humility.

Actively submit to authority, the good and the bad (1 Peter 2:18). Our culture spurns submission and idolizes individualism. We must purposefully and actively work on submitting to those that God has placed as authorities in our lives. Doing so is a healthy way to humble yourself.

Receive correction and feedback from others graciously (Prov. 2:1). Look for the kernels of truth in what people offer you, even if it comes from a dubious source. Learn to pray, “Lord, what are you seeking to teach me through this?”

Purposely associate with those of lower state than you (Luke 7:36-39). Our culture is very status conscious. We seek to socialize upward or at least laterally. Resist the temptation of being partial to those with status or wealth. Jesus was verbally chastised by the Pharisees for socializing with the poor, those they considered vile sinners and those of lowly state. Jesus’ social circle went from high to low. Does ours?

Serve others (2 Cor. 4:5). Serving others reduces our focus on ourselves and builds the Kingdom of God. When serving another costs us nothing, we should question whether it’s truly servanthood.

Be quick to forgive (Matt. 18: 21-35). Forgiveness is one of the greatest acts of humility we can do. It acknowledges a wrong has been done to us and releases any right of repayment for the wrong. It’s the denial of self.

Habitually speak well of others (Eph. 4:31-32). Saying demeaning things about others puts them down, but elevates us. Sincerely speaking well of others encourages and builds them up. Start each day with: Who can I encourage and build up today?

If you love God, you love what He loves. But God’s enemy, Satan, loves pride. By Christ’s cross, commit to a lifestyle of daily dying to self and living through Him (Gal. 2:20). That’s the foundation for true humility.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Gratitude is the Best Attitude

“Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.” Zig Ziglar

Earlier this week I sat through a presentation to raise funds for a great cause. But one of the things that really stood out to me in the presentation – misspelled words. The project is putting in new bathrooms for a school of 400 students in a 3^rd World country. It’s a great and worthy project and compared to American costs, very reasonable. Yet, I found that I was more focused on a few misspellings than the huge impact of this project.

Please understand, I’m not suggesting that we become sloppy and overlook misspelled words or other errors, and not aim for excellence. What I am confessing is that I’ve been so contaminated by a sinful world, that my tendency is to notice what is wrong before I notice what is right.

With 10 stalls for 400 students, 5 for girls and 5 for boys, I’d surmise those students don’t care what it’s called – whether a bathroom, restroom, toilet, privy, washroom, powder room, loo, lavatory or some slang term. They’re just thankful that they have a bathroom with indoor plumbing.

Are you like me? I find that the Spirit is continually convicting me for my petty, ungrateful heart. I have to be spiritually aggressive with my sinful spirit that’s more prone to groan than to give gratitude.

John MacArthur insightfully writes, “A thankful heart is one of the primary identifying characteristics of a believer. It stands in stark contrast to pride, selfishness, and worry. And it helps fortify the believer’s trust in the Lord and reliance of His provision, even in the toughest times. No matter how choppy the seas become, a believer’s heart is buoyed by constant praise and gratefulness to the Lord.”

For the past few weeks I’ve been thinking about what trait or traits most identify and distinguish a Christian. I was wrongly taught and believed for too many years that it was behavior, appearance or following a list of rules. I was a very good Pharisee.

I’m so thankful that sanctification is a lifelong process and that my Heavenly Father is so patient with me. As I look through the pages of Scripture, there is a consistent identifying trait for a godly person, someone who is maturing in their walk with the Lord – constant gratitude. The last book of the Bible, Revelation, is permeated with hymns of praise. We end in eternity with praise in our hearts that flows from our lips.

Yet, gratitude is a habit that must be empowered by God’s grace and continually cultivated. Every believer has a life filled with blessings now that overflows into eternity. It’s not a matter of what we have or what’s going on, it’s what we see and focus on and fill our minds with.

Recently, I read of a study that took three groups of people and had them go for daily walks. The first group was told to focus on the good things they noticed, the second one on the bad and the third group was told just to walk for exercise. What was the result?

At the end of the week, when the walkers’ well-being was tested again, those who had deliberately targeted positive cues were happier than before the experiment. The negatively focused subjects were less happy, and the just plain exercisers scored somewhere in between.

The point, according to the researchers, is that “you see what you look for. And you can train yourself to attend to the joy out there waiting to be had, instead of passively waiting for it to come to you.” What I found very noteworthy was that though this wasn’t a Christian study, these individuals had significant positive change because they learned to focus on what we call “common grace.” Unknowingly, they were living out the Lord’s command: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Nothing so sets apart a believer as gratitude. We can be the kind of people who truly feel and appreciate the good in life because we know who it comes from (James 1:17). At first, like any habit, it takes work. It requires continued focus. Yet, if we develop the habit of gratitude, it will radically change us and our testimony for the gospel. Here are a few simple steps to help you begin.

Confess ingratitude and pray for grace to grow in gratitude. We must by confession clear out the filth in our hearts so that the Lord can fill it with grace and gratitude. It means being honest and coming clean. Afterall, Jesus died for our sin of ingratitude. But most of us don’t take the sin of ungratefulness seriously. The nation of Israel learned a hard lesson and spent 40 years wandering the wilderness because of grumbling.

Limit contaminations of bad news in your life. Personally, I rarely watch the news. I may listen to the headlines or scan them on a periodical, yet I don’t linger there. That’s because rarely is there anything encouraging. Most is broadcast void of a biblical worldview, that even in the “bad” God is in total control. Then, I avoid negaholics and seek to surround myself with grateful people and those who see God’s hand in this world.

Increase the amount of good news in your life. It’s rare to find a miserable believer who is faithfully in their Bible. Spending time in God’s Word changes our outlook and help us be aware that God is working even when we can’t see it and helps us see life from His eternal perspective.

Start early, yet start small. Begin your day thanking the Lord for another one. Throughout your day look for God moments, little blessings like the beauty of His creation or some unexpected kindness. Perhaps keep a log and write down a blessing or blessings from each day.

Ask the Lord to help you see those things from His perspective which most easily cause you to complain. I’m not a masochist. I don’t like trials. Yet, I know from Scripture that my Father is behind trials. Of late, I’ve been asking Him to use them to burn away dross and make me more like Jesus. It’s changed my perspective of trials from something to get through to that which I’m confident He is using to make me into His masterpiece.

Would those around you describe you as a grateful person? Do they hear the song in your heart because you know Jesus and are confident that He has everything under control, even the trials?

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Loneliness

“Sometimes the person who tries to keep everyone happy

is the most lonely person.”

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat. Email, text, instant messages, cellphone calls. There are more ways than ever to connect with others — yet many, more than we can imagine, continually feel the hollow ache of loneliness. Loneliness isn’t constrained by age, gender, marital status or job title. CEOs feel it, as do cubicle dwellers. New moms, granddads, recent college grads and grade school kids struggle with loneliness.

Americans are lonelier than ever—even though opportunities for social connection have exponentially increased. Even with affordable phone calls and free email, ultimately we talk to each other less. Despite the prevalence of car ownership and the low cost of cross-country air travel, we spend less time with our families. After decades of bowling leagues, Americans began bowling alone. In today’s age of social media, we’re not even bowling alone…we’re scrolling alone.

Even royalty isn’t immune to loneliness. While normally fiercely guarded about her private life, Duchess Kate of Cambridge spoke candidly about how life with young children was isolating. “It is lonely at times and you do feel quite isolated, but actually so many other mothers are going through exactly what you are going through.” The king of “Rock and Roll,” Elvis Presley before he died wrote, “I feel so alone sometimes. I’d love to be able to sleep. I’ll probably not rest. I have no need for all this, help me Lord.” Former surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, was the first to label loneliness an epidemic. Dr. Murthy demonstrated that loneliness causes “an insidious type of stress” that leads to increased risk of heart disease, arthritis and diabetes. Loneliness has the same effect on mortality as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

The first thing that God said was bad was being “alone” (Genesis 2:18). God doesn’t want us to be lonely and if there is one place that someone shouldn’t be lonely, it’s in church, BUT too often they are.

It’s apparent when someone is sitting or standing alone, that loneliness may be an issue for them. It’s why we continually encourage you at Grace to not let someone sit alone, to break out of our normal friend circles, to engage others. It might be something as simple as asking someone if they’d like to join you for a cup of coffee at our Coffee Café after the service. It would be a terrible failure on our part if someone walked through the doors of our church and we never sought to connect or engage them.

Yet, there are those who attend each week who struggle with a deep sense of loneliness. It could be a child or teen who feels insecure. Just chatting briefly, asking them questions, listening and seeking to encourage them can make a big difference. It might be someone who is married to an unsaved spouse or is divorced or lost a spouse. It could be someone who is single.

It takes so little to make someone feel welcomed and accepted. Just a simple smile is a great way to start. And if anyone should genuinely smile, it’s a believer. For a believer, the very worst of this world is temporary. Not only that, we are never alone.

God designed the local church to be a place of deep friendship and community. It’s why we have Grace Groups, which begin this morning at 10:45 am. Yes, we want to share and see you grow in biblical truth. Our main purpose though is to give you an opportunity to begin to peel back the masks that we all wear and draw closer to other believers. As we become more transparent, we draw closer to each other. It’s as we spend time together that we discover rhythms of true community. We want to be a healthy community. Spiritually healthy groups encourage, challenge, and support one another. And while other groups meet during the week, we’ve purposefully scheduled our primary groups on Sundays to make it very convenient. We know football is important for some. It’s why our groups are all done at 11:30 am, so you can be home for the kick-off.

Sometimes a spouse doesn’t desire to attend. Most couples drive two cars. Compromise and let the one who is interested stay. And please, as parents, make this part of your children’s lives. Children who don’t learn the importance of community during their formative years will easily jettison being part of a church during their college and adult years. As a parent, prepare for that by helping them instill a habit of spiritual community.
Healthy community requires a frequency of local interactions. Jesus models perfect being-in-relationship for us. He was never not in relationship. He entered this world not by splitting the heavens but by gently growing in His mother’s womb. He entered a normal family, spent His childhood and early adulthood in obscurity, and then launched His ministry by inviting others to come follow Him and be His disciples. Even on the eve of His crucifixion, Jesus gathered for a meal with His disciples, then led them to pray with Him at Gethsemane. With His final breaths, He instructed His disciples to care for His mother. If relationships were essential to Jesus, shouldn’t they be for me and you, too?

Occasionally, Jesus went off to pray in solitude, but generally, He did everything with this ragtag bunch. His life illustrates that even our Savior refused to live in isolation. If relationships were essential to Him, shouldn’t they be for us, too? Like Him, we exist for relationships.

Created in the image of a triune—and therefore eternally relational—God, to be fully alive means to live-in relationships. If Jesus was history’s most “fully alive” human, it shouldn’t surprise us that a person can’t become fully human without a community. God created us for community.

Grace groups, a place for community, start today! Please join one!