Is there a Christian response to violence ad mass shootings?

“In the face of evil and tragedy be not weary in well doing. 

Never cease to be moved by the suffering of others. 

Mourn with those who mourn.” Ben Watson

Already this year there have been nearly 70 mass shootings. There have been more mass shootings at this point in 2023 than in any previous year since 2013. With Jane’s growing up in East Lansing, the shootings at MSU took my breath away. We’ve been on that campus many, many times!  Yet, it’s not just mass shootings. Violent crime is growing rampantly everywhere, particularly in urban areas. For example, you have a 1 in 185 chance of being the victim of a violent crime in Racine. A 1 in 60 chance of being one in Milwaukee and a 1 in 24 chance in Chicago. It’s a Mad Max world. So what’s a Christian response?

  First, we need to be honest, there are no simple answers. After each mass shooting self-appointed experts flood social media with solutions. Many are quick to blame access to guns, yet many mass shootings and violent crimes happen in places with the strictest gun controls. One doesn’t need a gun to attack people. Just recently, Weng Sor drove a rented U-Haul and struck nine people in Brooklyn.

  Obviously, there does need to be some gun control. Convicted felons or those with a history of mental illness shouldn’t have access to guns.

  For a myriad of reasons, we have a mental health crises. While some who commit violent crimes are evil, many others suffer from mental illness. Because of their derangement, they’re a danger to themselves and others, and society needs to be protected from them.

  Violent crime and mass shootings are a vertical problem. They reveal the sin inherent in our world and a breakdown with the God who created life. The core solution to reducing violence is not another policy or law. It’s in addressing root causes that result in someone carrying out these horrific crimes. Guns, vehicles, and bombs are the symptoms of the problem. The real problem is the heart of the perpetrator. It’s first a spiritual problem.

  Violence happens because of the brokenness and evil inside each of us. We’re all naturally rebels against God and slaves to sin, compelled to do its bidding. Jesus came to set us free from our sin. The main problem in the world isn’t weapons, bad parenting, poverty, or any other social malady. The problem is that we’re estranged from God and in need of redemption.

  While this doesn’t mean that there isn’t value in dealing with problematic societal structures, it does mean that the primary blame doesn’t reside with politicians, gun dealers, or law enforcement.

  Mourn with those who mourn and pray for all the victims. Christians are to “mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15). With so much violence, it’s easy to become desensitized. We’ve seen so many reports of tragedies that we can forget to remember that the lives lost were someone’s sons and daughters, someone’s spouse, or someone’s parent. As Christians, we’re called to identify with the pain of others.

  And we need to pray for those who have experienced tragedy. Every victim has a mother and a father. Many times they have siblings and extended family. The victim of violence is not the only victim.

  Some will retort that “thoughts and prayers” are unhelpful. Christ-followers know that prayer is the most powerful tool we have available. Through prayer, we have access to the God of the universe, the only One who can bring peace to violent situations and comfort to those who have experienced loss. We must be committed to lifting up those in need.

  Violence and murder are natural outcomes of a “Culture of Death.” Genesis 1:27, says “God created man in His image, male and female He created them.” When a culture doesn’t value Imago Dei, that every human being is made in the image of God, then violence and murder of all kinds are tragic byproducts. If one doesn’t value life at its beginning or end, why would one value life in the middle? If one doesn’t believe “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13), for every human being,  the move to take the life of another human being becomes easier to rationalize.  

  While we can’t change the world, we can work to change “our world.”  Since 1982, 134 mass shootings have been carried out in the United States by male shooters. In contrast, only three mass shootings have been carried out by women. Many mass shooters were loners and suicidal prior to carrying out their rampage. The average age is under 35.

  God has designed us for community. He has designed us for relationships. God has not called Christians to live safe lives but invested ones. Too many of us are so busy that we fail to notice those around us with deep needs. It takes very little effort to invest in young people or single adults that God brings into the sphere of your life. Knowing their name, some of their interests and engaging them in conversation humanizes them.

  God designed the local church to be a Christian counterculture from the world. While the world may be filled with disrespect and rudeness, we value kindness and graciousness. While violence may fill the streets, we must cultivate an environment of love, peace, forgiveness and healthy relationships. While environment is not a guarantee against acts of evil, it’s profoundly important. In our families, in our small groups, in our teen and children’s ministries and in all our interactions, we must cultivate an environment that gives people the alternative of a biblical worldview of Christlikeness to the cruelty and emptiness that our world offers.

  We can share the only true hope. Only the gospel of Christ offers true hope. Only Jesus can reconcile us to God and help us reconcile with each other. When we come to Christ, we receive not only forgiveness for our sins, but we also get a new family as we’re adopted into the family of God.

  In the aftermath of great evil, as believers we must cling tighter to the gospel, realizing that we are all lost without it. We must boldly share it. If we truly are concerned with the evil in the world, we must point those around us to the only hope of solving the heart problems that births all evil.

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. 

Now THIS is exciting!

 

“If coming to know Christ is the greatest thing that has happened to you, it only makes sense that the greatest thing you can do for someone else is to introduce them to Him.”  Bill Bright 

Did you watch Sunday’s Super Bowl? It was a nailbiter, particularly if you were a Chiefs or Eagles fan. In the nearly seventy Super Bowls only about a dozen have been close like Sunday night’s game. 

  Can you imagine though if after the Chiefs win that there is no confetti, no party streamers, and no presentation of the Lombardi trophy? Kansas City had something like half a million fans lining the parade route last  Tuesday to welcome the victors home. But what if there had been no victory parade, no celebration…nothing?

  What gets you excited? What news do you find that you just have to share? Do you share with everyone when your team wins? Or, when you graduated from high school or college? How about when you got engaged? Or, had your first child? Everybody gets excited about something, right? So what is it that does that for you? When we’re excited, we have to share it.

  Many years ago we had a woman attending our church who was given a terminal cancer diagnosis. Her doctor told her, “Just go home and prepare your will…your terminal.” I’ll never forget my conversation with her later. What could I say?

  Fortunately, she got a second opinion, and what the first doctor diagnosed as terminal cancer, turned out to be cysts which though serious, were safely surgically removed with no further complications. Do you think that she was excited? Do you think that she had to share her good news with everyone? You better believe it!

  As Christians, we have much better news, the greatest news. Prior to salvation, we were doomed to a Christless eternity. Now we’re forgiven but not just for the sin we committed in the past but for every sin that we will commit in the future. We have a new Father and a new family, one that is so huge it will fill all of heaven. We will never be alone ever again. Jesus has promised to always be with us. We have a new citizenship and are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. We’re given a new nature so we desire things that are good and wonderful and have eternal value. We even have a new body awaiting us. And the list goes on and on and on.   

  What we have is better than winning the Super Bowl, the World Cup, the World Series, the Stanley Cup, the Mega Lottery all rolled into one, plus so much more. All of those things are only for this life, yet salvation is for all eternity. Redemption is the best thing that will ever happen to any of us.

  Those words from Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade, have echoed in my heart since I read them a few weeks ago. What a powerful insight! “If coming to know Christ is the greatest thing that has happened to you, it only makes sense that the greatest thing you can do for someone else is to introduce them to Him.”

  Sadly think about all of the things that we talk about BUT Jesus. I’m not talking about being some religious nut. The last thing a lost world needs is another religious wacko. Yet our world desperately needs those who are born-again to share the gospel. The gospel is this world’s only hope.

  Today we’re celebrating our 5^th Anniversary in this building. We built this building as a tool. We built it to be a place where believers can get a bigger view of our awesome God as we study God’s Word together so they leave here to share Him with all those they come in contact with. We want it to attract those who haven’t yet met the Lord Jesus so that we can introduce them to our Savior. As a church family, we want to be Jesus’ PR people.

  African-American pastor, E.V. Hill, pastored Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church in L.A. for over forty years. One of his most well-known sermons was entitled: When is God at His Best?

  He began his message by referring to the book of Genesis. He talked about creation and described what happened during those first seven days in such amazing detail. Then he said, “This was amazing. It was powerful—but it wasn’t God at His best.” He turned to Exodus and talked about how God delivered the Hebrew people from bondage. He described the plagues, miracles, and the parting of the Red Sea, and again, Hill said, “This was powerful and amazing but it wasn’t God at His best.” He followed this same line of reasoning with the birth of Christ, His crucifixion, and His resurrection. Each time he’d say, “This was powerful and amazing but it wasn’t God at His best.” So when is God at His best? At the end of his sermon, Pastor Hill finally answered that question:

  But God is at his best when he saves lost souls. Would you like for me to tell you when He was at His best? It isn't even in the Bible. God was at His best nearly 51 years ago, with a little country boy, whose mother couldn't make enough money to feed him, and who some people in the country helped raise. At 11 years old, walking down Grandma Jodi's lane, this great, big, old God came all the way down and got right into my heart. Then He got up in my head. Then He got all over me. I didn't know what was happening to me; I didn't understand it. I had to go home and tell Mamma about my experience. She said, "I think God has saved you, boy."

  That is God at his best — when He saved me. When He — the great God of the universe — came all the way down and got into the heart and spirit of an 11 year old boy. Every time He saves a lost soul, that's God at His best. Not the moon and stars. Not the hills and mountains. Not the trees and valleys. Not the rivers and lakes and oceans. But God picking up a drunkard and making him a preacher, picking up a prostitute and making her a singer, picking up people down and out and putting them on their feet, causing us to stand and say, "Glory, He saved me. I'm saved."

  That's God, the Savior, at His best. God is at His best when He's saving. I am but a wretch. It took a miracle to put that sun in place. It took a miracle to put the moon in space. But when He saved my soul, cleansed and made me whole, that was God at His best.”

  At Grace Church, we’re committed to being part of God at His best! That’s what must excite us! We’re committed to sharing with those around us how they can be part of God at His best! Our DNA is sharing how others can meet our Savior so they too can experience God at His best! 

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. 

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.