Have YOU been nuked?

 

“You can’t control the wind, but you can adjust the sails.” 

  Many of the high costs of the pandemic and political chaos aren’t physical, they’re emotional and spiritual. No one, no age group, economic segment, gender, or religious faction has been immune from the stress and emotional angst taking place today. Often, when we encounter volatile reactions and responses, we wrongly assume that we’re the cause – that it’s us, that we caused it or it has something to do with us. It often doesn’t. A great temptation is to “fight fire with fire” which is another poor choice. 

  A vast majority of the problems in your circle of life – work, neighborhood, community, even family – have nothing to do with you. The anger, complaints, and griping that you face often have little to do with you. Yes, people are very upset, but if you drill a little deeper, you may discover that there are other factors at work. They’re struggling at work, or in their marriage or other relationships. They’re under tremendous stress or battling addiction or just really down on themselves. Add the health crisis and people are struggling deeply with stress, unlike anything most have ever encountered. No wonder they’re on edge. Under that kind of stress when people feel their lives and world are out of control, the anger will often come out somewhere. Personal encounters are an easy target.

  In the same way, that road rage is rarely about what happens on the road, being nuked is often not about what’s happening in the moment. The guy who barely cut you off just bore the full weight of your unresolved issues in that moment. While it doesn’t make the anger go away, it can help us empathize more and take it a lot less personally. 

  In general people are more anxious, depressed, and traumatized than at any point in recent history. Study after study has found that people are experiencing more mental and emotional health issues than before the pandemic. Up to half show serious signs of depression. A large percentage struggle with anxiety. Many meet the criteria for clinical mental health problems: depression, anxiety, and PTSD. This fuels poor sleep patterns, creating a vicious cycle. Sleeplessness accelerates mental health issues.  

  Loneliness and isolation contribute to raw emotions. Stay-at-home orders, remote work, the roller coaster of virtual or in-person learning, along with social distancing have left many feeling very isolated. Nearly 1 in 7 adults said that they were often lonely during the past year. Those who are younger or who live alone, or who have a chronic health condition, are lonelier than other groups. One study found that almost two-thirds of those under 30 had high levels of loneliness.

  Christians are not immune from any of these issues BUT…All of us have struggled with these varied emotions during the past year. I know I have. Yet, we have something that those who don’t know the Lord don’t have – hope. Our hope isn’t from science or government. Our hope is in our sovereign God! Our hope is in King Jesus!

  As we study Scripture, we find example after example of individuals and groups who went through much worse struggles than we’re currently experiencing. Peruse Hebrews 11 for a testament of this. In 2 Corinthians 6, the Apostle Paul unpacks his many trials and suffering, yet he shares hope and gives us the solution given to him by the Lord, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). Our Heavenly Father is not surprised by any of this and He is in complete control of it all, even when it appears everything is out of control.

  We must not surrender to fear. Some form of the phrase “fear not” occurs well over a hundred times in the Bible. Fear is not from God (2 Timothy 1:7). And ultimately, what do we have to fear. The worst that can happen to a believer is that they die, but we know that when we close our eyes in this life, we open them in glory and eternity!

  We must be cautious with anger. Anger is like dynamite. It can be useful and has an appropriate place, yet it must be handled with caution because it can have disastrous results when it’s not. Ephesians 4:26-27 warns us: “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” Yet there are Christians living in a constant state of rage. Listen to them talk. Watch their posts on social media. They’re in a very dangerous place and they are not pleasing God.

  God’s Word never says, “blessed are the angry.” It does say, “Blessed are the meek…Blessed are the merciful…Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:5-9). The reason many lack God’s blessing on their lives is that they’re living in a sinful, emotional state where God can’t bless them.

  By God’s grace we must persevere. God did not promise us an easy life. Our lives are certainly better when we come to Christ, that though does not mean life will be easy. In fact, in some ways, it could be even more difficult. We now have a vicious Enemy. Our worldview doesn’t line up with the temporal one of this age and that brings conflict.

  When you commit yourself to Christ, it’s a lifetime commitment, regardless of whatever trials or persecution you face along the way. As a Christian, you’re called to set your face forward and towards the goal. What will get us through all of this is that we know that we are not alone and we know that we have our Father’s infinite source of strength and power available to us. Even the very worst of this life is temporary.

  Why try? Why persevere? I love the answer to that question given by the great painter, Renoir. In old age, this great French painter suffered from arthritis, which twisted and cramped his hand. Henri Matise, his artist friend, watched sadly while Renoir, grasping a brush with only his fingertips, continued to paint, even though each movement caused stabbing pain. Matise asked Renoir why he persisted in painting at the expense of such torture. Renoir replied, “The pain passes, but the beauty remains.”

  Why must we keep on pushing ahead in our commitment to the Kingdom of God, why must we seek to be Christlike even when it costs us dearly? Because “the pain passes, but the beauty remains” and it remains 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. 

The “Doctor of Dishonesty” is Dishonest

“The truth doesn’t cost you anything, but a lie could cost you everything.”

  A recent news story, “A Famous Honesty Researcher Is Retracting A Study Over Fake Data” was one of those “Are you serious?” moments.

  Renowned psychologist Dan Ariely literally wrote the book on dishonesty. He was known as “Dr. Dishonesty.” But now some are questioning whether the scientist himself is dishonest. 

  His landmark study that endorsed a simple way to curb cheating is going to be retracted nearly a decade later after a group of scientists found that it was based on lies, faked data. According to the 2012 paper, when people signed an honesty declaration at the beginning of a form, rather than the end, they were less likely to lie. It was a seemingly cheap and effective method to combat fraud and was adopted by companies and government agencies around the globe. It made a splash among academics, who cited it in their own research hundreds of times. Apparently, Dr. Ariely, a frequent TED Talk speaker and Wall Street Journal columnist – lied about his experiments and data. The psychologist who literally wrote the book on dishonest behavior is just another liar. 

  Let’s be honest though. Most people don’t think lying is that big of a deal. It’s not like it’s stealing or murder and we easily rationalize it. Spouses lie to each other in the name of keeping the peace; parents lie to their children and vice versa, employers and employees play the game. Advertisers lie to increase the bottom line. Politicians are renowned for “fake news.” 

  Yet, even many of the people of truth, Christians, don’t view lying as the grievous sin that it is. Christians who’d never steal, watch porn or swear, think little of the sin of lying and don’t consider it a moral wrong. While their lies may not be blatant. They may rationalize their little “white lies.” Yet, they’re a violation of God’s standard of absolute truth. 

  There’s a scene in the movie Something's Gotta Give that succinctly captures. After catching the man she loves on a date with another woman, Diane Keaton is chased out of the restaurant by a guilty and distraught Jack Nicholson. When he finally stops her, he pleads, “I have never lied to you, I have always told you some version of the truth.” She replies, “The truth doesn’t have versions, okay?” And that's the truth. The truth may have many sides. It may be complicated or hard to understand, but it exists. It doesn’t have versions. It’s what makes truth the truth. 

  Yet, many of God’s children have trouble with the truth. We may not be outright liars, but we shade it to make it fit more comfortably into our lives, to prevent it from disrupting them from our careers to our relationships.  

  What does the Bible say about truth? The Bible teaches that truth isn’t an abstract idea or philosophical puzzle. It teaches instead that…

  Truth is a person­—the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus said to His disciples, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). The Apostle John, reflecting on the whole of Jesus’ life, wrote, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” In Jesus truth took on human nature. Jesus is the truth and lived a completely truthful life. 

  God Is True. In order to understand more fully what the Bible means when it says that Jesus is the truth, we need to understand that truth is an attribute of God’s nature. God is true. Scripture repeats this over and over: “This God—His way is perfect; the Word of the Lord proves true; He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him.”

  All that God is and does is trustworthy. Every word He speaks is true. It’s why we can run to Him, throw ourselves on Him, depend totally on Him because He is true. Because God is true, all truth belongs to Him and finds its ultimate meaning in Him. 

  All God Says Is True. In a letter to one of his coworkers, Paul used this vital wording that God “does not lie.” One of the Psalms writes, “All Your words are true…” (Ps. 119:160). God’s Word, the Bible, is true because God is the God of truth. Lying is rooted in the Fall of man (Genesis 3). God created a world originally birthed in truth. It was when sin invaded and perverted creation that lying poisoned our world. 

  Lying is rooted then in our souls but most lying doesn’t start with lying to others, it starts with first lying to ourselves. How does someone become a convincing liar? They begin to believe their own lies. The dishonesty of the soul produces the lies of the life. As Fyodor Dostoyevsky said, “Above all, don't lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love.” 

  Lying is culturally acceptable and easily contaminates Christians, who, are because they are children of the God of truth, must be people of truth. 

  Where are we most tempted to lie? When we feel a sense of shame like being late for an appointment or caught in an awkward situation. We lie when we fear the truth will hurt or complicate a relationship, failing to realize that the lie will cause more damage than the truth ever will. Dishonesty is an IED to a relationship. 

  Christians too easily lie when it comes to financial matters, like on our income taxes or selling a car or other product, or when you owe someone money. Exaggerating is a form of lying. We must be careful with the truth if we’re told a rumor or are reminiscing and telling a story when we tell someone how much we paid for something or when asked for our opinion or advice. 

  What must we do when we lie? Confess it to God (1 John 1:9) and He immediately forgives us. Jesus died and paid for all of our lies on the cross. Then, come clean with the one you lied to (James 5:16). 

  When we admit that we were dishonest, it does two things. Often the other person begins to respect us for coming clean and secondly, the shame from the admission is an incentive against further lies or deception. 

  How can we get a firmer handle on truth and honesty? Love the truth. Philippians 4:8 urges us to meditate on the truth. We must learn the truth by saturating our minds with good things, like the Word of God. The truth will set you free. Live the truth. Ephesians 4:25, “So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.” (NLT).  

  God is a God of truth. We are to be people of truth. It’s evidence of our spiritual DNA, that we know Jesus and God is our Heavenly Father! 

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. 

WHO'S YOUR ONE?

 

“We think of missionaries as God's ‘super servants,’ Jesus’ Navy Seals. The word ‘missionary’ is never used in the Bible, however, not even once. That's because all of God's people are sent; all of God's people are commanded to go. There is no ‘special class’ of sent ones.”  J.D. Greear 

  What freaks you out? We all freak out over one thing or another, sometimes for understandable reasons—if you’re alone when a zombie apocalypse breaks out, by all means, freak out—or sometimes we freak out for really silly reasons. 

  The media seems determined to freak us out. We have 24-hour news channels that by their very nature focus on the latest tragedy or extreme news story, replaying it over and over and over…

  Social media isn’t far behind. We will see things on social media from the hilarious to the terrifying, pushing us ever closer to the freak-out zone.

  A snake will do that for some. It does it for me. So I was on the edge of my seat when I heard the recent story about one Georgia woman.

  Trish Wilcher thought she saw a “piece of fuzz” on the floor under the bed in her home in Augusta, but when she reached for it, it suspiciously moved. “And then a second later another piece moved, and I went to my husband, ‘We have snakes!’” In fact, they had 18 snakes.

  “Ok we have turned the bedroom upside down…found 17 babies and the momma,” she posted on Facebook amid the slithery ordeal. Her husband, Max Wilcher, was able to use a grabbing tool to contain the snakes in a linen bag. He released them outside near a creek, she told WJBF. A wildlife catcher later told the couple that the reptiles in their home were non-venomous garter snakes.

  Well, that’s a sssscare that would freak me out. Who wouldn’t freak out if they came face to face with a large snake family under the bed?

  Most of us don’t like to be freaked out like that. Sure, some of us occasionally like to be freaked out, like teens watching a horror movie.

  I’m not sure what freaks you out. But if you’re a follower of Jesus and want to be freaked out, picture walking up to someone to boldly tell him or her about Jesus. You know, like talking to your church-hating coworker, atheist family member, or that neighbor (the one who freaks you out). No wonder Christians are freaked out at even the thought of sharing their faith.  

  But doing that is a bit of an ambush or at least a shocking surprise, similar to finding snakes underneath your bed. It’s not though what God has called us to do. Sharing the gospel isn’t to be some type of sneak attack.

  Somehow in the Church we’ve created a version of Christianity that makes us freak out over sharing the best news in the history of the universe. Think about it. Why would we be so apprehensive, anxious, tongue-tied and introverted when talking about the very thing that Jesus came to do for us? How can we sing so joyfully about the gospel in a church worship service but then be just as tightlipped about Jesus in our workplace or neighborhood? If Jesus means so much to us, why do we so rarely talk about Him?

  How can we be so quick to speak about a million other things that are often little more than trivia, yet can’t seem to talk about the message that set us free and bought us eternal forgiveness? How can we learn to share Jesus and the gospel by how we live and what we say without freaking out?

  Think about anything and everything that you’ve talked to your neighbors and coworkers about in the last six months. Yet, studies show that something like 70% of believers have not told a soul about Christ in the previous six months. More troubling is a LifeWay study with the discovery that out of eight attributes of growing believers, sharing Jesus ranked at the bottom. Why is evangelism ranked so low?

  Jesus’ last command to us, as His followers, was to share the gospel. Today we’re starting a new series, Who’s Your One? Sadly, we’ve made sharing the gospel something that it’s not. It’s not public speaking, which is one of most adults’ greatest fears (probably higher than a fear of snakes). It’s not some aggressive, ambush plan for type A folk. It’s not a program or some memorized sales pitch where you have to get all of the information just right (I don’t know how many Christians over the years have told me that they shared the gospel with someone but hope they didn’t blow it).

  We’re not going to try to make you the next Billy Graham or Apostle Paul. God has made you you and simply wants you to share His story your way with your personality and relationships just as He has the host of believers in the New Testament and throughout history who have shared the gospel around the world. Some of God’s greatest work of sharing His message hasn’t been done by professionals or preachers or missionaries. It’s been done by people like those described by Michael Green in his book, Evangelism in the Early Church: “In contrast to the present day, when Christianity is a highly intellectualized and dispensed by professional clergy to a constituency increasingly confined to the middle class, in the early days the faith was spontaneously spread by informal evangelists, and had its greatest appeal among the working class.”

  Our world today is freaked out over nearly everything. Maybe it’s time for Christians to freak out a little, yet only about things that truly matter.

  God has placed our church in this community to be a rescue station with His life-changing message of the gospel. God has placed you and me in our families, neighborhoods, and workplaces to be a light for His glory and to share His message of true hope, love, grace, and forgiveness. That won’t happen unless Christians get back on mission.

  When you trusted Christ as your personal Savior, God made you part of His missions team and strategy. You and I are part of something that is making a difference in eternity.

  This is going to be an exciting and challenging series. Please come prayerfully. Please commit to joining us each Sunday as we work through Who’s Your One?

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. 

The first 33 years are the best!

 “If a commission by an earthly king is considered an honor, 

how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?” David Livingstone

 

  Last week I learned that a friend of mine had a staffing need at his church. I immediately thought of a young man I knew that I felt might fit the position and reached out to my young friend. He wasn’t really interested because it would mean he’d have to relocate from the state he grew up in. 

  As Jane and I discussed it, we chuckled. Many years ago we foolishly determined that there was one state that we did not want to pastor in. Someone wisely said, “If you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans.” Jane and I are so thankful and feel very blessed that God’s wiser plans overruled our limited ones.

  This weekend I’m beginning my 34^th year of ministry as your pastor. The national average for a tenure for a pastor is five years. (I always was a bit of an overachiever). There is no place on earth that Jane and I would rather be than serving the Lord at Grace Church. Jane and I believe that we are in the greatest church in the world.

  It seems like it was only yesterday that we pulled up in our U-Haul truck from Detroit. At other times it feels like we’ve been here all of our lives. I do know that we wouldn’t trade it. This is our home. You are our family! We love this community!

  We are blessed with lifelong friends. Earlier this week a man who attended Grace many years ago contacted me just to see how things were going at Grace. He came to Christ at Grace. Though we haven’t see each other in well over a decade, we’re still friends and brothers in Christ.

  When Jane and I travel, if we can, we’ll get together with friends who moved but were once part of the Grace family. God allowed us the privilege of ministering to them and then moved them to another part of His harvest field. What a joy to see how they’re continuing to walk with the Lord, serving Him and seeking to make a difference for His Kingdom.

  Each Sunday my heart is moved as I look out and see the faces of those that the Lord has given me the privilege of being a part of their coming to Christ, or seeing them grow spiritually or had the privilege of baptizing them. Susan Riddle, our church clerk, who is the master of all statistics recently shared with me that with the addition of those recently baptized, I’ve now baptized 200 people at Grace Church. God is so good!

  I’ve had the joy of dedicating countless parents and babies to the Lord. I’ve lost track of how many weddings. You do feel a tad ancient when the children of someone whose wedding you officiated now has college-age children and a slew of grandchildren.

  When you’ve walked with someone through a valley or difficulty, there’s a lifelong bond. What a privilege I’ve been given to be there, to pray with folk, often in their darkest hour and then seen the Lord wonderfully intervene. One of the burdens tinted with joy of a long pastorate is that you must often bury your friends. Yet, heaven is all the sweeter for us because we have many folk who have gone before us…and no doubt there will be more that will, as Bunyan said, cross over “to the Celestial City.” For a pastor who understands his biblical calling, the ministry isn’t a job. Being a pastor means being there for people when their burdens are so heavy to help them carry the load (Galatians 6:2).

  An old rabbi asked a faithful student, “Do you love me?” The student answered, “Yes, you know I do.” “Then do you know what causes me pain?” “No.” “If you’re not close enough to know what causes me pain,” said the rabbi, “then you are not close enough to love me.”

  Being a pastor means that you’re close to people and willingly share their pain. It means being there when someone is struggling with their marriage or a wayward child. It means being there when someone received a medical prognosis of an incurable disease or impending death. It means being there to help someone turn to the Lord and marshal enough courage to pick up the pieces after failure and disgrace. It means being there when someone struggles with doubt or fear or other burdens.  

  We are blessed with a fantastic team. Many of our leaders have now served the Lord in their positions for years. We’re so blessed with godly committed Deacons: Dave Bonnar, Travis Brinks, Ryan Mattila, Ron Strelow, and Mike Weimer. Their counsel, commitment, and discernment is a gift to our church and to me. Rick Hall, as our church treasurer, and Karyn Borucki, as our Financial Secretary, love the Lord and passionately use their gifts to serve Him. And what would our church do without James Hauser, Gary Thompson, Susan Riddle, Jane Carson, and Mike Wiemer. They don’t serve our church for money but because they love the Master. 

  We are blessed with kindred spirits in ministry. Each week I pray for a list of pastors and churches. Many of them serve in our community. They’re not competitors, they’re co-laborers. They have our passion. They want to see people come to Christ and know what it is to be forgiven and on their way to heaven. I’m blessed to have many of them as close friends.

  We are blessed with a community that we love. Dorothy was right, “there’s no place like home.” Jane and I have now lived in three different homes in this community and have dear friends from each neighborhood.

  Many of our community leaders are close friends. It’s a privilege to pray for them and seek to encourage and support them.

  One of the blessings of a smaller community is that you’re often on a first-name basis with many local business owners, managers, or employees. You’re not some nameless customer but doing business and interacting with a friend. It’s a privilege to refer others to them because you know they’ll receive quality service from your friends.

  33 years of serving the Lord in a church family that you love and a community that you love! I’m a very rich man!

  If you study Scripture, you’ll find that the Bible tells us more about what isn’t in heaven, than what is there. One thing that I know, God has allowed Jane and I a little taste of heaven now by allowing us the privilege of serving Him these many years here at Grace. We are so blessed!  

 

 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. 

The Church is a Love Story

 

“You can always give without loving, 

but you can never love without giving.”  Amy Carmichael

 

 One of Jane’s favorite romantic movies is The Princess Bride, based on the fantasy romance novel by William Goldman. She loves the characters and humor. My all-time favorite romantic movie is While You Were Sleeping. Every time I watch it, I spring a leak. It stars Sandra Bullock as Lucy, a Chicago Transit Authority token collector and Bill Pullman as Jack, the brother of a man whose life she saves, along with Peter Gallagher as Peter, the man who is saved, and Peter’s crazy, wonderful, generous loving family that has open arms for Lucy. It’s a modernized Cinderella story. Boy from the rich side of town meets poor working-class girl, they fall in love. They should never have met, much less fallen in love. But all who are watching can see how right it all is. We quietly cheer and pray that somehow, someway, they’ll make it and it will have a fairy tale ending. 

  What is it about this theme that so resonates so well with us that we keep coming back for more? From the dawn of storytelling, whether it’s Belle and the Beast, Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy, or movies like Sabrina, Notting Hill, or even The Adventures of Robin Hood? Each of these stories portrays something extreme, something that couldn’t possibly be, and yet something we love and long for. We all wish someone would love us in such a sacrificial way, someone who’d willingly throw away security, fame and fortune and risk it all because they believe that we’re worth it.

  Think about it. That’s what our world is looking for—passionate, radical, extreme love. Why does it resonate so well with us? Because we have been wired on the inside for such a kind of love. But only One Person can love us this way. This is the love of God that we find in Jesus Christ for us. And when we, His followers, accept His love and learn to walk in His love, then He gives us the power to extend that same unbelievable love to others.

  Part of what so resonates with me about While You Were Sleeping is that it’s not just a love story, it’s a family love story. Jack and Lucy not only find each other, but Lucy also gets a whole new family who love and accept her. Much of the movie is in the Christmas season. Maybe you’re like me and remember some miserable Christmases from your formative years. Family love was something that was “only in my dreams.”

  The cross makes such love not just a dream but a reality. It’s what Jesus designed for us to have in our church. God doesn’t just love me, He loves us! Jesus didn’t just die for me, He died for us! We are family!

  Because God loved us, we’re commanded to love each other. It’s not a selfish love that says, “This is what I want. Give it to me if you love me.” 

  The kind of love Jesus calls us to is self-sacrificial love.  It’s the kind of love fleshed out by Jesus in His public and private ministry as He formed His disciples into a community of believers. It’s the kind of love demonstrated in His Passion as He suffered and died for those believers and the entire world. The love we’re to have for one another is to be self-sacrificing. It’s a committed love without a selfish or self-serving agenda.

  Not long ago, I finished reading The Long Walk by Salvomir Rawicz. It’s an incredible story. Rawicz was a soldier in the Polish Army when the Germans invaded Poland in 1939, thus beginning World War II. Trying to escape the Nazis, he inadvertently crossed the Polish border into Russia, where he’s captured by the Russians and charged with being a spy. After months of brutal interrogation, he’s tricked into signing a confession stating he’s a spy and sentenced to 25 years of hard labor in Siberia. He, along with hundreds of other prisoners, are transported by train 3,000 miles east, then chained to a truck and forced to walk another 1,000 miles north into the bitter cold of the Artic Circle where the labor prison was located.

  Upon arrival he begins plotting his escape. Over the next six months as he plans, six other prisoners join him. Finally, they all escape, heading south for India. It’s a heart-wrenching account. Some don’t survive the 3,000-mile trek south that takes over a year to complete – through the bitter cold of Siberia and the Himalayas, and the blistering heat of the Gobi Desert.

  These men not only escaped together they grew to love each other though they were from varied backgrounds. Some were Poles. One is an American. But it’s one for all and all for one. They are committed to one another in both life and death. They moved beyond convenience and sentimentality and came to really understand love, sacrificial love.

  That’s what we pray for and long for here at Grace. A vital part of having this kind of love for each other means that we must move our relationships beyond Sunday mornings. It’s why we’re urging you to join one of our Grace Groups that begin the week of September 12^th.

  It’s easy to talk about love at church. We want it to be much more than just words. As our Savior traveled the distance from heaven to earth in love for us, God has called us to make a long walk together. It requires love for those who journey with us. It’s committed love. It’s selfless love. It’s sacrificial love. And it starts with me and it starts with you.  

  Author and lecturer, Leo Buscaglia, once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four-year-old child whose next-door neighbor was an elderly man who’d recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman’s yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked him what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, “Nothing, I just helped him cry.” That’s what God has called us to – to rejoice…to cry with each other. Grace groups help make that happen. We get to know each other and as we know each other, we love each other.

  So are you in? When we have that kind of love for each other, the world sees it. It lets them know that we’re Christians and belong to Jesus. Isn’t that what our Lord said, “A new command I give you:  Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35).  

  What does the world know about you? What does it know about us? Do they really know that we love each other because He loved us so much?  Such love doesn’t just happen. It takes time and commitment. 

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. 

Are YOU Persecuted?

 “Christ’s followers cannot expect better treatment 
in the world than their Master had.”  Matthew Henry

 

  According to one survey, about half of all Americans believe evangelicals face discrimination. Still, others believe they’re facing actual persecution. I’m not sure. What is true is that we’re living in a post-Christian society where the Christian faith is no longer automatically respected.  

  Our culture has changed. The media is less sympathetic to stories where Christians face hate speech or violence than identical stories where other groups are victimized. Social institutions such as academia, media, entertainment, and the arts are likely to be places where anti-Christian prejudice and discrimination take place. Those institutions greatly shape our cultural values. As a result, those with anti-Christian attitudes are in a position to create and sustain anti-Christian perspectives. There’s also evidence that anti-Christian hate can result in discrimination. 

  What should we do? The answer leads to a more important question: What did the early church do? What did first-century Christians do?

  Study the pages of the New Testament and you won’t find those early Christians playing the victim card or screaming oppression. Their response to persecution in Acts 5:40-41 is shocking and convicting. After the Apostles were called in before the Sanhedrin…“they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name.”

  As I read Christian History and track the persecuted Church around the world today, there is little that’s “persecution” in America, though as our culture grows increasingly secular that may change. What we face in comparison to believers in China, Sudan and innumerable other places in the world is hard to label “persecution” or even “oppression.” 

  American Christians need to refuse to go along with a trend of oversensitivity. Our Lord offers us a much better way. He said: “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either… If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:27-36).  

  How are Christians to respond when they’re mistreated? With grace, love, and kindness. Kindness is a choice to act like Jesus when everything in us tells us that we shouldn’t. It’s not in the big things but in the little ones.

  It’s as small as mowing a neighbor’s lawn or sharing vegetables from your garden with a co-worker. It’s simply speaking to, interacting, and thanking the clerk at the gas station. It’s asking your server if before you ask the blessing for your food if you can pray for them. It’s befriending that co-worker or student who is friendless. It’s using social media to encourage others, noticing birthdays, anniversaries or a child learning to ride a bike. It’s listening to a child or an elderly person. It’s paying for someone else’s meal anonymously. It’s smiling and looking pleasant…like you have Jesus in your heart…because really you do.  

  In the movie, The Hobbit, Gandalf says, “Saruman (a wizard who goes to the dark side) believes that it is only great power that can hold evil in check. But that is not what I have found. I’ve found it is in the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keeps the darkness at bay. Simple acts of kindness and love.” 

  Making a difference isn’t the big things, it’s the little acts of kindness. Real love is empowered by God, who loves everyone. We would do well to mentally picture these words on the forehead of everyone that we meet: “For whom Christ died.” If God loves everyone, then He’s our source of power to love anyone. Love takes time, empathy, and the discovery of who others are. The power to love everyone is not from us. It comes from our relationship with the God who loved us when we were unlovable, because He loved us we can love anyone.

  Recently, I read of a 19-year-old Christian girl in China who was beaten and thrown into a filthy cell. It was dark, but from the smell, she knew that the slimy floor was covered with human excrement. There was no bed or chair. She had to sit and sleep in this filth. She squatted down so that as little of her bleeding body as possible would touch the floor and silently gave thanks to the Lord that she was worthy to suffer for Him. She asked Him for wisdom and strength, not to get out of this terrible place, but that wherever He put her, she would be able to continue to share the gospel.

  One day as she quietly sang a hymn, the Lord impressed on her, “This is to be your ministry.” She thought, “I’m all alone. Whom can I witness to?” Suddenly an idea came to her. She stood up and called for the guard.

  “Sir, can I do some hard labor for you?” The guard looked at her with contempt, mingled with surprise. No one had ever made that kind of request before. She said, “Look, this prison is filthy. Let me go into the cells and clean up the excrement. Just give me some water and a brush.”

  Soon she found herself on her hands and knees cleaning and sharing the gospel with people who’d lost all hope of ever seeing another human being who did not come to beat them. When they realized that they could have eternal life as God’s free gift, they repented of their sins and trusted in Jesus Christ. Soon all of the prisoners had believed in Jesus Christ. The warden was furious. He gave her a sheet of paper and told her to write out a confession of her crimes against the revolution. She wrote out the plan of salvation so that the warden and even others heard about Christ.

  You and I will probably never have to suffer for the gospel as she did, but we must follow her example. If we face cruel words, oppression or persecution, we should respond with love, kindness, and serving others. We must respond with grace. And we should be unstoppable in our commitment to the Lord’s work in the world, of proclaiming the good news of Christ to those who are perishing.

  God loves the world. Jesus died to save it. Let’s you and I commit to being Jesus even to those who hate Him and us?

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.  

Are You Reading the William Shatner Bible?

 

“Bible reading enables us…to enjoy communion with God as He speaks to us from His Word, encouraging us, instructing us, and revealing Himself to us.”   Jerry Bridges

  I love The Babylon Bee. If you’re not familiar with the Bee, it’s satire, tongue in cheek, a kind of Christian version of The Onion. A recent Bee had “8 Handy Bible Reading Tips” (remember it’s satire). Here they are:

 ·         Consider getting a hip translation with cool words like “yeet” and “sheeesh.” How can you experience the eternal Word of God if it's not cool and hip? 

·         Get an audio Bible read by William Shatner. In... the beginning... God... created... the heavens... and... the earth... 

·         Make sure to set aside at least seven seconds a day to read the Bible. It’s important to dedicate a few short seconds to the Lord before you spend the rest of the day on social media. 

·         Spend most of your devotional time trying to get a good picture of your Bible next to a cup of coffee for your Insta. Now that you’ve got a few seconds with the Lord, spend the entire time live-tweeting your devos and getting that perfect Instagram shot. 

·         Look for creative ways to rip verses out of context and make them all about you. Get creative! Read a verse about ancient Israel or Jews in the first century and think, “How can I make this all about me?” 

·         When your kids try to interrupt you, shout “NOT TODAY, SATAN!” Pair this maneuver with a cross formation using your fingers for maximum impact. 

·         Underline the entire book so no verses feel left out. The more underlining, the more spiritual you are. 

·         Whenever you read a really convicting verse, make sure to apply it to everyone else instead of yourself. This is an important one. If you read a verse that convicts you, just think how much Becky from Bible study needs to change her life instead of you. It's better this way.  

  Aren’t those hilarious? Yet, a reality that’s not funny is how few Christians consistently read their Bibles or are in the habit of reading them on a daily basis. A recent study sponsored by LifeWay shares some unfortunate yet unsurprising results: “A third of Americans who attend a Protestant church regularly (32%) say they read the Bible personally every day. Around a quarter (27%) say they read it a few times a week.” In other words, though our churches are to be based on the Bible, the facts are clear – many good, Christian, Bible-believing folk are not spending time in the Word every day or even every week…and it shows. 

  While our church is theologically conservative, if the numbers are accurate, many in our church are biblically illiterate. It’d be tempting to believe that in a church like ours the majority of people would be in the Word just as much throughout the week as they wish to be on the Lord’s Day. Sadly, that’s simply not the case. Even in a church like ours, many people struggle to simply do what they believe they ought to do. 

  Most who attend Grace know they should be reading the Bible throughout the week and probably feel guilty that they’re not. The issue isn’t ignorance or naivete but habit and commitment. People simply do not do what they know that they ought to do and, on one level, actually want to do. It’s not a habit simply because it’s not a priority. But it should be. No other daily habit is so life-changing and so affects our church. 

  For example, if you don’t shower, brush your teeth or wear deodorant, you’ll smell and others will socially distance from you. But if you don’t consistently read your Bible, others may not socially distance from you but they’ll probably wish they could. While you may not physically stink, your attitude and behavior will. You won’t be any different from those who don’t know the Lord. When we’re in the Word and applying it to our lives, we become more like Jesus. We’re gracious, attracting others instead of repelling them. Reading the Bible changes us, our priorities, and our worldview. 

  Others may not know why they know what they know, but they know when a Christian is consistently in God’s Word. Being in God’s Word makes us kinder, less selfish, more patient, more grateful, and joyful. 

  You are what you eat. That’s true physically and spiritually. What you mentally digest impacts you. Think about how you feel when you read your newsfeed or watch the news. Reading the Bible consistently has several benefits. It helps you see the world from God’s perspective. Instead of seeing a world out of control, you see a world that even in its moral deterioration is accomplishing His purposes. It reminds us that this world and life are temporary and to instead live for the real world and eternity. 

  2 Timothy 3:16, when discussing the topic of Scripture, says that it’s “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness.” Verse 17 goes on to say that this leads to the completeness and equipping “for every good work.” God’s Word is life-changing. Regularly reading Scripture reorients our thinking so that we grow up spiritually. You’re not equipped to handle life if you’re a spiritual toddler. 

  You’ll never meet a mature Christian who doesn’t regularly read the Bible. Why? God’s Word has power. It’s life-changing. There is no other book that can so change your life and eternal destiny, but the Bible can. 

  Gaylord Kambarami was the General Secretary of the Bible Society of Zimbabwe. Once when he offered a man a New Testament, the man responded, “If you give me that Bible, I will roll the pages and use them to make cigarettes!” Gaylord replied, “At least promise me that you will read the page before you smoke it.” The man agreed, so he gave him the New Testament and went his way. Fifteen years later, Gaylord was attending a convention when the speaker on the platform suddenly spotted him, pointed him out to the audience, and said, “This man doesn’t remember me, but 15 years ago he tried to sell me a New Testament. When I refused to buy it, he gave it to me, even though I told him I would use the pages to roll cigarettes. He made me promise to read the pages before I smoked them. Well, I smoked Matthew and I smoked Mark and I smoked Luke. But when I got to John 3:16, I couldn’t smoke any more. My life was changed from that moment.” He had become a full-time evangelist, pointing others to the powerful message of God’s Word. 

  God’s Word is spiritual dynamite. It can revolutionize your life but only if you read it. I dare you to read your Bible every day for the next month. Try it and get back to me on how God’s Word changed your life.

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.