A Literal Devil? This is 2021 not 1321!

 “There is no devil in the first two chapters of the Bible and no devil in the last two chapters. Thank God for a book that disposes of the devil.”  Vance Havner 

   During the autumn of 1944 Germany had been beaten back behind its borders. The Nazi war machine was in tatters and the repeated bombing raids of the Allies all but assured that Hitler’s forces would never rise again. Around the perimeter of Germany’s borders, the Allies spread a thin line of forces. One person observed that Allied forces were was so scattered that a man could slip in between its lines without being observed. 

  All across Europe, there was celebration. Parties, dances, speeches all of them rejoicing in Germany’s defeat. The war was effectively over. The only problem was that somebody forgot to tell Hitler and Nazi Germany. 

  Even as his forces were being shattered and driven back Hitler was devising a plan for one last onslaught. Underground factories churned out more weapons, armament and ammunition. More of Germany’s young and old men were conscripted and trained for war. As Europe celebrated, Hitler conspired. His goal was not to drive back the Allies into the sea, as much as it was to divide the British to the North and the Americans to the South, so demoralizing them that they would sue for peace on his terms. Hundreds and thousands of men died because somebody forgot that the enemy still lived and that the war was not completely over.

  We have a much greater and more evil Enemy than a Hitler. His name is Satan. Intellectuals and those in academia are shocked that there are still people who believe in a literal Devil. After all, this is 2021, not 1321.

  If you do not believe in moral absolutes, if you believe that good and evil are relative and on a continuum, then it’s easy to scoff at a literal devil. When evil is relative, it quickly becomes a socially constructed concept, different for each culture and society. It’s held then that different cultures have varied ideas and beliefs about what constitutes “evil.” What is evil to some may well be acceptable and even valuable for others. Morality, good and evil become nothing more than an opinion a world flooded with them.

  To explain away evil or to suggest that it’s only a social construct or a psychological problem is impossible to rationalize away in light of some of the vile evils of just the last century. Was the Holocaust, the genocide of six million Jews who were systematically murdered, nearly two-thirds of Europe’s Jewish population a sociological aberration? How could one witness Auschwitz or Treblinka or any other death camp and come to that conclusion? Or conclude it was a psychological failure not a moral one?

  What about Stalin’s Great Purge? How does one rationalize that evil is not real or there is no face of the Devil behind the large-scale repression of the peasantry or the ethnic cleansing by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union? After assessing twenty years of historical research in Eastern European archives, American historian, Timothy D. Snyder concluded that Stalin deliberately killed about 6 million, which rises to 9 million if foreseeable deaths arising from his heinous policies are taken into account.

  Is the Rwandan Genocide of a million souls, the Cambodian Genocide that butchered between 1.5 and 3 million people at the hands of the Khmer Rouge, or Mao’s Great Leap Forward that ultimately exterminated tens of millions, with death estimates ranging even between 15 and 55 million, making the Great Chinese Famine the largest one in human history just social constructs? Just ask the families of the 17 victims of Nikolas Cruz if evil is subjective? Ask them if there is no such thing as right or wrong?

  Evil has a face. Such depths of perversity can’t be explained without a literal Devil. Satan is the great deceiver. One of his greatest deceits is to convince people that he doesn’t really exist. But Satan really does exist, just as surely as God exists. He isn’t some vague, impersonal force; he is a real person—that is, he has a real personality. Just as you and I can think and make decisions and act, so Satan can think and make decisions and act. The difference is that everything he does is evil—without exception—because he is totally opposed to God.

  The Bible teaches that Satan is the number one enemy of God and mankind. Satan comes from a Hebrew word meaning adversary. Devil comes from an equivalent Greek word also meaning adversary or slanderer.

  Throughout Scripture Satan is known as “the ruler of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2); “the god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4); “one who has the power of death” (Heb. 2:14); “the cosmic powers of this present darkness” (Eph. 6:12); “the great dragon (Rev. 12:9); “the evil one” (Matt. 6:13); “the tempter (1 Thes. 3:5); the accuser of the people of God (Rev. 12:10); and “the father of lies” (John 8:44). But praise God, he is a defeated foe. Wise are the words of Ann Voskamp, “Satan prowls but he’s a lion on a leash.”

  While Satan is a very powerful, spiritual being who hates God and His people, he isn’t equal with God but is engaged in a constant battle against God. We must not take him lightly. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against…the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ”

  The most important truth that Christians need to remember is that Satan is a defeated foe. By His death and resurrection, the Lord Jesus overcame all the powers of death and evil, and someday His victory will be complete.

  While skeptics deny the reality of Satan, Bible believers cannot. God’s Word warns us to be aware of his plans. “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Believers must resist him vigilantly and steadfastly, aware of the reality of his plans to defeat us. When tempted, we must submit ourselves to the Lord, resist him and he will flee (James 4:7).

  A little girl was once asked how she defeats Satan. She said, “When Satan comes knocking at the door of my heart, I send God to answer the door. When Satan sees God, he says, “Oops, I am sorry, I must have the wrong house.” We can’s defeat Satan on our own. We need God’s strength to enable us to conquer him. We must fight Satan, but we must only fight Satan through the power of God proclaimed through His Word. The victory was won 2,000 years ago but we must be vigilant in the fight until Satan’s final defeat. We will win but only in our Savior’s power!

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. 

Singing in the Dark

 “Music expresses that which cannot be said  

and on which it is impossible to be silent.”  Victor Hugo

  One of my favorite professors in Bible college was Dr. Edward Burckart. He was a very godly man and truly a gentle soul. Dr. Burckart was a gifted violinist and had studied at Julliard. During World War II he served in the army in Europe as a radar technician and I remember him sharing how the hymns of faith had gotten him through that difficult period of his life. 

  Our Heavenly Father created music. Read the Bible and you’ll find that Scripture is permeated with music. It can be powerful medicine for our souls. As Paul reminded the Colossians believers, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Col. 3:16). While Scripture must be our first resource because it’s God’s inspired Word, godly music is a powerful tool to cry out to God with and can be used to minister to our hearts.

  If you’ve been a believer long then you know that the Christian life is a journey of mountains and valleys. Mountain tops are exhilarating, yet God uses the valleys in our lives for our good, yet they’re rarely pleasant. As I’ve walked through my own valleys, God has often used music to encourage and comfort my soul. Some years ago as we struggled with our son, Ben’s epilepsy, one of my favorite songs became Ron Hamilton’s Rejoice in the Lord. 

God never moves without purpose or plan
When trying His servant and molding a man.
Give thanks to the LORD though your testing seems long;
In darkness He giveth a song. 

  Hamilton wrote that song immediately after losing an eye to cancer. He went on to use his new eye patch for God’s glory writing several albums geared to children as “Patch the Pirate.” The song is based on Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” 

  Nearly every pastor goes through dark periods in ministry. I know that I’ve gone through mine. I’ve thought a few times that there must be an easier life and was tempted to leave the ministry. During one of those periods Steve Green’s song, Find Us Faithful shored up my soul. 

O may all who come behind us find us faithful,
May the fire of our devotion light their way.
May the footprints that we leave, lead them to believe,
And the lives we live inspire them to obey.

  When this pandemic first struck, I was in a terrible funk. Remember that the first news reports indicated that many were going to become terribly ill or die. I imagined losing many of my friends. I pictured burying some in our church family (wonderfully we’ve not lost a single person at church to Covid). It weighed very heavily on me and I didn’t sleep well for months. My song for that period was Twila Paris’s, God Is In Control.  

This is no time for fear. This is a time for faith and determination.
Don't lose the vision here. Carried away by the motion.
Hold on to all that you hide in your heart.

There is one thing that has always been true. It holds the world together.
God is in control. We believe that His children will not be forsaken.
God is in control. We will choose to remember and never be shaken.
There is no power above or beside Him, we know, God is in control.   

  During the past several months Jane and I have been walking through a dark valley. I’m glad that we don’t play records anymore because I’d have worn the record out. God has used two powerful songs to lift up my soul, Casting Crowns, Praise You In This Storm:

I was sure by now God, you would have reached down
And wiped our tears away. Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen," and it's still raining
As the thunder rolls. I barely hear your whisper through the rain
"I'm with you.” And as your mercy falls

I raise my hands and praise the God who gives And takes away.
And I'll praise you in this storm. And I will lift my hands
For you are who you are. No matter where I am.

  Praise You In This Storm was inspired by the band, Casting Crowns,  experience with a young girl, Erin Browning. Right around the time the band connected with Erin and her family, it had been discovered that this little girl had cancer and she soon died. According to lead vocalist Mark Hall, "Watching [Erin's mother] walk through this really showed me truth about my worship. Watching her walk through a real storm showed me that my worship was extremely situational.”

  Just one more…When we go through difficult times and valleys, we feel very alone. I know that I do. Sometimes the pain is so great we can’t share it or fear we’ll lose control of our emotions. During the past few months, the Lord has used Another In The Fire by Hillsong to remind me over and over again that I’m never alone. It’s based on Daniel 3 when three faithful Hebrews, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, are thrown into a fiery furnace by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon after they refuse to bow down to the king’s idolatrous image.

There was another in the fire. Standing next to me.
There was another in the waters. Holding back the seas.
And should I ever need reminding. Of how I’ve been set free.
There is a cross that bears the burden. Where another died for me.

  Another In The Fire is the personal testimony of worship leader, Chris Davenport, after learning his son had autism. Resolving to go on, despite his feelings and trust God though he was hurting so badly. He shares, “This is what faith's all about. It’s not about a fairy tale. It's not about everything working out. It's about becoming more like Jesus, no matter the cost.” 

  I’m thankful for Christian music. Much of it puts God’s eternal Word to a melody and helps me remember His truth. It’s a well of hope for parched souls. It reminds us to trust Him and keep praising Him. It helps me to keep on singing because I know that my Father truly is in control.

 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. 

Food, Family and Lighting a Candle

 “A family can be the bane of one's existence. A family can also be most of the meaning of one's existence. I don't know whether my family is bane or meaning, but they have surely gone away and left a large hole in my heart.”  Keri Hulme

   Prior to reading most books, I read the book reviews. Because I love to cook and experiment with new recipes, I was intrigued by a book review in the July 17, 2021 issue of “World Magazine” about Life From Scratch by Sasha Martin. Over the course of 195 weeks, food writer and blogger, Sasha Martin set out to cook—and eat—a meal from every country in the world. As cooking unlocked the memories of her rough-and-tumble childhood and the loss and heartbreak that came with it, she became determined to find peace and elevate her life through the prism of food and world cultures. Sasha had a very hard early life. She never met her father who’d abandoned the family. Her mother lost custody of her two children, and Sasha and her brother ended up in a foster family. Her brother committed suicide. Sasha lived with the foster family in Europe, acted out, and moved back to the United States. She graduated college and attended cooking school. An internship brought her to Tulsa, Oklahoma where she fell in love and embarked on a project: cooking a meal from every country in the world. The project led to this engaging memoir with recipes. In it, she depicts the joy and chaos of her early life, shows the power of food to break down barriers, arouse an appetite for adventure, cultivate community, and work to piece together a fractured family. 

  Though witty, warm, and poignant, Sasha Martin’s memoir about cooking her way to healing, it was sad to read of a child experiencing so much family pain. What’s most heartbreaking is that her family history is becoming more and more the present norm in American life. 

  Today some 16 million children live with their single mothers. Another three million live with their single fathers. 25% of children under 18 live with single moms; 4% were living with single dads. 1300 new stepfamilies are formed each day. 40% of families in the U.S. are blended with at least one partner having a child from a previous relationship before marriage. 

  Today 53% of U.S. adults ages 18 and older are married, down from 58% in 1995. Over the same period, the share of Americans cohabiting has risen from 3% to 7%. Taken together, six-in-ten Americans are either married or living with a partner. Frequently underage children are in those homes  

  About 1 in 8 children (8.7 million) aged 17 or younger live in a household with at least one parent with a substance use disorder, the recurrent use of alcohol or other drugs or both, that results in significant impairment. 

  The cost and deep pain of a lack of stable home and emotional stability on children is very high. The ramifications can last a lifetime.

  Birthdays are times of reflection for me (today is mine). When I was 10. my mother was killed in a car accident and I was raised by a single Dad, who though financially successful, was a prescription drug addict. The truths of Psalms 18:30, “As for God, His way is perfect” and Joseph’s words to his murderous yet now repentant brothers are still true, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good…” (Gen. 50:20). But I carry my scars as many of you also do.

  One of my favorite quotes is, “It’s better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” Methodist pastor, William L. Watkinson in a sermon titled “The Invincible Strategy” made that powerful statement. His sermon was later reprinted in a periodical called “China’s Millions” to challenge Christians about the great need for missions in China.

  The “millions” today are all around us but they’re not just in China. They live next door, work beside you or even sit near you in church. The fragmentation of the family carries a high price. It’s why many see a therapist or are on medication for emotional issues. The lack of family stability often has long-lasting pain. What can we do?

  First, we need to be biblically honest about our own family history and the baggage that comes with it. Often what is our “normal,” isn’t. When I lived with Dad and Mom Cummins in my early twenties, I was shocked to learn that they didn’t fight all of the time (I only remember a handful of disagreements). They actually problem-solved and dearly loved each other.

  Christmas was one of my bigger shocks. Every Christmas growing up, my Dad lost his temper with my Mom and she’d end up in her bedroom crying. It was my “normal.” To actually have a “Merry Christmas” was a bit like being transported to Mars for me.

  Many of us carry harmful relational baggage and don’t know it. We need godly friends to come alongside us, be honest with us, and help us. We need the truth of God’s Word to come into our hearts and work its way inside out so we become more like Jesus, who is the standard of normal.

  Second, we must have more grace and patience with each other. We need to walk a mile in their shoes. That simply means trying to consider and understand the other person’s perspectives, experiences or even family history before making judgments about them. Often we’re so self-focused, we neglect to take the time to understand where others are coming from. We need believers that take seriously Philippians 2:4, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

  Third, we need more spiritually mature Christians to disciple and mentor younger ones. None of us are perfect, so please don’t wait until you’ve “arrived.” In our church family, we have young couples and parents who could use the prayer, encouragement, and support of those who’ve already traveled their road. They don’t need scolding over inconsequential concerns. Many of them just need to know that someone has their back, is praying for them and encouraging them.

  While we can’t change the world, we can make a difference in ours. It’s what God has called us to do! It’s time to light some candles. It’s an opportunity to make a generational difference by assisting younger believers to dine on the fruit of the Spirit in their marriages and families. 

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

"I Think You're Going to Need a Better Dictionary."

 

“The worst thing one can do with words is to surrender them.” George Orwell 

  When Lewis Carroll’s Alice goes Through the Looking-Glass, she finds a world turned upside down, especially in regard to words. Trying to have a sensible conversation only makes her head hurt. Nowhere is this more apparent than in her meeting with Humpty Dumpty, who takes nothing she says at face value and loves a good argument: “There’s glory for you!” 

  “But ‘glory’ doesn’t mean a ‘nice knock-down argument,’” Alice objected.

  “When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.”

  “The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.”

  “The question is,” said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master—that’s all.”

   “When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean…” Apparently, someone needs to get the memo to Steven Spielberg and the Discovery Channel that Jaws and Shark Week have been filleted. Two Australian states — Queensland and New South Wales — have softened their tone when it comes to the language of reporting shark attacks. From now on, sharks will “bite,” not “attack,” and when humans have a less-than-ideal meeting with them, even if they end up fish food, it’s now to be referred to as an “encounter” or an “incident.” Changing the meaning of a word doesn’t take its “bite away,” especially if you’re the one attacked. 

  Contemporary culture attempts to reshape and remold words as if they’re Play-Doh. They’re not. The Bible is a book made up of words – words that have a clear meaning. 

  Some years ago I had a conversation with a man about truth. My friend related that there was no such thing as truth and so the words in the Bible could have virtually any meaning. I replied that words have meaning. To which he responded, “Orange may be orange to you but it could be purple to me.” Yet even the biggest skeptic looks both ways when they cross a busy street. Words have meaning and you may redefine a speeding car but when you end up as a hood ornament, it won’t matter.

   Over the course of the last year, we’ve been inundated with “Trust the Science.” It’s ironic that many of the same “trust the science” advocates tell us that we’re on the wrong side of history to refer to pregnant women. The Atlantic recently had an article “The Culture War Over ‘Pregnant People’.” Even the ACLU is willing to sacrifice their own. A few weeks ago they altered the wording of a Ruth Bader Ginsberg quote to include gender-neutral pronouns. On the first anniversary of the Supreme Court Justice’s death, they tweeted: “The decision whether or not to bear a child is central to a [person’s] life, to [their] well-being and dignity ... When the government controls that decision for [people], [they are] being treated as less than a fully adult human responsible for [their] own choices.”

  Uhm, ACLU, trust the science. People don’t have abortions, women do. People don’t have babies, women do. Even someone as progressive as Ruth Bader Ginsberg knew that. This isn’t science, it’s sociology and insanity. FYI: It’s not “reproductive rights” when life is terminated not produced.

  None of this is new. Other societies drunk on their own self-importance and intellectual insanity attempted to alter the meaning of words. They failed. The French Revolution attempted to wipe out gender distinctions with the genderless term “citizen.” Incidentally, they also failed when they attempted to change a seven-day week to a ten-day one. The Communists attempted it by calling everyone the genderless “comrade.” 

  Because of a dictionary that is reputedly fluid, many today are skeptical of anyone’s claims to know the Truth. Some want to abandon the hunt for truth altogether, declaring a universal cease-fire on all truth claims. But can we really live without truth? Philosopher Roger Scruton rightly argues, “All discourse and dialogue depend upon the concept of truth. To agree with another is to accept the truth of what he says; to disagree is to reject it.” In other words, we can’t even talk to each other without a foundation of truth. Truth can’t be true if it’s true for you but not true for me. That makes words and communication an impossibility.

  Christians must be committed to clear definitions of words and truth. John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” God is the Creator of words and gave them meaning. We must not surrender to cultural pressure or shaming. When we do, we lose our voice in the culture and dishonor the God of truth. Yet, there will be growing pressure along with the threat of being canceled.

  We must not alter words to be more acceptable. Even some Christians rightfully appalled at the horrors of racism declare that it’s only correct to say that “Black lives matter” and they do. Scripture though is our standard, not the values of the day. God had to rebuke the early church that had bought into only “Jewish lives matter.” Read the New Testament. It’s clear that “all lives matter” because Jesus died for all people. To discriminate or be prejudiced toward someone because of their ethnicity, disabilities or economic status is sin. It’s a falsehood to suggest, as some in the heat of the cultural disarray have, that “white people can never call black people racist.” Racism is evil whether it comes from the heart and lips of a white person, black person, Asian, Hispanic, etc. It may make good press but the glossing over of evil won’t stand before the throne of King Jesus.

  Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride had wise words for our culture and today’s Christian, “You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means.” God is the Creator of life and language. What He says it means, it means…and that my friend is the final word!

 

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. 

What is a Christian Education?

 

“Education is simply the soul of a society 
as it passes from one generation to another”  G.K. Chesterton

 

  School has started for another year. With the increased secularization of our culture and that too often schools focus on social agendas rather than education basics, (the 3 R’s – reading, writing, and arithmetic), parents struggle with the best options of schooling for their children. In spite of the rhetoric of some Christian leaders, God’s Word doesn’t designate one format of education as being the “right” one. 

 The three most common options in America are public, private (for Christians usually a Christian school,) or homeschooling. All three have both advantages and disadvantages. What God’s Word does clearly teach is parental responsibility for the spiritual education of their children.

  Understandably, Christian parents want to protect their children from evil worldviews and influence. It can’t be done. The first family had a son with an anger issue that devolved into cold-blooded murder.

  Some years ago M. Night Shyamalan produced a movie, The Village, with a powerful biblical message – you can’t isolate yourself or your family from depravity. And God doesn’t want us to live in a bubble or raise our children in one. We are to be in the world, yet not of the world. That’s where God’s power shines through. Parents then must evaluate their situation and their child’s needs to choose what will give their child the greatest potential for a Christ-honoring adulthood.

  A ubiquitous contaminant that has little to do with your child’s spiritual future is FOMO (fear of missing out or fear your kids will miss out). Your child does not need sports, music, or dance lessons, etc. Your child needs a biblical worldview. Your child needs you and lots of you consistently interacting with you. Please don’t cave to the parental peer pressure of over-involving your children.

  This may shock you, but no child is deprived because they never went to Disney. Many committed parents in seeking to provide for their child, pack their lives with activity “because everyone else is doing it,” when what their child needs is more parental love, influence, and interaction.

  One of the clearest passages about a biblical education is Deuteronomy 6:5-7: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” The most important educational decision you make for your children is to choose to love and obey God yourself. They learn more about having a heart for God from you than anywhere else. They learn more about what has true value, marriage, parenting, worldview from you. It begins with “these words that I command YOU…shall be on your heart.” If God’s commands aren’t first on your heart, it’s doubtful they’ll be on your child’s heart.

  Here are some simple suggestions. Pray for your child’s teacher and school. We do more on our knees than anywhere else. Let their teacher know that you appreciate them. Attend parent-teacher conferences and school events. Be supportive and encouraging.

  Determine to not undermine their teacher. Be slow in jumping to conclusions about a teacher or what happened at school. One wise teacher sent home this note, “If you promise to not believe everything that your child says happened at school, I promise to not believe everything that your child says happens at home.” On a very rare occasion, you may have to intervene. In the future, your child is going to have bad bosses, neighbors, and co-workers. They must learn to stand alone. It’s safer to learn that while you’re nearby to support and pick them up.

  Limit the biggest educator today’s child has. We have children who are media addicts. The average child spends between 50-75 hours a week in front of a screen. It’s easy to plop them in front of a screen but the long-term outcome is moral decay.

  Screens are amusement. A-muse means to “not think.” What’s lost by constant amusement are rational thinking skills and a biblical worldview.

  For example, if you’re children speak rudely or disrespectfully, listen to what their favorite media choices are modeling about communication. Most movies/TV shows get laugh lines for rude language. If your child is developing a potty mouth and didn’t learn it from you, it’s probable they’re learning it from the media. Pull the plug or at least limit it, just as you do sugar in their diet.

  Most earthly worldviews are very subtle. While most parents are on high alert for the boogeymen of socialism or sex education, they’re obtuse to subtle godless worldviews that are readily accepted. Most miss that we subtly teach our children the myth that success comes with the A’s.

  We value appearance. The Bible teaches that each of us is designed by the Creator. When we value appearance that fits our values of attractiveness yet disdain those who are “ugly ducklings,” we’re criticizing the Maker. Beauty is subjective, shallow, and temporary. While we need to care for what God has entrusted to us, a person with character pleases God whereas a “beautiful” one with little heart for God does not (Prov. 31:30).

  We value ability. Some have natural athletic gifts or other skills. We must remember that they’re all God-given. A lost world heroizes the athletic and talented. Scripture honors faithfulness, humility, and a heart for God.

  We value academics. Who gives us intelligence? God. Every child should be encouraged to do the best they can and develop what God has entrusted to them. But a sanitation worker who loves God and uses the I.Q. God entrusted to them is more pleasing to God than an M.D. who thinks he or she is self-made and worships at the altar of self.

  Appearance, ability, and academics are all gifts from God (James 1:17) and can easily be taken back by the Giver.

  Parents, you need God’s wisdom and guidance to choose the best options for your child. Remember though that the greatest teacher they have is You. As you’re a committed follower of your Heavenly Father, they’ll learn what they truly need to know for life and eternity.

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

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.