Category: Christian life

Christmas Hopes

Christmas is the one time of the year when we have the highest hopes. We plan a big family gathering and hope everyone can make it (except that one crazy uncle). We look forward to a fabulous feast, great presents, and a good time with friends and family. Unfortunately, Christmas is also the time of great disappointments: some of the relatives can’t make the trip (except the crazy uncle), the dinner flops, and the presents are duds. For the young woman, an expected engagement ring never shows up, and for her clueless boyfriend, his favorite football team loses a critical game.

Our expectations may fizzle, leaving us with a less than happy holiday season. I recently had a disappointment: a local radio station offered a contest where a listener would win a 1 ounce gold eagle (worth $2,600). I thought that would be a nice Christmas present, so I entered the contest. Did I win? Nope. Santa let me down.

I was reminded of my last Christmas as a child. Each year I asked Santa for one thing for Christmas, and probably because my wants were modest, I always got that one thing. So that last year, I asked for a walkie-talkie set (this was in the days before cell phones). But on Christmas morning, when I opened Santa’s gift, I found a junky, non-functioning toy set of radios. Even with plenty of other gifts, good food, and family fun, I found that I was disappointed with Christmas that year.

Obviously, when we set our sights too high with our expectations for Christmas, we are preparing to be disappointed. We form a mental picture of how we want things to go, and when they don’t match that picture, we feel let down. We may even feel disappointment when things go well, because our met expectations don’t give us the happy feelings we wanted.

What are your expectations for Christmas?

Your expectations for Christmas may be wonderful: your family gathered around the dinner table, everybody all dressed up like a scene out of a Norman Rockwell painting? A fully harmonious gathering? The gifts you were hoping to receive? Happiness for those to whom you give gifts? A good sermon at church for the Christmas service? Enough in the bank to end the season in the black?

If your hopes are based on any such subjective wishes for Christmas, you may well be disappointed, because what Christmas truly promises is much greater and more sure than anything society has added to our expectations for the holiday.

The first Christmas is a prime example of people misunderstanding the event and thus having unreal expectations which led to disappointments. The Jewish nation did expect a Messiah, but envisioned him as a military conqueror who would drive out the Romans and liberate Judah. Therefore, when Jesus instead fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecies of being a suffering servant (Isaiah 53), who came “not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45), and even proclaimed, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36), the people’s hopes were dashed.

Many potential followers of Jesus turned away from him when they realized he was not the type of Messiah they expected. In John 6, we read that because Jesus did the miraculous feeding, the people came to make him king by force. When he refused to allow them, and explained that he was the bread of life come down from heaven, “After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.” (John 6:66). Then, when he was crucified, even his closest disciples most fervent hopes were crushed. Talk about being disappointed with the first Christmas!

What changed the disciples’ attitude and restored their hopes was Christ’s resurrection and their understanding of the promises of what Christ’s birth meant to the world. Christmas’s meaning is defined by Easter.

Easter fulfills Christmas.

Christmas is the beginning of God with us (Isaiah 7:14), of God taking on flesh to become one of us (John 1:14). Therefore, he experienced life as a man, able to suffer and be tempted as we are, “but without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Then, as our high priest, he offered himself in his crucifixion as a perfect sacrifice “by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12). The debt of our sins was cancelled, being nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:14), and our own resurrection is promised by Christ’s victory over death and the grave. 1 Corinthians 51-54 tells us, “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.“

All of this is the promise of Christmas. This was all included in the message of the Christmas angels who proclaimed “Peace on earth, goodwill toward men!” This was all included in Isaiah’s prophecy, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” All this was foretold in the angelic prophecy that “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21).

Our hopes are not based on wishes or fantasies, but on the facts of Jesus life, death, and resurrection. Our faith is based on the promises which God’s word gives us of forgiveness and resurrection to eternal life. In those promises we will never be disappointed. Christmas is God acting in human history to bring his promises to fulfillment. For that reasons, Christmas, its true meaning, will never disappoint us, even if we never get a walkie-talkie!

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Luke 2; Matthew 2.

 

The Not-So Little Town

It is now the season of Advent, the time when we anticipate the coming of Christ into the world, the first time as a baby, and the second time as a conquering king. As part of looking at his first coming, we read the many Old Testament prophecies about his nativity, which show the divine nature of his birth. In them we see the impossibility that all those 300 prophecies could have been fulfilled by any one person – unless God was behind the prophecies and their fulfillment.

One of those prophecies was one in Micah 5:2 which foretold the birthplace of the Messiah 700 years before the event: “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.”

Two New Testament Gospels, Matthew and Luke, report the fulfillment of Micah’s prophecy when they record that Jesus Christ was indeed born in that little town of Bethlehem. It was a highly unlikely fulfillment, given that Jesus’ mother and Joseph both lived in a different town and province – Nazareth of Galilee, rather than Bethlehem of Judea. It took a Roman emperor’s decree for a census to make Joseph and the expectant Mary travel from their village to Joseph’s ancestral family home of Bethlehem, the city of David, because he was of the lineage of that famous king. And, to be in Bethlehem at just the right time for Mary’s child to be born there.

The town was about 5-6 miles from Jerusalem, and much of its economy was based on raising and supplying animals to be sacrificed in the nearby Temple. How appropriate that Christ, the Lamb of God, the final sacrifice for our sins, should be born alongside the other sacrificial lambs! How appropriate too, that the Savior who called himself the Bread of Life should be born in a town whose name means, “House of Bread!”

When I think about Bethlehem, I can’t help but hum to myself that familiar Christmas carol, “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” The song’s title and descriptions of a still, quiet village with dark streets reflect the small size of Bethlehem at the time of Christ’s. Estimates are that no more than 200-300 people usually lived there, though several thousand more came there for the census.

But though Bethlehem’s population was small, it wasn’t really such a small town after all. Bethlehem represents you and me, and with us, the whole world. Christ came through Bethlehem to all of us.

I. Bethlehem as part of the world. When Christ was born at Bethlehem, he was born as a real, flesh and blood human baby in a town of real, flesh and blood people. Bethlehem itself was a bricks-and-mortar type of place you could find on a map (you still can!). It was not some never-never-land, or some mythical Shangri-La. It was not some imaginary perfect place like Plato’s Republic or Thomas More’s Utopia (utopia means literally, “no place”), or to use a more modern reference, “A galaxy far, far away.” Bethlehem did not exist in some other dimension. It was a real earthly place.

Bethlehem was part of this physical world in which we live, and therefore it was an appropriate place for Christ to make his earthly debut. By coming to Bethlehem, Christ came into this world of human beings. In John’s Gospel, Christ tells Pilate that his kingdom is not of this world, but that he has come into the world. Paul likewise tells us that Christ came into the world to save sinners, and the book of Hebrews tells us that Christ came into the world to be the sacrifice needed for our sins. They don’t say, “Christ came into Bethlehem,” even though that is where he was born; what matters is that by being born in Bethlehem, Jesus was born in the world.

And how did the world receive him? Well, we can look at how Bethlehem received him.

The people of that little town were not prepared for the coming of the Messiah. Even though the prophets had foretold both the timing and location of the Messiah’s birth, nobody in Bethlehem or its region expected the Savior’s arrival when he came. Like the rest of the world, the people were going about their daily tasks, trying to make a living, unaware that the Savior was coming to them right then. So first off, they tried to shut him out. “No room!” was the message; “All filled up!” was the verdict. Jesus had to be born away from those he came to save, out back with the animals in a stable and laid in a borrowed manger, just as years later he would be laid in a borrowed tomb.

No one except Mary and Joseph celebrated his birth, at least at first. It took a special text-message delivered by an angel to alert nearby shepherds about what was going on, and it took a supernatural star to get the attention of distant wise men and start them on their journey. It took God’s word confirmed by his signs to let the people know what was happening, and it took the believing shepherds to spread the good news of what they had seen. So it would be for the rest of the world, too: believers would someday spread God’s Word and their testimony to others, and the news of Christ’s birth – and death and resurrection – would go into all the world.

Unfortunately, though many would receive him, many more would shout “No room!” to the Savior when he stands at the heart’s door and knocks to be let in. John 1:10-11 tells us, “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.”

The harshest rejection of the infant Jesus was by King Herod. At his command Bethlehem saw the shedding of its children’s blood when the evil king sent his soldiers to make sure the infant Jesus didn’t live long enough to challenge his kingship. Whether by fire or sword, by persecution or ridicule, much of the world still tries to stamp out Jesus and the faith which has endured 20 centuries of such opposition. Bethlehem is the world; Christ has come to both, and the reaction to his coming seen in that not-so-little-town has been duplicated throughout the world: ignorance or rejection by most, but by many, joyful acceptance.

II. Bethlehem as us. As Bethlehem represents the whole world, so also it represents each one of us – you and me. You are Bethlehem. Christ comes to you, sometimes quietly in the night like a baby asleep in a manger, sometimes dramatically like the angels with heaven’s glories streaming around you. How will you receive him? Are you so wrapped up in your daily concerns that you shout “No room!” to him, and either shut him out entirely or relegate him to some minor part of your life? Or do you open up and welcome him in, making room for him and watching him grow in you even as you grow in him?

Are you the inn or the stable, closed or open to Jesus? Are you like most of Bethlehem’s townspeople, spiritually asleep and unaware that Christ has come to save you, or are you like the shepherds who set aside their normal lives to look into this Savior whose birth was told them? Or are you like King Herod, angry to have anyone – even Christ – claim kingship over your life? You are Bethlehem; how will you respond to Jesus? Your answer is the most important thing in your life!

Robert Ingersoll was a well-known atheist of the 1800s. Ironically, he was also a friend of Phillips Brooks, the man who wrote “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” When Brooks became seriously ill, he requested that none of his friends come to visit him. But, when his atheist friend, Robert Ingersoll, came to see him, Brooks let him come in right away. Ingersoll told him, “I appreciate this very much. Especially when you aren’t letting any of your close friends see you.” Brooks said, “Oh, I’m confident of seeing them in the next world, but this may be my last chance to see you.”

Let us all welcome Jesus and receive with him the forgiveness of our sins and eternal life. The last verse of the carol, “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” says it well:

O holy Child of Bethlehem, Descend to us, we pray. Cast out our sin and enter in, Be born to us today. We hear the Christmas angels, The great glad tidings tell. O come to us, abide with us, Our Lord Emmanuel.

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Micah 5:2; Malachi 4:5-6; Matthew 2:1-23.

A Thanksgiving Story

David watched as the ride-share driver took off, then turned and faced his brother’s home. He took a deep breath, trying to steel himself to approach the front door. It wasn’t his idea to visit his brother’s family for dinner this Thanksgiving; if it were up to him, he would have stayed home and warmed some frozen turkey slices in the microwave.  But his brother, Marty, had insisted he join them, and David had to admit that the promised traditional dinner would be far superior to his own frozen meal.

His only hesitance was that Marty and his family were just so, well, perfect. Perfect wife, Katy; perfect kids – one perfect daughter and one perfect son. Both A+ students, both gifted musicians and star athletes. Marty had a good income from his executive position, and Katy almost rivaled his with her online consulting business. Even their dog and cat were perfect – they never even shed!

David shook his head as he thought about his brother’s family. How lucky their lives have been! But David’s life, well he wasn’t doing so well. Just this past year, he had lost his job – “down-sizing,” they had called it, “Sorry to see you go,” they had said. Then an emergency room visit due to gangrene that had led to a toe amputation. Then a diagnosis of kidney failure and the beginning of dialysis treatments. It could not have been a worse year for him. Never having married, there was no one even to share those struggles with. So now, alone, he was going to his perfect brother’s house in a ride-share car, since last week he had totaled his own car. And now, it was time to “celebrate” Thanksgiving! Give thanks? To whom and for what?

Deciding it was too late to back out, Dave walked to the door and rang the door bell. A voice spoke from the door-bell camera (of course), saying, “Come on in!” Dave opened the door and was warmly greet by Marty, and ushered into the dining room. “So glad you could come!” said Marty; then from the kitchen into the dining room came Katy, looking perfect as always. She smiled a smile as bright as sunlight as she greet David: “We’re so happy you’re here! It’s been too long!” It would have been longer, but Marty insisted, thought David.

Next, the two perfect kids appeared, greeting, “Hi, Uncle Dave!” Right from Central Casting, David thought. In just a few minutes, the pleasantries ended, and the whole family took their seats at the large table. Festooned with fall and Thanksgiving decorations, and serving platters piled high with food as pleasing to the eye as to the palate, that table would make a fitting cover for Better Homes and Gardens’ holiday issue.

Now, David knew, it was time for the Thanksgiving prayer before the eating could begin. David hoped Marty would offer a short grace; the two brothers had grown up with simple prayers like: “God is great, God is good, so we thank him for our food,” or, “Good food, good meat, Good God, let’s eat!”* That would be fine, not to have to listen to a prayer lifting all the good things his brother’s family were grateful for. But David knew that Katy would be offering the prayer, and he was afraid the turkey would be cold by the time she finished. Oh, well . . . so be it, thought David.

Sure enough, Katy began:

Dear heavenly Father, we come to you this national day of Thanksgiving, to thank you for your blessing on our country, both throughout its history, and in the present day. Too often have we turned from you and endorsed sinful practices, yet you have abounded in mercy, ready to forgive and strengthen us to return to your fold. May our motto, “In God We Trust,” be lived out as well as proclaimed.

So far so good. . . now say, “Amen” .  . .

And now, Lord, we thank you especially for your goodness this year for to our family . . .

Oh, no, here it comes – a perfect blessing for a perfect family . . .

We thank you for your strength for Marty to endure the lawsuit against his company, and for the medical intervention to improve his blood pressure and guide his actions in a biblical way in this situation . . .

What? A lawsuit? He never told me about that . . .

And for our daughter, Grace, that you led us to the right doctor to treat her skin cancer. We thank you that the treatments are working to stop the cancer spreading, and we pray for her healing and encouragement.

Grace has cancer? Since when?

For our son, Greg, we are disappointment that his sports scholarship was rejected for college. Please encourage him and give him a clear path forward according to your will.

No way he was turned down! Did you aver see him play?

And for my business, Lord, may you move the client that refuses to pay me to pay what they owe, or else I may have to go bankrupt and lose the business that I have worked so hard to build up.

Oh wow. And here I thought everything was perfect for them. I guess one never knows . . .

Now we pray for Dave, who has had such a difficult year. Please give him courage and yet unseen blessings in this coming year, that you may bless him financially and health-wise. We thank you for being with him and protecting him in all adversities.

What protection? Thanks for what?

For his foot surgery, we thank you that the gangrene was caught in time and was treated effectively, saving his leg and even his life from the severe sepsis it caused. We also thank you that David’s kidneys can be treated with dialysis to prolong his life from what used to be a death sentence. And for his accident, we thank you for protecting his life, that only his car was lost. Thank you that you sent your angels to watch over him that day. We pray also for him to find new, productive and satisfying employment, that his finances may flourish and his self-esteem may improve. May he find and receive an even better job than he ever had before, and may he see your hand in freeing him up to be available for what is to come. For all these thing, and for this food before us, even the cold turkey, we give you all our thanks and praise, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

David just sat there as the rest of the family stared grabbing for their favorite dishes. How could I have been so self-centered, thought David, to not see the struggles Marty’s family was facing, nor to see their love for me in all I am suffering, nor to see the ways God had watched over me in every situation? Even Marty’s invitation to dinner had been God’s plan for me to climb out of my own hole and see my brother’s family’s struggles, and realize how much God loved them and me.

As David reached for the turkey, he was grateful it still had some warmth to it, he offered his own silent prayer for his family and for a God who loved him so much he not only blessed him in this life, no matter the struggles, but also provided the promise of eternal life to come, by the gift of his own Son, Jesus Christ.

As he finished his prayer, he remember the words of Philippians 4:7, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: 2 Corinthians 9:11-13; Philippians 4:2-9; 1 Timothy 4:4-5.

*Actual prayer from a camper in summer camp in the 1970’s.

Note: the names of Marty and Katy were not chosen randomly; can you think of some other famous couple with those names?

 

Can’t We All Just Get Along?

The expression, “Can’t we all just get along?” was first spoken by Rodney King, a black motorist who was dragged from his car in 1992 by Los Angeles police officers, and beaten by the officers severely. When those officers were acquitted of charges in their trial, South Central LA erupted in riots, resulting in numerous deaths and massive property damage. Apparently, the answer to Rodney’s question was, “No.”

Still, it was a good question, and has been quoted many times since then. even becoming a humorous internet and movie meme.

This week, the intent of the question, if not the actual words, has come to the fore, following the presidential election results. The campaign had been brutal, with all kinds of charges and insults flying both ways. The heat became so intense that a gunman even fired on Donald Trump, wounding him in the ear. Because of the intense division in the country, many people have anticipated actual violence erupting, whatever the election results might be.

In an attempt to reduce the “temperature” of the electoral passions,  leaders of both parties have called for “getting along” now that the election is over. President Biden promised a peaceful transition of power. President-elect Trump promised to help our country heal, and to be a President for all the people. In their pronouncements, they have followed in the footsteps of a previous president, Abraham Lincoln, who during a failed Senate campaign in 1858, spoke about the growing division between North and South, saying,”A house divided between itself cannot stand.”

Of course, Lincoln didn’t invent that phrase. He was quoting Jesus’ words from Matthew 12:25, Mark 3:25, and Luke 11:17. The context was a question about how Jesus was casting out demons: was it by the power of Satan? Jesus said if Satan was casting out demons, then Satan’s kingdom was divided and would fall. Lincoln took that teaching of Jesus and expanded it to be true of our country that was half-slave and half-free. He said the issue had to be resolved or the house, the United States, would fall.

I think Jesus’ words, though spoken in the context of spiritual warfare, do have more universal applications. A marriage won’t last if husband and wife are divided in essentials. An army will be defeated if it wars against itself instead of united against the enemy. A company will fail if employees don’t work together or sabotage the owner.

As I thought about this question of division versus unity in our country, I wondered what other things the Bible says about us “getting along.” I found that Scripture actually teaches both – unity and division – depending on what we are talking about.

When are we to get along?

    1. First, we recognize that all people are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27) and are due respect for that reason.
    2. The commandments require us to love our neighbor in several ways: not to steal from them, not to mistreat them sexually, not to lie about them or defame them, not to covet their possessions nor their relationships with others. In fact, Jesus summed up all God’s law into two commands: to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
    3. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). Restoring peace through reconciliation is good.
    4. Jesus said, “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Loving those who we agree with is easy; loving our opponents is hard.
    5. Jesus taught us what we call the Golden Rule: “And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. (Luke 6:31). I don’t think any of us wants to be mistreated, so we should treat others well.
    6. As we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we ask our Father in heaven to forgive us, as we forgive those who sin against us. Then right after teaching us that prayer, Jesus goes on to say: “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14-15). We may not want to forgive others who hurt us, but Jesus himself requires it of us.
    7.  In Matthew 5:22-24, Jesus gives further commands to us to seek reconciliation with others: “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,  leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”.
    8. Paul said,”Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32), and, similarly, “bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you forgive” (Colossians 3:13).
    9. Finally, remember that like our enemies, we are sinners too, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Ultimately, God’s will is that all who are in the Church, be one in Christ and be known as his disciples by the love we show each other (John 13:35 and 1 John 3:1). This was one of Christ’s final prayers at the Last Supper, when he asked the Father that we may be one, even as he and the Father are one (John 17:21). So in summary, God desires for all people to be united in love, respect, and service to each other (even our political adversaries), especially in the Church with our fellow believers.

So, if unity is so desirable, are there occasions when scripture commands us to be separate from others?

When we are to be divided?

  1. When the other person teaches heresy or blasphemy against God. We should separate ourselves from them and not affirm their opinion just to maintain a relationship. Psalm 1 says, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;”
  2. When the other person is sinning, we are not to participate or excuse it. Ephesians 5:11 teaches us, “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.“
  3. Separation from ungodly people and their works is commanded by 2 Corinthians 6:15, which asks, “What agreement does God have with Belial?” (Belial is another name for the devil.)
  4. We are not to compromise our faith, even if causes discord with other people, even those we are closest to. Jesus said  “For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law” (Matthew 10:35). Jesus, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) said he came not bring peace, but a sword, meaning division between his followers and the world.
  5. 2 John 1:10 warns against tolerating or allowing false teachers to teach their falsehoods: “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting.” The term “house” may mean either, or both, your home or the church.
  6. James 4:4 warns, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
  7. Finally, we are warned not to be conform to the world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, in order to do the will of God (Romans 12:2). This will put us out of step with what the world approves and does.

Therefore, the answer to the question, “Can’t we all just get along?” depends on how we respond to God’s commands to love both him and our neighbor. The command to love our neighbor requires us to show love to all people, whether we agree with them,dislike them, or consider them to be our enemies, personal or political. At the same time, if unity with them means disobeying God and his commandments, then separation is required. In fact, the act of separation alone may be a testimony to our faith and cause the other person to reconsider their beliefs and actions. And if our witness, whether spoken or acted, causes them to come to Christ, then we have shown them the greatest act of love.

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Isaiah 5:20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; James 5:20.

 

Happy All Hallows’ Eve

This coming Thursday will be October 31, the day we celebrate Halloween. As I did last year, when I go to dialysis that day, I will wear my Martin Luther costume, giving me a chance to testify to the workers about my faith. (A number of years ago, I had a dental appointment on Halloween, so I donned a set of plastic “vampire teeth” for when I opened my mouth for the dentist . . . but that’s another story . . .)

Surprisingly, my wearing my Martin Luther costume for Halloween is appropriate for more than just a chance to “dress up,” because Martin Luther himself had a significant connection to Halloween. Quite a bit, actually!

Although some people had tried to do so earlier, the Reformation was kicked off in earnest by the actions of one particular monk, Martin Luther, who posted a paper to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Saxony (Germany) on October 31, 1517. On that paper were 95 questions, or theses, asking for debate on questions which affected the Church and its doctrines.  Chief among those questions were ones questioning the practice of selling indulgences for the forgiveness of people’s sins. (Luther wrote, for example: “If the Pope can truly forgive people’s sins, in response to the payment of indulgences, then why doesn’t he just forgive those sins out of Christian love?” The Roman Church’s response to that and subsequent disputes, was to condemn and expel Luther and his followers. Thus, the Protestant Church was born, and continues to this day.

Therefore, this Sunday (today), Protestant churches – particularly Lutheran Churches – will celebrate Reformation Day, the beginning of the movement to restore to the Church the biblical doctrine of justification by faith alone.

So, how does this connect to Halloween? Luther chose October 31 to post his theses because the next day, November 1, was All Saints Day, and the church would be full of people commemorating all the saints, believers, known and unknown, who had gone before and were now in heaven. That day was a solemn church festival, and was known as All Hallows Day and Hallowmas. The day before was therefore called All Hallows Eve and Hallows-eve, or Halloween.

These days, our celebration of Halloween has little to do with All Saints or the Reformation. Like Christmas and Easter, what began as religious holidays (holy-days), Halloween has accumulated to itself numerous pagan and secular traditions and symbols. Christmas has added Santa and snowmen, reindeer and yule logs. Easter has bunnies and Peeps, baskets and jelly beans. Halloween has taken on ghosts, goblins, witches, skeletons, and diabetes-inducing levels of candy consumption. Christmas is about the birth of Christ, Easter about his resurrection, and All Saints about our new status by faith in Christ. So why has Halloween become something so different from its original meaning?

The commemoration of All Saint Day began, like the other holidays, in cultures that already had various pagan celebrations. In some cases, the Christian holiday replaced the pagan one, in other cases, aspects of the old festival were incorporated in the new Christian one. In the case of Halloween, there was an ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, “On the day corresponding to November 1 on contemporary calendars, the new year was believed to begin. That date was considered the beginning of the winter period, the date on which the herds were returned from pasture and land tenures were renewed. During the Samhain festival the souls of those who had died were believed to return to visit their homes, and those who had died during the year were believed to journey to the other world. People set bonfires on hilltops for relighting their hearth fires for the winter and to frighten away evil spirits, and they sometimes wore masks and other disguises to avoid being recognized by the ghosts thought to be present. It was in those ways that beings such as witches, hobgoblins, fairies, and demons came to be associated with the day.”*

All Saints Day was originally in May, but in the 8th Century, the pope moved it to November 1, in an apparent effort to supplant the pagan holiday.

There are some aspects of today’s celebration of Halloween that I don’t appreciate: the over-sexualized witch costumes, the candy-consumption, and the emphasis on death and demons. But there is a religious aspect to all these things that is worth noting.

In Luther’s magnum opus, A Mighty Fortress, he emphasizes Jesus Christ’s victory over the devil. He says:

“And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us; The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him; His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure, One little word shall fell him.”

In light of Christ’s victory, we need not tremble at Satan nor his devils nor anything evil. We are the victors; we have the victory in Christ and know that he is our salvation. Therefore, we can make fun of the the goblins, laugh at them, and reduce them to nothing more than kids’ costumes with plastic masks held on by elastic strings.

Afraid of skeletons? Ezekiel 37:4-6 “Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.'” At the resurrection, all of our skeletons will be raised with flesh and blood and breath, never to die.

Afraid of the Devil? “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (Colossians 2:15). “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you” (Luke 10:19).  “And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:10). And finally, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you” (Romans 16:10).

Afraid of witches? First, Scripture forbids us from having anything to do with them or any spell-caster nor one who claims to speak to the dead (mediums). The one case where king Saul consulted a medium, the Witch of Endor (1 Samuel 28), Saul received God’s curse and word of judgment. But for Christians, we need not fear a witch’s curse or spell, because Scripture tells us: “Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight” (Proverbs 26:2).

Afraid of ghosts? In the words of the theme song to Ghostbusters, “I ain’t afraid of no ghosts!” In the Bible, the word for ghost can mean spirit, wind, and breath. When people talk of ghosts, they usually mean disembodied spirits of those whose bodies died. Scripture forbids us from seeking such spirits. Leviticus 19:13 says, “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.” Then, in Isaiah 8:19-20, we are warned, “And when they say to you, ‘Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,’ should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?” Again, in the New Testament, 1 John 4:1 tells us, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

Like many Christian teachers, I don’t believe ghosts are the spirits of dead people, but evil spirits seeking to distract us from God and leading us to disobey him. Therefore, I look to Christ for his victory and protection from whatever evil comes my way – natural or supernatural. For Christ has dominion over all things, visible and invisible.

In closing, I had what I believe was an encounter with a supernatural evil when I was just 7 or 8 years old. I woke up in the middle of the night. and was aware of a black cloud welling up from my bedroom closet. I was suddenly wide awake, and somehow I knew that the cloud was something evil, coming toward me. Then I said out loud, “Jesus, help me!” and suddenly, the cloud vanished, as if a light switch had been switched on. The room was peaceful again, and I went back to sleep.

As I knew even back then, when faced with any danger or fear, our Savior is Jesus Christ. Let us turn and call to him, because as we celebrate this week, we are saints in Christ who have been redeemed by him. Therefore, let us celebrate our day together!

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: 1 Samuel 28.

*“Halloween” article by Encyclopedia Britannica, by the editors and updated by Meg Matthias.

I Almost Died

Sometimes, while “web surfing,” I would occasionally watch some video blogs from someone named Paul Harrell. Then, one day recently, I was surprised to see a post from him that was labeled, “I’m Dead.” So I clicked on the video to see what he meant. It turned out his title for the video was literally true. He explained that if you were watching this video, he had indeed died. He knew he was dying from cancer, and wanted to record this farewell video to thank people for their support and to explain the situation. It felt weird watching him explain his coming death; it was like a ghost had returned for one last message.

I mention that video because this blog almost had the same title: except in my case, fortunately, my blog is titled, “I almost died.”

So what happened? About three weeks ago, I had checked my blood sugar level before going to bed. I was shocked to see that it was very high, so I took a big dose of insulin. Then I waited to see if it dropped to a normal level. When it didn’t, I took some more insulin. Then I kept checking throughout the night. Finally it dropped. Come morning, I told Karen that I hadn’t slept at all, so now I would try to do so. Finally, I fell asleep.

When I woke up two hours later, there were five paramedics standing around the bed, and I had an IV in my hand. They kept asking me questions and told me to stand up if I could. What in the world had happened? I learned that when Karen checked on me that morning, she couldn’t wake me. I had one eye opened but not focused. I mumbled some incoherent sounds. Fearing I had suffered a stroke, she called 911 and in just a few minutes EMS and a fire truck had arrived. They checked me out and discovered it wasn’t a stroke, but a critically low blood sugar level (30 compared to 100 for normal readings; below 54 is considered severely low sugar).  They had given me a shot to kick up my sugar, then insisted I eat something before they left.

Karen saved my life by making that call. I am grateful, and sorry for all the bad things I ever said about her.

Seriously, I almost didn’t even have a chance to write a blog called, “I’m Dead.” In fact, I wasn’t as prepared to meet my end as I thought I was. As with most people, I figured my death was far in the future, and have put off preparations for the event. Before Karen’s father died, he had prepared a notebook with all the details Karen’s mother would need to know. He and his wife had an up-to-date will. And most importantly, he was a devout Christian and knew he could look forward to heaven when the time came.

I need to put together such a notebook, (and maybe a farewell blog), and Karen and I need to update our wills. Fortunately, we both know we have salvation through Jesus Christ, which I recently made clear to my doctor when he asked whether I was worried about my health concerns. I said no, because I knew what waits for me in Christ. Being a Christian, he understood what I meant.

The lesson in all this is we all know our own death is coming, but we usually don’t know “the day nor the hour” when our final breath will be. We won’t necessarily be given an advanced notice with time to get things in order. It therefor behooves us to pay attention to what the Scriptures say about death.

First, our death is inevitable. When God warned Adam that he would die if he ate the forbidden fruit, Adam’s disobedience brought death to all of us who were “in him.” After that curse, the Bible attests to this by speaking of death over 1000 times. Romans 5:12 says, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” Likewise, Hebrews 9:27 tells us, “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” Our life has a certain length span to it, also: “The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty . . . So teach us to number our days” (Psalm 90:10,12). Even with modern medicine. our life spans are not much longer than that. The fact that the second Person of the Trinity had to come to earth to die that we might live, speaks of the universality of death for us as human creatures.

Second, the only exceptions to this were Enoch, who “walked with God, and he was not, for God took him” (Genesis 5:24); and Elijah, who was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11). Every one else has died or will die, with one more major exception still to come: those who are alive when Christ returns will not die, “but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:21-22).

Third, after we die, we will face judgment. The above passage from Hebrews not only affirms the reality of death for us all, but also the inevitability of the judgment after we die. The phrase, “and after that comes judgement,” spells that out clearly. Also, our Lord Jesus spoke of this when he said, “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37). Revelation 20 describes the Great White Throne judgment: “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.” In Matthew 25:31-33 Jesus says, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.” And 2 Corinthians 5:10 says, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” Finally, Acts 17:31 teaches, “Because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

Fourth,  this judgment will be different for those who are in Christ. Our names are written in the “book of life” (Revelation 20:12 and others) and we will enter the heavenly Jerusalem with no fear that our names will be removed from the book. God will “remember our sins no more”(Hebrews 8:12), so when we are judged, it will be for the rewards from our works, not for our sins (Revelation 11:18).

Fifth, there will be a general resurrection of all who died, those in Christ to eternal life, and those who are not, to the second death and hell. Revelation 20:18 says, “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Because of what Christ did on the cross, and by his victory over death in the open tomb, we Christians need neither fear death nor the judgment to come. This is our great hope, as we look forward to the unending joy of the life to come. Revelation 21:4 promises of that new life: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Until that day comes, we have work to do here. While we should prepare for that day in practical ways (notebooks, up-dated wills, “I am Dead” blogs, etc.), it is more important to hold fast to our faith in Christ through our prayers, Bible-reading, worship, Holy  Communion, and works of love and mercy. Whenever Christ does return, or we go to join him first, let our death not be an end, but just a milestone in our eternal walk with our Lord!

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: 1 Corinthians 15, Revelation 20.

 

 

Lighten Up!

Lighten up!

My last six posts were quite serious, dealing with theological “debates” throughout Church history, and with the spiritual warfare affecting births in our country. After reading those posts, my wife said I needed to lighten up in my next post. She said people needed cheering up with posts that are not so heavy. So, to honor her wise request, this blog will present you with the following stories.

1. I grew up with puns, the word plays that are known as the “lowest form” of humor. (Which is why I find them amusing). For example, my mom used to say: “Use the word ‘incongruous’ in a sentence. ‘In congruous they pass many laws.'” In restaurants, she would order Sanka coffee, a decaffeinated drink, and when the server brought it to her, she would say, “Sanka very much.” I didn’t have a chance when my best friend at the time gave me a birthday present, “Bennett Cerf’s Book of Outrageous Puns.” This is to say I appreciate a good pun. Which happened when Karen and I were traveling one time, and were passed by a truck hauling a horse trailer. As I looked over at it, I was surprised to see the trailer was half the size of other trailers I had seen before. I pointed it out to Karen and asked, “I wonder what kind of horse could fit in such a trailer?” To which she replied, without a pause, “A quarter horse!”

Job 39:18, “When she rouses herself to flee, she laughs at the horse and his rider.”

2. As many of you have noticed, who have sat near me in church, singing is not one of my strong suits. The knowledge of this shortcoming has followed me throughout my life. I first took note of this when I was a camp counselor back in my early teen years. During one of our nightly campfires, it was my turn to lead the singing. I got up, and circling the fire, I led the kids in singing, Sweet Low, Sweet Chariot. I noticed one little girl watching me each time I passed her. Finally, the second or third time she tugged on my pants leg. “Mister!” she said, “Mister!” I stopped and asked her, “What?” To which she replied, “Mister – you’re singing off key!”

Psalm 71:23, “My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed.”

3. A more recent example of my singing skills came at St. Peter’s, on a day when the Men’s Choir was singing A Mighty Fortress. Because they only sang once or twice a year, they held a rehearsal on the Wednesday before they performed. Because I was making the announcements that day, I made a little joke about the men singing, saying, “Sorry guys, I missed the rehearsal so I won’t be able to sing with you today.” To which there were some chuckles among the congregation (who knew my vocal challenges). When the second service began, I made the same announcement. But, as soon as I said, “Sorry, I can’t sing with you today,” the pianist hit a note on the piano, and the whole men’s choir belted out, “Hallelujah!” To which the entire congregation burst out laughing. Karen said it was the only time she ever saw me speechless!

Psalm 100:1-2, “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!”

4. Not all my embarrassments have had to do with singing (After all, a fellow pastor assured me I was singing on key – just my own key!) . Another occasion occurred on a flight. I had bought the cheapest seat, which had put my back up against a bulkhead, that prevented me from leaning my seat back. After I took my seat another passenger came and took the seat next to mine. As we chatted amicably, I noticed he was missing his left leg; instead he wore a prosthesis. This became evident when the person sitting in front of him reclined his seat, which when leaning back, jammed into the poor guy’s artificial leg. As he struggled to free his prosthesis from the offending seat, he and I agreed how nice it would to fly first class. He asked, “I wonder what it would cost for a first class ticket?” To which I replied, without thinking, “Probably an arm and a leg.” Which killed our conversation, especially when the guy got up and moved forward to a different seat!

Psalm 126:2, “Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy;”

5. One of the worst flights Karen and I took was when we were the last two to board, and sat in seats far removed from each other. My seat was in the first row, a middle seat sandwiched between two guys who were each larger than me. I apologized, then squeezed into my seat. Once the flight took off, we each took out books and started reading. After a few minutes of us all crammed together, all trying to read, I suggested, “Why don’t I just hold one book and we can all read it together?” No response. No chuckle. Not one word spoken the entire flight. Oops. When I checked in with Karen, she had her own situation: she had to help the woman beside her change her baby’s diaper on the tray table; Karen helpfully turned on the air to save the nearby passengers.

Proverbs 15:13a, “A glad heart makes a cheerful face.“

6. Sometimes, language differences can be a cause for humor. In the summer of 1972, I worked for several weeks in a youth camp in France. I was assigned to a cabin of both German and French junior high age boys. While I could speak to each group in its own language, to solve some basic communication problems, I taught them such useful English phrases as “Shut up!” and “Good night!” However, my main problem was not with the campers; it was with one French counselor. The first time I met her at one mealtime, and she learned I was an American, she greeted me with, in English, “You are an American pig!” Great I thought. At following meals, she changed to French, calling me a couchon, French for pig. After a few times of that, I called her a couchonette, which I assumed was the French word for female pig. She smiled and said, “No, that is not the French word for female pig. The correct word in “ange.” Having been corrected, now, whenever she called me couchon, I called her ange. She acted suitably upset, and so we continued until another French counselor sat with us. As soon as I said my insult, he spit out his drink, and asked, what I was doing. I said whenever she calls me a pig, I call her the same. He said, “No you’re not! Whenever she calls you a pig, you are calling her an angel!” At which I looked over to see a gleeful smirk on her face!

Job 8:21, “He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with shouting.”

There are many other humorous stories I could tell, including another singing embarrassment, another language faux pas (See, I did learn some French beside the words for pig and angel!). And a blunder at the doctor’s office that would leave you in stitches! (Or in “sutures,” suit yourself!). In all such situations in life, it pays to have a sense of humor. While there are many things life requires us to take seriously, ourselves should not be one of those things. So let us lighten up when we can, and not worry about tomorrow, for as Jesus said, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself” (Matthew 6:34).

Isaiah 55:12, “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be graceful to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Isaiah 49:13.

 

 

 

Seek Ye First

This week I took a break from listening to news and talk shows and turned my radio to a Christian program that includes in its mix old time hymns, gospel songs, and now classic praise music – you know, songs from 50 years ago that were popular back when I was becoming an adult!

I was enjoying many of the songs, when one particular tune came up that made me smile. It came out in 1971, before Karen and I were married, but was still going strong several years later in worship services and on my cassette tape player! The song was titled, “Seek Ye First.” The first verse was written by Karen Lafferty and published by Maranatha Music. Then, other anonymous writers added the other verses to it, which made the song more complete. I enjoyed the tune, but also the simple declaration of three teachings of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Very simple, very direct, (no bridges), and no endless repetitions – just the first verse repeated once as the final  verse.

Today I’d like to share the song with you (the lyrics, that is, I won’t try to actually sing it) and talk about the importance of what Jesus said.

1. Verse One:  Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you, Hallelu, Hallelujah. (Matthew 6:31-33)

The setting: Jesus spoke these words during the Sermon on the Mount. First he told the people not to worry about about their physical needs, such as food and drink and clothing. Using examples of birds, which are fed by God even though they do not sow crops, and lilies which are beautifully “clothed” by our heavenly Father though they do not toil nor spin. Because we are more valuable to God than many birds or lilies, how much more will he provide for us in our need? Jesus then concludes with the command to seek first God and his kingdom, and all these needs will be added to us.

Why I like what Jesus said: Jesus promised that our heavenly Father knows our needs, and is ready to provide all we need, if we but look to him and seek him. The rest of the world chases after pleasure and material wants and needs, but God wants us to trust in him and seek his righteousness, which is not found in obeying the law, but through faith in his Son, Jesus Christ. I may not have everything I want, but in Christ I have everything I need. I especially like what Jesus said about my earthly father giving me good things (which he did), and how much more will my heavenly Father give me the good things I need (and keeping from me the harmful things I don’t need!).

2. Verse Two: Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word, that proceeds from the mouth of God. Halleju, Hallelujah. (Deuteronomy 8:3 and Matthew 4:4)

The setting: Jesus quoted this verse from Deuteronomy during the temptation in the wilderness, in response to the Tempter (Satan) telling a very hungry Jesus to turn the stones into bread so that he might eat. Considering Jesus had just fasted for forty days and nights without food, and “he was hungry” (Matthew 4:2), this seems like a reasonable suggestion. After all, God’s plan was not to have Jesus perish in the wilderness from hunger. Later, Jesus would eat plenty of bread. So why not now?

Why I like what Jesus said: When I was a kid, my focus in this passage was on the other good things I wanted to eat – ice cream, hamburgers, etc. – definitely “not bread alone.” But when I became an adult I (mostly) put aside childish things (1 Corinthians 13:11), and realized the focus here is on God’s Word. There are two things I get from this passage. First, no matter the temptation, God provides a way out through his words. Jesus rebuffed Satan’s attempt to get Jesus to use his powers for his own pleasure and benefit by quoting Scripture at him (1 Corinthians 10:13 – “No temptation. . . but God provides a way out.”). The other lesson I get is that I get to live by God’s word, that every word of God provides for me in this life by ordering how I live and by sanctifying me; and provides for my life to come by creating in me the faith through which I am saved. Truly we live by God’s Word!

3. Verse Three: Ask and it shall be given unto you, Seek and ye shall find, Knock and the door will be opened unto you. Halleju, Hallelujah. (Luke 11:9-10)

The setting: Jesus’ words here follow right after he teaches the disciples the Lord’s Prayer. This teaching therefore, is an expansion of the prayer he taught them. He wanted them to know that the Father is eager to hear from them and to ask him for what they need. He gives the example of a friend who has gone to bed, but will get up when a friend knocks to wake him and ask for something. He also said that a father will give his son a loaf of bread instead of a stone, and a fish instead of a serpent. If an earthly father knows how to give good things, how much more will our heavenly Father give what is good to us!

Why I like what Jesus said: Christ promises that our prayers will be heard – and answered! Unfortunately this verse is often misused. Some people treat the “ask” part as if God were a genie, granting us “three wishes” of whatever we want. But James 4:3 warns us, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” Those same people may try to seek God in all the wrong places – through false religions, self actualization, or occult practices. But the true God is found through faith in his only Son, Jesus Christ, as revealed in the Holy Bible. That Bible tells us that “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12). And when it comes to knocking on the door, the gates of heaven will be opened to you by Christ himself, through faith in him. What these three promises have in common is that we are not really the actors; we are responding to God who invites and empowers us according to his will. We are the beneficiaries. And don’t forget, that it is Christ himself who promised to come to us: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).

There you have it: a great song filled with Christ’s own words of promise to all who believe. How can you do better than that!

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Luke 11:1-13; Matthew 4:1-11; Matthew 6:5-14.

The song:

The Debates Go On: #4, the Final Chapter!

As we move through the history of the Christian Church, we now come to the present day. Fortunately, since all the controversies over the doctrines of the Church have been resolved over the preceding centuries, we no longer have any debates to consider. No, wait. . . there may be one or two debates still unresolved, just a few issues that are new to modern times that divide Christians today. In this, the last of my series about debates in the Church, I will present just a few current issues. Because any one of these could take entire books to discuss fully, they will just be summarized here.

  1. The Return of Christ. Beginning in the early 1800s, people began to try to calculate when Christ will return. Using biblical prophecies about Christ’s return, a popular preacher named William Miller predicted 1844 as the time of the return. There was widespread anticipation of that date, but when it came and went with no return, it was called the Great Disappointment. Some sects interpreted Miller’s theory in news ways, leading to groups like the Seventh-Day Adventists and Jehovah’s Witnesses. Since that time there have been many date-setters, but none have been right (“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” Matthew 24:36) The various views today agree on the biblical texts, but interpret them differently in the following ways:
    • Pre-millennials: After a period of Great Tribulation, Christ will return in the future, then rule on earth a 1000 years. After 1000 years Satan will be released to deceive the nations, leading to a final battle before Christ wins and issues in the eternal reign.
    • Post-millennials: The Gospel will spread, the Church will rule over the earth in peace for 1000 years, then when Christ returns, the Church will present the world to him as his kingdom.
    • Amillennials: The 1000 years refer to the Church Age, when Christ rules over his people. Christ will return at any time to end history and rule eternally. This is the general Lutheran view.
    • Preterists: Christ already returned in judgment in 70 AD, destroying Jerusalem (by way of the Romans) and ending Israel, which had rejected him. Jesus warned the Christians to flee when they saw the battle coming; they did, and survived the destruction. There may be a second coming when the unrealized prophecies will be fulfilled.
    • Pre-tribulation: Christians will be raptured out of the world, followed by seven years of the Great Tribulation, then return with him to rule during the Millennium. During the Millennium, the Jews will accept Christ in mass. This is the popular view espoused by the Left Behind books and movies, but was only introduced in the 1830s through purported visions.
    • Mid-tribulation: Christians will be raptured out of the world half-way during the Great Tribulation, sparing them from the worst of that period. Jews will convert, and Christians will return during the Millennium.
    • Post-tribulation: Christians will go through the Great Tribulation, then be raptured to be with Christ to rule during the Millennium.
    • Pan-millennials: A made-up term meaning, “I don’t care which view is right; it will all pan out in the end.” Trust God for his timing!
  2. Liberal vs Conservative. These terms refer to views of the Bible and doctrines, not to political terms (though in practice, there is much correspondence). Conservative theologians and pastors believe  the Bible is God’s word, inspired, infallible and inerrant, and therefore the only rule for faith and life. Liberal pastors teach that the Bible records what people wrote about God, but must be interpreted by modern understanding and science to find what truth it may contain. Thus, for example, a conservative pastor teaches that God restricts sexuality between one man and one woman in marriage. A liberal will interpret that because God is love, he accepts all kinds of sexuality as long as people “love” each other. This debate has caused splits in every major denomination over “gay” marriage and ordination. To a liberal, truth is relative and may be found in all religions.
  3. Charismatic Gifts. The historical understanding of the spiritual gifts (charismata) is that the sign gifts (tongues, prophecy, and healing) ended with the death of the apostles and their immediate disciples in the first century. On the other hand, gifts like hospitality, love, and faith have always been active in Christians. This view is called cessationism. But a different view called continuationism became popular around 1900 with the start of Pentecostalism, which taught a second baptism of the Holy Spirit. In that second baptism, gifts such as tongues, prophecy, and healing miracles were said to be bestowed on all Christians; implied by this teaching was that the lack of speaking in tongues meant a person was not really saved. Since the early days of Pentecostalism, there have been several waves of charismatic revivals. Today we are in the “Third Wave” which teaches miraculous signs and wonders to reach unbelievers with powerful acts. Some in this group claim to be like the original apostles, speaking words of God with the same authority and power. Churches opposed to this, claim the power of God is in his Word, which the Holy Spirit uses to convict the heart without flashy signs and wonders. A middle view is that while the Spirit may endow a person with a supernatural gift, the Spirit gives as he wills, and no gift is required as a sign of salvation. (Hebrews 2:4 – “gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.” and 1 Corinthians 12:11 – “All these [gifts] are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.”)
  4. Egalitarian vs Complementarian. One controversy which has ties to the liberal/conservative dispute is the question of the roles of women in the church. While everyone agrees that men and women are both created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27 – “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”), that Jesus died to save both, and both are called to minister in various ways, the disagreement is whether women are called to be pastors in the Church.
    • Egalitarians point to Galatians 3:8 (“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”) and to the example of women in the Bible who had some leadership role (Deborah, Priscilla, and Anna). They want the Church to be in line with modern feminism.
    • Complementarians teach that while both men and women have roles in the church, their natures and roles are complimentary, and not identical. Specifically, only men are allowed to be pastors. They point to Paul’s instructions in 1 Timothy 2:12- “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man.” They also point to the instructions for elders and overseers as being male-specific (“Husband of one wife” -1 Timothy 3:2) and that the 12 Disciples were all men. They also point to once a church adopts women pastors, they soon will be open to gay ordination and marriage. The AALC holds to the complimentary view.*
  5. Creation vs. Evolution. For millennia, Jews and Christians accepted the first words of the Bible: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1 and the chapters that followed). There were occasional skeptics, but the Church taught creation ex nihilo, that God created everything in six literal days out of nothing by the power of his word (Christ) and therefore all creation belonged to him and was sustained by his will. But beginning with the publishing of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species (1859), the theory of evolution grew to dominate the scientific world and many churches as well. Churches’ “old time religion” was rocked to its core, because it was evident that a recent, six-day creation by God could not be reconciled with the theory of millions of years of evolution of man and the animals. As Christians wrestled with the contradictions, several ideas were adopted:
    • Theistic evolution: God created everything, but did so using evolution over vast periods of times. (This was my view in junior high, when I “thought like a child” – 1 Corinthians 13:11).
    • Day-age creationism: the days of Genesis 1 are not literal 24 hour days, but are much longer periods. (But how could green plants created on Day 3 survive for ages before the sun was created on Day 4?)
    • Gap theory: there is a gap between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2, which gave the earth a long time to evolve before God intervened to create man. In Genesis 1:2 the earth was made chaotic (“without form and void”). From verse 3 everything was put in order.  God chose one hominid to be given special intelligence and spirit.
    • Apparent Age: God created everything with apparent age. If he intended for us to see the stars, for example, their light had to be created en route even if they were set at astronomically great distances.
    • Scientific Creationism: Uses information collected by creation-believing scientists to disprove evolution and confirm the biblical account. Some are new-earth creationists (the earth is really only 10,000s of years old), while some are old-age creationists (accepting millions of years as per secular scientists). I believe the new age creationism is correct, having read much of their literature and data.**
    • Finally, some churches accept the secular theories of evolution as being true, while saying “the Bible is not a scientific text” but just tells of man’s spiritual development by encounters with God. By this choice, these churches lift the current theories as the authority above the Bible; where a conflict exists, they choose evolution as the real answer.

There you have it! No more debates. Just one church, united in every way. (Not!) But Paul tells us what we have is “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all,”   (Ephesians 4:4-6). Therefore, let us proclaim the one true Gospel that saves us all – “that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,  that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Let us have unity where possible, and charity where we disagree. But in all things, let Christ be proclaimed!

Now may the Lord bless you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Your choice of passages listed above!

* The complementarian view is supported by the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood at CBMW.org for more information.

**The scientific creationist position is presented by several organizations, including: The Institute for Creation Research which has an awesome museum in Dallas, TX (ICR.org); and Answers in Genesis, which as a museum and a life-size replica of Noah’s Ark in Kentucky (answersingenesis.org).

 

What About the Sabbath?

Today in church I heard a sermon from a guest pastor speaking about God’s commandment to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. He recounted growing up under what were known as Blue Laws, which required local businesses to be closed on Sundays. He then asserted that although the civil laws have changed, God’s command still applies to us today. He then explained that he prefers to be the only person “working” near the altar during a service to prevent the lay people from sinning by working  on the Sabbath; they are supposed to be resting during the service. Of course, then he had to acknowledge that we had lay people reading the scriptures and assisting with communion in our service!

When the  service ended, I found myself uneasy in the wake of this law-heavy sermon. Was he right? Was I (and our church) taking the matter of the Sabbath too lightly? What does the Bible teach about the Sabbath and what we are to do to observe it rightly?

First of all, I also grew up where there were either Blue Laws or at least the custom of everything being closed on Sundays. I remember when a new store came in and announced Sunday hours; a group of pastors led a protest in front of the store. The protestors failed to dissuade the store, however, when it was obvious the crowds in the store were greater than those outside protesting.

I also remember asking my dad, who was a devout Christian man, why he often went to work on Sundays at the YMCA. He explained that as Christ healed on the Sabbath, he too was doing the Lord’s work when he went in. I accepted that distinction – which helped a lot later when my own primary work day (some would say only work day) would become Sundays!

So, what about the Sabbath for Christians?

1. We note the Sabbath was ordained by God at the beginning of creation. We read in Genesis 1 and 2, that the Lord created the earth and all things in six days, and then rested on the seventh day. Genesis 2 tells us:

And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

The word Sabbath comes from the Hebrew Shin-Beit-Tav (שַׁבָּת) and means “to cease, to end, to rest.” Thus, Sabbath means to rest.

2. God commanded the Israelites to observe the Sabbath as part of the Ten Commandments he gave at Sinai (Deuteronomy 5:12-15):

“Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.”

3. The day designated the Sabbath was the seventh day of the week, known to us as Saturday. Observant Jews keep Saturday as their Sabbath, and so do various Christian sects, most notably, the Seventh Day Adventists. They are right: Saturday is the Sabbath. If we are going to be strict about God’s commandment, we should observe Saturday as our Sabbath. So, Sunday Blue Laws or the practice of keeping lay people from assisting worship become irrelevant if Sunday is not the Sabbath.

4. And yet, we Christians do worship on Sunday, the first day of the week, the Lord’s Day, and consider it to be our Sabbath. In a sense we are treating it as a day of rest, so in a sense we are working six days and treating Sunday as our Sabbath. But how did Sunday become our day of worship and rest?

      • Jesus Christ rose from the dead on Sunday. “Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb” (John 20:1). This is why we call it the Lord’s Day.
      • Jesus first appeared to the disciples on two consecutive Sundays. “On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”” (John 20:19) and “Eight days later [one week in Jewish reckoning], his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”2(John 20:26).
      • The Holy Spirit descended on the disciples on a Sunday, birthing the Christian Church: “When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4).
      • The Apostle John received his revelation on a Sunday. “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, ‘Write what you see in a book . . .'” (Revelation 1:10-11a).
      • Paul addressed the church in Corinth to gather a collection for other needy Christians on Sundays. He said, “On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.” This showed the church was gathering each week on that day.

Certainly, these passages show that Sundays became the important day of the week for Christians. But if Sunday is our Sabbath, does that mean the Old Testament laws just shift one day for Christians?

No, there is a difference, and that is Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath, has fulfilled the Sabbath rest and therefore, those who are in him, through faith, now perfectly observe the Lord’s Sabbath command.

Many times was Jesus confronted by the Pharisees, who complained that Jesus and his disciples violated the Sabbath laws. They complained when one Sabbath the disciples began to pluck heads of grain. “And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” Again, the Pharisees complained when Jesus healed on the Sabbath. They complained that he healed a man with a withered hand  on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:10), cast out an unclean spirit from a man (Mark 1:21), cast out a woman’s disabling spirit (Luke 13:14), and healed a crippled man (John 5:9) – all on Sabbaths. Jesus’s reply to their criticisms:

    • He did these things anyway, without apology.
    • He showed that acts of mercy triumphed over the rules of men. “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it?” (Luke 13:15). Again, he said, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?” (Matthew 12:11).
    • He gave us the proper context for the Sabbath. “And he said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.'” (Mark 2:27-28).
    • The Sabbath commandment is the only Ten Commandment not repeated in the New Testament. It has been fulfilled in Christ, who is our Sabbath rest.

Therefore, if we serve the Lord on the Lord’s Day, worshiping him as we ought, in spirit and in truth, whether clergy or lay, as Christians we are in Christ, and are therefore we are not sinning in any way.

Should you still wonder about this matter, consider Paul’s letter to the Colossians, where he wrote: “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” The true Sabbath is Christ, in whom we live and move and have our being.

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make hi face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Mark 2:23-28.          

 

 

 

 

Trial of the Century

According to various opinion writers, the trial of the century has just concluded in New York, resulting in the conviction of a former President. But when I think of the most momentous trial of the century, I think of one specific trial in the last century that hardly made the newspapers or even caused a stir, but was in a way so significant that it bears our remembrance.

That trial took place in the 1930s, and ironically, also took place in New York.

It was Christmas Eve, and the Mayor of New York, Fiorello LaGuardia (as in the airport), decided to let one of the municipal judges go home for the holiday. So the mayor robed up, and took his place on the bench. He then signaled the bailiff to bring in the first case. As it turned out, the first case was of a woman charged with theft. The accuser was a baker who stood up, pointed his finger at the woman, and said, “She stole a loaf of  bread from me!” LaGuardia asked the woman, “Is this true?” The woman sobbed and said it was true, but added, “I took it to feed my child, because we had no food!”

LaGuardia sat there silent for a moment. Should he have compassion and let her go for such a minor offense, or enforce the law which said her act was a crime? He was a judge; how could he ignore the law? At that point, he must have regretted sending the judge home! As he pondered what to do, the courtroom became quiet as all eyes were on him. He had to act. . . .

Suddenly, he reached a decision. He lifted his gavel, and rapped it down on the desk with a loud bang. “Guilty!” he charged, “The fine is $5.00!” The whole court gasped. Five dollars then is worth $114 today. There was no way the woman could pay it; if she had that much money she could have bought hundreds of loaves of bread! The woman began to sob loudly, but then, she and the whole courtroom became silent again, as LaGuardia got down off the bench, and walked over to the bailiff. He took out his wallet, pulled out a five dollar bill, and paid the fine for the woman. Then he announced,”And I am fining everyone in this courtroom 50 cents for living in a city where a woman has to steal a loaf of bread to feed her child!” Then he collected the fines, and gave them to the woman. With a final wish of “Merry Christmas,” LaGuardia called for the next case.

Why do I consider this the trial of its century? Because it is a perfect example of the day we stand before our Judge to give an account of our lives. There is no doubt this will happen to us all, whether believers in Christ or not. We will all stand before God’s great white throne, and our lives will be revealed before the perfect Judge. No rationalizing our sins, or getting off “on a technicality.” No excuses or shifting blame. Every act and every word laid bare. Yikes!

Revelation 20:12 says, “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.”

Jesus tells us in Matthew 12:36, “But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.“

And Paul wrote in Romans 14:12,”So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.”

When that day comes, we will realize that the sentence – death and hell – is too much to pay. We will not have a plea in and of ourselves. All our good works won’t atone for the sentence we deserve. Like the woman, we have nothing and are at the mercy of the Judge.

But then, something miraculous happens. The Judge himself get down off the throne, and he reads from the book of life. He announces that our name is written in it. Then he shows the scars in his hands and feet, and proclaims for all to hear, “I paid this one’s debt.” Then he clothes us in his righteous robes (Isaiah 61:10),  gives us his inheritance (Colossians3:24), and welcomes us into heaven for all eternity (John 3:16).

But, what about our record of sin? Gone. This is good news!

Colossians 2:13-14 “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”

Psalm 103:12 “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.”

Hebrews 8:12 “For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”

Hebrews 10:17 “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

This is the  future for all  who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The Bible promises that those in Christ will not perish. The whole New Testament is built on that promise, secured by Christ’s own death and resurrection, but key promises are the following:

John 11:25-26 “Jesus said to [Martha], ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die'”

Mark 16:16 “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.”

Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Romans 12:9 “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

In the 18th chapter of the Book of Genesis, Abraham had an encounter with God before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham bargained with God regarding how many righteous people in those cities it would take for God to spare them. (Obviously, not enough.) But one thing that Abraham said stuck with me, and informs my thinking about God as our Judge. Abraham said, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”

The Judge of all the earth shall indeed do what is right and just. He will punish the sins of unrepentant unbelievers, and forgive the sins of those who believe and trust in his Son, Jesus Christ. He will keep his promises, upholding equally his righteous laws and his merciful grace. We will never in eternity wonder whether any of God’s judgments were wrong. His judgments are perfect (Revelation 16:7), even when he gets off the throne to pay our sentence. For each of us, THAT will be OUR trial of the century!

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Genesis 18:22-33; Revelation 16:1-10

 

 

 

The Legacy

Lately, I have been contemplating the issue of legacies. In other words, what heritage do we leave behind when our time on earth is done? A legacy is defined as “Something handed down from an ancestor or a predecessor or from the past: a heritage.”* So, the legacy may be something handed down to an heir, or it may be more general, as in, how is the world in general different because a person lived? Legacies may be financial, or in the persons of children and grandchildren, or in lives affected by how a person has lived. A legacy may be good, or conversely, it may be bad. An example of a good legacy is Martin Luther; an example of a bad legacy would be a certain other German named Adolph.

This has become a topic for me as I consider my own mortality. Having matured to the range the Bible gives for life expectancy (“The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty;” Psalm 90:10, which is the same range in current U.S. statistics -77.5)**  Also, being in dialysis, I am constantly reminded that my own longevity depends on hooking up to a machine three times a week. So, it gets a person thinking.

Another reason it has come to the forefront of my thoughts is the recent death of Pastor Steve Lundblom. I had worked with Steve for many years, first when he was our church’s youth director, and then when he was our associate pastor. He was loved by everybody, both here and later, when he moved to Williston, North Dakota, by the church he pastored there. His life was shortened due to illness at the age of 57.

This past weekend, four of us flew to Williston for Steve’s memorial service. First came an evening of shared memories at the funeral home. Then, on Friday, was the actual service. The messages were consistent: Steve impacted everyone’s life for the better; his solid faith, his sense of humor, his intelligence and knowledge, his love for people, all endeared him to everybody. The church full of mourners who celebrated him, showed how much Steve touched everyone’s life.  Steve left a legacy – in his marriage, in his sons, in his granddaughter, and in other family and friends. And of course, in Christ’s Church. The world is better now for his having lived.

So what about the rest of us? What kind of legacy will we leave? And more important, what kind of legacy does God want us to leave?

Sometimes, people have grandiose ideas of what it means to serve God and accomplish some great work which God has for them to do. For example, to create a new church, to have some high political office, to invent a cure or new machine, or to become a social media influencer. . . in other words, to have a great impact on the world. But the Bible does not talk of any of these things. What the Bible talks of is the everyday works of love, compassion, service, and witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. These are works of love for God and love for our neighbor that are things we are called to do, no matter what situations we find ourselves in.  To live a life that counts is to live a life with our focus on Jesus Christ, and not on ourselves. In the words of the gospel song,

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.”***

So what does the Bible say about the works we do in this life?

  • “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10). God has works for each of us to do. Note that works is plural: there are numerous works each of us has – prepared by God for us to do. These works do not save us, but are expressions of our love for our neighbor. These may be small things, or big things. When we look back on our lives, we may not see any big accomplishments from an earthly view, but those little acts of kindness done for the Lord may have created a huge legacy in the effect they had on the people we met.
  • “If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.” ( 1 Corinthians 3:12-5). This passage makes the distinction between the works that have meaning and will last, and those human endeavors that may seem impressive but will perish. Thus, a kind act to alleviate suffering may have eternal consequences, while a life of fame and wealth may die with the person. Maybe the Sunday School you taught, the witness you gave a fellow worker, the respect you showed someone, will have eternal fruit.
  • “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’” (Matthew 2:25). In this parable taught by Jesus, three servants were entrusted with varying amounts of wealth to manage in their master’s absence. Two invested their sums and earned more for their master, while one did not. When the master returned, he praised the two who earned interest, saying that because they had been faithful with a little, he would now put them in charge of much. This deals with the truth that while we may have different abilities and resources, what matters is not the size of the work we were given, but the fact that we were faithful with the little we have.
  • Finally, we read “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.” (Proverbs 13:22). While this proverb speaks about an inheritance of wealth, the principle applies to the impact a good man or woman has on those who follow them. A legacy of faith, of morals, of character, of compassion, of love – these are all legacies of a spiritual nature far more valuable than any material inheritance. These are modeled by a person’s life, and then are emulated by those whose lives they influence. They are the most valuable gift one can leave to others.

We may be unaware of the extent of the legacy we will leave behind. In Pastor Steve’s case, one legacy was revealed by an anonymous note sent to his obituary page by a trucker in Canada who happened to hear a radio broadcast of one of Steve’s sermons. He said, “I never met Steve , I wish I could have been his friend. I heard him speak every Sunday on the internet, and its like the nature of Christ came through him when he spoke.”

May we also leave such a legacy, that people hear Christ, and come to know Christ, through the words we speak, and the works we do. May we hear Christ call us when we go to him: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Matthew 25:14-30

*The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
** Center For Disease Control, National Center For Health Statistics.
*** Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, Helen H. Lemmel, 1922.

Unanswered Prayer?

Last night I had a dream. It was a recurring one of sorts, in which I am leading worship but am unprepared for it. I don’t have my robes, haven’t picked what hymns to sing, haven’t written a sermon – you get the idea. A pastor’s nightmare! Especially when the congregation slips away while I’m trying to get myself together.

Except, in this dream, I actually knew what I was going to preach. The sermon formed fully in my mind, so when I suddenly awoke from my dream I had a smile on my face. I knew what my next blog would be!

In my sermon, I would begin by telling you that like you, I have times that I am disappointed with God. Not that I would want any other God, but that there are times when my prayers – even fervent ones, go unanswered. I pray that someone I know will be healed of some dread disease, but they get worse, until they die. Or some handicap gets worse, crippling the person. Or even that some newborn suffers birth defects and faces multiple surgeries to lead a somewhat normal life. Or an eagerly anticipated child is stillborn.

There were times I was sure our prayers would be answered – when multiple people prayed, when we anointed the sick person with oil (as per James 5:14-15-  “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up.”) Once,  the person went into remission, only to die soon after.

So, we complain to God  “Why don’t you do what we ask! We don’t ask for much! Just this one healing!” We join with the complaints of the psalmist and cry:

Psalm 56:1 Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me.

Psalm 3:1-2 O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.”

Psalm 6:6-7 I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes.

Psalm 13:1  How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?

Psalm 69:1-3 Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck.  I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me. I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God.

Yes, these (and many other psalms) come to mind when God doesn’t answer our prayers as we want.  But even when psalms cry out to complaints to God, they usually end with declarations like: “salvation belongs to the Lord;
your blessing be on your people!” (Psalm 3); “But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.” (Psalm 13); and “Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and everything that moves in them.” (Psalm 69). So, how do all these complaints to God end us praising him anyway?

What do the psalmists know about God that we need to keep in mind?

  1. God is God. He is the one in charge, and he does everything according to his will. You can not make God do anything. He can not be tempted, bullied, controlled, or bargained with. James 1:13 says, “God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.” and Ephesians 1:11 says, “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.”
  2. Even the lifespan of everyone is set by God: Psalm 90 says we are to “number our days,” and Psalm 39:4 “Show me, LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.” Job 14:6 declares, “Since his days are determined, and the number of his months is with you, and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass.” And Jesus reminded us in Matthew 6:27, “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?“
  3. God sees the end of things from the beginning. He knows how everything will end, and how changes would effect everything. Isaiah 46:10, says God “declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.’” We see what we want, but God sees the result of our getting what we want. What looks good to us, may in God’s eyes be the worst that could happen to us.
  4. God has an eternal perspective. God may, unknown to you, use your suffering to reach other people with his gospel. The Christian martyr, Telemachus, died while trying to stop a gladiator fight, and led to the emperor outlawing future gladiatorial contests. Father Damien, a missionary to the lepers on Molokai, failed in his mission until he caught leprosy, then saw his mission succeed.
  5. God may already be putting things in motion to answer our prayer without our knowing it. He doesn’t need to reveal all he is doing; we don’t need to see or approve all his efforts. Until we see the final results, we are to be patient and have faith.
  6. God disciplines those he loves. Sometimes, the harsh outcomes we are experiencing comes directly from God as a blessing in disguise. This apparent contradiction is revealed in Deuteronomy 8:5: “Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you.” Also, Hebrews 12:6 says, “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” Hebrews 12:11 sums up the benefit of the Lord’s discipline: “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.“
  7. Only God has the power to do what we ask for. He is omnipotent. We look to him as the grantor and author of all our needs. Like the hymn, “I sing the mighty power of God who fill the earth with food”* he provides all our needs. He can creates something from nothing, as Romans 4:17 says, he “calls into existence the things that do not exist.” He knows what we need before we ask (Matthew 6:8), and gives us good things instead of bad: “What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent?” (Luke 11:11).

So we keep praying, making our needs known to God, submitting ourselves prayerfully to him, whether or  not we see immediate answers to our prayers. Because he is our God, the source of our life and our salvation. To him only go our prayers. From him only come the answers! And that, is no dream!

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: James 4:1-11.

* Isaac Watts, I Sing the Mighty Power of God, pub. 1715

Total Eclipse of the Son

Last weekend, Karen and I flew to Dallas, Texas to be in the totality zone of  this year’s total eclipse of the sun. We weren’t so sure it would work out, given weather forecasts of clouds and possible storms for the Dallas area. Indeed, when we arrived there Sunday evening, it was overcast with clouds. But on Monday, the day of the eclipse, the sky cleared and we were blessed with a warm (but not hot), sunny day with light, cool breezes. On top of that, we had a great viewing venue at a cousin of mine’s church grounds. Our relatives and we had an unobstructed view, and enjoyed snacks provided by the church to all attendees: Sun Chips and Moon Pies. It was a perfect day, ending with a great dinner out with the family at a local restaurant. This is one of the pictures of the eclipse at totality*:

To celebrate the event, I wore a t-shirt given me for the occasion by friend Dave. The shirt summed up the experience: “Traveled Miles for Seconds of Darkness Worth Every Penny.”

At the end of that wonderful day, my cousin sat down with us, and becoming very serious, told us the news of the diagnosis they had just received just days earlier, that her husband had advanced melanoma cancer, and if untreated, had about six months to live. They had kept the news to themselves all day so as not to spoil our eclipse!

The next day, my cousin, her husband, Karen, and I toured a local creation museum (ICR Discovery Center**) in Dallas, which is a Christian ministry that researches and advocates the connection of true science to what the Bible teaches about the creation. My cousin and her husband are strong Christians, which is a major factor in how they are dealing with the devastating diagnosis. We are joining them and our churches in praying for his healing and their peace.

When I thought about their faith and the sureness of all our hope in Jesus Christ and what he has accomplished for us now and for all eternity, I wondered as I often have at the difference it makes in having Christ when we face difficulties and tragedies in life. My cousin and her husband have Christ and it will make a huge difference for their coming journey, wherever it leads. But what about those who don’t have the promises of Christ? What about those who don’t have the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to work in their spirits to face all that life brings?

You might say that those without Christ are suffering from “A total eclipse of the Son.”

Not knowing Christ’s love, they face life on their own. They have only a few fallible or fickle people to turn to when troubles happen, and facing the end of life they have nothing sure to anticipate. No “better place” to go to, no eternal life or fellowship with God.

Unfortunately, our society, once founded on the Christian faith (Harvard was originally a seminary for training Christian pastors!), has done all it can to block out the Son of God from our lives and thoughts. Consider:

  1. Renaming of time periods from B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini = Year of our Lord), to B.C.E. (Before the Common Era) and C.E. (Common Era). Why should we date everything from the most important event in all history?
  2. Complete omission of any reference to the biblical account of creation in our schools or public life. Only secular explanations are allowed, even when the evidence supports creation. (Hence the need for creation organizations such as the one we visited.) An example of what happens when you go counter to the narrative: the California Superintendent of Schools tried to shut down the Institute for Creation Research for not teaching evolution, even after an accreditation  committee approved the Institute. (Which is why they moved from San Diego to Dallas!)
  3. Separation of church and state used to mean non-interference of government in religion, now it means the government stamping religion out of the public life. Example: The state of Washington was giving out college scholarships for any kind of degree – except for a Christian student applying for seminary studies. And the courts upheld the denial, saying such a grant would be the state supporting a religion.
  4. Most Hollywood TV shows and movies mock religious people as ignorant hicks, or as charlatan preachers, as violent racists, or as criminals wearing crosses. One example was the first episode of a new show on British security services, where the villain was a pro-life American who was going to bomb an abortion clinic. Watch carefully the next show you see for similar themes!
  5. And need I say anything about shows celebrating “the true meaning of Christmas” without even mentioning Jesus?
  6. The FBI was calling devout Catholics terror threats, and placed undercover agents in churches to spy on them. The FBI called conservative Catholics, “Radical-Traditionalist Catholics.”
  7. The LA Times published an article about the growing godlessness in America, and said, “This increasing godlessness in America is actually a good thing, to be welcomed and embraced.”***
  8. Our Secretary of State called for a cease-fire in Israel and quoted the Quran (Surah 5:32) rather than Jesus’ words about peacemakers (Matthew 5:9).
  9. In 2022, the Justice Department prosecuted a record 26 pro-life advocates. Meanwhile, last year, nearly 100 attacks against pregnancy resource centers and churches went unpunished.
  10. The arrest of pro-life activist Mark Houck while at home with his wife and children. A SWAT team burst in with automatic weapons drawn and arrested him in front of his children.His crime was praying in front of an abortion clinic and defending his son from an attack. Charges were later dropped.

I could go on, but you get the point. Not only is Christ excluded from public life, society is aggressively counter to Christian faith and his Church, and has tried in many ways to suppress, ostracize, and (ironically) demonize it.

But for us who believe in Jesus Christ, and the words of Scripture that give testimony to him, we see such events as the solar eclipse just one more reason to glorify our Creator. Hear what God’s Word says about creation:

  1. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1).
  2. “God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:16-18).
  3. “This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.” (Genesis 2:4).
  4. “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?”  (Psalm 8:3-4).
  5. “Through him [the Word = Christ] all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” (John 1:3).
  6.  “For in him [the Son] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:16-17).
  7. “For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.”   (Hebrews 3:4).
  8. “Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.”  (Jeremiah 32:17).
  9.  “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”  (Psalm 121:1-2).
  10.  “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.” (Psalm 33:6).

In a way, all of Scripture is built around the fact that God created all things, including us, whom he made in his image, whom he gave the breath of life, and for whom he sent his own Son to redeem from the curse of sin and death. It’s amazing to realize that the greatest of all miracles, beyond even the stars, sun, and moon (and their eclipses!), is our redemption and new life in Christ.

And for my cousin and her husband, there remains the following words from Psalm 124:8, “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Amen!

Now may our Creator Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Genesis 1; Psalm 8; Colossians 1:15-23

*Photo of this eclipse by Brian R.

**See the website at https://discoverycenter.icr.org

*** LA Times, by Phil Zuckerman,

 

He Is Risen, Indeed!

The story is told about an incident in the early days of the Soviet Union. A commissar and his cohorts arrived in a small town and gathered up the locals into the town square. There he began to harangue the crowd about the blessings of the new soviet state. After two hours his speech took aim at the local priest and his church, claiming that religion was obsolete. After another hour directed against Christianity, the commissar concluded his speech with a smug smile, knowing his arguments were unassailable. He challenged the priest, saying, “And what do you have to say?” Then the priest stepped forward and cried,”Christ is risen!” to which the people replied in one voice:”He is risen, indeed!” It is amazing that even in the days of the atheistic Soviet Union, the Russian word for Sunday was Воскресенье (pronounced voskreseniye), meaning “Resurrection Day.” And we in the West named our day after the sun!

“Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!”

That chorus will be heard proclaimed in churches around the world this Easter Sunday, just as it has been down through the centuries for almost 2000 years. Jesus Christ’s resurrection is the most life-changing, world-overturning, and hope-creating event in all of history. Without it there would be no Easter, of course. Without it, neither would there be a Christian Church. Without it, (shudder!) there would be no pastors emeriti! Without it, there would be no resurrection for you and me, nor hope of eternal life to come. But, Christ is risen (He is risen indeed!) and therefore we do have the sure and certain hope of our own resurrection to come, based on the historical fact of Christ’s resurrection and the biblically-revealed significance of what happened that first Easter.

Many people doubt that the resurrection happened, or is even possible, because they have never witnessed one in their life. But, the Bible recounts 10 resurrections, instances when people died and were brought back to life. Briefly, these are:

  1. The son of a widow in Zarephath. Raised by Elijah in 1 Kings 17:17-24.
  2. The son of a Shunammite woman. Raised by Elisha in 2 Kings 4:18-37.
  3. A man whose body was tossed into Elisha’s tomb and came to life after touching Elisha’s bones. (2 Kings 13:20-21).
  4. The son of a widow from Nain. Jesus raised him in Luke 7:11-17.
  5. Jairus’s daughter. Jesus raised her in Luke 8:40-56.
  6. Lazarus. Jesus raised him after four days in John 11:1-44.
  7. Dead saints at Jesus’ crucifixion, recounted in Matthew 27:50-53.
  8. A girl named Tabitha (also called Dorcas) raised by Peter in Acts 9:36-42.
  9. A man named Eutychus raised by Paul in Acts 20:7-12. (The man had fallen asleep during one of Paul’s sermons, and fell out a window to his death!
  10. I may have preached a long sermon or two, but at least my listeners didn’t die from them!)

10. Finally, we come to the most important resurrection of all: Jesus Christ. You could call all the other events “revivifications.”

  • Only Christ’s resurrection was permanent. The people who were raised were only temporarily alive. Eventually they would die again, and would have to await the final resurrection to come. But Christ being raised will never die again. He is bodily alive right now, seated at his Father’s right hand.
  • Only Christ’s resurrection was prophesied. As we say in the Nicene Creed, “On the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures.” Christ told his disciples, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day” (Matthew 20:19, also 16:21, 17:23).
  • Only Christ’s resurrection saves us. First, his crucifixion provides for our forgiveness by canceling our debt of sin. Colossians 2:13-14 says, “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” Then, with our sins forgiven, we are made alive in Christ. Because Christ was raised, we too who believe in him will be raised to eternal life. His resurrection is not only a wonderful historical event; it is the seal of God’s approval that Christ did indeed cancel our sins and win life for us. Because he was raised, we too will be raised. Romans 6:4-6 tells us, “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.”

Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed!

The question is not whether Christ rose from the dead; his resurrection is one of the most attested events from ancient times, affirmed by multiple witnesses and physical evidence. Rather, the question is: how do we live, knowing that Christ, indeed, was resurrected?

First, we live in the strength  of faith.  Our faith is not anchored on a mere philosophy or fable, but in historical fact. As the Apostle Peter testified, “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty” (2 Peter 1:16). Our faith gives us strength because it is more than just intellectual knowledge – it has the power to save. Romans 10 :9 promises, “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Second, we live in the confidence of hope. Because Christ rose, we know that our life does not end at death, but instead will continue for all eternity. Therefore, no matter what affects us in this life, no matter how this life ends, we know with confidence that, like Christ, we too will be raised. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die ” (John 11:25-26). And according to the Apostle Paul, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:17-21).

Third, we live in the power of love. We love, because he first loved us. The Apostle John wrote in 1 John 4:10-11, “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” As Martin Luther once wrote, God does not need our works of love, but our neighbor does. Because Christ rose, we know that all his commandments and all his promises are true. This knowledge empowers us to act sacrificially for the benefit of others, caring, serving, and proclaiming to them the good news of forgiveness and resurrection to eternal life. Rather than timidly hiding our faith, we should be bold in telling others the good news, the greatest news, that anyone can hear: that Christ is risen, and will raise us as well!

There is a Gospel song written by Bill and Gloria Gaither that sums up the faith, hope, and love we can have in knowing that Christ rose from the dead that first Easter. It’s titled, “Because He lives, I Can Face Tomorrow.”*

God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus;
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone,
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed!

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: John 11; 1 Corinthians 15

*Written by: Gloria Gaither, William J. Gaither. Lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing.

 

What Would Saint Patrick Do?

A number of years ago (just like this year), St. Patrick’s Day fell on a Sunday. As I was scheduled to preach that Sunday, I told my Senior Pastor, Pastor Deuel, that I planned to preach about Saint Patrick. He asked why, saying “We’re not Roman Catholic.” To which I replied, “Neither was Patrick!” So, even though he shook his head, I did in fact preach a first-person sermon, a monologue, that Sunday about the patron saint of Ireland.

Of course, the sermon was actually about the Gospel; Saint Patrick was only the vehicle for presenting the Gospel, which his own words and writings show he would have completely endorsed. To know why Patrick’s life was all about the Gospel, it would be helpful to remember some of the details about his life and why he came to be called a saint.

First, we recognize that Patrick was neither Roman Catholic nor even Irish. Patrick was born a Romanized Briton named Patricius in the 5th Century AD. At age 16 he was captured by Irish raiders who took him to Ireland to work as a slave in a pig farm. While slaving for six years, he became more devout in his Christian faith. Then one night he dreamed that a ship was ready to take him home,  so he escaped and found the boat and sailed back to England. He then studied and was ordained as a missionary. Again he had a dream, in which a man handed him a letter called, “The Voice of the Irish.” Patrick later wrote that he seemed to hear a certain company of Irish beseeching him to walk once more among them. “Deeply moved,” he says, “I could read no more.” Therefore, he returned to the land and people of his slavery and brought them the freedom of Jesus Christ. He became their bishop and spent the rest of his life preaching, teaching, and baptizing them, though often opposed and threatened by kings and their pagan priests.

As I said, we celebrate not the person named Patrick, but rather the Gospel which he took to the Irish people. So how does knowing Patrick’s life help us to know and spread the gospel, too? We could ask, “What would Patrick do?” Consider the following:

  1. Though enslaved and treated harshly, he did not surrender to despair, but used his experiences among the Irish to serve the Lord. Indeed, it was his enslavement which created in him the heart to evangelize his former oppressors.There are two passages in the Bible which encourage us not to be defeated by adversities, but to see in those conditions the benevolent hand of God.
    • Near the end of Genesis, we read of Joseph’s rise from slave to second in command of Egypt after prophesying to Pharaoh of a coming famine. In his elevated position, Joseph was able to stockpile enough food for many people to survive the famine. Later, Joseph confronted his brothers who had sold him into slavery. Though they feared retribution for their actions, he told them, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Genesis 50:20).
    • In Romans 8:28, Paul teaches the same principle, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Rather than cursing the misfortunes that befall us, we should pray to discern how God may use the situation to bless us or others.
  2. He held no hatred toward his captors, but rather forgave and sought to bless them with the Gospel. Jesus told us not to hate our enemies, but to forgive and love them. In Matthew 5:43-44, Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. . .” Patrick had every right to hate the Irish and avoid going back to save them, but he gave up that right out of love and obedience to Christ. Likewise, we will meet people we just cannot stand, who have wronged us by word or action. Yet Christ calls on us to forgive them and seek to do them good, rather than evil. Do as Jesus commanded: “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.” (Luke 6:27-29).
  3. Patrick persevered, though he doubted his ability. In his writings, Patrick confessed that even as he returned to Ireland after escaping, he had serious doubts about his abilities to preach and evangelize the Irish people. He felt inadequate to the task at hand, but he went ahead, and as a result he planted churches and converted many to the glory of God. This is a great example to all of us, most of whom also feel inadequate to the task of proclaiming the Gospel to those around us. Those who haven’t gone to seminary may be afraid they don’t know enough; those of us who went may feel overwhelmed by the immensity of the task. Soon after I began my internship, I was called to the home of a man who had died. When I arrived, his widow called the grandkids into the room and told them that Pastor Eddy would tell them about what happened to their grandpa. At first I panicked inside, feeling inadequate to the task, until I heard a voice inside saying, “What do you think I have called you to do?” With that rebuke in mind, I sat down with the children and we talked about life and death and heaven (and whether there are Taco Bells there!).
  4. Snakes. Okay, so it is only a legend that Patrick drove the snakes from Ireland. Scientific articles are happy to point to Ireland’s climate and isolation from the European mainland as the REAL reasons the island is free of snakes (except as pets and zoo exhibits). But there is another meaning to that legend, and that is the connection of snakes to Satan, the original snake in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3 and Revelation 12:9 – “that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan.”). The island was under the control of Satan and those who worshiped him through pagan gods. By bringing the Gospel, Patrick overcame the angry opposition of the pagans, who threatened to kill him, with the freeing truth of the Gospel. In that sense, he “drove the snakes” from Ireland by replacing them with Christ. We must expect opposition from spiritual powers when we do God’s work, but we must not fear that opposition, knowing that “he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
  5. Shamrocks. Okay, probably another legend, but it is said that Patrick taught about the Trinity using the three leaves of a shamrock combining on one stem. Whether true or not, we know two things: First, Patrick did believe in the Trinity, beginning a poem with the words. “I bind unto myself today, the strong name of the Trinity: three in one and one in three.”* And second, Patrick did not invent the Shamrock Shake, available at McDonald’s since 1970. (Besides, McDonald is more likely Scottish than Irish.)

So there you have it. Enjoy St. Patrick’s Day, but as you eat your corned beef and cabbage, washed down with a Shamrock Shake, remember the reason for the season. Consider what Saint Patrick would do, and use his example in your life as a Christian.

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.**

Read: Genesis 50:15-21.

*From the hymn known as “St. Patrick’s Breastplate,” which is #188 in our Lutheran hymnal (LBW).

** In Irish: An Tiarna beannaigh tú agus tú a choinneáil, An Tiarna a dhéanamh ar a aghaidh a Shine ar tú, agus a bheith gracious a thabhairt duit. Tógfaidh an Tiarna suas a ghnúis ort, agus síocháin a thabhairt duit. Amen. (I can’t begin to pronounce this, so I will stick with English.)

High King of Heaven

I have always enjoyed hymns and spiritual songs that come from Celtic lands such as Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Songs like Praise and Thanksgiving, Lord of All Hopefulness, The King of Love My Shepherd Is, Sent Forth by God’s Blessing, Immortal Invisible God Only Wise, Let All Things Now Living, and especially, Be Thou My Vision.

Maybe my enjoyment stems from some inherited memory of ancient times when my ancestors in Scotland, Ireland, and Wales sang similar folk tunes and hymns. Maybe it comes from my own finely-tuned appreciation of the vocal arts. Or maybe, it’s the lilting tunes themselves, tied to words which proclaim God and his blessings. Whatever  the reasons, these songs resonate with me in powerful ways, and I always enjoy trying to sing them.

Recently, while listening and croaking to the old Irish song, Be Thou My Vision, I came to what is my favorite part. It comes at the end of verse 4, and is repeated at the beginning of verse 5. See if you can spot what I mean:

4 Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
be Thou mine inheritance, now and always;
be Thou and Thou only the first in my heart,
O High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

5 High King of heaven, Thou heaven’s bright Sun,
O grant me its joys, after vict’ry is won;
Great Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be Thou my Vision, O Ruler of all.

Given that the title of this blog is “High King of Heaven,”  you probably guessed the words I mean. For some reason, those words just thrill me and fill me with a vision of God’s glory..

One reason they appeal so much has to do with the ancient Irish custom of having one king, the High King, ruling over all of Ireland; the various tribes had their own chieftains or  kings, but over them all was the High King. The tradition dates back to 1500 B.C., with various legendary kings, but the first historical record is of a High King who served between 846–860 A.D. The last High King was Ruaidhrí Ó Conchobhair (Rory O’Connor) whose reign lasted until 1166. Comparing God to the sovereign Irish High Kings is a special honor.

The second reason I love those words is that they portray the truth that the God of the Bible is the true High King, the great King over all kings, “God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords,” (1 Timothy 6:15), and “Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth” (Revelation 1:5).

As Americans, we read those accolades of God our King (our High King) but often dismiss it as archaic language. After all, except for a few foreign kings who have little effect on our lives, the concept of being ruled by a king is as foreign to us as are those kings. But in reality, even as Americans, we have many kings who try to assert their authority or control over our lives, and unfortunately, too often we submit to them as we would to a king.

Consider the following “kings”:

1. Our government (Federal, state, and local). The federal government alone has 53 volumes containing some 4,500 criminal statutes, spelled out in over 10 million words, regulating every aspect of our lives. And should you think that compliance is a voluntary matter, there are 708,000 officers ready to enforce those laws. In addition to laws actually passed by Congress, there are “executive orders” declared by presidents and myriad regulations decreed by government agencies.

2. Our employers. Sure, our association with employers is on a mostly voluntary basis – we could tell them “No” and walk away. But given they hold the purse-strings that provide us with our livelihoods, they have a great deal to say regarding our time and behavior. We may not like all they tell us to do, but for the sake of income and reputation, we often have to toe the line and jump when they say “Jump!”.

3.  Cell phones. Admit it. . . when our cell phones call, we answer. And even if they don’t call, they hold us in bondage, promising us connections, social networking, information, and entertainment.  We check them constantly, hoping for some emotional “hit”. Go to any event, or to any restaurant, (or to any traffic intersection!), and you will see everybody checking their phones constantly. The phones command, and we obey!

4. Commercial advertisements. “Go ahead! Buy it! You deserve it!” Such are the messages that try to control us by controlling our behaviors and our spending. Companies buy and sell data about our spending (and our giving), our online browsing history, and our personal demographics. And now, with advanced artificial intelligence, companies can predict and direct everything we do.

5. Bullies. There are all kinds of bullies, but basically they all have one thing in common: they want to control you and force you to do what they say. They could be at school, at work, in the government, in the neighborhood, among your “friends,” or even in your family. They think they know what is best for you, or best for them, and they dominate you by their aggressive behavior or threats (voiced or implied). As a kid, I used to live near a couple cemeteries; one day a neighborhood bully threatened to put me in one of them. So far, he hasn’t succeeded!

6. Our own passions. Probably the most difficult to deal with. Pride, greed, lust, anger. How often do we go against what we know is right for the sake of satisfying one of our urges – only to be totally unsatisfied with the aftermath of giving in. All temptations promise much, but deliver nothing but emptiness and regret. And yet, their power is great and they seek to rule over us.

Whatever the person or thing that would seek to rule us, that would crown itself as king over us, we need to remember there is a High King above all other real or self-proclaimed kings. That High King is the true King of all creation, over every power and authority. That High King is our God.

So how do we deal with our lesser kings? By following Scripture.

  1. Government? “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good” (1 Peter 2:13-14). But at the same time, “Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God, what is God’s” (Jesus’ words in Mark 12:17). God’s commandments overrule man’s laws.
  2. Employers? “Bond-servants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 2:22-23).
  3. Cell phones? Not in  the Bible. But . . . in Acts 12, an angel freed Peter from his cell, and in Acts 16:24-46, God used an earthquake to free Paul and Silas from their prison cells, so if your are in bondage to your cell, God can set you free!
  4. Commercial advertisements? Once you recognize the manipulative tactics of such ads, you are much less likely to be influenced and directed by them. As Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). Yes, I know Jesus was not talking about ads, but what he said still applies. The ads will rule you only if you let them.
  5. Bullies? If they insult you, remember that “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1). Similarly, Jesus said to turn the other cheek if someone slaps you on one cheek (Matthew 5:39). Remember and pray the psalms, especially ones like Psalm 18:48, which proclaims, “who rescued me from my enemies; yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me; you delivered me from the man of violence.”
  6. Our own passions? Our society praises people who follow their “passions,” but the Bible connects passions to our old, sinful flesh, and calls on Christians to subdue those passions for Christ’s sake. Galatians 5:24 tells us, “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” 2 Timothy 2:22 says, “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” And if the temptation of those passions is strong, remember: “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

To sum it all up: the High King of heaven is ruler over all, and it is to him we owe our allegiance, above all earthly rulers and powers. Ultimately, all other rulers will submit and bow the knee to the One who allowed them to rule, to the One to whom they must give account of how they used their authority.

Today, I close with a two-fold blessing. First, as usual, the Aaronic blessing from Numbers 6:24, and then a video of people from 300 Irish churches singing, “Be Thou My Vision.”

May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

 

 

 

 

Three centuries later, a monk named Dallan Forgaill wrote the Irish poem, “Rop tú mo Baile” (“Be Thou my Vision), to remember and honor the faith of St. Patrick. Forgaill was martyred by pirates, but his poetry lived on as a part of the Irish monastic tradition for centuries until, in the early 20th century, Mary Elizabeth Byrne translated the poem into English, and in 1912, Eleanor Hull versified the text into what is now a well-loved hymn and prayer that at every moment of our lives, God would be our vision above all else.

Leaving mythology behind, Máel Sechnaill mac Máele Ruanaid (Malachy MacMulrooney) is recognised as the first historical High King of Ireland. He served as king between 846–860 AD and died two years later. After King Máel there would be another 16 other High Kings in Ireland until the last serving King in 1166.

 

Of Groundhogs and Other Superstitions – Reprise

In anticipation of today being Groundhog Day, I began writing a blog about the superstitions people hold. I formed an outline, ordered the supporting points, and began researching the appropriate Scriptures. But then, a discordant thought intruded into my mind. Didn’t I already write about this? So I went back seven years and found a two-part blog I wrote in February of 2017 on this very topic. When I read it, I realized it was exactly what I wanted to say. So, hoping that most of my readers have come aboard more recently than that, and that the other readers won’t remember a 7 year-old post, I present once again (with a few appropriate updates): “Of Groundhogs and Other Superstitions.”

Happy Groundhog Day . . . or not . . . depending on how much credence you give to Punxatawney Phil, the famous groundhog who did not see his shadow this morning (2024). As happens every year, crowds gather on Gobbler’s Knob in the town of Punxatawney, Pennsylvania, to watch the rodent come out of his burrow. And, as the tradition goes, if he sees his shadow on February 2nd, it means we’re in for another six weeks of winter. Or at least, Punxatawney, Pennsylvania is. How accurate is he? According to NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, (seriously?) he’s been right only 21% of the time. Not that good for an enduring superstition, considering the odds are 50/50.

But Phil is not the only superstition that people are dealing with right now; it is after all, almost Super Bowl week. Talk about superstitions! It seems everyone has a certain ritual to perform, a certain shirt or outfit to wear, certain foods to eat or a special chair to sit upon to ensure their team wins. They’re afraid to say certain things that might “jinx” their team. And that’s just the players we’re talking about! When it comes to fans watching the game (or not, if watching might jinx your team) the rituals and traditions are all over the place. Of course, I always wonder how it works: if all the superstitions are true, who wins, given that fans and players on both sides are doing them?

I’m glad to say I’m above such things (though I may have jinxed the Packers this year by checking their playoff score against the 49ers online).

In some cases, such superstitions are harmless fun. In Punxatawney, for example, it’s a tourist draw and a matter of civic pride for which the leaders play dress-up with top hats and long coats. I think hardly anyone actually believes the groundhog is a real prognosticator. But, unfortunately, many people are caught up in other superstitions which affect their lives, their decision-making, their finances, their families, and even their relationship with God.

This is especially surprising to see in today’s Western world, which supposedly left its superstitious beliefs back in the Dark Ages. People refuse to believe in God because “it isn’t scientific” to put faith in what we cannot see, yet they buy lottery tickets or read horoscopes or give offerings to “earth spirits.”

Superstitions come in two broad categories.

  1. First, there is what I call, the “omen” type. This includes attempts to discern knowledge in ways beyond our senses and reason, such as with horoscopes, Ouija boards, I Ching sticks, Tarot cards, fortune tellers, seances, and yes, even groundhogs. It’s not that wanting to know things is bad; after all, we study the Bible to learn about God and science to learn about what he has created. The former is commanded by Scripture itself: (Psalm 111:12, Acts 17:11) and the latter reveals God’s power and divine nature through what he has made (Romans 1:20). The problem comes when we seek knowledge in ways which God has forbidden us to use. And God has clearly commanded us to avoid such occult sources: “There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12)

While the things which God forbids sound extreme compared with something seemingly harmless like reading a daily horoscope, the two are actually of a similar nature. In either case, a person is seeking answers and directions for life decisions by putting some other authority above God. He wants us instead to look to him in prayer. Notice that it doesn’t matter if the forbidden source happens to yield information that is true; we are still to avoid seeking knowledge in that way. In fact, it can be especially dangerous when a forbidden source comes through with accurate answers, because then we trust it even more and can put ourselves into its bondage.

There is a classic episode of the Twilight Zone called “Nick of Time” in which a young couple’s car breaks down in a small town. While they wait for it to be repaired, they hang out in the local diner where the booth has a penny-operated “fortune-telling” machine that spits out cards with answers to the couple’s questions. The fact that there was a devil’s head on the machine should have been their first clue not to get involved! But they do, at first for entertainment, but then in growing fear and dependency on the machine as the answers it gives prove to be true, one right after another. Finally they realize the machine was coming to control them and they break away from its bondage and escape the town. On their way out, they pass an elderly couple who are coming into the diner with a handful of pennies, obviously still in such bondage.

Isaiah 8:19 says, “And when they say to you, ‘Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,’ should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?”

It’s not that God cannot use various means to make his will known for us. The Bible does tell us that he has done so, such as when the apostles selected a replacement for the deceased Judas Iscariot: they cast lots and prayed for God to reveal his choice between two qualified candidates. We believe God did answer their prayer. But that was before the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and before the writing of the New Testament Scriptures; now we seek answers in God’s Word through the guidance of his Spirit.

The second type of superstition is what I would call the “magic” type. It includes all attempts to influence or control the outcome of events and things by rituals that we do. This is the kind of superstition which will be rampant around the Super Bowl, and it is the kind of superstition which I will address tomorrow in my next post, “Of Groundhogs and Other Superstitions: Part Two”.

Until then, may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord look upon you with favor, and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Deuteronomy 13:1-3

Are You a Bibliophobe?

While having lunch with a good friend, I invented a new word. During our discussion of the problems facing society today, we agreed that the rejection of the Christian faith and the Scriptures is at the root of our problems. I said, people are not just ignorant of the Scriptures, they distrust, disbelieve, and even hate what the Scriptures teach. They are, I said, “bibliophobes.” We looked at each other, and agreed that the term said exactly what we meant. Now, I say I invented the word, but I later looked it up in the dictionary and found the word “bibliophobe” already existed. There goes my claim to fame! Of course, the dictionary meaning is “a person who hates, fears, or distrusts books,” but I meant it specifically to refer to the Bible.

In what way are many people Bibliophobes?

  1. They don’t believe the Bible is God’s Word. To them, the Bible is just a collection of writings by people who wrote down their own ideas or beliefs about God. They experienced some event or felt some kind of spiritual feeling, and attributed it to God. But the Bible is clear that it is God’s word and not human ideas or imaginings. Over 130 times it attributes what it says to “the word of God” and almost 350 times to “the word of the Lord.” In 2 Peter 1:20-21 it says, “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” Paul concurs, writing in 2 Timothy3:16, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” And in case there should remain any doubt of how seriously God takes how we treat  his written word, check out Revelation  22:18-19 – “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.”
  2. They believe the Bible has been corrupted, that books have been removed or added over time, and the original texts have been changed by the Roman church. Interestingly, both Mormons and Muslims assert this. But, in the case of the Old Testament, the painstaking rules of the Hebrew copyists kept the texts consistent for over a thousand years; the Dead Sea Scrolls revealed texts a thousand years older than what we had before their discovery, and they were the same. For the New Testament, the  canon (the list of accepted books) was established before the Roman church gathered what it had into its collection of books. False gospels like Thomas and Judas were late fictions and were never accepted into the Bible. Today, we have over 5,000 manuscripts from around the ancient Mediterranean that testify to the accuracy of what is in our Bibles today.
  3. They don’t believe what the Bible says is true. The Bible, they say, is full of pre-scientific myths and fables. “The science is wrong and the history is wrong. We are more advanced and knowledgeable as people these days!” The evidence for the Bible’s truthfulness and accuracy fills books and has been validated by archaeological and historical finds. For centuries, historians slammed the Bible for talking about Hittites, saying they never existed; then in 1886, archaeologists announced that ruins found in Turkey were the Hittite capital of Hattusa. Then there are several stone pillars (stelae) of neighboring nations referring to kings of Israel and Judah reported in the Bible. And, as far as Noah’s flood, not only is there geological evidence for a great flood, almost every nation and people around the world has a similar story from its past, of an angry god who destroys all mankind except for a small group who survive in a boat to repopulate the earth.
  4. They don’t believe the Bible applies today. Even those who concede that some of Bible history is true, will say, “Fine. The Bible may have some good things to say, but it is so out of date. Today, we are more enlightened in our views of things like sexual freedom. Don’t try to apply Jewish rules from three thousand years ago to modern times.” While it is true that some of the Jewish cultural regulations no longer apply (such as kosher foods and Sabbath practices*) due to their fulfillment in Christ, Christ himself said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:17-18). In addition, Isaiah 40:8 says, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but  the word of our God endures forever.” What God commanded “way back when” still applies today. The morals of how people are to treat each other still apply, and we see daily the devastation that results from disobeying God’s commandments today.
  5. They don’t believe the Bible applies to them. Here is where many people are actually Bible-phobes. They are afraid of what the Bible labels as sin. They are afraid of the Bible’s prohibitions. Sure, they might agree with the “Do not kill” and “Do not steal” parts when applied to them being the victims, but don’t talk to them about the “Do not commit adultery” command, especially when their eyes are filled with lust. They think they are more enlightened about moral issues, yet they are the same human beings now as they were in ancient days. The same rules apply, and the same personal and societal consequences follow bad behavior: diseases. unwanted pregnancies and abortions, broken hearts and suicides, hatred and violence, theft and destruction, and the breakdown of society. Things the Bible prohibited are still rampant today, and so are the bitter fruits of such disobedience. Yet people think their lives will be better if they follow their own sinful impulses.
  6. They refuse to submit to God and his word. This is the attitude that led directly to mankind’s first sin. Tempted by the devil, Adam and Eve disbelieved God’s warning and disobeyed God’s one prohibition. The devil pooh-poohed the command not to eat of the forbidden tree “lest you die,” saying “you won’t die!” so our first parents disobeyed, and death and the desire to be our own gods, has been with us ever since. Ultimately, this is what Bibliophobia is all about – wanting to be our own gods. We don’t want to submit to anyone or any authority, let alone a God we cannot see, who doesn’t seem to punish those who rebel against him. We join the Psalmist’s lament: “Why do the wicked prosper?” and conclude there is no god, or he is unloving or impotent to intervene in human affairs. But such people disobey God’s first and greatest commandment, to love God with all their heart and mind and soul and strength (Matthew 22:27-28). They also forget that the wickedness they see will not go unpunished. Galatians 6:7 reminds us, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” Popular society calls this “karma.” The Bible calls it what it is, and that’s what sinners don’t want to submit to.

It’s unfortunate that our society has largely silenced the Bible, through ridicule, slander (that it’s old-fashioned, irrelevant, and oppressive), and hatred. It’s unfortunate because the Bible is a wonderful gift, given to us by our Creator and Redeemer for our benefit and blessing, for this life and the next. Joel Osteen wrote a book called, “Your Best Life Now,” but God gave us the real way to our best life now, thousands of years ago. His book is called the Holy Bible. It is true, God-breathed, unchanging, relevant, and able to save beyond all measure. Let us honor, read, and follow its precepts. Let us be Bibliophiles, and not Bibliophobes!

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Psalm 1; Psalm 119:105.

*The relaxing of these laws was approved by Jesus and the Apostolic writings. For the elimination of the kosher food laws, see Matthew 15:10 and Acts 10:9-18. And for the freedom from Sabbath rules, see Colossians 2:16-17.

 

How Did I Do?

The start of a new year is a time when people like to take stock of how they did over the past year, as they prepare for the year ahead. Did they keep their resolutions? Did they lose weight? Get healthier? Get engaged or married? Get a job promotion (or a new job)? For me, as I look back, I realize that I made a number of predictions for the year 2023 in my first blog of the year.

I wonder, how well did I do? Did my predictions come true? Am I a true prophet, or a non-prophet pretender? Check out the predictions I made (in bold letters) and what actually happened:

1. There will be at least one war between two countries, and some people will be killed. Were there any wars in 2023? Yes there absolutely were.

The Russia/Ukraine War continues unabated. In addition, there is now war between Israel and Hamas. Connected to that latter war, Iran’s allies have been firing missiles at US ships in the region. And now, Venezuela is threatening to invade Guyana and seize a province from them.

2. We will see TV reports of earthquakes . . .

2023 saw  earthquakes in Nepal, Afghanistan, Morocco, Turkey, and Syria for a total of 60,000 lives lost.

. . . and other natural catastrophes.

The Maui fire, heavy rain and flooding in Rwanda, Cyclone Mocha in Myanmar, floods in the Congo, Cyclone Freddy in Malawi, and Storm Daniel in Libya for another 1,800 lives lost.

3. And there will be outbreaks of disease, and maybe pronouncements of a new pandemic.

There are outbreaks of new strains of Covid-19, Monkey Pox (aka Mpox), dengue, measles, polio, diphtheria, cholera, typhoid, and influenza; all were reported in 2023 by the World Health Org.

4. Sexual perversions will increase to unknown levels.

I hardly need to document the fulfillment of this prediction. Do drag queens at the White House and in children’s story hours, and the neutering of children qualify?

5. Christians will be mocked, marginalized, and persecuted, even to death in some places.

Besides the cultural animosity to Christians in this country, over 300 million Christians are being persecuted, harassed, or killed for their faith in many other countries, including Nigeria, Libya, Mozambique, Afghanistan, India, and North Korea.

6. There will be fake televangelists, spouting heresies and bilking people for money with false promises.

While I am not aware of any new scandals toppling current televangelists, there are many who need to be toppled. The airwaves still hum with the likes of Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar, Benny Hinn, Bill Johnson, Joel Osteen, etc.

7. People will becomes even more selfish, self-centered, “selfied,” and nasty to each other as they turn further away from God.

Obsession over social media, being liked, conforming to peer pressure, and preferring current values over biblical teachings. Touting of self identity, what feels good, and subjective feeling over objective truth.

8. An evil person will shoot, stab, or run over a random group of people.

In the US, there were 30 mass shootings in December alone! There were 20 shootings in 2023 where five or more people died. Included were Lewiston, Maine, where 19 died, and Monterey Park, California, where 12 died. Also, a man in China ran over pedestrians in 2023, killing five people.

Pretty impressive track record, isn’t it? I was 100% right! Does that make me a prophet? Well, actually, no. God inspired true prophets to speak his word to his people; my only claim is that I read the words his prophets spoke as recorded in the Bible. Scripture has told us what to expect in this world, and while the names and places and dates will change, the stories stay the same. That’s why my predictions were accurate:

  • Prediction 1: (Matthew 24:6) Wars and rumors of wars.
  • Prediction 2: (Luke 21:11) Earthquakes in many places.
  • Prediction 3. (Luke 21:11 again) Famines and pestilences.
  • Prediction 4: (Romans 1:26-27) Dishonorable passions and shameless acts.
  • Prediction 5: (Matthew 24:9) Delivered to death and hated by all nations.
  • Prediction 6: (Matthew 24:11 and Luke 20:47) False teachers and bilkers.
  • Prediction 7: (2 Timothy 3:2-3) Lovers of self and money, heartless.
  • Prediction 8: (Matthew 15:19) From the heart comes murder.

The only major changes in history since the creation and fall of mankind were the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  And the only great future event that will be truly unique will be Christ’s return. Since Christ did not return in 2023, let us pray for him to come back in 2024. If he doesn’t return this year, I will repeat my 2023 predictions for 2024. But, whenever he does return, I boldly predict that we will join him in the air, and be with him forever! (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Deuteronomy 13:1-5; Deuteronomy 18:22; 2 Peter 1:20.

To Tell the Truth

There used to be a TV game show called, “To Tell the Truth.” In it, the host would read the biography of someone with interesting experiences or an interesting job. Then, three contestants would appear, each claiming to be the person described. The celebrity panel would then ask questions of the contestants, trying to discern which were faking it, and which one was telling the truth. The more the panel got wrong, the more money the contestants would win.

It’s a good thing “to tell the truth.” The Bible commands it, whether in the Ten Commandments from the Old Testament (Exodus 20:16), or the New Testament’s admonition to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). To lie is to do the work of the devil, whom Jesus called, “a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44).

Truthfulness to a Christian should be like breathing, a natural part of living. After all, our lives are based in the Ultimate Truth, Jesus Christ (“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” [John 14:6]).

Unfortunately, when it comes to the world today, it is becoming increasingly difficult for Christians, and everyone else, to distinguish between what is true and what is false in the massive amounts of information we take in daily. We hear terms like “disinformation,” misinformation,” and “fake news.” For a long time we have had “photo-shopped” pictures, and now we have artificial intelligence (AI) generating phony audio and video of political leaders saying things they never said or did. It has become scary-easy to be fooled by such doctored media.

Having heard about one such AI engine, ChatGPT, I went to the site and asked it to write a story about Karen at Christmas (her favorite holiday). In just 2 seconds, it spit out a 525 word story that began with:

Karen was a whirlwind of festive energy when it came to Christmas. Her passion for the holiday season was infectious, and she was known as the neighborhood’s very own Mrs. Claus. Every year, Karen transformed her home into a winter wonderland, adorning It with twinkling lights, cheerful ornaments, and an array of decorations that would make the North Pole jealous.

Scary. I also asked it to write a 500 word essay on the theme of this blog. Again, 2 seconds later, came the reply, starting with:

In an era saturated with information and inundated by opinions, discerning truth has become an intricate task, demanding a thoughtful, multifaceted approach. The quest for truth is foundational to human progress, societal harmony, and personal growth. However, today’s landscape, with its digital advancements, diverse narratives, and rampant misinformation, presents a labyrinthine challenge in identifying what is genuinely true.

Yikes! I’ve been replaced! (And from now on, whenever you read one of my blogs, you’ll be asking yourself, “Did Rich write this blog, or was it AI?”)

So, why is it so hard to discern the truth in today’s society? What is about today’s “landscape” (as ChatGPT calls it) that presents such a challenge?

1. Our propensity to lie. From an early age, we lie to avoid blame and punishment, or to gain an advantage over other people. Children with chocolate all over their face deny getting into the candy. Dads tell their kids that the good Halloween candy got spoiled and he had to throw it away. Spouses cheat on each other, athletes take performance-enhancing drugs and lie about it, and politicians take bribes and deny it. We even lie to ourselves: “I’ll start exercising . . . tomorrow for sure!” Scripture says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).

2. The schemes of the devil. The one who first lied to Eve, denying God’s warning about the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:4-5), continues to lie to us today. His temptations are lies – showing us a tasty apple while hiding the worm inside. He lies about our salvation filling us with hopeless guilt, or puffing us up with destructive pride. He turns people against each other with hateful lies, and against God with the lies of pseudo-scientific philosophies. (Acts 5:3 and 1 Thessalonians 3:5).

3. Advertising. From the 1949 ad that “More doctors smoke Camels” to the 1965 Brylcreem commercial’s promise: “The gals will all pursue ya,— They’ll love to put their fingers through your hair.” advertisers have said almost anything to get you to buy their product. And did you ever win a “free weekend” at some resort, subject to a “45 minute” presentation for some “exciting opportunity?”

4. Propaganda. Similar to false advertising, propaganda seeks to mold opinions and actions to suit some political agenda. Fabricated stories against political opponents, trumped up legal charges, fabricated videos and emails that put your opponent in a bad light, and false witnesses are just a few of the lies used toward a desired end. A recent example concerns the horrific attack by Hamas against Israel: some pro-Palestinian supporters claim it never happened. Then Hamas claimed that Israel bombed a hospital in Gaza and killed 500 people, including children. Later, we learned that the hospital was not bombed, and the only rocket to come close was fired by a Hamas ally. Media are so filled with self-serving political claims that it’s hard to know what to believe.

5. Human error. “To err is human, to forgive divine.” So goes the 1711 quote by Alexander Pope. It is certainly one of the truer truisms about life. We don’t need to have evil intentions when we tell someone something that is false: we may ourselves believe it to be true. For example, in school we learned that George Washington had false teeth made of wood. We repeated it to others, thinking it was a fact (a certain cherry tree comes to mind, as well). Now we know his teeth were made of actual teeth. Another example: one Thanksgiving we were visiting family and were having dinner at their church. It was a fun event until the pastor announced that the Soviets had launched missiles at the US and our missiles were responding. The mood turned somber, until I realized his description of events matched a TV show I had just been watching before the dinner; he had seen part of the show and thought it was really happening. Fortunately, no one took any drastic actions before the mistake was cleared up!

6. Computer errors. “To err is human, to really mess up takes a computer.” So says Rich Eddy in 2023. Another truthful truism, I kid you not. We trust computers and their output for all kinds of information, from weather patterns to predictions of eclipses. Unfortunately, computers have sometimes made horrible mistakes, and fortunately, people were in the loop and doubted what the computers were saying.

  • October 5, 1960 – NORAD computers alerted that a massive Soviet missile strike was coming at the U.S. When people checked it out, they found sensors had misread a sunrise as missile launches, and a counter strike was averted.
  • December 26, 1983 – Soviet Lt. Col. Stanislav Petrov was on duty at a Soviet early-warning base outside Moscow. He found himself staring at a red screen reading “START” as an alert siren wailed. The computer deemed that a single missile was incoming, followed by a salvo of five. Lt. Col. Petrov had a hunch the warning was a computer error, so he shut things down instead of launching -and saved the world from catastrophe.
  • January 13 2018 – Sirens and alerts on radio, TV, and cell phones warned Hawaiians that the islands were under nuclear attack, with the words, “Emergency alert – this is not a drill!” Fortunately, it was another computer error, and nobody died.For all these reasons – and more – we need to read, view, and hear information with a skeptical attitude that is ready to compare what we are told with what we know to be true. Just as Secret Service agents compare suspected counterfeit bills with authentic ones to determine they are bogus, so we need to compare the counterfeit claims of our culture, and the people in it, to what we know to be true.And how do we know what is true? We begin with the Word of God. We believe that it is infallible and inerrant, meaning it is without errors or deceptions. 1 Peter 1:24-25 tell us that the word of the Lord remains forever, and Numbers 23:19 says that God is not a man, that he should lie, or a son of man that he should change his mind. God’s word is true, eternal and unchangeable; what better standard of truth could there be? Jesus himself said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35, Mark 13:31, and Luke 21:33).

    It is to Jesus, the Truth, to whom the Scriptures testify. The closer we get to him, and the more immersed we are in his Word, the more brightly shines the truth and the more obvious the world’s lies become. He and his word are our touchstone. True, the Bible doesn’t expose every lie out there – such as whether the gals really will love to put their fingers through my hair – but it will reveal the ones that threaten my soul. And to tell the truth, that is what really matters!

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: John 1:14-17; John 4:23-24; John 8:31-32.

P.S. Except for the two examples I included, I did not use ChatGPT to write this blog!

 

 

War and Peace, Part 3

What? A three-part blog? Yes, it’s true, even though I had promised my blog titled “War and Peace” was not going to be as long as Leo Tolstoy’s work of the same name. His book was 1400 pages long, so I have a way to go before breaking my promise. But I do promise there will not be a Part 456 to this topic.

So, why a third part? I had a few more things to say about the topic, and I saw that Part 2 was approaching the length of the Hundred Years War, so I needed to close it up. I hope that the following thoughts will complement what I already said, and provoke some thoughts on your part. Also, no more Latin phrases; I would hate to create a casus belli (reason for war) for you to raise up arms against me.

In no particular order, here are my additional thoughts on warfare:

1. What about a one-on-one battle? Imagine how many lives and resources would be saved if warring nations each chose one champion to fight his or her enemy counterpart. This is actually biblical: the Philistines sent out their champion, Goliath, to fight the champion of the Israelites. He challenged the Israelites, saying, “Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.” We know, of course, that David arose as Israel’s champion and slew Goliath, winning the battle (1 Samuel 17:1-58).

This idea was portrayed in a 1970 movie called The Challenge. The story is about a confrontation between the U.S. and an unnamed Asian country over recovering an American jet that crashes in the other country’s waters. Rather than fight a war over the jet, the countries agree to implement a plan called “Surrogate” in which each country will land one soldier on an uninhabited island to fight it out. Whoever kills the other, wins the “war” for his country. Needless to say, both countries cheat and land a second soldier to improve their chances of winning. And that’s the problem with the idea of a champion; the stakes in real life are too high to risk the outcome of a single battle.

2. Is a war just if you fight to defend only your material possessions? At the personal level, can you use force to defend your home or car if someone breaks in to steal but does not threaten to harm you? The law says that the person’s life is more valuable than your material objects, so you can’t harm them to make them stop. But what is left out of that view is the fact that your property is important for your survival and well-being. Your possessions cost part of your life to acquire, and will cost more to replace. If someone steals all your food, what will you eat? If someone takes your home, will you survive on the street? If shoplifting goes on unchecked, can the affected stores survive to provide jobs and needed goods and services? If society devolves into chaos, everyone’s life is at risk.

At the international level, few wars are fought to kill all your enemies in a genocide. Most have been to seize resources the other country has and you want, such as farm land, water, oil, or valuable minerals. When the Ostrogoths invaded Rome, it was because they needed farmland for their people, since they in turn had been driven out of their former lands by other invaders. They needed land to survive. Without it, their people would die as surely as if out to death by the sword.

James 4:1-3 tells us the reason we fight and war with each other: “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”

3. What about preemptive attacks? Is it okay to attack an enemy before they attack you? Obviously, if you are both at peace, and the other country shows no sign of preparing to attack you, such an attack on your part would not be just. But if war is inevitable, a first strike to diminish their war-making ability may shorten the war and save lives. This is what Japan tried with the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 – to destroy the U.S. Pacific Fleet and prevent us from stopping their conquests. America has not considered that attack as “just.”

But what about Israel committing cyber-attacks to stop Iran from developing atomic weapons, when Iran has sworn to wipe Israel off the map? What about with drones, missiles, or aircraft? Or does Israel have to wait until Iran strikes first to make their own attacks legitimate?

On a personal level, do you have to wait until a home invader hurts you before you can fight back?

4. Is it morally okay to “bear false witness” (lie) in a war? During World War II the British conducted two hugely successful “disinformation” operations that completely fooled the Germans regarding invasion plans. In the first, they planted false invasion plans on a corpse which they dropped in the sea near Spain. The plans were for an allied invasion of German-held Greece, though the real invasion was set for Sicily. The ruse fooled Hitler, who ordered most of his troops in Sicily to defend Greece instead. Likewise, the Allies created a fictional army led by George Patton, comprised of rubber inflatable tanks and false radio traffic, stationed across from Calais, France, to fool the Germans into thinking Calais was the intended invasion target. The ruse worked, and many lives were saved in Normandy, the true invasion destination.

More recently, in its war against Israel, Hamas claimed that Israel bombed a hospital, killing 500 people including many children. It turns out that the hospital was not hit at all, and the only damage to its parking lot was caused by an errant rocket from a Hamas ally. This lie is representative of disinformation (lies) spread by many groups and countries today wherever conflicts occur.

It seems that the propriety of lying in war depends on the justness of the war. If a country is just in fighting the war, it should use means to shorten the war and achieve victory, even through lying. As the Chinese strategist, Sun Tzu, wrote in his book, The Art of War, all warfare is deception.

5. How much force is appropriate? In today’s conflicts, you hear the call for the more powerful party to use “proportional” responses, meaning they should not use more force than necessary to achieve their goals. This is a principle of just war doctrine, but the definition of proportionality can vary. On the one hand, it would be unjust to nuke a country if one of their ships strayed into your territorial waters, or even if they shot down one of your planes in disputed airspace. On the other hand, you are unlikely to win a victory if you send only as many forces as the enemy has available; the result will likely be a stalemate and a bogged down war of attrition, like World War I, causing much more death and misery than if you had been more forceful in the beginning. The principle calls for using only as much force as needed to bring the fighting to an end and save lives in the long run – but enough force to achieve that end.

This pertains to societal and personal levels of conflict as well. Police are constrained to use non-lethal means when possible, but to use sufficient force and numbers to take control of situations and perpetrators. In personal self-defense, potential victims are allowed to use only as much force as is needed to defend themselves; they cannot shoot someone who only shoves them, for example. In this way the principle of “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” in Leviticus 24:20 is fulfilled.

6. How is peace ever possible? Humans’ capacity and desire for war are a great scandal. We should be sustaining and helping each other; instead, we fight and kill, justifying our actions with the flimsiest lies and rationalizations. In the name of national honor we kill and destroy. We want and kill to take what we want. We cause desolation, suffering, and loss, and consider every war as “just.” From the beginning, when the first human born on earth killed his brother, to the future end of time when the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse ride (conquest, warfare, famine, and death), there have been, and will be wars and rumors of war (Matthew 24:6). Only when the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) returns will we finally be at peace. Only then shall we “beat [our] swords into plowshares, and [our] spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Micah 4:3). Only then will we find true peace at every level: personal, societal, and between nations. Only in Christ will we find true peace.

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you,the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: 1 Samuel 17:1-58; Isaiah 2:1-5; Revelation 6:1-8.

War and Peace, Part 2

In my previous blog, I presented biblical passages and teachings regarding matters of war and peace. A short summary of those teachings is that God both desires us to be at peace with each other and abhor violence, and permits, even commands, violence (the use of force) to protect people and restrain evil. The question of which command is applicable in any certain situation, is where issues and disagreements arise.

I ended the previous blog with this statement: “There were times when God commanded the ancient Israelites to war against their neighbors and oppressors. Is there such a thing as a just war today? If so, under what circumstances, and how would such a war be carried out?”

This is the question I will try to briefly address. Given that peace is our prime directive, are there times when war is a valid exception to the rule? Is there such a thing as a “just war?”

For the first 300 years of Christianity, the answer was almost always, “No.” Christians were a despised or even illegal minority, and they suffered persecution and death without fighting back. Even when soldiers converted to the faith, they would lay down their arms and refuse to kill other human beings, under penalty of their own death.

One example of this was the martyrdom suffered by over 6,000 soldiers of Rome’s Theban Legion, who in 286 A.D. were slaughtered by other Roman legionaries after they refused to obey the emperor’s command to hunt out and kill other Christians. Other examples abound of Christians who accepted martyrdom without violent resistance, considering their deaths to be patterned after Christ’s own submissive death.

It was after Christianity became legal – and even mandated – that Christians considered war as appropriate and in some cases, necessary. Very soon, the rightness of war was debated. One very influential writer on the subject was Augustine of Hippo (St. Augustine) who wrote:

“The real evils in war are love of violence, revengeful cruelty, fierce and implacable enmity, wild resistance, and the lust of power, and such like; and it is generally to punish these things, when force is required to inflict the punishment, that, in obedience to God or some lawful authorities, good men undertake wars, when they find themselves in such a position as regards the conduct of human affairs, that right conduct requires them to act, or to make others act, in this way.” Reply to Faustus the Manichaean XXII. 74. Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, vol. 4, p. 301.

Even after the Church accepted the idea of just wars, certain Christian sects continued to hold and practice pacifist doctrines. These have included the Cathars, Lollards, Amish, Mennonites, Quakers, Moravians, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Seventh Day Adventists. (See the moving story of Desmond Doss, a Medal of Honor recipient, Adventist, and conscientious objector who served as a medic in World War II, in the movie, Hacksaw Ridge.)

When I think of situations when the use of force, even lethal force, might be appropriate, I think of three levels: personal, societal, and international.

First, as individuals we may need to use force to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and those who are in our care and need our protection. If someone is on a murderous rampage (such as the recent killer in Lewiston, Maine), and attacks us or those we must protect, we are not only allowed to stop the attack, we are righteous in doing so. Where we draw the line is at self- defense; we may not invade other people’s homes and harm them to steal their stuff. We may not torture the wrong-doer or act as vigilantes, roaming the streets looking for law-breakers to punish. We may not kill someone over a perceived insult or minor wrong; this is where “turning the other cheek” comes into play (Matthew 5:39).

The second level is societal. God raises up governments and charges them with subduing evildoers from harming their subjects/citizens. Romans 13:4 says, “But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he [the ruler] does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.” The police are necessary for a peaceful and ordered society. Where laws are not enforced, the result is rampant crime and societal chaos. It would be nice if police could be like the old British Bobbies, patrolling without sidearms, but those days are past. Nowadays, police have SWAT units to fight criminals with military weapons and tactics. And what happens when police officers themselves step over the line and commit crimes? Then they too should suffer “God’s wrath” under the ruler’s authority.

The third level is international. In a way, it is an extension of personal and societal justifications for violence. It, too, is used to protect those who are, or are about to be, under attack. When one country attacks another, it gathers forces and launches them against the other country. The attacked country responds, and the result is war. Here, one country acts in self defense, and its government uses the sword to restrain the evil being directed at its citizenry. Thus the similarity to the other levels.

Because of the devastating nature of war, countries have entered into treaties to limit aspects of war to protect civilians and regulate the treatment of combatants and Prisoners of War (POW’s). Examples of this are the Geneva Conventions, the Geneva Protocols, and the Hague Conventions. Certain chemical and biological weapons were banned, while the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons addressed such things as landmines, booby traps, and incendiary devices. the intent of the 1980 accord was to limit post-conflict casualties, especially among civilians.

Politicians are not the only ones to consider the question of just wars. Theologians in the Church have also addressed the issue, and have come to the following conclusions on when warfare can be considered “just.”

The first category is about just reasons to go to war (called by theologians, jus ad bellum):

  1. Just cause – innocent life must be at stake
  2. Proportionate cause – the good accomplished by the war must outweigh the evil done by it.
  3. Employed only by a competent authority (Government)
  4. The right intention (to save lives more than to kill enemies)
  5. Probability of success to avoid needless deaths (Luke 14:31 –  “Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?”)
  6. Last resort (All attempts at peaceful resolutions have failed.)

Once a country is engaged in war, it must conduct hostilities in certain ways to remain just. Theologians call this, Jus in bello:

  1. Distinction – between combatants and civilians. You fight against enemy combatants, not civilians, surrendering enemies, POW’s, or neutrals.
  2. Proportionality – minimize collateral damage of civilian life and property.
  3. Military necessity – no violence that does not directly help defeat the enemy.
  4. Humane treatment of prisoners of war – medical treatment, food and water. No torture allowed.
  5. No malum in se, that is, do no acts that are evil in themselves, such as rape and  torture.

Finally, people have recently added a third area of just war: Jus post bellum. This concerns justice after a war, including peace treaties, reconstruction, environmental remediation, war crimes trials, and war reparations. Those are important issues, but are beyond the scope of this blog.

Ultimately, the purpose of a just war is to end violence and bring reconciliation, for we are fighting our brothers and sisters, those who, like us, are made in God’s image. The goal is not to destroy our enemy, but to stop their evil actions. In this way, former enemies may become friends and allies (such as Britain, Germany, and Japan). This desire for renewed fellowship is an important Christian distinction to conflict. Paul tells us in Galatians 6:1, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.”  And Jesus told us that we are to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44), bless those who curse us, and pray for those who abuse us (Luke 6:28). This doesn’t mean we stand by and allow us or others to be killed, but it gives us the right motives and limits our actions to what is needed and no more.

I hope and pray that neither you nor I face situations where our desire to avoid violence is tested. If so, may God protect and guide our actions!

May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine on you and be gracious to you, that Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Romans 12:16; Romans 15:5; Matthew 5:38-48.

P.S. Stay tuned for Part 3, coming soon!

War and Peace

War and Peace.  That was the title of Leo Tolstoy’s great work, his magnum opus, an 1869 novel set in Russia during the war against Napoleonic France. It was magnum in both literary impact and in size – some 1400 pages long, with a cast of 500 characters. It is also the name of this blog, though you can take some comfort in my promise that this blog will likely be shorter than Tolstoy’s epic.

This blog, and the thoughts that brought it to mind, were triggered (a sadly appropriate term) by the events of last Saturday, when the group known as Hamas launched a coordinated attack from Gaza into Israel. The attackers killed over 1,300 Israelis and captured an unknown number of hostages. They also launched thousands of rockets at Israel, adding to the number of dead and wounded.

Israel has declared war on Hamas, and after regaining territory from the invaders, the Israeli military amassed troops on the border, poised to counterattack into Gaza to destroy Hamas. We will see what comes next, though everyone expects the war to be brutal and bloody.

Amid the many calls for peace and negotiations, was the dissenting voice of one Israeli, who said that for there to be peace, the perpetrators who killed so many civilians must themselves be killed. To him, and many like him, the path to peace will lead through war. In the words of the old Latin adage: Sic vis pacem, para bellum (If you want peace, prepare for war).

This situation has raised the question of what Christians should believe – and do – about war.  Historically, Christians have responded in many different ways, from mounting crusades to fighting defensive wars to insisting on pacifism. Therefore, we cannot depend on tradition for our position; we need to go to the Scriptures for guidance.

On the one hand, we see that God’s desire is for us to be at peace with each other. In Genesis, God condemns the spilling of others’ blood, “for God made man in his own image” (9:6). Later, he gave the 10 Commandments, in which he said, “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13). Luther explained that this commandment went far beyond prohibiting killing, to also mean, “We should fear and love God so that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his body, but help and support him in every physical need.”

Then we read Psalm 46:9, which says, “He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire.”

And we have Jesus’ words in the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9), and, famously, “Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Matthew 5:39). And when Jesus told us what are the greatest commandments, he summed them up as loving God and loving our neighbor (Mark 12:31); it’s hard to reconcile loving our neighbor with killing him. Finally, we read Paul’s admonition in Romans 12:18, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”

From these passages, it is clear that God does not desire war and killing. Therefore, pacifism can be a legitimate response by those seeking to honor and obey God’s word.

On the other hand, we unfortunately live in a fallen and sinful world, in which most people don’t care what God has said. Some are sinners who hate their neighbors, and some are outright wicked, delighting in killing for their perceived benefit. What do we do about them? Do we let them run rampant in this world, slaughtering innocent people, hoping that they get their just deserts on Judgment Day? What if the “slap on my cheek” becomes a knife attack against a loved one? Do I tell my family member to turn their other cheek to the knife, when I have the means to stop the attack?

Though the Bible commands peace, it is not naive in its understanding of life. Its clear message is that we do live in a world of sin, and that we must be aware of its dangers and deal with them. The passage that tells us to be “innocent as doves” also tells us to “be wise as serpents” because we are in “the midst of wolves” (Matthew 10:16). Therefore, Jesus could command his disciples to sell their cloak and buy a sword (Luke 22:36).

The Scriptures go further in saying how we should deal with the evil actions of wicked people.

  1.  We are not to associate with wicked people, lest we support them or be tempted to do evil. Proverbs 22:24 warns, “Do not associate with a man given to anger; Or go with a hot-tempered man” Psalms 1:1 says, “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!” And Paul warns Christians in 1 Corinthians 5:11, “But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one.”
  2. Capital punishment of killers is not only permitted; it is commanded. God said in Genesis 9:5-6, “And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.”
  3. Governments have the duty to protect people and restrain evil. Romans 13:3-4 says, “For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.”
  4. The command about turning the other cheek deals with responding to insults, which a Christian can bear without reprisals. It does not talk about protecting the innocent (or yourself) from violent assaults. While you may choose to forfeit your life when threatened (such as accepting martyrdom), you are not required to do so. Your submission may embolden the attacker to kill others,and your loved  ones may depend on you provision and protection. The old saying, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men should do nothing.” is true. Proverbs 24:11 says, “Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.” Rescuing people may require force.
  5. The biblical statement, “an eye for an eye,” from Exodus 21:23 is often looked at as being a bloodthirsty command. But the point was to limit reprisals to “proportionate” actions. You were not allowed to kill someone who took your eye; you were only allowed to take their eye, too. God’s command was to keep violence from spiraling out of control.
  6. Tribes, gangs, and nations go to war for many reasons: land, natural resources, human resources (slaves), markets (legal and illegal), pride, and security from active and potential threats. James 4:1-3 addresses this impulse to war: “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”

Wars of conquest and genocide are obviously wrong. But are there times when it is legitimate for a nation (or an individual) to go to war? Are there times when not going to war would be a greater evil than actually doing so?

There were times when God commanded the ancient Israelites to war against their neighbors and oppressors. Is there such a thing as a just war today? If so, under what circumstances, and how would such a war be carried out? Those are big questions that deserve answers; in the next blog I will try to address them. Until then, be at peace, and pray for the peace of Jerusalem! (Psalm 122:6).

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Isaiah 2:4; Joel3:10; Micah 4:3-4.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Individual

 

society

 

between nations

There’s No Debate

This week witnessed a so-called “debate” in which seven candidates for the Presidency answered questions and traded barbs at each other, all hoping to gain popular support for their candidacies. I say, “so-called” not to insult the participants, but to point out that neither the format nor the results conformed to what I had learned in school about how debates are to work. In a classical debate, there is a proposition, which one side affirms and the other side denies. Then the two sides take turns arguing for their side and against the other. There are rebuttals and counter-arguments, until all the points are made. Finally, the judges, or the audience, declares which side won the debate.

While pondering this week’s debate, another debate came to mind, one which I instituted a number of years ago. For my sermon one Sunday, I pitted my two associate pastors against each other over the question, “Which is more important in Christianity: faith or love?” Defending the former was Reverend Faith, a.k.a. Pastor Salge, and the other, Brother Love, i.e., Pastor Brokenshire. (Of course, neither had a chance, since I provided them with scripts to follow.) In a key exchange, Brother Love claimed to be “another Abraham,” to which the (much) older  Reverend Faith retorted, “I knew Abraham, and you’re no Abraham!”*

It was a lighthearted recap of a very real controversy fought between two major branches of Christianity, over what was necessary for salvation. The Roman Catholic position was that God gave faith to people which enabled them to do works of love, which in turn saved them (salvation by works). But following Martin Luther, Protestants claimed that it was faith alone, apart from works, which saves (sola  fide). Both sides recognize that without God’s grace and Christ’s death and resurrection, there would be no salvation. They differed on how to receive that salvation.

When it came to my faux debate, neither side argued for salvation by works. Both insisted on salvation by God’s grace alone through faith alone as exemplified in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Their debate was therefore about which was more important in the life of a Christian. 

Brother Love had a wealth of passages to draw from. Key passages included the following:

  1. Jesus himself taught us that the greatest commandment is love. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40).
  2. The Apostle Paul elevated love over faith when he said in 1 Corinthians 13, “and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing,” (v.2) and “so now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (v. 13).
  3. Even the Old Testament, with its many laws which commanded works, also demanded  love: Leviticus 19:18 says, “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”
  4. At the Last Supper, Jesus told his disciples, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (John 13:34).
  5. The Apostle John repeated this command in his 2nd Epistle: “the [commandment] we have had from the beginning—that we love one another” (v. 5).
  6. John also said in his 1st Epistle, 4:8, “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
  7. And finally, we read in James 2:17, “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

Brother Love made a strong case, but as Proverbs 18:17 says, “The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.” Now we hear from Reverend Faith:

  1. The very beginning of God’s relationship to a people was when he made a promise to Abraham, and Abraham believed him. Genesis 15:6 says, “And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.“
  2. Paul quotes that verse in Romans 4:3, and in verse 5 adds: “And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.”
  3. In Galatians 3:7, Paul says, “Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.”
  4. Even James speaks of Abraham’s faith: “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness—and he was called a friend of God.”
  5. Numerous times when Jesus healed someone, he credited their faith as having saved them: a paralytic, an ill woman, a leper, blind men, etc.
  6. Hebrews 11 recounts many faithful heroes. It begins with the statement, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” It speaks of faith’s power: “who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.” Hebrews then praises those who believed God’s promises, yet died before seeing their fulfillment in Christ.
  7. In Matthew 17:20, Jesus said, “For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
  8. Finally, the importance of faith is given in Mark 16:16, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

So, which is it? Faith or love? Which is more important? Of course, when all is said and done, “Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35), so one must take all of what the Bible says about both faith and love. They are both vital in the life of a Christian. It’s like a coin with two faces: which is more important? They are both important; if one face is missing the coin is incomplete. Without either faith or love, the Christian life is incomplete.  Our faith receives God’s love and compels our response to love God back, to love those whom he created in his image, and to love the creation which he made. Our faith demands works of love, not just feelings of love which are cheap and transitory. Love is costly; it is risky. But if we trust God through faith, we will act, and our love will draw others to the faith which will save them.

After all is said and done, there is no debate. Faith and love. What a powerful combination of two of God’s greatest gifts. May they both be active blessings in your life!

May the Lord bless you and keep you, may the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you,may the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: 1 Corinthians 13; Hebrews 11.

*An allusion to a famous remark during the 1988 Vice-Presidential debate, when Dan Quayle claimed to be another JFK, and his opponent, Lloyd Bentsen, snapped, “I knew Jack Kennedy, and you’re no Jack Kennedy!”

Fingers To the Bone, Part 2

Welcome back! Previously, I presented some of the things I have been thinking about in regards to the subject of work. I left off by saying that work is about much more than just earning a paycheck. Today, I would like to talk about five reasons why work is good (as long as you are not forced to work your fingers to the bone!). Consider these benefits that come from our work:

  1. Our work provides financial rewards to those who work and their families. Work transforms our efforts into tangible rewards with which we can purchase goods and services we need and want. By working we are trading our time and effort for money or some other means of exchange.  The Bible recognizes employment for gain. Jesus’ parable about workers in the field    centers around workers being paid for their labors (Matthew 20). Luke 10:7 says, “The laborer deserves his wages.”  1 Timothy 5:18 speaks about fair pay when it says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” And 2 Timothy 3:6 says, “The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.” The Bible warns those who would cheat workers of their just pay in passages like James 5:4, “Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.” On the flip side, the Bible also warns those too lazy to work: “For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Work for pay and pay for work are good things.
  2. Our work provides goods and services to other people. As I said above, without workers, we wouldn’t be able to buy any goods or secure any services. But when we work, we produce things and services that other people need to live and enhance their lives. The farmer works hard and produces the food that many people need to sustain life. The electricians install and service lines to provide our homes and businesses with electricity. Teachers instruct our children and watch them a good part of each day so we can work to provide other people with their needs. Just as a tree produces fruit, so a person provides fruits of his or her labors to benefit others. (Ephesians 4:28 says, “. . . work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.”
  3. Our work is spiritually and emotionally rewarding. It just feels good to work hard at something and see what you have accomplished. There are sayings about “a good day’s work” and “a job well done” that speak to the satisfaction that comes from hard work. It satisfies us to see our work do good for others, or else why would so many people volunteer to serve others without pay? We feel happier to help others without expecting any remuneration in return. (Besides, no one could afford me if I charged what I am worth!)
  4. Our work is important for our socialization. Where do we learn how to work with other people, get along with them, handle disagreements, celebrate joint accomplishments, and learn communication skills except in places where we work? Tough bosses can frustrate and anger us, but we learn how to do our jobs while placating them. Lazy co-workers? We learn how to deal with them, too. Rude customers? We gain experience from every one of them. Even if we don’t like them, we can thank God for the “on the job training.” Ecclesiastes 4:9 commends working with other people: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.”
  5. Our work is for the Lord. Whether we work for a company, a corporation, a school, a government, or are self-employed, our ultimate employer is God. Our good works, paid or volunteer, glorify him above all, so we are called to serve him in all our work. In the Old Testament, Proverbs 16:3 promises, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” In the New Testament, Colossians 3:23-24 tells us, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Summarizing, our Lord Jesus taught us, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

So you see, whatever work we do here on earth, it is much more important than the paycheck we may receive for doing it. Our work benefits ourselves, others, and even glorifies God. Jesus tells us that now is the time to work, “while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work” (John 9:4). For one day our labors will cease: “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his” (Hebrews 4:9-10).

Until that day, work hard! But wear gloves if you have to mix any concrete!*

May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Philippians 4:13; 1 Peter 4:10.

*See my previous blog for the story behind this.

The Implant You Need

Next week, I am going to receive a dental implant. It not being my first such implant, I think the word “receive” is a bit mild and misleading.  I will not just walk up to the receptionist at the oral surgeon’s office and pick  up the implant, thank the receptionist, and walk out with the implant. No, it’s more like this: first, the assistant will x-ray my jaw to make sure the powdered cow bone they packed into the empty tooth socket four months ago has formed a strong bone structure. Since I have been craving grass lately,  I am sure it has taken hold properly.  Second, the surgeon will numb my gum/jaw, my first clue that something traumatic is about to occur. Third, the surgeon will pull out his mechanic’s toolbox and select an electric drill. He will rev up the device, and with a grin on his face, he will proceed to drill a hole deep into my jaw. Next, he will place the implant into the top of the hole. Is he done now? Oh, no. Now he grabs a new tool: a socket wrench, and begins to ratchet the implant down into the bone. Finally, I have “received” the implant, and I crawl out of the office with gauze pads packed in my mouth to stop the bleeding, drool coming from my unfeeling lips, and a prescription in my hand for a Schedule II federally- controlled narcotic pain medication.*

The other kind of implant I have is known as an intraocular lens. After being diagnosed with cataracts, I underwent removal of my original lenses and replacement with these artificial, soft plastic lenses. They really are remarkable; years ago a person had to wear what were called “coke-bottle” eyeglasses in order to see after such surgery. Now, the implanted lenses, formed to give a person their desired acuity close up or far away, allow that person to see clearly without glasses. The fact  that I was awake during both of my cataract replacements and could see what they are doing, did nothing to diminish my joy at having improved eyesight.

Yes, implants can be a wonderful thing. I’m waiting for them to invent kidney implants so I can give up dialysis,  but for now, I will just enjoy the benefits of the implants I do have.

But there is one more implant I have not yet mentioned, and that is one that I received without medical intervention. It is truly the greatest implant of all, the one that changed my life forever. And it was given to me apart from anything I have done or deserved. I am speaking of the Holy Spirit, planted in my heart by the Word of God at my baptism.

The Bible is clear that Christians carry the implanted Holy Spirit.

  1.  At the Last Supper, Jesus promised the coming of the Holy Spirit to take his place in the world, to comfort his followers, to empower them, and to lead them in all truth:  “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him” (John 14:16). But note that he promised them the Spirit in a new way, beyond how the Spirit had been with the disciples already. Jesus said, “You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:17). Note the change from “with you” to “in you.” The Holy Spirit is not something we put on and take off as it suits us, but a person who takes up residence within us.

2. Paul picks up this teaching and includes it in his epistles. Romans 8:9 says, “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.” 1 Corinthians 3:16 reminds us, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”confirmed in 1 Corinthians 6:19, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?” Again, Paul writes to Timothy, saying, “By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you” (2 Timothy 1:16).

3. The Apostle Peter also speaks of the Holy Spirit indwelling the prophets: “ Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories” (1 Peter 1:10-11).

4.  And finally, James tells us how the Spirit comes to us: by God’s Word. He says, “Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21).

My physical implants confer certain benefits: better chewing and better vision. Likewise, our spiritual implant, the Holy Spirit, confers all kinds of benefits to those who have received him.

  1. He teaches us and brings to remembrance all that Christ has taught us (John 14:26). This requires that we read God’s Word first, so the Spirit can remind us of what we read.
  2. He pours God’s love into our hearts (Romans 5:5).
  3. Romans 8:11 says, “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” The Spirit gives life, now and eternally.
  4. The Spirit gives us gifts according to his will. Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 give us lists of such gifts, including faith and love, prophecy and tongues. He also grows spiritual fruit in us, such as peace and patience (see Galatians 5:22-23).
  5. The Holy Spirit is our direct connection to God. He helps us to pray. Romans 8:26 says,  “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” Not bad, having a divine advocate speaking on our behalf!
  6. The Holy Spirit is God’s seal, his guarantee, that we are his and will be his forever (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).

So, where does this leave us? It means we are not alone in the world; we have God’s own Spirit within us to strengthen, guide, comfort, and at times rebuke us, to convict us of our sins, and keep us in step with the righteous-ness which Christ has bestowed on us. It is our calling as Christians to walk in the Spirit, believe in the Savior to whom he points, and follow the Holy Scriptures which he inspired – all of which he enables and empowers.

Not bad for a painless implant!

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you. the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Galatians 5:16-25.

* Actually, my oral surgeon is excellent, and I have not had to take more than a Tylenol or two following the surgery.

 

 

 

 

Light In the Darkness

We live in dark times. Not only are sins openly allowed, they are celebrated. Movies, TV, and social media are filled with words and images that just a short time ago would have never appeared in public places. On top of that, anyone speaking against them or calling for constraint or decorum is called a hater of some kind and is then canceled or outright attacked.

Christians are portrayed as villains in movies and TV shows. A man plays Satan in a televised award show. A pro baseball team gives an award to a group that mocks Christ and those who believe in him. A movie exposing the horrors of child sex trafficking is demeaned as “right-wing propaganda,” while others call for unlimited abortions up to and after  birth. Our government, charged by God with restraining evil (Romans 13:4), instead condones and even promotes evil.

It is indeed a very dark time.

Sort of like the time into which Jesus was born.

In those days, the prevailing Greek and Roman societies promoted the worship of idols, that is, demons (1 Corinthians 10:20). Women practiced abortions, primarily by throwing their newborn babies onto the city dump. Pirates and highwaymen waylaid travelers, and human trafficking into slavery was so common that Paul had to address how slaves and their masters were to act toward each other (1 Timothy 6:1-2). Even among the religious Jews of the time there was corruption in business practices (“wicked scales and deceitful weights” – Micah 6:11) and ethnic bias. People were sinful then, just like now. It was a dark world then, just like now. As the French would say, “Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose” (“The more things change, the more they are the same.”).

The good news was that something was about to change – drastically. Not the nature of the world, but the solution to that darkened condition. Light was about to shine in the world. The Apostle John opened his Gospel with the Good News that “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:9). Who or what was that light? The light was Jesus Christ, who in John 8:12 said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

So, what does light, especially the light of the world, do? What good is it?

  1. The first thing light does is reveal our path. Without light, we stumble in the dark; with it, we avoid obstacles and find our way safely. Twice this year, severe wind storms knocked out our power, leaving us without our computers (Oh, no!) or any lights. We dug out a couple flashlights and candles, allowing us to walk safely around the house until the power returned. In a world beset by spiritual darkness, we stumble from one false teaching or belief to another, ending up totally confused and lost. But spiritual light, in the person of Jesus Christ, shows us the way to salvation and eternal life with our heavenly Father. His coming fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy of Isaiah that “the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light” (Matthew 4:16). He who announced that he is the light of the world also said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Jesus not only lights the way to salvation, he is the lighted path himself.
  2. Another thing that light does is reveal things hidden in the dark. This especially applies to evil deeds, which try to hide unseen in obscurity.  That’s why most crimes happen at night, when the perpetrators can hide their identity, or cover up their misdeeds. That’s why political figures try to hide their crimes and moral failures by weasel words and cover-ups. The Bible proclaims that all such evil deeds will be brought to light in the day of judgment. 1 Corinthians 4:5 says when the Lord comes, he will “bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart.”

Unfortunately, many who dwell in darkness – and even love it – don’t want the light or the One who brings it into the world. John 1:9-11 tells us, “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.  He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.” Why doesn’t everyone want the light of Christ in their lives? 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 says, “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” They have been spiritually blinded to the glory of Christ, not wanting to acknowledge their wickedness nor give up the sins which make them happy. Better to “turn a blind eye” to God’s commandments than to feel any obligation to obey them!  

But what about us? What part does Christ’s light play in our lives?

1. We trust that the true light will ultimately triumph, even if the darkness around us is so strong. John 1:4-5 says about Christ, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Similarly, the warning that the light will reveal the deeds of darkness shows the triumph of good over evil. In the words of the song, “This Is My Father’s World,” we hear, “For though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the Ruler yet.”*

2. Like moths, we should flock to the light and avoid the darkness. The Bible warns us as Christians to no longer live in the darkness nor associate with it. This may mean dropping certain activities or friends that would tempt us to continue dark and destructive paths. 2 Corinthians 6:14 warns us, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” And Jesus himself said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 1:12).

3. At his Transfiguration, Jesus shone like the sun (Matthew 17:2). If he is like the sun, we are like the moon, reflecting his light into the world around us. That is why Jesus could say to us, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16). When we shine Christ’s light into the world, we reveal both its lost condition and the one way to its salvation. The world may not like to hear the first part, but it needs to hear the second. According to Romans 2, we are “a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness.” We take to heart the words of the old Sunday School song: “Hide it under a bushel? No! I’m gonna let it shine!”** Our duty as Christians is to walk in the light. Paul called us to be “blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15). Our shining is a testimony to Christ and a call to follow the light to eternal life in Christ.

In Ephesians 6:12, Paul called the world, “this present darkness,” and said it is under the influence of spiritual, cosmic powers of evil. We should remember that when we face the evil words and actions of people around us, we are not to hate them, but to enlighten them to the light of Christ, that they too, like us, may be called out of darkness and into God’s marvelous  light (1 Peter 2:9).  Ultimately, it is only the light of Christ that will chase away the shadows of spiritual darkness.

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: John 1:1-14; Ephesians 6:11-13;

*”This Is My Father’s World”, by Maltie D. Babcock, 1901, public domain.

**”This Little Light of Mine”, by Harold Dixon Loes, public domain.

Alone But Not Afraid

While recently surfing the Internet (a favorite pastime during dialysis), I encountered some ads for a book titled, Alone and Unafraid. Ostensibly written by a former CIA officer, the book purports to teach the reader all kinds of secrets from the spy world about surviving various dangerous situations. Even if a person finds himself alone during a catastrophe, he need not be afraid; the book will teach him what he needs to know to endure safely.

Sounds like a deal. Who wouldn’t want to face life and whatever it dishes out without being afraid? It’s like Shakespeare wrote in Julius Caesar, “Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once.” (Act 2, Scene 2). How much more enjoyable is life when we don’t fear all kinds of things that may or may not happen to us?

The above referenced book title certainly appeals to one of people’s greatest fears: being alone. There’s something especially intimidating about facing problems on our own, without someone there to protect us, share our burdens, comfort us in our pain, and console us in our losses. There are many such tough situations:

1. You lose a loved one to death or other loss, especially a parent or spouse who loved us and provided financial support and handled daily practical needs. Maybe they paid the bills, drove us to school, work, or appointments. Or maybe they just provided companionship (“It is not good that the man should be alone” – Genesis 2:18), a listening ear, and a ready smile. Suddenly there is a void in life, a space that cannot be filled.

2. You are facing a challenge. Maybe it’s a test at school, or a job interview, or a public speech, or “the big game” you’ve been training for. Whatever it is, it is up to you and you alone to take it on. No one can do it for you. (Reminds me of preaching! Talk of feeling “Alone and Afraid” on a Sunday morning!)

3. You are dealing with a serious medical condition. No matter how many people encourage you, the bad news is about you alone, and you are the one who has to undergo whatever procedure or treatment is required. It’s hard not to feel alone and afraid when the doctor looks at your test results and frowns or says, “Oh, oh . . .”

4. You are physically alone due to some disaster. A flood, fire, earthquake, or riot separates you from your normal network of support, supplies, or caregivers. No outside people or providers are available to you as you hunker down or flee the situation. Imagine losing touch with family and friends as you become a refugee.

5. You are at the end of your days. As the words of the song, Ten Thousand Reasons**, put it: “And on that day when my strength is failing, the end draws near and my time has come. . .” During the covid lock downs, too many people in hospitals and nursing homes had to die alone due to bans on visitors. Even Karen’s mother, though she lived another year, had to spend her 90th birthday alone due to restrictions. But even if you are surrounded by your whole family when the time comes, you have to make that final journey by yourself.

These situations can be very discouraging and potentially fear-inducing. But no matter how threatening they may be, with no other human being anywhere near us, we need not fear them, because our powerful and loving God promises to be with us, no matter what happens. Whether we see him or not, he knew what would happen to us long before it did, knows our fears and struggles, and will answer our prayers for help. God promises this to us many times in his Word.

1. When the mantle of leadership passed from Moses to Joshua, God told the new leader not to be afraid of the challenges ahead in conquering the promised land. He said, “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6). This promise was not only for Joshua, but for all believers, because Hebrews 13:5 applies it to us: “for [God] has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

2. The Psalms are full of celebration that God is with us in good times and bad. Psalm 3:6 rejoices, saying, “I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.” Likewise, Psalm 27:1 says, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” And Psalm 56:11 claims, “in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?” The psalmist even addresses loneliness in Psalm 25:16 by calling on God: “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.”

3. The basis of our courage and sense of togetherness with God is based on his love for us. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” And 1 John 4:18 tells us, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” God’s perfect love for us guarantees his presence and comfort. We love our family even when we don’t see them. whether in the next room or across the country; likewise we know God loves us as his own children (John 1:12) even when we feel most alone.

4. God has come to be with us and in us, so we are never alone. Not only did Jesus promise to be with us: “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age“(Matthew 28:20); he also said. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17). Jesus continues in verse 27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Why are we not afraid? Because God’s own Spirit is now in us, so we are never alone.

5. Finally, God does not promise to spare us all the problems of this  life, but does promise to be with us and strengthen us through them all.  Proverbs 16:4 says, “The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.” That God is sovereign and allows suffering is plain in the Scriptures: “What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy” (Romans 9:14-16). But even if the problem we face is the ultimate one of death, even then God is with us. The Apostle Paul asked what can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus; and he concluded that neither “life nor death” nor anything else can do that (Romans 8:38).

Alone and afraid? Not so much. We don’t need a spy-master’s book to tell us that, for we have a better book, the Good Book, through which our God, who promises to be with us always in this life, also promises that we will be with him in the life to come.

May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Psalm 46

*Alone and Unafraid, by Scott Hanson, Laissez Faire Press, c. 2018.

**Ten Thousand Reasons, by Matt Redman and Jonas Myrin, released on Kingsway Music, 2011.

The End of Pride

Today is the end of the month of June, or as it has come to be called, Pride Month.

Though many people celebrate this month to show pride in their lifestyle, I am glad it’s over. For one, it’s a public celebration of sins which God calls abominations (Leviticus 18:22, Deuteronomy 22:5, 1 Corinthians 6:9, etc.). But second, the very name, “Pride Month,” gets something very wrong; it exalts that which the Church has long considered to be one of the “deadly sins,” namely: pride.

What is pride? The dictionary has two different definitions. The first one sounds good: “A sense of one’s own proper dignity or value; self-respect.”* This is the kind of pride used in the country song, “I’m Proud To Be An American” or in expressions about a sports victory, a good test score at school, or raising happy and successful children. This kind of pride rejoices that God made us in his image as the pinnacle of creation, and sent his Son to die for us. Pride in this sense is better than its opposite: shame.

Unfortunately, pride has a second definition, which is “Arrogant or disdainful conduct or treatment; haughtiness.”* This is overweening pride, the kind in which a person thinks of him or herself as better than others, or even better than God. This is the kind of pride that God detests.

The Bible is full of condemnations against sinful pride. Here are just a few of the many pronouncements:  Proverb 8:13 – “Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.”; Proverbs 11:2 – “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.”; Proverbs 29:23 – “One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.”; 2 Samuel 2:28 – “You save a humble people, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down.” Jesus himself warned in  Mark 7:21-23 -“For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” Take note that pride is ranked with murder and immorality as defiling a person.

The Bible gives us examples of people who let pride puff themselves up and paid the price for it

1.  Adam and Eve. Why did they disobey God’s one prohibition and eat the forbidden fruit? The tempter framed it as able to make them “be like God,”   (Genesis 3:5). 1 John 2:16 calls this sin, the pride of life.” And what was the penalty for the pride of wanting to be like God? Only banishment from paradise, suffering, and death.

2. Nebuchadnezzar. In Daniel 4, the Babylonian king learns the pitfalls of pride the hard way. He begins by surveying his magnificent city and says, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” God immediately rebuked him, and caused him to go mad, crawl like an ox and eat grass. Finally, after being duly humbled and restored to sanity, the king summed up his ordeal by saying, “and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” (4:37).

3. Theudas. In Acts 5:36, the Pharisee Gamaliel, spoke of a false Messiah who paid the price for puffing himself up: “For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing.”

Truly, these example prove that Proverbs 16:18 is correct when it proclaims: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

But why does God treat pride so harshly? Because we sin when we look at ourselves as not needing God. Basically, we put ourselves in God’s place, attributing our accomplishments to our own wisdom and strength, rather than praising God for what he has done for us. Psalm 10:4 says, “In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, ‘There is no God.'” In his Large Catechism, Martin Luther explained the First Commandment as meaning we are to recognize that all good comes from God. To look elsewhere (such as to ourselves), is to make a god out of that other thing.

Paul warned against this sinful pride when he wrote, “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight” (Romans 12:16″ and “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31). He affirmed that true Christian love seeks what is good for the other person in humility: “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant” (1 Corinthian 13:4).

Today, the world is full of pride, whether celebrated in parades, boasted in the number of “likes” on social media sites, or shown by conspicuous consumption of high priced things. Isaiah warns that the day will come when all our markers of self-exalting pride will be stripped away. He says, “The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day” (2:11), and “I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant, and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless” (13:11).

Fortunately, we sinners – who are also guilty of pride – have a way out. The Old Testament prophet Habakkuk point the way in his book: “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.” And what is the faith by which we shall live? Simply this: faith in Jesus Christ our Savior, who did not grasp onto the pride which he deserved as the eternal God, but humbled himself to become man and die for our sins. By faith in him all our sins- even pride – are forgiven.

One day, all human pride will end as we stand before the throne of God at the final judgment. We will hear proclaimed the name of our Savior, and then “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11). Some will bow in joy, others in terror. but all will bow humbly, as we realize that we can boast of nothing in ourselves before the Almighty God (1 Corinthians 1:29). That’s when pride shall meet its final end.

May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen

Read: Daniel 4:28-37; 1 Corinthians 1:28-31; Ephesians 2:8-10.

*American heritage Dictionary, 5th Edition.

**Also known as “God Bless the USA” by Lee Greenwood, 1983.

The Good Book in the Pew

Recently, the editor of The Evangel, the national magazine of The American Association of Lutheran Churches (TAALC), asked me to write an article for their May/June edition. The edition was to address one of two topics: the Holy Scriptures, or the congregational life of the Church. I accepted the assignment, immediately knowing I would combine the two topics into one about the Scriptures in the life of the congregation. The article was accepted, and appeared this month in the magazine. For those who don’t get The Evangel, I thought I would include it here in my blog. Therefore, I give you the following:

The Good Book in the Pew

I am sure you have seen, either in a church you visited, or in your own church, a rack on the back of the pew in front of you. That rack may hold a hymnal, some offering envelopes, an old bulletin covered with kids’ scribbles, or most likely, a Bible.

Certainly, a church that places the Bible there does so to honor God’s Word and benefit the worshipers. But does that Bible actually get used, or is it just a symbol of the faith, another churchy decoration like the paraments and candles? Does it play a part in the service, or does it just gather dust?

I ask these questions, not to denigrate the use of pew Bibles. They should be there. But if we are to be faithful Christians who believe and follow what Scripture teaches, then the Bible needs to play a much bigger role in the life of our congregations. Scripture cannot be just for show, or something we add to our other church activities, but must exist at the very core of who we are and all that we do.

By definition, “The Church is the congregation of saints, in which the Gospel is rightly taught and the Sacraments are rightly administered.”* But how are we to rightly preach or administer the Sacraments, or even know what the Gospel is, or those Sacraments are, without the Scriptures? Indeed, how do we know who are the saints, unless the Bible tells us so? Therefore, the absolute requirement for any church is to teach those things to its people.

Another core necessity for continued biblical understanding flows from our doctrine that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, the only infallible rule for faith and life. As Paul wrote, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, ESV). If Scripture is going to guide our lives, both as a congregation and as individuals, we need to know what it teaches and treat it as our authority.

So, how do we make sure the Bible does more in our churches than just fill some pew racks? Let me suggest the following:

  1. Begin with a firm commitment by the pastor and church leaders that Scripture will be an integral part and guide for the congregation. They must agree to use Scripture as their guide for all decisions they make and all ministries they conduct.
  2. Preach and teach from Scripture. Contemporary illustrations can help people relate to God’s Word, but sermons must not be about the latest theories or self-improvement fads. Preaching should both challenge with the Law and comfort with the Gospel.
  3. Teach and encourage a love for God’s Word, so that the people will want to hear it and read it on their own, in addition to at church. Think of Psalm 1, which speaks of the blessed person delighting in God’s Law and meditating on it day and night. If we treat Bible reading as a chore, people won’t take the time and effort to read it.
  4. Regularly conduct Bible studies throughout the week as able, expanding the teaching to include Scriptures beyond the lectionary. There are many rich and edifying stories not covered in the usual preaching cycles, such as Noah’s Flood and Daniel in the lions’ den. If all Scripture is God-inspired, we should not ignore any of it.
  5. Provide opportunities for members to share their favorite Bible passages with each other, maybe in newsletters or during church gatherings. Hearing others tell why certain Scriptures mean so much to them blesses us as well.

During his time as a monk, Martin Luther had access to only one Bible. It was in Latin and chained to a desk in the monastery’s library. Its precious teachings and words of hope and life were not available to the common believers in the churches. One of the greatest things Luther did was to free the Bible from its shackles by translating it into the language of the people, and thus making it available and understandable. He knew the power of God’s Word for salvation and life, and the important role it must play in the life of the congregation. Let us not leave our Bibles shackled to our pews, but use them freely in every aspect of church life, that the Word of Christ may dwell richly in us (Colossians 3:16).

End of article

The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Psalm 1; Colossians 3:16; 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

*Article VII of the Augsburg Confession

You can read this and other articles online at taalc.org. Click on the Resources tab and you will see The Evangel as the first selection.

Hold Your Tongue!

Recently, as I have viewed various movies and video clips, and have heard people speaking, one particular biblical passage has come to mind.  The passage is from the Book of James, Chapter 3. It goes like this:

“The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell” (James 3:6).

Why does this verse come to mind so often? Because of the coarseness of today’s speech. It is one thing to despair of improper grammar and sloppy sentence construction – which do bother me to some degree (such as using “it’s” as a pronoun rather than as a contraction of “it is” which of course, it is). Or when people say “aks” instead of “ask.” Or when they write “whom” when the correct word is “who.” (or vice versa).

Yes it’s one thing to be a “grammar policeman,” always correcting people’s spelling and grammar,  but altogether something else to lament the current state of public discourse in our country. For no matter how much instruction you have had in proper English usage, you have to recognize that our society has become much more vulgar and blasphemous in recent years. It’s (notice the proper use of the contraction) not that people never swore in the past – they did, and some of our swear words today have long and “colorful” histories even back to Anglo-Saxon days, but the use of such words has become ubiquitous, being used everywhere. Previously, rough language was used privately or in certain situations but now it is common throughout the media, especially in millennials’ social media.

Now, I need to address this issue, but I will try to do so without actually writing the offensive words. For one thing, I don’t want you to put those words in your minds like infectious mind viruses. Another analogy would be to call them toxic waste that would pollute your mind.) But the other reason is that offensive words can change; the principle is what matters. No matter  what words become “bad words” in the future, there are three types of speech which James would agree we need to control.

These kinds are:

1. Blasphemous words. These are the words which break the Second Commandment. It’s not that words naming or describing the Deity are inherently bad; it’s how we use them that matters. If we name them in prayer, in preaching or teaching, or in witnessing to others, those are holy uses and therefore they honor God and don’t blaspheme him. It is when we use them as expletives in  anger, as common expressions of surprise, or combined with vulgar words to show emphasis, that we have used God’s name in vain. This is no small thing with God. His word proclaims many times that his Name is to be praised (e.g., Job 1:21 and Psalm 113:2,3 “Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore”).  Beyond that, God warns against blaspheming his Name: when God gave the command against taking his Name in vain, he finished the sentence by saying, “for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” Let us make sure that we don’t misuse God’s Name, especially around what may be non-believers, thereby cheapening the Name that should be praised. How can we treat the “name that is above every name” (Philippians 2:9) as vulgar?

2. Vulgar words. While discussing bodily functions (or the lack of them!) with your doctor is certainly appropriate, do we really need to sound like junior high boys spouting crude names for excretory and reproductive functions?  No one needs to hear me pepper my speech with graphic descriptions of body parts. Sure, as a teenager I thought the Russian “Song of the Volga Boatmen” was about the “vulgar boatmen,” but I grew up. Unfortunately, it seems many adults have not yet made that transition. Their argument is that they want their speech to sound “real.” They say not to hide our thoughts with softened words like “heck” or “rats!”  But my parents “kept it real” when talking about all aspects of life and never used any vulgarities in their speech. When people fill their sentences with one vulgarity after another, they are only revealing how limited are their vocabularies.

3. Words used to insult, belittle, or harm others.  When explaining the Eighth Commandment, Martin Luther wrote, “We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way.” It is a sign of our love and fear of God that we use language that is beneficial and uplifting to others. There is no room for a Christian to curse others with hateful speech. The Bible commands Christians to watch their language, and not use it against other people. James 3 contrasts the words with which we praise God and those which we use to curse those who are made in God’s image: “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be” (James 3:9-10). Likewise, Paul commands Christians to focus on good speech: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is  anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8).

All in all, Christians are called to rise above the common speech of whatever culture in which they live. Neither blasphemies, crude language, nor hateful words are allowed.  As James 1:26 says, “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.” A few other relevant passages include:

  • Ephesians 5:4 “Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.”
  • Matthew 5:2 “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”
  • 1 Peter 3:9 “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.”
  • Colossians 3:8 “But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.”

Therefore, I encourage you to guard your speech, making sure that it is holy, uplifting, edifying, and sweet in the ears of all who hear you speak or read what you write. And if you should be tempted to blurt out any words you shouldn’t, then follow James’ advice, and “Hold your tongue!”

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Psalm 30:12; Psalm 47:6; James 3:3-12; Colossians 3:1-17.

Without Easter

Have you ever wondered what the world would be like without Easter?

For those who don’t know Christ, it might mean some of the following:

  • The absence of hollow rabbits made of questionable chocolate.
  • The vanishing of marshmallow Peeps(r).
  • One less family feast (with ham instead of turkey).
  • A decline in Hallmark’s holiday sales figures.
  • The end of community egg hunts for the children.
  • Not seeing The Ten Commandments movie on TV (the only acceptable religious show, even though it does not deal with Christ’s resurrection).
  • And for atheists, good riddance!

Yes, without Easter, our modern culture would lose some of its traditions, but nothing really earth-shaking. There would have to be some changes made, but eventually there would be a “Coming of Spring” holiday that would take Easter’s place, just as a celebration of Winter has supplanted much of Christmas. Then the chocolate bunnies and Peeps(r)  would return and even the atheists would be happy.

But for Christians, a world without Easter – not just the celebration of it, but the reasons for it – would be devastating. Christians know that without Easter:

  • Good Friday would not be so good.
  • The mocking of Jesus by the priests, soldiers, and crowds would ring bitterly true. (Luke 23:3).
  • The death of Jesus would be just another death, like all the false messiahs before (Acts 5:36-37) and after him (Matthew 24:24). His work would have ended with his death.
  • The promises of God would be null and void. We could no longer trust his word, nor believe Jesus who promised he would rise on the third day (Matthew 27:63, Mark 9:31, Luke 18:33).
  • We would have to strike our Creeds, which proclaim Jesus was raised “according to the Scriptures” (Nicene Creed) and “on the third day he rose again” (Apostles’ Creed).
  • We would not have the Christian Church. At the most we would have a social club or philosophical society debating the sayings of Jesus.
  • Sundays would no longer be miniature Easters.
  • Christmas would lose it importance. Why celebrate the birth of another Jewish baby 2000 years ago?
  • Eternal life would be a futile hope.
  • We of all people would be most to be pitied (1 Corinthians 15:19).
  • The deaths of our loved ones would be disasters, and we would grieve as those without hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13).

It’s clear that to a believer, Easter is an essential part of our faith, however it is celebrated, with hymns or lilies or bunnies or Peeps(r). It is the core of our faith, the motivation for our lives, and the hope of our future. It is irreplaceable and all-encompassing. In it we find peace and joy. It is life itself.

But there’s one more great truth to remember about Easter. It does not affect only Christians. Though much of the world denies its truth and tries to live in ignorance or denial of the greatest event in history, its truth will one day catch up with them. Because God’s promises were fulfilled at the empty tomb, so also will all his warnings be fulfilled at the end – of the world or of their lives. One day even those who denied or mocked Jesus will realize he is who he said he is: Lord of all. On that day, “every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11). For many, that will be a terrible day of judgment and wrath. But for believers it will be a day of unspeakable joy.

A world without Easter? Never! That glorious event happened 2000 years ago and changed everything. Because it happened, “all the promises of God find their Yes in him [Christ]”  (2 Corinthians 1:20). That means promises of forgiveness, adoption by God, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and eternal life. No matter what the world believes, the truth of Easter can never be taken from us, for what God has promised, he will fulfill.

May you have a happy and joyous Easter celebration! Christ has risen; he has risen indeed!

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. Amen.

Read:  Matthew 28:1-10; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-18.

Sackcloth and Ashes, Part 2

In my previous blog, I talked about this season of Lent, its meaning, and some of the ways Christians observe these somber weeks. The overall theme is God’s call on us to repent of our sins, sins for which Jesus died to bring us forgiveness and eternal life. I illustrated this call to repentance with the story of Jonah, the reluctant prophet whose half-hearted warning to the people of Nineveh still resulted in their repentance and forgiveness. Their story is important to know, but how does that affect us and God’s call on us to repent?

Let me suggest that our repentance can be described with the following, all beginning with the letter, “C”.

  1. Conviction – This is about recognizing and admitting that we are sinners and stand before a holy God, deserving of his punishment. This, the very beginning of all repentance, is probably the hardest for many people to accept. In our own hearts and minds, we are basically good people. Sure, we occasionally mess up, but it’s not really our fault, and besides, we don’t do that badly, right? After all, we’re not bank robbers or murderers or terrorists, are we? Like the Pharisee in Jesus’ parable, we thank God we are not like those sinful tax-collectors over there!

Even when we know our actions don’t match up with God’s commands, we often find excuses by which we rationalize what we do: “I took it because I deserve it; I gossiped because everyone needed to know what happened; I cheated on my taxes because the government was just going to waste it anyway, I cheated on my spouse because he/she doesn’t really understand me, etc.” We try to justify ourselves in order to keep our self-esteem high, because to admit we actually did something wrong may make us look bad to others – or to ourselves.

But scripture is clear that we are all sinners who stand convicted and guilty before God. In our weekly services we hear the words of 1 John: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” We read in Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” And both testaments affirm “there is no one righteous, no not one.”

At the Last Supper, Jesus promised the coming of the Holy Spirit. He said that the work of the Holy Spirit would be to convict the world of sin. When we truly know in our hearts that we are sinners and have sinned, it is because the Spirit has convicted us of our guilt through the hearing of God’s commandments in his word.

This is what hit the Ninevites so hard: they heard God’s word spoken by Jonah, and God’s Spirit convicted them that they were truly guilty and deserved God’s wrath. Likewise when we hear what God expects from us and what he forbids us to do, we become convicted that we have sinned and deserve the same wrath God almost poured out on Nineveh. That prepares us for the second part of repentance.

  1. Contrition – This is sorrow for what we have done – against God and others. It comes from the Latin word, contritus, which means, “ground to pieces,” as in being crushed by guilt for what we have done. It goes beyond just admitting our guilt – contrition is sincere sorrow, regret, and remorse for sins we’ve committed.

We feel sorry when something bad happens to us and our loved ones, but do we ever feel sorrow for the bad things that we do? How many public officials and politicians hold tearful press conferences about how sorry they are for their bad behavior before their sin is exposed by someone else? They seem more sorry to have been caught than to have done it in the first place. Likewise, are we more sorry for the consequences of our acts than we are for our sinful desires and attitudes that led us to do them? Are we truly sorry that we have thumbed our noses at God and his commandments? Are we just “sorry” because we know we should do better, or do we feel true contrition, that is, heart-felt sorrow for “our failure to live as God’s people in this place”? When the Ninevites put on their sackcloth and ashes, they were expressing the change in heart they felt for their sins: they were showing outwardly the contrition they felt inwardly.

True contrition leads to a “sackcloth and ashes” level of repentance, in which we grieve our sins and throw ourselves on God’s mercy. Gone are our excuses and rationalizations. Gone is our self-justification. We now depend totally on God and accept his judgment. David expressed this contrition in Psalm 51, following his sins of adultery and murder: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”

  1. Correction – The mark of true remorse is to correct what we are doing wrong. How sorry do we really feel for doing something wrong if we keep on doing it? Do we cry “crocodile tears” when we are caught, only to go back to it when we think no one is watching? Repentance is turning away from pursuing sin and instead turning toward God and his ways; it means a change in the way we live. God saw this in the Ninevites, who did more than just dress and eat differently because of their remorse; they also turned from the violent and evil ways they had been living, and cleaned up their act. They showed in their more righteous living what Matthew 3:8 later commanded: “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.”

As Christians, we know we are not saved by our works. We can live a moral life, give generously to the needy, serve the church night and day, and even become a wonderful pastor, but all our good actions will not undo even one of our sins. We depend totally on the grace and mercy of God, and yet having been saved, we are called to live differently than the world lives, to live better and more in keeping with God’s will and commandments. And the same Spirit who convicted us also empowers us to desire God and his will for our lives, and to do it.

  1. Christ – the fourth “C” involved in repentance is Christ, for without him and his sacrifice for us on the cross (is that the 5th “C”?), all the conviction and sorrow and change of behavior would not satisfy God’s call for repentance. Conviction does not save us – it just shows we’re guilty; contrition does not save us – it just shows we’re sorry; correction doesn’t save us – it’s what we should be doing anyway. Only Christ provides the forgiveness we need; only faith in his atonement on the cross is sufficient for salvation. That’s because true repentance involves both turning from sin, and turning to God through faith in his Son, Jesus Christ.

So let us move forward through Lent, repenting of our sins, all the while looking forward to the day when Christ himself shall trade our sackcloth for his robes of righteousness, and our ashes for his oil of gladness. And let us give thanks that Jonah was right about one thing: for God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love!

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Jonah chapters 1-4 again!

 

Sackcloth and Ashes

Today begins the 40 day observance of Lent, the somber season in which we Christians traditionally consider our sins as the reason Christ died. Our observance often includes wearing ashes on our foreheads (hence the name, Ash Wednesday), worship with confession and repentance, fasting, and service to others. In our liturgy, we replace the singing of the “Alleluia” with what is called the Lenten Sentence, which calls us to “Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”

These Lenten practices have their basis in Scripture, especially, if surprisingly, in the Old Testament book of Jonah. We would do well to consider his story as we journey through Lent toward the Cross and the Empty Tomb.

Jonah was not happy, for he was having a bad week. It all began when God called him to go preach a warning message to the huge city of Nineveh, which happened to be the capital of Israel’s mortal enemies, the Assyrians. Then when Jonah tried to get out of the task by sailing in the opposite direction, God sent a violent storm, and he was thrown into the sea by the pagan sailors who realized Jonah’s God was angry at him for something. Jonah almost drowned, sinking down to the depths of the sea and being entangled in seaweed. But even as Jonah’s death seemed imminent, along came a great fish that swallowed him whole and kept him alive for three days and nights in its belly. Not a pleasant experience for sure: even if you like seafood, the term, “sleeping with the fishes” is not something you really want to do! Finally, the fish spit Jonah up onto land.

Again, this was not a good week for Jonah, because even though he survived that ordeal, from his perspective, things were about to get worse. God came to him a second time and repeated his command for Jonah to go preach to Nineveh. This time, Jonah obeyed: he proclaimed to the city a simple message, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” and then he sat down and waited for God to pour his wrath upon the Ninevites and destroy them.

But something dramatic happened. The people of Nineveh, from the king on down to the lowliest peasant, believed God, and turned to him in repentance for their sins and violent ways. They fasted and wore sackcloth – think burlap bag. The king himself took off his royal robes and put on sackcloth and sat down in ashes to mourn what he and his people had done and what was likely to happen to them if God did not forgive them. The king ordered that man and beast alike must fast and wear sackcloth, in hopes that God would spare them.

And then, to Jonah’s dismay, God accepted their repentance and forgave them. Jonah complained to the Lord, saying why he fled from God the first time: he didn’t want Nineveh to be spared, and was afraid they might repent and be forgiven. He said to the Lord, “For I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.”

So why did God spare Nineveh, when centuries earlier he had destroyed other wicked cities such as Sodom and Gomorrah? Jonah 3:10 tells us: “When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.”

Now did you notice what was missing from that explanation for the Lord’s mercy towards Nineveh? It does not say, “When God saw what they did, how they put on sackcloth and ashes and fasted, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them.” What it says is, “When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them.” It was not a change of clothing that saved them; it was a change of heart, which showed itself in their new, more righteous way of living.

The main effect of sackcloth and ashes back then, and of all the Lenten disciplines of prayer, worship, service to others, and fasting today, is not on God. He already loves us; he already is by nature gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love; and we cannot manipulate him into forgiving us by what we wear or what we eat. Instead, the main effect of the Lenten disciplines is what those disciplines do to us.

We are the ones who need to be changed. We are the ones who sin and stand in danger of God’s righteous judgement; we are the ones for whom Christ died, and we are the ones called to turn to God in faith and repentance. Lenten disciplines remind us of these facts, and help us to focus on them more than we usually do in our daily lives.

Repentance is what the Lord desires from us. 2 Peter 3:9 says the Lord is patient toward us, “not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” Matthew 4:17 tells us that from the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, his message was, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Then, just before Jesus ascended to heaven, Luke 24:47 says he taught “that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” And on the great day of Pentecost, Peter told the crowd, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. . .” (Acts 2:38)

God’s word clearly says so many times that he desires us to repent. But what does that actually mean? In Part 2 of this blog, I will suggest four things that are essential to true repentance. In the meantime, see what you come up with on your own.

Now, may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Jonah chapters 1-4

Super Bowls of Wrath

We are just one day away from the national extravaganza known as Super Bowl LVII. I think LVII translates to 57 in every language except ancient Latin. To show how old I am, I remember back to Super Bowl I. When that first match up between the champions of the National and American Football Leagues was announced, I thought the name “Super” was a bit pretentious and even corny, and was just a passing fad. Boy, was I wrong!

Now, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying an athletic contest between the best teams and players. Unfortunately, all the attention and hype given to the Super Bowls make it seem as if those bowls are important in the great scheme of things. But they are not; in fact, those bowl games pale to insignificance compared to another series of bowls – the seven bowls of God’s wrath proclaimed in the Book  of Revelation.

The 16th (XVI ?) chapter of Revelation describes seven terrible bowls of God’s wrath that his angels will one day pour out upon the earth. These include sores and boils, the sea and rivers turned to blood, a scorching sun, darkness, demonic spirits, a great war, and city-destroying earthquakes. Similar to the plagues that struck Egypt in the days of Pharaoh, these will demonstrate God’s power and judgment on mankind’s wickedness, prior to Christ’s final, victorious return.

I do not bring up these seven “Super” bowls of God’s wrath in any attempt to explain the Book of Revelation. There are many existing commentaries that attempt to do just that. Differing interpretations have led to various theories and the formation of entire denominations, all certain that their particular understanding is the right one. My purpose instead is to remind people that a day of God’s judgment is coming, and it will not be a game.

Usually, I write about God’s grace and mercy, and how knowing that can shape our lives. We celebrate God’s love for us, and rejoice that he has allowed us to become his children and inheritors of eternal life. His goodness to us calls us to “pay it forward” in acts of love and service to each other as we look forward to Christ’s glorious return.

That’s all good – it is after all, the message of the Gospel – but there’s the other side to what God has revealed in his Word. For he is not only a loving God, he is also a God of judgment, a God who is not mocked (Galatians 6:7), a God who sent a great flood to wipe out most of mankind (Genesis 6), who will destroy the earth with fire (2 Peter 2:10,12), and cast the devil, the demons, and those who are not redeemed into hell (Revelation 20).  These are scary thoughts, but they are necessary to fully appreciate what Jesus did for us on the Cross. If we are to proclaim that Jesus saves, we need to know from what does he save us? If God is just a “kindly old grandfather” who accepts anyone and everything, then what we do in this life doesn’t matter. But, if as Galatians 6:7 says, “for whatever one sows, that will he also reap,” then how we live matters greatly.

Unfortunately, too many American churches today are focused solely on God’s love, to the exclusion of God’s anger and wrath. In an effort to appeal to the widest possible audience, they soft-pedal God’s call to righteousness. Instead of preaching condemnation of sin, and calling for repentance, they teach a smiley-face form of happy living, self-improvement, and blatant acceptance of every sinful behavior in the name of “inclusion.” But how can you have “your best life now” when you are mired in horrible sin and its consequences?

Where is there godly sorrow for what we have done? Where are the voices speaking out against wickedness? Where are the warnings of fire and brimstone falling on unrepentant sinners? They are largely absent, shushed up by our pagan culture so that nominal Christians are afraid to be called judgmental, fill-in-the-blank-phobic, narrow-minded, out of step, or worse: extremists! So they try to keep a low profile, avoiding speaking out against the evils around them. Like the false prophets of old, they cry “Peace!” and lead people astray (Micah 3:5).

In the words of Rich Mullins’ song, “I hope that we have not too quickly forgotten that our God is an awesome God.”*

But the Bible is clear that God detests sin, and will bring severe judgment on all who are not covered by the blood of Jesus Christ. We are all sinners and we know that to have sinned in one thing is to be guilty of all (James 2:10); therefore we all deserve God’s righteous judgment. But there are certain egregious sins which the Bible condemns in particular, which are even now rampant in our country today:

  • Abortion. It has gone far beyond a legitimate concern for a young woman who is raped and finds out she is pregnant. Now, protestors carry signs that say, “I’d rather be a murderer than a mother” and brandish red-soaked dolls. And then, congressmen and women wear pins that say “Abortion” to the State of the Union address (with a little heart instead of an “o” – only appropriate since abortion stops a beating heart). But God said we shall not murder (Exodus 20:13), and the Psalmists extol how God knit us in the womb (Psalm 139:13), fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), and call those in the womb a treasure and a blessing (Psalm 17:14).
  • Promotion of sexual sins and deviancy. It’s one thing to be compassionate toward those who suffer confusion over their identities, and another to extol and promote such things as normal and good. The Scriptures warn those who would call evil good (Isaiah 5:20), and spell out what some of those sins are that God detests: homosexuality, pedophilia, incest, bestiality, and even cross-dressing. There are more of these sins than I care to even mention, but they are summed up in the commandment, “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14).
  • Theft and robbery under the guise of inequity and just recompense for past wrongs by previous generations. Theft is expressly forbidden by the Ten Commandments, as is the idea  of punishing people for the sins of their ancestors. Jeremiah 31:29-30 say, “In those days they shall no longer say: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’ But everyone shall die for his own iniquity. Each man who eats sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.” In other words, we are each responsible for what we do.
  • Class, race, and political hatreds. Jesus taught us to love and do good to those we perceive as our enemies (Luke 6:27). Scripture also teaches that we are all descended from the same original parents, and are all created in the image of God. To hate each other is to hate God, and if we do not love, then God is not in us (1 John 3:11).
  • Denial of God and exaltation of paganism. In an effort to cast off the “shackles” of God’s law, people deny his authority or existence, and praise whatever they think will affirm their sinful desires and remove any sense of guilt. This goes beyond any specific sin to include all of them. The Book of Judges 17:6 describes our situation with the words, “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” And Paul sums it up with the words, “they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator,” (Romans 1:25). People have always been guilty of this, but today this is evident in our public culture. You only have to watch the literally satanic performance at this year’s Grammy Awards, or see the horned and tentacled statue honoring Ruth Bader Ginsburg. We have violated the first and chief commandment to worship the Lord God and serve him only (Exodus 20:3, Matthew 4:10).

Revelation 21:8  warns about these and other sins when it says, “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

God will not wink at sin and wickedness. There will be no place in heaven for much of what our country now celebrates. The question is not whether God will pour out bowls of wrath upon a sinful world – and nation – but whether we personally will escape God’s righteous judgment. Romans 1:18 warns, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.”

As for our nation, I fear God’s judgment will fall upon America unless we heed the words of 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” Short of a national repentance, I fear the super bowls of God’s wrath will destroy us!

The only escape is repentance and faith in Christ, who bore God’s wrath for those who believe in him. It is in that hope that we trust the promise that there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Revelation 16.

* From the song “Awesome God” by Richard Mullins, Reunion Records, 1988.

P.S. Ruth Bader Ginsburg is sometimes referred to as RBG. Interestingly, a different RBG, Ruth Bell Graham, coined the statement, “If God doesn’t punish America, He’ll have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.” Of course, God will never owe an apology for anything he does, but her comparison of America to those doomed cities makes its point.

 

 

 

Good Night, Sleep Tight

Did you ever hear the little ditty my parents would say to me when it was time for me to go to bed? It went like this: “Good night, sleep tight. Don’t let the bedbugs bite!” Which I always thought was a weird way to send your kid to bed; instead of drifting off to sleep with various pleasant thoughts, the poor children would see “visions of creepy-crawlies dance in their heads.” Not especially conducive to blissful rest! The other restful line kids were told to say included the words, “If I should die before I wake . . .” which though theologically correct, was also somewhat anxiety-producing.

Perhaps it was one of those lines going through my head, or maybe a mess of unresolved thoughts about the current state of our country and world, or, whatever movie I watched before bedtime, or most likely, my own personal health issues. Whatever the mix of those thoughts recently, I couldn’t get any sleep. After tossing and turning most of the night, even after praying for relief, I finally decided I needed to fill my mind with more restful thoughts.

I got up and staggered to my computer. First, I found a video of “sleep- inducing” nature sounds: a good old Midwestern rainstorm. I blanked the screen and listened to the sounds of rain and far-off thunder. The video was said to run for three hours, but I didn’t make it that long; It turns out the sound of running water called forth sympathetic urges in myself that interfered with any thought of sleep.

After that experiment, I tried sitting in the dark while imagining a more benign fantasy of lecturing at some college. I have no idea why I thought that would work, because before long I had created an entire course syllabus in my mind, along with fleshed-out talks, illustrations drawn from current events, and book citations that went back to a book I read in high school! Then came imaginary exchanges with the students and I knew this plan was not working. My mind was just too hyper-active.

That was when I decided I needed to read Scripture. But I knew that the choice of what to read would be important: nothing too exciting (like Joshua) or too theologically complicated (like Romans or Revelation). Nothing to arouse me to ponder ongoing denominational debates. No, maybe something like Leviticus or the genealogical lists of Genesis 10  (“The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. The sons of  Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. . .  etc.”)

But then my choice became obvious: the Psalms. I remembered that many of them contained the cries of God’s people asking for relief, and I knew that applied to me.  So I began reading, right at Psalm 1 “Blessed is the man . . .” From that, I skipped around, looking for the words that seemed most relevant to my pressing need.

I found some very helpful passages. Psalm 86 spoke more generally where it said “Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace. In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me.” (verses 6, 7). And Psalm 127:2 addressed my need directly: “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.” Amen!

But what I discovered as I read these and other psalms was more important than verses about helping me to sleep. The thing that all these psalms had in common, besides whatever specific need they expressed, was that they praised God for who he was and what he has done. Even those psalms that complained to God about injustices, or celebrated his creation, or shared the wisdom of fearing God, all concluded by praising God.

As I pondered that, I realized that my own prayers had been weak in that area. Sure, God does call on us to bring all our needs to him. Christ himself taught us that the Father wants us to bring our petitions to him, that he knows our needs and will give us what we need (Matthew 6:8). But too often we treat God like a genie from Aladdin’s lamp; we summon him when we want something, and then put him away until next time. That’s actually a pagan way of treating God, as a servant we can control by saying the right magical incantations, making the right promises, giving the right offering, or performing the correct rituals.

Our right to call on our heavenly Father is not based on our actions, however sincere, but on our relationship to him; and that is based on his love and what he has done for us through Christ his Son. John 1:12 says, “to those who received him, who believed on his name, he gave the power to become the children of God.” Romans 8:16 says, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. . .” Jesus reminded us that if our earthly fathers knew how to give good gifts to us, how much more will our heavenly Father do so (Luke 11:11-13).

Even if God had not made us his children and given us salvation,we should still praise and worship him for who he is. It is here that the psalms excel, and here where I had a lesson to relearn.

  • “At all times I will bless him; his praise will be in my mouth” (Psalm 34:1)
  •  “I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations.” (Psalm 57:9)
  • “For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.” (Psalm 96:4)
  • “From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised!” (Psalm 113:3)
  • “My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.” (Psalm 145:21)
  • plus another 65 psalms that likewise praise the Lord.

After my reading, I listened to a couple hymns – “When Peace Like a River” and “Nearer My God to Thee” before lying back down and trying to sleep. I’d like to say I immediately fell asleep, but it still took a while. Again, it’s not magic. But I can say that all those other thoughts that had robbed me of my sleep had gone away, and I felt comforted to finally drift off in my Father’s arms.

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Psalms 34, 57, 96, 150.

 

 

 

Why Me, Lord?

As a pastor, I visited many people who were sick or injured, hospitalized,  or homebound on what were to become their deathbeds. Some were suffering quietly, while others went through agony from their  illness or from the  medical efforts to save them. I felt bad for them, for what they were going through, and tried to console them with prayer and scripture, that their faith would remain strong even as their bodies weakened. Most had faith that put mine to shame, accepting their condition stoically, or looking forward to seeing Jesus and their lost loved ones, but occasionally, one would ask the poignant question, “Why me?”

Sometimes I found myself silently asking God the same question for them. Why was this particular godly servant, lifelong believer, faithful church-goer having to go through this? Surely they should have a full, pain-free life, didn’t they? Surely there are plenty of evil people who deserve this suffering instead?

I was reminded of Psalm 73:3-5,in which Asaph complains to God, “For I was envious of the arrogant  when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek. They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.” Likewise, Jeremiah complained, “Why does the way of the wicked prosper?  Why do all who are treacherous thrive?” (Jeremiah 12:1)

The most personal this question came was when my sister asked it of me. She wondered what she had done wrong, to go through two divorces, several heart attacks, and the amputations of both her legs. Did God hate her? I tried assuring her of God’s love for her, reminding her of Job, the most righteous man of his day, who suffered loss and illness. And of Paul the great Apostle, who was afflicted by a “thorn in the flesh” in spite of his prayers for relief (2 Corinthians 12:7). Not to mention Jesus himself, who was tortured and killed on a cross, though perfectly innocent and holy. Her sufferings were not punishment for personal sin, but a consequence of a fallen world and our mortality. Sadly, her mortality was proven soon after.

But now, it’s my turn to ask, “Why me, Lord?” It’s been over twenty years now since I was diagnosed with diabetes, and other than some recurring foot problems, I’ve been able to live and function normally. I never missed a day of work from it, and retired six years ago, looking forward to times of travel and other activities. But, during that whole time, my diabetes was “chipping away” at my kidneys, decreasing their function, dropping me from one stage to another. Now, the kidneys have failed enough that I need to go on dialysis, something I have dreaded and postponed beginning.

So I now ask, “Why me?” But fortunately, because of my faith and my experiences with suffering believers, there’s no anger or sense of injustice in my question. I just want to know what purpose this will serve, what I am to learn (or teach) from it, and what I am to accomplish with the time I have been given. I have a paperweight that says, F.R.O.G. on it: Fully Rely On God. Below those words are written my special scripture: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6). I want to keep that message in front of me, and trust that the God who has blessed my life so much for so long, has my future in his hands.

As to why I have this condition and others do not, I am reminded of the true story of a group of fathers and sons who took a bike ride up Pike’s Peak in Colorado. They were having a great time until two of the bikes collided, and one of them veered off the path and over the side of the cliff. Horrified, one of the fathers watched as his son plunged to his death. The stricken dad cried out in anguish, “Why me?” and the others in the group gathered around to comfort him as best they could. As it turned out, one of the other dads was a Lutheran pastor. The man looked the pastor in the eye and asked, “Why me?” To which the pastor replied sadly, “Why not you?”

The pastor’s question seems harsh at first. But I thought of it when my need to proceed with dialysis became clear. Why me? Why not me? Why should I, of all the people who have ever lived, be immune from sickness and suffering? What did I do to deserve such immunity? Maybe this is a time of testing as it was for Job, or my own thorn in the flesh, or my “cross to bear.” I know that once I was issued a handicapped placard, I became more aware of other people’s disabilities and sympathetic to them.* Maybe I have more to learn from what lies ahead – hopefully for years to come.

At the same time, I appreciate how blessed I have been for so many years. Basically, I was healthy for over fifty years, which itself was a good long time compared to most people throughout history. Likewise, I never suffered from serious injury or violent crime. I never had to go to war or flee as a refugee from war or natural disaster. I was never poor or destitute, but always had plenty to eat (as anyone who as seen me can attest.) I had godly parents who loved me and modeled the Christian life, raising me in the faith and making sure I was baptized. And not least of all, I have been married to a believing and faithful wife for almost 49 years. Not a bad run.

Therefore, I join with Job in asking, “Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” (Job 2:10). And leave the answer to “Why me?” to heaven – when I won’t care what the answer is, because I will be so filled with joy and awe. But then the question won’t be about why I am ill, but why would God choose me as one of his own. Praise God for his mercies shown in this life, and in the life to come!

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord life up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Job 2; Lamentations 3:13, 19-24; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

*See my blog, “I Was Wrong” of January 15, 2022 for when I forgot this.

Are You Ready for Christmas?

Are you ready for Christmas?

Now that it’s mid-December, I’ve been hearing that question quite often: at church the last couple weeks, at lunch with a friend on Monday, and even on the radio. As one talk-show host put it, this question is just a normal greeting this time of year, sort of like asking someone how they’re doing or what they think of the weather.

But, what does “ready for Christmas” mean? Does it mean the tree and other decorations are up? Or the Christmas cards are in the mail? Or all the gifts have been purchased and wrapped? Or the house is cleaned for guests who are coming for a dinner party? Or, as the talk host said, is it just a way of saying “hi” in December?

While I recognize all the meanings I just mentioned, I think there are two other meanings worth considering as we approach this Christmas.

First, there is the question of readiness for Christ’s first coming. Was the world ready for it? Certainly, the coming of the Messiah had been wanted and anticipated throughout history. It had been foretold, and even predicted down to the timing (Daniel 9:25-26) and location (Micah 5:2) of his birth. God had set the time of Jesus’ incarnation from before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:20), and chose the perfect time for it to happen.

Galatians 4:4-5 says, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”

Consider the reasons why God’s timing was so good: the known world was at peace under the Pax Romana; sea travel for the apostles was safer because the Romans had suppressed piracy on the Mediterranean Sea; Roman roads sped up travel throughout the region; a common language (Greek) made the spread of biblical texts and letters easier; writing technology had advanced from cumbersome scrolls to book-form codices;  and the internet had not yet been invented (yes,that was an advantage). So, the world should have been ready for Christmas.

And yet, when the Messiah’s birth occurred, many were not ready for it. There were of course, people from most nations who did not know that a Savior was coming from the Jews. Others expected a glorious kingly event, with trumpets and chariots and cheering crowds, and did not even entertain the thought of Savior coming as a baby born in a stable in a backwater town like Bethlehem. And then there were some like King Herod, who with all Jerusalem was troubled at the news of Christ’s birth (Matthew 2:3), because it would upset the comfortable status quo they enjoyed.

So while the world was ready for the first Christmas – as far as the hopes of many and the suitable conditions for the event – not every person was ready to welcome and believe in the One who was to be born.

That situation continues even today, because most of the world is still not ready for the reality of the first Christmas. They don’t believe that Jesus was and is the Messiah. They either deny there will be a Christ, or they keep putting their hopes in someone yet to come. They latch onto one false Messiah after another, whether a religious or secular leader. Many don’t  acknowledge they even need a Savior, because they deny their sin and its consequences. For them, the answer to the question, “Are you ready for Christmas?” is “no.”

The second meaning of the question applies to Christians, to those who recognize that the Messiah was born, and celebrate that event. They attend special church services, decorate their homes, listen to Christmas carols, exchange cards and gifts, and enjoy gustatory feasts. But are they ready for Christmas spiritually?

  1. Do they recognize their sinfulness and grieve for the sins that they know they have done?
  2. Do they accept their need for a Savior, and their inability to save themselves?
  3. Do they read the old, familiar Christmas Scriptures with true joy and wonder each time? Do they “love to tell the story,” and find “each time they hear it, so wonderfully sweet?” Are they “hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest?”*
  4. Do they spend time praying, giving God praise and thanksgiving for what he has done in sending his Son into the world to save us?
  5. Do they enjoy worshiping God with fellow Christians, bound together in love by the Holy Spirit?
  6. Do they cringe when they hear movies and TV shows speak of the “true meaning of Christmas” as being anything other than the birth of Jesus?
  7. Do they prefer Christian carols like “Joy to the World” over secular, winter songs like, “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer”?**
  8. Do they marvel how the Creator of the universe could and would come into the world as one of us, in so small and helpless form?
  9. Do they say, “Merry Christmas” and really mean it, not worrying about whether non-believers want to hear it or not?
  10. Do they remember that the manger begins Christ’s journey to the Cross, and what that means for them and the world?

The final question is not about whether “they” are spiritually ready for Christmas, but whether “you” are. Amid all the hectic preparations for the season, with all the expectations you and others put on you for this holiday, are you feeling that joy and peace on earth which Christ’s birth should give? If not, take the time to evaluate what Christmas means to you, and why. And then have a wonderful and blessed celebration which refreshes your spirit!

Now, may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Matthew 2:1-12; Luke 2:1-20.

  • * From “I Love to Tell the Story,” by Kate Hankey, 1866.
  • **”Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” by Randy Brooks, 1978.

 

The Day After, or, The Leftovers’ Lament

‘Twas the day after Thanksgiving and all through the house,

Leftovers were waiting for me and my spouse.

Though they knew we were stuffed, too bloated to eat,

It wouldn’t be long till we grabbed some more meat.

 

So they gathered to meet on the fridge’s top shelf,

There were green beans, and ‘taters, and turkey itself.

They wondered aloud which would be first to go,

And which would remain for a week or so.

 

So they made a list of which foods remained,

“Just to be ready,” the sweet corn explained.

Each food replied when they called the roll:

Potatoes, and corn and a baked casserole.

 

Turkey and stuffing and a red Jell-o dish,

And rolls and jelly and even a fish!

Said the gravy, so tasty, “I guess we’re all here.”

But they noticed the ham was shedding a tear.

 

“What’s wrong?” they all asked, “There’s plenty still left.”

But the ham still cried; it was just too bereft.

“Something’s missing – it’s been all used up,”

It just won’t be there, the next time they sup.”

 

“What could it be, since there’s still so much food?”

“What would make you so sad and cause you to brood?”

Asked the corn of the ham, as it heard it cry.

Said the ham, “I will tell you,” and gave out a sigh.

 

“Thanksgiving is great for thanking the Lord,

For surely he’s worthy to be so adored.

But the thanks given that day sure run out so fast,

There’s none of it left for the coming repast.”

 

“You would think each meal, and other things, too,

Would make people grateful for blessings so true,

But missing the day set aside for that reason,

They just go on, season to season.”

 

“So they gobble their food, and finish their course,

But don’t even think to honor its source.

It causes me pain, I’m sad to say,

That thanks are used up on Thanksgiving Day.”

 

The ham was done; it had said its piece,

And now their talking did stop and cease.

For they knew the ham’s words were only too true,

So now I must ask, “Are they true for you?”

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Psalm 100:4; Philippians 4:6; 1 Timothy 4:4.

Who Do You Think You Are?

One of the few shows Karen and I watch on TV is called, “Who Do You Think You Are?” In each episode, a celebrity searches for his or her family history with the help of historians and genealogists. They usually learn amazing and surprising things about their ancestors, including one who was tried as a witch in 1600s Salem, another who was a refugee from the Nazi holocaust, and still another who was sent as a “Daughter of the King” (Fille du Roi) to French Canada in the 1600s to wed a French settler. The show is fascinating, and often very moving for the celebrities when they discover their history.

I find the stories fascinating for a couple of reasons. First, because of the history involved. I have always enjoyed reading about history, and here are people who lived that history and helped shape it. Second, I have always been fascinated by my own family history, ever since doing a school project back in junior high. This has especially been true the last two years, when I inherited my parents’ family journals, records and old photos. Karen and I have been researching and building our family trees, filling the gaps with new information and stories we never heard while growing up.

So, if you asked me, “Who do you think you are?” I could go back several hundred years to a Scotch-Irish immigrant in 1630 or a German widow who sailed to America in the 1860s, to survivors of the Great Chicago Fire, to pioneers living in a sod house on the Kansas prairie, to a Civil War soldier captured by the Confederates at the Second Battle of Winchester, and to a Methodist circuit riding preacher in the Dakotas.

I have enjoyed learning these things about my family, but really, they are not who I am. If you asked me who I think I am, my answer would be very different. Not that I reject my family history, nor am I ashamed of it. Like every family mine has had both heroes and scalawags (hopefully, I will be counted among the former and not the latter!) Also, I know that what has gone before has shaped who I am today – both genetically and regarding my beliefs and values; for these I am indebted to my parents who raised me and taught me about life. And yet, regardless of what has gone before, I do not find my identity in such things.

Nor do I find my identity in current cultural fads which try to group everybody into sub categories based on race, ethnicity, language, social status, and gender. Oh sure, I could attach a bunch of labels to myself to show how “woke”* I am, (I am a cisgendered, white, English-speaking Anglo-Saxon male whose pronouns are me, myself, and I), but those don’t really identify who I am. So who or what am I?

I am a Christian. When it comes down to the one identity that really matters, that is it. That one identity changes everything and is more important than anything else that could be said about me, or by me. In that identity, I have faith, hope, love, and life itself. In that identity I have the knowledge of worth, the assurance of forgiveness, and the hope of eternal life to come. In that identity I find meaning, strength, and direction. In that identity, I have a relationship with the God of the universe. What other identity could possibly be greater than that?

I am a Christian, not through birth or inheritance, but through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Romans 10:9 says, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” And we have the well-known promise of John 3:16, which says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” My family certainly played an important part in teaching me the Bible, taking me to church, baptizing me, and modeling the Christian life, but it was my own faith which God required of me.

As Christians, there are other identities which follow and help identify and explain who we are. Consider the following:

  1. We are children of God. My confirmation verse was John 1:12, which says, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” This means several wonderful things. It means we can call God, “Father” or “Abba” (Daddy). There’s a personal relation-ship, in which we can call directly on him. Second, as his children we share his only-begotten Son’s inheritance (Acts 20:32, Ephesians 1:11a – “In him we have obtained an inheritance,” and 1 Peter 1:3-5). As his children, we are freed from our natural bondage to sin, to become sons who remain in God’s house forever (John 8:35).
  2. We are saints. By faith, our sins are removed from us. The filthy rags of our own attempts at goodness are stripped away and replaced by Christ’s own glorious robes of righteousness. Isaiah 64:6 says, “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.” In Philippians 3:9, Paul explains the basis for his hope: “not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ —the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.” In turn, Paul addressed his fellow believers as “saints” in his letters to them (Romans 1:7, 1 Corinthians 1:2, Colossians 1:2, etc.).
  3. We are sinners. Ouch! You would think this part of our identity would just go away with our adoption as God’s children. Unfortunately, though, this condition, though temporary, does continue to plague us in this life. We continue to sin, though we don’t want to. We fall to the same temptations too often, and do things we know are forbidden by God – whether outwardly or in our hearts and minds – such as lust, pride, jealousy, and greed. We also sin by failing to do what God commands us to do. Jesus told us the greatest of the commandments was to love God with our whole heart and mind and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves; who of us can say we have truly done that? That’s why, even as Christians, we confess in our weekly worship, ” We have sinned against you in thought word and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart, we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.” Thanks be to God that our sins are forgiven, even when they are too numerous to mention in a single prayer!
  4. We are new creations.  As Christians, we are not just “modified” by our faith, but rather we are made new. Paul wrote, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).  Whereas, in our first birth we were subject to sin and death, in Christ we are reborn children of God and inheritors of eternal life. Christ breaks our original bondage (Romans 8:21) to sin and sets us free (John 8:36) to live as we were unable to do before. The old self dies; the new self will live on. If you are like me, you probably wish you could get a few “do-overs” in your life, to correct mistakes, avoid hurts, and make things right; in Christ we get more than that – we get a new life.
  5. Finally, we are Christ’s disciples, called by him to follow him wherever he may lead us. While it is faith alone which saves us, the new life in Christ calls for us to:
    • follow (John 12:26 “If anyone serves me, he must follow me.”)
    • serve others (Matthew 5:16 “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”)
    • obey his commandments (Matthew 28:20 “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”)
    • make other disciples throughout the world (Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations”) so that people of every nation, tribe, and language will receive their new identities in Christ.
    • and be willing to give up everything, even our lives, for Christ’s sake (Matthew 10:38 “And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.)

When a Christian lives out his or her new identity, it honors God and blesses the Christian who does the things which God desires. As Luther said, “Good works do not make a man good, but a good man does good works.” We do not earn our place in God’s kingdom; God gives us our new identities by his grace through faith. But we get to serve him with our lives, How great is that!

So who do you think I am? The more important question is, “Who does God think I am?” He calls me his beloved child, and that is good enough for me!

Now, may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Romans 7:21-25; Romans 21:1-8; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21.

*See my blog from October 6, 2020, “Are You Woke,” for more comment.

Top of Mind

Recently, a new phrase entered the English language (at least, the American version of English). That phrase is, “top of mind.” It first appeared during a White House press briefing, when a reporter asked the government’s press secretary why the President had asked where a certain dead person was. The spokesperson replied that the deceased person was not only on the mind of the President, but actually “on top of mind,” which is why he had asked about her. In other words, the President had been thinking about her.

Although I have a definite opinion regarding the President’s gaffe, my point here is neither to defend nor ridicule him, but to consider the phrase from a Christian viewpoint. What does it mean to have something on top of one’s mind, and given the many things we could keep in mind, what should that “top-of-mind” thing be?

As we go through the day, many things can rise to the top of our thoughts. They may be that day’s agenda of things that have to be done; or maybe things we want to do. They may be health concerns for ourselves or loved ones.  They may be political issues. They may be worries about possible coming disasters or current wars. They may be philosophical questions about the paradigms of the conflict between stoicism and existentialism in the Third Estate of 17th Century France. Or maybe, you’re just thinking about what to eat for supper. Whatever it may be, something is on your mind right now (such as, “Why did I start reading this blog??).

Karen and I have been leading a Bible study using material called Cold Case Christianity*. In it the writer, a former cold-case detective, names the three motives behind all the crimes he ever investigated. They are: money, power, and sexual or other relationships. Such basic human  motives do not necessarily lead a person to commit crimes, but one or more of them will rise to our “top of mind” sometime each day. (You may be worrying about paying for your next tank of gas, for example.) I think there are also many small, but important, things that occupy our thoughts – practical thoughts that affect our mundane daily activities, such as dressing, driving, or exercising.

There are also pressures on us each day to think about certain things, pushed on us by commercial and political advertisements. Today, for example, we received several political ads in the mail encouraging us to think about (and vote for) certain candidates. We turn on the TV or the computer and many commercials pop up, selling various products and services (“Ask your doctor if our drug is right for you.” I actually wrote down a week’s worth of such ads and took them to my doctor and asked if they were right for me.  He thinks I’m crazy.)

All this is to say that we have active brains that are constantly bringing things to mind, many of which do rise to “top of mind” status. But the question is, “Is everything that comes to mind of equal importance or value?” In other words, “What should be on top of our minds?”

For a Christian, this is not just an academic question. What we think about makes a difference. In the words of the United Negro College Fund, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” This is especially true for Christians who want to honor the God who gave us our precious minds, by not wasting them on things that are temporary or even ungodly. Therefore, we go to the Scriptures to find out what the Lord has to say about our thoughts.

First, we recognize that for Christians, the mind is essential to our being and to our relationship with God. It is not, as many eastern religions assert, in the way of enlightenment. We do not set it aside and go only with feelings as a way to God. (In fact, feelings flow from thoughts.) Job 38:36 says that God has given understanding to our minds.

Second, we become purposeful in our thinking, choosing what we will  bring to mind. We don’t just let our mind drift and be passive, taking in whatever comes our way.  We do not seek to be “conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,” (Romans 12:2a). Instead, we “take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Third, we strive to think always about God, about what he has done for us, and what he desires from us. Psalm 1:2 speaks of the blessed man as one whose “delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

Fourth, we intentionally rid our minds of sinful thoughts such as lust, greed, hatred, pride, and selfishness. Harboring such thoughts makes us miserable and leads to sins against God and our neighbor. Romans 8:5-6  warns us, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”

Finally, we turn our attention to those things that are wholesome, pure, and God-honoring. Humility, gratitude, love, a servant heart, and mercy are among those  thoughts which bless us and all who come into our lives. Philippians 2:5-7 calls us to have the mind of Christ among us, that is, the mind of humility. By having a mind renewed in Christ, we may “discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2b). And don’t forget the greatest commandments as cited by Christ himself: to love God and love your neighbor as yourself.

I think it would be interesting to try for just one day, to keep our mind on God: one day filled with prayer, praise, thanksgiving, and love. One day to shun bad and sinful thoughts, one day to think of those things which please God. One day to practice what Paul wrote in Philippians 4:8,”Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” What a day that would be!

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Ephesians 4:17-32; Philippians 4:1-9

 

*Cold Case Christianity, by J. Warner Wallace, David C. Cook, Colorado Springs, CO. 2013

Wait For It . . .

If you’re like me, you’ve heard people use the expression, “Wait for it . . .”. Sometimes they even repeat it more than once, signalling that something humorous, surprising, or momentous is about to happen. They want you to pay attention to what is about to be said or done by anticipating what is coming. The period of waiting heightens the sense of fulfillment when the thing finally happens. It reminds me of the old ketchup commercial where the open bottle is held upside down with the thick, rich (yummy!) ketchup slowly flowing out, all while Carly Simon sings, “Anticipation is making me wait. . .” If that same commercial were made today, the narrator would be saying, “Wait for it . . . Wait for it . . . ” while the ketchup slowly dripped.

Yes, the expression is quite common these days, often in comedic settings where we are told to wait for the punch line. So imagine my mild surprise this past Sunday when I read the Scripture lesson from Habakkuk, for right there, in the middle of the reading, was the command, “Wait for it.” Was Habakkuk just using a modern expression ahead of his time? (He was a prophet, after all!). Or was he telling his readers to be patient while he thought of what else to say? Was he about to tell a joke? What was the “it” he was telling us to be patient about?

The passage in question is Habakkuk 2:3. It reads, “For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” But what is the vision mentioned here that will come when we wait for it? To answer that, we need to consider the context.

This passage actually contains the Lord’s response to complaints that Habbakuk made to God about all the evil that was flourishing in the land. In the first chapter of the book, the prophet decries the rampant violence by the wicked, and the perversion of justice. He calls on God to act, saving the innocent and destroying the evildoers, but there seems to be no deliverance. Does God not see what’s going on? Does God not hear the cries for help?

God’s first reply to Habakkuk is for him to look at what God is doing among the nations, raising up and bring down countries by his judgments. But then he made the prophetic announcement that he will judge the oppressors and the idol-worshipers. He will bring deliverance, but – and this is the key point – he will do it at the right time – when God determines the time to be right. The fulfillment will  happen, and it will not delay, but until it comes, the prophet has to be patient. He must “wait for it.”

The situation in Habakkuk’s time is not that different from what we see today: violence; the absence or perversion of justice;  iniquity and wrong-doing; contention and strife. Wars between nations, civil strife, rampant crime, hatred and division,and oppression are common. It’s hard to think of anywhere today that is free of such problems: our country, our families, and even our churches. We are faced with hurts and disappointments, suffering and fear, loss and anger. And, like Habakkuk, we cry out to God in prayer, asking, “Lord, don’t you see what’s going on? When will you act? Don’t you care that your righteous are suffering?”

Just as our current events and our complaints to God echo those of Habakkuk, so does God’s answer to us today: God will judge, he will rescue, and his promises will be fulfilled. But he will set things right in his own time, according to his plan and not ours. Until he acts, we must wait.

Waiting is hard to do, but according to the Scriptures, it is a godly virtue. James tells us that patience is both a test of our faith, and a means of growing that faith. When we have to wait for something,we have to believe it will happen; when we don’t see it right now, we must trust the promise that it eventually will. James wrote, “for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:2). The writer of the book of Hebrews also commended those who waited and trusted for God’s promises to take place, especially the promise of the Messiah. After naming several faithful followers of God who waited for the great promise to be fulfilled, he writes, “And all these, though commended through their faith, did not [yet] receive what was promised,” (Hebrews 11:39). Eventually the promise did occur – in the coming of Jesus Christ.

Christ came the first time to “seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10) through his death and resurrection, by offering himself as the great sacrifice for our sins. He came in God’s perfect timing, “when the fullness of time had come,” (Galatians 4:4). Likewise, he will return to judge the living and the dead, but that will also happen when God’s plan is fulfilled, in the proper time, that is, in God’s time.

To us, it may seem like Christ’s return has been too long delayed. Why hasn’t he returned yet? It’s been almost 2000 years since he ascended to heaven; when will he descend as Scripture promises? Peter tells us to be patient, even as God has been patient with us: “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance”(2 Peter 3:9). James 5:7 agrees, “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.”

Isaiah 25:9 says, it will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

As Christians, we may accept the long-term promise of Christ’s return and the end of this age, when everything will be made right and justice will prevail. Righteousness will be rewarded, and wickedness receive its “just deserts.” But what about right now, when our world is full of wickedness, and evil seems to be winning? Can we wait for God and keep the faith even when we don’t see him acting to restore righteousness?

The answer is still, “Yes!” Consider the following:

  1. The fact that we are troubled by evil happening around us shows that we are aware of right and wrong, and seek what is right. That is good.
  2. The fact that we even call on God shows that we believe in both his power and his goodness. Why would we pray to him if we didn’t believe he is a powerful and righteous God? It is a sign of faith in him that we do.
  3. The fact that we still cry to God even when disappointed is in accord with Gods word. Romans 8:25 says, ” But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”And Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as, “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
  4. We have limited knowledge of all that God is doing. It may seem our prayers have not been answered, but God may be answering them in ways and in places beyond our perceptions. Like the ancient heroes of the faith, we may not see God’s promises fulfilled even in our lifetime, but that doesn’t mean our prayers were in vain or that God did not act as he promised.
  5. The ability to wait on the Lord is a spiritual gift that goes beyond our natural capability for patience. Paul lists that fruit in Galatians 5:22, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” We are able to be patient because God’s own Spirit works in us to make it possible even in times of disappointment.
  6. The Lord will act, but in his timing. With him, “one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8).

All these things tell me that God commands my patience as a sign of trust in him and his promises. And when I do as he commands, he will still my heart and mind and give me the peace that passes the world’s understanding. For I know in whom I believe, and know that he has heard my cry, and even now is at work to make all things right. I trust the words of the Psalmist who wrote, “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.”*

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Psalm 25:5; Habakkuk 1 and 2; 2 Peter 3:1-10.

*Psalm 40:1 (NIV).

 

A Marked Man or Woman

This past Sunday I had the privilege of baptizing a young child. As part of the traditional ritual accompanying this sacrament, I made the sign of the cross on his forehead with my finger, and pronounced, “Child of God, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit, and marked with the cross forever.”

That statement is both a promise of  the current reality of being welcomed into God’s kingdom (John 1:12) and the promise of eternal salvation to come (1 Peter 3:21). But of course, although making the sign of the cross has strong spiritual reality, it does not physically appear like a tattoo, visible for all to see. But what if it did?

I once read about a nurse who participated in a baptism in her hospital’s neonatal ward. The newborn infant had a condition called “dermographia” or “skin-writing,” in which the skin welts up, forming red marks and lines when it is touched. As the nurse watched the baptizer make a sign of the cross on the child’s forehead, suddenly red lines appeared leaving a sign of the cross on the skin. The nurse was moved by the visible sign of an eternal reality. Eventually, of course. the welts subsided and the cross went away. But what if they had remained? What if the cross had remained permanently visible?

And what if that were true of every Christian, that at our baptism or at the moment of our conversion, a permanent cross appeared on our foreheads for all the world to see, and for us to be reminded of our faith every time we looked in the mirror? It would be awesome to know our true brothers and sisters in Christ at first sight, and to know who were phonies. We could separate the true sheep from those wolves in sheep’s clothing, the true pastors from those out to fleece the flock, and the politicians who claim religious faith and say, “God bless you!”, from those who say it and actually mean it. It would be awesome if we could become men and women marked for Christ.

The Bible say that believers on earth now receive such a spiritual mark: “When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 1:13), and that eventually those in  heaven “will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads” (Revelation 22:4). Such Scriptures provide the basis for our statement that in baptism we are “sealed by the Holy Spirit” and marked with the cross of Christ forever.”

But unseen spiritual realities and future manifestations of those realities don’t show themselves visibly now, so how can we see that someone is a true Christian in today’s world?

Some people think they can identify Christians (or show they are ones themselves) by looking holy:

  1. By wearing Christian jewelry, such as crosses. That may be true, but some gang members wear crosses, and some people like wearing pretty “bling” no matter what it represents. Besides, you can remove the jewelry when it is dangerous or unacceptable to wear it.
  2. By wearing message T-shirts that bear Bible verses or clever sayings. Not bad, but anyone can wear a shirt and then take it off. And some messages are not so biblical.
  3. By wearing Christian symbols as tattoos. But Leviticus 19:28 says, “You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord.” Does that still apply to Christians,or just to the Israelites?
  4. By dressing nice for church. I appreciate that, but looking nice may depend more on one’s finances than on the treasures of their heart. Besides, 1 Samuel 16:7 says that “man looks on the outside appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
  5. By becoming a pastor, missionary, or other leader in the church. Those are good and holy professions, but don’t guarantee a true faith or  holy life.
  6. By charitable good works. Even rank unbelievers or adherents of other religions can do good and laudable things, and we should commend them for doing so, but their motivations may have nothing to do with Christ. For example, Muslims make alms-giving a pillar of their beliefs.
  7. By memorizing or quoting Scripture, but even Satan quoted Scripture when tempting Jesus. And how many activists quote the Bible when it seems to support their cause?

So, it is not by dress or appearance or social positions in a church that we prove our identity as Christians, because anyone can mimic Christian behavior and seem good in a moral sense. Instead, consider the following clues, not as absolute proof of the true faith, but when taken together, can be visible signs that people are marked with the cross of Christ:

  1. They love God in Christ (Matthew 22:37), and proclaim it gladly to others.
  2. They seek to love their neighbors (Leviticus 19:18 and Matthew 19:19) and their enemies (Luke 6:27) as themselves.
  3. They confess that Jesus is Lord, that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9), and that he has come in the flesh (1 John 4:2).
  4. They continue to profess Christ even under persecution, when to do so is costly or deadly (James 1:12).
  5. They worship God regularly and seek fellowship with other believers (Hebrews 10:25 and Acts  5:42).
  6. They turn the other cheek and return good for the evil done to them Matthew 5:39).
  7. They seek to keep God’s commandments because they love and fear God (John 15:14).
  8. They delight in God’s Word, even when challenging (2 Peter 3:16).
  9. They  meditate on God’s law, day and night (Psalm 1:2).
  10. They recognize their own sinfulness, while forgiving others (Matthew 6:12-15).
  11. They put the best construction on what others do and say (Luke 7:37-50).
  12. They don’t judge people (Luke 6:37), but extend mercy to them (Matthew 5:7).
  13. They pray always (Luke 18:1).
  14. They seek what is best for others (Romans 12:10).
  15. They give thanks in all things (Philippians 4:6).
  16. They think on things that are good and holy (Philippians 4:8).
  17. They are reconcilers and peacemakers (Matthew 5:9).
  18. They are cheerful givers, to God and to those in need (2 Corinthians 9:7).
  19. They are humble (Psalm 51:17).
  20. They abhor and avoid the fruit of the flesh – “sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.” (Galatians 5:19-51)
  21. They exhibit the fruit of the Spirit – “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;” (Galatians 5:22-23).

Whew! What a list! But I offer it with four caveats: First, it is not a complete list; I’m sure you could think of other signs of true Christians. Second, this list is impossible to follow perfectly. Third, doing these things does not save us; they are works which follow salvation and are empowered by the Holy Spirit. And finally they are not a checklist for us to evaluate others, but rather to examine our own hearts before God, asking whether we truly love God and others as ourselves – the greatest commandments.

If we do show such love for God and our neighbor, then we won’t need a cross etched on our foreheads, for we will bear the true marks of one who is “marked by the cross of Christ forever.”

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Galatians 5, and all the verses cited above!

P.S. In reference to point 11 above, Luther’s Small Catechism explains the Eighth Commandment as follows: “We should fear and love God that we may not deceitfully belie, betray, slander, or defame our neighbor, but defend him, [think and] speak well of him, and put the best construction on everything.”

The One Essential Member

Colossians 1:15-20

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

The One Essential Member

I. Who is the most important, even essential, member of any church? Is it:

The Council President? This is the lay leader chosen by the congregation to shoulder responsibility for everything that happens. He or she must make sure the church is staffed, bills are paid, and legal matters followed. It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it! The person who does it must be the most important person in the church, right? No; important, yes, but they’re not the most important.

The Head of the biggest family? Especially in the Midwest, some of the  small town churches are built around one key family. They provide the members, the workers, the council leaders, and much of the offering. Without them, the church would evaporate. So their matriarchs or patriarchs must be the most important members! But, no, it’s not them.

The Leader of Altar Guild? How can you have worship, the core activity of the church, without people to set up communion, clean and change the paraments, light the candles, etc.? Surely, they are the most important! No.

The Leaders of the Men’s and Women’s groups? – These are popular, respected, and loved, and active in service. Yes, they are very important and a blessing to the congregation, but not essential to the existence of the church.

The Wealthiest member? You need money to run the church these days. Just fixing our parking lot costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. You want to have the money people on board. So if there are no wealthy members, you need to go out and start recruiting them! It’s that important, but not the most important!

The Biggest giver? Maybe the biggest giver is not the wealthiest, but the one who gives like he or she is. That’s the one you want; without them the church would be in financial trouble, unable to meet its obligations and needs. Utilities get turned off, staff go unpaid, benevolences are dropped. Surely this is the most important? No.

The Custodian? Who keeps the buildings clean, safe, and open? Who makes sure equipment operates safely? If the buildings and grounds deteriorate, where would we meet? It must be the custodian, right? No.

The Friendliest, most outgoing? When visitors come to church, if they are greeted and made to feel welcome and valued, they may come back and want to be part of your friendly church. They provide much needed warmth and loving kindness. Why wouldn’t such people be essential? Granted, they are wonderful and important, but they are not the most important.

The Pastor? Now we’re to the category that’s near and dear to my heart! Who ever heard of a church without a pastor? Who will preach and teach, visit the sick, conduct worship and funerals? Who will perform the sacraments, except a pastor? Yep. We must be the most important people in the church! But, sad to say, we’re not.

So then, if none of the preceding people is the most important to the church, who is? And what are the criteria for deciding who is most important? The criteria are: 1. Whose presence is indispensable; and 2. Whose absence would cause the church to crumble or disappear, or die?

The one, most essential member of the church, obviously, is Jesus Christ.

     Without him, there is no Gospel – no good news for the world (and we of       all people are most to be pitied, according to Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:19).

      Without him, the Spirit is absent.

     Without him, the sacraments are hollow rituals. No body or blood with             the bread and wine.

     Without him, our organization may be called a church, but it’s really just       another non-profit organization which, though well-intentioned, would       be dependent on human strength and the wisdom of flawed, self-                       centered sinners.

     Without him, we would have the appearance of holiness or religiosity,             but would lack what is needed: 2 Timothy 3:5 warns against those                      “having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.”

How do you seek his presence, and keep Jesus as the central focus of the church?

1. We gather in his name – For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Matthew 18:20)

2. We pray in his name – “My house shall be called a house of prayer.” (Luke 19:46); and at the Last Supper, Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.” (John 16:23)

3. We treasure and revere the Scriptures as the word of God – “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,” (2 Timothy 3:16)

4. We pray and submit our will to God’s in all church matters – “Thy will be done” (Matthew 6:10)

5. Lutheran Confessions: The definition of the Church: The gathering of believers where the Gospel is preached in its purity and the sacraments are rightly administered.

6. Forgive as we have been forgiven, and seek unity in the Spirit with each other – Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)

The truth about the essential nature of Christ in the church is proclaimed above in the passage from Colossians 1:18, “And he is the head of the body, the church.” It is also celebrated in the hymn, “The Church’s One Foundation.”

The Church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ, her Lord;
she is his new creation by water and the Word.
From heav’n he came and sought her to be his holy bride;
with his own blood he bought her, and for her life he died.*

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Matthew 16:17-19; Colossians 1

*Lyrics written by S.I. Stone, 1866. Public Domain.

For Such a Time As This

Have you ever wished you could have lived at some time in the past, when things seemed more peaceful, with clear values and a clean environment? Before Covid and crime and the threats of war loomed over your world? When spouses loved each other and children listened to their parents?

Maybe you watched an historical drama and thought, “I wish I could have lived back then . . .” I know that I’ve done that: I saw some movie and then fantasized being in the story. Maybe it was about Robin Hood, and I saw myself wining the archery contest(by splitting an arrow in the bulls-eye, of course), and championing the oppressed peasantry. But then I thought, I’m not that good an archer, and the times were rough, total obedience to the king was the law . . . and then there was that Black Death thing. Okay, so not the Middle Ages.

But what about the Westerns I watched that had me imagining I was a dashing young lieutenant in the US Cavalry? The bugles blow and the men line up at my command as I save the wagon train from attack! Of course, half my troop would have died of diseases which today are rare. The food was hard-tack biscuits which broke your teeth, dental care was brutal, you had to ride for days in the saddle, and milk shakes had not been invented. So, maybe not that era.

Or instead, how about a hundred years ago, when my grandparents were born? That was a better time than now, certainly, if you ignore the sod house with no running water or electricity  where my grandfather was raised, or the Spanish Influenza, or World War I or the Great Depression.

Or the Age of Exploration, when I could have died with Magellan on his voyage, or the Reformation when I could have had the Plague before I was executed by the Inquisition, or the days of the early Church when I could have been thrown to the lions for the crowds’ entertainment.  And no milk shakes then, either.

You get my point: there is no time in history better than now, no matter how we idealize the good things about it. For there were good things, and bad things then, just as there are now. True, I’m glad I went through school when I did, in the 1950s and 60s, when we knew our genders and mostly listened to our teachers . . . much better, if you don’t count our hiding under our desks during air raid and tornado drills.

It is important for us to accept that we live now, at this time full of its challenges and dangers, just as people throughout history have faced their own problems. We don’t want to miss out on the good things around us, even as we lament the things that are wrong. No matter what we think of these times, now is the time when we have to live.

This is important for another reason, beyond finding contentment in life.

This past week I wrote a short Bible study on the book of Esther for our church’s national women’s group. In that book is the story of a young and beautiful Jewish woman named Esther, who saved her people from a planned genocide by appealing to her husband, King Xerxes. But before she made the appeal, her cousin, Mordecai, pleaded for Esther to do so. What he said to her was the memorable challenge:  “And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14).

Apparently, those days had their problems, too! But Mordecai showed Esther that the very reason Esther lived when she did, and had married the king, was to save her people. If she had lived at any other time or place, she could not have done what she did, and God’s purpose for her would have gone unfulfilled.

Mordecai’s words to Esther become God’s challenge for us. Could it be, that we were born into the world, and live when we do, because God has a plan he wants us to fulfill right here and right now? Could it be that we have come into the world “for such a time as this?” That just as God sent his Son into the world “when the fullness of time had come,” (Galatians 4:4), he may have determined that each of us be born in our own fullness of time? For as God is above even time, and knows the end of a thing from its beginning, (Isaiah 46:10), he knows what he has prepared us to do. As the Apostle Paul put it in Ephesians 2, God “created us in Christ Jesus to do good works, which he prepared ahead of time for us to do.”

When we understand that God created us to live when and where we do, we certainly can receive peace in the knowledge. But we also are challenged to ask what that purpose is, and how we can fulfill it. What is it about our time and place, and our abilities and resources, that enable us to influence the world around us for God’s glory and the benefit of everyone else forced to live in our day?

Fictional stories are replete (a word from another era!) with people who have special abilities which save the day: superheroes with secret powers that stop the villains; a retired gunfighter who saves the town from a hired gun; a meek kid who out kung-fu’s the town bullies; or the janitor who changes the formula on the chalk board to solve some professor’s impossible equation. We enjoy such fiction, but we live in a  non-fiction world. And we may find that what we can do, though not as spectacular as those fantasies, is just as important and amazing.

So, what can we do that may help fulfill the purpose for our living now, “for a time such as this?”

  1. Prayerfully search your heart. As you pray to know God’s purpose for your life, you may find certain things that inspire you or trouble you. It could be a cause or an injustice. It could be persecution of fellow Christians or blatant public sins. It could be heartbreaking situations that move you to help the people who are suffering. You may be the person God has sent to alleviate the hurts or confront the sins. Such responses may be difficult and even dangerous, but who else will step in except those whose spirits are troubled and yearn for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven?
  2. Pray for the people and situations. Before God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham pleaded with him for them to be spared. God’s answer was that for but a few righteous people, he would relent and spare the cities. Perhaps, God has judgments waiting even now, and has sent you to be one of the righteous people to allow others the chance to repent and live. Likewise, when the Apostle Peter was unjustly jailed for preaching the Gospel, the believers gathered to pray for him – and God sent an angel to free him from his imprisonment. James 5:16 tells us, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power.” Maybe God has you living now to provide the one prayer he desires for working out his will.
  3. Use your particular gifts and abilities. Can you sing or write music? Write a hymn or praise song that will honor God and strengthen faith. Can you write? How about a book about heroes of the faith, or novels with noble themes, or even, dare I say it, blogs? Are you good with children? Teach Sunday school or VBS, or babysit, providing Christian nurture (maybe to someone who will one day become a great evangelist). Whatever you can do, or enjoy doing, can bless others and glorify God, as Jesus himself said: “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
  4. Honor Christ by your relationships. How do you treat people? Do you care about people, and show your love for them? A stable marriage, or children who are taught respect while being nurtured, or friendships that cross social divides of race, languages, or politics, all testify to the love of Christ. Honesty, helpfulness, generosity, and encouragement testify to the one who saved you, and may be the witness that someone needs for their eternal salvation. You may live here and now to be God’s means to reach them.
  5. Speaking of generosity. God has blessed you with the “Three t’s” – time, talent, and treasure. You can use those blessings to help others and advance Christ’s Church. You can volunteer, whether informally on your own when you see a need, or in your church. You can share your skills and abilities as mentioned above. You can give of your material and financial blessings to help others and spread the Gospel through local and foreign ministries. God has blessed you by the most generous gift of all: his Son. The least you and I can do is spread some of those blessings around.

We live in “such a time as this.” It is a time desperately in need of Christian presence, action, and love. You and I live in this time, not the past, or the future. Our time is now. Let us not let it slip by without realizing God has a purpose for our being here when and where we are.

Now, may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen

Read: The book of Esther.

 

 

 

Are You a Secret Agent?

Early in my adult life, I read a book by Billy Graham titled, Angels: God’s Secret Agents.* Playing on the popularity of spy movies and TV shows of the 1970s, the book laid out the reality of angelic beings who, though usually unseen (hence, “secret”) carry out God’s will in the world and in the lives of his people. Sometimes that work includes protection from harm, other times they are God’s  messengers (the Greek word for angel is angelos, a word meaning messenger).

I certainly believe in such creatures, and believe they have intervened in my own life. But I also believe that God has other “secret agents” who serve his will, besides those angelic beings. Those other agents are plain old people, just like you and me. Sometimes those agents are known; other times they are “secret” – even at times to themselves.

I was reminded of this when I recently spoke at a memorial service. I told the mourners of how the deceased man had brought me a message of encouragement at a critical time in my life. During a time when I had been discouraged, I heard a conference speaker tell of how God might speak through someone whose opinion we respected. Within days of that talk, this very thing occurred. The man at whose service I spoke had affirmed my ministry; he was one of God’s “secret agents,” a human “angel” who didn’t even know his message was from God.

I’ve told the story of another such messenger, a visiting pastor who spoke one sentence in his sermon that changed the entire direction of my life. Before I had ever thought of going into the ministry, he said, “There’s a shortage of pastors in the Lutheran Church; some of you may consider that you are being called to the ministry.” His words hit me like a sledge hammer. They were God’s call on me, and after being confirmed by subsequent events, led me to quit my job, sell the house, go to seminary, and move to Elk Grove for a one year internship (which lasted for 22 years until retirement!) He was God’s secret agent who brought me what God’s will was for my life.

I’m sure we could all think of such people who touched our lives in ways that helped us. There were people who helped us in practical ways, meeting our physical and material needs. Other people helped us grow spiritually. Some have admonished us, corrected us, encouraged us, or taught us. Some have shown us Jesus Christ in word and action. They may have been friends, relatives, teachers, pastors (hopefully!), mentors, bosses, or even total strangers whom God sent to lead us in a certain direction, or away from the wrong one. The secret agent may not even be a believer.

One example of such an unknowing agent of God’s will is in John 11:49-52. There we read of the chief priests gathered to plot Jesus’ death. The high priest, Caiaphas, proclaimed, “. . . it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” The next verse tells us, “He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.” Caiaphas’s words both explained and actually helped bring about God’s purpose in Christ’s sacrificial death – all without knowing he was God’s agent in doing so.

We find many examples of people serving as God’s agents in the Bible. The Old Testament prophets and New Testament Apostles were God’s not-so-secret agents in bringing God’s word to his people. Some brought words of Gods judgments, such as Jonah to the city of Nineveh. Another, named Agabus, brought a prophetic warning to Paul (Acts 21).  Elizabeth blessed the pregnant Mary (Luke 1), and Priscilla and Aquila encouraged Apollos, writing to other believers to receive him warmly (Acts 18). In the Old Testament, Jonathan was an “angel” to his friend David, protecting him from King Saul during the latter’s bouts of anger (1 Samuel 20).    

So, God does use special agents, angelic and human, to accomplish his will in the world. But how do we recognize that and be equipped to serve as his agents ourselves? Our nation’s agents learn what is called, “spycraft.” In that spirit, I offer the following training for those willing to serve as God’s agents.  I call it:

SPYCRAFT 101

Know your handler. Code name: the Father.

Know your mission. Your “Handler” has graciously provided you with a manual which describes your overall mission – to make disciples of all nations – and provides you with ways to accomplish it – such as by teaching and baptizing (Mathew 28). Study the manual every day and memorize all you can; Job 22:22 says, “Receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.” (Some other spy schools say to “read and then burn” their instructions, but we don’t recommend that here.)

Maintain communication with Headquarters. Before, during, and after you embark on a mission, maintain communication with the One who sent you out. Don’t make a big fancy show of it; we are told even to go into our rooms and “shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:6).

Spies use disguise. Remember that you may not recognize secret agents because they are, well, secret. They may come to you as total strangers, friends, family members, fellow students, co-workers, or even as pastors. Don’t write off what someone says just because they don’t seem important in the world’s way of looking at people. The Handler may have chosen that person for a very special purpose known only to him. Listen, and watch them and compare what they say to your spy manual.

Don’t draw attention to yourself. Spies use the concept of the “gray man,” meaning they assume an appearance in clothing and mannerisms that allows them to blend in with the crowd, so that they are not noticed or remembered. Apply this idea to yourself. If you help someone, don’t take the credit or boast of your role. It’s not about you. Jesus said if you do good works, people should give glory to the Father  (Matthew 5:16). You don’t have to be special for God to use you. After all, God once spoke through a donkey to a prophet named Balaam -a lesson which prideful preachers need to take to heart! (Numbers 22:28).

Keep supplied. Remember that your Handler has vast storage depots ready to provide what you need to do your mission. Whether food  – “man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:3); water – “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'” (John 7:28); weapons -“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword. . .” or armor –  “put on the whole armor of God” Ephesians 6:11) (Hebrews 4:12). Philippians 4:19 promises, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

Beware enemy agents. Yes, it is sad, but true. The enemy (code name: Beelzebub) employs his own agents in the world, demonic and human, seeking to subvert and destroy our Handler’s work and will. Their weapons include harassment, anger, hatred, lies, and even violence. But remember, although we often need to deal with them, we should never be afraid to carry out our own mission, because “He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Remember too that our war is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual powers – including Beelzebub (Ephesians 6:12). Therefore we are not to hate his human minions, but must seek to turn them, converting them from being enemy agents into servants of our Handler. (Nothing like a good double-agent to thwart the enemy’s plans!)

Small missions can yield big results. Don’t be discouraged if the work you do for the handler seems small or insignificant. You have no idea what the results are that will ripple outward and down through time because of that little word you said, the encouragement you offered, or the seemingly weak testimony you gave. Your Handler knows what he is doing, and can multiply your work. Even if you don’t see immediate results, your courage in acting may help you to do more next time. You are after all, a trainee (as are we all!).

Finally, we should note that our Handler doesn’t really need us to do anything for him. It is by his grace and mercy that he recruits and allows us to play a role in his work. He could accomplish it all by a single command and the very atoms would have to obey, as they did in creation, and as they continue to do, being held together by his word. But by his grace, he does involve us, blessing us with the eternal joy of being part of his plan. How wonderful is that!

Nathan Hale, one of our nation’s first spies said before he died: “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” When we can say that about giving our life to the Great Handler, then we will truly be God’s secret agents.

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Philippians 3:20-21; 1 John 3:1

*Billy Graham, Angels: God’s Secret Agents, Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee, 1975 – 1995.

Ball and Chain

I had a dream the other night, a nightmare of sorts. In it, someone took a heavy chain and fastened it around my left leg. Attached to the other end of the chain was a heavy iron ball, the kind you see in old prison yard movies, where the convicts are weighed down to prevent their trying to escape while breaking rocks with their sledgehammers.

I woke up in a cold sweat, screaming in horror at my bondage (actually, I just woke up and chuckled, relieved to know it had been just a dream). But then, when I went to get up, I remembered that part of the dream had been true, for my left foot was indeed shackled with a plastic tube connected to a portable vacuum device called a “wound vac,” something I had jokingly referred to as my “ball and chain.”

The device creates a mild suction on wounds, keeping them clean and stimulating a healing blood flow to them. For three months, 24/7, the device had been attached to my right foot, but now after I lost my left little toe, it was switched to that foot. Everything seems to be improving, which is the purpose of this device. Still, I can’t wait to be done with it and finally be free from my “ball and chain.”

Of course, the inconvenience I have with this healing device is nothing compared to what so many other people have suffered wearing real chains. Throughout history, and even today, people with power have used chains to control, enslave, and punish others. Just about every tribe and nation has put somebody in chains. From slavery imposed on Africans brought by force to our land, to Romans parading conquered enemies in chains in what were called “triumphs,” to Arab slavers capturing Europeans for their slave markets (our word “slave” comes from the word Slav, referring to the many slaves captured from Eastern Europe), to present-day slave markets in Libya, to convicts being transported to prison, chains have been used to bind literally millions of people.

The Bible records numerous examples of people being chained. In the Old Testament, conquerors chained the losing kings to show power over them, and to publicly humiliate them. The book of 2 Kings 25:7 tells us that the Babylonians blinded the Judean king, Zedekiah, “bound him in chains and took him to Babylon.” Likewise, in 2 Chronicles 33:10-12, the king of Assyria “captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with chains of bronze.” Psalm 149:5-9 prophesies that the godly will triumph in vengeance over the nations, “to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron.” 

Moving to the New Testament, we see that chains have not become obsolete. Luke 8:29 tells of a demoniac who broke the chains that had restrained him. Then, in Acts 12:6-7, we read about Peter being arrested and put in jail, bound with two chains and guarded by soldiers and sentries. (Not a problem: an angel appeared, the chains fell off, and Peter walked away, a free man.) Similarly, Paul was arrested and bound with two chains after his arrest in the Jerusalem Temple (Acts 21:33). Later, Paul wrote about his chains in several epistles, calling himself “an ambassador in chains” for the sake of the gospel (Ephesians 6:19-21). Finally, in the great “faith chapter” of Hebrews 11, the writer commends the saints who “suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment” (11:36).

So you see, chains have always been part of the human story, and God’s people have not been immune to their oppressive restraint.

While we are certainly familiar with the reality of chains, captivity, and slavery in human affairs, we must also recognize the existence of another, more dangerous kind of bondage: spiritual. The Bible calls this other form, being a “slave to sin” (John 8:34). Even though we don’t drag around iron chains (or wound vacs), we all have to contend with the bondage to sin.

In John 8, Jesus had an exchange with some of the Jews. He expanded their understanding of physical bondage to include the danger of spiritual slavery, and their need to be freed from it. He said,

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:31-36).

Of course, his audience did not take kindly to such a statement, and neither do we. We would rather go along with the popular attitude that people are basically good. Sure, we have some flaws, but look at all the good that people do. Doesn’t that count? I’m glad that much good is done, but even when intents are right, too often sin gets in the way and corrupts our efforts. Having phone connections with most of the world is great, so why are most of our calls from scammers? The internet is a real boon for information and communication, but we can’t use it without security software due to man-made malware (viruses, bots, ransom ware, etc.). Advances in medicine are wonderful, if you don’t count experiments done on unwilling or unknowing test subjects – or the creation of viruses in labs. And how much of the money given to alleviate suffering here and abroad goes to the needy, and is not siphoned off by corrupt officials?

The Apostle Paul saw the effect of sin’s bondage in his own life. In Romans 7:14-20,  he laments:

For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

How often can we say the same things about ourselves? As one form of our liturgy of public confession proclaims, “We confess that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves.” We see this not only in others, but in many of our thoughts, words, and actions. Anger, insults, curses, gossip; all are evidence of our natural slavery to sin.

But the good news is that we don’t have to let sin control us. So how do we break free? What can we do? Well, nothing. Our liberation from sin’s control comes only one way: by God’s power through faith in Jesus Christ. Right after Paul lamented his sins and asked, “Who will deliver me from this body of death?”, he answered his own question, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25). Or as Jesus said of himself, “So if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed” (John 8:36).

The wonderful part of the Gospel is not only that our desire to sin is lessened, but also that the sins we do commit, the sins of omission, and even our basic sinful nature, are all forgiven. By God’s promise, we can rejoice that the ball and chain of sin has been overcome. We can at last find peace and celebrate the words of Jesus in Luke 4:18,

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,”

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Isaiah 61:1-3; Romans 7; Galatians 5:1

A Post-Easter World

Easter has come and gone. Well, technically, according to the Church calendar, we’re still in the season of Easter, but you know what I mean. For all intents we are now living in a post-Easter world. No more chocolate bunnies in the stores, no marshmallow Peeps, and no Easter lilies. Or, for those more spiritually-minded (like me) no more special services nor singing of Jesus Christ is Risen Today. Easter is past.

So, what’s changed? What difference did Easter make? If, as the Lord said, “I am making all things new,” (Revelation 21:5), everything, or at least something, has to be new and different. Why would we celebrate Easter if nothing has changed because of it?

At first glance, nothing has changed (except those vanishing Peeps). The world goes on just as it always has. Wars are raging in Ukraine and other places not in the news; people are still catching and fighting Covid and other diseases; accidents still injure people and take lives; criminals run as rampant as ever; people marry and divorce; poverty still afflicts much of the world; our culture continues to degrade; people age and die, and politicians lie and enrich themselves. The words of Scripture remind us of this continuity:

King Solomon lamented (3000 years ago), “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

In Mark 13:7 Jesus said, “And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet.”

As life goes on with no apparent change, we are tempted to join in asking what the scoffers ask: “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:4).

The daily cycle of life continues: wake up, wash, eat, go to work or play, eat some more, do a hobby or some recreation, catch a nap (oh, yeah!), interact with family and friends, eat again, enjoy some entertainment, and go back to bed. As our shampoo bottles advise, “Lather, rinse, repeat.” Beyond each day, we experience the same weekly, monthly, and annual cycles, usually interrupted only by tragedies or disasters. Nations rise and fall, kings and presidents come and go, wars begin and end, and other seemingly momentous events pass into obscurity and are forgotten. It seems that, Easter or not, nothing has really changed.

And yet . .  .and yet, everything has changed. Maybe not because of this year’s festivities, but because of the event we celebrate this and every Easter: the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord. In the last blog, I wrote about the centrality of the resurrection to the existence of Christianity and the Christian Church; but the significance of the resurrection is even greater than that. The resurrection is the central event in the history of the world; nothing compares to it.

Without the resurrection that first Easter, our transitory lives would not amount to much more than what Shakespeare wrote in As You Like It, “All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances. . .” (Act II, Scene VII ). The pronouncement of Ecclesiastes 2:17 would apply to us all: “for all is vanity and a striving after wind.” And, as Paul put it in 1 Corinthians 15:32, “If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.'” Or, as we might say it today, “that’s all she wrote.”

But Christ was raised from the dead, and this changes everything. How so?

  1. The universal law of death was overturned. As Scripture says, death has no dominion over him (Romans 6:9). Death could not hold Jesus. His resurrection is permanent. He is bodily alive forever; Romans 6:9 also proclaims, “We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again.”`
  2.  His resurrection validates his identity and ministry. It is a sure sign that Jesus is who he said he is. Over the centuries, many others have claimed to be saviors of one kind or another, but they all died and didn’t rise again. There is an interesting passage in Acts 5:34-37 in which a Pharisee named Gamaliel recounts some failed messianic pretenders. He tells how their deaths ended their revolts. But Jesus was no pretender. He prophesied his own death and resurrection (Matthew 16:21), then fulfilled them just as he said. He had already shown his divine power over sickness, storms, and spirits; by overcoming death he proved who he was.
  3. Christ’s resurrection showed that God accepted Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf. Our sins have been atoned for and forgiven. It’s one thing to offer forgiveness, but how do we know the offer is valid? We have the proof in the resurrection of the One who offered himself for us. As Job said in Job 19:25, “For I know that my Redeemer lives.”
  4. Because he lives, Christ is able to intercede on our behalf as our high priest before the Father. Hebrews 7:23-25 tells us that whereas all previous priests died and had to be replaced, Christ “holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever.” He is seated at the Father’s right hand.
  5. We now have the promise, and proof, of eternal life for ourselves who are joined to Christ by faith. Paul writes, “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.”  (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). There are many passages that promise the coming of our own resurrections to eternal life. But without Christ’s resurrection, those promises would carry much less weight.
  6. Finally, the resurrection of Christ changes our perspectives on life. Our lives gain new significance and importance because we know that the God who created us has provided a way for us to overcome the world and death itself. The big question of where our life is headed has been answered. We belong to a loving God who bought us with the price of his own Son, who indwells us by his own Spirit, and who is changing us from one degree of glory to another. We gain new purpose in life, praising God and telling others of who he is and what he has done.

We are living in a post-Easter world, which should give us joy and hope, for no matter what happens now, we will always be living in a world that follows the resurrection of the One who died to give us life. What happened that first Easter can never change or be negated. He lives, and because he lives, we also will live (John 14:19) – now and forever to come.

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen

Read: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 1 Corinthians 15; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

The Reason for the Season of Easter

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday. That should say it all right there. We know what Easter is all about, right? Depending on who tells it, Easter is one or more of the following:

  1. The real start of Spring.
  2. The only day of the year that bunnies lay eggs.
  3. An occasion to dress up and be seen in your finest.
  4. A day to break your Lenten fast.
  5. An excuse to gorge oneself on ham, green bean casserole, and chocolate bunnies (see #4 above).
  6. A chance to gather your family together, so everyone can look at their phones in the same room.
  7. One half of one’s annual commitment to attend church; the other one being Christmas.
  8. A day just like any other day.
  9. A day to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

As I look at the above list, I am reminded of the Sesame Street song, “Which of these is not like the others?” Take a guess! The only reason for even having Easter is the last one given: we celebrate the Lord’s resurrection. All the other reasons can disappear with no real effect on our lives, but the one and only essential reason is the one that gives us strength in this life, and hope for the life to come. Only it can calm our fears in the midst of pain, suffering, and death around us. Only our sure trust in Christ’s resurrection can sustain us amidst the trials of this life and allow us to face our own death and the deaths of loved ones with peace.

This year of 2022 has not been a good one for Karen’s and my family. Her mother passed away at age 91 just the day after Karen’s birthday. We also lost a brother-in-law to a sudden heart attack. A cousin of mine lost her daughter and then her son-in-law who killed himself over his grief. Recently I have have had two hospitalizations, losing both little toes in the process (I guess doctors have something against gangrene). I have been forced to confront my own mortality, and that of people I know and care about. Add to that all the current world troubles. Without faith in Christ’s resurrection, all these things would be meaningless and hopeless. But as the song puts it,

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!*

The story is told of an event that took place in Soviet Russia. A team of Soviet commissars and their guards traveled to a small, remote village. Their goal: to indoctrinate the local populace with the joys of communism, beginning with the official doctrine of atheism. When they arrived, they called the whole village together, priest and peasant, and began to harangue them. The head commissar spoke loudly and forcefully for over an hour, pointing out why belief in God was wrong. He used his best logic and examples of Christianity’s failures to show that there is no God. When he finished,he looked triumphantly at the crowd, sure that he had won them over. Then the local priest walked forward, turned to the crowd, and cried out, “Christ is risen!” and the people replied joyously, “He is risen indeed!”

Whatever the sins and failures of any individual Christian, no matter the opposition, no matter the many horrors and heartbreaks of the world, there is one fact that remains: Christ did rise from the dead. He who was laid in the tomb after dying a horrible death on a cross, rose triumphantly alive to show victory over sin and death.

That victory was much more than just one person miraculously overcoming death. The Bible teaches us that Christ was raised as the firstborn of many to come. Colossians 1:18 says, “And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.” In John 14:19, Jesus promised, “Because I live, you also will live.” The significance of Christ’s resurrection is that he defeated death and opened the way to eternal life for all who believe. By faith in him and his resurrection, we are joined with him in eternal life. Paul wrote, “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Romans 6:5).

Belief in Christ’s resurrection is the fundamental and inescapable basis for there being a Christian Church. As good as many of the aspects of a church may be: socialization of its members, charitable works, personal growth, moral instruction, or tasty potlucks, without belief in the resurrection, a church is not a church; it is just a club or fraternal society. Whatever else Christians believe, however a group of Christians worships, no matter the language or culture they have, there are two essential beliefs. Paul put it this way in Romans 10:9, “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Where two or more gather in Christ’s name, he is there with them. Where the true Gospel is preached and the sacraments of God’s grace and forgiveness are celebrated, there is the Church. By faith in Christ’s resurrection, we too receive forgiveness and the promise of eternal life, and are joined to Christ’s Church. With that Church in all places and times,we proclaim loudly and confidently,

Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed!

Now may the RISEN Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen

Read the Easter story: Matthew 28; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24; John 20:1-23.

*”Because He Lives,” By Gloria and William J. Gaither, (c) Hanna Street Music, 1983.

Humble Yourself

After going through my recent foot surgery and hospitalization, an old praise song from the 1970s started going through my head. The song*, based on James 4:10, begins with the words:

“Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord . . .”

The song’s message seems appropriate for a number of reasons, all centered on how my recent hospital experience has humbled me.

  1. I was humbled by the nature of hospital life. It began with what they euphemistically call “a hospital gown.” As far as I can tell, they must have bought them at a half-off sale,  because they were, well, half off. The backs were missing, as were the supposed ties to hold my gown together. As a result, my backside was visible to all who unfortunately looked in my direction. Not that I was embarrassed, but I’m sure the staff ran to eyewash stations after every visit to my room. Add to that the times the staff would come  in while I was using my bedside “jug,” and you get the idea.  The ultimate was when they had to shave a hitherto unshaved area of my body for my angiogram. I gave up my last shred of privacy, and pride, as the trimmer went to work. Hospital stays are humbling because there is no privacy whatsoever. You are at your worst, and the least presentable possible. Any illusion of pride gets carried out in the first bed pan.

2. I was humbled by losing control of the situation. Normally, we control what happens to us. We decide on something, act on it,  arrange our surroundings to please us,  dress as we wish, eat what we wish, and go where we want. We are in charge of our lives (right?). Although I kept control of how I reacted to what was happening, I lost control of everything else that was happening to me. I was told where to go, what to wear, what to eat, when to wake up (every two hours for blood work or shots), what was done to my foot, what medicines to take, when I could go home, etc. I was totally dependent on a team of other people who made decisions for me. I depended on them to know and do what was best for me, and depended on them to tell me what I now need to do to heal. Considering what can happen to any of us at any time, I was reminded that our idea that we control our own lives is an illusion. Things happen to us that we do not control; we do the best we can to manage what is in our control, but we cannot boast in our health, prosperity, or life situation. Ultimately, God is the one who is sovereign over our lives. He brings down and lifts up; he heals and sets the number of our days, and he redeems us beyond any ability of ours to add or subtract. As Jesus said in Matthew 6:27, “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” It is humbling to give up control to other people, and humbling, but proper, to relinquish control to God.

3. I was humbled by the change in roles. As a pastor, I was the one visiting people in the hospital, hearing about their illnesses, praying with them, and hopefully giving them comfort and encouragement. I was the hero, the rescuer, who rode in on my mighty steed (sometimes my wheelchair) to bring them the Church’s loving concern and God’s blessings. Though I truly cared for each person, I felt good to walk in as their pastor, usually in my collar, doing the work that God had called me to do. Then, after each visit, I could leave and go back home. But now, things were different. Now, I was the one in the hospital bed undergoing surgery. I was the one suffering a physical ailment, lying there, hoping to heal. Only now, there were no visitors allowed, even Karen or my pastors. I lay there, understanding better how many of our members had felt over the years, feeling fear for their health and hoping someone would come to visit them. Over the years, I  should have done more.

Though humility is not our desired condition, nor natural for us human beings, humility – the condition of being humble – pleases God. Scripture is full of passages teaching that we should be humble before God and toward our fellow human beings.

Toward God:

      1. As above: James 4: 10, “Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord . . .”
      2. In Daniel 10:12, an angel who appears to Daniel  says to him, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.”
      3. In 2 Kings 22:19 and 2 Chronicles 34:27, God hears the king of Judah’s prayers because “your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the Lord.”
      4. Proverbs 16:18 warns, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
      5. “For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar.” (Psalm 138:6).
      6. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).
      7. Psalm 147:6 says, “The Lord lifts up the humble; he casts the wicked to the ground.”
      8. In Isaiah 66:2,God proclaims, “But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”

Toward each other:

      1. Jesus told a parable that we should not seek places of prestige over others, but approach them humbly: “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:8-11).
      2. Paul wrote in Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”
      3. 1 Peter 5:5 says, “Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'”

Humility before God and each other is only right, because the greatest and most exalted person of all eternity, the One whose Name is now exalted above every name, humbled himself by coming into the world as one of us, to die on a cross and save us from our sins (Philippians 2:5-8). So how can we be prideful? Who are we compared to him? What have we done, compared to him? What teachings should we follow regarding our attitude except those in God’s Word?

Humility is right, and it shouldn’t take a stay in the hospital or half of a hospital gown to check our pride and bring us back into line with what God desires. And when we do humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord, James 4:10 concludes with the promise found in the rest of that 70’s song: “and he will lift you higher and higher.”

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read:  Philippians 2:3-11; James 4:6-9; Matthew 8:4; Matthew 23:12.

*Humble Thyself in the Sight of the Lord, (c) 1978 CCCM Music (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc.).

This Little Piggy

As a number of you know, I was in the hospital over the weekend. I had a bad toe infection that didn’t respond to my own first aid attempts so I went to the emergency room. After numerous tests (at least I didn’t have Covid or the flu!), they admitted me to a regular room in the acute care wing. Come Saturday they removed the little toe and some adjacent bone. On Sunday they did another procedure to improve the blood flow to that foot. Both were successful.

As I lay in my hospital bed after the surgery, one of many doctors/nurses/ assistants came to check on me for something. In our small talk he asked how I was doing, then noticed my bandaged foot. He asked what happened and I replied with a line from the old children’s game: “…and this little piggy went ‘wee, wee, wee’ all the way home.”

He said, “Oh, that’s good.” Realizing he was too young to have ever heard that jingle, I explained plainly what I meant. Afterwards, for some reason I started craving some roast beef, though I had none.*

Lying in bed for several days was hard. I couldn’t get much sleep because the old cliché is true: they do wake you every couple hours to check you, feed you, bleed you, or do a myriad other things best not mentioned here. Not interested in watching the TV, I spent much of my awake time thinking and praying. Other than a few “Woe is me!” moments, I was surprisingly calm and philosophical about my ordeal.

A couple comforting verses popped into my mind as I prayed. They were:

I lift up my eyes to the hills.
    From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved;
    he who keeps you will not slumber. (Psalm 121:1-3)

[Jesus said] “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29-30).

and my long-term favorite verse of encouragement when I don’t know the way forward:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Those verses were comforting. I never felt that God had abandoned me, but was thankful for getting the medical care of seemingly thousands of doctors and medical workers focused on me getting through this crisis. I was amazed at the modern medical technologies, and thankful this happened in 2022 and not 1922.  I expressed my amazement to one of the doctors, and he agreed that every year the knowledge and tools improve – so I asked if I should have waited two years to get better treatment. He said no. So I asked if I could get fitted for a prosthetic toe, but he just walked away.

Here are some other things I thought about during and since this crisis:

  1. I am mortal. Yeah, we all know this, but we usually have to live as if this were not true, or at least something in the far distant future. We couldn’t function if we just sat around, waiting to die. For the first time in my life, I had to consider that I really am getting old, and that I might not recover from this or some similar future event. It was like my body had let me down, and now I  would have to make some life adjustments. Even though I did not at all think I was going to die from this, I had to confront questions of whether I have properly prepared my earthly affairs for when I do. Images of my overflowing book cases and my rock collection came to mind. The book of Hebrews says it well: “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,” (9:27). And as for all my stuff? A rich man once wrote, “ I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me” (Ecclesiastes 2:18).
  2. I cried because I had no shoes. You probably know the old saying (why do I know so many old sayings?): “I cried because I had no shoes, but then I saw a man who had no feet.” Whenever “Woe is me” came to mind, I thought of that saying. Besides hearing two “Code Blue” emergency alerts for people whose hearts had stopped, there was my roommate, who had both feet bandaged and sounded like he had pneumonia. I also thought of my sister, and the ordeal she had suffered having both her legs amputated. Compared to her and to so many others, I was indeed fortunate.
  3. The Church is essential. Some people look at church as a social outlet; some look for entertainment; some think of it as boring and out of date; some go to earn “Brownie points” with God; and still others follow celebrity pastors in cult-like devotion. I feel sorry for all those people, because they miss the fact that the Church is the body of Christ in this world. We hear God’s Word, spoken, sung, and preached; we receive the sacraments with their visible and touchable promises of God’s forgiveness; and we pray for, serve, and comfort each other through life’s journey until life’s end. Paul wrote, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:4). I can attest to this truth by the incredible outpouring of love and support for Karen and me from our church family. Dinners, rides, errands, and other offers have already provided so much practical help. But even more so, are the universal offering of prayers. None have prayed more fervently than my wife, Karen, but many others in our church family have joined in a spiritual chorus that God has already been answering, with peace, protection, and healing. Karen and I can’t imagine facing this without everyone’s loving prayers. The Church is alive and doing what it  is called to do.
  4. Why me? The correct answer to that question is of course, “Why not me?” Why should I be immune to life’s problems? I have lived a long (as in old) life and been relatively healthy for most of it. This was my first stay in a hospital ever. The Bible says we will all face troubles, simply by living in a fallen world. But even with this knowledge, I still wondered a little if there were a more specific reason this happened. Was God punishing me for some specific sin, as Job’s “friends” offered as an explanation for his woes? Had I done something to earn some cosmic consequence; in other words, was this just karma (which I don’t believe in)? Or more biblically put, did I reap what I had sown (Galatians 6:7)? Had God abandoned me after 70 years of protection? No, for he promised never to leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), and Christ promised to be with us to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). Finally, was this an attack from Satan to discourage or stop me from my Christian witness? Satan does attack us, looking for ways to separate us from God, but against Christ he has no power. So when that idea came to mind in the hospital, I simply prayed to Jesus to be with me and keep away any evil; I know that prayer was answered.

So there you have it: this was an ordeal, and months of healing lie ahead. But I am a child of God by faith in Jesus Christ (John 1:12), so no matter what happens, I am safe in his arms. Therefore, even though my little “piggy” was separated from me, nothing can separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:39).

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Isaiah 53:4-6; Matthew 8:14-17; 1 Peter 5:6-7

*If you don’t get that reference, you’re too young, too!

I Was Wrong

I was wrong.

I don’t like admitting that, because I don’t like being wrong. Maybe because I seldom am; in fact, I hold to the famous saying, “I thought I was wrong once, but I was mistaken.” (Sort of like boasting about being humble.) But, every once in a while, something happens that proves that I can be wrong. Even very wrong.

So it was recently on a visit to a local grocery store, that I did something that was totally wrong. This is what happened: After checking out with our groceries, Karen and I returned to our car, which was parked properly in a handicapped space. I had to wait a minute for a woman in a motorized wheelchair to use the adjacent ramp – she had come from further away in the parking lot, so I felt bad that she had to travel further than I had, since all the handicapped spaces were used. After she passed I walked down the ramp, then noticed the person using the space next to mine. He was young, robust, and seemed not to be disabled at all.

Having seen people abusing the parking privilege before, I immediately assumed he wasn’t disabled. Even though his car had a placard, I assumed he was using someone else’s. Rushing to such a judgment was bad enough, but then I compounded it by asking him as he walked past, “Handicapped?” In my righteous judgment, I guess I expected him to confess and apologize for taking a handicapped space when he shouldn’t have. Instead, he lit into me with a barrage of angry accusations.

He said I had no business questioning him about that. He said it was none of my business and that I had no right to judge him. He said he didn’t owe me any explanation of his medical condition, that just because he didn’t have gray hair or was as old as I was, didn’t mean he wasn’t disabled. He showed me his placard, and then, his anger building, he took off his shoe and sock to show me the ulcer on the side of his foot, explaining that he had been fighting it for several years. I was instantly shamed for what I had done, and tried to apologize, admitting that I was wrong in judging him.

He was still yelling at me as I sheepishly got into my car, and as I pulled away, I could tell by his parting one-finger gesture that I was not quite forgiven.

The whole incident rattled me. Most of my interpersonal interactions, even with strangers, are pleasant; certainly, I don’t like causing a rift with anyone, or causing them to get angry because of me. But what really bothered me was that the man was absolutely right. I had violated one of my core beliefs, one of my core Christian beliefs, that it is wrong to judge someone. I was a Pharisee who had looked down on someone for doing what I thought was wrong. I was a “disability nazi,” who appointed myself to enforce the rules, while violating one of Christ’s own commands.

As I pondered and grieved what I had done, I came to several conclusions.

First, I had violated what Scripture clearly teaches. Starting with the Old Testament, I had broken the Eighth Commandment: “Do not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16 and Deuteronomy 5:20). As Luther explained this commandment, “We should fear and love God that we may not deceitfully belie, betray, slander, or defame our neighbor, but defend him, think and speak well of him, and put the best construction on everything.” Do you think I missed that one?

Jesus also forbade what I did, when he said in Matthew 7:1-5 “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.  Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” Do you think I maybe had a log in my own eye?

There is a telling situation in the book of 1 Samuel, where the prophet Samuel is sent to anoint a new king to replace Saul. Samuel is impressed by the appearance of one of David’s brothers, Eliab, but the Lord tells him that Eliab is not the one God has chosen. The Lord tells Samuel,  “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (6:7) Did I know this passage? Yes. Have I ever preached on it? Yes. Did I follow what it says? No.

Once when Jesus was teaching in the Temple, people rushed to judge him for healing on the Sabbath. He told them, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment” (John 7:24). I had judged the man by his outward appearance, and out of my own inward ignorance. My judgment was not righteous. I had sinned.

Second, I was a hypocrite. I acted contrary to what I believe and to what I have preached. I did not practice what I preached, but instead, I had pulled a, “Do what I say and not what I do.” I have taught that we cannot see what’s going on inside a person, or know what they’re going through, so we cannot judge them. Judgment is left to God who alone knows each person’s heart and mind. I had put myself in God’s place by rendering judgment.

Third, I was ignorant. I didn’t know the man’s situation, nor was it my place to know it and decide whether he met my standards of disability. Other times when I saw apparently fully-capable people using handicapped parking spaces, I had cut off any inklings of judgment in my mind by reminding myself that not all disabilities are visible. As the saying goes, everyone is handicapped in some way; some ways show more than others. The man could have had heart problems, breathing problems, or even had some terminal illness and was out shopping for the last time. Or, he could have been loading groceries in the car for an elderly parent who was still on his or her way to the car. Or being a Good Samaritan, helping a disabled stranger with the groceries. I had no idea, yet I mentally condemned him.

Fourth, I lacked compassion. Instead of praying for someone who needed a handicapped parking permit, I ignored the possibility he actually needed the permit. But even beyond that, the more I thought about the level of anger he vented at me, the more I realized that this was probably not the first time he had been questioned about his status. He probably has been challenged before, and maybe responded every time with patience and gentleness. But then I came along, and it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Now, as I remember the event, I pray for his peace – and healing. I know first-hand that foot ulcers are no small thing, and that their persistence and slow healing does try one’s patience.

Fifth, what I did was extremely dangerous. Especially these days. Karen was afraid during the incident, that the guy could attack or even shoot me if he were armed; road rage is a real thing, even when the two cars are parked. Even if the guy had wrongly parked, it wasn’t worth the risk to any of us.

Finally, I’m glad for the man’s angry response. Not that I made him angry, and not that it felt good. It didn’t. But his level of anger was like a slap in the face that I needed to repent of my judgmental tendencies. If he had just said, “Yes, I am handicapped,” and gone his way silently, I would not have been forced to confront my sin and correct my thinking. I would have probably thought, “Yeah, sure you are” and still harbored doubts and felt self-righteous. As it was, I think God used him to correct wrong attitudes in me; my particular handicap was sin, and God knew my sin needed to be repented of and healed.

Yes, I was wrong, and for that I am truly sorry.

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Exodus 20:1-17; 1 Samuel 16:1-13; John 7:14-24

 

 

Did You Hear the Bells?

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:13-14, KJV)

It’s Christmas again, and once more, as in every year at this time, I have been enjoying the old, familiar carols proclaiming and celebrating the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. With its abundance of so many carols, this season is like no other, and that’s not even counting the songs about snowmen, Santa Claus, reindeer, grandma’s house, or grandma’s encounter with a reindeer.

A week ago, I was at our church’s senior luncheon (as a guest, since I can’t possibly be old enough to be a member of the group!), and enjoyed joining in the carol sing. We sang out many old favorites, led by one of our pastors who also accompanied us on the piano. He began taking requests from our song sheet, but then called on me. At first I feared he wanted me to sing a solo, but to the relief of everyone there, he just wanted me to pick the next song. One of the tunes popped into my head, and I immediately called out to the group, I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day. And so, we sang it.

I didn’t know why that particular song came to mind; it’s always been okay to me, but it’s never that special or meaningful. Until that day. For the first time, I actually heard the words. For the first time, they touched me, and brought home the power of the Christmas message. Read them right now, aloud to yourself:

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men.”

Till, ringing singing, on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

Those words hit me like a hammer: the message that even in a world full of sin and hate, where there is no apparent peace, “God is still with us. He is not dead, nor doth he sleep.” That is the message of the Christmas bells as they play the old familiar carols. The message that Christ came into a world full of hate to bring us ultimate peace, true peace that overcomes all that is wrong. For that reason, the bells can chime and ring out joyfully.

I wanted to know more about the song, so I did a little research, and found its story enhanced the meaning of the song.

It was Christmas of 1863, in the midst of the bloodiest year of the Civil War.
The poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, was a widower, his wife having died when her dress caught fire. Now, his son had returned from the war, seriously wounded by a rifle bullet on December 1. As he nursed his son’s recovery, he heard the local church’s bells ringing out on Christmas Day, and struggled with the message proclaimed by the angels of peace on earth, goodwill toward men. How could there be peace when thousand were dying in a war that had torn the country apart, and wounded his own son? Where was God and God’s promise in all this? Was God asleep, or even dead?

Longfellow picked up his pen and began to write: “I heard the bells on Christmas Day, their old familiar carols play . . ” He laid out his sadness about the world, but like the ancient psalms, moved from doubt and hurt to an affirmation that God was still with us, and that his promise given to us at Christmas, still holds true. A promise announced by the angels, but fulfilled in the baby born that day in that stable in Bethlehem.

Why did this song affect me so much as we sang it, and again when I read its story? Could it be that the words of the song are just as true today as when they were written? After all, peace in our world, and even in our country, is in short supply. Or is it because that was the case when Christ was born in a country conquered by a foreign empire, ruled by a despot who would murder infants to abort the rise of a rival king, divided by sects and ethnic loyalties, and riddled with poverty and disease? Or because it has always been the case throughout human history, from the first child born on earth becoming a murderer of his own brother, to modern dictators who kill their own people, to religious fanatics who behead people they consider infidels?

The answer is all the above. But what means the most to me is not the despair such evil causes, but the final, triumphant message of the song, that the bells can still ring out joyfully because God has fulfilled his work in his Son, Jesus Christ. Even in the reality of sin and hatred, our God loved us so much that he sent the remedy: his only Son who would bear the penalty of our sins and open the way to a sin-free eternal life. Because of Christmas, (and Good Friday, and Easter), we can have hope – and peace – as promised.

So, I would ask you, “Have you heard the bells on Christmas Day? If so, what do they mean to you? And if you don’t hear actual church bells ringing, have you heard the same proclamation in other ways: on TV, radio, online, in church, or in a blog (I hear there are some good ones out there!)? And most importantly, do you read your Bible, which contains the most definitive and authoritative proclamation of God’s promises and fulfillments?

Have you heard the bells on Christmas Day? Listen for them every day, and rejoice in their joyful proclamation!

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Psalm 29:11; Matthew 5:9; Luke 2:1-20; Romans 5:1; Romans 14:17-19; Romans 15:13; James 3:16. 

 

 

 

 

 

What? No Christmas?

Recently, news reporters have been talking about the backlog of ships and shipping containers in American ports. Freighters have been moored offshore from Long Beach, California, up to Seattle, Washington, waiting for an opening at the docks so they can unload their cargoes. This crisis in the supply chain has resulted in the scarcity and unavailability of many products which would normally line our stores’ shelves, or fill online retailers’ warehouses.

Lamenting these supply problems, various reporters and politicians have complained that because of the lack of toys and other gifts, there might not be a Christmas this year. What?! No Christmas?! What a disaster! Please say it isn’t true!

Well, of course it isn’t true. The arrival, and even celebration, of Christmas will not depend on whether we can buy and give a new game console, a new doll, a bike, a PajamaGram® outfit, or even a recycled fruitcake. Christmas is not dependent on any of our gift-giving, because what we celebrate on this special day is the greatest gift ever given: Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

You can find many written histories of the celebration of Jesus’ birth. The first Christians celebrated Easter rather than Christmas, because Christ’s resurrection, and its meaning for our own eternal lives, was what was so important and made the faith so powerful. It wasn’t until the 400s when Pope Julius I declared it and set the date of December 25 for the celebration, that it became a Christian holiday and a “Christ Mass” was observed. Much has been made of the fact that he chose the date to co-opt the pagan winter celebration called Saturnalia (especially by present-day atheists), but I think that celebrating Christ’s birth is better than worshiping a so-called “god” called Saturn.

Soon, the celebration of The Feast of the Nativity spread throughout Christendom, from Egypt to England, from Germany to Spain, and eventually to the Americas, once we were discovered and settled by European Christians. The English in Jamestown, Virginia, for example, celebrated Christmas in the 1600s, and in the 1700s the Dutch settlers did so in New Amsterdam (now known as New York), introducing Sinter Klaas in the process (guess who?). Then came Washington Irving’s stories about English Christmas traditions, Clement Moore’s An Account of a Visit from Saint Nicholas (aka ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas), and Thomas Nast’s cartoon rendering of the portly gift-giver. The Germans (thanks to Martin Luther) introduced Christmas trees (Tannenbaums), and here we are, celebrating Christmas in America. (Note: the NSA and FBI are still working to uncover who first introduced fruitcakes. . .)

Of course, not everyone has celebrated the religious aspects of Christmas, though many non-believers enjoy the winter holiday aspects of the season, the lights, the gift-giving, and the family gatherings. But certain Christian groups and sects also have forbidden such celebrations. For example, the English Puritans under Oliver Cromwell cancelled Christmas, due to its raucous nature at that time (1645). Likewise, the Pilgrims who came to America refused to celebrate Christmas; from 1659 to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was actually outlawed in Boston, at a penalty of five shillings for any violation. For the next two hundred years, very little was made of Christmas in the U.S., until June of 1870, when it became a federal holiday.

Today there are hundreds of Christmas carols, hymns, and popular songs that celebrate Christmas, even though many are more winter-holiday focused (Frosty the Snowman, anyone?). Truly, Christmas is a richly blessed celebration, much enjoyed by many, many people of all ages, full of fun, food, fellowship, and fruitcake. Then there are movies, television specials, music, decorations, and of course, worship services. Karen and I really love this holiday, even with all its excesses, and would hate to see it go away.

But the wonderful truth is that Christmas can never be cancelled, because it already happened. Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, was born in a Bethlehem stable over two thousand years ago and laid in a manger. The eternal God and Creator of all things humbled himself and entered the world he created as one of us, to bear our sins on the cross and win salvation for us. Philippians 2:5-11 is one of my favorite passages in all Scripture:

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

This historical event really occurred in time and space, and cannot be erased, no matter what we have on hand to celebrate it. Do we need music, gaily-decorated evergreen trees, outside lights, blown-up Santa figures on our lawns, stockings on our mantle,  eggnog, or a certain fruit-filled cake? Do we need big dinners, new clothes, and expensive gifts? Do we need foggy Christmas Eves or White Christmases? Do we need all those container ships to be unloaded in time for us to have Christmas?

The answer to all these questions is, of course, “No!” Not one of those things is essential to the Christmas event, nor to our celebration of it. What is essential is that the Son of God was born as one of us, lived, and died on the cross after teaching us the Gospel of forgiveness for our sins, and giving us the hope of eternal life. What matters is that we believe in that same Jesus Christ, and acknowledge that he is our God and Savior.

Romans 10:9 says, ” . . . because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Many billions of people have been born, but only one came into the world to save us, and it is his birthday we celebrate.

Luke 1:35, “And the angel answered [Mary], ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.'”

Luke 2:10-11, “And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.'”

Acts 4:12, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Galatians 4:4-5, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”

1 John 4:9-10, “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

Therefore, we can shrug our shoulders at the absence of gifts, cancel our parties, serve crackers and water, turn off the TV and our music, dress in sweatshirts and sweatpants, and stare at our bare walls and empty tree stands, . . . and still have a great Christmas celebrating the birth of the Savior of mankind. Supply chain worries? Bah, humbug!

May you and yours have a happy and blessed Christmas this year, and always!

And may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38, 2:1-20.

P.S. PajamaGram® did not sponsor my blog. Nor have I recently recycled any fruitcakes.

Have They Come For You?

Recently, I posted a blog which spoke of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and his opposition to Adolf Hitler, a stand which cost him imprisonment and finally, execution, in a Nazi concentration camp (see The Era of Stupidity, November 14).  Today, I’m going to refer to another German Lutheran pastor who likewise opposed the Nazis and who also suffered imprisonment for his stand. Also, like Bonhoeffer, this other theologian had important things to say which are as relevant today in America as they were in Germany during the 1930s and 1940s.

Martin Niemöller (1892-1984) was a German Lutheran pastor and theologian who opposed Hitler’s Nazification of the German Church. At first, before Hitler took total power, Niemöller approved of the leader for opposing the atheistic Communists, and actually met with him. During their meeting, Hitler assured Niemöller that the Nazis would respect the freedom and autonomy of the Church. However, when Hitler became chancellor and began asserting control over the churches by appointing Nazi-approved bishops and limiting what could be preached and taught, Niemöller joined other objectors in denouncing Hitler and his party.

Of course, this didn’t sit well with the dictator, so Niemöller was arrested and imprisoned in the Sachsenhausen and Dachau concentration camps for seven years, from 1938 to 1945. Fortunately, he survived the ordeal.

Niemöller’s most famous quote, and the one most pertinent to today’s situation, is this one which he wrote in 1946:

“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”

His poem was a confession of the fact that he, and many others in the Church, did nothing when the government targeted various groups as being undesirable, a burden on society, or non-conforming to its orders. Out of cowardice or complicity, many Christian leaders kept quiet as Jews and others were arrested and persecuted, because it didn’t affect them personally. Even if they didn’t like what was happening, they justified their silence as preserving their own ministries.

What struck me in reading Niemöller’s statement about the costs of remaining silent, was its applicability to today’s “cancel culture” in our country.  We’ve watched as many people have been attacked by various social media, or fired, or “cancelled” from speaking publicly. People are shunning other people – former friends and even relatives – who voice anything they dislike. Even worse, some are attacked just because they don’t agree fervently enough with the attacker. And yet, though we don’t like what is happening, how many of us actually speak out and actively defend those who get cancelled?

This phenomenon is not new. In a sense, warfare and murder itself are forms of cancelling people (permanently). But even when people set out to shut up others peacefully, there is an inherent violence in the attitude that often comes out in actual violence against those being cancelled. Some historical examples illustrate this point of people who were once allied but suffered because they fell out of favor or were deemed not enthusiastic enough for “the cause”:

  1. Following up on the violence perpetrated by the Nazis, Hitler turned on one of his earliest fervent friends and supporters, Ernst Röhm, murdering him and disbanding his pro-Nazi militia in 1934.
  2.  In the Soviet Union, Josef Stalin denounced and executed some of his allied communist leaders, including Leon Trotsky, who had served in the Russian revolution with Lenin. He conducted what is called the Great Purge (called by the Russians, “The Great Terror”), dividing people by their class and ideology before executing literally millions of them. He then executed his leaders who had conducted the purges for him.
  3.  Another Great Terror took place in France during and following their revolution. Again, social class and fervency for the cause were criteria for whether someone lived or died. Eventually the revolutionary leader, Maximilien Robespierre himself, died on the guillotine in 1794 after being denounced by his fellow revolutionaries.
  4. Following our own revolution, numerous Americans who had remained loyal to the Crown were harassed. Some 80,000 of them fled to Canada or back to Britain for safety.
  5. Lest we find the Church faultless in this area, consider the Inquisitions conducted by the Roman Catholic Church for four hundred years, which purged the Church and its territories of people considered to be heretics or Protestants. The accused lost jobs, positions, families, and even their lives. The number of executions is estimated at some 32,000 people.

Beliefs do matter, and the impetus to ally with those of like mind and purpose is a powerful and important one. I certainly would not have called any non-believers to serve as my associate pastors. Our church body does conduct thorough reviews of all candidates to make sure they know and believe the Bible and the Lutheran Confessions. But the difference is, we don’t execute those who don’t make it!

But now, our society is tearing apart as people group themselves and others into “acceptable” and “unacceptable” categories. What race are you? How old are you? Who did you vote for? What did you post on social media? What did you tell a friend twenty years ago in private, that now became public? What belief did you espouse that was once popular, but now is considered offensive? What are your preferred pronouns? Vaccinated or unvaccinated? Which computer system do you use, Mac or PC?

As you can see, there is an almost infinite variety of categories which can divide us. Unfortunately, once divided, it becomes easy to hate the other group and rejoice at their misfortunes, or desire their cancellation. It also prevents us from seeing the other person as an individual who probably has the same needs, wants, and hopes that we do. As people whom God loves and for whom Christ died.

So, how do we react to this current “cancel culture”?

  • We speak against it, in love but forcefully. Whenever anyone is cancelled, we could be the next in line, just as Niemöller warned. Even if we aren’t targeted, we are diminished by the loss of others’ ideas and works.
  • We avoid cancelling other people we may disagree with. The French philosopher, Voltaire, famously said, “I may not agree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
  • When we disagree, make sure we are hearing the other person accurately. Avoid overreacting to what we think they mean, or what their critics tell us about what they mean. Read and think for ourselves. We should follow Martin Luther’s teaching on the Eighth Commandment: “We should fear and love God that we may not deceitfully belie, betray, slander, or defame our neighbor, but defend him, think and speak well of him, and put the best construction on everything.” When we give the other person a chance, we may actually learn something!
  • We obey Christ’s command to love our neighbor as ourselves (Luke 10:27), a command echoed explicitly throughout Scripture in both Old Testament “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 19:18), and New: “For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’.” (Galatians 5:14). Therefore, even if we completely disagree with what another person says or does, we still treat him or her with respect and love. And if they hurt us by words or actions, we still forgive them, as we have been forgiven (Matthew 6:12-15).
  • We see other people as people, and not as representatives of groups at odds with our particular group. As I stated above, God loves that person just as he loves me, and does not desire that either of us perish. John 3:16 is our guide here: God loved the world (that’s everybody) and gave his Son that we should not perish but have eternal life. If God did that, who am I to decide otherwise?
  • Finally, I remember the poem written by Edwin Markham, who wrote:
          • He drew a circle that shut me out
            Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
            But Love and I had the wit to win:
            We drew a circle that took him in.*

This is hard to do, to take in those who insult and hate me. But I seem to have heard about Someone else who did just that, enduring the hatred, mocking, brutal beatings – and yes, even death by crucifixion – out of love for those he came to save. Our Lord had every reason to cancel all of us, but his love took us in, even when we deserved only his wrath. Let us strive, in love, to cancel the cancellations.

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Matthew 5:43; Mark 12:30-32; Luke 10:27; Romans 13:9-10; and James 2:8.

*Edwin Markham, The Shoes of Happiness, and Other Poems, 1913

Thanks No Matter What

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, I’ve been thinking about some of the enjoyable  traditions which go along with this national holiday. There’s the food, of course: turkey, stuffing, cranberries, mashed potatoes (or sweet potatoes), green bean casserole, and the ever-delicious pumpkin pie. Then there are the activities, including a morning church service, gatherings of friends and family, televised football games, and triptophan-induced couch comas.

Another great dinner tradition is to go around the table and have everyone share those things for which they are thankful this holiday. During this time, you are likely to hear thanks for the food, family and friends, a new job, recovery from an illness, freedoms, and among Christians, salvation in Jesus Christ. While people in general may be happy and generally thankful for the good things in their life, believers direct their gratefulness to God. It certainly is a good and proper thing to do, and it obeys the many Scriptural admonitions to recognize the source of our blessings and to thank God for them. Just a few of those passages are the following:

1 Chronicles 16:34, “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!”

Psalm 9:1, “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.”

Psalm 100:4, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!”

Isaiah 12:4, “And you will say in that day: ‘Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted.'”

Revelation 7:12, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

There are so many reasons to be thankful to God, that the dinner may get cold before everyone finishes their list of blessings! Maybe we ought to restrict each person to say just one – or maybe two – points of praise.

Unfortunately, for many across the country this year, that restriction won’t be necessary, because there are so many problems and worries on people’s minds that thankfulness does not seem to be the dominant attitude. The apparent collapse of our society this year due to crime, inflation, shortages, civil unrest (that is, uncivil unrest), political division, border crises, the debacle in Afghanistan, and of course, the Covid pandemic and its effects. My guess us that many people are thinking, “What’s there to be thankful for? Let’s wait till things improve and then throw a big thank-you party!”

But that’s just the opposite of what we should do. Now, I’m not saying we ignore the issues facing all of us (not to mention personal problems any of us struggle with individually), nor am I advocating a Pollyanna approach that looks for the “silver lining” in those troubles. Even if we try to “make lemonade out of life’s lemons” the worries, hurts, disappointments, pains, and heartaches are all too real. No, we treat those problems seriously, and seek to overcome them with prayer, fortitude, and hard work.

And yet, it is precisely because we have those very real problems and dangers in our lives that we need to stop and turn our attention to God and offer him our thanksgiving.

I was struck when I read about Thanksgiving, that throughout our history, this celebration has occurred right after, or even during, times of extreme danger and troubles, rather than during periods of peace and prosperity.

  1. The very first Thanksgiving, celebrated by the Pilgrims in October of 1621  (400 years ago this month!), came after the first harvest. But the meal was celebrated by only 57 Pilgrims, the other 45 members of the colony having died the previous winter.
  2. In 1777, the Continental Congress called for a day of Thanksgiving to God, not because of victory, but during a time of desperation. They had to meet in York, Pennsylvania, for that declaration, because the British were occupying their usual capital of Philadelphia.
  3. Abraham Lincoln declared a day of Thanksgiving in the year of 1863, in the midst of the bloody Civil War, when the fate of the nation (and the freedom of millions of slaves) was at stake.
  4. In 1939, while millions of Americans were struggling due to the Great Depression, President Roosevelt declared a national day of Thanksgiving.
  5. In 1942, Congress established the federal holiday, even though World War II was raging, with much fighting, bloodshed, and civilian hardships ahead.

As you can see, giving thanks is not contingent on good times. Rather, our attitude should be that of the prophet Jeremiah, who cried over the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Babylonians, yet still could write these profound words: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23). 

But why should we offer thanks to God when we don’t feel like it, when our eyes tell us “the Temple is destroyed.” Isn’t that just going through the motions, insincerity cloaked in religious piety? No; there are very good reasons to offer thanks even when we struggle to do just that.

First, we thank God  because everything we have comes from him. Food, clothing, shelter, health, material goods, family, and friends all are from him. Not to mention our  very lives themselves. All are a gift from God. And even should all those things be lost, including our lives, we still thank God for the greatest of all his gifts, eternal life through Jesus Christ. Scripture says that all good gifts come from our Father above (James 1:17). And Luther taught us that keeping the First Commandment requires us to attribute all our blessings to God and to nothing else (Large Catechism, Part I).

Second, we thank God because he deserves it. He is worthy of all praise and all devotion, even if we received nothing good from him. This is the lesson of Job, who though he lost everything, still held to faith in God, saying, “Though he slay me, I will hope in him” (Job 13:15). I picture the great scene in heaven, when all the saved – even those who lost everything in this life – join in the great chorus of “every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them,” saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” (Revelation 5:13).

Third, we thank God because we recognize that he is sovereign, that is, ruler over all. We might not like what we see, but we lack the knowledge or wisdom of God, whose foolishness is greater than man’s greatest wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:25). In other words, we don’t have the whole picture. We can’t see what God is doing behind the scenes to accomplish his purposes, nor do we know his purpose in any specific situation. We have to trust that the One who is ultimately in charge knows what  he is doing. “I’ve got this!’ is what he tells us in his Word. By thanking him, we are trusting him to do what is best. As Abraham told the Lord just before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (Genesis 18:25).

Fourth, we thank God because he is the One who can actually overcome evil circumstances. Our thankfulness acknowledges our dependence on him, and is part of our prayer for his intervention. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). Paul shows us the linkage between a grateful heart and asking God for his blessings. If we have an attitude of entitlement, why should God show his love and power by jumping to obey our demands? True prayer holds thankfulness for past mercies, and the promise of gratitude for God’s mercies still to come.

Fifth, we thank God even in times of trouble because it is a witness to others. When Satan afflicted Job, it was to see whether Job loved God only because God had blessed him so much. But Job did not abandon God when he lost everything, which was a testimony to Satan, and to all of us, that his faith in God was true. So too, when we continue to worship, pray, and thank God during our difficult times, we are showing the world that our faith is sincere and that God is worthy of worship. To unbelievers, giving God thanks blows away any prejudice they may have that our faith is a selfish thing, or that we see God as a magical genie we can summon to grant our wishes. To our fellow believers, our thankfulness during trouble is a strong encouragement for them to hold on when they face difficulties (which they will). Having difficulties is not a witness; how we handle them with God is.

There’s more that can be said, but it’s time to grab the old blunderbuss and go hunting for a turkey. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving, and that you will be blessed when you, too, “give thanks with a grateful heart”*

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Job 1; Philippians 4; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; Revelation 5

*Give Thanks, by Don Moen, Integrity Music, 1986.

 

The Reforming River

Following the recent torrential rains that hit Northern California, I was amazed to see the news videos of what had once been dry creek beds, now turned into raging torrents that even threatened nearby homes. The dangers of those flooding waters were sufficient to warrant the cancellation of a major Ironman competition, in which contestants would have had to swim in the flooding river waters.

Seeing those images of local flooding reminded me of Karen and my visits to Niagara Falls – but not so much the falls themselves, as impressive as they were. What really blew me away was the Niagara River above the falls. Having canoed some minor rapids in my day, I could only stare open-mouthed at the power of that river, rushing and sweeping everything in its path toward the inevitable plunge that lay ahead. Anything caught in that current would be impossibly trapped and carried to its doom; the water was too strong to swim or sail against. In the middle of the river was a stark reminder of that river’s power and danger: the rusted hulk of a barge caught on some large boulders. The barge had broken loose from its upriver moorings, and been swept by the river toward the falls. On board was a crew member who had been sleeping, but awoke to sudden terror. Only his quick action of scuttling the barge – sinking it on purpose – caused it to hang up on the boulders and allow him to be rescued.

These thoughts came to mind as I pondered the arrival of yet another Reformation Day. October 31 is the 504th anniversary of the day Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, commonly recognized as the start of the Protestant Reformation.  Luther questioned many of the Church’s teachings and practices, especially regarding the sale of indulgences. His study of the Scriptures led him to proclaim the true Gospel of salvation by faith alone apart from works, based on Romans 3:28 and Ephesians 2:8-10. As Luther said, “Good works do not make a man good, but a good man does good works.”* The Church needed reforming from its emphasis on papal authority, works righteousness, and false doctrines such as a belief in Purgatory. What is known as the chief article of faith is simply this:

“This article concerning justification by faith … is the chief article in the entire Christian doctrine, without which no poor conscience can have any firm consolation, or can truly know the riches of the grace of Christ.”**

But why would thoughts of flood waters and the Reformation go together. and why would events of over 500 years ago bear any relevance today, except in the legacy of the name Luther in so many churches?

There are actually several important connections between the two, and definite relevance for our present times.

The Church today is caught up in the flood waters of social change.

  • The Church today is caught up in the flood waters of social change. The term, “current events” is appropriate for both flood waters and culture. No longer is the Church – representing biblical truth and morality – the arbiter of cultural values. No longer does the nation define its character or values in terms of Christianity; rather, it ignores, ridicules, or outright reviles Christ and his teachings. Christians find themselves carried along in the currents of social change, unable to swim against the tide. At the most, they can find an occasional pool, backwater, or eddy*** in which to briefly rest and catch their breath. Churches are forced to follow government rules regarding their non-profit status, facility design, occupancy and even in-person worship, thanks to Covid restrictions. Churches that uphold biblical teachings face attacks by social and national media. Seminaries turn out “woke” pastors who lead their flocks into what they call the social gospel, championing left-wing causes over biblical commandments and the true Gospel. The same applies to individual Christians as well: the younger ones are caught up in demands of confusing and hostile school environments, workplace discrimination and intolerance,  and the breakdown of social structures. And as for older people (so I hear), they feel bypassed by radical social changes that render their values and existence irrelevant. And all are treated as political pawns or data-points or potential customers, rather than as people created in God’s image and of great value to the Creator.

Everyone is just being carried along by the floodwaters of a society that espouses good-sounding platitudes, yet hates the very faith that created those desirable outcomes of love, forgiveness, and compassionate caring for our neighbors.

The Church in America has in many ways lost its way.

  •   Unfortunately, the Church in America has in many ways lost its way, either carried along and conforming to the cultural current, or spun off into some irrelevant backwater to watch the world go by. Neither will save the Church’s witness today, nor is either the true biblical response to society.
    1. Many of the larger churches and prominent preachers espouse a health and wealth gospel, citing the lack of either as a sign of little faith (or too small of a donation to their coffers). If you’re sick or poor, it’s your fault!
    2. Some churches emphasize the public manifestation of dramatic behavior as evidence of the Holy Spirit. They question the salvation of those who don’t speak in tongues, shake, or fall dead-like to the floor. They teach how to create such “gifts” in you, though Scripture says the Holy Spirit gives gifts as he chooses, to whom he chooses (1 Corinthians 12:11). Their witness is of behaviors which exist in other religions, too, such as in Islam and Hinduism.
    3. Many congregations look for political answers to our problems, rooting for one candidate or party, rather than to God who lifts up and brings down all authority (Romans 13:1 – “For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.”). They ignore the First Commandment, which says we are to have only one God – and to look to him to provide all our needs.
    4. Other congregations soften their message to be palatable to non-believers, removing the words “sin” and “hell” from their vocabulary. They smile and call on people to accept each other regardless of blatant sinful behavior. The greatest sin to them is offending or judging anyone.
    5. Unfortunately, there are supposedly Christian churches that openly combine Christian symbols with anti-Christian and pagan practices. A few have even put Korans in their pews.
    6. The Christian Church is supposed to be one “holy catholic and apostolic church,” yet the American church is fragmented into hundreds of denominations (40 Lutheran ones alone). Many hold such different views that having one common voice in society is impossible. Q: What do Christians believe on any given topic? A: Depends on whom you ask.

The American Church is in serious trouble. When not losing members it is still losing influence and impact on the society and culture around us. We have become either dropouts, watching from the shore, or else co-conspirators, swimming in the water with everyone else in a headlong rush toward the falls. So what are we to do? It’s time for another Reformation. It’s time to do what Luther did 500 years ago, and call the Church back to what it is supposed to be and to do.

It’s time for another Reformation.

  1. The Church never was, nor should it be, just a reflection of society’s accepted values. Scripture warns the Church not to be conformed to the world, but to be transformed by renewal though Christ (Romans 12:2). If there is no difference between the Church and society, then the Church has nothing to tell the world. The Church needs to return to the authority of God’s Word (Sola Scriptura) rather than Twitter, Facebook****, celebrity pastors, or executive orders.
  2. The Church’s message must be about Jesus Christ (Solus Christus) and not about self-improvement, finding success, prosperity, popularity, or finding your “best life now.” The Church can remove other barriers that keep people from Christ, but must confront them with who he is and what he has done. To proclaim Christ and make disciples in why the Church exists.
  3. The Church is not a political organization, but politics has intruded where it does not belong, and has corrupted matters of life, death, and morality which are matters addressed by Scripture. Abortion of the unborn and euthanasia of the disabled and the elderly are Christian issues and always have been. God’s command to honor our parents was first given to adults who were raised in a culture that put old people out to die, and the early church rescued infants that the Romans had tossed out on the city dump. Just as most of today’s social services were begun by Christians who cared for people in need, so we cannot keep quiet, but instead be involved.

The good news is that this new Reformation is not just up to us and our power. For there is another River that flows from God to give us life and strength. Psalm 46:4 says, “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God.” And John 7:38 proclaims the words of our Lord: “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” That river of living water is the Holy Spirit, true God who works his will in the world through us and for us. It is he who has called us to faith, and he who will accomplish God’s purposes. So let us be fervent in our prayers for a new Reformation of Christ’s Church and for our nation,   knowing that ultimately, we will gather at “the great river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Revelation 22:1).

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Psalm 46; 1 Corinthians 12; Romans 12.

  1. *The Freedom of a Christian, Martin Luther, 1520.
  2. **The Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration. III, 6.
  3. ***One of my favorite canoeing terms!
  4. ****Now called “Meta”.

 

 

You Are a Chimera!

A faithful reader of this blog responded recently to my article, “Male and Female,” which I published on September 25. Having worked in the medical field, she had witnessed individuals who were born with both male and female organs, and wondered how that fit in with God’s creation of us as male or female (or pertinent to her question, male and female).
 The condition she spoke of is called a  chimera (kī-ˈmeer-ə), named after a mythical beast that was part lion, part goat, and part serpent. It happens (the human condition, not the mythical beast) when fraternal twins begin forming in the womb, but one dies and the other absorbs its DNA. The result is a person with two sets of DNA, which can mean both a female and a male in one body. (I first heard of this on an episode of the TV  show, House, when a female cheerleader came down with testicular cancer.) This can certainly cause social and emotional issues for an individual who has two sets of sexual organs. But spiritually, I think the concerns are the same as for any person. As with all people, a chimera is a sinner in need of forgiveness, and Christ died for him/her as well as for you and me.
Several things came to mind when I read her question. There are the sayings of Isaiah 29:16 and 64:8 and Romans 9:21, which speak of God as the potter and us as the clay, and that he has the right to make us as he wishes. We are all different and yet are all his workmanship (Ephesians 2:10), and all in his image (Genesis 1:26-27). Also, we know that God loves each of us, no matter how we are born, and therefore we must in turn love each other. No accident of birth, or defect, can change God’s love or our duty to love and respect. Certainly, we must be especially compassionate to people born as chimeras, for they will face social and physical challenges. Another reality is that we live in a fallen world where we all suffer, all  have handicaps (some visible, some hidden), all face illnesses and injuries, and all die. We also know from Jesus’ own words that someone born with a defect is not being punished by God for his or her (their) sins. neither the twin that died nor the one who was born is being punished (John 9:3).
At this point you might by thinking, “Okay, this is interesting, but what has it to do with me? I’m not a chimera.” To which I answer, “Oh, yes you are!”
Maybe not a chimera in the medical sense (or mythical sense), but there are two ways that anyone can be considered a chimera in the spiritual sense.
1. First, all people incorporate in their one being, two opposite natures and sets of characteristics. On the one hand, we were created in the image of God and retain much of the glory which he instilled in us: the ability to love, to create, to give, to help, and to fellowship with God and with each other, among other lofty traits. Unfortunately, because sin entered into the world and into us, we suffer under its curse, and therefore embody all that is bad in human thought, attitudes, and actions: we hate, steal, harm, kill, cheat, and deny the God who created and loves us. Because of this, everything we do is tainted; even the most altruistic acts can carry the blemish of pride and self interest. (I’m especially proud of my humility!)
I’ve seen this many times in our modern world, though this is not a new phenomenon. There is no invention or development so wonderful or beneficial that it can’t be turned by sin into something harmful. Had any spam calls, email scams, or identity theft lately?  This goes beyond the unintended negative consequences that good intentions can have, such as wind turbines chopping up birds that get too close, or oil drilling that leaks oil and damages wildlife along beaches. It involves people willfully using technology to harm others. For example, think of the amazing development of airplanes for long-distance travel, only to see them used for bombing, drug-smuggling, and crashing into buildings.
This dual nature of mankind is clearly seen in today’s “cancel culture,” when people who otherwise do admirable things get caught saying or doing something that is either unacceptable or outright terrible. A sports announcer says something insensitive in the heat of an exciting play; a great teacher loses his or her temper at a student, a pastor butchers Martin Luther’s reputation by dressing up like him and speaking in a fake German accent*. Every person we respect or admire is capable of, and has already done, something that is cringe-worthy. Think of Kate Smith, who inspired millions of Americans over the decades with her rendition of the song, “God Bless America”; but also recorded several blatantly racist songs. Or of Martin Luther himself, who both restored the true Gospel to the Christian Church, and advocated burning synagogues. Two natures, indeed.
The problem is that everyone does things that are good and things that are bad. If we cancel everyone who has ever said or done something stupid or nasty,  there won’t be anyone left. Even Robespierre, a leader of the French Revolution, went to the guillotine when the mob turned against him.
So then, all people struggle with this dual identity as both exalted and fallen beings. But what about us Christians? Does this struggle also apply to us? Or are we better than that?
2. This brings us to the second way in which even Christians are chimeras. As believers in Christ we are reborn children of God and inheritors of eternal life (Romans 8:6-7), but while we are still in this body, we retain our fallen natures as well. We are both saint and sinner. We have been redeemed by Christ and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, yet we cling to the old sinful nature, even when we abhor it. The Apostle Paul lamented this duality in Romans 7 when he said,
” 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.”
Paul does not use this as an excuse to go on sinning. He doesn’t give the lame excuse, “Well, I’m only human, after all!” No, instead he admonishes us not to keep on sinning, even though God forgives us by his grace. He wrote in Romans 6:1-2, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?”
The Apostle John put it this way, “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God” (1 John 3:9). See similar teachings in Hebrews 10:26 and 1 Corinthians 15:34.
The point is that even as Christians who are born again of water and the Spirit (John 3:3), we struggle to be faithful to the new spiritual life which God has given us in Christ. The old nature clings to us, tempting us and going against what we know God desires for our lives. We backslide into the old ways, due to social pressures or our own sinful desires, and fall short of God’s will and the new man or woman God has created in us. Then we get discouraged, with Satan whispering in our ear that we are failures, and that all this “God stuff” just isn’t for us.
So, what do we do about this chimeric split personality within us? First, we recognize it exists, so we don’t get blind-sided when we or someone else disappoints us. Second, we thank God for his grace, by which the sinner in us is forgiven, and the saint in us is proclaimed by his righteous decree. Third, we study the Scriptures to know what behavior and thought is consistent with God’s nature and the image he desires in us. Fourth, we seek out others who also strive to be faithful disciples of Christ -in church, Bible studies, charitable ministries, and other common places. Fifth, we pray for God’s strength, knowing that he has given us his own Holy Spirit to convict and guide us, to strengthen and comfort us for our life’s journey. He has promised to provide us a way out from the temptations to sin (1 Corinthians 10:13), even if it means giving us to the strength to run away from it! (1 Corinthians 6:18).
So, my fellow chimeras . . . let us thank God for blessing us with his own image, and for forgiving that other side of us. For in Christ, we are all being made whole again.
Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.
Read: Romans 7 – 8:11; 1 Corinthians 10:12-14
*Hypothetically, of course.

A World Without God?

What would the world be like without God?

Besides the fact there wouldn’t even be a world or anything else without God (Colossians 1:17 – “And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”), what if God just “walked away” and left the world to its own devices? What if no one knew God or called upon him, or believed in his Son, or lived under the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit?

The Bible has actually given us powerful examples of times and places that the world lived in ignorance of, or rebellion against God. There were our first parents, Adam and Eve, who disobeyed God and tried to put themselves in his place – the result was the death sentence on them and all their descendants (including us). Then came the days of Noah, when the entire world apart from Noah’s family (eight souls) was so hopelessly evil that God regretted having created mankind, and wiped the slate clean with the Great Flood (Genesis 6:6 and following). Then there were great cities filled with evil, such as Sodom and Gomorrah (which God destroyed) and Nineveh (which he spared when they turned to him; see the book of Jonah).

But mankind’s disregard of God is not limited to a few dramatic times and places; it can be seen throughout the world and throughout history wherever people have tried to live without him. The disbelief in God is so pervasive, Romans 3:11 says, “no one seeks for God.” The absence of belief in God or obedience to his Word manifested in ancient times before Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit came into the world:

  1. Constant wars and killings.
  2. Slavery, usually of conquered peoples or the poor.
  3. Abortion and Infanticide: the ancient Romans would toss unwanted children onto the city dumps (only to later have Christians rescue them). Canaanites would sacrifice children to their god, Molech, in a heated iron idol.
  4. Sexual licentiousness. There was an entire ancient Greek regiment made up of male pairs, and it was accepted for tutors to teach their young students more than the three R’s. Cults and religions had temple prostitutes and men could legally kick out their wives for  younger women. God forbidding such behavior is found in God’s law given to the Israelites in Leviticus 18:23, Exodus 22:19, and 1 Corinthians 6:9, among numerous places.
  5. Worship of nature rather than its Creator. Cults thrived that sought to control nature through magic, and gods were invented to represent forces and objects. Wind, rain, land and sea, stars and planets, the sun and moon: all were deified and worshipped.
  6. Selfishness and seeking material wealth and power at the expense of other people.

I’m sure glad we’ve gotten past all that foolishness in our modern world! No, wait, we haven’t, have we? We are every bit as sinful in all those areas as the world ever was:

  1. There are wars between tribes and nations, and hundreds of killings in our own country every week.
  2. Slavery still exists in what is called “human trafficking” as well as in outright servitude of some people to others.
  3. Abortion is rampant, protected, and even publicly funded in our country, with over 600,000 a year (down from 1.5 million due to fewer pregnancies). Now, two governors have spoken in favor of infanticide right after a child is born.
  4. Homosexuality is praised and taught to school children, and no negatives about it, or transgenderism or bestiality are allowed in the public arena. TV, movies, and online videos are filled with sexual innuendo and explicit acts. Acceptance of people is made contingent on accepting any sexual behavior those people do, regardless of what Scripture says about it.
  5. The new nature god is Science, and nature worship continues. Whatever the latest theory is, gets support and funding, and people speak of the planet being alive, self-evolving, and “all there is.” People who would never speak of Father God freely speak of Mother Nature.
  6. And as for selfishness and seeking after material wealth and power, do I really need to give examples?

So how is it that we see the same effects today of a godless world, when God himself came to earth to save us, and left his Spirit with us to guide and strengthen us? You would think things would be different. I think there are three points to make about that:

  1. First, things are different for those who believe in that Savior and trust God’s Word, both his Law and his Gospel. The Spirit does work through the believers to soften the effects of sin and the Fall, both in changing lives and providing remedial care for those suffering the consequences of a sinful world. The Holy Spirit is still active, calling and enlightening people to faith in Christ, and then moving them to show God’s love in Christ to the world. The world would be even worse without the Church being in the world.
  2. Second, even though Christians have brought blessings to the world, we are still sinners, and find that we don’t live up to our calling as well as we should. At times we have contributed to the world’s problems through wars, slavery, and greed, but these were not caused by faith, but by failure. At least our sins are confronted by God’s Word and the Holy Spirit, so that we can, and have, repudiated many social sins.
  3. Third, most of the world does not believe in God, and therefore is living in a “world without God.” Their own perceived needs and desires drive their actions, and social pressures drive their beliefs. Even if they have heard about Christ, they don’t believe. Their hearts are hard, their pride is in control, and they don’t want to submit to divine authority and change their lifestyles. They say in their heart, “There is no God.”

Of course, those who say there is no God are just deluding themselves. Psalm 14:1 and 53:1 say, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.'” There is a God (the God of the Bible), whether or not people believe in him. He does not derive his existence or power from his creation or his creatures; he is what philosophers call, the only “necessary Being.” The rest of us are all “contingent beings.” We depend on God for our existence; he does not depend on us. He existed self-sufficiently from eternity past without us. He did not need to create us, but freely chose to do so out of love.

That God’s existence is real can be known by his creation, especially in his creation of us who were made in his image. Paul wrote in Romans 1:20, “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.” The rest of that passage (verses 18-25) reveals God’s judgment on those who would deny his existence:

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.”

Regardless of what people believe, or think they want, God is in the world. The world cannot shut him out, it cannot kick him off the throne and put themselves there, no matter what they want. He is still in charge, and now, just as in the days before the Great Flood, he has allowed the world to follow its own path, a path that leads to destruction. Each of us will face the reality of a righteous and holy God when our lives here end, and one day the entire world will face its day of reckoning. On that day, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:10-11).

So, what would the world be without God? Bleak and doomed. But fortunately, those in Christ will never have to know such a world, for God has promised never to leave or forsake us. Amen thank you Lord!

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Colossians 1:15-20; Psalm 53; Romans 1:18-32.

Those Pesky Weeds!

This morning I grabbed some cottage cheese for my breakfast and stepped out to enjoy it on the veranda (also known as our concrete slab back patio). As I sat there enjoying the fresh air and listening to the sounds of nature (not to mention the drone of an airplane and the clanging of a neighbor’s back yard building project), I let my eyes wander around the yard and took in our tastefully-done landscaping.

There was the orange tree, festooned with young green fruit; the row of rose bushes holding on to a few withered petals; and a Lily-of-the-Nile bush resplendent with its purple flowers. The mostly-green grass was the final note in the visual symphony. Yes, a pleasant and harmonious opus of nature before my eyes!

But then, as I focused my vision more closely, there arose a few discordant notes: a prickly, leafy stem sprouting from the middle of the lawn; a medley of unrecognizable leaves spreading across the top of the garden mulch; and some huge plant that looked like a small tree – but which my wife assured me was not planted by us. In other words, we had weeds!

Those pesky weeds! I thought we had eradicated them by a combination of weed-killer, digging, and deft knife-work. We had even laid down weed- barrier fabric along one long strip, but that had not stopped the sprouting of noxious plants. Why are these undesirable plants so robust in spite of drought and all we do to try to remove them and prevent their return? Why do most of the flowers and vegetables we plant, water, and fertilize wither and die, yet these uncultivated little monsters thrive? It’s just not right!

While shaking my head at the prospect of having to crawl around the yard with my knife and trowel (or with a chain saw to remove the previously-mentioned tree-like weed), I began thinking about how sin crops up in our lives, spoiling our peace and introducing harmful “weeds” into  our souls. And with that thought there came remembrance of some biblical teachings about weeds, and the thorns that often accompany them.

Before digging into the comparison of sin to weeds, let’s define what a weed is. One of my teachers once said that a weed is any plant that grows where it is not wanted. Therefore, even an apple tree is a weed if it grows in the middle of a farm field. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a weed is “a plant that is not valued where it is growing and is usually of vigorous growth, especially: one that tends to overgrow or choke out more desirable plants.” That part after “especially” is an important point that will help us see the effect of sin as we consider it below.

Why do we have weeds? It is interesting to see the connection between sin and weeds, all the way back to the first humans. In the beginning, God created all plants and pronounced them to be “good” (Genesis 1:11-13). Then, God put his highest creation, man, in a garden of those good plants. God charged the man to cultivate that garden to care for the life-sustaining fruit those plants provided: “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15). At that point there was no sin, nor any noxious weeds.

But then, Adam and Eve sinned. Part of their punishment was having to deal with weeds in order to eat: God said, “. . . cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field” (Genesis 3:17-18). And thus began the connection between sin and weeds.  

Jesus talked about the symbolism of weeds when it comes to sin and its effect on our lives. In Matthew 13, he told two parables, both of which included weeds as metaphors for sin and sinners. The first parable is known as the Parable of the Sower. In it, he describes a sower who sows seed that falls on various soils. Some of the seeds “fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them” (verse 7). When Jesus explained the meaning of that verse, he said, “As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.” The problems of the sinful world and the sinful desire for wealth above God’s word, act like weeds to choke out what is good and righteous in that person’s life.

The second parable is actually known as the Parable of the Weeds (“tares” in King James language). In it, Jesus contrasted weeds with desirable wheat; at the judgment the wheat (those who are righteous) will be gathered to the Lord, while the weeds (unrepentant sinners) will be cast into the fire. His message was clear: there will be judgment, but leave it to God and his timing (Matthew 13:24-30).

Why are weeds (sins) so hard to remove? As far as botanical weeds go, I have no idea why they are so hard to remove, except for being tough, sometimes spiky, and so quick to spread. And in some cases, they are actually beautiful in appearance, disguising themselves with desirable flowers; I have at times gathered a cluster of dandelions to present to Karen as a bouquet – much cheaper than a dozen roses and almost as pretty!

Come to think of it, sins share some of the same resistant traits as weeds. They grow so strong because the soil they spring from is by nature sinful and unclean. Sins are the product of our very natures, and thus grow strong. They are also, like weeds, prolific: one sin leads to another, and another, until they take over, crowding out the good. After a while we don’t even see them. And just as I have a weakness for dandelions (my wife, not so much), sins can appear attractive to us at first glance. We enjoy our sins and don’t want to root them out. They seduce us with promises of happiness and fulfillment, but in the end destroy us. Like a poisonous mushroom that looks as pretty as an edible one, sins that look good can kill.

Beyond the weed analogy, sins are also so pernicious because there is a spiritual battle raging constantly, in which the devil tempts us to sin with his lies. Whether tempting Eve to eat of forbidden fruit, or tempting us to think and act in forbidden ways, he uses every trick in the book to lead us away from God. In the Parable of the Weeds, Jesus attributed the appearance of weeds in the wheat field as the work of the devil (Matthew 13:39).

What do we do about our weedy sins? The first step is to recognize what is sinful by studying God’s Word. The Ten Commandments are a good place to begin. Second, is to recognize sins as harmful to our spiritual health and future; we must learn to not wink at sin, but to grow to hate it with all our heart as the destroyer of all that is good. Third, we turn the noun “weed” into a verb, and “weed” our garden by digging out our sins by the roots. This can only be done in the power of God, whose Holy Spirit convicts us of sin and drives us to the Cross of Jesus Christ. In Christ we have forgiveness of our sins (spiritual weed-killer!) and a new life no longer in bondage to sin. As Paul wrote, “you are no longer your own; you were bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20),and therefore are no longer a slave to sin (Romans 6:15-22). You need not live a weed-choked life; let God, the True Gardener, begin a cleansing work in you. The weeds of sin spoil our ordered lives; it’s time to get rid of them.

And now, I’ve put off attacking those weeds in my yard long enough; time to put down my pen (keyboard) and pick up my knife and trowel, and get to work on those pesky weeds!

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Genesis 3; Exodus 20; Matthew 13; Mark 4

Olympic Lessons

It’s that time again: the quadrennial event known as the Olympics – specifically the Summer Olympics – being held this year in Tokyo, Japan. Once again, I decided to sit this one out and not personally go for the gold. Partly, it’s because I have spent too much time writing blogs instead of working out, and partly because I just can’t make up my mind as to which sport I should enter: men’s gymnastics, street skateboarding, or the men’s high hurdles. I guess my biggest hurdle is getting in shape to compete in any event. But don’t count me out; back in junior high I ran low hurdles in competition and came in third in my race (so what if there were only three runners and I knocked over a hurdle in the process).

These competitions are not new. The modern Olympics were started back in 1896 in Athens, Greece, and have been held ever since, except for cancelled games during the two world wars. But the Olympics go back even further, of course, to ancient Greece, when athletes from the various Greek city-states would gather at Mount Olympus to compete for olive leaves and crowns. Interestingly, the Greek name for those games was Olympiaki agones; we get our word, “agony” from the intense physical strain of those competitions.

Most people know about the Olympics, but they may not know about a similar, ancient event held every two years in the city of Corinth, Greece, and known as the Isthmian Games – so called because Corinth lay on an isthmus that connected the two major areas of Greece. This natural trade route prospered both from land and sea routes, as well as from the athletes and “tourists” who attended the games.

One of those visitors was a man named Paul of Tarsus, the great missionary and apostle of the early church, and author of thirteen books of the New Testament. After arriving in Corinth around 50 or 51 AD, he founded a Christian Church there, then lived there for about eighteen months. It seems that the Isthmian Games took place during his stay. It is also likely that Paul plied his trade of tent-making while he was there, providing tents for the out-of-towners who came to see the games. This seems to be the case, because when he later wrote to the Corinthians, he stressed four times that he had not been a burden to them (2 Corinthians 11 and 12), probably by supporting himself through his work.

Paul also drew on his observations of such athletic contests in several of his letters to the early churches, including  Philippians 2:16, Galatians 2:2,  Galatians 5:7, 2 Timothy 4:7, and 2 Timothy 2:5. But his longest comparison between athletics and living the Christian life was in his first letter to – who else? – the Corinthians. He told them,

          “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one                        receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete                              exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable                wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not                      box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under                control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”            (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

So, what can we learn from Paul’s observations of the Isthmian Games, that might come to mind even as we watch this year’s Olympics?

First, not everyone will be saved. In the Olympics, not everyone gets a gold medal, or even a bronze. At the awards ceremonies, most of the competitors have to watch from the bleachers while only the best get their medals. Now, Paul is not saying that only one person will receive the ultimate prize of eternal life through Christ, but rather that not everyone will be saved. We can see this truth around us today, in which many people reject Christ and belief in God. What Paul is encouraging here is that Christians persevere in the faith, no matter how difficult or long the struggle. He is saying not to give up, but to continually push on to the finish line. When Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith,” he was not saying that he was the only one to “win,” but that his finishing the race meant he kept the faith – which is an example to all believers. He made this point explicitly in 2 Timothy 4:8, “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”

Second, the Christian life is one of self-control. We are “only human” as are all other people, and we are subject to the same desires, emotions, and temptations to sin as everyone else. But a Christian cannot use that as an excuse to give in to sinful impulses. We are called to be better than that. Where others curse, we bless or hold our tongue. Where others steal, we restore or give freely. Where others lust, we flee temptation and seek love instead. Just as an athlete strengthens his or her body by food choices and exercise, so a Christian chooses carefully what to take in (by eye or ear) and how to act. It is not a mistake that the Bible calls the followers of Christ, “disciples,” for our lives should exhibit the discipline and self-control which lift us above animal instincts to noble, God-honoring works.

Third, the rewards of the Christian life are far greater than what the world can offer. The ancient Greeks competed for a laurel wreath or crown. The modern athletes compete for medals (for which they must pay taxes!). Some few get great endorsement deals and their faces on the front of cereal boxes. But nothing awarded to athletes – or to people outstanding in other fields – can compare with what we receive through faith in Christ, which is joy and peace now, and eternal life to come. Paul told the Corinthians that all those wreaths they saw awarded to great athletes were perishable, but that their “wreaths” awarded to those who believe in Jesus Christ are imperishable (1 Corinthians 9:25). Having this long view of life helps us endure temporary difficulties, sicknesses, and loss in a way that the world cannot. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard believers tell me how grateful they were that their recently deceased family member was a believer; they always add, “I don’t know how anyone can deal with such a loss without Christ!” Sure, we aren’t happy to go through trials and losses, but we know how it all ends – with victory in Christ, and the inheritance of all the joys and treasures of heaven (1 Peter 1:4).

Fourth, the Christian life has purpose. Unlike the runner who runs  aimlessly, or the boxer who just punches the air (1 Corinthians 9:26), the Christian lives a life of purpose centered in Jesus Christ. Like other people, we have to work, go to school, care for our family, and yes, even exercise. Those activities have short-term goals and purposes, but ultimately, we know that our lives have a God-given purpose to them. We are not here by accident. We are not just temporary blips in the circle of life on this planet. God created us to know and love him and each other. God designed us to honor and serve him. Even the works we do are God-ordained: Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Isn’t that amazing, that God created us with specific works in mind! If that doesn’t give us purpose in this life, what does? And knowing that God has an eternal purpose for creating us should inspire us to keep our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2).

Finally, don’t get disqualified. This may seem like a strange idea: since salvation is by grace alone, a gift from God, how can a Christian possibly be disqualified? And yet, Paul makes the point, that he must persevere in the faith lest he be disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:27). There are several ways that could happen, which by themselves could be the topic for another blog. For now, let me briefly state them. 1. Falling away from the faith. 2. Attributing your salvation to your own works and self-righteousness, rather than to God. 3. Blaspheming the Holy Spirit by denying Christ is God. And 4.  Worshiping the Antichrist and the Beast. Notice that temporary doubts or moral failures don’t in themselves disqualify us; what does is a wholesale rejection of the grace which God freely offers in Christ. The book of Hebrews warns us that those who have once tasted salvation but fall away, cannot be restored (Hebrews 6:4-8). Just as athletes can finish an event in triumph, but lose their medals if they cheated, used enhancing drugs, or violated the rules of their event, so Christians are called to faith and obedience to God’s commandments. Though works do  not save us, we cannot just throw out God’s laws. Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 2:5, “An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.” Let us follow the rules, even as we gratefully receive God’s forgiveness for our failures to keep them fully.

There’s probably more to say on this subject, and as a pastor, I’m eager to say it . . . but the next big Olympic event is coming on the TV, so I’ll wrap it up and grab a snack. I’ll begin my training for the next Olympics  tomorrow.

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make is face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. Amen.

Read: 1 Corinthians 9; 2 Timothy 2:22-26; Hebrews 6.

A Time of Drought

We are in a time of drought.

For those of us living in California, that’s hardly news. We are experiencing the worst drought in centuries, coming hard on the heels of a string of dry years. Lack of winter snows, followed by a dry spring and summer, have led to arid conditions, which are impacting crops, livestock, wildfires, and soon, everyday water use by millions of people. According to one report,  2021 could be one of the driest years in a millennium, with only half of the normal precipitation so far this year.

There’s not much we can do to end the drought, since its out of our hands. All we can do is try to endure and manage the water we do have, the best we can, and of course, pray for rain. As Psalm 135:7 says, “He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.” So let us pray that he does just that, and brings the rain.

Unfortunately as bad as the lack of water is, there is another kind of drought that is also devastating our land, here and throughout the country, and that is a spiritual drought. People’s spirits have dried up, turned to dust, and blown away in the hot winds of life, leaving people thirsting and seeking relief in the arid sands of drugs, material possessions, and entertainments. In doing so, they are like survivors on a life raft who drink the ocean water, only to become thirstier and thirstier until death overtakes them. The signs are all around us as violence, drug overdoses, and suicides reach epidemic proportions.

What are the causes of this spiritual drought? Certainly the past year and a half of the pandemic and the unrelenting coverage and warnings about it have played a part, but the drought goes much deeper. We have survived epidemics and even wars before, but now the situation seems much worse. What’s to blame?

The primary cause of our spiritual drought – and its horrible consequences in society – is our nation’s general rejection of God. This is not to say that there aren’t numerous believers, because there are. The problem is that we have removed the name of God, and the fear of God, from our public life. Every institution has been stripped  of its God-given responsibilities and moral restrictions. Politicians and public officials, educators and students, judges and corporations, movie stars and sports celebrities, have banished God and sought to operate by their own power and desires. In the words of Judges 17:6, “. . . Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

All people are sinners, and we have all broken God’s commandments in both the spirit and the letter of the law, but in former times we at least recognized the validity of those laws; now we have rejected the very idea of there being a set of God-ordained requirements that should form the basis of society. This change in attitude and behavior has come through a steady encroachment of atheistic forces, but even our churches have played their part, either by compromising with the culture to “fit in” or by retreating from engagement with society into seemingly safe fortresses. The result has been a spiritually dry, drought-blasted nation.

I have been very discouraged about this spiritual drought and its consequences in our society. It seems that every day things get worse and worse, until my well of hope has almost dried up. But then I remember the book of Lamentations, in which Jeremiah looked with sadness upon the destruction of Jerusalem and its beloved Temple by the Babylonians. He lamented the loss, but then by faith was able to proclaim,

           My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me.

           But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of             the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new             every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:20-24)

Jeremiah put his hope for future restoration, not in what his eyes could see, but in what God promised. Over a century before him, another prophet named Isaiah had given God’s word of promise: “For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants” (Isaiah 44:3). Note that the greater blessing, even greater than water to a parched land, is God’s Spirit. Later, the Lord spoke through the prophet Hosea (13:5) to remind the people, “It was I who knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought.” Although so many have rejected him, and though God seems at times so far away, he has not forgotten his people. Instead, he calls us to return to him and receive the blessings he desires to give us, even to shower upon us. Even if it seems that the world around us is suffering spiritual drought and its terrible results, God’s promises still hold true for those individuals who believe in him and trust in him.

Psalm 1:2-3 describes the man (person) who delights in God and his Word: “but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.” Jeremiah continues God’s promise of abundant spiritual water: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit” (Jeremiah 17:8).

And how does someone become planted near such abundant spiritual water that refreshes and nourishes his or her spirit? Not by laws or hard work, nor by good deeds or exemplary living, though such actions would improve our society. Those are good things, but are only surface changes and therefore temporary. What it takes for true spiritual blessing is answer the call and promise of Jesus Christ, who  Jesus stood up and cried out, “‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”‘ Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive” (John 7:37-38).

If you believe in Christ, you have the Holy Spirit, and therefore your own spirit is alive. Water it daily through prayer and the study of God’s Word. Delight in God’s laws and in his promises. And don’t be discouraged; instead, “trust in the Lord with all your heart” (Proverbs 3:5), and worship the One who provides both natural and supernatural water to sustain us now, and through all eternity.

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Job 24:19; Lamentations 3; John 7:37-39; Revelation 7:17.

 

 

 

A Skunk in the Works

There is a skunk in the works.

I mean that literally. We have a skunk that has decided our back yard provides a handy path for it to travel from its den to our back-fence neighbor’s yard. Karen discovered this not long ago when she stood on our back patio one evening. As she looked around at our yard, suddenly a large (she emphasizes large) skunk came sauntering around the corner of the house, just a few feet from her. She stepped quickly into the house, then watched the critter (also known as a polecat) calmly make its way across the yard. The next day, we checked the fence line, and found the places where it had dug underneath the fence.

This began a series of efforts to keep the skunk out of our yard: spreading so-called skunk repellant at the entry points, blocking the holes with hard and heavy objects, and driving tent stakes along the fence line. But after all these efforts, the skunk just keeps digging new holes and getting through. There’s still a skunk in the works.

And, because skunks are famous for their ability to spray a horrible stench, the idiom, “skunk in the works,” refers to something that messes up a situation that is otherwise good. But, as I pondered the situation with our cute, but persistent, furry critter, it occurred to me that the term, “skunk in the works,” also has a deeper meaning.

When we look around us at the world, both the natural creation given to us by God, who proclaimed it “very good” (Genesis 1:31), and mankind itself, created in God’s own image (Genesis 1:26-27), we have to admit that things are not as good as they once were, or should be. There is a skunk in the works. Or rather, two skunks, both which begin with the same letter as skunk.

The first skunk is sin. It’s almost beyond comprehension how badly sin has infected and distorted the world ever since the first act of disobedience in the Garden of Eden. The effects on mankind have been devastating, in the way our attitudes, desires, words, and actions have brought so much misery to ourselves, to other people, and to the natural world. Crime, wars, lying, stealing, racial and tribal animosities, adultery, and sexual perversions have brought sorrow, division, and death on a massive scale. It had become so bad in the past that God once sent a great flood to wipe the earth clean: “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord  regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart” (Genesis 6:5-6). The way things have gotten these days in this country, and around the world, the fact that God hasn’t yet acted similarly is amazing! It must be as Peter explained, that the Lord “is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

We have to remember that sin is not just bad things we do or think, but is an innate part of us. We are tainted by sin from the moment of our conception; as David wrote in Psalm 51:5, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” It’s like a birth defect that stays with us our entire lives; in fact, birth defects, sickness, injuries, and death are all consequences of sin. Not every sickness or injury is from us committing a sin, but all are part of the curse which God pronounced on us and all his creation as a result of Adam and Eve’s fall into sin and disobedience (Genesis 3:14-17). But note that we can’t just blame our first parents for the consequences of sin; The Apostle Paul explained in Romans 5:12, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.”

Sin has such a natural hold on us that Paul says we are slaves to sin. Only through faith in Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit in us can we be freed from that bondage to be free indeed. And for those who are in Christ but are troubled by the hold that sin still seems to have on them, we are comforted by the Prophet Joel: “Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster” (Joel 2:13). Sin need not control us; even though the stink of sin is all around us, we need not fear this skunk, for in Christ, all our sins are removed from us, as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12) . . . which is a lot better than we’re doing with our furry friend so far!

The second skunk is Satan. I know it was a serpent that tempted Eve in the Garden, but it could easily have been a skunk, for the devil has certainly played a huge role as a “skunk in the works” to mess up our lives. Not only did he lead that first couple into the sin that brought them hardship and death, he also continues to plague us. As 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” He crafts temptations in ways that make sin appealing and not so terrible. He knows each of our weaknesses, and seeks to exploit them to separate us from God. His desire is to sear our consciences, alienate us from Christ, and cause us to despair by accusing us of the very things he led us to do.

What should we do about this evil, spiritual being, whose name literally means accuser or adversary?

  1. First we recognize that such a being exists, and that he is powerful and very skilled in deception.
  2. Second, we avoid having too much fascination in him; rather, our focus should be on Christ our Redeemer, and not on our enemy. The Christian writer C.S. Lewis wrote in the  preface to his 1942 book, The Screwtape Letters, “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.”
  3. The devil does not look like the red-suited, pitch-fork-carrying, horned goat-like monster so often depicted in comics. The Bible tells us that he “disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14). How often do the temptations of the world appear so deceptively attractive to us?
  4. Satan is a liar, and “the father of lies” (John 8:44). As the saying goes, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Satan’s lies may sound good, but they lead only to destruction.
  5. Through faith in Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can resist Satan and his lies. James 4:7 says, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
  6. Last, but not least, Christ defeated Satan. Christ beat his temptations in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), he defeated him when Peter suggested Jesus avoid the cross (Mark 8:33), and he finally overcame Satan in the crucifixion and resurrection. You might say Christ “skunked” the devil. Christ has been exalted and glorified, and will be forever, while Satan and his demons will burn in the lake of fire for all eternity (Revelation 20:10). Because you are in Christ, you share in his victory, and need not fear the evil one.

Yes, when we consider life in this fallen world, we recognize that there are “skunks in the works.” But fortunately, life’s skunks of sin and Satan have been overcome through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. As Luther wrote in his Small Catechism, Jesus has “saved us at great cost . . . from sin, death, and the power of the devil.”

Now, if only Karen and I can overcome our polecat, we’ll be just fine!

May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Job 1:6-12; Matthew 4:1-11; Romans 5; 1 Corinthians 15; Revelation 20.

P.S. The phrase, “skunk in the works,” is not to be confused with Lockheed-Martin’s secretive, advanced airplane development operations known as “the Skunk Works,” in Palmdale, California. 

All Hail King Science?

Among the “hit” praise songs of the 1970s was a rousing, triumphant number titled, All Hail King Jesus. Written by Dave Moody, the song extolled Jesus Christ and lifted him up as the sovereign, eternal King and Lord of all (which of course, he is!). The verse goes like this:

All hail King Jesus!
All hail Emmanuel!
King of Kings,
Lord of Lords,
Bright Morning Star!
And throughout eternity
I’ll sing Your praises.
And forevermore, I will reign with You.*
It’s been a while since I heard it sung in a worship service, but I’m afraid that if the words were updated for the 2020s, the lyrics would go like this:
All hail King Science!
And my physics manual!
You know all things,
Nobel awards,
Reaching the stars!
So throughout my short life here
I’ll sing your praises.
And for all good things, I will turn to you!
Why would I be so cynical as to think (and write) this version of the song? Maybe it’s because our society has come to look upon science as the sole repository of knowledge and arbiter of truth. As the saying goes, “Follow the science!” Unfortunately, although science is a worthy pursuit that has yielded many modern benefits, people have come to believe certain myths about science and its role in life. For example:
Myth #1: Science is neutral and objective. This is a basic fallacy which has allowed educators and government boards to push atheistic teachings and policies in our schools and colleges. The idea is that religion is subjective and divisive while science is objective and unifying. Facts are facts, and if we just follow the science, we will be properly educated. But this idea is false for several reasons:
     1. Science is based on certain presuppositions which are anything but
         neutral, such as an anti-supernatural bias.
     2. There is no neutral science or technology. Take, for example, nuclear
         science and technology. Whether used for good (energy production) or             bad (atomic bombs), it requires disposal of radioactive waste.
     3. Scientists are just people, flawed and sinful like the rest of us. They                   have biases, “blind spots,” and expectations which affect their work,
         and especially, the interpretation of their findings. There are many
         stories about falsified reports, data doctored to fit hypotheses, and
        what we call “dry-labs” (i.e., faked data). One such invention was the
        so-called “brontosaurus” skeleton in New York’s Natural History
        museum, put together from two different fossil locations, and since
        discredited. Or Piltdown Man, a contrived skeleton once declared to be
        the missing link in human “evolution,” but later discovered to be a
        complete fraud.
     4. Money drives research, and too often, the results of that research.
        Lucrative government and foundation grants require favorable data
       outcomes, proving what the grant was given to prove.
     5.  Politicians pick and choose the data that support them and their
       plans, while ignoring or discrediting contrary evidences.
Myth #2: Science is settled. Ironically, though politicians and government spokespeople tout the idea that “the science is settled,” on various issues, scientists know that true science is never settled. Knowledge is always changing as new data come to the fore, and what was “known” at one time is shown to be wrong or needing some correction shortly afterwards. True scientists hold a theory, base on the evidence, until counter evidence accumulates and forces them to change their operating theory (It’s called a “paradigm shift”).
Consider these former gems of “scientific knowledge”:
  • Phrenology, which measured the bumps on a person’s skull to determine that person’s intelligence and character;
  • Racial evolution, which classified the various races based on how far they had evolved from apes (guess which race the proponents of this theory considered themselves!);
  • Alchemy, which sought to turn lead into gold;
  • Blood-letting, done to “let out the bad blood” and balance the body’s humors (remember, we consist of four humors: black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood);
  • Nebraska Man, touted as the “missing link” in human evolution, only to be later identified as a pig’s tooth;
  • And speaking of teeth, when did dentists start telling us to brush sideways, instead of up and down? If only I’d known, I would still have all my teeth!
Accepted theories change, which is why scientists speak mostly in terms of probabilities, rather than certainties, and why just about any public health issue has contradictory documents, each signed by “thousands of scientists” who disagree with each other. Not only can you find people in lab coats on TV, hawking various products as “scientifically proven,” wait a couple weeks and you’ll see other lab-coated people telling you the opposite.
The changing nature of scientific inquiry is part of the process of learning about God’s creation; new data requires new understanding. It is never settled. But contrast this with God’s Word, which is settled; Isaiah 40:8 proclaims, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” God’s words and promises are unchanging, because he is unchanging: Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever,” and James 1:17 praises God as “the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
Myth #3: Science can answer all questions about life. While science has expanded our knowledge about the natural world, from microscopic life down to atomic particles on the one hand, to far-flung galaxies and nebulae on the other, there are limits to the questions it can answer. It cannot know the soul, morality, sin, righteousness, or spiritual rebirth. It cannot know the past (though it tries to explain what it cannot observe or measure); nor can it know the future (how many times should the world have ended by now, according to scientists’ dire predictions?). Science cannot tell us what should be. Science cannot know God or our place in his eternal plans. It cannot know what had to be revealed to us by God himself.
Scientists should heed God’s words to Job when that man questioned God’s purposes: “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding” (Job 38:4). In fact, the entire chapters 38-41 of Job contain a rebuke of how mankind cannot know the works of God. God challenges Job (and with him, all of us), saying, “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” (Job 38:2). 
Even where science has gathered knowledge, it cannot teach us wisdom; that comes from God and his Word. As Psalm 111:10 proclaims, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
Myth #4: Science has given us all good things. Scientific research and technology have produced may wonderful benefits, especially in the fields of medicine and electronics. I have personally benefited in both areas, as my cataract surgery allows me to read this page clearly, while I listen to my cassette tape player.  (Isn’t technology great? What will they think of next?)
But, this myth is wrong for two reasons:
     1. Science has been a mixed blessing. It has caused great suffering along
        with benefits. Advanced weapons of war, poison gas, bacterial agents,
        and toxic pollution are some of the problems brought by scientific
        advances. But wait, you might say, don’t we have science to thank for
        coming up with vaccines to fight Covid-19? Yes, which is great, but we
        also can thank science for inventing the virus in the first place.
     2. All good things actually come from God. James 1:17 says, “Every good
        gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father
        of lights.” Luther taught that to keep the First Commandment and have
        no other gods, we must recognize and attribute all good things to God.
       To look to science as the supplier of all good things is to make a god out
       of it, and worship the creation instead of the Creator (Romans 1:25).
Please don’t get me wrong; I think science is awesome. My favorite subjects are herpetology (I used to keep and raise frogs) and mineralogy (hence my rock collection). A friend gave me a beautiful hard-bound book of space photos taken by the Hubble orbiting telescope. Wow! I can hardly wrap my head around all that has now been seen in the universe! I love how Psalm 8 praises God for this: “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?”

I see no conflict between my faith and true science because science can only find what God has created: the energy, the matter, the chemical and life processes, the earth, sky and heavens, and so on. As they used to say, scientists “are thinking God’s thoughts after him.” In those days, theology was considered the “queen of the sciences.” Unfortunately, that attitude has disappeared. Now, too many people use science’s discoveries to deny God and the honor he is due. They take the data which research uncovers and squeeze it into preconceived notions about reality. Their research may be very precise and accurate, but their conclusion can be way off, because they deny anything supernatural, and teach that only what can be experienced through our senses and manipulated by our rational minds can be true. Their religion is naturalism, and their answer for everything is evolution.

So, do we sing, “All Hail King Science”? I think not! Let’s put the glory where it belongs, on Jesus, the true King of kings and Lord of lords! All hail King Jesus, now and forever more!

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Psalm 8; Colossians 1:15-20; Daniel 12:4; Job 40-41

* (c) 1979 by Glory Alleluia Music

Under the Mask

You’re probably familiar with the common symbol for live theater, namely a set of two masks, one smiling and one frowning, which represent the two traditional kinds of plays: comedy and tragedy.

A certain non-artist I know personally might depict the faces like this:

This symbolism actually goes back a long way to the theaters of the ancient Greeks, where the actors wore large masks to play their characters. It was a good way for the audience to identify the identities and natures of the characters, and allowed one actor to play multiple parts as needed. It worked well in the large amphitheaters of the day – and besides, as an actor, you wouldn’t need make-up!

Since the actors spoke their lines while under their masks, the Greek word for actor became hypokrites, literally, one who speaks or interprets from underneath. From that usage we get the word, “hypocrite,” referring to one who portrays a false image while acting differently. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a hypocrite is “a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings.” They are speaking from “under the mask” that they wear publicly. In churchy terms, “they don’t practice what they preach.”

This idea of speaking “under the mask” came to mind the other day as I ran several errands, each of which required that I slip on my face mask before entering the various stores. I think it was when I went into my bank and wondered whether the tellers would recognize me – or call the police on the unknown “masked man” coming to their window. Fortunately, I was making a deposit, so I think their guard was down. Making a withdrawal might have sparked a different response . . .

Yes, I thought about how we are all “under the mask” and have been so now for over a year. I thought about how the mask mandates have affected our society beyond the nuisance factor (how many times have I been halfway to a store entrance, only to realize I had forgotten my mask in the car – and had to go back and get it!). To what extent has it distanced us socially and emotionally from each other? From friends, or from people we should have gotten to know? And what about people we do business with – or worship with? And has it been an impetus to crime for some people, as is visible in riots where those who act violently cover their faces to hide their identities?

How differently do we act now from when we wore no masks?

But even in the “olden days” when we only wore face coverings when playing as a baseball catcher, a hockey goalie, or a bank robber, we sometimes wore a different kind of mask: facial expressions and demeanors that hid our true feelings and thoughts from others. We would smile and say we’re fine even though we hurt or were sad. We “kept a stiff upper lip” and did our best not to “let them see you sweat.”* We hid our grief so as not to seem weak, and our tears were those “of a clown when no one’s around.”** And how many times have we smiled at someone when we just didn’t feel like it?

And then there’s the real, hypocritical type of image, when we actively try to deceive others by portraying a false face that we think will win their favor or approval. Some prime examples of this are the politicians who spout the right things to get elected, but then don’t follow through on their promises; televangelists who portray themselves as godly, righteous servants, but behind the scenes are active in financial and sexual scandals; or the young man who promises his date that he “will respect her in the morning.”

The Bible warns us about such frauds when it comes to our faith. “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

But what about the rest of us? How often do we adopt certain looks or postures, or say certain things, that are contrary to what we really mean or intend, just to gain some advantage in a relationship or public persona? For those who are active in social media (bloggers excluded), are your profile photos and posts real? Or are you texting and posting “under the mask” in order to appear more attractive or competent than you feel?

And what about our participation in church? Are we fully honest in what we say and how we act, or are we putting on a show to look more holy and righteous than we really are? Are we like the phony religious leaders whom Jesus criticized in Matthew 23:27, when he said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.” Ouch! They paraded around like righteous saints, but Jesus revealed them for the sinners they were.

At least fifteen times, Jesus blasted the religious leaders for their hypocrisy, including in his introduction to the Lord’s Prayer, when he said, “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward” (Matthew 6:5). But, he made his most severe pronouncement when he spoke of the coming judgment, when the Lord would take a wicked servant “and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 24:51).

Hypocrisy does no good with God, because to him, there is no mask. He can see right through our false faces and attitudes into our hearts. There he sees the truth about us, all the sin, all the corruption, all the lies we have so carefully crafted to look good in other people’s eyes. Isaiah speaks of the Messiah when he says, “He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear” (Isaiah 11:3). God is not fooled by our outward show or our “whitewashed tombs”; he is not deceived or mocked (Galatians 6:7). 

In our social interactions, there is a place for physical masks, whether to protect people from communicable diseases or lessen people’s anxieties about catching such illnesses. There is also a place for masking our true thoughts to protect others’ feelings, or to open up opportunities for positive social relationships. But let us be careful to never be hypocrites, using false facial masks to deceive and harm others. And let us never even try to mask ourselves to God, for he knows us fully and loves us anyway, even though he can see “under the mask.”

May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Isaiah 11:2-4; Matthew 24:36-51;  

  • *From Gillette Dry Idea deodorant commercial, June 1984.
  • **From Tears of a Clown, 1967 by Smokey Robinson, hit single in 1970.

My Wife Is a Karen

My wife is a Karen, my father was a Dick, and one of my best friends is a John. No, I’m not insulting them – those are their real names. Contrary to some current memes and connotations, my wife is not a self-centered, privileged woman who treats people condescendingly; my father was not a jerk (nor a private detective nor something else); nor does my friend frequent practitioners of the “world’s oldest profession.”*

How is it that perfectly good names take on such offensive meanings? How is it that a name such as Karen, which comes from a Greek word meaning “Pure,” came to be used as a put-down?

Sometimes, it happens because a certain person who bore that name did something bad, causing people to forever associate that name with wrong-doing. For example, if you call someone a Judas, a Benedict Arnold, or a Quisling (Norwegian traitor in World War II), you are calling them a traitor who has betrayed someone’s trust. There is even something called a “Judas goat,” a goat trained to lead sheep to the slaughter while not itself being killed. And would anyone name their newborn son, “Hitler”? (Actually, a couple in New Jersey did just that, and lost custody of their child for it!)

Sometimes, characters in books or movies are so stereotyped that their names become synonymous with certain characteristics. Someone (especially a girl) who is always cheerful and sees only the good in everyone and everything is a “Pollyanna.” Someone who is good at everything without training or experience, such as the character Rey in the Star Wars sequels, is a “Peggy Sue.” An African-American who relates well with whites gets called an “Uncle Tom” after the elderly slave in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s 1852 anti-slavery novel of the same name. And would you buy a dog whose name was Cujo?

Whatever the reason for using names as insults, I think we need to stop doing it. A person’s name is tied to their identity: to who they are and where they came from. They may be named for a beloved relative, for an honored historical figure, for the parents’ favorite place, or just because the name sounds good. They may bear biblical names, such as David, Mary, Adam, Martha, or yes, even Jesus (or do you say, “hay-soos”?). Whatever the name given to the child, they grow up with that name as part of who they are. For example, I was always proud of the name, Richard, as my dad’s namesake and for sharing the name with three kings of England – especially Richard the Lion-hearted, hero of the Robin Hood movies.

Last names especially point to a person’s ethnic heritage or family history, of which no one should be ashamed.  Whatever national clues show up in a person’s name, such as O’, Mc, -son or -sen, -ov or -ova, de- or d’, or ki-, we should treasure them as indicative of the journeys our families took.**

When I was the leader for local Y-Indian Guides programs, I told the new recruits to select “Indian” names for themselves and their sons. Yes, this is horribly not politically correct these days, but I instructed them to choose, carefully and respectfully, names that honored Native Americans. I told them that while they had no choice in naming themselves at their birth, they now had a chance to pick a name to be proud of. I reflected on how my dad had chosen Indian Guide names for us when I was a child: Apalachee (Helper) for himself, and Neekanah (Friend) for me.

There is no greater argument for the value of a person’s name than the examples we find in the Bible. There, names are indicators of people’s natures and importance, especially to God. Virtually every name has special meaning, for example: Adam=”man,” Eve=”mother of all living,” David= “beloved,” Abimelech=”my father is king,” Daniel=”God is my judge,” and Elijah=”my God is Yahweh.” Names were so important that God actually changed certain people’s names to reflect his interaction with them, or his new purpose for them. Some of those changes were when he renamed Abram “high father” to Abraham “father of many” (Genesis 15:5); Sarai “my princess” to Sarah “princess of Yah[weh]” (Genesis 17:15); and Jacob “grasper of the heel” to Israel “striver, contender” (Genesis 32:28).

In the New Testament, there were two significant name changes: Jesus called his disciple, Simon “he has heard” by the name, Peter “stone” when the latter professed the faith on which Christ would build his Church. (Matthew 16:18); and another great apostle, Saul “prayed for,” became known as Paul “small, humble.” Interestingly, when Paul wrote his letter to Philemon, he asked him to welcome home graciously his former slave, Onesimus, a name which means “useful.” Paul actually told Philemon that Onesimus was formerly “useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me” (Philemon 1:11).

But of all names, in the Bible or elsewhere, the ultimate significant naming was when God told Joseph and Mary to name her spirit-conceived Son, “Jesus.” Why? “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Jesus, or Yeshua, mean “the Lord saves” or “Savior.” It was the same name belonging to Joshua of the Old Testament, who led the Israelites into the Promised Land, a foreshadowing of what Jesus does for those he has redeemed. How important is Jesus’ name? Philippians 2:9-11 tells us, “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” I rest my case.

God has told us to treat his name – and obviously, the name of his Son – with respect and reverence. The Second Commandment tells us , “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain” (Exodus 20:7). It grates on my spirit, and saddens me, when so many people today use the name of Jesus as a curse word, or flippantly say OMG when they are not actually calling on God in prayer. As Christians, those who will one day receive new names in heaven (Revelation 2:17), let us honor God by using his holy name with the love and reverence he deserves.

Shakespeare once wrote, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” But he was wrong, at least as far as the importance a name has for the person who bears it. So let’s treat each other’s names with respect, and by doing so, bring honor to the One who calls us to himself by name (John 10:3).

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Luke 1:31 and 2:21; Philippians 2:5-11; Revelation 2: 17 and 3:11-12

* Actually, the oldest profession was gardening, because, in the beginning, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” Genesis 2:15

** Can you identify the origins of the indicated national name clues? Hint: one of them is Zulu for “son of.”

Let God Be True

Last week I heard a discomforting report. A new Gallup survey of American religious practices reported that for the first time, less than half of adults in the U.S. belong to a church, synagogue or mosque. While I am not worried about the decreases in the latter two groups (if members of those faiths became Christians), the drop in Christian church affiliations is greatly concerning. Roman Catholic affiliations dropped 18 percentage points, and Protestant churches lost 9 points.

Ever since the first similar survey in 1937, the percentage of adult church affiliation has stayed around 70%. That is, until 2000, when the numbers began to slip. As our society has become more secular, atheistic, and anti- Christian, more and more people reject traditional worship. They may claim to be “spiritual but not religious,” but their words and actions reveal they deny any claim that God has on them. They are consumers of spirituality, picking and choosing what sounds good or makes them feel good about themselves, rather than bowing before a righteous God.

We can point to many reasons for it, including the banishment of religious values and practices from schools and public venues; the almost fanatical allegiance to naturalism/scientism, which people look to for answers to life’s questions; the fallacy that fairness and neutrality mean denying any devotion to Christianity; the post-modern idea that there is no objective truth; the constant slamming of Christ, Christians, and Christian symbols in our movies and television shows; the addiction to approval in the social media, which are increasingly hostile to people of faith; the scandals of Christian leaders who fall sexually or “fleece their flocks” to become wealthy; and the increasing compromise of Christian churches who sell out or soft-sell the faith in order to be acceptable to an unbelieving society.

There are probably other contributing causes to the decline of church membership, but my purpose today is not to study or attack those reasons, but rather to assess what it means for us as Christians to now be the new minority. I think the following points are worth considering:

  1. Truth is not determined by popular vote. Even if the “vote” were 99% against Christianity, the remaining 1% would be right. I learned that back in first or second grade when our teacher asked the class, “Is the sun closer to the earth during the summer, or during the winter?” Everyone in class except me said, “Summer.” But I said, “Winter.” The other pupils all laughed at me for being so obviously wrong – until the teacher said, “You’re right, Richard, it is closer during the winter.” I learned to stand for the truth, even if my view is not the popular one.

This is true in many areas, including science, math, and history, but no more so than in matters of the Christian faith. What God has revealed to us through his words and actions is truth, even if no one believes it. As Paul proclaimed in Romans 3:4, “Let God be true though every one were a liar .” Even if no one on earth believed in God or his Word, that would not change the objective reality that God lives and reigns as our Creator, Judge, and Redeemer. Of course, whether a person has faith in God or not changes their subjective reality, because their destiny is subject to their faith. John 3:18 says, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”

2. Christianity has always been in the minority, even though in certain times and places the majority of people have considered themselves to be Christian. Today, even though Christianity is the largest religion in the world, two-thirds of mankind is not Christian, either in name or faith.  Certainly, our society, and the world, would be better off if we were all devout Christians who practiced our faith in worship, family, service, and daily life, but the Bible warns us that we should expect opposition, and that the number of those saved will be a minority. In Matthew 7:13, Jesus said, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.” And in Romans 9:27, Paul quotes Isaiah concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved.” And as for opposition and persecution, Jesus warned us, saying, “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. . . If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul [the devil], how much more will they malign those of his household” (Matthew 10:24-25). Just as Christ was himself maligned and persecuted, so we should not be surprised to receive the same treatment.

3. There are serious implications for our country.  One of our founding fathers, John Adams, said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
Unfortunately, we have “sown the wind and reaped the whirlwind” (Hosea 8:7) by ignoring God and pushing him out of our public life. As a result we have brought upon ourselves many of the problems we now face, such as drug use, division, and violence. In the Old Testament, God offered to spare Sodom and Gomorrah for the sake of 10 righteous people, but destroyed those cities when not even that many could be found (Genesis 18:22-33, and 19:23-25). Is there some number of faithful people for whose sake God will spare the U.S.? Have we dropped below that number already, and if not, what is the cut-off? Are the setbacks our country has experienced lately signs of God backing off, removing his protective hand from us? And do we look to him for the solutions, or to ourselves and our government? The good news is that God is merciful, such as when he spared the wicked city of Nineveh – because they repented and turned to God (Jonah 4). Let us pray for his mercy, and for a revival of faith among those who profess Christ.

4. We have our work cut out for us. We need to become more assertive in presenting and defending the faith. We can’t assume people will flock to church or act according to Christ’s teachings. We can’t assume that the level of Christian faith will continue as it has been, or that decisions in the public arena will be made with respect to what we believe. On the contrary, we should expect continued and growing opposition to all things Christian. Therefore, we need to be engaged with our society, not by accommodating our faith to its godless attitudes, but by showing the superiority of Christ to anything else the world offers. Sometimes, faithful Christians fall into a defensive, fortress mentality, determined to defend the faith against all attacks. That is my own inclination, and I enjoy the field of Christian apologetics, which defends the faith with evidences, history, and logic. But we need to remember that it is not us who need to defend anything: rather it is the enemy – Satan and those who fall for his lies – who should be on the defensive. They have the failed theology, but we have the truth. That’s why Christ could tell his disciples that “the gates of hell will not prevail” against the Church (Matthew 16:18). Gates are for defense, so the implication is that Christ will prevail against the enemy through his triumphant Church. We are part of that Church, and therefore let us take the fight to the enemy, for the best defense is a good offense. “Onward, Christian Soldiers!”

Let us obey Christ’s command to take the Gospel to all creatures, showing love and respect, serving people’s real needs, and teaching them God’s Word – all with the power of prayer – all while ourselves continuing to worship actively in our churches, then maybe – just maybe – the next survey will show a change in the right direction!

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Matthew 5:10-12; John 15:20; John 16

P.S. For my Australian readers: yes, I know, for you the sun is closer in the summer. 

Jesus and Belial, Part 2

In my previous blog, I told about reading a newspaper ad for an “interfaith” prayer meeting to be held online as a way to show, in the sponsors’ words, “the kinship of all Faiths.” I commented on that assertion and request by stating that other than some idealized moral values, such as the Golden Rule, Christianity is not kin to other faiths. Nor are they kin to each other, because their beliefs are not only different, but at times, polar opposites.

In addition, by participating publicly in a joint prayer session, Christians are giving subtle approval to, and acceptance of, those other faiths. We are telling people that all faiths are basically the same, each being one of many paths to God – though the ideas of who and what God is, are so different. As Christians, we must continuously demonstrate that Christ is unique, the Only Son of God, and the One Way to the Father. As Jesus himself proclaimed, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, except trough me” (John 14:6).

Jesus’ claims were very exclusionary, and the rest of Scripture agrees. He said, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:13). He also said, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works” (John 14:9-10). He also told the crowds, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). And later, Peter said of Jesus, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved”(Acts 4:12). Also, Paul proclaimed the exclusivity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: “As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:9). And, of course, this unique claim begins in the Old Testament, when the Lord God commands his people in the First Commandment, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3 and Deuteronomy 5:7).

Reminded that there is but one God, the God of the Bible, and only one way to him, how then do we live in and respond to the society around us that affirms “diversity” of belief and extols every religion except Christianity? My answer is not new, but hopefully it can encourage you to hold fast to the truth and set aside any doubts that may arise from constant anti-Christian messaging in our culture. Consider the following:

1. Know what the Bible says, and what Jesus taught. By your own study and learning of God’s Word, you can avoid and refute incorrect ideas and charges made against Christians. Did Adam and Eve eat an apple? No, the Bible just says, fruit. Is the Christian faith racist? No; Jesus commanded preaching the Gospel to all nations (Matthew 28:19-20) and Revelation tells us that heaven will have a multitude that no one can count, “from every  nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages.” That’s as inclusive as you can get! Know the true Gospel, of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ apart from any works or righteousness we can personally achieve.

2. Don’t believe the movie and television trope that Christianity is a prudish, guilt-ridden group of hypocrites. Notice how many shows make Christians (especially preachers and priests!) the villains. Gangsters wear crosses and serial killers have crosses on their walls and mumble phrases like “Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord!” before doing their evil deeds. Learn what Christians have done to benefit society and alleviate the natural states of poverty and suffering. It’s no accident that so many hospitals have the word “Saint” as part of their name. There’s not enough room here to even list all the blessings Christians have brought about because of their faith, such as written languages, literacy, hospitals, orphanages, disaster relief, nursing, sports (including basketball and volleyball), adult night schools, Braille and American Sign Language, the abolition of slavery, and the  recognition of human worth and dignity. As Christians we have nothing to be ashamed about when we bear the name of Christ.* Paul proclaimed, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. . . ” (Romans 1:16).

3. Remember that the Christian faith is not a fortress faith, living on an isolated island, trying to keep people out. While we are commanded to defend the faith (1 Peter 3:15 says, “. . . always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you;”), our faith is not essentially a defensive one. On the contrary, it is meant to be an assertive faith, one which seeks to reach out and proclaim the good news of what God has done for us in Christ. After all, Jesus didn’t say the gates of heaven would shield us, but that the gates of hell would not prevail against the Church (Matthew 16:18). When Jesus came, he didn’t set up a secret  monastery where he and his disciples could hide while he taught them exclusive truths; instead, he went among the people and proclaimed the truth openly. As a result, sinners repented, Pharisees such as Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea converted, and even Romans believed (Acts 10). Jesus pushed back against the devil’s territory by establishing and expanding the kingdom of God, which he proclaimed had now come in him. As Christians, we must not be content in just “holding our own,” but in working to expand the kingdom into which Jesus called us, through our personal witness, evangelism and missions.

4. Remember the twin Greatest Commandment, affirmed by Jesus himself: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). This means we must love, honor, and worship the true God and hold fast to his teachings, yet at the same time love others as much as we love ourselves – even if those neighbors don’t love us or God. This means we owe every person respect, even if we don’t think he or she deserves it. In the context of cross-faith relations, it means we respect the other person and their attempt to do what is right. We look for non-religious ways in which to cooperate, such as on sports teams, at work, or in school. We help our literal neighbors when they have a need, letting God work in their hearts and minds through our kindly witness. And we explain the true faith in loving and patient ways, so the other person knows clearly who Christ is and what he accomplished for the world. Remember Peter’s words which followed his command to defend the faith: “. . .  do it with gentleness and respect.”

One day a Sikh man with bloody bare feet came to my church office, asking to see Jesus. I spent several hours with him, talking about Christ and taking him to a church where he could see a large crucifix in the sanctuary. After that, I drove him to a nearby Sikh Temple, where he could get food and perform one of his religion’s rites. In all those things, I was bearing witness and showing him personal respect and brotherly love. I even went into his temple and met one of his fellow Sikhs near their altar. But when they offered me what was their equivalent of communion (a ball of sweet wafer material), I declined, explaining that my God is a jealous God, and would not allow me to participate in another religion’s ceremony. Years later, the man showed up again at my office, thanking me for caring for him as I did.

5. Finally, when it comes to prayer, we must absolutely pray for all people, and work for their health, well-being, and their salvation. We should never rejoice in their failures, hurts, or demise. We should never assume a haughty air of religious superiority, for that is what Jesus condemned in the Pharisees, the religious “stars” of their day. They did all the right things, said all the right words, and knew all the right Scriptures, but had no love, so they were like the “noisy gong or clanging cymbal” which Paul decried in 1 Corinthians 13:1. We must remember that it is by God’s grace alone that we have salvation in Christ. We are no less sinful than anyone else, but we are beneficiaries of God’s love and mercy through his only Son, Jesus Christ, and not by our own righteousness or membership in any group. Only because we are in Christ are we saved, and therefore we are compelled to love all for whom Christ bled and died – which is the entire world.

We must love everyone just as they are, but we must love them enough not to leave them where they are, but to show them Jesus in word and deed, that they too may rejoice in the salvation which he alone has brought the world.

And now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine to upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: John 14:1-14; Acts 4:1-22; 10:34-43; 1 Corinthians 13; Galatians 1:6-10.

*The book, What if Jesus Had Never Been Born? by D. James Kennedy and Jerry Newcombe, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 1994, has 275 pages telling the many ways which Christianity has benefitted the world. 

Jesus and Belial

This week I was invited to a prayer session. Actually, everyone was. The newspaper display ad read, “In service to the Elk Grove community, invites you to a virtual Prayer Devotional . . .” The fact that this was not a complete sentence is not what caught my attention; what the ad said next, was: “. . . demonstrating kinship of all Faiths through prayer.”

This ad was placed by the Interfaith Council of Elk Grove, whose members state their purpose as, “Working together – building a just and caring society.” Those are noble goals, even if not everyone seeking justice these days is very caring toward those they oppose. People of every faith, or none, should seek to pursue such goals in both their own lives and that of the societies in which they live. But does such striving indicate the “kinship of all Faiths”? If I invented a religion in which I was the high priest of toad worship, would my religion be part of that kinship? (Don’t laugh – ancient Chinese venerated toads as symbols of wealth and longevity!)

Does a common desire to have a peaceful society where people respect and care for each other mean that all religions and personal faiths are the same? What do the many religions and faiths around us actually believe? Do we indeed share “kinship” with any and all other religions, aside from certain almost-universal moral tenets such as the Golden Rule?

Specifically, considering the newspaper invitation, should Christians pray with non-Christians? To whom are we praying when we pray in unity with believers in other religions?

1. With Hindus, to which god are we to pray: Ganesha (pot-bellied elephant god), Shiva, Krishna, Rama, Vishnu, or Kali, the goddess of death?

2. With Muslims, to Allah, the moon-god? Or Allah the only god, who has no son? Or to Issa (Jesus) who escaped the cross and had Judas die there in his place?

3. With Buddhists, to devas and brahmas that exist in five-layered heavens, or nagas that live in snake form on earth? Or to the impersonal sea to which we return when we die from this illusionary world, like droplets of water?

4. With Mormons, to Jesus, the brother of Lucifer (Satan) who was physically begotten by Adam-god, and was on earth in his journey to godhood, which we can all attain?

5. With Native American devotees, to Bluejay, trickster god of the Chinook; or to White Buffalo Woman of the Sioux; to Taronhiawagon of the Iroquois; to Old Man Coyote of the Crow;  or to another of the dozens of nature gods and goddesses worshipped by the many indigenous tribes of North America?*

6. With Atheists? To matter and energy? Or to material processes that exclude any divine purpose, entity, or intervention?

I could go on, but you get the picture. How can people who have such widely-divergent beliefs pray together? Or as the Bible says, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3 KJV). Now, you may say that praying together is okay as long as you have in your own mind the biblical Trinity, but in public prayer, no one can tell what you’re thinking; to others, your participation in such interfaith prayers conveys the message that you are in agreement. Your participation validates their religions as being on an equal footing with Christianity.

This is not an issue of praying for non-Christians; I have done this and will do this at any time. We once lived next-door to a Mormon family that had a meltdown one evening. When the teen daughter broke off part of the railing on the staircase, the father came and got me to “be a witness” to what was going on. After hearing them speak (yell) at each other, I asked that we pray for God’s peace for them and the situation. I certainly did not pray to any Mormon god or concept of god, but called on the true God to bring peace to the family, which he did.

Praying for others is appropriate, but praying with them as if we were one in faith or had just different shades of the same faith, is not. Some may view this as narrow sectarianism, or egotistical pride (“I’m right but you’re not!”), or even racism, since some religions are held predominantly by certain ethnic groups, such as Sikhism among the Sikhs of the Punjab and Fiji. But this is not about personal preferences or arrogance. Christianity is the most universal religion of all, with two billion adherents from “every nation, tribe, and language.” No, this is a statement of obedience to God’s own commands, to come out from the world and be separate from them, worshiping the true God and him only (Matthew 4:10, Luke 4:9).

This division between faith in the true God and other so-called gods was commanded in both Testaments and was the basis of the kosher regulations of the Law. Kosher food rules against consuming meat and dairy products in the same meal, are based on passages such as Deuteronomy 14:21 “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk,” which forbids the mixing of two forms of food. Likewise, Deuteronomy 22:10-11 prohibited wearing a mixture of wool and linen, and plowing with both “an ox and a donkey together” Many have wondered why the Torah prohibits such mixtures, concluding it is a mystery. Personally, I agree with many Christian commentators who believe these were reminders of Israel being apart from the other nations. Not only would they eat and dress differently, they would avoid mixing with other religions.

As Christians, these kosher requirements of food and clothing are no longer binding. Christ has set us free, and as Paul (a very kosher Jew!) taught us, all things are lawful to us in Christ. Whether we eat certain foods or not is not regulated, apart from the effect our public eating or drinking may have on others.

But the principle behind the Old Testament food and clothing regulations still applies, that there be separation between those who follow Christ and those who do not.

When the people of Ephesus became believers, they burned their old magic books (which were very valuable) in order to follow Christ. They didn’t just add Jesus to their pantheon of other gods, so as to cover their bases. They recognized the incompatibility of belief in Christ with any other religion. Theirs was no “interfaith” religion.

“And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver.” (Acts 19:17-19)

In 2 Corinthians 6:14-16, Paul wrote: “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols?” The point is that you can’t mix Christianity with other religions in the name of “getting along” or seeking fellowship.

So how do we deal with other religions and the people who practice them? Do we attack them, insult them, or just shun them, refusing to talk or work with them in order to remain separate from untruth? Or should we befriend, associate, and cooperate with them in every area except worship and prayer?

I believer the Bible gives us a clear answer to that dilemma, which I will address in the next blog! (Cliffhanger!) So until then:

May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Acts 17:16-34; Acts 19; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18;

* To be fair, many tribes believe(d) in the Great Spirit, one overall god, to whom Christians have pointed as representing the true God in their evangelism. The missionaries have quoted Paul in Acts 17:23 “‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.”

Dearly Begotten

After my sister died last year, my wife and I flew out to Indiana to empty her storage unit and haul it all back to California by truck . In the over four months since, we have been going through everything: trashing, recycling, shredding, and/or donating items as appropriate. It’s been an arduous task, but finally our house is regaining some semblance of normalcy (meaning I still have my things to trash, recycle, shred, and/or donate as appropriate).

Included in box after box from storage were hundreds of family treasures; not gold and silver, but old photos, documents. family writings, and truly historical artifacts. Specifically, things like souvenirs from the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair, newspapers announcing the end of World War II, a newspaper from 1901 detailing the death of my grandmother’s brother-in-law during the “Philippine Insurrection,” and accounts of my family’s wanderings such as stories of one great-great-grandmother sailing to America from Germany in 1864 (while another ancestor was being wounded repelling the Confederates from their attack on Washington, DC).

We found so much that we needed to put in order, that we joined a couple online genealogy sites to flesh out our family trees by building on earlier attempts to do so. I had already drawn several trees for a project back in junior high or late grade school (talk about ancient documents!), but they needed correcting and updating.

It’s taking a lot of time and effort, but we have been enjoying the work; we’ve been detectives, solving who was related to whom and how, and what they did in their lifetime. From all this study, we’ve found lots of fascinating stories:

  1. Two ancestors from different lines, both wounded in the leg during the Civil War and carrying the bullets the rest of their lives.
  2. A grandmother who was a concert soloist and was offered the chance to study music in Italy, but turned it down to marry my grandfather. (Which proves not every good gene gets passed down to your grandchildren.)
  3. One ancestor murdered by counterfeiters when he discovered them.
  4. Great-grandparents living in a sod-house on the Kansas prairie.
  5. A great-grandmother saving her paper dolls during the Chicago Fire of 1871.
  6. The first Eddy coming to America in 1630 on the last of the Pilgrim ships: the Handmaid.
  7. The death of one ancestor during another pandemic in 1918.

It’s been fascinating to not only read about events like these, but to do so in the handwriting of family who have gone before. I joke to Karen that we need to establish a museum to preserve and exhibit all these treasures!

But, as wonderful as learning about family can be, it has had a sobering effect on me, sometimes leaving me drained emotionally and mentally. It’s done so because of the weight of all those lives, lived over the centuries, but now gone from the earth. As I plug in birth and death dates for each relative I am reminded of the temporary nature of life. It reminds me of reading parts of the book of Genesis in the King James Version, such as chapter 5 with its repeated formula: “so-and-so lived and begat so-and-so and then he died.” For example:

“And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died. And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos: And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died. And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan: And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: and he died.” (Genesis 5:5-11)

All my family down to and including all my aunts and uncles, are dead and buried. Now even my sister is gone, and looking ahead, I know that one day this century my own leaf on the family tree will receive its last notation. How depressing is that!

And yet, there’s something else I have found and been encouraged by, one fact that inspires and actually overcomes the sad notes of loss and the temporary nature of life on this earth: almost all of my family were, or are, Christians. There is a thread of faith that winds its way down through the various family lines and generations, from parent to child, and from our family to others. Besides the many statements connected with eulogies and gravestones, there are letters, testimonies, and artifacts that celebrate Christ:

  1.  An article in German celebrating the life of one great-great-grandmother who came to faith in Germany before coming to America and joined a church in Chicago immediately upon arrival. It said that in spite of much suffering at the end of her life, she had einen unerschütterlichen Glauben, that is, an unshakeable faith in God.
  2. A stranger who walked into my parents’ 50th Anniversary party and thanked my dad for bringing him to faith when the man was a student in my dad’s Sunday School class – 50 years earlier.
  3. Speaking of Sunday School, we found a 10-year Perfect Attendance pin.
  4. We have photos of South Dakota in the late 1800s taken by one great-grandfather who was a Methodist Circuit Rider and minister in that area.
  5. Another line that included a Lutheran bishop in Stuttgart, Germany.
  6. There’s the statement from one genealogist that there has never been a generation of Eddy’s without a pastor.

These evidences mean so much to me, for not only did so many relatives live lives here on earth in ways that honored Christ and sought to obey his Word, but their faith in God’s promises means that their lives did not end when they left this earth. It means they are even now in the presence of the One they believed in. It also means that one day, their gravestones will need a new date added: the date of their resurrection. On that day, Christ will return with a shout and call the vast numbers from every family and lineage forth from their graves, some to judgment, and others to eternal life. It gives me joy to anticipate the resurrection of the many ancestors I never got to meet: what a family reunion that will be!

I’d like to close with a poem I found from the pen of a grandmother* I was too young to know before she died, but whom I expect to one day meet. I found this poem in her handwriting among the papers we saved:

We know that our works don’t save us; that is the result of God’s grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. But how much better would life be for us and for the world around us if everyone sought to please God by our “Kind Words. Loving Acts, and Christian Living”?  And how much better our family relationships and legacy might be if we taught the next generations to believe and love Christ and seek to follow his commands? There is a reason God commanded us to do so in places such as Leviticus 10:11, Deuteronomy 6:7, Matthew 28:20, John 14:15, and John 14:21.

Eventually the day will come when God “will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). Thanks be to God for that promise, and for the gift of eternal life through his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

And now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Genesis 5, Leviticus 10:11, Deuteronomy 6:7, Matthew 28:20, John 14.

*The same grandmother who gave up studying music in Italy.

A Better Baptism

Have you ever seen a TV commercial that went like this: a clunker of a car putts along while other cars race past, leaving it in the dust. Finally its engine conks out, and the driver coasts to the shoulder of the highway, while a soothing voice comes on to say, “Our cars don’t run too well, but they make excellent gifts to charities.”

Or did you ever see a fast-food restaurant named “So-So Burgers” with signs in its  window that read, “The burgers are better…across the street,” and “We love to see you frown”?

Or did you catch any candidates in the recent presidential campaign say anything like this: “I appreciate your support, but my opponent will make a much better president, so I’m voting for him myself and think you should, too!”

Or imagine Bill Gates holding a press conference where he says, “Our Windows software is pretty good, but if you want a better system, get a Macintosh.”

We’re not too likely to hear that kind of advertising, are we? Everyone claims their own product or service is the best available, because they want your business. It makes sense for them to promote what they have to sell. We’re used to that self-promotion; in fact, we expect it.

That makes it all the more fascinating when we read what John the Baptist had to say about the baptism which he was offering to the people of his day. Crowds of people had come down to the Jordan River valley, responding to John’s call for repentance from their sins. The culmination of their repentance was to be baptized by John in the river, and many answered the call. It was to these people that John made an astounding announcement. Basically John said something like this: “This baptism you’re getting from me is okay, but just wait. Someone is coming soon who will have a far better baptism than mine.” Poor John. He sure wouldn’t have made it in the advertising business….or would he? Why did John downplay his own baptizing in favor of someone else’s?

John did so for two reasons.

First, the crowds were beginning to believe that John the Baptist could be the Messiah they had been expecting. The time was right, he was preaching repentance and forgiveness of sins, he called for righteous living in preparation for the coming of God’s Kingdom, John lived a holy life, and he even looked like a prophet –  dressed in camel’s hair coat and leather belt. And so the people began to ask each other, “Is John the Messiah?” John wanted them to know in no uncertain terms, that he was not the Messiah, but only the one sent to prepare the way for the true Messiah who was yet to come. John told them his own baptism was inferior, because he was inferior to Christ – unworthy to even untie Christ’s sandals.

The second reason John played down his own baptism was that the nature of John’s baptism was different from the baptism which Jesus would bring. Something different was taking place when each baptized someone. Let’s compare them:

  1. John’s baptism: in one sense, what John was doing was not new to the Jewish people. Already, when a gentile converted to Judaism, he or she would be baptized as a symbolic act that their uncleanness as a gentile was being washed away. And for Jews, many would have repeated washings or baptisms to get rid of ceremonial uncleanness so they could go to the temple and participate in Jewish rituals. When John called for repentance of the people, he was asking them to repent more fully of their sins, but the actual act of baptizing them was not much different from what went before – it was a symbolic act, and primarily a human promise to turn away from sin.
  1. Jesus’ baptism, on the other hand, was, and is, much more than symbolic. Jesus’ baptism is primarily an act of God by which God’s grace and forgive- ness are truly granted to those being baptized. It is an act of God because Jesus is God. It is also an act of God because the Holy Spirit, who is God, comes upon the person being baptized. They are baptized with the Holy Spirit and not just water. With the Spirit comes forgiveness, but also new life as one is reborn a child of God. Baptism is more than water cleansing the outside; it is also the Spirit of God cleansing and remaking the inside. We are never alone, for the Spirit lives within us: guiding us, enabling us to resist sin and empowering us to do works which are pleasing to God. Eternal life is promised to those who believe and are baptized, and we are told that our baptism joins us to Christ’s death, and to his resurrection. When you see all that Christ’s baptism brings, you can see why John pointed his hearers to look for the greater baptism to come.

It’s not that John’s baptism was bad. The Gospels say John spoke the word of God, and in Luke 20 – Jesus implied that John’s baptism came from God. And as we read earlier, Jesus himself was baptized by John.

But the superiority of Christ’s baptism was shown later on, in Acts 19, when Paul met a group of believers who had been baptized by John, but didn’t know anything about the Holy Spirit. Paul baptized them in Jesus’ name, and at once the Holy Spirit came upon them powerfully. You might say their baptism was upgraded!

In a sense, John’s baptism was the last act of the Old Covenant. Like the sacrifices of the Old Covenant, it brought remedy for sin to those who believed God’s promises. But also like the rest of the Old Covenant, John’s baptism was a temporary shadow of what was to come. Now that Christ had come to institute the New Covenant, the Old had to pass away. With the New came something better – a better baptism than what John could offer.

As baptized Christians, we have a better baptism. We have the baptism promised by John and instituted by Christ, a baptism with the Holy Spirit.

So why would you go back and trade in your better baptism for a lesser one? If you wouldn’t, that’s great, yet today there are many Christians who seem ready to do just that. They actually prefer the baptism of John. They certainly wouldn’t say they do, nor even think of it that way. But, the truth is: they treat their Christian baptism as if it were no better than John’s baptism, and thereby miss out on some of what Christ has for them. They make two major mistakes:

  1. They forget that Christian baptism is mainly an act of God. Some Christians think baptism is a good work they are doing for God, like they’re earning Brownie points. Others, even entire denominations, deny that baptism has any real power in it. They call it an ordinance, meaning something we do because Christ told us to, as a sign of our faith, but not as a saving act of God. Worse yet, I’m afraid many people view baptism only as an initiation into church membership, like when I joined a fraternity in college, and had to walk around downtown Chicago at night, carrying a wooden sword and selling toilet paper at a penny a sheet to earn bus fare back to the college. (Fortunately I ran into a guy who bought the whole roll for $5.00!)  Baptism is a gracious gift from God, and he remains the primary actor in the drama. His blessings given are real, not just symbolic, and once we understand and accept this, we view our baptism with gratitude and certainty, because its value depends on the faithfulness of God and his promises, and not on our actions.
  1. They forget that they were baptized with the Holy Spirit and not just water.

There are two groups that make this mistake. One group sees baptism as a symbolic action, a church ritual without any supernatural power. They don’t expect any real changes to occur except what the people do for themselves. It’s really sad they have that view and expect so little from God in the sacrament. Scripture describes them as: “Having a form of godliness but denying its power.”

The other group believes greatly in the power of the Holy Spirit, except they don’t think the Spirit comes during water baptism. They teach that there is a second baptism – a Holy Spirit baptism – which comes at some other time. And in their view, speaking in tongues is the evidence you have been baptized in the Holy Spirit.

While I respect their desire for spiritual gifts, this group reduces Christian baptism – that which Christ commanded us to do for all nations – with water – and relegates it to something no greater than John’s baptism, because like John’s they say it is just water and no Spirit.

But the New Testament knows just one baptism – Christ’s – complete with the Holy Spirit and the promise of forgiveness and new life. When a person is baptized, there may not be any outward evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work. But the greatest work of the Spirit is what takes place invisibly as the Holy Spirit regenerates and brings spiritual life to the person being baptized.

That is the baptism you have received – the one instituted by Jesus Christ, commanded by him, and empowered by his Holy Spirit. Don’t despise the great gift which God has given you, or trade it in for a lesser one. You have the better baptism, so rejoice and treasure it.

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Luke 3:15-22; Luke 20:1-8; Acts 19:1-7

 

New Year, New Names

Happy New Year to you, my readers, as we begin what we all hope will be, in so many ways, a better year. As for me, after waiting up until midnight on New Years Eve to welcome in the new year, I didn’t notice any dramatic changes in anything: in fact, if I hadn’t known the date, I wouldn’t have known the new day was any different from the previous one, except that my wife and I toasted the arrival of the new year with glasses of sparkling apple cider.

And yet, we have a new name for these new days: we call them 2021 and give their new name some significance because, well, the number comes after 2020. And yet, it doesn’t feel any different. There’s still a pandemic, still a shutdown, and we’re still here. And I’m still retired*, something for which I am grateful, seeing all the restrictions and hoops my former pastoral colleagues have to go through to continue their ministry.

But in the culture around us, much is changing, based on new social attitudes, growing secularization, and political polarization. And much of the change has to do with language. Certain words are created, others are banned, and new meanings are given to old terms to agree with new sensitivities. What was perfectly acceptable speech when you said it can now get you fired, shunned, or even attacked, no matter what good you have done with your life.

One example of such changes came in the mail as a questionnaire from a health care provider. There were two questions on it that caught my attention (other than the usual ones about whether I ever had leprosy, bubonic plague, or Ebola). The first question was, what sex was I assigned at birth, and the second: what are my preferred pronouns?

I haven’t answered those questions yet, because I really want to give some crazy answers as a protest against using those terms. For example, I wanted to cross out “at birth” and change it to “at conception” because that is when I received the chromosomes that determined my sex (gender is a grammatical term – or at least used to be until it was redefined). I also thought of putting down, “Other,” or “Hermaphrodite” but that sounded like an answer a junior high boy might give. (And I am far too mature and serious to stoop to that level!)

As for the second question about my preferred pronouns, I’m thinking of answering: “Me, myself, and I” and let them wonder whether I’m really that self-centered. Or, “thou, thy, and thine,” and tell them that’s from my days as a pastor in case they question it.

Yes, I considered such shenanigans, but I’m worried that if I ever need medical attention, the health professionals will read my answers and take appropriate measures in retribution. So I’ll probably skip them or play it safe with standard answers.

But there’s another area where some renaming is long overdue, though I realize my ideas will have little or no impact, nor cause any change whatsoever. This idea came with the turn of the calendar page last Friday to the month of January. I stared at the page, and asked, “Why do we call it January? January is named for Janus, a Roman god with two faces, one looking back at the old year, and one looking forward to the new. Is that what we, especially as Christians, actually believe? If not, then why do we keep repeating the name of a Roman god every time we speak of this month?

Consider that all our names of months through August come from Roman gods, leaders, or celebrations:

  1. January – Janus (Roman god of beginnings and endings);
  2. February – Februalia (festival of purification)
  3. March – Mars (Roman god of war – the month when armies went to war) [See 2 Samuel 11:1 – “In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle. . .]
  4. April -Aperio (Latin word for opening or budding)
  5. May – Maia (Roman earth goddess of plants)
  6. June – Juno (Roman goddess of women and marriage)
  7.  July – Julius Caesar (Roman dictator who named it after himself!)
  8. August – Caesar Augustus (Roman emperor who decreed all the world should be taxed [Luke 2:1])

And then there are the numbered months: September (7th), October (8th), November (9th), and December (10th), Which would be fine, except those numbers are all wrong in our current order, since September is actually month number 9, and so on with the others. We could put them back in their right place, and call the eleventh month “undecember” and the twelfth month “duodecember” in keeping with the Latin numbering.

We could, but I have a better idea. There are twelve months in the year (based on twelve cycles of the moon), and we Christians have no shortage of twelves to work with that are not based on Roman gods or rulers. How about, naming the months after the twelve apostles? After all, the Book of Revelation 21:14 says that their names will be inscribed on the twelve foundations of the New Jerusalem. So the least we can do is honor them now**:

  1. January becomes Johnsmonth
  2. February becomes Philipsmonth
  3. March becomes Matthewsmonth
  4. April becomes Andrewsmonth
  5. May becomes Matthiasmonth (who replaced Judas Iscariot – Acts 1:26)
  6. June becomes Judesmonth
  7. July becomes Jamesmonth
  8. August becomes Alphaeussonsmonth (James, son of Alphaeus)
  9. September becomes SimontheZealotsmonth
  10. October becomes Thomasmonth
  11. November becomes Bartholomewsmonth
  12. December becomes Petersmonth (because “the first shall be last” -Matthew 19:30)

Notice that when possible, I kept the first letter of each name the same, to help people learn the new format. I will expect my readers to begin the trend beginning this Johnsmonth!

Or, if you want to “go Old Testament” on me, you could name the months after the twelve tribes of Israel, since Revelation 21:12 says their names will be inscribed on the twelve gates entering into the walls of the New Jerusalem. The months could be named: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Gad, Asher, Dan, Naphtali, Joseph, and Benjamin. So, June could become Judahsmonth and July Josephsmonth!

But I’m not done with renaming, since we have the same problem when it comes to the days of the weeks. Unlike the languages that follow the biblical naming of the seventh day of the week the Sabbath, such as sabato in Italian and sábado in Spanish, and shabat in Hebrew, English names that day after Saturn – not the planet, but the Roman god. So, whenever we use the standard English days of the week, we are honoring the following:

  1. Sunday – after the sun and the Norse goddess Sunna
  2. Monday – after the moon
  3. Tuesday – after the Germanic god of war – Tiu, son of Odin
  4. Wednesday – after the Germanic supreme deity – Woden (or Odin)
  5. Thursday – after the Norse god of thunder – Thor (not the movie guy)
  6. Friday – after the Norse goddess of love and beauty – Frigga (or Fria)
  7. Saturday – after Roman god of agriculture – Saturn

Even under the atheistic Soviet Union, the Russian name for Sunday remained Christian: voskresen’ye (Воскресенье) which literally means, “Resurrection Day.” How awesome is that! Soviet commissars would greet each other with, “I’ll see you next Resurrection Day!” But we say, I’ll see you next sun’s day? What’s wrong with this picture?

Again, we Christians have no shortage of 7’s to work with in renaming the days of the week. I think we should keep Sabbath for Saturday and Lord’s Day for Sunday, but otherwise, we can draw from other biblical sevens:

  1. The seven last words from the cross (“Forgive Them Day” sounds good)
  2. The seven churches of Asia in Revelation 2 (Ephesus, Smyrna, etc.)
  3. The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (such as wisdom, understanding, might, fear of the Lord, etc. from Isaiah 11:2)
  4. The seven virtues (such as patience, kindness, humility, etc.)
  5. The seven deadly sins (actually, not a good idea: we shouldn’t have a greed-day, a lust-day, an envy-day, etc. Though a gluttony-day is worth considering . . .)
  6. The seven seals, trumpets, and bowls in Revelation 6, 8, 11, and 16
  7. The seven miracles in which Jesus healed on the Sabbath (7th day):  a man with a deformed hand (Matthew 12:9-13); a man possessed by an unclean spirit (Mark 1:23-26); Peter’s mother-in-law with fever (Mark 1:29-31); a woman crippled by a spirit (Luke 13:10-13); a man with abnormal swelling of the body (Luke 14:1-4); a lame man by the pool of Bethesda (John 5:5-9); and a man born blind (John 9:1-7).

There you have it: seven possible lists of seven which would be an improvement on our current names of the days of the week. (After reading the seven bowls of wrath in Revelation 16, I’m starting to wonder whether we’re already somewhere on that list!)

Now that I’ve solved the naming of the months and days quandary, I’m ready to take on even more linguistic challenges. But that’s enough for now. After all, tomorrow’s a new day, and I have plenty to do to be ready for – Wisdom Day, or is it Patience Day, or is it Giving Sight Day, or . . . .  ..

Whatever you call it, may God bless you in the days, weeks, months, and year ahead!

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Matthew 12:9-13; Isaiah 11:1-3; Acts 1; Revelation 21

*Yep, I began my fifth year of retirement on Friday, and this is the anniversary month of starting my blog, and the 142nd article since I began! And to think my second blog expressed my concern that I wouldn’t have anything else to say!

** For the final list of the Apostles from Scripture, see: Acts 1:13.

Contactless Faith?

Thanks to new restaurant dining restrictions here in California, I went to pick up a meal from one of our favorite restaurants for us to eat at home. As I stood outside the restaurant’s front door, waiting for my order to be brought to me, I read the various signs posted around the entrance: “Mask required,” “Maintain six feet of social distance,” and “Contactless Curbside Delivery Available.” I wondered about the last one; wouldn’t some contact be needed, since the food is handed from one person to another? Or do they just throw the food out the window like someone feeding bread to the birds?

I also began wondering about other areas where “contact” between people is discouraged. Schools, grocery stores, parks, sports events, and even churches. The last is especially troubling; it’s one thing to warn people about packing together in small spaces, and another thing to have “Caesar” intervene in matters of the free practice of religion, which is supposedly guaranteed by our Constitution.

And now, with the current three-week restrictions on gatherings, we are being told to stay away from church services even through Christmas.

Which got me thinking even more: is faith possible without contact? Can we really have or practice “contactless faith”? How would this have changed the history of our faith, if today’s rules had always been in force? Just imagine:

  1. If Adam and Eve had kept social distancing, none of us would even be here.
  2. Mary and Joseph would have sung in the stable, “A way we’re in danger, no mask for our heads.”
  3. The wise men wouldn’t have been allowed to travel across national boundaries to visit the infant Jesus. We’d be singing, “We three kings of Orient are, staying home, can’t travel too far . . .”
  4. Other Christmas songs we’d be singing: “Deck the Halls with Rolls of Plastic,” “Edicts we have heard on high, telling us to stay inside,” and, “O Quarantine, O Quarantine, your rules are always changing. . .”
  5. Pontius Pilate would have not just washed his hands at Jesus’ trial, he would have washed his face and used sanitizer, too.
  6. Martin Luther’s famous defense at the Diet of Worms would have been: “Here I stand, six feet apart from you.” Then he would have self-quarantined at the Wartburg Castle for the next year.
  7. And finally, we’d have to revise the old Twelve Days of Christmas to go something like, “The Twelve Months of Covid.”*

On a more serious note, the biggest change would have been in our Lord’s earthly ministry, which was all about making contact with us and all the people around him. Just consider:

  1. Jesus had contact with lepers, who were the most socially-distanced people of his day: they were required to call out when they walked so other non-infected people could avoid them. When a group of them saw Jesus, they “stood at a distance” and called to him. Rather than running from them, he healed them, resulting in one falling at his feet (Luke 17:11-19).
  2. Jesus associated with sinners, including tax collectors and prostitutes, who were the “social lepers” of his day. “And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?'” (Mark 2:16).
  3. Jesus touched several dead people (just before raising them to life), something that was socially and religiously forbidden in his day. Numbers 5:2 ordered, “Command the people of Israel that they put out of the camp everyone who is leprous or has a discharge and everyone who is unclean through contact with the dead.” (Talk about social distancing!)
  4. And just imagine the Last Supper, with Jesus instituting a “drive-through” Communion service as the disciples filed in and out of the upper room.

But the whole point of Jesus coming to earth was to make contact with us, the “apple of his eye” (Psalm 17:8) to save us from our sins (Luke 19:10, etc.). Rather than “staying at home” in heaven, safe from all the ill effects of the deadly disease of sin, he came down to us to suffer and die for us. He didn’t just “Zoom” us from heaven; he showed up in person, freely accepting not only the risks, but the certainty of his death. And because he did, we have eternal life – free from any future diseases!

Jesus made contact, but what about us today? Can we have faith and maintain that faith in our “contactless” society? Can we have “contactless faith”? Well, the answer is both yes and no.

“Yes,” in that we all have God’s Word available to us in many forms, both printed and electronic, so that we need never lack for his saving Word of life. God’s law and his gospel are in our hands, though we be shut away from contact with each other. As God’s Word promises, it will not return empty, but will accomplish its purpose (Isaiah 55:11).

And “no,” in two senses. First, because even when separated from each other, we are not separated from God in Christ. His Holy Spirit has come upon us and remains with us no matter what. Jesus spoke of this Spirit in John 14:17, “You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” No distancing there. And, even when Jesus was about to “distance” himself physically from the disciples at the Ascension, he promised them, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” This was consistent with God’s promise made in several Old Testament Scriptures that he would “never leave you or forsake you” (Deuteronomy 13:6-8, Joshua 1:5, 1 Kings 8:57, 1 Chronicles 28:20), as well as in the New Testament book of Hebrews (13:5). Even if we were locked up in solitaire, in a prison cell, or in a cage, Christ would still be with us. Apart from him, we have no faith, for it is his gift by his Holy Spirit that we can believe. As Luther’s Small catechism states, “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.”

And second, though we find ourselves separated right now by circumstances, this situation is not normal and cannot continue. Christians are by nature called to come together, to be the Church, called out from the crowd and joined in fellowship. Hebrews 10:25 tells us to not neglect meeting together, “as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Faith when isolated and neglected can grow cold. We can get too comfortable not going to church, that we forget to hold up Christ as the center of our lives and as the core of all our decisions. We begin to look at the world in the same secular way that we hear and see espoused all around us. We forget that “though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.”** We need the fellowship, teachings, sacraments, and sharpening of character that only the Church, by the power of God himself, can provide.

Therefore, join with me in praying for relief from this pandemic, from the sickness and death it causes, and from the social, economic, and spiritual damage our response has caused, for “contactless faith” is a contradiction in terms.

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lit up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Mark 2:13-17; Luke 17:11-19;  John 14:15-27 

*See the next blog for a full rendition of this slightly warped song.

** From the hymn, This Is My Father’s World, by Maltbie Babcock, 1901. 

Just Plain Nuts

Just plain nuts!

No, I’m not ordering a snack of cashews, almonds, or peanuts; nor am I doing a little maintenance on my car, and asking Karen to hand me small threaded metal pieces to go on the end of some bolts. No, when I say, “Just plain nuts!” I’m referencing an old Far Side cartoon* in which a psychiatrist is writing “Just plain nuts!” in his notebook while listening to his patient ramble.

I used that cartoon a few years ago during a training session I taught to our church’s new Stephen Ministers, to emphasize that their work as Christian caregivers was not to diagnose or treat psychological problems. But now, I have found a new use for that cartoon’s phrase: for I have come to the conclusion that the words, “just plain nuts,” apply to me.

Oh, I wasn’t always this way (though there are some who might disagree with that assessment); I used to be rational and level-headed, a “rock” of stability and calmness, a living fulfillment of the phrase,”If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs.”** Yes-siree, I was the poster-child for mental stability and common sense (not to mention, humility). But then something happened: eight months (and counting) of coronavirus shutdown have driven me nuts.

Now, I know that many people are suffering mentally, as well as physically and financially, from this pandemic and the ensuing shutdowns across our country. What I am saying in no way is meant to minimize or mock their very real sufferings. But in my case, I find that my sense of humor has always helped me deal with many of life’s stresses. Such as:

  1. The time I went in for a colonoscopy, and the nurse came to the waiting room to fetch me. She apologized for the delay, saying that “the doctor is a little behind in his work.” You can guess my reply. We walked another ten feet before the nurse got it and started laughing.
  2. The time I rode in a tow truck while my car was being towed. The chatty driver went on and on, telling stories laced with profanities, until he asked what kind of work I did. I smiled and said, “Pastor.” We rode in silence for the next five miles.
  3.  Or the times when I was in my wheelchair, and would look for down-ramps where I could let it roll while singing out, “Wheeee!”

Now, after all these months of shutdown, I see similar signs that I am indeed becoming, “just plain nuts.”

  1. I thought of pasting photos of the coronavirus on my face mask to ensure six feet (or more, maybe a lot more) of social distancing.
  2. Among my late sister’s belongings we found a Christmas tree ornament, a little nurse doll complete with stethoscope and face mask. I wrote 2020 on the face mask and set it aside for this year’s tree .
  3. I want to wear my Darth Vader mask next time I go to the store.
  4.  I got the idea of giving out oranges for Halloween. Not so crazy, except I wanted to stick golf tees in them sticking out in every direction.

I have had other, even more wonderful ideas, but fortunately, cooler heads (i.e., Karen) have prevailed, and I have behaved myself. But you get the idea: sometimes we just have to laugh at our troubles to prevent being over-whelmed by them. I am not alone in this view: The American novelist, E.W. Howe, said, “If you don’t learn to laugh at troubles, you won’t have anything to laugh at when you grow old.” So, knowing that I will one day grow old, I am learning to laugh at my troubles while still young.

The problem with my laughing during times of trouble is that other people think I’m not serious about life, that I take things too lightly, or don’t care that others are hurting. I might even be considered a fool, someone with no idea of the seriousness of a situation. You may agree, and think this about me because of my (sometimes) slightly warped sense of humor. You may be right. But, in my defense, let me offer the following:

  1. Humor and laughter can be escape valves to relieve the natural stress that builds up in us when faced with difficult situations. Like the safety valve on a hot water heater that can prevent a catastrophic explosion when the pressure gets to be too much, it’s better for us to “let off a little steam” by laughing than to “blow a gasket” in anger.
  2. Sometimes, if we step back and look at ourselves as others see us, what we see can be genuinely funny.
  3. Mistakes, injuries, and embarrassing situations just show we are human and that we share the same challenges of life with every other person who has ever lived. It is a humbling check on our egos to recognize our short-comings and to be able to laugh at them. (That doesn’t mean it’s good to laugh at other people’s problems; that can be just plain mean!) Also, the ability to laugh at ourselves and not take ourselves too seriously is one of the traits which humans share, something that sets us apart from other creatures.
  4. Why be miserable, dwelling on every problem, real or imagined, when our lives can be so much more enjoyable? Shakespeare wrote, “A coward dies a thousand times before his death, but the valiant taste of death but once.” (Julius Caesar, II, 2).
  5. God has a sense of humor. Where else did we get our sense of humor than from the One who created us in his own image? The Scriptures have numerous examples of humor, for example:
    • When Elijah mocks the priests of Baal after nothing happens in response to their calling upon their pagan deity to send fire from heaven; Elijah tells them to yell louder, in case their god is sleeping or busy relieving himself in the bathroom (1 Kings 18:20-40).
    • Or when the non-believing seven sons of Sceva try to exorcise a demon in Jesus’ name, only to be overpowered and run away naked from the encounter (Acts 19:11-17).
    • In Jonah, the reluctant prophet refuses to go overland to the east to Nineveh, instead fleeing to the west by sea to escape God’s call, even though Jonah admits that God made both the land and the sea! (Jonah 1:10).
    • According to 2 Chronicles 21:20, “Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He passed away, to no one’s regret, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.” I think we get the not-so-subtle message: Jehoram was not popular!
    • In Job 40:15, God gives Job an example of his majestic creative power when he says, “Behold, Behemoth, which I made as I made you.” When I behold the platypus I see an example of God’s sense of humor as well.

There are plenty of other examples, such as 89-year-old Sarah laughing when she heard that she would have a child, only to have the child a year later, a boy whose name, Isaac, means “Laughter” (Genesis 18:10-15). Some of the Bible’s humor is more evident in the original languages, due to puns and other plays on words. And much of it comes when people try to take themselves too seriously.

I think one source of our taking everything too seriously is the devil, who constantly tries to accuse, frighten, distract, and ruin our lives. He tells us to forget all of God’s blessings, and focus on the judgment we deserve. Or, he turns us against each other and builds up our own pride so that we take offense at everything and everyone who we think degrades us. With such attitudes, how can we laugh at misfortune?

The cure is not to give in to such spiritual temptations and fears, but to have the right attitude regarding our problems. That means to trust in God, to believe his promises, receive his grace and forgiveness, and to look for the many blessings he gives us even in this fallen world. This is more than just looking for the silver lining in the dark clouds; it is about having a truly biblical perspective that ultimately, God is in charge, and that we will spend all eternity with him in a heaven when “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). That should encourage us, no matter what we are going through during this pandemic, or afterwards.

And if the devil still won’t leave us alone, remember what Martin Luther said: “The best way to drive out the devil, if he will not yield to texts of Scripture, is to jeer and flout him, for he cannot bear scorn.” So shall I laugh in the devil’s face, even if the rest of the world thinks that I am “just plain nuts!”?

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Acts 19:11-20, 1 Kings 18:20-40, Job 40, Jonah 1

*(c) 1990 by Gary Larson

** From the poem, “If”, circa 1895 by Rudyard Kipling

 

Are You Woke?

Are you “woke”?

That’s a question people may ask you when they hear you snoring during one of my sermons. Hypothetically. Not that it ever actually happened. How could it? Sure, I did see a few yawns during my times in the pulpit, but I’m sure those were from people who had worked all Saturday night and found peace in what I was preaching . . . right?

More likely, these days when people speak of being “woke,” they’re not talking about the physiological state of not being asleep, but rather about being aware of issues of social justice. According to The Urban Dictionary, “woke” is “A word currently used to describe ‘consciousness’ and being aware of the truth behind things ‘the man’ doesn’t want you to know.” The idea is to be “awake” to the social situations and realities of our history and culture.

It’s an interesting term. Of course, its use implies there is a specific reality to which one should be “woke.” To be considered to be properly “woke,” one must not only know about, but also agree with a certain political viewpoint, specifically that of left-wing politics. It would do you no good to claim to be “woke” to other political or economic realities. You couldn’t say, for example, that you are “woke” to the benefits of the free market. Or are “woke” to the great accomplishments of our nation’s founders. Or, that you are “woke” to the fact that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world.

And yet, that last statement is the one true statement that shows you are really “woke” to the reality that is the most important fact of all history, the fact which transcends all others: political, economic, and historical. While today’s use of the term “woke” may seem new, the idea of knowing and understanding truth is as old as, well, the Bible.

Scripture speaks of waking up in three powerful ways besides the normal use of the term to refer to arousing from natural nighttime slumber.

1. The first is the call to wake up from the slumber of going through life unaware of God and our relationship to him. Psalm 14:1 proclaims, “The  fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.'” To go on through life unaware of God, his power and his sovereignty over everything is to be foolish. It is like sleeping all day and missing all that is important in life; worse, our eyes are open, but the cares and needs of the world around us keep our eyes blind to the reality that is really important. Like the person whose house is burning down, but hits the snooze button on his alarm clock to shut off the smoke detector, our “few more minutes of sleep,” ignoring God’s call on our lives, puts us in mortal danger.

Jesus said, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32*). But his statement was not about knowledge in general, or science, or philosophy, or the latest political correctness; rather, it was about being set free from the bondage to sin by knowing him and believing in him. In today’s parlance, he could have said, “Be woke and you will be liberated!”

 The Apostle Paul tells us that when we awake to the reality of God in Christ, our behavior should change. He says, “Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning” (1 Corinthians 15:34).

Ephesians 5:15 promises us blessing if we come out of our sleep-like stupor and turn to God: “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

In the early 1700s, a series of revivals swept the American colonies, in which a renewed interest and devotion to Christ spread and impacted many people who had lost their religious fervor. It was called “The Great Awakening,” because people were said to be awakening from their spiritual lethargy. It is high time for another Awakening to come our way!

2. Second, the Bible speaks of being awake and alert as we await Christ’s return and the end of our current age. Romans 13:11 says, “Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.” By this, Paul tells us that there is urgency to our waking up to the reality of Christ’s return.

Likewise, Jesus told a parable in Matthew 25 about ten virgins awaiting the arrival of the bridegroom; five were ready but five were not, so when they were awakened at his coming, only the five who were prepared could enter the wedding feast. Christ commanded us to be like the wise virgins who were prepared: in verse 13 he said, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” His message is clear: we are to always be alert and ready for his coming. Being caught asleep is not an option.

What does this mean for us? It means that when Christ returns to bring judgment on the world, there will be two groups of people. One group will be those who ignored him and his warnings, and fell into a kind of spiritual sleep. The other will be the believers who long for his return, who pray for it daily (does “Thy kingdom come” sound familiar?), and who live in the expectation that Christ could return at any moment. This second group will not be caught off guard when he appears, but will rejoice at the sight of their Savior.

In Mark 13, Jesus  tells of the signs of his return and the end of the age. Four times he commands, “Stay awake!” Sounds like he meant it!

3. Third, Scripture uses the word “awake” to describe our coming resurrection as waking from the sleep of death.

The Old Testament had already used the term “sleep” to refer to death, and “awaking” to refer to our resurrection. Job 14:12 says, “So a man lies down and rises not again; till the heavens are no more he will not awake or be roused out of his sleep.” Isaiah 26:19 proclaims, “Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.” And, Daniel 12:2 tells us, “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”

The New Testament reinforces this usage, and gives us the basis for our hope of the resurrection: Jesus Christ, who himself died and rose again as the first-born of those who will be raised (Colossians 1:18).

In Chapter 11 of John’s Gospel, Jesus’ friend, Lazarus, sickened and died while Jesus and his disciples were away. The Lord knew what had happened, and told his disciples, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him” (11:11). Verses 12 and following tell us what happened next: “The disciples said to him, ‘Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.’ Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, ‘Lazarus has died.'”

Other passages also refer to death as sleep, and to resurrection as waking up. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 describes that great “getting up day”:

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

The temporary, sleep-like nature of death is memorialized in our word, “cemetery.” Prior to the early spread of Christianity, graveyards were called by the Greek term, “necropolis,” meaning, “city of the dead.” But the early Christians understood that the graves of believers were only temporary resting places where the deceased awaited the great day of Christ’s return and their rising to new life. Therefore, they started using a new word which was the Greek term for an inn, or traveler’s resting place. The new word they chose was “kemeterion,”  which became “cemetery” in English, a testimony to their faith in the resurrection.

Then will come to pass for all of us the miracle referred to in Matthew 27:52  “The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised.”

So, I ask you again, “Are you woke?” Are you awake to the reality of God? Are you awake and ready for Christ’s return? Do you look forward to falling asleep in the Lord and waking up at the resurrection? And finally, are you still awake after reading my blog?

May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: 1 Thessalonians 4, John 11, Job 19:24-26

 

* This quote from John 8:32 appears in the lobby of the CIA headquarters, but without the Scriptural context or meaning.

You’ve Been Erased

Last week, I erased my sister.

In the 1996 movie, Eraser, Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a US Marshal who protects people in Witness Protection by giving them new identities and “erasing” everything in their old identities that would betray them to the bad guys who are looking for them. His tag line was, “You’ve been erased!”

Well, last week I thought of that line as I went through my sister’s personal effects and finances following her death on July 18th. As I shredded old financial records, disposed of her jewelry, cookware, electronics, and furniture, I was hit with the sad thought that I was “erasing” all the things that had been part of her life. This feeling hit hardest as I came to her I.D.s, her RN nurse insignias, and photos of her with her friends and our family. By the time I was done, it was almost as if she had never lived – though I just had to hang onto a few of the most personal items.

I also thought of the passages from the Book of Ecclesiastes, in which King Solomon laments the futility of life when it ends so soon and all that our striving and gathering accomplished must be left to those who follow us.

Ecclesiastes 1:3 “What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.”

Ecclesiastes 1:11 “There is no remembrance of former things,  nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after.”

Ecclesiastes 2:18-19 “I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity.“

After all these thoughts, I was hardly cheered up. Added to sadness over my sister’s passing was a sense of my own mortality, in which I realized that even those few remembrances I saved of her will likely be tossed when people sort through my stuff some day. And, after the incredibly hard work my wife and I did in cleaning up my sister’s things, Karen and I began more earnest talks about doing our own house-cleaning and what the funeral home directors euphemistically call, “pre-planning.” For the day will come when someone will have to go about “erasing” our lives, too.

This would all be depressing, except for a greater reality that sees beyond our current lives here on earth. For God has revealed to us in his word that as believers in Christ (which my sister was, too) we have eternal life. What we experience here in this life is very important, but it’s just the beginning of the story. We have much, much more ahead of us. Jesus said,

“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die” (John 11:25-26).

And Jesus comforts us in John 3:16, even during times of loss, with this promise:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

In Revelation 21:4 we read,

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Romans 6:23 says,

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

In other words, for those who are in Christ, death is destroyed and eternal life takes its place. Therefore, though aspects of our lives may be “erased” when we die – specifically our material belongings – we cannot be erased, for God has given us eternal life. At the deepest and most important level, who we are – our souls – will live on. For now, the spirits of those who died in the Lord are with him in heaven; one day, when Christ returns as he promised he will bring with him those who are with him and reunite them with their resurrected, perfect, and immortal bodies.

1 Corinthians 15:51-55 reads,

“Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ ‘O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?'”

This thought was especially comforting, as my sister had lost both her legs, her teeth, and much of her vision before the final crisis which took her life. In the final days she had expressed to me that she was looking forward to the day when she would be whole again. Karen and I pictured her dancing before the Lord, and expressed it in the song about heaven we played at her burial: I Can Only Imagine. The song’s chorus goes like this:

Surrounded by You glory
What will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus
Or in awe of You be still
Will I stand in your presence
Or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah
Will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
There are those who say that a person who dies lives on in the hearts minds, and memories of those whose lives they touched. That’s a nice thought that may comfort us, and certainly, memories of my sister will continue for me. But this saying has never really resonated with me. If a person’s continued life depends on others’ memories of him or her, what happens when those people die? And by this reasoning, people like Hitler, Stalin, and Mao will live forever, while some poor, humble, and unknown saint in some little village will perish without anyone grieving or even knowing about them. That doesn’t seem right at all. And fortunately, God’s Word has told us that the key to eternal life is not that many people knew of you and your accomplishments, but rather that you knew Jesus and believed in his accomplishment: his death on the cross and the subsequent forgiveness of your sins.
The only things that are ever truly erased are sin and death. 1 Corinthians 15:25 says, “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”
Therefore, no matter how many papers I shredded, or what I did with my sister’s belongings, I really couldn’t erase her even if I tried; God has promised her, and us, an unending life full of love, life, and relationship, with all the inheritance that heaven can hold. And that is far greater than anything we leave behind, or any feeling of loss. Thanks to God for his gift of life, now and forevermore.
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.
Read: Ecclesiastes 1, 2; 1 Corinthians 15; John 3

Still in This Together

In the previous blog, I lamented the fact that although the common sentiment these pandemical* days is that “We’re all in this together,” our society is anything but “together.” We are divided and set at odds with each other over many issues and identities, causing much animosity and even violence. I responded by suggesting several biblical approaches to mending our divisions, beginning with these four: 1. Remember that we are all related; 2.Remove the log from our own eye; 3. Don’t judge the heart or motives; and 4. Speak the truth in love. Now we continue, with three more ways to help bring us together:

5. Walk together and find common cause. How do we overcome feelings of division? By working together with someone and accomplishing a common purpose. Whether it be in our job/career, in sports, in school projects, in family emergencies, in combat, or just about any common endeavor, when we stand and strive side by side with someone, we create a bond that can overcome real (and artificial) barriers. When you have identified someone as your teammate or helped each other do something, or come along side in times of difficulty, you have in some way become one person.

I think of past barriers and prejudices that have fallen when previous opponents have come together to work in common purpose. Former enemies become allies when a new threat emerges; shared resources provide for common needs, and a shared sense of accomplishment breeds good will. Rather than sitting around and airing grievances, why not work together and celebrate what you have done? After all, “We’re all in this together!” As Amos 3:3 asks, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” If we do agree to walk together, have we not begun to share a common experience and done so peacefully? And will that sense of agreement not grow and bless our relationship?

There is an Arabic expression: “There are salt and bread between us.” It refers to a bond of friendship forged by acts of hospitality, when two or more people have shared a meal. As a proponent of potlucks (and other buffets, but I digress) I have seen the enjoyment and commonality people have when they share their bounty and eat with each other. It’s interesting that after Jesus’ resurrection, two disciples who walked with him on the road to Emmaus didn’t recognize him until he broke bread with them (Luke 24:30-31). How many divisions could we mend by working hard together and then sitting down to share a meal? I think that would help a lot.

6. Forgive as we have been forgiven. An absolutely vital step in breaking down barriers is to forgive the wrongs the other person has done to you. Refusing to forgive not only hardens the wall between you, it also hardens your heart and diminishes your soul. Unforgiveness grows a bitter root in you that colors all your relationships and makes them awkward, painful, and unrewarding. Just seeing the other person causes your stomach to tighten and your mind to close down; you anticipate more conflict and dread what could happen. But when you forgive, you free yourself from the hurt that was caused you. As one of my pastors once wisely said, “When you forgive someone, what that person did loses the power to hurt you.”

While going through a painful divorce, one of my relatives was understandably angry at her soon to be ex-husband. He had in truth done some horrible things to her, for which she was very bitter. As we talked, I asked whether he was unhappy the way things had turned out, and she said no, that he was probably out having a great time. So I asked her how she was doing. She said she was miserable. Then I asked, “So, why make yourself miserable when he was happy?” A few days later, she was able to forgive him and found the spiritual release that forgiveness provides.

In his Sermon on the Mount, our Lord taught us how to pray, giving us what we call the Lord’s Prayer. After saying, “and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. .  .” he continued with, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:12, 14-15). Jesus sure made it sound like our own forgiveness depends on our willingness to forgive others, a point he later made explicit in the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. In the parable, a servant who owed his master a huge, unpayable amount was forgiven his debt, but then went out and refused to forgive a tiny debt that another servant owed him. When the master learned of his unforgiveness, he reinstated the first servant’s debt and threw him into jail (Matthew 18:21-35).

Colossians 3:13 says, “bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” Can’t say it much plainer than that; not only are we obligated to forgive, we are the primary beneficiaries of the forgiveness we give, both for God’s forgiveness of our own sins and for the effect it has on us. There is a genuine freedom we experience when we let go of the anger we harbor and the regrets that go with it, and knowing at the same time that we have likewise been forgiven.

One of the most moving stories of the power of forgiveness is in the book, The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom. If you get the chance, find and read her story (It was also excerpted in Guideposts; you can easily find it online). The short version is that Corrie was talking to a group about her experiences as a prisoner in the Ravensbruck concentration camp for hiding Jews from the Nazis. At the end of her talk, one of the former guards at the camp came up to her and asked her to forgive what he had done. Her struggle and what happened next, are so authentic and powerful, I would cheapen it by trying to summarize it here. Please find it and read it yourself.

7. Pray for the other person. By that, I don’t mean that you should pray that the other person gets hit by a bus or suffers some other horrible fate. You are, after all, to pray for that person and not against him or her. You pray that the Lord touches that person’s heart, whether to open their eyes to the mistakes they are making, or to turn to the Lord for forgiveness, or for restoration of your relationship with them, or for the Lord to bless them and keep them (Not quite what the rabbi prayed in Fiddler on the Roof, “May the Lord bless and keep the Czar – far away from us!”). Not only may God answer your prayer and actually bless the other person, he will also bless you by softening your heart toward that person. God works in your heart, growing your love for the other person to be like his own love: a love that is forgiving, patient, and desiring good for even an enemy.

Jesus addressed this, saying that our prayers are not just for our friends and family. In Luke 6, he said, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” You may think, “That’s easy for him to say; those pastoral types always say nice things, but what happens when they are attacked? How do they respond then?” Well, we know exactly how Jesus responded: when they crucified Jesus – after torturing and mocking him, he prayed for his tormentors, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). He who could have called down legions of angels to save himself and destroy his enemies, prayed instead for their forgiveness. That is the same forgiveness the Father gives you and me inspite our our sins which out Jesus on that cross.

There you have it: seven suggestions for helping each other to heal the fractions in our society, so that we may truly be in this “together.” While these steps are all scriptural, they would help anyone and everyone come together and overcome the problems that divide us. And it’s high time we did something, for as Benjamin Franklin once said about the need for unity among the states at the signing of the Declaration of Independence: “We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”

May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Matthew 18:21-35; Luke 24:13-35; Luke 6:27-36

*Yes, pandemical is a word.

In This Together

“We’re all in this together” is one of the most common mantras you see and hear these days. Newscasts, government health officials, many company websites, and other media remind us that there’s a pandemic going on (in case we forgot) and that it is affecting all of us in one way or another. This statement is meant to urge us to do what we can individually to help where we can because, “We’re all in this together.” It’s a good sentiment, but in many ways, it’s really just wishful thinking. That’s because the truth is, our society/country is so fractured right now that even the word, “together,” seems foreign or out-of-date.

Just name the category, and you’ll find that “we the people” are split into opposing, and even warring, camps. Race, ethnicity, political party, religion (or anti-religion), political philosophy (liberal/conservative/radical/etc.), attitudes toward police, and even sports teams (49ers vs Packers, for example), become defining markers of our identity. Those who agree with us are “in”; anyone else is not only “out,” but even evil for disagreeing. It’s become so bad that communities, friends, and even families are split over these issues. All in this together? Not so much.

So what do we do about it, before we tear each other, and our society/nation completely apart? It won’t be easy, since a lot of damage has already been done to our relationships and unity, but there is a way out, and no surprise, the solution goes back to what God has told us in his Word. Consider:

1. Remember that we are all related. While the events and movements of people throughout history have produced many ethnicities (from the biblical Greek word, έθνος [ethnos]), ultimately, there is only one race: the human race. Every one of us is descended from the same original parents: Adam and Eve. We are told about this common origin, not only in the events of Genesis 1 and 2, but also in specific statements such as,  1 Corinthians 15:45, “Thus it is written, ‘The first man Adam became a living being'”; Romans 5:12, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned”; and Genesis 3:20, “The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.” Not only are we all descended from the original human beings, but even more recently, we are also all descended from Noah and Mrs. Noah and their sons and daughters-in-law, thanks to the Great Flood. So if we look down on anyone because of their origin, we are actually despising ourselves because our origin is the same. Sure, we may have issues with certain relatives for their attitudes or actions, but we share the same identity with them: they are still family.

2. Remove the log from our own eye. I seem to remember Jesus saying something about this . . . oh yeah: “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:3-5). Before criticizing someone else, look at yourself and ask if there is any wrong attitude that needs correcting first. Are you being impatient with the other person (note Jesus calls that person your “brother”: see point #1 above!), overly sensitive to the point that the other person can’t help but offend you, or hypocritical for judging him or her for the very same things you are doing wrong? Your critique of someone else doesn’t carry much weight if that person sees the very same fault in you that you are complaining about. Also, as Jesus pointed out so plainly, our own faults can blind us to reality, distorting our perceptions and causing us to misjudge other people.

3. Don’t judge the heart or motives. We may well see people do things that we find offensive or disturbing. Their actions or even attitudes may upset us, and we may have good, solid, moral reasons for criticizing what they have done. But there is a difference between judging actions and judging motives or character. In his wisdom, God did not create us with mental telepathy or the ability to read minds (though our mothers come pretty close to it), but we try to do it all the time. We don’t understand how someone could say or do something we disagree with, so we jump right away to the conclusion that the person must be crazy, evil, or a mixture of the two. Maybe, if we took a moment and actually ask why he or she did it, we may find that the motive was a good one, and that if we knew all that that person knew, we would do the same.

Years ago, I was driving one night and saw a racoon that had been injured after being hit by a car. I pulled off the road, and stood there trying to decide what to do to help the poor animal (Yes, I’m a sentimental softy.) Suddenly, another car approached, and as I watched horrified, the car swerved toward the racoon and ran over it, killing it immediately. I was outraged and angry at the driver: “How could he do such a horrible thing??!!” If I could have called fire down from heaven (Luke 9:54) on that driver, I would have! Later, when I told my boss about it, he said the driver did a good thing, putting the animal out of its misery. In perspective, he was right, since the animal was too damaged and I would have been injured trying to retrieve it, but even if I could have saved it, I wrongly judged the driver’s motives.

As Martin Luther said in his explanation to the Eighth Commandment: “We should fear and love God that we may not deceitfully belie, betray, slander, or defame our neighbor, but defend him, think and speak well of him, and put the best construction on everything.” We don’t know all the reasons someone does something; how can we? Our duty is to begin by assuming the best motives. Jesus said, “Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matthew 7:1).

4. Speak the truth in love. We may attribute the best motives to someone, and try our best to sympathize with them, but we may come to the conclusion that they were just plain wrong. (Or as one Far Side cartoon showed it, a psychiatrist is listening to the patient talk and writes in his notebook, “Just plain nuts.”) Then it is our duty to confront what is wrong and state clearly why it is wrong. Being understanding does not mean being okay with wrongdoing. But even as we correct someone, we need to do it in a loving way, not angry or hateful. That person may just be ignorant, or confused. Even if that person’s intent is bad, we can’t win him or her over by attacking or using nasty words.

Paul comes to our rescue in Ephesians 4:15, “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.”

Our intent in making such corrections is to win over the wrongdoers, not only to stop what they were doing, but also to help them personally be a better person for their own benefit. 2 Timothy 2:24-26 “And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.”   Galatians 6:1 “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”

And now, once again it’s time to take an break and bump the last three points to the next blog. (I guess once I start, I can’t stop and the blog keeps going and going like the Energizer bunny!*) So, tune in next time to read more ways to overcome our social fracturing! In the meantime,

May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Matthew 7:1-5; Ephesians 4:13-16; Luke 9:51-56

*No compensation received for mentioning the Energizer brand. Duracell needs to come up with their own mascot.

 

Statues of Limitation – Part 2

Last time I began addressing the issues surrounding the current smashing and toppling of historical statues, and made the first two of four points: First, that such statue smashing is wrong, and second, that all the people represented by such statues were flawed sinners (with feet of clay) who overcame their flaws to accomplish significant things (whether we like what they did or not). Now, I continue with the final two points:

3. Should we erect any statues at all? While I recognize the value of holding up certain people as examples to us of flawed individuals who nevertheless accomplished great things in their lives, my musings have led me to ask the question, “Should we erect any statues at all?”

My question is based on the commandment given by the LORD on Mount Sinai: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth” (Exodus 20:4 and Deuteronomy 5:8).

The reactions to this commandment have varied by religious communities over the centuries. The Israelites broke it even before Moses delivered it to them when they made a golden calf and worshiped it as their deliverer from Egypt. Later, the Jews prohibited any statues as idolatry, and rose up in armed rebellion against their enemies who put idols in the Temple: first against the Greek rulers in the days of the Maccabees (167-160 BC) and then against the Romans in 66-73 AD. During the Exile in Babylon, the captive Jews refused to bow down to the golden statue which King Nebuchadnezzar had erected on the Plain of Dura; the story of faithful Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is told in Daniel 3. Today, orthodox and some conservative Jews practice what is called aniconism (from “an” meaning “not,” and “iconism,” meaning the use of images). They prohibit any 3-dimensional representations of people, animals, or God, but allow pictures that are 2-D. Additionally, strict Muslims prohibit use of any images, which is why their mosques are decorated with geometric figures and “arabesque” swirls.

Christians have varied their observance of this commandment. Some have propagated such statues as honoring saints and instructing often illiterate populations in biblical and Church history, while others, known as “iconoclasts,” have forbidden and destroyed any such human forms for being “graven” or carved images and thus prohibited.

Today, the idea that statues are forbidden by God seems to have faded away among Christians in this country. We look at the verses following God’s prohibition against carved images and read the ban in context: “You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God. . . ” (Exodus 20:5a). I think we have generally reasoned that as long as you don’t worship the image and call it a god, you’re okay. (Even though we watch television competitions that tout their winners as “American Idols” – something I’ve never been comfortable with.)

I understand God’s commandment to be against worshiping anything or anyone but him, but I still think we should be careful not to invest any hero-worship in our heroes, whether “statued” or not. This applies to all famous people, celebrities of all kinds: athletes, movie stars, musicians, politicians, pastors-emeritus, etc. This concern came to mind in 1990 when I stood in front of the Novosibirsk State Polytechnic University in what was the Soviet Union. Standing with me was a Russian student who pointed to the huge statue of Vladimir Lenin that rose before us. The student leaned toward me and said, “Our last idol.” I hoped right then that I would never consider any statue to be an idol of mine.

4. Finally, what about statues of Jesus? What about the crucifixes that bear his form on the cross? Since we do worship Jesus as Lord and Savior, as the Son of God and the Second Person of the Trinity, are such images prohibited? I actually have mixed feelings and thoughts about this.

On the one hand, we must not worship the image, whether as a crucifix, a statue, or a drawing/painting. We worship the One that such art represents. We don’t know what Jesus looked like for sure, and I think that was God’s intention. Therefore people around the world have pictured him as looking like them, whatever their race or ethnicity. We can worship Christ without any artistic rendering, and must realize that whatever image we have in mind when we think of Christ will be inadequate. How can we describe the risen and glorified Christ in mere human terms? The Apostle John tried in Revelation 1:13-16, saying, “one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.”

On the other hand, I don’t want to criticize the faith and devotion of those who adorn their homes with pictures of Christ or crucifixes that bear the dying form of our Lord. They see his face or form daily, and are reminded of his sacrifice for their salvation. Like crossing oneself or wearing Christian jewelry, their faith is on display, and I commend them for it – as did Luther when he returned to Wittenberg. In defense of such images, while God cannot be confined to any finite image, Jesus did come to earth and become one of us, taking human form and life (Philippians 2:7-8).

I remember as a child (and later as a Sunday school teacher) using the old flannel graphs to tell Bible stories. Some of the flannel figures represented Jesus – walking on the water, healing the sick, sitting with the children. It’s hard to think that those pictures were idolatrous, since they presented visually what we were learning and teaching verbally. Even today, there are non-literate people who cannot read Bible stories in their language who can benefit from such visual representations.

So where do I stand after all these considerations? I think my title for these blogs, “Statue of Limitations,” says it pretty well. God’s prohibition against carved images is to prevent us trying to represent him by anything he has created. As Paul said, wicked men have exchanged true worship of the Creator with worship of his creation: “Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things” (Romans 1:22). Therefore, we who worship the true God must not hold up any statue or image as sacred; Jesus said, “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). Our God is greater than any thing we might use to represent him. That is our limitation. But, if a statue or other image can be used to instruct, inspire, or encourage faith, then let it be used for that purpose, for God knows we need it!

And as far as a statue of me is concerned: God knows we don’t need that!

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5; Romans 1:18-32; Philippians 2:5-11.

Statues of Limitation

To my many friends and admirers who have wanted to erect a statue of me, whether on the front lawn of my church, in front of City Hall, or in some national park known for its oversized presidential heads, I say: just wait awhile; now is not the time for such an honor to be bestowed. There is just too much statue- and monument-smashing going on right now, and I would hate for your investment to be wasted. I would hate to see my bust get busted. I suggest waiting until the current anti-statue fervor dies down.

Like you, I have watched the news and seen videos of recent vandalism and mob violence directed against many monuments: first, against statues of Confederate generals, then against founding fathers, explorers, and pioneers, and finally even against statues of abolitionists and black soldiers who fought against the Confederacy. The message is clear: “It doesn’t really matter whom the statue represents; if it’s part of American history, it’s evil and needs to come down.”

As I watched these acts of destruction by mob violence, I have considered various aspects of what’s going on, and among my many thoughts, have come down to four issues I would like to share with you.

1. The actions are wrong. They are just senseless acts of hatred against our country. While supposedly motivated by the failures of our society to live up to our proclaimed noble ideals, these violent actions against people, property, and the duly instituted authorities of our country, violate those very same principles. The smashing of monuments and statues are attacks on our country and its history, and attempts to destroy our common identity. The range of targets by the mobs betrays any virtue in their actions. The point is destruction, not improvement. Not to mention the admonitions by Scripture to respect our authorities and render to the government what is due it (Matthew 22:21, Romans 13:1-7, 1 Timothy 2:1-4)

It’s not that I’m approving of statues of men who defended slavery; my great-grandfather, Leander Allen Eddy, fought against the Confederacy, spent time in a prison camp, was wounded in action, and carried a bullet (a Minie ball) in his leg the rest of his life. I’m glad “our side” won. But the Civil War happened, and the generals and soldiers who fought on both sides are part of our heritage. They – and the slaves who were freed – are part of who we are as a nation.

Statues which were erected by communities to commemorate some event or person who positively affected those communities can certainly be removed whenever those communities no longer revere those people or events; but such removals can be done by vote and consensus and not by violent actions of a few people who have no regard for the wishes of those communities. This is not even taking into account matters of private property. If you don’t like someone, buy or build your own statue and destroy that; your protest would actually cost you something and carry more weight.

Interestingly, the start of the Reformation in the early 1520’s brought  about a period of statue-smashing, as well. While Martin Luther hid out in the Wartburg Castle, some of those who were won to his cause back in the town of Wittenberg decided to show their new-found faith by smashing the symbols of the old faith in what had been the Roman Catholic churches. To that end, the religious rebels smashed statues of Mary and the other saints, broke stained glass windows, and tore down other religious images. Luther was horrified to learn of the destruction, and returned to Wittenberg to help stop such actions. He spoke against what he saw as the desecration of people’s faith as well as images.

2. All statues have “feet of clay.” The saying, “feet of clay,” comes from the book of Daniel, chapter 2, describing a dream of the king, Nebuchadnezzar, in which he saw a statue made up of different metals, but with feet of iron and clay. The clay symbolized a vulnerability in a future kingdom, and since has come to represent any vulnerability in a person who otherwise is strong and capable.

So, when I say all statues have feet of clay, I mean that every statue today represents a person who has flaws and faults (except for statues of Jesus, but that’s another topic – see my point #3 below). There is no one who is righteous, not one (Romans 3:10); rather, all have sinned (Romans 3:23). There is no one who could be honored with a statue if sinless perfection were a standard. Nor, with changing attitudes, could the hero of a past era or event by considered a hero today. Thus, Kate Smith’s statue was removed from the Philadelphia Flyers’ arena, even though she inspired millions of Americans through World War II and beyond with her recording of God Bless America, because someone found her recording of a racist song from the early 1930s. (The Flyers had a win record of 100-29 when they played her recording instead of the national anthem before their games; hence, the statue being erected there in the first place.)

George Washington had slaves. Thomas Jefferson had slaves. Cinque, the African slave featured in the movie Amistad, won his freedom, then went back to Africa where he joined the slave trade capturing other Africans to be sold into slavery. Martin Luther wrote horrible things against the Jews which were used by Hitler to justify his persecution against them. John Sutter mistreated the local native tribes in Sacramento, numerous U.S. presidents have had mistresses and adulterous affairs, etc., etc. All our heroes (and villains) have or had feet of clay. We can find fault with each and every one of them because they, like us, were sinners.

So why do they get statutes and we (I’m speaking of me as well) don’t? Because those people, in spite of their sins, flaws, and shortcomings, rose to face the challenges and circumstances of their times and places, and in the process, overcame difficulties to accomplish things, to establish societies, to change people’s lives, to make history, or to win conflicts. They were giants in their effect on their part of the world, even standing on feet of clay. That doesn’t always make them heroes, but it does warrant some recognition, because ultimately their story is the story of mankind: people facing life and striving to overcome difficulties to accomplish something good. The goal is that we, who also have feet of clay, will rise above our shortcomings and flaws to make life better for us, our families, and our communities.

To be continued next time . . . . in “Statues of Limitation – Part 2”

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Matthew 22:15-22; Romans 13:1-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-8

 

 

Ode to My Father/Owed to My Father

They say an ode is just a poem to someone we should respect; so Father’s Day is time to say, some thoughts as I reflect.

Though a poet I’m not, I’ll give it a shot, for someone I owe a lot; so here’s my ode to one I’ve owed: the one who me begot.

So, Dad, here goes, from one who writes prose, I’ll attempt to write you an ode; though my rhymes be rough and my rhythms quite tough, my thanks to you is still owed.

I called you Dad and I was sad, when you passed before my eyes; but ere that day you had much to say, such wisdom I will always prize.

Like, “Stand up straight!” and, “Love, don’t hate!”, “Don’t step in your own bear trap!”; “Don’t sleep till noon, but work for your room,” and “Don’t be a lazy chap!”

“Go kiss your mother and be a good brother; respect those who are older than you!” (But now I find, near age sixty-nine: those older than me are so few!)

“Salute the flag, don’t let it drag, but hold it for others to see. Your land has flaws, but it’s still a cause worth fighting and dying to keep.”

“To church we go, through rain or snow!” You showed me that Jesus is Lord; “So sit up straight, and pass the plate, e’en though by the sermon you’re bored.”*

“Your faith is more than what you swore in church when you were confirmed; it’s how you act, and that’s a fact, though salvation is nothing you earned.”

Yes, you said much, but your gentle touch showed your wisdom was more than just words. You lived your life through joy and strife; your lessons were both seen and heard.

An acorn, they say, will always stay close to the oak where it grew; I pray that’s true, and that I grew to be like the one that I knew.

To say, “We love God,” is naught but a fraud, if we don’t love the ones that we see. Thank the Father above that he showed me his love: he made you, my father to be.

So, Dad, I must say, on this Father’s Day, “I want you to know of my love; as you walk with the Lord, whom you always adored, and rejoice with your Father above!”

And now, for all who read this: May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. Amen.

Read: 1 John 4:7-21; Deuteronomy 5:15-17; Ephesians 6:2

 

*Note: This never happened whenever I was preaching.

Blessing the Cursers

Over the past couple weeks, as social unrest has run rampant in our country, people have expressed their anger publicly through demonstrations and even riots. Triggered by the killing of an unarmed African-American man in Minneapolis by a police officer, the protests have grown and morphed into violence, fueled I believe by a combination of simmering angers, political agendas, and covid-19 consequences – such as long-term isolation and job losses. Unfortunately, much of the vitriol against injustice has been directed against people who had nothing to do with the triggering act, such as first-responders, shop owners, and complete strangers.

I received some of the hate this week myself.

It started about 3:15 one morning when my cell phone woke me with a call from a Louisiana number. When I answered, a little girl’s voice asked to speak to Stephanie. Since there is no Stephanie in our home or family, I told the girl that and said she must have the wrong number. She said okay sweetly and we said, “Bye, bye” to each other. No problem; simple error. A few seconds later the same number called, and figuring she had redialed the wrong number, I answered again. I did not expect what I heard this time: an older woman’s voice telling me, “I hope you die and go to hell!” I guess next time I should say, “This is Stephanie” in a high voice.

Over the next couple days I had several more calls and texts from Louisiana, Virginia, West Virginia, Arizona, and even British Columbia. While two were hang-ups, one voicemail was so foul and obscenity-laden I would never repeat what the young woman said. The fact that she was addressing her rant to someone named Katie only made her choice of wording that much worse. Maybe I should have said, “This is Katie” in a high voice to spare the real Katie from such abuse!

The fact other names were used makes me think the callers had the wrong number, but the number of calls and the wide range of caller locations makes me suspect a coordinated political effort.

As I heard each call or read each text message, I couldn’t help but think about how I should respond. Should I mimic voices like I joked above, just hang up, or yell and insult the caller back, telling them to “Get the —- off my phone!”?

While I did toy with playing games with such callers, such as I once did with a phone solicitor wanting to sell me solar panels – I told him no, since solar panels use up sunlight and there’s only so much sunlight to go around – I decided the best thing was to ignore the insults and just hang up.

There were practical reasons for doing so: 1. As my parents taught me, if you engage in a fight you’re only giving the bully what he or she wants: a reaction from their victim; 2. Some of the calls were aimed at others, not me; 3. “Sticks and stones, etc.”; 4. I doubt the callers were open to a calm and logical discussion seeking harmonious agreement; and 5. I don’t know enough nasty words or how to use them to hold my own in a cussing match!

But the real reason not to engage in a dispute, or to bear any grudge against the callers, is even deeper, and that is what our Lord taught us through Scripture.

1. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught us, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:43-45).

2. Likewise, in Luke 6:27-28 Jesus 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.”

3. Paul wrote in Romans 12:14, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.”

4. Even more generally, the command of both testaments, old and new, is that God commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Therefore, if I truly love my neighbors, I will forgive them their angry outbursts, even as I would appreciate them forgiving my sins. Martin Luther picked up on this and expressed it in his Small Catechism when explaining the Eighth Commandment: “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way.” Yelling back at a caller is not speaking well of that person, who, though misguided, is still my neighbor.

God’s command that we respond with love to those who harm us or curse us does not mean we sit back passively and approve of everything that anyone does. I have to admit that much of what I saw on TV was unsettling and even angering: how can I condone smashing windows, burning cars, and looting goods from stores with smiles on the looters’ faces? Or for that matter, kneeling on a person’s neck until he dies? I felt anger rising in me toward everyone involved because much of what I saw was just not right! But then, I realized I was in danger of my “righteous” anger becoming a sin and recalled Paul’s words in Ephesians 4:26 “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil,” and in verses 31-32, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

Therefore, I refuse to be goaded into an attitude of hate. Instead, I prayed for the people who called, that their hatred be healed and released, and that they come to know the peace which passes understanding in Christ, through whom we can endure all things (1 Corinthians 13:7) and do all things: “through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

May you and I keep that peace foremost in our hearts ad minds, and in our words and actions!

May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Matthew 5, Philippians 4, Ephesians 4:26-32

Let My People Go!

It’s Sunday today, and once again Karen and I are attending church: on YouTube on our TV in our house. Since March 22 (for 2 months now), this has been our modus operandi – our way of doing things when it comes to worshiping and participating in the life of our church. That, and dropping off our offering envelopes (with the offerings in them, of course).

We’re not worshiping/participating this way because it’s our preference (because it’s not), nor because it allows me to sleep in on Sundays and still attend church (though that is a nice thing). Nor is it because this method of church is better than an in-person service (it’s not, though the pastors and staff are doing a very good job in both content and video quality). We are doing church this way for one reason: it’s the law.

Not that the law requires us to hold such online services, but the governor and other government officials have prohibited church gatherings as part of the closures and social distancing ordered to slow or stop the spread of the coronavirus. In other words, the government has stopped us from holding church services in person.

Which is a problem.

Setting aside the statistics that half of all churches in the U.S. have less than 80 attendance on a Sunday, or that precautions could be taken to limit actual physical contact within sanctuaries, there are serious issues of state interference in the religious freedoms guaranteed to Americans by our Bill of Rights. Of the many freedoms enumerated in the Bill, the very first one cited – before speech, the press, assembly, trial by jury, or arms-bearing – is the freedom of religion. It was that important to our country’s founders, and it is still that important to us today.

While most people have accepted such government interference on a short-term, emergency basis, and churches have cooperated for the love of the people who could die from this nasty virus, we are now seeing protests and lawsuits against religious restrictions. Even the US Justice Department has joined one lawsuit against a state that was overly zealous in persecuting its churches for holding services. One example of such excessive state control is the state that fined people who attended a drive-in service where everyone stayed in their separate cars: the police even recorded the participants’ license plates. Such selective and over-zealous enforcement does seem like persecution when liquor stores and cannabis shops remained open as “essential” businesses.

Our own governor has recently announced some easing of restrictions regarding retail businesses, but still categorizes churches as a “Phase 3” group of activities that must remain closed for weeks – or months – to come until the government decides they may re-open.

Which, as I said, is a problem.

Upon hearing that, I was reminded of the old African-American spiritual song, “Go Down, Moses.” I would sing it for you, but that would be banned by every government in the world and not protected by the Bill of Rights. Here are the words:

When Israel was in Egypt’s land,
Let My people go!
Oppressed so hard they could not stand,
Let My people go!

Refrain:
Go down, Moses,
Way down in Egypt’s land;
Tell old Pharaoh
To let My people go!

This anti-slavery song is based on the events just preceding the Exodus, when Moses went before Pharaoh and told him God’s command that the Egyptian ruler allow the Israelites to leave Egypt. This command begins in Exodus 5:1  “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’” As we know, Pharaoh refused God’s command numerous times, in spite of the plagues the Lord sent upon Egypt. Not until the final plague, when all the first-born males died, did Pharaoh relent and let them leave.

Hmmm – a deadly plague that killed people who were not sheltering at home? The call on the authorities to let the people go out and worship God? Interesting similarities, for sure. Of course, there are huge differences, too – the people were ordered in not by Pharaoh, but by God, and they were protected by the blood of the lamb on their doors (a symbol of Christ and his shed blood) and not by face masks. Still, as I hear the song in my head, I can’t help but say to our rulers:

Let my people go!

It’s time to reopen our churches, or more correctly, to be allowed to do so. This is a civil rights issue, of course, and an expression of our rights as Americans, rights endowed to us by our Creator, and not by government, according to our Declaration of Independence. But as always, we cannot separate our social realm from the biblical and spiritual. So consider the following:

1. The Church is an essential service. Humans are by God’s design spiritual beings, and need the hear his Word and comfort at all times, let alone in high-stress times of danger. Bottles of water and rolls of Northern tissue* have their roles (or rolls), but are no substitute for the encouragement in faith provided by believers gathering and carrying out the public ministry which Christ entrusted to his Church. Even those most in need of spiritual care – the sick in hospitals, the lonely seniors at home, the grieving families who have lost loved ones – have been shut off from personal in-person ministry by their pastors.

Not only are churches vital to their members, they are also essential to their communities. People are so used to there being social services and agencies, they forget that most such care-providing organizations (and their workers) only exist because of Christians who put their love into practice to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, and clothe the naked. Food and clothing banks, housing, night schools, relief efforts during catastrophes, and even hospitals, have their origins and major support from churches and individual believers.

Many of our national founders, including John Witherspoon and Ben Franklin, spoke of religion’s value in maintaining a self-governing republic. George Washington said in his farewell Address, “religion and morality are indispensable supports” for “political prosperity.” He said, “Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion.” The very ability of a society to survive is the self-regulation of faith and obedience to godly commandments. There aren’t enough police or jails (as we are learning) to control everyone who might do evil. Only the fear of God allows us to serve and not harm each other.

2. God commands us to respect and obey government. This is true, even when we don’t like our government or didn’t elect it; after all, how many Christians in biblical times actually voted for the Roman emperor? Key Scriptures tell us,

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

“Jesus said to them, ‘Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.'” (Mark 12:17)

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. . . . For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.” (Romans 13:1, 6-8)

Lutherans especially have recognized the two ways in which God provides for his people: through his “proper work,” symbolized by the right hand, which is the Church and its proclamation of the Gospel; and his “alien work,” symbolized by the left hand, which is the government, which acts to protect people and punish evil (Romans 13:3-4). Note that Moses appealed to Pharaoh to let the people go, and they did not leave until Pharaoh allowed it. They didn’t rebel or fight their ruler, but obeyed God and let him handle Pharaoh to get them permission to leave. Likewise, we must pray and let God change our leaders’ hearts when he knows the time is right.

3. But God also commands a higher authority: himself. Note that when Jesus said to render to Caesar, he also said to render to God that which is his. When the two commands conflict, as they have throughout history, the obligation to God is greater than our obligation to government. That is why Christians have always met to worship, hear God’s Word, and receive the sacraments even in times when Christianity was outlawed, Christians were persecuted and even martyred, Bibles were burned, services and catechism were banned, and priests/pastor jailed.

We have a higher calling to obey God and not men. When the authorities ordered Peter and the other apostles to stop preaching in Jesus’ name, he replied in Acts 5:29-30, “We must obey God rather than men.” When the Chinese communist government expelled all foreign missionaries and banned churches, believers formed churches in their homes and the faith grew exponentially. When the Nazis tried to run the churches in Germany by assigning approved “bishops,” believers formed “The Confessing Church” and remained loyal to Christ. When ancient Rome called Christianity an illicit religion and banned it, the faithful still met to worship and pray, even if the location of their final church service became the arena. As you can see from these examples,  obedience to God is not contingent on happy and easy times. As the Lord said in Deuteronomy 4:30, “When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, you will return to the Lord your God and obey his voice.”

4. When we re-open, we must still obey the greatest commandment: to love God with our whole heart and our neighbor as ourselves. We still have the obligation to each other which Christians have always had, to protect and care for each other. This means we should still follow the components of preventive health: physical separation, masking, cleaning of surfaces, and frequent hand-washing. We can find ways to have church that take these principles into account. We can pass the peace without shaking hands or giving a “holy kiss” (2 Corinthians 13:12). We can commune safely while spaced apart and the pastors using gloves (though we may need to drop our masks to actually partake of the bread and wine!). Because we care about each other, we can take the right steps to protect each other, but that should be our responsibility, and not by the government’s permission.

This is a difficult time for the Church, and for Christians who long to gather once again. We need each other; we are all parts of the body of Christ which need each other to function (See Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12). At some point, we need to stand up and assert our rights as believers, acting respectfully and peacefully toward the government, yet standing firm in fulfilling our greater obligation to God, even should it cost us penalties, for as Peter said, “We must obey God rather than men.”

So, to all those who wield authority over us during this pandemic and beyond, I repeat, “Let my people go!”

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Romans 13:1-9, 1 Corinthians 12, Acts 5:17-29, Exodus 5-12

* Like my previous blog in which I cited Charmin, I am just being fair, and am not endorsing Northern nor receiving any payment for naming or using it. Although, if rolls of either (or both) showed up mysteriously on my doorstep, I would be tempted to keep them . . . 

In These Certain Times

There are two disciplines of study that are important to us as we continue to face the current pandemic and the consequent shut-down of our society and economy. The first of these is the study of history –  what has happened in the past. The second is the study of theology – specifically what the Bible says about what has happened in the past and what will happen now and in the future. To these could be added a third: the viewing of funny cat and dog videos to keep us from taking everything, including ourselves, so seriously.

Why do I say these are so important? I say that because I think history and theology help us to keep our current situation in a proper perspective, especially when just about every media story, government decree, and commercial advertisement uses phrases like, “these uncertain times” and “these unprecedented times” as part of their pronouncements. But are the times in which we are now living really uncertain and unprecedented?

No, they are not.

While our current situation in America is unprecedented in our lifetimes, and there is a degree of uncertainty regarding the virus’ final medical and economic impacts, history and theology teach us that there is nothing new (or unprecedented) in what is happening. Instead, we learn that disease and social disruption have been the norm, and that mankind has suffered war, pestilence, famine, and death (the Four Horsemen of Revelation 6:1-8), as far more certain than peace and prosperity. It seems, rather, that our recent past has been a “bubble” of prosperity, a condition which itself has been unprecedented when compared to the historical reality of human struggle.

So let’s look briefly at what history and theology teach us about today’s difficult times:

1. Pandemics are not unprecedented. The corona virus is nasty and has killed lots of people so far, and will certainly continue to claim lives. But, it’s not the first, nor the worst, of widespread and deadly plagues throughout history which have killed millions and devastated entire nations. The most famous are the bubonic plague outbreaks of the 1300’s that killed up to 200 million people, including one-third of Europe; London’s Great Plague of 1665 that killed 20% of the city; the  Spanish Flu of 1918-20, which killed 50 million worldwide and 675,000 in the US; the Asian Flu of 1957 (1.1 million globally and 110,000 in the US); the 1968 Hong Kong Flu (1 million worldwide and 100,000 in the US); the H1N1 “Swine Flu” of 2009 (500,000 total and 18,000 in the US); and HIV/AIDS which has infected 65 million people and killed 25 million worldwide. And these don’t count seasonal flu epidemics or  unrecorded diseases from ancient and prehistoric times. Simply put, contagious diseases have always been a threat to mankind, and likely always will be, in spite of medical advances and victories over certain threats, such as smallpox.

2. Economic hardships are not unprecedented. This point seems hardly even necessary to state, let alone elaborate. Again, while we’ve become accustomed to being financially strong as a society, the opposite has been almost universally the case until the last century in the West. Only recently have Third World countries been able to rise out of poverty, and even so, many have much further to go. And in our own country, as wealthy as we have been, we have faced multiple recessions and depressions, including the Great Depression (1929-1939); the Savings and Loan crisis of the mid- 1980s; the dot-com bubble; the stock market crash of 2000; the Great Recession (2007-2009); and the sub-prime mortgage crisis of 2008-10. Of course, for most people throughout history, the idea of investment losses is irrelevant, since they had little or nothing to spend and nothing to invest.

3. Shortages of food and supplies are not unprecedented. Right now, stores are posting signs at their entrances saying which in-demand supplies are out, or limiting the number of each item which may be purchased. Some say, “Out of toilet paper” or “Out of hand sanitizer,”  and others, “Limit one gallon of milk per customer.” That’s a new thing for us, but I remember seeing my parents’ ration books from World War II, in which there were tear-out coupons for purchasing such basics as flour, sugar, and butter. Other situations have been worse: consider the Irish Potato Famine of 1845 to 1852, in which at least one million Irish starved to death (and another million emigrated to the US). Even more tragic (and recent: 1959-61) was the Great Famine of China, which saw the starvation deaths of 45 million people, due to the communist government’s enforced policies. So far, at least, we still have plenty of food and other supplies during this pandemic (except for the Charmin*).

4. Uncertainty is not unprecedented. As Ben Franklin once said, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Beyond those two things, just about everything else carries with it uncertainty: our health, our jobs, our friends, families, financial situations, and even our marriages. Our longevity, our safety, and our security cannot be surely established, as much as we try. Our reliance on institutions, including our governments and leaders, can be misplaced. Even churches with familiar names on the door can betray our trust that they will teach and preach scriptural truths.

Once again, history shows us the folly of thinking we have a certain future. From villages being overrun by enemy tribes, to droughts and floods, to storms, volcanoes, and tornadoes, to fickle and oppressive rulers, to attacks by animals, to plagues and the depletion of arable lands, people have always faced uncertain futures. Add to those crises the problems caused by greed, theft, adultery, violence, and other sinful behaviors, and mankind has always lived on the brink of survival – and never with a certain future. Besides death and taxes, the other certainty is change, which by its nature ensures uncertainty. Therefore, everything we now consider as being uncertain, have always been uncertain; that uncertainty itself is all that has been certain.

5. So then, where can we find answers to the uncertainties of life and the cycles of danger, disease, destitution, and death? The answer is the Word of God, the Scriptures, and what they reveal about the world: past, present, and future. The good news is that God has made known to us what we need to know about all this.

The Bible is not some magic talisman that we can wave around us to banish all life’s problems. But it does teach us what we need to know to rightly understand what we’re going through: that we were born into a world which is cursed because of sin, both from our first parents and ourselves. God told Adam and Eve that their sin brought a curse upon the world:

“Cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:17-19)

The New Testament affirms this: “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Romans 5:12), and “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). And “just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). As our buddy Ben Franklin told us, death is a certainty – whether from Covid-19 or some other cause.

Because of sin’s curse, we should expect the problems that hit us in life, and find comfort that they are not new to us individually, nor a sign that we are being punished for some specific thing that we have done. We might just be experiencing what is common to mankind: the bad along with the good.

Now, I’m not saying we should ignore the coronavirus or accept life’s harms fatalistically; God’s word compels believers to ease suffering and help bring healing to all who suffer. Christ compels us to feed the poor, bind the wounds of the injured, and clothe the naked. Therefore, we should fight this illness with medicines, smart lifestyle behaviors, and hopefully, vaccines. What we learn now will help us fight the next disease that comes along.

But there is something else we learn from the Scriptures, that there are other things, wonderful things, that are even more certain than death and taxes: God’s love, God’s promises, God’s forgiveness, and eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. Because “there is no variation or shadow due to change” in God (James 1:17), and “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases” (Lamentations 3:22), his promises will not change nor end. “God is not a man that he should lie” (Numbers 23:19), so we can trust what he has promised.

Therefore, though mankind has endured tribulations in the past, though we go through tribulations now, and though people will face some horrible tribulations to come in the future, God’s promises will not change. The prophet Isaiah tells us, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8).

Thanks to our Lord, Jesus Christ, and to his birth, death, and resurrection, God’s greatest promise has already been fulfilled, and we can look forward to eternal life, when God will “wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

So then, what’s this about our living in unprecedented and uncertain times? Not so much, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the end he will stand upon the earth!” (Job 19:25).  Of that, I am certain! Amen, come Lord Jesus!

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give your peace. Amen.

Read: Revelation 21; Genesis 3; Lamentations 3:1-24

 

* No endorsement of this particular brand is intended, nor money received.

Are You Distancing?

“Are you distancing?” is one of the most commonly heard questions these days, though it’s more of an implied command than just curiosity in search of an answer. Various medical and governmental authorities are telling us to put distance between us and other people, from 6 feet to as much as 27 feet, depending on which “expert” is speaking. The warning is that the coronavirus is so contagious that social distancing, along with hand- washing, mask wearing, and face-touching-avoidance are required to slow down or stop its spread.

When it comes to a pandemic, maintaining social distance, that is, space between people, is probably a good idea, since the virus seems to be spread through physical contact, sneezes, and coughs (not to mention smooches). It’s something we do automatically when we enter a room and see someone who is coughing; we go and sit in a different part of the room without even thinking about it. What makes this distancing hard on us is that we are by nature social creatures, requiring interaction with other human beings. We interact with other people in our work, schools, playtime, and home life – not to mention in our churches. We were not created to be alone, but to be in fellowship with others, so this enforced distancing is hard on our spirits and psyches. The seemingly random and contradictory decisions about what is deemed to be an essential service (e.g., cannabis shops, yes; churches, no) doesn’t make it any easier to tolerate this period of shut-downs, nor does the impact on people’s livelihoods and productiveness. Add to that the heavy-handedness of some governmental entities enforcing what they consider to be proper distancing, and we, both individually and as a society, are having some serious struggles. We  hope and pray this will end soon!

But as I considered the term and concept of “distancing,” I thought of it not only in the physical sense of spacing ourselves from other people, but also in the spiritual sense, pondering what would be good distancing and bad distancing when it comes to what is good or bad for our souls. Here are some of my thoughts in that regard:

1. Distancing from what is bad. There are many things that are spiritually harmful to us, from which we should distance ourselves. The principle is this: we should distance ourselves from anything, or anyone, that would lead us to disobey God in our thoughts, words, or actions.

That distancing will take place in our thoughts and desires, but also sometimes needs to be enforced physically. For example, Jesus taught us that to lust in our hearts is to commit the sin of adultery. Therefore it would not be a good idea for a man to hang around a strip club or visit certain prurient websites on his computer. It would be far healthier spiritually to distance himself from both physical and virtual proximity to such temptations and surround himself with what is good and pleasing to God.

Other times the distancing has to be from a person whose attitudes are hateful, who sows discord by gossiping and spreading rumors, who encourages dishonesty and covetousness, who breaks laws or who disrespects God, whether by outright denial of faith or by taking God’s name in vain (“OMG!”). The Apostle Paul lists a variety of such people to avoid in Romans 1:29-31, “They were filled with all manner of unrighteous-ness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.” And in Romans 16:17 he warned, “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.”Again, the principle is to avoid getting caught up in sinful thoughts and actions by associating with people who practice such things.

Now, some might argue against this distancing by saying, “But pastor, sinners are the very people who need me to hang around with them, showing them love and demonstrating good attitudes and behavior. After all, didn’t Jesus associate with sinners?” I would reply that, yes, I should confront people with God’s Word and commandments, and show them love and right behavior. But the danger comes when I try to be so much accepted by them that I take on their attitudes and behaviors such that there is hardly any difference between their actions and mine. Jesus, who knew no sin, “who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15), could associate without becoming soiled himself, but I am too aware of my own sins to risk putting myself in such situations. Even Paul warned against the contagious nature of sinful behavior when he spoke of rebuking a brother who sins: “Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted” (Galatians 6:1). As the old Southern proverb said, “You can’t waller with the pigs; you both get dirty.”

Ultimately, since our spiritual struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the powers of the fallen spiritual world (Ephesians 6:12), our distancing is from Satan and his lies. That’s why the first part of the rite of Christian baptism (after the invocation) is an exorcism: those being baptized are asked to renounce “all the forces of evil, the devil, and all his empty promises.” The one being baptized is separated  (“distanced”) from the devil by “death” in the waters of baptism, and given new life that is joined to Christ. Just as Jesus said, “Get behind me Satan!” (Mark 8:33) when tempted through Peter to avoid the cross, so we are saying the same in our baptism, and every time we distance from sin and darkness in our lives.

But of course, in ourselves we have no such ability to reject sin and choose what is right and holy. We must be joined to Christ and operate under the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit.

2. Not distancing from what is good. Spiritually, we need to avoid being distanced from God in our hearts and minds. Unfortunately, the sad truth is that we humans don’t have to be taught or encouraged to distance ourselves from him; we’ve been doing it from the beginning. When we focus on our own needs and desires, and our own abilities to get what we want, we push God away. Only when we fail do we sometimes turn to God with the patronizing statement: “The only thing left to do is pray!” as if God were the last resort, rather than the One we should have been looking to from the very beginning.

Of course, it is only ourselves we are hurting by ignoring God or pushing him away. He never really goes anywhere; it is only our spiritual blindness (or nearsightedness) that keeps us from seeing him close by, ready to help.

The Book of Jonah illustrates the foolishness of a man who tried to get away from God and God’s call on his life. When God called upon Jonah to go and preach to the city of Nineveh, which required a journey by land to the east, Jonah got into a boat and sailed by sea to the west. As if he could escape God! God sent a great storm that threatened to sink the boat, and when the sailors asked their passenger who he was and whether he could be the reason for the storm, Jonah replied, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land” (Jonah 1:9). So . . . he thought he could distance himself from the God who made the sea . . . by sailing on it? The crew threw him overboard after that.

Psalm 139:7-12 proclaims beautifully that God is near us wherever we go:

7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?
    Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
    If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning
    and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
    and the light about me be night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
    the night is bright as the day,
    for darkness is as light with you.

Because God is indeed everywhere, any distance we experience from him is only because of our sin and failure to seek and see him. It’s on us. But God, in his great love for us, seeks closeness with us, and therefore came to us as the Son, providing a way for that closeness to be restored and for us to have eternal spiritual intimacy with him. Through Christ he provided forgiveness of our sins, made us his children (John 1:12), and opened the gates to life with him (spiritually and physically) forever.

Therefore, he calls on us to approach him, to end our “social distancing” from him: “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near” (Isaiah 55:6), and “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (James 4:8). The verse in James even goes on to say, “Cleanse your hands.” (I wonder if that refers to hand sanitizer?).

I could go on, and talk about the ways we can maintain (or regain) the closeness that God desires from us: Bible study, prayer, worship, contact with mature Christians who exhibit godly behavior and attitudes, etc. But you get the point. The closer we draw to God, the further we distance ourselves from what is harmful to our souls.

So stay safe, stay healthy, keep your distance from what can harm you; but stay close and embrace Christ, who will ultimately save both body and soul!

Now, may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Jonah, Psalm 139, Ephesians 6:11-13, Romans 1:18-32

 

Letters From Prison, Part 3

Yep, I’m still in prison. At least, in the sheltering-at-home version of it, thanks to the rampant coronavirus. Now that the “shelter-in-place” orders have been extended through April 30, I thought I would address a couple points I didn’t get to in the previous two blogs by writing another “letter from prison” about the situation. Here goes:

1. Is this the end of the world? Several people have contacted me and asked whether I believe this pandemic is a sign of the end times. They rightly understand that there are biblical prophecies which speak of pestilence (diseases, plagues, epidemics) as one of the signs of the end times, and wonder if this is the one prophesied. Consider:

Revelation 6:8  “And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.”

Luke 21:11  [Jesus said,] “There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.”

I would answer this legitimate question as follows: First, I don’t know the answer. Scripture does not lay out the date; Jesus said, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” It could be now, or it could be later. Either way, God’s Word tells us to be faithful and prepared, praying and looking forward to that day. When the end comes, everybody will know it.

Second, the end times began when Jesus came and died for us. Everything changed as a result of that. Regarding what had to be done to fulfill God’s plan of salvation for sinful mankind, Jesus completed that by his death and resurrection. “It is finished” as Christ proclaimed from the Cross. In Acts 2, Peter announced that the coming of the Holy Spirit fulfilled God’s promise to send his Spirit “in the last days.” Hebrews 1 tells us that “in these last days God has spoken to us by his Son.”

Third, I would say that all the clearly understood signs of the end have been seen repeatedly throughout history. When have we not seen “wars and rumors of wars,” pestilences, scoffers, false teachers, and persecutions? When has knowledge not increased, or people not fall away from the faith? Some of the historical example have been so terrible that Christians living in those times were certain the end had come. Consider the Black Death of the 1400s which killed some 30 million Europeans (1/3 of the population), and reduced the world population by an estimated 100 million. Coming while Turks were attacking at the gates of the Christian nations of Europe, who would not believe the end was at hand? Or what about the Influenza Pandemic of 1918, which infected 500 million people worldwide and killed at least 50 million? As Americans, we tend to define biblical predictions in terms of our own lives in this country, but God’s perspective is the world. Therefore, though millions worldwide have experienced genocides and great disasters (such as the tsunami of 2004 which killed 228,000 people), we don’t consider them as biblical fulfillment; let something like them happen here, and we would be convinced the end had come.

Now, some believers counter by saying that per Jesus’ words, the Gospel needs to be preached to every nation before the end comes (Matthew 24:14), and since there are people groups still unreached, the end is not here. But I would reply that we don’t know how God defines “nation.” Based on the  Table of Nations in Genesis 10, then the task is complete; Paul agrees when he writes that the Gospel has gone into all the world (Romans 1:8 and 10:18). We just don’t know how God decides that prophecy will be fulfilled.

Fourth, I would just say one thing. Even though many people are fearful of the last day when Christ returns and the world as we know it ends, what is more fearful is if Christ didn’t return, for in his return all sickness and death will end, all sin banished, and true justice established. For that wonderful day all creation waits in joyful anticipation!

2. The second question people ask, is how to face this epidemic without giving in to fear and discouragement. My answer is to let “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). How do we do that? By remembering the hope in which we stand: the eternal life bought for us by Jesus through his death and resurrection. And by letting the Holy Spirit comfort us as we bring to mind those special passages of Scripture which give us hope.

For myself, I find hope in every  circumstance from the following:

“The earth is the LORD‘s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.”  Psalm 24:1

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  Isaiah 41:10

“It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8

“Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” Genesis 18:25

“Even though I walk through the valley of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling.” Psalm 46:1-6

“. . . I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”   Philippians 4:11-13

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.’

For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.”  Psalm 91:1-3

 

There are so many other Scripture passages that give peace and comfort, I might as well print a whole Bible here! I’m sure you have other verses that speak to you. Read them, meditate on them, and look to the Lord for your comfort and strength.

Finally, if you want to hear something to encourage you in this difficult time, check out this awesome video that demonstrates the power of 176 people from 34 countries coming together – remotely – to lift their voices to God:

Now, may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Everything above!

Letters From Prison, Part 2

As I stated in the previous blog, I am in prison.

But as I also pointed out, I’m not locked up in the state penitentiary, nor in the local hoosegow (yes, that really is a word!). Rather, like millions of Americans and others around the world, I am “sheltering at home”as ordered by the authorities to prevent or at least slow down the spread of the coronavirus in our communities. I guess you could call it a “virtual” prison.

In keeping with the example set by other, more famous personages throughout history, from the Apostle Paul to Martin Luther King, Jr., I thought I might take advantage of this enforced isolation to write some “Letters from Prison” about our current situation. Enough has been said by pundits on TV about the political, medical, and economic aspects of the coronavirus pandemic, but not much about the spiritual and religious considerations.

So, in light of that oversight, let me share a few thoughts with you.

1. Today I heard of a teen who complained about the cancellation of things he wanted to do, thanks to the sheltering-in-place order. He said, “I didn’t ask for this.” To which I reply, “Duh!” No one asked for this. No one wanted to get sick and die, no one wanted travel restrictions, job losses, business and school closures (well, maybe the school closings), or orders to stay home. But it happened. So do all other interruptions of life, from car accidents to cancer to acts of violence. No one gets married because they want to get divorced later, but it happens. Close friends and love interests break up, and people get fired. Natural events such as tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, floods, etc. claim lives, destroy homes (no sheltering at home possible!), and change futures. We have had the luxury of living privileged lives in this country during this century, but nothing on this earth is guaranteed or permanent. Like the farmer who built bigger barns to hold his wealth and boasted that he could eat and drink and be merry with all he had accumulated, we must be ready for the Lord to tell us that tonight our soul may be required of us, when all we desire in this life will be taken away (Luke 12:20). So no, we didn’t ask for this, but it comes with living in a fallen world.

2. Even though our world is fallen and dangerous, it still has much beauty and goodness in it. God’s divine nature, power and wisdom are still seen in what he has created (Romans 1:20). He designed our immune systems and our bodies’ ability to heal. He gave us intelligence and the raw materials for us to devise and use treatments and vaccines. And there is great beauty in most of life that lies beyond today’s viral concerns.

Even among us fallen sinners, enough of God’s image remains to move us to compassionate works, caring for those who are afflicted and suffering. We hear of people selling fakes cures on Amazon and shake our heads; we hear of a 72-year old priest in  Italy giving up his respirator to save the life of a virus-afflicted younger person, and we wipe tears from our eyes. We see videos of someone licking public surfaces and we get angry; we see medical staff working diligently and risky themselves to help the sick, and we feel very grateful. I urge you to look for what beauty and goodness remains in nature and humanity for your daily encouragement.

3. During this time when we are told to avoid personal contact, to practice social distancing, and stay home, only those businesses and jobs that are deemed “essential” are being allowed to operate. The government has listed specific essentials such as groceries, pharmacies, medical practices, first responders, utilities, radio stations, and banks. It makes sense, since there are services and goods we need in order to stay safe and healthy and in touch. But I have noticed one glaring omission from the list of essential services, and that is “church.” What is more essential than gathering to worship our Lord and Savior under even the best of circumstances? And what about now, to worship the One who has the power and wisdom to protect and guide us through these difficult times?

Throughout history, believers have gathered to pray for deliverance from whatever was threatening them, whether the enemy was human or disease. They did so because they called on God who provided all their needs and promised never to leave them or forsake them. And at times, the Lord did deliver them in answer to their prayers.

When the Mongols threatened to overrun a defeated and undefended Europe in 1241, the people of Europe gathered in their churches and prayed. Suddenly the Mongol Great Khan died, and the invading leader rushed his horde back to Mongolia to seek election as his replacement, sparing Europe. When the plague struck the German town of Oberammergau in 1633, the people gathered to pray for God’s deliverance. After they prayed, people healed, there were no more deaths, and the next year they began the ten-year cycle of Passion plays in thanksgiving. (Which play for this year has been cancelled due to this new plague, and moved to 2022). And the Apostle Peter was quickly freed from prison in answer to the prayers of the Jerusalem church – before he had time to write any letters from there. The people were still praying for him  when he walked in and joined them! (Acts 12:6-17) As Christians, we are called to pray for our deliverance whatever is facing us.

4. But the question arises during this time of social-distancing, whether we can still worship God, pray as a community, and be the Church when we are all scattered to our individual homes. The answer is yes, though we would much rather gather as the Lord tells us in Hebrews 10:25, “not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another. . .”

a. The Church is not a building, nor one location, but rather is the collection of believers around the world, wherever and whenever they be. We will always be absent from most of our fellow believers in this life, yet are joined with them in faith by one body: “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).

b. Article 7 of the Augsburg Confession (the basic Lutheran doctrine) states, “The Church is the congregation of saints, in which the Gospel is rightly taught and the Sacraments are rightly administered.” In our day of enhanced communication over the internet, we are able to hear the Gospel being preached, even by our own congregation’s pastors, and to hear and see the liturgy of worship, a liturgy based on Scripture. So in that way, at least part of the definition of a local church is met.

c. As far as the Sacraments, that could be more of a challenge, though with some careful adjustments, the elements of bread and wine could be administered. It could be done as a drive-through procession, or even online*: the pastor could institute communion at a specific time, and the congregants (that is, non-congregating congregants) could self-administer their own bread and wine (or grape juice) at the direction of the pastor. After all, it is not the pastor who actually institutes the communion, but Christ, whose words are spoken by the pastor; nor is the church-owned bread and wine any more holy than what we have at home. Likewise, it is not the pastor’s touch of the elements that sanctifies them, but the Word of God. As Luther said in the Small Catechism about the benefits of communion: “It is not the eating and drinking, indeed, that does them, but the words which stand here, namely: Given, and shed for you, for the remission of sins. Which words are, beside the bodily eating and drinking, [are] the chief thing in the Sacrament. . .”

d. If the mandated shut down of people-gatherings were actually government persecution of churches specifically, then I would say to resist the order and accept the consequences that disobedience would cause. Christians have done that over the centuries under many regimes that sought to stamp out the faith. Literally millions of martyrs testify to that fact. They sought to honor God, “rendering unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s” (Mark 12:17), and they chose to “obey God, rather than men” (Acts 5:29). But this situation affects everyone and every institution, not just the churches. Here the question the churches must answer about gathering in person goes to Christ’s statement on what is the greatest commandment. He said the greatest commandment is to love God, and secondly, to love our neighbor. Our local congregation, as well as most others, recognize that for the sake of loving our neighbors (not to mention our brothers and sisters in Christ), we will support the social-distancing for now to protect our neighbors from becoming sick from gathering with others who might be infected. Fortunately, because of our technology, this is possible without losing all contact.

There are two more points about the current pandemic I would like to make, about (1) whether this pandemic is a harbinger of the end times, and (2) about what passages of Scripture comfort us in these times, but as I look at the clock and at my word count for this blog, I realize I need to break here and write a Part 3 for the next blog. So now, while you wait with bated breath for the next installment,

May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Mark 12:13-17; Acts 5:17-42; Ephesians 4; Ephesians 5:22-33

P.S. An alert female reader reminded me to finish the passage I started last blog where I quoted Ephesians 5 about wives submitting to their husbands . . . Too bad I’m out of time and space to do that now. Maybe later . . .

*Disclaimer: Online communion is not an acceptable practice according to the Executive Committee of my denomination, The American Association of Lutheran Churches (AALC). Our Presiding Pastor issued that statement the day after I first posted this blog. As a member of the AALC’s clergy roster, I would not practice what my denomination rejects, but still believe it warrants discussion.

 

True Cleansing

On March 15 I filled in for Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Galt, California, leading worship and preaching.  My sermon began by my walking to a table set with a bowl of water and a hand towel. I washed my hands and said the following:

In a short while we’re going to receive communion. But with all the news about the coronavirus, and practically every government agency, company, and health provider telling us to wash our hands regularly to avoid passing on the disease, I thought it would be prudent to wash my own hands before handling the bread and the wine.

As of March 14th, the coronavirus, or Covid-19, had spread to 142,530 confirmed cases and 5393 deaths in 135 countries. People are under quarantine, and all kinds of travel and public events are being cancelled. Some sports teams are competing in empty stadiums! Globally, the WHO has declared it to be a world-wide pandemic. Locally, we have had our first cases in Elk Grove and our first death.

My wife and I are very much aware of the effects this disease is having in the world, because we have been planning a trip to Italy and Germany this year to see the Passion Play in Oberammergau. But now, with Italy on lockdown, Germany’s cases spiking, and international travel being cancelled or banned, our prospects are looking very dim. And that doesn’t count the actual disease and its serious effects on those who get it.

And so, today I wash my hands for your sake and mine.

The only problem is, as I stand here washing my hands, I am reminded of another very famous hand-washing. It took place in Jerusalem when Jesus stood trial before the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate. Pilate realized Jesus was innocent of any crime deserving death, but when the crowds threatened to riot, Pilate gave in to the crowd’s demands that he crucify Jesus. Matthew 27:24 tells us what Pilate did next: “. . . he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.’”

By washing his hands, Pilate was denying his guilt for what was about to happen, by washing away any blame for Jesus’ death.  Ever since then, whenever anyone denies responsibility for someone or something, they say they are washing their hands of the matter. As if just saying that, or washing one’s hands physically, can take away sin or guilt.

But, it takes a lot more to get rid of guilt than just water. Or soap and water. Or soap and water and hand sanitizer! Real cleansing of guilt and the sin that caused it require a cleansing act by someone who is able to actually remove that guilt. When it comes to our sin and guilt, the One who has the authority to forgive and remove it is Jesus Christ (Mark 2:5-10), and the cleansing act was his death on the cross.

That act was remarkable in what it cost Jesus for our sake. I am reminded of another sacrifice made in Jesus’ name. In 1864 a Catholic priest from Belgium known as Damien answered the call to missions, and traveled to a leper colony on the island of Molokai, in Hawaii. At first he failed in his work, making few converts, and was ready to leave the island. Then, while waiting for the boat, he discovered his hands had lost feeling. Realizing he had caught leprosy from those he tried to serve, he stayed. Now accepted by his fellow lepers as one of them, he ministered to them spiritually and practically, building houses, schools, roads, hospitals, and churches. He dressed residents’ ulcers, built a reservoir, made coffins, dug graves, shared pipes, and ate with them, providing both medical and emotional support. He served until he became too sick, dying at age 49 . . . of leprosy.

In a way, Damien’s story parallels Christ’s sacrifice for us. Christ came to a world full of people infected with the deadly disease of sin. He lived among us, sharing our lives, healing, teaching, and caring for real needs in this world. Finally, he took on our sin and the guilt that goes with it, becoming sin for our sake, and dying for us, just as Damien gave his life for those infected with a deadly illness. The difference of course, is that Jesus’ death brought life and the eternal cure for our sin and guilt.

Why did Jesus do this? Why did he accept the horrible death of crucifixion and the taking on of our condemnation for sin? Why did he go through with it, knowing what was to come? Romans 5 tells us why: love. “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—  but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

And how do we receive the benefit of the cleansing that Christ did for us? Through faith in him and what he did. Romans 5 says, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

So how do we respond to the pandemic now affecting our world?

Interestingly, Martin Luther was asked a similar question about the Black Death which had swept across Europe killing millions of people. This was his reply:

“I shall ask God mercifully to protect us. Then I shall fumigate, help purify the air, administer medicine and take it. I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance inflict and pollute others and so cause their death as a result of my negligence. If God should wish to take me, he will surely find me and I have done what he has expected of me and so I am not responsible for either my own death or the death of others. If my neighbor needs me however I shall not avoid place or person but will go freely as stated above. See this is such a God-fearing faith because it is neither brash nor foolhardy and does not tempt God.”

Luther’s answer was that we should take proper precautions to avoid getting or passing on the disease, so as to not tempt God, but to accept risks when serving those in need. Above all, pray for God’s merciful protection.

I like what he had to say. It’s okay to avoid dangers that would harm us or others, but when called upon to alleviate suffering, we step forward faithfully in prayer.  We are not called to try to become sick, but if we do, we have God’s consolation. Paul’s Roman passage promises: “we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Luther’s call to prayer recognizes that we are truly dependent on God in every situation, and not on ourselves. Sure, we take precautions, including washing our hands, avoiding the sick, covering coughs and sneezes, and developing a vaccine, but ultimately we have to submit our future to God. We need to trust his promise to be with us through whatever we face, and that he loves us and has the power to heal according to his purposes.

We appreciate Luther’s response, but how about ours?

  1. When troubles come our way, are we ungrateful for what God has already provided for us, and ask, “What have you done for me lately?” Or do we thank him for how he has already blessed us beyond measure in so many ways?
  2. When we have fears or unmet needs, do we grumble to God and blame him for what we’re facing, or do we accept his will and look for how God will bless and grow us in this situation, producing character and hope?
  3. When problems strike, do we doubt his existence (“A loving God wouldn’t let me go through this!”) and search elsewhere for answers? Or do we believe God’s promise never to leave or forsake us, and Christ’s promise to be with us until the end of the age, taking us to be with him no matter what happens in this world?
  4. Do we live in a world of Massah and Meribah (see Exodus 17 and Psalm 95) where the Israelites grumbled for lack of water, or by the Spirit of God with love, joy, peace, and the other fruit of the Spirit?
  5. Do we face the dangers of this world, such as the coronavirus, with paralyzing fear, or with trust and confidence in the Lord? What if we get the virus? Will it shatter our faith, or lead us to seek God’s will for us in the new circumstances we face?

My prayer is that you all avoid getting the coronavirus, and maybe my hand-washing will help a little. But whatever happens, rejoice in all the Lord has done, for he has cleansed you for all eternity.

May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Exodus 17:1-7;  Psalm 95:1-9; Romans 5:1-8

Beware the Ides of March 2020

“Beware the Ides of March!” That line from Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar, was uttered by a soothsayer who warned the Roman dictator about March 15 and the danger he would face that day. The year was 44 BC, and as actually happened, Julius Caesar was assassinated on March 15 by a group of senators and a former friend named Brutus.

Sunday is March 15, the Ides of March according to the Roman calendar. While we probably don’t have to worry about our senators assassinating us, we have plenty to worry about if we let ourselves, given the news stories we hear every day. Particularly, the big scary news these days is about the coronavirus, or Covid-19, which as of today has spread to 142,530 confirmed cases and 5393 deaths in 135 countries. Governments and health officials are issuing warnings, areas are under quarantine, and all kinds of travel and public events are being cancelled. Some sports teams are even competing in empty stadiums! Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared it to be a world-wide pandemic. Locally, we have had our first cases in Elk Grove and our first death.

My wife and I are very much aware of the effects this disease is having in the world, because we have been planning a trip to Italy and Germany this year to see the Passion Play in Oberammergau. But now, with Italy on lock-down and flights being cancelled or banned, our prospects are looking dim.

Of course, worries about epidemics, plagues, wars, and other life-threatening situation are nothing new. They have threatened and worried people throughout history. And with good reason, considering events like the 1918 flu epidemic that infected 1/3 of mankind and killed 20 to 50 million people world-wide, or the Black Death of the 14th century, which reduced the world population by 100 million and killed 30 to 60% of Europe.

So it was that the Israelites, too, faced a serious life-threatening situation while crossing the wilderness following their escape from Egypt. Exodus 17 tells us  what happened:  “All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, ‘Give us water to drink.’ And Moses said to them, ‘Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?’

But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, ‘Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?’

When we first read this, we may look down on the Israelites as petty ingrates because we know how the story ends. We know that God will save them, as he already had in different ways. But now, faced with no water to drink, the people feared they would die of thirst in the hot desert. Their concern was legitimate: without water they would die, and there was no sign of it to be found. Their problem was not that they feared their destruction, but how they responded to a very real danger.

  1. First, they forgot those miraculous deliveries and provisions God had already shown them. They had witnessed the plagues God had rained down on Pharaoh and his people. God had saved them from the Egyptians, and brought them safely across the Red Sea, destroying the pursing Egyptian army in the process. He fed them with manna, bread from heaven. Surely they should have been grateful and expected God would take care of them. But they adopted a “What have you done for us lately?” attitude.
  2. Second, instead of praying to God and submitting to his commands, they blamed God and his servant Moses, even threatening to stone Moses to death. The passage tells us that God brought them to this place, Rephidim, so they should have known he would provide where he leads.
  3. Moses warned them about their grumbling, pointing out that they were not only complaining to him, but also were testing the Lord. Just as David admitted in Psalm 51 when confessing his sins to God, “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.” Moses’ warning should have calmed the people, but still they grumbled.
  4. After providing the people with the needed water, Moses named the location Massah and Meribah, which in Hebrew mean “testing” and “quarreling,” because the people of Israel tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” This showed the people questioned God’s word, his commandments, and his promises. They even doubted his presence and his love for them. They had no faith.

Their sin paralleled that of Adam and Eve, who doubted God’s commands and word, forgot all God had given them in the Garden, and wanted what they didn’t have. And the Bible tells us that all death flows from that original sin; it has caused more deaths than thirst, plagues, and wars combined. As Romans 5:12 tells us, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.”

When we understand the Israelites’ errors at Rephidim, we recognize some of the same attitudes, or at least tendencies, in ourselves:

  1. Although blessed beyond measure in so many ways, we often forget not only to be grateful for what God has already provided for us, but also adopt that “What have you done for me lately?” attitude. Sure he’s provided all my needs, but what about those wants that I’m still lacking? Sure, he’s given me 68 years of a good life, but what if I get sick or die?
  2. When I have a fear or unmet need, do I grumble to God, blame him for what I’m facing, or do I accept his will and look for how God will bless and grow me in this situation. As Paul wrote in Romans 5: “we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
  3. Do we have faith, trusting in God’s promises in Christ? Or do I doubt his existence (“A loving God wouldn’t let me go through this!”) and search elsewhere for answers? Do I believe God’s promise never to leave or forsake me, and Christ’s promise to be with me until the end of the age, taking me to be with him no matter what happens to me in this world?
  4. Do we live in a world of Massah and Meribah, or by the Spirit of God with love, joy, peace, and the other fruit of the Spirit?
  5. Do I face the dangers of this world, such as the coronavirus, with paralyzing fear, or with trust and confidence in the Lord? It’s certainly good to follow the protective procedures being urged by health professionals, but what if you get the virus anyway? Will it shatter your faith, or lead you to seek God’s will for you in the new circumstance you face?

Would you go into a dangerous area to save a stranger? How about an infected area where your chances are highly likely you’d catch whatever it is? A similar question became very real to a Catholic priest from Belgium named Damien who answered to call to missions, traveling in 1864 to the leper colony on Molokai, Hawaii. At first he failed in his work, and was ready to leave the island. Then, while waiting for the boat, he discovered his hands had lost feeling. Realizing he had caught leprosy from those he tried to serve, he stayed. Now accepted by his fellow lepers,    he ministered to them spiritually and practically, building houses, schools, roads, hospitals, and churches. He dressed residents’ ulcers, built a reservoir, made coffins, dug graves, shared pipes, and ate with them, providing both medical and emotional support. He served until he became too sick, dying at age 49 of leprosy.

Damien gave his life for those infected with a deadly illness. I don’t believe we are all called to find people sick with the coronavirus and try to catch it ourselves. But if it happens, or you are called to alleviate their suffering, remember this: no less did Christ come to be with, and die for us who were mortally ill with sin.

Paul closes Romans 5:1-9 with these amazing words of God’s love:

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

My prayer is that you all avoid getting the coronavirus, but whatever happens, don’t worry, even if it is the Ides of March, and rejoice in all the Lord has done for you and will do in all eternity to come.

Now, may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Exodus 17:1-7; Psalm 95; Romans 5:1-9

Going Viral

The big news story this past week has been – no, not the primary elections – but rather the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Hardly a day, or even an hour, goes by without news that the virus has spread to a new country or state. It’s hard to keep up with the progress of the disease as we read or hear new reports of the numbers of infections and fatalities associated with the illness. It doesn’t do much good to remind people of the greater lethal risk from the regular flu, from car crashes, or violence. The coronavirus has captured our imagination and activated our fears.

While it’s not the Spanish Flu of 1918 (which infected 1/3 of mankind and killed maybe 50 million people), nor the start of the Zombie Apocalypse, it seems to be very serious and worth paying attention to.

As I’ve watched the spread of the virus and considered its implications, I considered writing about it, but at first I wasn’t sure what I could write that would be informative/acutely insightful/coherent about the situation. Then I realized, a blog doesn’t have to be informative/acutely insightful/coherent to be written and published, so here goes. Here are some random thoughts that more or less come together around the coronavirus epidemic:

First. My wife and I are planning a trip to Europe to see the sights and end up in Oberammergau, Germany, to attend the famous Passion Play, which reenacts the final week leading up to Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. I have been wanting to see this performance for 50 years now, ever since I learned about it in my high school German classes. It’s performed only every ten years, so I figured this could be my last chance to see it while still fairly young and mobile. We started making reservations for the trip, and then the virus struck. At first we were okay, because the virus was in China, and we were flying to Rome. Then cases started showing up in Europe. And where in Europe? In Italy, of course. Now we watch as trains and flights are being cancelled and tourist venues are being shut down to reduce the threat of infection. My wife showed me a picture from Milan (on our itinerary) with armed guards in face masks guarding the cathedral. Now we’re wondering how much will be closed or restricted if we do go. It wouldn’t be worth it to fly there and just sit in quarantine for two weeks!

(Great! I just started sneezing while writing this!)

Second. As the reports of Italy’s growing problems came in, I thought: “Well, at least Germany is okay. We’ll arrive in Munich as planned and take the train to the play in Oberammergau.” Then Germany reported its first case of coronavirus. In Munich of course. Since then, the disease has spread so that as of this writing, Germany is second only to Italy in corona cases in Europe. I’m waiting for reports of cases in Oberammergau, or a decision by the German government to do what France has done, and ban large public gatherings. Since thousands attend each Passion Play performance, such a ban would be devastating to that town and to all the tourists/pilgrims who plan to go there.

Which would actually be ironic, since the whole reason that small Bavarian town has performed the Passion Play is because God delivered them from a plague in 1633. After first being hit hard for over a year (during which 80 citizens died), the people of the town gathered and prayed for deliverance, promising to honor Christ with a passion play every ten years if God spared them. After they prayed, the sick recovered and there were no more deaths; the townspeople honored their promise, performing the first play the next year on a stage built in the graveyard where the plague victims were buried. Ever since they have held a passion play every ten years except in 1940 due to World War II. I imagine it could be a crisis of conscience if the town were ordered to suspend the play which was promised to God for deliverance from a disease.

Third. Closer to home, last week my wife and I traveled to Florida to attend the graveside service for a 36-year old nephew who passed away suddenly at his work. Karen’s brother and his family live near Tampa, so after flying to Orlando we drove there to console them and attend the service. After that, we drove down to Sarasota, played some mini-golf there, and then went on to stay with friends in Venice (Florida, not Italy). Finally, we had dinner with my cousin and his wife in Orlando before returning home. For me, one of the good parts of the trip was a visit to Gatorland in Orlando, where Karen and I got to see a whole lot of gators and other Florida critters.

Here’s Karen, about to be devoured . . .

It was a bitter-sweet trip, though I was glad we were able to make it to a virus-free area. At least I was glad until we got home, and heard that Florida was reporting its first coronavirus cases. And where were those cases? In Tampa and Sarasota, of course.

Fourth. A news item caught my attention this week. It reported that Amazon has taken down a million products from its online catalog. Why? Because they were being sold by various people as cures for the corona virus. It’s hard enough to comprehend that Amazon has a million products to sell; even harder to think that a million of them were bogus and dishonest in just this one area. There is no natural problem, danger, or disaster that cannot be exploited by certain people to take advantage of others. There is no technology so helpful and beneficial to mankind that it cannot be misused to cheat or harm people. The sellers of such products didn’t have to be infected with corona; they were infected with the virus of greed and sin, which for them will end up being far more deadly than any virus. If anyone doubts there is sin in the world, they only have to hear of stories like this to know it’s true.

Fifth. Wednesday I went to the dentist. As I sat in the chair, I wished I had brought my face mask with me. Not that I thought I needed it to avoid infection, but I wanted to see my dentist’s reaction when I insisted he leave my mask in place while working on my teeth. (It’s only fair, considering he wears one while he works on me!) Then on my way home, I stopped in a new Chinese restaurant to take home and try one of their dishes. Chinese . . . I wonder if they could be from Wuhan . . . and so my story comes full circle.

After all this, I have sort of a fatalistic view, that if I get the virus, I get it. I don’t expect to die from it, but rather see it as an inconvenience affecting travel plans. Unfortunately, it has sickened and killed plenty of other people, and caused serious economic harm to many businesses and the people who work in them and depend on them for their livelihood. We should pray for God’s intervention, as did the people of Oberammergau, that he slows the spread of the virus and speeds the healing of those affected; that cures (real ones!) and vaccines be quickly developed and made available; that leaders avoid political judgments and work together to meet this problem; and that people turn to God for comfort and peace. It is my hope and prayer that we will be able to look back on this time and see how a threatening illness can be conquered for the blessing of the whole world.

In the meantime – stay healthy and look to the Lord for your strength!

May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord look upon you with favor, and give you peace. Amen.

Read: 2 Samuel 22:1-3; Psalm 95; Psalm 103; Psalm 46

 

 

 

Borders and Bridges, Part 2

In my last blog, I introduced the idea of “Borders and Bridges” and spoke to the necessity for the first half of that phrase: borders. As I pointed out, from the separations established by God at the beginning of creation (light separated from dark to be day and night, for example) to the structure of cells within a defining and protective membrane or cell wall, to national boundaries, we saw that borders play an important role. We also saw that borders exist in spiritual matters, such as those between God and man, and between the lost and the saved. We read in Jesus’ parable about Lazarus that there is a great chasm (border) fixed that no one can cross between those in paradise and those in Hades who suffer in anguish  (Luke 16:26). Even non-believers establish behavioral boundaries to require permission and respect when it comes to interactions between people. But borders are only half the story. What about bridges that transcend those necessary borders?

Part II. Bridges are Necessary

As necessary as borders, boundaries, and walls are to separate, protect, and identify different individuals, places, and other things, they can also be a problem. If there is no way for anything to cross the border for a good and needed purpose, the barrier can prove to be harmful or even fatal.

A cell wall will cause the cell to die if there is no way for needed nutrients to get into the cell and waste products to get out. An example is type 2 diabetes which I have: the cell membranes become resistant to the insulin needed to transport glucose (sugar) into the cell, where it provides energy. Instead, the sugar remains in the blood above proper levels, where it causes damage to other tissues. Treatment usually begins with medicines which reduce that resistance to allow the insulin to pass into the cell and do its work. In essence, the medicine builds a “bridge” across the cell membrane to bring in what’s needed.

You see the same thing in other contexts. A prisoner locked in solitary confinement is essentially in a cell (duh!). If no one brought food and water through that cell wall, or removed waste, that prisoner would die (and go crazy in the process). A city under siege has its supply lines cut off, sealing it off from the outside world and preventing both reinforcements and any resupply of basic food supplies; the city has to surrender or starve (read Lamentations 4:1-10 about the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem and its consequences). A more recent siege took place when the Soviets blockaded West Berlin from mid-1948 to mid-1949. The city was left in dire straits without food or coal for winter heating until the U.S. and its allies formed an airlift, which over an entire year flew in 2.3 million tons of supplies, saving the city and causing the Soviets to lift their “siege.” The airlift created a vital bridge which preserved the freedom and lives of the Berliners.

Wealth and prosperity come from trade across borders. One person or company or country produces more of one item than it needs, and trades with another entity for what it produces, and now both are richer. For example, our orange tree produced over 100 oranges this year. We couldn’t eat that many, so we gave some away, which prospered more people with good food from our tree. Other people have shared with us their walnuts, lemons, limes, plums, and pomegranates. We were all enriched by the trades. But without such trades, if non-bridegable borders had forced us to keep everything to ourselves, there would have been rotting produce in all our yards and we would have all been a little poorer for it.

Trade was so important to our nation’s founders that they prohibited tariffs between states. The Constitution essentially established a trade bridge across all state boundaries.  When it comes to countries, trade treaties form bridges to allow the transfer of goods and services across boundaries. Both countries are benefited by those cross-border exchanges. That’s why the terms of trade treaties are such big news these days: the prosperity of the trading partners is at stake. The fact that we do have trade around the world is a blessing to everyone: just check out the food can and produce labels in your kitchen to see how much our diet is enriched by having economic bridges with the world.

Cross-border movement of people is important too. Besides international business and tourism travelers, there are those who cross borders to escape persecution or seek a better life. Immigration has been the life-blood of our nation for 400 years; the issue is not whether there should be borders or bridges across those borders, but how easy or difficult it should be to cross those bridges legally. I wouldn’t be here in America if my ancestors had not crossed some borders on their way from the British Isles. By the way, I still have the actual travel papers used by my great-great-grandmother when she emigrated from Germany to Chicago in the 1860’s. Once again, I am glad such a bridge existed for her to do that.

So far, you can see the benefits, and indeed necessity, of bridges in various areas of life. But there is ultimately an even more important area for there to be a bridge, and that is the spiritual. As I showed in the previous blog, our sin created a border between us and God, between us and the joys of eternal life. We were shut out from the earthly paradise in which God placed us, and remain excluded from heaven from birth. No matter how we try, we cannot cross that border by our own strength or goodness. That is what Christ did for us by his death on the Cross; the effect of his death was shown in that the Temple curtain (a border wall) which closed off the Holy of Holies from the people, tore from top to bottom, showing that we now had access (a bridge) to God.

When I consider the interplay between borders and bridges, I see the scriptural, Lutheran doctrine of Law and Gospel at work.

1. God’s Law defines the border between what God accepts and does  not accept. It shuts out those who sin and disobey God, and sets boundaries for our behavior. “Thou shalt not” and “thou shalt” command our obedience and threaten us with harm if we trespass them (a word which means “to step over,” and is perfect border-violating language.). The Law divides the sheep and the goats, the wheat and the tares, and speaks of burning the chaff with unquenchable fire. This is the Law, and God is righteous in establishing and enforcing all such boundaries.

2. The Gospel proclaims that in spite of our sin, the boundaries which would separate us from God and consign us to hell have been breached by God’s mercy. Because God loves us and does not want us to be separated from him or see destruction, he has provided a Savior in his Son, Jesus the Christ. All are invited through faith in Christ to cross over the bridge into eternal life. Now, the way is narrow and not everyone will cross it, but the way is there. Jesus proclaimed he is the way (John 14:6), and Ephesians 2:14 joyously proclaims, “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.” The way is open through faith in Jesus Christ.

There are more things that could be said about borders and bridges, about how they impact life itself and the way we relate to the environment, to each other, and to God. But for now, it’s important to see that both are necessary to order and freedom, to Law and Gospel, to you and me. May we always thank God for his righteousness and his mercy and for the borders and bridges his love provides for us.

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Luke 16:19-31; Lamentations 4; 2 Kings 25; John 14:1-6

Just Be Just

We are currently mid-way or so in the US Senate’s impeachment trial. If you asked, “What impeachment?”, your name must be Rip Van Winkle*, and you’ve been asleep since November 2016. The House managers (the prosecutors) finished presenting their case, and yesterday the president’s lawyers (the defense team) began their presentation. There are at least two days of arguments ahead before we know exactly what will happen.

While watching the defenders reacting to the prosecutors’ assertions, I remembered the words of one of the sayings from the Bible’s book of Proverbs: “The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him” (Proverbs 18:17). How true it is, for if you only heard one side of the story, during the impeachment or during any other trial or debate, you could easily be swayed to believe that version. Not until the other side has spoken can you better decide who is right.

I once served on a jury that heard a felony case about a man charged with tethering and abusing his dogs. The prosecutor, an assistant district attorney, showed pictures and presented testimony from two animal control officers. Then came the animal shelter veterinarian who showed and described the dogs’ injuries. When the prosecutor finished, it would have been easy to conclude the defendant was guilty. But then the defense attorney got up and shredded the prosecutor’s case. Not only did the animal officers’ testimony disagree with the physical evidence and photos, the vet testified that apart from the superficial wounds (caused by the dogs when they attacked each other) the animals’ conditions showed they were properly nourished and cared for. Our verdict: not guilty.

It’s interesting that the Bible, and other ancient Jewish writings, hold a lot of wisdom about trials and other legal remedies, such as the admonition in Proverbs that a person hear both sides of a story before deciding what is true.  I’m sure a biblical scholar could write a book about all the lessons, but for now, consider the following few examples of “biblical jurisprudence:”

1. Justice is blind. If you see modern courthouses and statues representing justice, you often see a blindfolded figure holding a scale in one hand. The figure is weighing evidence and testimonies to determine the truth, in order that justice be done. The blindfold is to show that “justice is blind,” meaning that non-relevant factors (such as who is at trial or what they look like) do not play a part in the decision. Of course, this is an ideal; it’s very difficult for people to remain completely non-biased in their verdicts. You would have to have a perfect judge to render a perfect verdict; which we have fortunately in the perfect Judge of the universe. Isaiah 11:3-4 says this about the LORD: “He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth.” God is not swayed in his judgments by the earthly factors that might prejudice our opinions. This truth is reiterated in Acts 10:24 by the Apostle Peter, who declares, “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality [no respecter of persons].”

2. Don’t let witnesses collaborate. There is a reason witnesses are kept from hearing other witnesses’ testimonies before they speak: it’s too easy to let their testimony be swayed or to conspire in a lie. Suspects are questioned separately, as well. There is a story found in the Apocrypha, a collection of non-canonical books and stories written between the testaments. The story is called Susanna or Susanna and the Elders, and tells of a married woman named Susanna who is observed bathing by two elders. Inflamed by lust, they demand she have sex with them, but the righteous woman refuses. Rebuffed, the elders concoct a story that they saw her commit adultery with a young man; Susanna is arrested and sentenced to death until Daniel intervenes and says the witnesses should be questioned separately. When this is done, the two elders give conflicting accounts of where the event took place. When their lies are exposed, Susanna is freed and the elders are put to death instead. Perjury has consequences!

3. Capital crimes require two or more eyewitnesses. Crimes which are punishable by death require two or more witnesses to the act, to prevent anyone charging someone else with such serious crimes just out of spite. The specific text in the Bible is Deuteronomy 17:6, “On the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses the one who is to die shall be put to death; a person shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness.” The writers of the US Constitution included this requirement in the one capital crime they included: treason. Article 3, Section 3 states: “No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court.” When the stakes are so high, the corroboration of eyewitnesses is vital for the accused to receive justice.

4. Tell the truth. In today’s courtrooms,witnesses swear or affirm to “tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” They used to swear to do so, “so help you God,” placing their hand on a Bible. When people looked to God as their judge, they feared God’s judgment on them should they lie under oath. Leviticus 19: 12 says, “You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.” While I’m sad to see such a statement disappear as a sign of the decreasing relevance of faith and religion in our society, according to the Bible we should tell the truth whether under oath or not.  James 5:12 says, “But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your ‘yes’ be yes and your ‘no’ be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.” The commandment to not bear false witness against our neighbor (Exodus 20:16 and Deuteronomy 5:20) is always applicable, even in daily speech; we don’t have to be under oath to be forced to tell the truth. Note that the admonition against false witness is not just about lying in general, but especially about harming someone by false accusations. God sets the standard (“God is not a man that he should lie” – Numbers 23:19) and expects us to be truthful as well. As believers on Christ and witnesses to him as our Lord and Savior, people must know that we speak truthfully, that our testimony be believed and trusted. Proverbs 12:22 says, “Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD,” so don’t lie!

5. God hates those who pervert justice for their own sake. God’s word speaks warning against those who pervert justice and use the law to rob others, especially those least able to defend themselves. Consider the following:

Proverbs 11:1 – A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, But a just weight is His delight.

Proverbs 17:15 – He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous, Both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD.

Isaiah 10:1-2 – Woe to those who enact evil statutes And to those who constantly record unjust decisions, So as to deprive the needy of justice And rob the poor of My people of their rights, So that widows may be their spoil And that they may plunder the orphans.

Deuteronomy 16:19 – You shall not distort justice; you shall not be partial, and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.

Amos 5:11-12 – Therefore because you impose heavy rent on the poor And exact a tribute of grain from them, Though you have built houses of well-hewn stone, Yet you will not live in them; You have planted pleasant vineyards, yet you will not drink their wine. For I know your transgressions are many and your sins are great, You who distress the righteous and accept bribes And turn aside the poor in the gate.

There are other condemnations of injustice throughout the Bible, but you get the idea. Our desire for justice, for being treated fairly and for having our case rightly heard align us with God himself, who desires that we not only receive justice but dispense it fairly as well.

In this fallen and sinful world, we will not always receive the justice we want, but God’s word promises us that one day, all will be set right. those who pervert justice will be punished, and those whom they mistreated will be justified. While we wait for that day, let us exhibit in our dealing the same high standards of justice and mercy which God has shown to us and demands from us. In other words, just be just.

And let us pray along with the Senate chaplain, Rev. Barry Black, that God’s will be done in the impeachment proceedings, for God’s thoughts are above our thoughts, and his ways above our ways, even as the heavens are above the earth (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord look upon you with favor, and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Susanna and the Elders (available online or in the Catholic version of Daniel, chapter 13); Deuteronomy 19:15-21; and Amos 5:21-24.

*Old timer’s reference to the 1819 short story of the same name by Washington Irving, in which Rip fell asleep for 20 years.

The Crux of the Matter

While checking the offerings of an online movie service, I noted that a number of James Bond movies showed up as currently popular. I didn’t watch any, opting to go to bed instead. But as I lay there, before falling asleep, my mind mulled over some of the movie titles, and I remembered that the movie, The World is Not Enough, was based on the supposed motto of Bond’s family: Orbis non sufficit, (Latin for, “The world is not enough”). Interestingly, the motto actually did belong to a real Bond, Sir Thomas Bond of the 1600s.

From there, my mind roamed through other mottoes I knew:

      • Honi soit qui mal y pense. The motto of the British Order of the Garter, which means, “Shamed be the one who thinks evil of this.” Supposedly spoken by King Edward III when he put his nieces’ garter on his own leg, sparing her embarrassment when it fell down from her leg during a dance. It also appears on the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom.
      • Dieu et mon droit. “God and my right,” said to have been Richard I’s battle cry. Also on the UK royal coat of arms.
      • E pluribus unum. A little more familiar to Americans, our national motto proclaims we are “out of many, one.”
      • Novus ordo seclorum. The second US motto, found on our dollar bills and on the Great Seal of the United States, it means, “New world order.” Okay, maybe that’s a little scary, but the designers meant well.

Finally, my mind being exhausted by the exercise, I fell asleep, but not before wishing my family had a cool Latin motto, too.

But as I remembered when I woke up, we do. The Eddy family has an official crest, registered in English books of Heraldry. Our crest is this:

Related image

What’s really cool about the coat of arms is that it is very Christian in nature. First, there are the crossed sword and cross above. Then there are the three aged pilgrims on the crest (I used to tell my dad they represented him; now I find that they represent me). But most exciting of all is the Latin motto underneath: Crux mihi grata quies, which means, “I find welcome rest in the Cross.”

What a wonderful family motto to have! For what could be more true? Just consider all that this proclaims – which is true for every Christian, and not just the Eddy variety:

1. Crux – “Cross” When we say something is the “crux” of the matter, we are saying it is the all important point, the essential issue on which the matter hangs. A different way is to say it is “crucial” to the matter, another word which derives from the word, “crux.” To all Christians, the cross is the essential point of our faith, for we know that it was on the cross that Jesus died to atone for all the sins of the world. Without his sacrifice on the cross, we would still be in our sins, unredeemed,  unforgiven, and lost forever. Scripture tells us that God nailed all our sins to the cross with Jesus  (Colossians 2:13-14) so that they are canceled. The cross is the symbol of our faith, because it is the basis for our hope and joy. The burden of the Law was lifted from us and put upon Christ; by his death, our debt was wiped clean, and by his resurrection, we know that we too shall rise again. It’s interesting to me that religions that deny the Christian faith reject the cross: Jehovah’s Witnesses say Jesus did not die on a cross, but on a “torture stake”; Mormons reject the cross as “idolatry”; and Muslims claim it wasn’t Jesus who was crucified, but Judas. What Christ did on the cross is essential, it is central, and it is crucial to what we believe, and to who we are.

2. Mihi – “I” This personalizes the message of the Gospel for me, and by extension, for each individual.  Christ died not only for the world in general, as in John 3:16, but also for every person in that world. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us that the Lord is “not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” This speaks to me, not only telling me that God loves me personally, but also that all my sins, no matter what they are and how much I regret them, are forgiven. There is no thought that God may forgive others who are holier than I am, but my sins are greater, or are too numerous, or still crop up too often for him to wipe away. The message of the Gospel is that all sins are forgiven, and that includes all my sins. This personalized message means that by faith in Christ I have become a child of God (John 1:12), and have a restored relationship with him. His Spirit dwells within me, and not just in a distant Temple somewhere; indeed, I am now a temple of the Holy Spirit, a Temple made by God himself (1 Corinthians 6:16-19). God has assured me of his presence with me through thick or thin, even to the end of the age. You can’t get more personal than that.

3. Grata – “welcome” We have all heard the expression that certain people are “persona non grata,” meaning that they are not welcome somewhere. It is usually applied to diplomatic personnel who are kicked out of a country for some breech of behavior or protocol. But in Christ, we who were estranged from God by our sins have now been welcomed back, just as the Prodigal Son was welcomed home by his father. We know that the entire mission  which Christ had was to reconcile us to the Father, which we could not do ourselves. We read, “in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:19). Because of Christ, we are now welcome guests at the great wedding feast of the Lamb to come, and welcome in heaven forever. There’s a second sense of being welcome, and that is this: in Christ and by his cross, we find what is truly welcome for us, including relief from sins, hope for the future, love and acceptance, and as we will see in the final word of the motto, rest.

4. Quies – “rest” If you’ve noticed, certain old gravestones have the initials, “R.I.P.” on them. We understand them to mean, “Rest in Peace,” though they originally were for the Latin phrase of the same meaning: “Requiescat in Pace.” You can see the root word, “quies” in the middle of the first word. The phrase is a Christian message, praying that the deceased will rest in peace until the day of the resurrection. Certainly, we believe that those who die in Christ will be at peace and will blessed with eternal life and heaven to come. But there is also the sense that we Christians still find rest in Christ even while we are still alive. As pilgrims in this world (like the pilgrims on my crest) we struggle and search on our journey through life. We encounter good and bad, joy and sorrow. We strive with great efforts at times, whether with problems or just with the labors that life demands. We seek to know God, and our purpose in life. We can search high and low, near and far, but until we find God through his Son, we remain unsure and restless. As St. Augustine of Hippo put it in his book, Confessions, in 400 AD, “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.” When we find God, when we know he welcomes us with love and forgiveness, we can finally have true rest, now, in this life. We don’t need to wait till it’s inscribed on our grave stone. We have true rest.

So there you have it. No need for me to invent some new motto; besides, my Latin’s not good enough. I’d probably come up with something like, “sus sit mihi rosea” (my pig is pink) or “vaccasque inposuerunt super lunam salire” (cows jump over the moon). Nope; better I stick with the motto handed down to me by wiser generations than mine. But as much as I love the Eddy family motto, it doesn’t really matter what Latin motto I inscribe on a coat of arms; what matters is the faith that Christ has inscribed on my heart. In that faith, by the cross of Christ, we find true rest. And that is the crux of the matter!

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, Hebrews 4

2020 Vision

This is a blog that has taken over 2000 years to write. Two thousand and twenty years, to be exact. Or maybe I should say, two thousand and twenty years to wait before it could be written. And why do I say that? Because we are on the verge of the year 2020, which happens to be the same number as the designation of good eyesight: 20/20.

When optometrists say someone’s eyesight is 20/20, they mean that the person can see a line of text at 20 feet that a “normal” person sees at 20 feet. If someone has 20/40 vision, that means that person has to be 20 feet from what a normal person sees at 40 feet: in other words, they only see half as well.* So the bigger the bottom number, the worse the person’s vision. Therefore the goal for vision correction (what we laypeople call “glasses”) is to help a person see with 20/20 acuity.

That was the goal when I was first given glasses at the age of nine. My school teacher suggested I see an eye doctor when she saw me not only squinting to see the chalkboard (yes, we used real chalk in those days); she also saw me curling my fingers in front of my eyes to make little pinholes: I had discovered that I could refract the light enough to see the board clearly by doing that. I still remember how weird everything looked when I first walked out of the doctor’s office with my new glasses!

Of course, the effect of my sudden clarity on me was nothing compared to what it must have been like for the blind people Jesus healed. Among those to whom Jesus gave sight were a blind beggar in Jericho named Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52), a second blind man in Jericho (Matthew 20:29-34), two other men in Matthew 9:27-31, a man in Mark 8:22-26 (who required two touches to be healed), and a man who was born blind in John 9. Can you imagine what it must have been like, to suddenly see? For your brain to make sense of visual images when there had been none before?

The healing in John 9 was especially remarkable, in that an entire chapter was devoted to the miracle and its consequences. In no small measure that was due to the fact that, as the healed man said, “Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind.” It was truly a miracle, one which could only have been done if the Healer were from God, as the healed man also proclaimed.

But the real importance of the John 9 healing is greater even than giving one man sight, as miraculous as it was. The resulting disbelief and challenges by the Pharisees who witnessed the results of Jesus’ act gave Jesus the basis for teaching about what true vision really means. For he spoke not of physical sight and blindness, but of spiritual. He said to the formerly blind man, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” Then, when some of the Pharisees near him asked him, “Are we also blind?” Jesus answered, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.” To our Lord, true sight, no matter how we do on an eye chart, comes from the heart, that is, from our spirit rather than from our body.

Therefore, true sight has to do with recognizing God and his works, and with believing in his Son as our Savior, something which the blind man did, but the Pharisees could not. True 20/20 vision has to do with the eyes of faith which see reality for what it is, in spite of all the distortions and camouflage which the world throws up to disguise or obstruct the truth. As 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “We walk by faith, not by sight.” And Hebrews 11:1 teaches, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” True sight, true perspective on the world, comes from faith in God.

So then, what does this have to do with the year, 2020? The connection could apply to any new year, or in fact, to any day of any year, but 2020 happens to be the year which confronts us now, and therefore is worthy of consideration. What I want us to think about is how we are going to view the coming year. What perspective will we have on its events? What is the lens through which we will “see” the world with 20/20 vision in 2020?

There are many lenses that people wear:

The economic lens. How is the economy doing? How are my investments doing? Will I have enough to pay my bills? Is GDP up, and is it up enough? What about trade, tariffs, sanctions, and taxes? What about inflation and income disparity? What are the jobs and unemployment numbers? To many people, and not just in the business world, the answers to these questions will determine whether they have a “good” year or not. Changes in their financial status, in their bottom line, determines their satisfaction and even happiness with life. A tenth of a point change in the stock market can elate or crush them, depending on how it affects them. But as Jesus told in the parable of a farmer who became rich, wealth is nothing when your soul is required of you at death (Luke 12:13-21). Even the extremely wealthy Solomon lamented that he was going to have to leave his wealth to someone else when he dies (Ecclesiastes 2:18). So seeing the world economically is temporary at best, and even then is subject to the daily vagaries of the news.

The political lens. Certainly, 2020 is starting off as one of the most politically tinged (or should I say, tainted) years in our lifetime. With our nation sharply divided in its vision for the future, with our political parties at war in the Congress, with judges disagreeing with each other’s rulings, with the President impeached (or was he?), and with primaries and the general election coming this year, it seems the world revolves around politics. Catch any national newscast and you’ll believe that the only thing happening in our country is politics (or any event that can be politicized). Even the magazine, Christianity Today, got into the fray by calling for the President’s ouster. But as heated and as all-encompassing as politics seem to be this coming year, we need to keep true perspective. Such questions were just as important in Jesus’ day: which Jewish party was the right one: the Sadducees, the Pharisees, the Essenes, or the Zealots? Who was ruler: Pilate, Caesar, Herod, or the high priest? What about those tax collectors (always lumped with sinners by the people) and Roman soldiers walking around? And as for the Bill of Rights – forget about it! Politics will always play an important part in our lives, but are they what life is really about? Romans 13:1 states, “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” But Jesus reminded us to put things in the right order: sure, we are to render to Caesar (our political leaders) what is Caesar’s, but more importantly, to God what is God’s. When we make that distinction, and realize that no one can rule without God’s permission, we can catch our breath and look to God for guidance in how we interact with the political situation in which we find ourselves.

The popularity lens. How many followers do I have on Twitter” How many Facebook friends? How big is my “posse”? Do people crowd around to talk to me, take my advice, and copy how I dress or wear my hair? (In my case, do people dye their hair gray to look like me? Sadly, I think not.) Is my professional image what I want to project, of confidence, competency and success? Does this dress/shirt/pair of pants make me look fat? While we all crave acceptance at some level, when we make it our priority, and judge our happiness based on our perception of how popular we are, we are making a huge mistake. Not only are our perceptions subject to misunderstanding (am I being emulated or mocked?), it turns out that what is popular is a temporary and fickle thing. Saddle shoes or high heels? (I had neither.) Pegged pants or bell-bottoms? Wide lapels or narrow; wide ties or narrow? Shaved head, butch, crew cut, Afro, Mohawk, duck-tail, or buzz cut? Or ringlets, curly perm, or page boy? It is so easy to copy what we think makes other people popular, and think it will work the same for us, only to be disappointed when the popular person moves on to something else and we become so “yesterday” (so 2019, in other words). But when we see with the spiritual lens, we know that “God is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34, KJV). And we read Paul in 1 Corinthians who proclaimed, “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” Our social popularity means nothing to God; its only purpose, when used rightly, is to witness to others about Christ and what is truly meaningful in life.

Other lenses: There are other ways to look at the world which people use, such as scientific, medical, corporate, tribal, etc. But time and space limit me from going into those. Maybe another time – like 2021.

But the key to remember is that the ability to have 20/20 vision for 2020 rests not with the forces around us, but in God’s Word, which gives us the true perspective, God’s perspective, on what is real and what is important. It tells us who God is, who we are, and what God has done for us: a joyful reality that transcends anything we would otherwise think important. Are we living in accord with God’s law? Do we accept his grace and forgiveness? do we forgive others who harm us? Do we help the unfortunate?

When the final reality for which God has saved us comes to pass, and we stand together in God’s presence before his throne, on that day we will see him face to face, and glorify the One who has given us true sight: “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: John 9, Mark 8:22-26, Mark 10:46-52

*Interestingly, Chuck Yeager, the famous WWII fighter ace, had 20/10 vision, which allowed him to see enemy fighters long before they could see him, which in a less electronic era made all the difference.

Unimpeachable

Impeachment. That word has been spoken, written, and debated more during this past month than it was in the previous twenty years put together. The reason, of course, is the attempt by one political party to remove the current President of the United States from office, or at least to discredit and damage him politically. This process was established in the US Constitution as a check and balance on the Executive Branch of the federal government, to remove a president (or other civil officer) in case of treason, bribery, or other “high crimes and misdemeanors.” As I’m sure you’re well aware, this has happened only three times before, against presidents Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon, and William Clinton. None of them was actually removed by the established process, though Nixon resigned before the House could actually vote on his impeachment. Where the current attempt goes, or what its merits might be, I will leave to others to decide.

As I heard various reporters and office-holders talking about impeachment, I thought about the word itself, and what it means, besides referring to the current political scene. I knew, for example, that the word is used in other contexts, such as referring in court to a solid witness’s testimony as being “unimpeachable.” To “impeach” is by definition, to call into question the integrity or validity of someone or something. Synonyms are: to discredit, to charge, and to accuse. Therefore, if the above-mentioned witness were to give questionable evidence, the opposing attorney would certainly try to impeach what he or she had to say. Testimony which is “unimpeachable,” therefore, is rock-solid and truthful beyond a doubt: what people used to call, “the Gospel truth.”

The Gospel truth. I like the sound of that. Something that you can believe without a doubt, that is trustworthy, that you can hang your hat on, that you can take to the bank (plus any other old-timey sayings I can come up with). The saying that something is the Gospel truth came about because people believed that the Gospel is true; it was a testimony that what the Bible says about God and his Christ is absolutely trustworthy, as the Church has believed over the centuries. It was the highest designation of truth one could give, because God’s Word was, well, unimpeachable.

Unfortunately, that “old-timey” view of Scripture has become less and less prevalent today. Powerful forces are at work in the world, and in our own society, to impeach the written Word. There are the relativists, who deny objective truth, and might say your Bible may be true for you, but not for them.  There are the so-called “social justice warriors” who charge the Bible with being patriarchal propaganda that has kept (name the group) in submission. There are the atheists, who view the Bible as the human creation of creative writers who were scientifically ignorant. And there are many people who just want to be masters of their own lives, and will try to discredit anything that would impose moral restrictions on their activities and lifestyles. Even more unfortunately, there are many in the Church, even respected leaders, who compromise with these anti-Christian attitudes for the sake of cultural relevancy and acceptance.

But God’s Word cannot be impeached. It is the Gospel truth. It is the one standard by which all other truth is to be measured. It is the sure foundation of life itself, both now and forever. It is the source of hope, the mirror of our lives, and the revelation of our Creator and Redeemer. It is the unchanging truth that we need in a changing and fickle world. It is, as the Church as often declared, “the only norm of faith and life.”

Scripture declares this about itself. Isaiah 40:8 proclaims, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” 1st Peter 1:24 repeats this verse, adding, “And this word is the good news that was preached to you.” Paul wrote, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). He praised the church in Thessalonica: “And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers” (1 Thessalonians 2:13). Acts 17:11 commends the Bereans for checking the scriptures to see if what Paul was preaching to them was true. And Paul reminded Timothy that he had grown up with the Scriptures which were able to make him wise to salvation through Christ (2 Timothy 3:15). Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” There are many other scriptures which proclaim the truth and power of God’s written Word, but we’ll look at just one more, a testimony by Jesus himself: “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me” (John 5:39). There’s no way anyone can take the Bible seriously and claim it is just a human writing.

Of course, non-believers might argue, “Of course the Bible claims it’s true. But if you compare it with what we know about history and science, it falls short.” Fortunately the Bible can stand on its own in spite of such charges. Even though the Bible is neither a history book nor a scientific treatise, what is says in those areas is true, and has been proven to be true time and time again in spite of Herculean efforts by skeptics to discredit it. There are entire books written to defend the veracity of the Scriptures, but let me share just a couple right now, as examples of “the Gospel truth.”

1. People used to charge that biblical references to the “Hittites” were fictional, because no such people were known in history. Then the archaeologists discovered the capital city of the Hittites, along with thousands of written records of their history, which meshed with the biblical accounts.

2. Others charged the Bible with ancient beliefs in a flat earth, but Job, Isaiah, and the Psalms speak of the circle of the earth, and nowhere does it claim a flat earth. Likewise, the Church has believed and taught a round earth as did most people even of ancient times; it eas only in the late 1800s that two skeptics, John William Draper and Andrew Dickson White, charged the Church with teaching a flat earth, and too many people have uncritically accepted their criticism.

3. Daniel 5 describes a feast in Babylon thrown by King Balshazzar, during which a hand is seen writing a message on the wall. The king becomes terrified, and calls on the aged Daniel to come interpret the vision. Daniel does, and proclaims the message is from God, saying that the king has been weighed and found wanting, and will lose his kingdom that very night. The king offers Daniel the 3rd highest place in the kingdom as a reward. The chapter closes with the terse statement, “That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom” (Daniel 5:30-31). But the critics have tried to impeach that account, claiming that the last king of Babylon was not Belshazzar, but Nabonidas, and that supernatural handwriting shows it was a fanciful story. But archaeology has shown that King Nabonidas did not like living in Babylon, so he moved out to a city named Tema, leaving his son, Belshazzar, as king in the city. In fact, an inscription from Nabonidas to his son has been found. And then there’s the account of the ancient Greek historian, Herodotus, which told how the Medes and Persians conquered the city of Babylon during the night while a great feast was taking place. As in so many other cases, what was thought to be an error in Scripture has been shown to be true once all the facts are in.

4. One more example of biblical validation. During World War I, a British general named Allenby was leading troops against the Turkish army that was holding Palestine. He came to a pass which was heavily defended by the Turks, which would be very costly to assault head-on. But as he thought about the name of the location, he remembered something he had read in the Bible. That night, he took out his Bible and read the account in 1 Samuel 14 about how King Saul’s son, Jonathan, had defeated the Philistines at the same place by going around and flanking them. The next day, Allenby’s men found the path around the Turks, and likewise flanked and defeated them.

The Bible is unimpeachable, not just for its archaeological, historical, or scientific accuracy, but more importantly, for what it says about God and about us. Its spiritual lessons are helpful, even for those who just view it as a moral or ethical system. But for those who believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and trust that he truly rose from the dead after bearing our sins to the cross, the Bible’s truths are life-changing and life-giving (Romans 10:9 – “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”).

It takes faith to believe in an ancient book as the key to life, especially when so many forces are arrayed against it. But faith is what God desires from us. For when we believe, we become his children, and as children, inheritors of eternal life and all the joys and riches of heaven. As the Apostle John said in his Gospel: “but these [things] are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). And that life which God gives you will be unending, unimaginable, and . . . unimpeachable.

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Daniel 5, Matthew 5:18, 2 Timothy 3, Revelation 22:18-19

 

 

 

Friendsgiving?

I learned a new word this week – which proves you can teach an old dog new tricks. The word is “friendsgiving.” I first heard it on the radio, then found it online. And not just the word, but numerous applications of it: greeting cards, party games, and snacks. While the last application – snacks – did draw my interest, it was the meaning and concept of the term that got me thinking.

So, just what is friendsgiving? As I understand it, it’s meant to be an alternative to Thanksgiving: instead of gathering with all your relatives to eat a big turkey dinner (and then fall asleep on the couch while watching football), you get together with your friends – hence the name. It’s become popular among Millennials as a way to spend time with friends you want to spend time with, rather than with family you are expected to be with. As a negative, it’s opting out of what to many has become an old-fashioned, meaningless expectation; as a positive, it’s an affirmation of one’s friends. Besides, there’s that old “politically incorrect” thing with Pilgrims and Indians.

So what do I think of “friendsgiving?” other than, “There go those Millennials again!”?

1. First of all, let’s talk about friends and friendship. I think it’s great to affirm one’s friends – if they really are true friends. I doubt that everyone who “friends” you on social media can really be counted in that category. As Charles Schulz expressed it in a Peanuts cartoon, “A friend is someone who says nice things about you when you’re not around.” (Thanks to reader and friend Dave for sending me that note!)

Or, better put, the Bible calls a friend someone “who is as your own soul” (Deuteronomy 13:6). The prime example it gives is the relationship between David and King Saul’s son, Jonathan: 1 Samuel 18:1 says “the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” Now, that’s friendship! Certainly, friendship is marked by enjoyment of another person’s company, but to me the test of friendship is how much one is willing to give up for the sake of the other person. Would you give up your time, your money, your opportunities, for a friend? Jesus put it in ultimate terms: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

Of course, it’s important to choose one’s friends carefully. Hanging around with the wrong crowd can get you into trouble, as peer pressure can get a person to do just about anything, even knowing it’s wrong. We know this is true from experience – ours and others’ – and from Scripture, which warns repeatedly against falling in with the wrong friends. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals.'” and in Proverbs 13:20 we read, “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” Then there’s that warning in James 4:4 against making friends with the world:  “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have friends while we live in this world; it means we should not put acceptance by and conformity with the world ahead of our love for God.

The Bible calls the very special relationship we have with God, friendship. Jesus spoke of it immediately after speaking of dying for one’s friends. His next sentence (John 15:14) was, “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” He also called his disciples, “friends,” when teaching them. We understand that it is in Christ that we become friends with God, but even the Old Testament speaks of such a special friendship: Psalm 25:14 says, “The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him.” It’s wonderful for God to consider us as his friends, just as it’s wonderful that he calls us his children (John 1:12)! The difference is that as followers of Christ, our friendship with God is not between two equals, as it is between two earthly friends, but between an all-powerful Creator and his subjects. We never become gods, but the image of God in us is restored, and friendship is now possible. We now can enjoy a special bond with our Lord, a relationship such as God had with Moses: “Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (Exodus 33:11).

All told, friends are good to have, and to celebrate. Earthly friends are a joy, especially true friends, and it’s good to treasure those relationships, but the greatest friendship we can have is with God himself. Earthly friends come and go, and can sometimes let us down or turn against us. But our special friendship with God will be an eternal one. As the gospel song proclaims, “What a friend we have in Jesus!”*

2. Second, what about the “giving thanks” part? My major issue with the whole “friendsgiving” thing is that it substitutes having fun with friends (which one can do any day of the year) for a special time set aside for thanking God for his blessings. From:

    • the inception of a day of thanksgiving in 1621 observed by those un-P.C. Pilgrims who thanked God for getting them through a brutal and deadly winter,
    • to George Washington proclaiming a national day of thanksgiving in 1789 (“Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor . . .),
    • to Lincoln’s proclamation in 1863 even in the midst of the Civil War,
    • to the current observance established by Congress in 1942,

the focus of the Thanksgiving holiday has always been to thank God for his blessings: for harvest, for peace, for protection of our nation, for family, for friends (yes), and especially for the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. Thanksgiving has morphed into a secular holiday filled with food and football and family – all good things – and preparation for Black Friday sales, but along the way, the reason for the season has been set aside (sound familiar?). God has blessed us with such bounty that we have come to focus on the blessings rather than the Blesser:

      • We fill our plates with so much to eat, forgetting “the mighty power of God that filled the earth with food.”**
      • We enjoy watching football, ignoring the One who washed his disciples’ feet just hours before his death.
      • We fall asleep on the couch as did the disciples in Gethsemane, who could not stay awake one hour to pray with their Lord (Mark 14:37).
      • We (usually) enjoy friends and family, forgetting that we are called to be God’s friends and have been adopted into his family. As Jesus said in Matthew 12:48-49, “’Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers!'”
      • We get excited about spending money on Black Friday sales, ignoring the One who was sold for pieces of silver to die on Good Friday, by which he purchased our forgiveness and eternal life.
      • We stay home for “more important” things, skipping Thanksgiving Day worship services; when we could focus our vague ideas of thankfulness onto the God to whom we must surely give thanks, who has given us the life, the bounty, and the ability to enjoy such a holiday.

It’s because of what God has done for us, and because of our need to recognize the source of all our blessings, that I would never want to give up Thanksgiving Day for “friendsgiving” or anything similar. We owe it to God to thank him every day, so why give up the one day we make a point of doing just that? To God be the glory, and our thankfulness, forever and ever! Amen.

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Matthew 12:46-50, 1 Samuel 18:1-5

*”What a Friend We Have in Jesus” by Joseph M. Scriven, 1855

**”I Sing the Mighty Power of God” by Isaac Watts, 1715

 

Cross-Words

One of the new activities I took up after retiring was doing crossword puzzles. I don’t know why I didn’t do them “all these years” before retiring, since I do enjoy working with words and language, unless I was just so busy with other word puzzles such as writing sermons and Bible study materials. Not until retiring did I have enough free time to just sit and work a puzzle.

I have been doing two or three a week, depending whether the local paper has one in it; the most enjoyable ones come weekly, especially the New York Times Sunday puzzle. The Times puzzle is usually hard but very clever, using ambiguous clues and phrases following some theme. My favorite one was called, “Advice to Writers,” in which several long answers broke the rules which they were advising. For example: “Don’t use contractions,” “Avoid redundancy. Avoid redundancy,” “Sentence fragments are not,” and so on. I always feel a sense of accomplishment when I write in the final words to such puzzles.

Which is why I was disappointed this week when the Sunday paper didn’t arrive. (Note: I didn’t call it the newspaper since I only read the comics and the puzzles!) What was I to do?

Fortunately, I have plenty of other things to work on, but as I thought about the missing puzzle, the word, “Crossword” stuck in my mind. I began to think about the different meanings it might have in various contexts.  So, after deep study and contemplation, I came up with the following:

1. The first use is to describe the kind of puzzle I’ve been talking about, in which answers to “Across” clues and “Down” clues intersect each other. This use is so obvious and understood that I don’t need to say much about it, except for one life lesson that I have to relearn every time I work one of such puzzles. The lesson is this: it is dangerous to jump to conclusions based on limited evidence. Too often I think I know the answer to a clue because it seems to answer the clue in the right number of letters to fit the right squares, only to be wrong. It isn’t until other words fill in that cross it that I realize my error; since I write my answers in ink, it gets awkward having to cross out my wrong assumption to put in the right word. Only when all the letters are finally in place do I see that the clue fits the word the puzzle designer was looking for.

This is such a good life lesson about the dangers of jumping to conclusions (especially about other people) based on insufficient information. We hear or see one thing, only to find out later, when more facts come in, that our initial idea was wrong. Too many people have been judged, scorned, or harmed by those who make such judgments. Of course, since none of us knows all the facts about anyone or the situations they are facing, it’s always dangerous to assume things about other people. Only God knows all the facts about a person, and he is the perfect Judge. (“Shall not the judge of all the earth do what is just?” Genesis 18:25).

I fell into the error of uninformed judging early in my ministry, when I noticed one of our members sitting in the back pew. It was during my sermon, and I saw that he had a cord hanging from an earplug. I was a little irked, figuring that he was listening to some ball game instead of my preaching. Imagine how ashamed I felt when the service ended and the man got up, took out the earpiece, and turned it in to the sound technician, along with the hearing-assist pack it was connected to. Not only was he listening to the sermon, he had taken efforts to hear it better!

2. The second use of “crossword” could be better written as, “cross words.” By this I mean the nasty things we say to each other when we get upset with something that someone says or does (or doesn’t do when we expected them to do it!). We get cross with them, and say things that belittle, insult, or dismiss. Things like: “You idiot!” or “That was stupid!” or “You never listen!” or “You’re worthless!” or . . . you get the picture. Often, such comments come out when we jump to conclusions about the other person’s actions (see the first use of “crossword” above), but usually they say more about us than about the person we slam.

When we belittle others we are judging them (“Judge not” Luke 6:37) often by harsher criteria than we use to correct ourselves (“Remove the log from your own eye” Matthew 7:3-5). We are trying to puff ourselves up by bringing others down, but such nastiness only reveals the smallness of our own character. Such insults also can crush the other person emotionally, or cause an equal reaction in them by which they become hateful and angry back at us (or the next person who upsets them). How many children have grown up under emotional and verbal abuse, who then treat their own children the same way, perpetuating the hurt and estrangement?

This is not to say we cannot ever criticize an action or attitude; we are to call sin, sin. But it’s far different to correct a sin than to condemn the sinner; Scripture tells us the purpose of calling out sin is to win back and restore our sinning brother or sister by correcting them gently (Galatians 6:1).

Jesus spoke plainly about our duty to speak well to and of each other. He told us to bless those who curse us, for what good is there in loving only those who love us? He also warned us that insulting others was a sin similar to murder: ““You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire” (Matthew 5:21-22).

The command not to speak ill of each other goes back to the Decalogue, or what we call the Ten Commandments. Command number eight tells us not to bear false witness against our neighbor. While at first glance, we might think that bad-mouthing a person is not the same as lying about them to others, Martin Luther captured the full sense of that command in his Small Catechism. He explained the command this way: “We should fear and love God that we may not deceitfully belie, betray, slander, or defame our neighbor, but defend him, think and speak well of him, and put the best construction on everything.” Not much room there for name-calling! Cross words are not appropriate language for a Christian.

3. Now, the third use of “Crosswords.” Whereas the first two uses are about the Law, that is, what we should do and not do, this third use is about the Gospel. And the Gospel is about what Jesus Christ has done for us, to save us from condemnation for our failure to live up to the Law and all its demands.

These are the Words of the Lord spoken to us by the Cross on which Jesus died, bearing the judgment and punishment of all our sins, including our failure to keep the Law regarding not judging and insulting our neighbors. These “Cross-Words” were both literally spoken by Christ and written by his apostles, and shown to us by the very death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Consider just some of the words recorded for us by Scripture:

1. “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Spoken from the cross by Christ.

2. “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,” (Ephesians 1:7).

3. “And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:27-28). Spoken by Christ at the Last Supper.

4. “The blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

5. “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

6. “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross” (Colossians 1:19-21).

7. “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:13-14).

Now those are the cross-words that really matter! For by his death on the cross, and through the promises made by God to us on behalf of his Son’s sacrificial death for our sake, Jesus has reconciled us to God, forgiven all our sins, and opened the door to eternal life. Therefore, I don’t need to get a new crossword puzzle each Sunday, when each Sunday I can hear the real Cross-words, proclaimed as they have been since that day when our Lord and Savior died to give us life. To him be the glory, now and forever!

And now, may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Luke 6:27-42 and Colossians 1

 

Pluribus or Unum?

This past weekend, our town celebrated its ethnic diversity by holding its annual Multicultural Festival. It’s a gathering of the community showcasing many different cultures through art, dance, traditional costumes, and (my favorite) a variety of foods. We didn’t make this year’s event, but attended previously, and found it to be fun and educational. Also, uplifting, to see so many different cultures represented here in our town, brought by people from around the world who found Elk Grove to be a desirable place to live. As people who have now lived here for 25 years ourselves, we can understand some of the attractions.

In relation to such rich diversity in our country, I have heard some people, mostly politicians, speak glowingly of such variety, saying, “Diversity is our strength.” But is it?

I believe diversity can be a great strength, if it is paired with another, vital social attribute: unity. This important connection is best expressed in our country’s motto, first adopted in 1782: E Pluribus Unum (out of many, one). This motto, which proclaimed the unity of the thirteen states and their common federal government, is even more relevant today when applied to the makeup of our citizenry. More than two centuries have seen waves of immigrants (some legal, some illegal, and some forced against their will) from all over the world come to this country.

So why is a 240 year-old motto still relevant? Because, if you have only pluribus or unum, you’ve got big problems.

First: If pluribus is all you have, you can end up with factions, rivalries, disputes, and eventually, chaos. Historically, the term, “Balkanization,” was invented to describe such a situation in the Balkan countries (such as what was Yugoslavia), where a number of small countries with different ethnic divisions fought each other. The term is now applied to any country or region that breaks apart into small, contending factions, leaving the whole vulnerable and beset by constant war.

I enjoy studying languages. Besides the intellectual challenge, I like being able to understand other people and communicate in their languages. I wish I could read and understand all 6,500 languages! (Good thing I’ve got eternity ahead to work on it.) I love that there are so many languages, but when everyone speaks a different language only, it’s hard to connect or accomplish anything together. Think of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11); how did God stop that project? By confusing their one common language so no one could understand each other. The project stopped and the people spread out, going different ways. Diversity was not their strength.

I believe everyone ought to be able to speak two or three languages fluently, if for no other reason than to better understand other people and their cultures. But at the same time, I believe we should all share one common language, too, so that we can all better communicate with each other. That way no one is an “outsider” who has to sit out while the rest of us communicate with each other.

When people interact and communicate openly with each other, and desire unity, walls can break down and people whose ancestors were enemies can end up becoming good friends. Think of former enemies of the US: France, England, Germany, Japan, Italy, etc. which are now allies. Think of Lutheran immigrants from Northern Europe who settled in the Midwest, setting up different Lutheran churches on each corner according to language: Swedes, Norwegians, Danes, Finns, and Germans. Over time, those differences diminished and their new, American identity (and English language) took over. Unity brought together diversity. Pluribus needs unum to be compete.

Second, if all you have is unity, the result is a bland sameness and tyranny. Did I say “tyranny”? Yes I did, because the only way you can have complete unity is by forcing it on people who want to think, act, dress, dance, sing, speak, and write in different ways. Whoever is in power sees any divergence from the approved order of things as a threat to society that must be stamped out. Dictators around the world have always suppressed speech, press, religion, and even minority languages to force common allegiance to the state. In the name of unity, they have oppressed anyone who dares step out of line, even committing genocide to force purity of race or religion.

Even if everyone were willing to adopt one common culture and language, how bland and repetitious would society be? Variety is the spice of life, according to one old saying, and there is much truth to it (especially if the spice is jalapeno!); if we all dressed the same, ate the same food all the time, wore our hair (or lack of it) the same, how boring would that be? Gone would be varieties of food, song, dance, art, etc. that have enriched the human race and shown off the great skills and creativity with which people have solved basic human needs over the millennia. That doesn’t sound too exciting to me (as just today I bought some sauerkraut, ate an English muffin, munched on some tortilla chips, and had some fettuccine Alfredo and a Caesar salad. Maybe some ramen noodles for a bed snack?). No, unity without diversity can be trouble; unum needs pluribus to be complete.

So, how does this issue relate to the Church?

The Christian Church has the same tension between unity and diversity that is experienced by the societies in which it operates. Here are some aspects to that:

1. There is the matter of ethnic and racial diversity. While churches can feel the pressures of cultural divisions reflected by their members (refer to the comment above about Lutheran churches in America divided by their languages and ethnicities), ultimately, the Church around the world is and will be eternally comprised of the greatest diversity. The Bible is clear that not only is God the Creator of all people, he also desires all kinds of people to be saved and to dwell with him in eternity.

From Old Testament prophets who foretold all nations coming to worship God on his holy mountain (Isaiah 11:1-10 and 66:20), to Jesus commanding his disciples to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20), to John’s revelation of heaven in which he saw “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,” (Revelation 7) God’s desire is to save us. He is not willing that anyone should perish, but that all would come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). He so loved the world (that’s everybody!) that he gave his only Son, so that whoever (that’s anyone!) who believes in him shall be saved (John 3:16). God’s love is universal; his Church is the largest faith on earth today, and the most diverse in people and cultures from around the world.

One Sunday in 1988 I worshiped at a Lutheran church in Helsinki, Finland. The service was in English (led by an American pastor from one of the Dakotas), but the small congregation was representative of what heaven will be like: worshipers were from Australia, Germany, Finland, and even from Namibia in southwest Africa. One of the Namibians was the mother of that country’s president. We were all different, but united in our faith.

2. Unfortunately, just as countries can be divided, so can the Church. I’m not talking about disputes over what color to paint the church door, or what kind of clothes the pastors should wear when preaching, but about matters of real importance. I’m talking about doctrines and essential practices such as baptism and communion. Over the centuries Christians have disagreed on the Nicene Creed (does the Holy Spirit proceed from just the Father or from both the Father and the Son?), the nature of Christ (God or man or both?), the cessation or continuation of the charismatic gifts, the role of the Church in society, and how we are saved (by grace or by the works which grace enables?). Some baptize infants, others insist on a “believer’s baptism.” Some believe that communion is only a symbol but done by obedience, others recognize that Christ’s true body and blood are received with the elements, and still others say the elements change physically into flesh and blood.

Schisms, anathemas (curses) and even wars have resulted from such divisions, and though settling such issues is important (the Bible commands true doctrine and condemns false teachings), the resulting divisions are a scandal to the world. Rather than presenting a united (unum) message to the world, we have such a diversity of beliefs (pluribus), that you can find some theologian, preacher, or church body that will proclaim just about anything. We see the Balkanization and weakening of the Church.

3. What we need in the Church is unum. Yes, we are a very diverse group of people consisting of people from every nation, tribe, and language. Our cultures and forms of worship vary. (Luther said, “Liberty must prevail in these matters and Christians must not be bound by laws and ordinances. That is why the Scriptures prescribe nothing in these matters, but allow for freedom for the Spirit to act according to his own understanding as the respective place, time, and persons may require it.”) Our songs and hymns vary. Our languages vary. But what must not vary is the Gospel.

For ultimately, we are one people, a royal priesthood, a chosen nation, created and called out by God from darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). We are one, for which Christ prayed in the Upper Room, as he is one with the Father (John 17:21). We are one, because “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).

So which should we seek? Pluribus, or unum? The answer for Christ’s Church, for America and the world, and indeed, even for my town, has to be “E pluribus unum.” Let us celebrate our diversity – but in unity, for we have but one God, Creator and Savior of us all. To him be the glory. Amen.

And now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Genesis 11:1-9, Ephesians 4:1-16, Revelation 7:9-17

 

Don’t Get Stung!

Over the past few weeks, Karen and I have been under assault by swarms of paper wasps that have taken up residence all around our house. And I mean, all around. They have built nests on every corner of our roof line, under the front porch overhang within three feet of the door, and even in our outside electrical box. Now, normally, I have a “live and let live” attitude toward all God’s creatures (except the ones with tasty meat on them), so I wouldn’t object to bees and wasps doing their thing.

But this summer has produced so many wasps, the risks of getting buzzed and stung have greatly increased. That, and the fact we have house painters coming over next week to do their thing, means we had to get the flying stingers under control. We could hardly have painters getting stung and falling off their ladders and scaffolds.

Since two of the nests greatly impeded our movement in and out of the house, I attacked them first. Under cover of darkness, when the temperature had dropped to where the wasps would be sluggish, I bravely sprayed the two most dangerous nests, and then quickly ducked back into the house. Each nest had over 20 adult wasps in it, which the spray took care of. Unfortunately, that was but a small portion of the total population, so I called in a professional exterminator. And stayed inside while he worked. Just to be safe. We did unlock our doors so he could duck inside in case he was attacked.

Which he was.

He sprayed all the affected areas, but the last we saw of him was him running from the wasps, spraying back over his shoulder as he ran. And the last we heard was him yelling when he got stung. In the days since then, the situation has much improved; the few wasps we’ve seen seem to be flying in from other locations. It’s just too bad the exterminator got stung.

When I thought about getting stung, a passage of Scripture came to mind. I thought of 1 Corinthians 15, where Paul writes about Christ’s resurrection and ours. After proclaiming the day will come when our perishable and mortal nature puts on the imperishable and immortal, Paul says, “. . . then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.”

The more I considered stinging as a metaphor for sin, the more I saw an analogy between what we were experiencing with our wasps and the dangers of sin. Some of my thoughts were the following:

  1. Infestations of wasps can start small. Likewise, sins can start small and be hardly noticeable in our daily lives: a small indiscretion here, a well-meaning lie there, a fudge of taxes here, an “innocent” flirtation there. It may all seem normal and harmless (it’s not – see James 2:10, “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.”) but just as the few wasps produced hundreds more until we could no longer ignore the consequences, so one small “peccadillo” can lead to more and worse trespasses. One lie leads to another; coveting leads to theft; anger leads to violence.

2. A live and let live attitude may be good in many ways, but when it comes to sin, we can’t ignore it and hope it goes away. What doesn’t seem to bother us or be our business does have a ripple effect on our lives and on our society. Hearts are hardened and sin is accepted, even celebrated. The more sin is winked at or openly condoned, the more it flourishes, building nests and strongholds which make it hard to root out. Even if there are not immediate practical consequences to us from other people’s sins, the fact we accept it cannot help but sear our souls. When we excuse sin or call it “victimless,” we are “calling evil good” (Isaiah 5:20) and earning a “woe to you” from God.

3. Another part of the wasp analogy to sin is the fact that our home was not immune to their invasion. Sin is not just something that happens to other people out there somewhere, but comes crouching right at our door (see Genesis 4 and God’s warning to Cain before he murdered his brother), ready to come in and infest our homes themselves. If we don’t address sin when it first shows itself in our lives, we will suffer its consequences. As believers in Christ, I don’t believe we are lost because of our sins (after all, we all continue to sin even when we detest doing so – see 1 John 1:8 and Romans 7); Christ came to redeem us from the eternal consequences of our sins. But there are still earthly consequences from our sins, affecting ourselves and other people and hurting and even ruining lives. We can lead and cause miserable lives here due to sin, even as we look forward to heaven.

4. When you sin, you get stung. Those earthly consequences can be devastating to us and those we love. Relationships suffer or are broken completely, people are hurt, and our lives can be overturned. Divorce, estrangement of children, criminal charges and punishments can change our lives for the worse.

It’s interesting that police conduct what are called “sting” operations to catch criminals. My favorite story is of investigators in New York who suspected a man in Washington State of being a murderer. They even had the killer’s DNA, but not enough direct evidence to warrant testing him directly. So, the police invented a phony lottery, and mailed the man a notice that he had won a huge prize. He just had to return the enclosed envelope accepting the prize and show up to claim it. The suspect sent back the acceptance letter and showed up on the designated day – only to be promptly arrested. When he licked the return envelope, traces of his DNA appeared on the glue, providing the needed evidence. The man sinned against God and man, and got stung for his actions.

5. Sin leads to death. In the case of the wasps, probably dozens, if not hundreds, of them died. If enough of the wasps had stung one of us or the exterminator, we could have died. So also with us and sin. The only way to finally deal with sin is through death. Romans 5:12 teaches, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned. . .” Likewise, Romans 6:23 begins: “For the wages of sin is death.” Paul continues in Romans 6:23 by adding, “. . . but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Fortunately for us, God loved us enough to provide us with someone to bear the punishment of death that our sins have earned. Christ is the Great Exterminator, who though he suffered the sting of sin for our sake, won the victory, eliminating sin and its eternal consequences. Thank you Jesus!

6. We must remain constantly vigilant, lest the wasps (and sin) take hold once again. One victory does not mean the war is over. We may resist one temptation, only to be hit with another when we think we are safe. We must respond quickly to the first signs of either problem. How do we do that?

In the case of the wasps: “Let us spray!”

In the case of sins: “Let us pray!”

Ultimately, we have the victory over sin only in Jesus Christ. When we are found in him, we are victorious. We share in his victory. Our sins were nailed to the cross with him, and forgiven totally by God. We are reconciled to our Creator, and can look forward confidently to eternal life without sin or death. When we trust in God’s Word, we read not only that our sins are forgiven, but that Christ understands our temptations and that he will provide us a way out of every temptation to sin. His Holy Spirit guides and warns us about the sins which are trying to build nests in our hearts and minds; only through him can those inroads be cleared out.

This life will not always be easy, but we need not live it alone, for God is with us, and promises never to leave or forsake us. May you always rest assured in that!

May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: 1 Corinthians 15, Romans 7, Hosea 13:14

P.S. This is my 100th blog since I started in January 2017! Thank you to everyone who has commented and encouraged me to continue!