Monday, October 27, 2008

Taking Stock

For the first time since World War II a presidential election is not the top daily news story. Instead, “It’s the economy, stupid.” We’re told that stock shock is sweeping world markets.

What to do? Should investors buy or sell? Neither--but hold it for just a minute before you jump to conclusions about my sanity as a market guru!

“Neither” is a good answer because the best thing to do right now is take stock. That’s right. Do an inventory. Take stock of what you have that’s genuinely valuable. And no, it’s not gold.

Do you have faith in God through Jesus Christ? Do you have family that cares for you? Do you have friends? If so, then you’re wealthy beyond measure. And that’s wealth no one can tax!

The real issue is this: “What do you treasure? What’s most important to you?” Because the answer to that determines how you invest your time. And time is one of the most important commodities you have. Once you spend it you can never reinvest it.

Many people are addicted to behaviors they end up regretting. Things like sports, shopping, video games and worse (drugs, gambling, or pornography). Such behaviors can steal your time.

My friend, Bob Collitt, once said, “Some men die in battle, some men die in flames; others perish inch by inch while playing silly games.” If only there was a way to get more out of life!

There is if you take a lesson from coupons. Have you heard that coupons are popular again? Due to the sour economy there are web sites and newsletters devoted to redeeming coupons. Some savvy shoppers claim they pay next to nothing on most shopping trips.

Now while redeeming coupons is smart, redeeming time is essential to a well-lived life.

How can you redeem time? The Bible tells us, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but wise, making the most of every opportunity.” God gives wisdom for life.

Until illness intervenes or old age approaches, most people give time little thought. Many assume they have an unlimited amount available. But the truth is the quite the opposite.

Some people hoard money and waste time. They spend their whole life squandering life’s greatest gift. And then they die full of regret.

Do you want to avoid a similar fate? Invest in things that matter most. Enduring things like faith, family and friends. Investigate and begin a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

When you think about it, very few things are eternal. You have an eternal soul. So do others. God is eternal. Yet many people ignore the eternal and focus on the temporary.

That’s why Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Another time he asked, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet lose his soul?”

If you invest in the stock market, sooner or later you hear, “You have to be in it for the long term.” That’s good advice for life also. The choices you make now have eternal consequences.

To live for things and trade your life for money is one of life’s greatest delusions. One day you will leave it all behind. And as you head into eternity empty-handed you will wonder if there might not have been a better way to invest your life.

When I worked in retail we took inventories so we knew what to keep and what to get rid of. Merchandise only makes a profit when it sells. Products that just sit there waste space.

So before your life ends--do an inventory. Take stock. Is something wasting space? Get rid of it and invest in eternal things. Oh, and don’t put it off. As Cricket sports star and missionary C.T. Studd said, “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!

Monday, October 20, 2008

Stark Contrast

Americans stand at a crossroads. Which direction will we go?

Never before have our choices been so different. So opposite.

Good or evil. Darkness or light. Love or hate. Forgiveness or revenge. Right or wrong.

And then there’s the election in November. But that’s not our most important choice.

“Well hold on just a minute! What’s more important than choosing our next President?”

The most critical choice Americans face is not at the polls. It’s in our minds.

So before you vote in November, decide whom you will serve: the God of the Bible or the god of self. Because, as Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters.”

One opinion editorial I recently read could be summed up like this: “You can vote for values and principles if you want, but I’m voting what’s best for me.”

That begs the question, “Why are you so important? Why do you think what’s best for you best for the country?”

The answer may be that people think like that because America is broken.

If you really listen to the speeches, no political leader knows how to fix America. They just want the opportunity to try out their ideas. No one knows if they’ll work.

Besides, how do we fix greed, evil or self-centeredness? Governments can’t fix those.

If presidents or parliaments could fix nations, wouldn’t we be on the right path by now? I mean, how long does it take? Every time we vote we hope--but the politicians let us down.

What we really need are leaders like the men of Issachar. “Who?” The men of Issachar.

To learn who they were you need a Bible. Go to the Old Testament book of 1 Chronicles chapter 12 and verse 32. During a time of national crisis it says these men “understood the times and knew what Israel should do.”

Compare the men of Issachar to those who would lead us today. It’s a stark contrast.

Now most partisans believe the candidate they’ve picked can lead us back to the “Promised Land” of the American Dream. But given the economic and moral mess we’re in, such leadership requires more than human ingenuity. Divine wisdom would come in handy.

First we must pick the right God. But which one, since Americans worship so many?

Israel’s general, Joshua, clearly described the choice we face today. He said, “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. Whether the gods your forefathers served…or the gods of the…land you are living in. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

When America considered herself a Christian nation, when she served the God of the Bible, she became a great and powerful nation. But as we have turned our backs on him, he is turning his back on us.

The Biblical prophet Jeremiah revealed that if a nation served and obeyed God, he would protect and reward it. Then God added, “‘But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy it,’ declares the LORD.”

My question is this: “Is anybody listening to God?” Or are we so distracted by weather catastrophes and economic meltdowns that we fail to see his hand at work behind the scenes?

Maybe God is trying to shake our confidence in wealth, politics and American ingenuity.

Perhaps the right conclusion to draw from the Bible in light of our trials is that only God will never let you down. Politicians fail. Only a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is forever.

Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!

Monday, October 13, 2008

Heated Debate

I love a good debate. My wife? —not so much. She thinks it’s arguing.

As a result, I find myself watching the Presidential debates alone. Wincing at some remarks and hoping for a civil debate about the issues--it can be a frustrating experience.

My love of debating started in High School. I was blessed to have a teacher who encouraged reading news magazines, discussing current events and critical thinking.

In college the coffee shop was the place for lively debate. In grad school it was the Seminary lounge. Sometimes it got a little heated, but we were sharpening our logic and our minds.

The only thing worse than a dull mind is the attitude it produces--an attitude that says, “Don’t bother me with the facts. My mind is made up and you’re not changing it!”

A wise person once said, “By the time most people are 30 they’re like concrete—thoroughly mixed up and firmly set.”

What keeps that from happening? Reading widely, talking with others and critical thinking.

As a result, I read constantly. I like “Letters to the Editor” and the editorial pages in the newspaper. Why? Because I get to evaluate the thinking of people who disagree with me.

Without a challenge to our assumptions, without an objection to our worldview, how do we know we are right?

“Now hold on just a minute!” someone will say. “I know I’m right because I’m right! And I believe it with all my heart.”

Okaaaaaay. Would you explain that to me one more time?

Sound thinking is especially important when it comes to spiritual matters. Faith and reason are not contradictory. They are complimentary. But not everyone sees it that way.

Comedian Bill Maher’s recent mockumentary movie, “Religulous,” insists Christianity “stops people from thinking.” Is that true? Do Christians check their brains at the door?

In reality, nothing could be further from the truth.

True, some Christians aren’t thoughtful about their faith--but that’s by choice. And while anti-intellectualism is present in some places, Christians should never make a virtue of not thinking. In fact history will support the claim that, for the most part, we haven’t.

Many of history’s greatest thinkers were Christians. Faith was central in their quest for truth.

The Bible tells us to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind.” It adds, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”

God’s invitation to consider our spiritual needs says, “Come now, let us reason together.” And early Christians, like the Apostle Paul, “reasoned” with doubters.

So when it comes to faith and spirituality, how about a thoughtful discussion? Let’s get off our “talking points” and explore truth. Because the truth is all that matters.

The next time you’re in a heated debate, remember these wise words from the Bible: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of a fool gushes folly.”

A heated debate--anger, accusations or slander--doesn’t win the day. Neither does mocking another’s beliefs. Know why you believe what you believe. Then explain it as simply as you can.

If what you say is true, it’s like planting a seed. When the soil is good, it bears good fruit.

Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!

Monday, October 6, 2008

Alien Nation

Is America a sick country or are we just strange--or worse?

It’s my belief that if our founding fathers were somehow permitted to tour America today, they would not recognize it as the nation they gave their blood, sweat and tears to create.

They would think they were in an alien nation! A country of people with unfamiliar ideas.

A few weeks ago, I received an email that made me think about how far we’ve come—just since World War II. The email was reportedly written by an 80 year old man. I can’t verify its validity, but it made a lot of sense. Maybe you saw it. It’s all over the Internet.

The author believed President Bush made a terrible mistake going to war in Iraq. But he suggested that the mistake was not the war against terror but his foundational assumption.

“Bush's mistake,” he wrote, “came in his belief that this country is the same one his father fought for in World War II. It is not!”

Now hold it right there for just a minute! Not the same country? He’s kidding, right?

I wish he were. But he’s right on.

The article continued: “No, President Bush did not make a mistake in his handling of terrorism. He made the mistake of believing that we still had the courage and fortitude of our fathers. He believed that this was still the country that our fathers fought so dearly to preserve!”

“It is not the same country. America is now a cross between Sodom and Gomorrah and the Land of Oz. We did unite for a short while after 9/11, but our attitude changed when we found out that defending our country would require some sacrifices.”

“Today, for many folks, America is not at war--the military is at war. America is at the mall!”

When I read those last two paragraphs, it hit me. America has become a different country!

Instead of sacrifice, Americans are into extravagance. Instead of liberty we want license—the unbridled pursuit of any and every passion that suits our fancy. Shame on us.

John Adams, the second President of the United States, wrote that our government did not have the power to control “human passions unbridled by moral and religion.” And then he added, “Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

In the House Judiciary Committee Report on March 27, 1854, the leaders of Congress issued the following observation: “At the time of the adoption of the Constitution and the amendments, the universal sentiment was that Christianity should be encouraged… In this age there can be no substitute for Christianity…That was the religion of the founders of the republic and they expected it to remain the religion of their descendants.”

A lot has happened in 154 years. Since then America has lost her faith, her morality, her will and her way. The question before us now is “Who will lead us and where will they take us?”

Sadly, some in America do not want God to be part of our future. They don’t believe that faith and politics belong together. They don’t want us to be a Christian nation. And when that becomes the majority view, we will truly have become an Alien Nation.

What’s the solution? As usual, the Bible has the answer. It says, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD.” The word “LORD” is the special name for the God of the Bible.

It is not too late for America to return to her spiritual roots. But it only happens one person at a time. Will we listen to God when he says, “Return to me and I will return to you”?

Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Reality Check

Living large has suddenly become too expensive for Mr. and Mrs. Average American.

Do you remember Stanley Johnson? He’s the guy in a 2004 TV commercial who shows off his great family, beautiful four-bedroom home and new car. “How do I do it?” he asks. “I’m in debt up to my eyeballs!” Then he adds, “I can barely pay my finance charges.”

After the bank’s pitch to take out a home equity loan or refinance one’s mortgage, Stanley pleads, “Somebody help me!” –all the while smiling and putting on a brave face.

It’s one of my favorite commercials. (You can still see it on YouTube.com)

Now with some of the nations’ biggest banks going broke, it’s no longer funny. Pundits and Editorials are all telling us, “We got in way over our heads.” It’s time to “pay the piper.”

Well hold on just a minute! What will become of the “American Dream”?

Some say the answer is to face the truth. A “Reality Check.” --But what is the “Truth”?

Is it just that we need to tighten our belts, buckle down, put our nose to the grindstone and “git ‘er done”? To just apply some good old American grit and ingenuity?

Maybe. But what if the problem, or the “reality,” goes much deeper than that?

The heart of the issue is really the issue of our hearts. People the world over try to fill the emptiness inside with the false security of possessions. And we believe “more is better.”

Like Madonna’s 1984 hit song, “Material Girl,” we’re all material girls and guys at heart. Materialism is the true religion of capitalist western civilizations.

The dictionary defines materialism as “devotion to material wealth and possessions at the expense of spiritual and intellectual values.” So materialism is the disease. Envy and greed are the symptoms. And the end result is an economy in crisis.

We have sold our souls to get more stuff. And now we have the devil to pay. So with Stanley Johnson we hang our heads and plead, “Somebody help me!”

Will an eleventh hour government bailout solve the real problem? Not hardly.

Oh, it may alleviate a financial crisis for a while, but it doesn’t solve the issue of the heart. What do we do about the selfish possessive greed that got us into this mess?

Only God can diagnose and fix what’s wrong with the human heart.

Jesus once told a story about a rich man who accumulated vast wealth and possessions. But then he died and left it all behind. Jesus said, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

The solution, Jesus said, was to be “rich toward God.” To “store up…treasures in heaven.”

How do we do that? By focusing our lives on things that have eternal value.

The Bible says the first step is to care for your own soul. How? By putting your trust in Jesus Christ to save you and forgive your sin. The next step is to obey and follow Jesus with your life.

As you follow Christ, you learn that God is the source of our money and possessions. We only get to use them for a little while. And God’s purpose is for us to use them to serve others and point them toward a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Through the Biblical prophet, Isaiah, God calls to us today: “Come…you who have no money. Why spend money on what…does not satisfy? …Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live.”

God is the ultimate reality check. The question is, “Will we pay attention to what he says?”

Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!

Lake Side Church of the Brethren

http://www.lakesidecob.org/

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