Health Crisis

For the first time in years, my wife and I face the prospect of having no health insurance. We were covered through her employer’s plan but, since she lost her job (“work force reduction”), we are faced with the loss of medical coverage as well.

As we explored the complex world of health insurance, I was overwhelmed by the myriad of choices and the incredible expense of the various plans. A good plan is almost unaffordable!

It’s not because we’re in bad health. We’ve just gotten older. That means higher premiums.

So, since we still have some time to go before we’re eligible for Medicare, we need coverage. The challenge is finding something affordable! I still have hope that we will.

The last time we were uninsured like this was when I was in graduate school and we still had four children at home. We struggled to pay each doctor’s bill. Every illness brought a concern for how we would pay for the health care we needed.

Today our situation is not much different than that of others who’ve lost employment during this recession. It’s no wonder health care is such a hot topic! Many are concerned with how to afford quality health care when they need it.

What if we were as concerned about our spiritual health as we are our physical health?

“Now hold on, just a minute,” you may say. “Isn’t our physical health more important?”

Some say, “Yes,” but I would beg to differ. Many today are facing a spiritual health crisis and don’t know it. And that crisis is a greater threat to them than any health care crisis.

Now don’t get me wrong. I believe you should do all you can to take care of your body. But I also believe you should make at least the same effort to care for your soul.

We are naturally afraid of things that threaten our health and wellbeing. Words like ‘cancer’ and ‘airplane crash’ strike fear in our hearts. We avoid going on vacation to places like Mexico or North Africa where violent people may harm us.

But Jesus said, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell.”

What’s he saying? Is he saying that our body isn’t important? No. What he’s saying is that the condition of our souls is much more important than what happens to our bodies.

Why? Because our bodies won’t last forever. However, the Bible teaches that God made us with an immortal soul. It says that after this life comes eternal life. And that we will spend eternity either with God or else separated from him forever in a horrible place called hell.

It is not God’s intention for anyone to go to hell. That’s why he went out of his way to make available to everyone a ‘Spiritual Health Care Plan.’ Not only is it available to all, it is completely affordable. It is free to everyone through faith in Jesus Christ.

Instead of being difficult to comprehend (like medical insurance), God made his plan so simple even children understand it.

The Bible describes it like this: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

Health insurance? Yes, I’m still concerned about it. And I’m trusting in God’s promise to provide for my needs. But since I put my faith and trust in Jesus Christ, my spiritual health is now assured. I’m “good to go” --into eternity. Are you?

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

Freedom Watch

For more than two weeks we watched spellbound as a real time revolution unfolded on our television screens. The city of Cairo, Egypt seemed to teeter on the edge of anarchy.

Then the streets of Egypt transformed before our eyes. Last Friday hundreds of thousands danced, wept and prayed in joyful celebration after their peaceful protests forced President Hosni Mubarak to surrender power to the military.

According to the Egyptians, Mubarak’s 30 years as the last ‘Pharaoh’ were finally over.

Now it seems possible that the fire of freedom may spread from Egypt to other oppressed nations. If it could happen in Egypt, could it happen elsewhere? Many hope so.

One picture that captured my heart was of an Egyptian holding a sign that said, “TODAY MY REAL BIRTHDAY. I’M FREE.”

After years of oppression and fear, the taste of freedom was exhilarating. Almost like being reborn into a new life—a life of freedom. What could be better?

To taste real freedom would be better. Do you know what it’s like to be really free?

“Now hold on just a minute!” you say. “I’m an American. I was born free!”

That may be true. But there’s freedom and then there’s REAL freedom.

Political freedom is a wonderful thing. But it is possible to be politically free and still a slave. A slave spiritually, that is.

Two thousand years ago Jesus Christ spoke to the people of his day about freedom. He said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

But they protested, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”

Jesus replied, “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son [of God] sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Later he added, “If anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”

According to the Bible, sin is disobeying God. Ignoring him. And sin leads to death.

But the true human problem is the attitude behind a rebellious heart that says, “I don’t need God or anyone else telling me how to run my life.” That attitude reveals we are slaves to sin.

Imagine life if you were free from slavery to sin and free from the fear of death. Now that would be real freedom! Even if you lived under a dictator your spirit would be free.

Freedom outwardly is wonderful. But freedom inwardly is truly being reborn!

So how can one find inner freedom? According to the Bible, it comes through faith in Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection. He willingly died in our place so we could be forgiven.

Many people find this hard to believe. It seems too good to be true. But for those who take God at his word and believe him, there is real freedom and forgiveness—and they know it’s true.

If you have ever lain awake in bed and thought, “I would give anything to undo what I’ve done.” If you have ever looked in the mirror and said, “I can’t believe what I have become”--to you the God of the Bible offers forgiveness and a brand new start in life. You can be born again.

It was wonderful to watch the people of Egypt break free from political oppression and taste the freedom of liberty. But it’s nowhere near as exhilarating as the joy and freedom that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. And it’s for everyone in every nation of the whole world.

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

Five Words

How do you describe your greatest accomplishment? What words describe your best day on the job--the pinnacle of your career? Could you do it in five words?

For Greg Jennings, wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers, it was simple. After scoring two touchdowns in a Super Bowl XLV victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday, he summed it up in a post-game interview with just five words: “To God be the glory!”

Jennings finished the game with four receptions for 64 yards and two touchdowns. But more importantly, he was Quarterback Aaron Rogers’ go-to receiver after Donald Driver left the game with an injury. Arguably Jennings could’ve been the games’ MVP (Most Valuable Player).

That might have bothered some players, but not Jennings. As he left the game, Jennings exclaimed, “It’s a great day to be great, baby!”

Then, in his post-game interview with Fox’s Pam Oliver, he was asked, “Where do you begin to talk about everything you guys have been through and now look at this moment?”

Jennings’ response? “To God be the glory!” He then described the game and concluded with the same thought, “To God be the glory!”

His first and last statements during the interview were “To God be the glory!”

Other players in similar interviews have responded with something like, “I’m going to Disney World!” Why was Jennings’ response different? Because he is a Christian.

“Now hold on just a minute,” you say. “What difference does that make?”

All the difference in the world.

The Bible tells us that we were created for God’s glory, not our own. So when a person trusts in Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sin and becomes a child of God, his life then becomes a living example of God’s grace. And all that God does through him is a reflection of God’s glory.

God tells us in the Bible to do all we do for his sake and he will reward us. The Bible says, “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

When others see us glorify God, like in Greg Jennings’ interview, they realize that God gets the credit for our success because he has helped us. But even if others don’t see our efforts, Jesus said, “Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Christians look for God’s approval and not just the approval of others, which is fleeting.

What’s the benefit of choosing to please God? Less stress. Because if God is happy with you, then you’re happy. And it helps you focus on living a life of service instead of self-absorption.

Those that joyfully serve others live much happier lives than people stuck in the never-satisfying cycle of self-promotion. At least that’s my observation, as a pastor and counselor.

For the Christian, Jesus Christ is the example of a life well lived. As he said of himself, “The Son of man came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.”

Many people try the path of selfishness only to find it empty and devoid of meaning. Greg Jennings, in an earlier interview, said he tried to live without God’s help, “but it didn’t work.”

Jennings told reporters that his father is a pastor, so he was brought up in the faith, but drifted away. When he finally came “face to face with God,” Jennings said he remembered that “to whom much is given much is required.”

So for Jennings, that post-game interview wasn’t just five words of lip service to God. It summarized his whole approach to life. What five words would describe yours?

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

Tipping Point

Peace is unraveling in the Middle East. Is the world at a tipping point?

Former President Jimmy Carter said Sunday that the political unrest and rioting in Egypt “is the most profound situation in the Middle East” since he left office in 1981. What’s going on?

In my previous column, “Turbulent Times,” I wrote how 2010 was described in an Associated Press story as the “world gone wild.” Last year saw all kinds of freakish weather.

This year it not only continues (the media called the last Northeast storm “Snowmageddon”) but we can add to it political turmoil that threatens both the political and economic stability in the world. Carter described the tense situation in Egypt as “Earth-shaking.”

While Americans cautiously celebrated a recovering stock market and hoped the recession was ending, suddenly half the world seems to be “going to hell in a hand basket.”

Is this the tipping point that takes the world into chaos or the End Times?

“Now hold on just a minute! Aren’t you getting a little carried away?”

No more than Jimmy Carter. And since he’s credited with brokering the peace accord between Egypt and Israel in 1978 and knows the key figures involved, I’d say he has a better handle on the situation there than the average American.

Amazingly, Jesus Christ predicted the kind of events we’re now seeing. He said, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.”

Jesus was not speaking of the birth of a child. He was talking about the beginning of a new era. In Jesus’ day when the Jewish Rabbis spoke of “birth pains” they were referring to the sufferings that were to precede “the day of the Lord,” that is, the coming of the Messiah.

The Old Testament prophet, Isaiah, foretold such a time.

A good friend of mine, Micah Winefeld, is a student of Bible prophecy and the Middle East. He recently wrote, “If I were to write a script for a movie or play about world conditions before the Rapture of the church, I could not create one any better than the current events unfolding at this very hour. Our world is on the verge of economic meltdown, creating the perfect conditions for what many believe will be the beginning of a New World Order and a one-world currency.”

The “Rapture of the church” that he refers to is the return of Jesus Christ for his Church before a terrible time of judgment on the world called the Great Tribulation in Bible prophecy.

Now I am not, by nature, an alarmist. But as I observed last October in my column “Triple Threat,” the world may be about to suddenly change from what we have known.

I wrote that the three monotheistic religions of the world, Judaism, Christianity and Islam all share similar, Messianic “End Times” expectations. And in all three groups there is a growing expectancy that Jesus Christ, or someone like him, is about to come.

One group of Shiite Muslims (Twelvers) believe that worldwide chaos and destruction will hasten the return of their messianic “hidden” or Twelfth Imam.

As I said last October, “Regardless of what you believe about the Bible and its prophecies, just a brief review of these facts should be interesting, if not disturbing.”

Is the world at a tipping point? Only time will tell. Come to Jesus Christ for an inner peace that the world cannot take away. That’s why the Bible calls him the “Prince of Peace.”

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

Turbulent Times

Suppose the things that make you happy were gone in an instant.

According to an Associated Press story, last year saw the “world gone wild.” Heat waves, earthquakes, floods, volcanoes, tsunamis, super typhoons, drought, tornadoes, and blizzards—2010 had all that and more.

Natural disasters killed more people worldwide than did terrorism in the previous 40 years combined. Economic losses totaled $222 billion.

In the past few weeks, thousands of people in Australia lost everything in the worst flooding on record. In Brazil mudslides destroyed villages and families with no warning. In Arizona a crazy shooter indiscriminately took the lives of six people at a grocery store parking lot.

This year isn’t looking much better than 2010!

How can you be sure it won’t happen to you? And if it did, what would you do? Are we to live our lives in constant fear? How can we be at peace in such turbulent times?

Well hold on just a minute.

Catastrophes and tragedies are not new to this world. The world’s first parents, Adam and Eve, had to deal with tragedy when their son Cain killed his brother Abel. Suffering is part of living in a sin-cursed world. Evil can affect us all. Good people suffer like everyone else.

In Psalm 23, David the Shepherd-King tells us how people in the family of God cope with tragedy. He writes, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you [God] are with me.”

Calmness in the valley comes from confidence that God is our companion.

When a child of God comes to such a ‘valley,’ God says, “You’re not in this by yourself. I’m with you.” He has promised his children, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”

God will never be closer than when you are in the valley.

Even in Jesus’ day people were surprised by tragedy. A tower fell without warning and killed eighteen people. The Roman governor, Pilate, massacred worshippers in the temple.

What should be done? Jesus’ replied that we should turn from our sin and be sure we are right with God. None of us knows when our time will come.

The solution for facing the crises of life is as near as the Bible.

No matter where you are in your life spiritually, God invites you to draw closer to him. Jesus said, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.”

According to the Gospel of John chapter one and verse 12, if you will come to Jesus and receive him as your Lord and Savior, you become a child of God. And as his child, he is present in your life and promises to provide for you and protect you.

One of those promises (found in the Bible) is in Philippians chapter four and verse seven which says, “The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

So if you want a peace that can weather these turbulent times, come to Jesus. No one is too burdened, too bad, too old or too young to find rest and forgiveness in Christ.

Peace is not found in fame, fortune, religious practices or a church. Peace is found in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son of God. That’s the message of the Bible.

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

Face of Evil

Two weeks ago we saw the face of evil again. It showed up in a supermarket parking lot.

Jared Loughner’s picture from a Tucson, Arizona courtroom was stunning. The face of evil looked so human. No devilish horns and no pitchfork. He was just smirking.

His face was the face of any man. It could have been someone you knew.

Almost four years ago we grieved for students gunned down at Virginia Tech. Now we grieve again. For a nine-year-old girl. For a young man engaged to be married. And for an elderly husband protecting his wife. We have prayed with and for those who were hurt so deeply.

Now our focus is shifting. We are trying to understand why someone would do this. What was the shooter thinking? His video ramblings don’t help much. They leave us with more questions than answers. Others who are similarly deranged haven’t gone on killing sprees.

How can we comprehend such evil? How could someone commit such a crime?

Studies have been done on crime for years. Theories abound as to what causes it. Some thought it was the environment or the shape of a person’s head (Really?). After years of research and countless dollars, one study simply concluded that criminals cause crime.

Another expert observed that even babies—our ‘little angels,’—can become so angry that, if they had adult strength and abilities, they would probably kill or maim another person.

So much for everyone being “really ‘good’ deep down inside.” Is humanity hopeless?

Well hold on just a minute!

God says the problem is the human heart. Speaking through the Biblical prophet Jeremiah he said, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Who can know it?”

According to our Maker, evil intentions became the ‘default mode’ of the human heart after our first parents’ fall into sin. Instead of asking, “Why is there evil behavior?” we ought to ask, “Why isn’t there MORE criminal behavior?” The answer to that mystery is in the Bible.

God’s Word teaches that God acts as a ‘Restrainer’ in our world. Without God’s divine intervention, evil would be worse than it is. His purpose is revealed by the Scripture that says, “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

In the New Testament Gospel of John Jesus observed, “Men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” He adds, “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.”

The darkness of the human soul has a remedy. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” Through his death and resurrection, light overcame the darkness of evil.

Later Jesus sent the Apostle Paul to announce to the world that, through faith in the risen Christ, God would “open their eyes and turn them from darkness to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins.”

Crime started near the Garden of Eden with the first murder. It ends at Jesus’ cross with mercy and forgiveness. Through his sacrifice, evil’s darkness can be removed from us one person at a time.

Each of us must respond to the good news that Christ died for our sins. That’s why Christians want everyone to hear about Jesus who said, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” Only Jesus can save you from the evil in your own heart.

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

Toy Story

Is your life all about the toys?

My grandchildren are still enjoying their Christmas toys. And so are many adults.

Of course adults’ toys are a bit more expensive. As someone has said, “The only difference between men and boys is the price of their toys.”

If you knew me you would know I like technology. I enjoy its benefits.

Some people think that gadgets like computers, smartphones and electronic book readers are just toys. And for some they may be. But for others they are tools to increase effectiveness.

Whether something is a tool or a toy depends on your focus.

For example, a notebook computer helps me get work done and spend time with my family. On some Saturdays it allows me to accompany my wife to the mall. Then while she shops, I can write a column, catch up on correspondence or work on a sermon. Later we have lunch together.

Others live for the latest and greatest gadget. Techies want to be the first to have the newest electronic marvel. Many love to show it off and be the envy of all their friends and coworkers.

Such a shortsighted attitude could be summed up by the bumper sticker I once saw that said, “He who dies with the most toys, wins!”

There is a measure of happiness in purchasing and enjoying new things. But if your only point to living is the accumulation of things, then life will end in disappointment. Why? Because, even if you were the richest person in the world, you would leave it all behind when you die.

“Now hold on just a minute!” you say. “That’s depressing. What else is there to live for?”

What else, indeed! There has to be more to life than just accumulating property.

Jesus once said, “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Instead of life being all about us and our toys, Jesus turned things around and made life about others and serving them--God first and then our neighbors.

He knew that joy comes through personal generosity, not in hoarding things for oneself. The misers and the greedy falsely assume that amassing possessions or money will make them happy.

Jesus’ plan is far better. When people believe the good news that Jesus, the Son of God, died for their sin on the cross and rose from the dead to give them eternal life, their minds are changed completely. Life takes on a whole new meaning and they rearrange their life around God’s truth.

Suddenly they have peace with God. As the peace of God fills their minds, they are at peace with those around them. Jesus’ mission of reconciling men to God becomes their mission. And Jesus’ compassion for people in need becomes their compassion.

Because of this change of heart, a follower of Christ wants to use their possessions to bless others. If God has given them more than they need, they believe it’s to help the poor.

This change in perspective is so amazing and so complete that it’s hard to explain to someone who hasn’t personally experienced it.

For some people religion is like a new toy. They want it for the blessings, not the sacrifices. They’re like the people of Jesus’ day that followed him for the free meals and the health benefits.

But for people that love the Lord with their whole heart, toys become tools to accomplish a mission that is worldwide in scope and eternal in its impact. Sacrifices are part of the mission. As Jim Elliot said, “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

When you follow Jesus, life is no longer just about toys. It’s about being effective for eternity.

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