Hope for the World

     When a church is working right it presents and represents Jesus Christ, the hope of the world.  I hope you attend such a church.  It can make Sunday the highlight of your week!

     Sadly, many churches have stopped presenting hope for the world.  And most of their members didn’t realize it! These churches gradually became “Christian Clubs” with songs, rituals and gatherings that focus inward instead of outward. They serve themselves, not others.

     “Now hold it just a minute,” you say. “What does a church that’s ‘working right’ look like?”

     Great question!  And to answer it we turn to the Bible, the only authoritative Word of God for the church of Jesus Christ.  There, in the New Testament book of Acts, we find the answer. 

     The church was a vibrant growing group of people focused on worship, prayer, God’s Word, fellowship and serving others. They proclaimed the simple gospel of Jesus Christ:  “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.”  Lives were changed for good.

     The result was that “everyone was filled with awe” and the church grew incredibly fast. 

     What a church! It was the ‘happening place’ in Jerusalem. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?  Broken lives were restored and desperate people found help.  The fearful found peace, the empty were filled with purpose and those overcome with sorrow found joy.  It was amazing!

     Sadly, most Christians have settled for a church that is so much less.  In some the worship service is the most boring hour of the week.  Where is the awe and excitement?  What happened?

     What happened is that man tried to ‘improve’ on God’s plan for the church.  Some groups stopped taking the gospel message to others altogether and focused instead on fellowship.

     Other groups strayed from the simple gospel of Christ.  Instead of teaching forgiveness for all our sins as a gift of God, they taught you must believe in Jesus Christ AND follow a bunch of laws, ordinances and rituals.  Rather than salvation by GRACE, it was by ‘Good Works.’

     Some even went so far as to say, “The most damnable, heretical doctrine ever proclaimed by man is ‘saved by grace.’” Amazing–since that’s how God says we are saved from sin!

     The Bible says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

     Once we understand that forgiveness and a new life are God’s gift, everything changes.  The joy and freedom that result from faith in Christ are indescribable! Money and things, while still necessary, lose their attraction.  Religious rule keeping is replaced by a relationship with Christ. 

     People whose lives are truly changed by the gospel want everyone to have the same joy and freedom they have in Christ.  The love of God in their hearts gives them a compassion and love for others—just like Jesus had.  Life is no longer just about them and their desires.

     A Church with leaders and people like that is an oasis of hope in a hopeless world.

     When a church is ‘working right’ lives are transformed, prejudice is overcome, failures are forgiven and selfishness is replaced with a concern for others. Genuine hope becomes a reality.

     The solution is for people to return to the message and mission of the church in the Bible.

     If you’re not a part of a church like the Bible describes, change yours or find one that is!

     The church I pastor is not, nor is any church, ‘perfect.’ But we do have a perfect Savior, Jesus Christ.  Through faith in him we have peace with God, joy in our hearts and the forgiveness of sin.  We have Jesus, the Good Shepherd, to provide, protect and lead us. 

     All of that, plus God’s promise of eternal life--now that’s real hope for the world!

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

Who’s Ur Bff?

     I’ve tried to keep up with the language of the younger generation.  But text messaging has brought with it a whole new set of cryptic abbreviations.

     For instance, when two students are good friends one may text the other, “Ur my bff!”

     Now what in the world does that mean?  You only need to ask a teenager to find out.  It means, “You’re my Best Friend Forever!”

     We all need friends.  But experts tell us there’s a disturbing trend taking place. In the American Sociological Review, researchers cited evidence Americans have a third fewer close friends than twenty years ago.

     Even more disturbing, the data indicates the number of people who have no close personal friends has more than doubled. Even in families, intimacy has diminished considerably.

     As a result, many people feel lonelier and more isolated than ever.  We long to be appreciated and loved for who we are.

     Collier’s Magazine once published a story about a little girl in an orphanage.  The other children avoided her and the staff disliked her.  For some time they suspected she was writing secret notes to people outside of the orphanage.

     One day their suspicions were confirmed. Another orphan reported seeing her write a note and hide it on a tree near a stone wall. The director hurried to the tree and found the note.  Then he passed it silently to his assistant.  The note read: “To whoever finds this: I love you.”

     She wanted a friend.  More than that, she needed a bff.  Someone who would never leave her.

     But where can you find a bff?  Where can you find true friendship?  Look in your Bible.

     “Now hold on just a minute!” you say.  “Why do you always head for the Bible?”

     Because the Bible holds the answer for many of the difficult problems of Life.  And the truth is, Jesus Christ wants to be your bff–your best friend forever.

     Jesus was speaking to his followers when he said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.  Now remain in my love.” Then he says, “I have called you friends.”  He adds, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” 

     With those words Jesus predicted why he would die.  He knew that “the wages of sin is death.”  And that the only way to free us from sin’s penalty was for him to die in our place.

     Jesus wants to be your bff–best friend forever. Will you accept his offer of friendship today?

     After a person hears the good news about Christ they must decide:  “Am I willing to give up trying to earn God’s favor and stop working for my salvation?  Am I willing to accept the gift of forgiveness God offers to everyone through faith in Jesus Christ?”

     If you say, “Yes,” then you’re ready to give yourself to Christ. To believe and trust in God.  To become part of his forever family.  So if you will say to God, “Father, accept me and adopt me, not because of what I’ve done but because of what Jesus Christ did for me in dying on the cross”–if you will do that, then the Bible says you become a child of God. At that very moment.

     Sooner or later, people fail us.  Religious.  Nonreligious.  Even the most dependable friends can fail us.  But Jesus never will.  He promises, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  And he alone can keep that promise because, in his resurrection, he conquered death.

     The Bible is like Jesus’ note to you that says, “To whoever finds this: I love you.”  You’ll never find another friend like Jesus Christ because he truly can be your bff–best friend forever!

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

What’s In A Name?

     When you pray, does it matter what name you use?  I think so.  But not everyone agrees.

     A Dutch Roman Catholic bishop has proposed that Christians call God, “Allah.”  He suggested that if all who believe in one God (Jews, Christians and Muslims) would call him “Allah,” it would bring us closer together.  “What does God care what we call him?” he asked.

     Good question. So which name should we use? It all depends on who you want to hear you.

     Jews view God’s special name as too holy to speak and say “Adonai” (Lord). Christians pray to God the Father in Jesus’ name.  Muslims pray to Allah.  Is it just one God with several names? 

     Well hold it right there for just a minute.  It makes a big difference what name we call God.

     When you call a friend on the phone, would they respond to another person’s name? They’d probably say, “Wrong number!” And when you pray, you don’t want to reach a ‘wrong number.’

     Here’s the issue:  God’s name is not just another name like yours or mine.  In the Bible his name tells us something about his character, his nature and his relationship to his people. 

     When God revealed himself to Moses at the burning bush in the desert, he didn’t ask Moses to invent a name for him. Or a nickname. Moses asked God for his name and God said, “I AM.” 

     The God of the Bible is the self-existing God. We did not create him.  He created us.

     The Hebrew word for this name of God is “Yahweh” (often spelled “Jehovah”).  It means, “He is” or “He will be.” God said, “This is my name forever.”  Seems like God has a preference!

     God also told Moses, “I will be with you,” That promise included a form of God’s special name.  In effect, God pledged his person and being--through his special name--to be with his people.  His name tells us who he is and assures his people of his presence with them.

     Jesus applied this special name to himself in the New Testament saying, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I AM!”  The people of his day knew exactly what he meant--he was claiming to be their God!  And since they didn’t believe him, they accused him of blasphemy.

     The Bible says that an angel appeared to Jesus’ parents before his birth. The angel said, “You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”  ‘Jesus’ means ‘Jehovah saves.’  The angel also said Jesus would be called “the Son of the Most High.” 

     This presents those who say Allah is the God of the Bible with a problem: The Qur’an clearly denies Allah has a son.  Muslim scholars also tell us Allah is not seen as a personal deity in the sense that the Biblical God is. Plus the Qur’an considers the idea of a triune God as blasphemy.

     The Trinity, however, is essential to the Christian concept of God.  The Bible reaveals that the Father is God, the Son is God and the Holy Spirit is God.  Though it is a great mystery, all three are one God.  Jesus was not just a prophet (as Islam claims). He said he was God in human flesh.

     When Jesus taught us to pray, he said we should pray to “Our Father in Heaven.” Jesus also said we should make requests in his name.  Apparently using the right name IS important to God.

     So, if Allah has no son, ‘Allah’ can’t be the name of “Our Father.” And when we pray to the God of the Bible, if we say “Allah,” God could just say, “Wrong number!” And if Allah were God, since he has no son, what difference would prayer “in Jesus’ name” make to him?  None.

     These are not just ‘minor differences’ or a ‘points of discussion.’  Our entire faith and salvation depend upon who God is and what he did through Jesus Christ on the cross.

     Speaking of Jesus, the Bible says, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”  What’s in a name?  Everything!

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

Line in the Sand

     It was a line in the sand.  A line of yellow, blue, green and red beach umbrellas.

     I’d been to the beach many times yet I never noticed the ‘umbrella line.’  But there it was.

     Ignoring this line in the sand, we picked a spot closer to the ocean.

     No sooner were our umbrella and beach chairs set up than over walked a lifeguard.  In a friendly tone he told us we had to move because this beach town had an umbrella ordinance.  

     The lifeguard set up the umbrella line in the morning.   All other umbrellas had to be in line with those or behind them.  Since our umbrella was in front of the line, we had to move it.

     So I said, “No way–I’m not moving it!  No lifeguard is telling me what to do!  This is a free country and I paid good money to be on this beach.  Who are you to decide where the line is?”

     With that the lifeguard gave me a weird look and left us alone.

     “Now hold on just a minute,” you say.  “The lifeguard let you get away with it?”

     OK, not really.  I just made that part up.  If I hadn’t complied with the lifeguards’ request, I probably would’ve met a stern police officer, received a ticket and paid a hefty fine. 

     Since that’s not how I wanted our vacation to begin, we moved behind the line.

     But that incident made me think about how God has also put his ‘line in the sand.’  Only it's not a line of umbrellas and it carries more far more weight than a city ordinance.

     Many people think the Bible is a list of do's and don'ts. But for me it's more helpful to see it as a manual on how God designed life to work.  It tells us what works and what doesn't.

     God also makes clear the consequences for bad choices.  Why?  Because God wants us to fully enjoy life.  Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

     Over and over Jesus spoke of how blessed we are when we seek God, obey him and live according to his plan for life.  But not everyone follows God’s plan.

     The reason the Bible records the lives of so many people is to serve as examples for us.  Some made good choices and some bad.  Sadly, many today ignore the good examples, repeat the mistakes and suffer the consequences.

     Some people are bothered by restrictions on their behavior.  They don’t want anyone telling them what’s right or wrong.  They think the Bible is just a bunch of man-made rules.

     But what if it’s true?  True that God made us and made life work a certain way?  True that much of human suffering is due to our own ignorance and avoidance of God’s laws?

     Wouldn’t it make sense to obey God and seek his blessing in our lives?

     Try this.  Find the godliest Christian you know. Someone you trust completely and whose advice you take seriously.  Ask if they regret serving God.  Ask about God’s blessings in their life.  Ask about answered prayers.  About their struggles and God’s provision.

     Ask them to be honest and tell you what it cost them to serve Jesus with their life.  And then ask them if they recommend it to you.  My guess is that they will.  I certainly would!

     Then spend some time reading a Bible.  Look up the lives of Noah, Abraham, Joseph and especially Jesus.  Notice how the Bible is honest about its heroes. 

     Consider the outcome of their lives and think about how you want your life to turn out.

     While we were on the beach, we learned to respect the lifeguard’s line of umbrellas in the sand. And in life I’ve learned to respect God’s boundary lines also. 

     The umbrella line keeps the beach beautiful and God’s lines keep our lives safe and blessed.

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

Unprepared

     On a Tuesday morning ten years ago we were unprepared for the events that were about to happen.  For the first time in more than a century a foreign enemy attacked our homeland. 

     As I headed to my office that morning, I turned on the radio to listen to the news.  What I heard caused me to stop the car, make a U-turn and return home.  The rest of the day I watched the unfolding tragedy of the twin towers on television.  I was in shock.

     When the truth about what happened finally came out, we were mystified.  We were unaware there was a culture in which people loved death more than life.  So much so that they were willing to choose death in order to destroy their perceived enemy.

     While some people are uncomfortable saying so, there are some things in life that can only be explained by the presence of evil.  And to pretend evil doesn’t exist is to ignore spiritual reality.

     In his book “The Ezekiel Option” author Joel C. Rosenberg wrote, “To misunderstand the nature and threat of evil is to risk being blindsided by it.”  And there’s no doubt we were blindsided by evil on September 11, 2001.

     Are we any better prepared today?  Sadly, not much.  Recent media reports reveal our airports are still vulnerable.  Plus we haven’t taken the threat of disasters seriously enough.

     The East Coast earthquake and hurricane two weeks ago showed us that we’re still unprepared for a major catastrophe.  Some towns were cut off for days.  Many were without electricity.  And they had no backup plan.

     It’s easy to think Japan was unprepared for the March earthquake and tsunami.  But after the August earthquake and hurricane, it doesn’t look like we’re much better prepared than Japan.

     How should we prepare?  Common sense precautions.  Water, flashlights and spare batteries. Stock up on non-perishable foods. But that presumes you survive the disaster. What if you don’t?

     “Now hold on just a minute,” you may say.  “Isn’t that a little morbid?”

     Perhaps.  But it also makes sense to think about it.  We all know people die in disasters.  We just don’t think it will be us.  But what if it is?  Will we be ready?

     That requires a spiritual preparation.  And that’s where Jesus’ advice helps us.

     In Jesus’ day, the Tower of Siloam in Jerusalem fell and killed 18 people.  It was a great tragedy.  The accepted wisdom was that people who died like that were probably greater sinners.

     But Jesus took a different approach.  He said those 18 were not greater sinners than other people in Jerusalem.  “I tell you, no!” he said. “But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

     Instead of dismissing those that suffer disaster as evil or unlucky, we should be asking, “Why haven’t these disasters come upon us?”  Our problem is that we deny or ignore the evil in our own hearts.  It’s only when a great catastrophe happens that we wake up and seek God’s help.

     Right after 9/11 there was a great emphasis on safety measures.  But over the years we’ve been lulled into a false sense of security.  Once again we are unprepared for a disaster.

     The same is also true spiritually. After 9/11, churches and synagogues saw increased numbers of people turning to God.  But it wasn’t long before things returned to “normal.”  We forgot God.

     But it’s not too late.  We don’t have to remain unprepared. 

     The Bible says, “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.  Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts.  Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.”  Good advice for significant times.

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

Wild World

Last week the Northeastern United States saw just how wild our world could be. An earthquake, hurricane, tornado, and flooding all in one week! Sadly such weather always brings loss of life and loss of possessions.

The good news is that, with a hurricane, there’s plenty of time to prepare. Modern weather forecasting gives us an advantage previous generations didn’t have. “Forewarned is forearmed.”

The bad news is that, with all our technology and scientific ability, we’re not even close to controlling the weather to prevent such disasters. All we can do is respond to them.

What if you met someone who could control the weather? How would you respond to that? Probably with a healthy skepticism. But if it were real, it would be awesome.

The Bible clearly teaches God controls the weather. He can use it to punish some and show his love to others. But modern minds disdain such unenlightened thinking.

However, humankind’s collective wisdom overrules our modern mindset. Our language reveals the truth. Whenever we describe natural disasters, even insurance companies call them “Acts of God”!

An ‘Act of God’ is a legal term for events outside of human control, such as sudden floods or other natural disasters, for which no one on earth can be held responsible.

So if some weather events are ‘Acts of God,’ it’s logical to think God can control weather.

“Now hold on, just a minute,” you may say. “What difference does it make? Who cares if God controls the weather?”

We should if we want to know who Jesus Christ really is!

One day Jesus was on the Sea of Galilee in a boat with his disciples. Suddenly a violent storm blew in and threatened to sink the boat. Jesus’ followers were afraid they would drown.

The Bible says Jesus “got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.” Jesus turned to his disciples and said, “‘Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?’ Then they were terrified and asked each other, ‘Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!’”

Based on what Jesus had just done, the only answer to this rhetorical question was that Jesus was and is the Son of God! Only God can suspend the natural order of things and do miracles.

Even though miracles like this are hard for modern people to accept, the Bible makes it clear that Jesus is Lord over all creation and not just over his church. One of Jesus’ purposes in performing such miracles was to establish and increase the disciples’ faith in his deity.

After seeing such displays of power, Jesus’ disciples could answer his question when he asked, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter confidently said, “You are the Christ [Messiah], the Son of the living God.”

After the wild week we had it’s normal for everyone to talk about the weather. And while it’s important to know about and be prepared for wild weather, it’s even more important to know who Jesus Christ is and to respond to that knowledge in faith.

The Bible records the miraculous events in Jesus’ life for one reason: “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” Begin by reading the New Testament Gospel of John. Then keep reading.

You owe it to yourself to investigate his claims. They’re really wild–and true!

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

Fringe Benefits

In today’s economy, most people are happy just to have a job. If the job is full-time you’re double blessed. And, if the job comes with fringe benefits, you’re triple blessed!

Fringe benefits are benefits an employer provides to employees in addition to their salaries. It can include things like sick pay, paid vacation and health insurance.

But did you know that becoming a follower of Jesus Christ also provides fringe benefits?

“Now hold on just a minute,” you may say. “What fringe benefits does God provide?”

It may surprise you, but being a follower of Jesus Christ comes with the best benefits – both in and out of this world! However, like most jobs, it also comes with difficulties.

Jesus said, “No one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (…and with them persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.”

The Bible makes it clear that everyone is invited to follow Christ in faith. But not everyone does. For those that do it says, “To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

To become God’s child brings immediate blessings. According to the Bible, God’s free gift to his children is eternal life. He also forgives all their sins.

These blessings are not theirs because they are good enough or become worthy to receive them. The Bible says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Grace means getting something you don’t deserve. It is un-merited favor. A gift from God.

After you become his child, the Bible reveals other benefits, as well. It says, “Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” In Christ you’re at peace with God. No longer do you need to fear standing before him as your judge.

Next the Bible says, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” So after you make peace with God, you receive the peace of God – inner peace from him.

As God’s child you also become the beneficiary of divine favor. Since God is now pleased with you, you can bring your needs to him. The Bible says that, through Christ, we “have access to the Father by one Spirit.” And Jesus assured us God would supply his children’s needs.

Another fringe benefit for God’s children is they have a guide through life. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd.” And a shepherd guides his sheep.

“The Lord is my shepherd,” the Bible says. “He leads… he guides me along the right paths.” If we lose our way, Jesus knows and is the way. He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.”

The good news is that Jesus is able to bring you to God. The Bible says, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”

God’s children also have someone that will claim them. Jesus said, “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.” Because they’re family.

If you have not yet followed Jesus Christ in faith and become a child of God, I encourage you to take the first step today. In your own words tell God, “Father, please accept me. Not for what I’ve done but because of what my Lord, Jesus Christ, did when he died on the cross for my sin.”

When you take that step, you not only become God’s child but you get all the fringe benefits!

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