It is almost here, St. Paul's Annual Sausage Supper. This Sunday, March 2, 2014, is St. Paul's Sausage Supper, served in the Ministry Center from noon to 6:00 p.m. I have to say that I really enjoy the Sausage Supper for several reason.
First, it is because of the food. The sausage is some of the best around, which is saying a lot. I consider the Sausage Supper at Bethlehem, Ferrin, IL the best one around. When I measure Suppers, I measure it against Ferrin and let me tel you, St. Paul's is a pretty close second. I don't want you to think I am "dissing" other Sausage Suppers, because I am not. Each person probably has what they consider to be the best. This is my measurement. So if you want great sausage, good gravy, sauerkraut, beans and of course, wonderful pies, then come to Troy on Sunday and enjoy the meal.
Second, it is because of the people. I enjoy working with the folks at St. Paul's. It is good to see so many people, young and old, new members and long-time members working side-by-side, serving the people of the community. It reminds me of how the Lord wants us to be in our lives - living and working together to serve our fellow man. As you come to eat, look around at the workers and see what it means to serve the Lord with gladness.
Third, it is because I get to meet a lot of people. Penny and I serve as host/hostess at the supper. We work to help get people seated (Jennifer Kesterson and Erica Sipes are great to work with in seating folks). Being in the lobby of the Ministry Center and greeting folks from Troy, St. Jacob, Marine, Highland, Collinvsille, Bethalto, Glen Carbon, Maryville, St. Louis, Alton, Ferrin, Carlyle and a whole bunch of other towns in the area, I find it uplifting. I love to talk with folks, see who they are and where they come from. I also enjoy trying to make their day enjoyable. I hope to greet you this Sunday.
Finally, it is because I get to serve the Lord. As I serve the community, I find myself at the feet of my Lord. Each person that walks through the door is a special because the Lord sees them as special (He gave Himself for them!). So in serving them, I serve the Lord. What a privilege and what a humbling thought.
So I hope to see you Sunday at St. Paul's for the Sausage Supper. The weather is going to challenge us this year. I recommend coming during the day, not waiting till the last minute (unless the forecast changes). Bring on the sausage!
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
When will it end?
One of our dogs, Blackie, had been a part of our family for nearly 15 years, which when Penny and I thought about it, was 1/2 of our married life. Rachael and Matthew picked him out of a litter of puppies at an auction in Carlyle, IL. We were living in Ferrin at the time. I remember being asked if they could have a puppy (we already had a golden retriever at home by the name of Goldie). They would take care of him. You know the story. And being the softy that I am at times, I said yes.
And I have to say that I am not sorry for that answer. Blackie came home with us and became a part of our family for the next 14 years. He gave us a lot of smiles, laughter, frustration and friendship. He had a bark that would go right through you (he learned that from Goldie). He loved to go for walks. He would lay in the sunshine in the middle of summer when we thought it would be too hot to lay in the sun and didn't like the cold. The snow would always cause problems with his paws but he didn't like wearing the booties that Penny bought him. He was a dog that loved his people. Matthew was close to Blackie. He had bad hips, lots of arthritis and stairs were a problem for him. It was the stairs that finally was his undoing.
On Monday of this week, he fell, tore the ligament in his back right leg and couldn't walk. Sadness hit the family. Tuesday, I took him to the vet, and the unfortunate outcome came upon us. We had to say good bye to Blackie. I know that it isn't true but I sure hope that "all dogs go to heaven," like the movie says. I imagine he is running and playing with Goldie and Missey. And perhaps even with Bart our cat that loved to tease Blackie in so many ways. Thanks for all the memories and joy Blackie. You were a good dog, a good friend and a part of our family.
I was asked the very words that are the title of today's blog. When will it end? One sad event after another. One heartache after another. A family dog for us. A family member for another. The loss is difficult, a weight that is upon the shoulders, in the heart of the one that has the loss. When will it end? When will the pains of this world end? When will people quit getting sick? When will people quit suffering? When will all of this be no more?
The only answer that we can give is when Christ returns! That is the absolute best answer that we have, and it brings joy to the heart. When Christ comes again, this heaven and this earth will pass away and He will give us the new heaven and the new earth. Out of the rottenness of this sin-filled and death-filled world, He will give us a sinless and deathless world. Eternity with the Lord will be the exact opposite of what we face today. No more pain. No more sorrow. No more cold, bitter weather and crippling snowstorms or ice storms. No more traffic jams. No more shootings, rapes, robberies. No more suffering. No more illness. No more temptation. No more sin. NO MORE DEATH!
That is the wonder of Christ's return. All this, all this frustration, anxiety, fear, suffering, tears, pain, grief, and loss will be gone. In one moment, it will be gone. And it is will be replaced by the wonder of what Christ gives to us in eternity. What will it be like? Beyond anything that we can ever imagine. And it will be great, fantastic, wonderful, amazing and however else you want to describe it.
Until then, there will be tears and sorrow. There will be loss. And Christ will take us in His arms, comfort us and heal our broken hearts. We will feel empty and Christ will offer to fill that void. Here is the real question: Will you allow Him to fill your emptiness with His love, presence and peace? Don't live in your grief and loss. I am not saying to forget. You can't. But what you can do is give it to the Lord. Too many times we hold onto the grief thinking that in that way we honor the one we have lost. We aren't. We honor them by giving up the grief to the Lord and holding onto the wonderful memories we have. Carry the memories. Carry the love. Let the Lord carry the grief.
Thank You, Lord, for Blackie. I know that You made these animals to be special to us. I appreciate it. It was a great 14 1/2 years. What do You have for us for the next years? I can't wait to see.
Monday, February 3, 2014
The Beat Goes On
Monday morning, the day after the Super Bowl has been played. One team one. One team lost. It is the same each year. One will come out on top and one will not. Neither team has anything to be ashamed of when all is said and done. Both teams made it to the Super Bowl, the highest level of performance in the football world. This year one team dominated the other. The next time they meet, it might just come out differently. One team was really "on" and the other team was "off." Doesn't change the fact that both teams played well enough during the season and the playoffs to make it to the place that no other teams made it this year. Congratulations to both teams. And congratulations to the team that won.
But what difference has that really made for the world? We have spent millions and millions of dollars for this one game. It is not just the advertisers that spent that kind of money. Think of all the money spent on chicken wings, chips, salsa and beer. Millions of dollars spent for those few hours on a Sunday evening. So much hype and push for the "big game."
All right, I almost slipped over to the "we shouldn't spend that kind of money on worthless things while so many people right here in our backyard are freezing because they don't have a warm place to stay or are starving because they don't have food to eat" direction of talk. But I know the reality. If we didn't spend the money on the ads, the food, the game tickets, the hotel rooms, etc., we wouldn't be putting that money towards helping others out of the problems of their lives. We would just find something else to spend the money on. It is like the lottery of the states - it was supposed to help finance the schools. But with the billions that are put into the lottery, you would expect that we would have the absolutely best school system in the world. But we don't. We just shift money from education to other things and our education system still suffers from a lack of funding.
I sit back and think, "If only 1/2 of that amount of that which was spent by Christians on Super Bowl festivities was spent on the mission work of the Church, think of what could happen." The local churches wouldn't struggle. The mission churches wouldn't have to pinch pennies to make ends meet. There would be more than enough to take care of the needs of the homeless, the sick, and the hungry. But I am also a realist to know that even if that happened, we sinners would find some way of messing things up once again.
So should we stop having the Super Bowl? Nope. Should we cease having the Super Bowl party? No. That isn't what I would envision. (Though I would say to stop getting drunk at these parties because that isn't the life that our Lord wants for any of us. We shouldn't overeat either, for that is just as bad.) What I would encourage is that each of us would look at how much we spent on such things (whether it is the Super Bowl, the World Series or and of the other events that we make such big deals about in our lives) and think about how little it really makes a difference in this world. Then perhaps we might stop, reflect, pray and ask the Lord to guide us to support the work of our local church or mission in the same way. Give us a heart to be so excited about our time of worship, the time we spend in Bible Study and to give as much to the work of the Lord as we do the works of man in some game.
Then perhaps we will begin to see what a difference that just might make.
But what difference has that really made for the world? We have spent millions and millions of dollars for this one game. It is not just the advertisers that spent that kind of money. Think of all the money spent on chicken wings, chips, salsa and beer. Millions of dollars spent for those few hours on a Sunday evening. So much hype and push for the "big game."
All right, I almost slipped over to the "we shouldn't spend that kind of money on worthless things while so many people right here in our backyard are freezing because they don't have a warm place to stay or are starving because they don't have food to eat" direction of talk. But I know the reality. If we didn't spend the money on the ads, the food, the game tickets, the hotel rooms, etc., we wouldn't be putting that money towards helping others out of the problems of their lives. We would just find something else to spend the money on. It is like the lottery of the states - it was supposed to help finance the schools. But with the billions that are put into the lottery, you would expect that we would have the absolutely best school system in the world. But we don't. We just shift money from education to other things and our education system still suffers from a lack of funding.
I sit back and think, "If only 1/2 of that amount of that which was spent by Christians on Super Bowl festivities was spent on the mission work of the Church, think of what could happen." The local churches wouldn't struggle. The mission churches wouldn't have to pinch pennies to make ends meet. There would be more than enough to take care of the needs of the homeless, the sick, and the hungry. But I am also a realist to know that even if that happened, we sinners would find some way of messing things up once again.
So should we stop having the Super Bowl? Nope. Should we cease having the Super Bowl party? No. That isn't what I would envision. (Though I would say to stop getting drunk at these parties because that isn't the life that our Lord wants for any of us. We shouldn't overeat either, for that is just as bad.) What I would encourage is that each of us would look at how much we spent on such things (whether it is the Super Bowl, the World Series or and of the other events that we make such big deals about in our lives) and think about how little it really makes a difference in this world. Then perhaps we might stop, reflect, pray and ask the Lord to guide us to support the work of our local church or mission in the same way. Give us a heart to be so excited about our time of worship, the time we spend in Bible Study and to give as much to the work of the Lord as we do the works of man in some game.
Then perhaps we will begin to see what a difference that just might make.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Lessons from the Road
Last week and this week (January 10-31) I find myself driving back and forth to Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. I have been taking classes these two weeks as part of my studies for the Doctor of Ministry degree. (I will talk about those studies and degree another time.) Each day I have the pleasure and the pain of driving into the city. Many of you do this day after day. You get up in the morning, get the family ready, either take them to daycare or make sure they are ready to get on the bus and then off you go, into the great expanse we know as "the CITY." I am sure that you have seen all there is to see as you make that commute morning after morning and evening after evening. I will not claim to know all that much about the commuting experience as, on the whole, it has been a good and easy experience. I thank the Lord for that fact.
But you do observe a lot while you are making the commute. I am going to sharing some of those observations for whatever they are worth.
People don't observe the law. Not a surprise to you, nor was it a surprise to me. But the fact remains, people do not observe the law. What is the speed limit? Whatever I want to go. What happens if there is a policeman "clocking" me? I slow down only to speed up after I am past him. People don't use their directional signals unless they feel like it. People talk on the cell phone, holding it to their ear here in Illinois though we are told that is now against the law. People text while driving. People don't wear their seat belts. People don't have their children in car seats. In a nutshell, they do what they want despite what the law says. The lawmakers can make all the laws they want, but the people of Illinois and Missouri (and other states) are going to do what they want, when they want, how they want.
People get upset when they get caught breaking the law. I know, that is a duh statement. Who doesn't get upset when they look in their rear view mirror and see those flashing lights? Who doesn't get upset when they are asked, "Do you know how fast you were going?" Of course I know how fast I was going, why do you ask? I was in a hurry and for you to stop me to ask me that question is just ridiculous, you think to yourself. And people get upset when the policeman pulls them over, when they get a ticket, when they are inconvenienced by this experience.
People don't think they deserve a ticket. "Everyone else was driving that fast." How often that is said to the police officer, I can't imagine. No one deserves the ticket they received. What is a few miles over the speed limit? Why do I have wear my seat belt? Why? Why? WHY? That officer had no right giving me a ticket. (Now I am talking rhetorically here. I haven't received a ticket.)
People are also impatient. They do not want to wait for the person ahead of them or next to them. Each person feels that they are in a bigger hurry than anyone else or they are more important that any of the other drivers, or that their life is of greater worth than anyone else's. Therefore it doesn't matter how they drive, as long as "they" get to their destination quicker and more efficiently that the others on the road. "Get out of my way! I'm coming through!" seems to be the mantra that most drivers follow.
What have I learned? We are a selfish, self-centered people who think of themselves more than anyone else. (There are exceptions to the rule but for the most part, I believe it is true.) We are a people who feel that we are above rules and regulations, a people who deserve to have things go our way in the way we want it to go in the time we want it to happen. We don't like anyone telling us what to do or how to do it.
In the end, I have learned what I already knew - we are sinners. Do you doubt it? Just take a drive to St. Louis, and you will find yourself as a sinner in the midst of sinners doing what comes natural - sinning.
And it is for this reason that we have a Savior.
But you do observe a lot while you are making the commute. I am going to sharing some of those observations for whatever they are worth.
People don't observe the law. Not a surprise to you, nor was it a surprise to me. But the fact remains, people do not observe the law. What is the speed limit? Whatever I want to go. What happens if there is a policeman "clocking" me? I slow down only to speed up after I am past him. People don't use their directional signals unless they feel like it. People talk on the cell phone, holding it to their ear here in Illinois though we are told that is now against the law. People text while driving. People don't wear their seat belts. People don't have their children in car seats. In a nutshell, they do what they want despite what the law says. The lawmakers can make all the laws they want, but the people of Illinois and Missouri (and other states) are going to do what they want, when they want, how they want.
People get upset when they get caught breaking the law. I know, that is a duh statement. Who doesn't get upset when they look in their rear view mirror and see those flashing lights? Who doesn't get upset when they are asked, "Do you know how fast you were going?" Of course I know how fast I was going, why do you ask? I was in a hurry and for you to stop me to ask me that question is just ridiculous, you think to yourself. And people get upset when the policeman pulls them over, when they get a ticket, when they are inconvenienced by this experience.
People don't think they deserve a ticket. "Everyone else was driving that fast." How often that is said to the police officer, I can't imagine. No one deserves the ticket they received. What is a few miles over the speed limit? Why do I have wear my seat belt? Why? Why? WHY? That officer had no right giving me a ticket. (Now I am talking rhetorically here. I haven't received a ticket.)
People are also impatient. They do not want to wait for the person ahead of them or next to them. Each person feels that they are in a bigger hurry than anyone else or they are more important that any of the other drivers, or that their life is of greater worth than anyone else's. Therefore it doesn't matter how they drive, as long as "they" get to their destination quicker and more efficiently that the others on the road. "Get out of my way! I'm coming through!" seems to be the mantra that most drivers follow.
What have I learned? We are a selfish, self-centered people who think of themselves more than anyone else. (There are exceptions to the rule but for the most part, I believe it is true.) We are a people who feel that we are above rules and regulations, a people who deserve to have things go our way in the way we want it to go in the time we want it to happen. We don't like anyone telling us what to do or how to do it.
In the end, I have learned what I already knew - we are sinners. Do you doubt it? Just take a drive to St. Louis, and you will find yourself as a sinner in the midst of sinners doing what comes natural - sinning.
And it is for this reason that we have a Savior.
Monday, January 27, 2014
January 2014
This morning it is cold once again, perhaps not as cold as it cold have been, but it is cold nonetheless. When it gets down into the teens and has a wind chill that takes you to zero or below, that is cold! We have really had the cold weather this January. I wasn't expecting to have below zero temperatures but we have had them. I don't remember a winter this cold for quite some time.
(Here the picture goes fuzzy and another time comes into focus, a time when I was much younger, had much redder hair and a moustache that was deep red.) In the winter of 83, I can remember driving from St. Louis to Decatur in my Olds Delta 88, light green with a vinyl top, after spending a weekend in St. Louis with Penny and two of our friends. It was the week before Christmas. I was attending classes as a student studying for the pastoral ministry at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. Penny and our two friends came down to Christmas shop and to enjoy the food that St. Louis gives. We were driving back to St. Louis in the dark. It had snowed sometime before that so it was white outside, clear as could be. (I would say the full moon was high in the sky lighting up things so that with the snow on the ground, you could see a mouse running wildly from the owl that was out to have a feast - but I don't remember if that was the case so I won't.) That old car, a 69, had a big old engine that always heated the car nicely, except that night it was cold in the car. I can remember Penny trying to stay warm as we drove along. Now remember, this was the time before you had the car telling you what the temp outside was or a Iphone that would tell you what the temp of the town was, so we didn't know how could it was. We decided to take 55 to 72 instead of driving up highway 48 through Taylorville (which would one day become the road we would drive because I would be pastor at Harvel, IL). As we got close to Springfield, there was a bank with the time/temp sign. As we drove past, the sign said -18! Really! It was that cold. At that moment, we realized why the old Green Lizard (the name of the car) wasn't keeping us warm. Boy was it cold! It makes me shiver just thinking about it.
(Fade from that scene to another scene.) It is Christmas 1985 and we are living rural Osage, IA. I was vicar at St. John's Lutheran Church, a dear congregation that holds such fond memories for both of us. There was snow on the ground, had been since the 1st Friday in November when we had 9 inches of snow in the first snow of the season. We were learning what it was like to live in the rural area of Iowa. Christmas Eve came and we had the late service. It was cold, really cold. I can't tell you how cold because this was pre-internet and pre-cell phone and being a vicar, we didn't have thermometer to tell us what the temp was. I do know that it was below zero and there was snow on the ground. The skies were clear as crystal. The stars were shining brightly in the sky as we came out of church that night. Our breath would form a cloud of vapor in the cold air. As you breathed in that air, you realized how cold it really was. Looking up at the stars, I felt that it was the perfect Christmas Eve. In my mind, I could see the stable, the manger, the animals and a man named Joseph kneeling next to the manger, holding in his arms a bundle of cloths in which there was a newborn baby. There was the Child's mother, having just given birth (which I really had no clue what that was like as I was only married for under a year and half and we had no children nor were any children soon to be born to us). I felt like singing "Silent Night" and "Away in a Manger." And right there, the stars in the sky looked down where He lay, the little Lord Jesus asleep in the hay." I knew then what I know now, my Savior was born (not on such a bitter cold night but that bitter cold, still night air, just made for the picture perfect, memory making Christmas Eve).
(Fade back to present day) And having those memories makes me shiver again. It is cold out there, no doubt. Perhaps not as cold as it cold be, but cold enough for me. I am glad that we are getting this cold weather now, in the month of January. I am hoping and praying that when March gets here, the cold will be a thing of the past and Spring will come with its warm temps and beautiful days. I long for them as I pull on my sweater, knowing that I need layers to stay warm today. Will my hands ever warm up I wonder as I walk out the door going over to St Paul's Ministry Center to say good morning to our teachers.
Be safe. Stay warm. And revisit those wonderful memories of colder times that you might have, and long for those warm days sitting on the beach, listening to the waves wash up on the shore while the seagull cries overhead.
(Here the picture goes fuzzy and another time comes into focus, a time when I was much younger, had much redder hair and a moustache that was deep red.) In the winter of 83, I can remember driving from St. Louis to Decatur in my Olds Delta 88, light green with a vinyl top, after spending a weekend in St. Louis with Penny and two of our friends. It was the week before Christmas. I was attending classes as a student studying for the pastoral ministry at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. Penny and our two friends came down to Christmas shop and to enjoy the food that St. Louis gives. We were driving back to St. Louis in the dark. It had snowed sometime before that so it was white outside, clear as could be. (I would say the full moon was high in the sky lighting up things so that with the snow on the ground, you could see a mouse running wildly from the owl that was out to have a feast - but I don't remember if that was the case so I won't.) That old car, a 69, had a big old engine that always heated the car nicely, except that night it was cold in the car. I can remember Penny trying to stay warm as we drove along. Now remember, this was the time before you had the car telling you what the temp outside was or a Iphone that would tell you what the temp of the town was, so we didn't know how could it was. We decided to take 55 to 72 instead of driving up highway 48 through Taylorville (which would one day become the road we would drive because I would be pastor at Harvel, IL). As we got close to Springfield, there was a bank with the time/temp sign. As we drove past, the sign said -18! Really! It was that cold. At that moment, we realized why the old Green Lizard (the name of the car) wasn't keeping us warm. Boy was it cold! It makes me shiver just thinking about it.
(Fade from that scene to another scene.) It is Christmas 1985 and we are living rural Osage, IA. I was vicar at St. John's Lutheran Church, a dear congregation that holds such fond memories for both of us. There was snow on the ground, had been since the 1st Friday in November when we had 9 inches of snow in the first snow of the season. We were learning what it was like to live in the rural area of Iowa. Christmas Eve came and we had the late service. It was cold, really cold. I can't tell you how cold because this was pre-internet and pre-cell phone and being a vicar, we didn't have thermometer to tell us what the temp was. I do know that it was below zero and there was snow on the ground. The skies were clear as crystal. The stars were shining brightly in the sky as we came out of church that night. Our breath would form a cloud of vapor in the cold air. As you breathed in that air, you realized how cold it really was. Looking up at the stars, I felt that it was the perfect Christmas Eve. In my mind, I could see the stable, the manger, the animals and a man named Joseph kneeling next to the manger, holding in his arms a bundle of cloths in which there was a newborn baby. There was the Child's mother, having just given birth (which I really had no clue what that was like as I was only married for under a year and half and we had no children nor were any children soon to be born to us). I felt like singing "Silent Night" and "Away in a Manger." And right there, the stars in the sky looked down where He lay, the little Lord Jesus asleep in the hay." I knew then what I know now, my Savior was born (not on such a bitter cold night but that bitter cold, still night air, just made for the picture perfect, memory making Christmas Eve).
(Fade back to present day) And having those memories makes me shiver again. It is cold out there, no doubt. Perhaps not as cold as it cold be, but cold enough for me. I am glad that we are getting this cold weather now, in the month of January. I am hoping and praying that when March gets here, the cold will be a thing of the past and Spring will come with its warm temps and beautiful days. I long for them as I pull on my sweater, knowing that I need layers to stay warm today. Will my hands ever warm up I wonder as I walk out the door going over to St Paul's Ministry Center to say good morning to our teachers.
Be safe. Stay warm. And revisit those wonderful memories of colder times that you might have, and long for those warm days sitting on the beach, listening to the waves wash up on the shore while the seagull cries overhead.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Life Today
Forty one years and 55 million deaths later, we are still facing a crisis in our nation. It was forty one years ago that the Supreme Court struck down the laws that made abortion illegal in our country. In the Roe v. Wade decision on January 22, 1973 abortion became a very real option for women who found themselves pregnant with a child they did not want.
I can't imagine that last statement - pregnant with a child they did not want. How can you not want a child? I don't say that flippantly or without sensitivity to the challenge that a crisis pregnancy brings to the life of a woman or girl. The child might not be "planned" by the couple. The child might be an inconvenience to the life of the couple. The child will change the life of the couple (their lives are already changed by the fact that they have been engaged in a sexual relationship, generally one that is outside the realm of marriage). The mother and the father will never again be the same - whether or not they end the life of the baby.
I have never been in a crisis pregnancy situation. I have never had to face what life would be like having a child that wasn't planned. I do know what it is like to lose a child, as our first child died through a miscarriage. That really caused me to go into an emotional tailspin that only the Lord was able to correct. I also know what it is like to not be raised by my birth parents, to be raised by someone else other than the ones that gave me life. Was I "unwanted"? Would I have been aborted if they had not wanted me because they were having too much trouble in their relationship (I was only 3 when they divorced). I don't have answers to those questions.
We do have a crisis in our nation today. It is a crisis that has led to the death of over 55 million children. The crisis is that we do not follow the Lord in our lives. Abortion is just the end result of not following the Lord. What leads to abortion is a desire to fulfill the desires of the heart - the desires that lead to making the self and self-fulfillment our god. The crisis is truly a spiritual crisis that leads to premarital and extramarital sexual relations which leads to "unwanted" pregnancy and ultimately to the crisis of abortion. It isn't just about the 55 million babies who have been murdered but about the 55 million women who have had their lives affected by a sexual relationship with a man they either did or did not "love" but they did desire (a very small percentage of abortions are done for reason of a pregnancy by rape or incest) at the moment but didn't desire to have a child by him. 55 million men have been affected by an ungodly sexual relationship with a woman who was not their wife and then to have the knowledge (or maybe they didn't even know) that their child has been killed, either with their support or without their support.
The crisis is a spiritual crisis because we are not living our lives in accord with the will of our heavenly Father. We are not following the way He would have us live our lives. That is the real crisis. The death of over 55 million children is only the result of our selfish, self-centered lives that make sex and sexual fulfillment and sexual activity our god.
Today, as thousands of voices speak out for the unborn against the atrocity of abortion, they should also be speaking words of love from God for those who suffer with the aftermath of abortion or those who are struggling with their current situation of life. The love God reaches to all people - the forgiveness of Christ is for all, no matter their sin. We need to proclaim the wonder of the gospel and the new life that it brings to those who are hurting. We cannot forget the 55 million children that are gone. But we MUST also remember the 55 million women and the 55 million men who need to know the love of Christ in their lives.
Will our country ever overturn the legalization of abortion? Probably not. Yet we don't need the government to legislate the truth about the life of the unborn. We, Christians, need to speak the truth in love and proclaim to a world around us that the only God that will fill the void of our empty lives is the Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
I can't imagine that last statement - pregnant with a child they did not want. How can you not want a child? I don't say that flippantly or without sensitivity to the challenge that a crisis pregnancy brings to the life of a woman or girl. The child might not be "planned" by the couple. The child might be an inconvenience to the life of the couple. The child will change the life of the couple (their lives are already changed by the fact that they have been engaged in a sexual relationship, generally one that is outside the realm of marriage). The mother and the father will never again be the same - whether or not they end the life of the baby.
I have never been in a crisis pregnancy situation. I have never had to face what life would be like having a child that wasn't planned. I do know what it is like to lose a child, as our first child died through a miscarriage. That really caused me to go into an emotional tailspin that only the Lord was able to correct. I also know what it is like to not be raised by my birth parents, to be raised by someone else other than the ones that gave me life. Was I "unwanted"? Would I have been aborted if they had not wanted me because they were having too much trouble in their relationship (I was only 3 when they divorced). I don't have answers to those questions.
We do have a crisis in our nation today. It is a crisis that has led to the death of over 55 million children. The crisis is that we do not follow the Lord in our lives. Abortion is just the end result of not following the Lord. What leads to abortion is a desire to fulfill the desires of the heart - the desires that lead to making the self and self-fulfillment our god. The crisis is truly a spiritual crisis that leads to premarital and extramarital sexual relations which leads to "unwanted" pregnancy and ultimately to the crisis of abortion. It isn't just about the 55 million babies who have been murdered but about the 55 million women who have had their lives affected by a sexual relationship with a man they either did or did not "love" but they did desire (a very small percentage of abortions are done for reason of a pregnancy by rape or incest) at the moment but didn't desire to have a child by him. 55 million men have been affected by an ungodly sexual relationship with a woman who was not their wife and then to have the knowledge (or maybe they didn't even know) that their child has been killed, either with their support or without their support.
The crisis is a spiritual crisis because we are not living our lives in accord with the will of our heavenly Father. We are not following the way He would have us live our lives. That is the real crisis. The death of over 55 million children is only the result of our selfish, self-centered lives that make sex and sexual fulfillment and sexual activity our god.
Today, as thousands of voices speak out for the unborn against the atrocity of abortion, they should also be speaking words of love from God for those who suffer with the aftermath of abortion or those who are struggling with their current situation of life. The love God reaches to all people - the forgiveness of Christ is for all, no matter their sin. We need to proclaim the wonder of the gospel and the new life that it brings to those who are hurting. We cannot forget the 55 million children that are gone. But we MUST also remember the 55 million women and the 55 million men who need to know the love of Christ in their lives.
Will our country ever overturn the legalization of abortion? Probably not. Yet we don't need the government to legislate the truth about the life of the unborn. We, Christians, need to speak the truth in love and proclaim to a world around us that the only God that will fill the void of our empty lives is the Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Friday, January 17, 2014
Sin no more?
"Sin no more." When you read that, I wonder if you are like me, and think about what Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery. "Go and sin no more." If so, just to let you know up front, that isn't what I was actually thinking when I came up with that title for this post.
"Sin no more." In today's culture, we do not see things as sin. There is "no more" sin. There is just personal choice and personal preference. You might not like something but just because it is not your preference doesn't mean it is wrong. We have made "sin" a relative thing and therefore, because we have come to that point in our culture, we can say "Sin no more." There is no more sin.
This is shown in many ways and in many places. "I personally don't think abortion is correct, but if someone wants to have one, who am I to say it is wrong?" "Homosexuality is not wrong, it is just another way of expressing your sexuality." "Why do you need to be married to live together, after all, marriage is just a piece of paper." "If God made marijuana, He must have wanted us to use it." And perhaps you can add some other statements that you have heard - or perhaps that you have even said or thought.
Sin is relative. Just because someone else doesn't like what you are doing doesn't make it wrong. It is just a personal preference. Sin no more.
The thing that is wrong with this thinking is that it takes God out of the equation. Morality is no longer set by God but by man. Right and wrong are no longer guided by a Higher Authority but by personal feelings and desires. We have removed God from the morality of our nation and because of that, sin has disappeared. We no longer call sin, sin. Instead it is preference.
This didn't just happen with the legalization of marijuana in Colorado. Nor did this just begin with the current debate about same sex marriage. It didn't start with Roe v. Wade in 1973 nor did it begin with the free sex movement in the 60's. It didn't happen because of the stringent rules of morality in the 40's and 50's or come about because of the Roaring 20's. We have to go back much further than that.
We actually need to return to a garden, a tree, a serpent and two people - Adam and Eve. "Did God really say..." Satan asked Eve. "Did God really say that you shouldn't eat from this tree?" Did God really set the rules of right and wrong? Did He really fence you in and make it to where you cannot express yourself or live to the fullest capacity that you desire? Are you really going to allow God to set the morality of your life? And at that moment, when Eve took from that tree and ate the fruit, when she gave it to Adam and he ate, right there, when sin entered in the world, mankind was saying, "Sin no more." Sin was not a sin, it was just a personal choice to be made. And while God might have said that eating the fruit of that tree was a sin, Adam and Eve did not. They saw it as an opportunity to live life to the fullest, to live life like they wanted to live it, without any restraints, rules or guidelines. No one was going to tell them what was good for them. They would decide that themselves.
And so we find ourselves following in our parents footsteps. Abortion is not seen as a sin but a choice. Homosexuality is not an abomination but a way of life. Open sexual actions in a mall dressing room is not wrong but an expression of love between teens. Living together outside of marriage is accepted because it is much better than getting married. Cursing is not wrong but an expression of self. Hatred is not wrong but is just a way of expressing oneself. (I thought I would slip that one in to see if you were paying attention.) You would say hatred is wrong but what if it is my way expressing myself about my dislike of another person - how can you condemn me? It is my new morality to be able to hate someone and you can't say it s wrong. Really? Yep, because if we can't call sin a sin, then you can't tell me that I wrong to hate someone. That is just your opinion and while you might tell me that I must love that person, I don't have to. My choice, not yours.
I disagree with that last statement, but that, my friends, is where we are at. Why can we call one thing that God says is wrong a sin and not another? Either God sets the morality in all issues or He doesn't. Sexuality, life issues, race relations, personal feelings about others, how we talk, how we act, all that we do - God has already told us right and wrong. We really shouldn't pick and chose at which ones we want to follow.
Sin is still a sin no matter what society says. It is still wrong to kill unborn. It is still wrong to have sex with someone of the same sex. It is still wrong to have sex outside of marriage. It is still wrong to hate someone else. It is still wrong to abuse someone. It is still wrong to...why? Because God said so in His Word.
"Sin no more." In today's culture, we do not see things as sin. There is "no more" sin. There is just personal choice and personal preference. You might not like something but just because it is not your preference doesn't mean it is wrong. We have made "sin" a relative thing and therefore, because we have come to that point in our culture, we can say "Sin no more." There is no more sin.
This is shown in many ways and in many places. "I personally don't think abortion is correct, but if someone wants to have one, who am I to say it is wrong?" "Homosexuality is not wrong, it is just another way of expressing your sexuality." "Why do you need to be married to live together, after all, marriage is just a piece of paper." "If God made marijuana, He must have wanted us to use it." And perhaps you can add some other statements that you have heard - or perhaps that you have even said or thought.
Sin is relative. Just because someone else doesn't like what you are doing doesn't make it wrong. It is just a personal preference. Sin no more.
The thing that is wrong with this thinking is that it takes God out of the equation. Morality is no longer set by God but by man. Right and wrong are no longer guided by a Higher Authority but by personal feelings and desires. We have removed God from the morality of our nation and because of that, sin has disappeared. We no longer call sin, sin. Instead it is preference.
This didn't just happen with the legalization of marijuana in Colorado. Nor did this just begin with the current debate about same sex marriage. It didn't start with Roe v. Wade in 1973 nor did it begin with the free sex movement in the 60's. It didn't happen because of the stringent rules of morality in the 40's and 50's or come about because of the Roaring 20's. We have to go back much further than that.
We actually need to return to a garden, a tree, a serpent and two people - Adam and Eve. "Did God really say..." Satan asked Eve. "Did God really say that you shouldn't eat from this tree?" Did God really set the rules of right and wrong? Did He really fence you in and make it to where you cannot express yourself or live to the fullest capacity that you desire? Are you really going to allow God to set the morality of your life? And at that moment, when Eve took from that tree and ate the fruit, when she gave it to Adam and he ate, right there, when sin entered in the world, mankind was saying, "Sin no more." Sin was not a sin, it was just a personal choice to be made. And while God might have said that eating the fruit of that tree was a sin, Adam and Eve did not. They saw it as an opportunity to live life to the fullest, to live life like they wanted to live it, without any restraints, rules or guidelines. No one was going to tell them what was good for them. They would decide that themselves.
And so we find ourselves following in our parents footsteps. Abortion is not seen as a sin but a choice. Homosexuality is not an abomination but a way of life. Open sexual actions in a mall dressing room is not wrong but an expression of love between teens. Living together outside of marriage is accepted because it is much better than getting married. Cursing is not wrong but an expression of self. Hatred is not wrong but is just a way of expressing oneself. (I thought I would slip that one in to see if you were paying attention.) You would say hatred is wrong but what if it is my way expressing myself about my dislike of another person - how can you condemn me? It is my new morality to be able to hate someone and you can't say it s wrong. Really? Yep, because if we can't call sin a sin, then you can't tell me that I wrong to hate someone. That is just your opinion and while you might tell me that I must love that person, I don't have to. My choice, not yours.
I disagree with that last statement, but that, my friends, is where we are at. Why can we call one thing that God says is wrong a sin and not another? Either God sets the morality in all issues or He doesn't. Sexuality, life issues, race relations, personal feelings about others, how we talk, how we act, all that we do - God has already told us right and wrong. We really shouldn't pick and chose at which ones we want to follow.
Sin is still a sin no matter what society says. It is still wrong to kill unborn. It is still wrong to have sex with someone of the same sex. It is still wrong to have sex outside of marriage. It is still wrong to hate someone else. It is still wrong to abuse someone. It is still wrong to...why? Because God said so in His Word.
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