When Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32), He wasn’t talking about just any old facts. And He certainly didn’t have some relativistic idea of an evolving kind of “truth” that supposedly changes from time to time and from place to place.
In contrast, today’s post-modern society is characterized by a refusal to acknowledge the concept of “absolute truth.” The irony is that no one has ever proven that there is no such thing as absolute truth: those who hold this view simply assume that it is so.
Please note, however, that denying the existence of absolute truth is a logical contradiction. When people say, “There is no such thing as absolute truth,” they are themselves making an absolute truth claim.
Let’s listen in on a brief conversation between Joe and Mary.
Joe: “There is no such thing as absolute truth.”
Mary: “Are you sure?”
Joe: “Yes I am.”
Mary: “How can you be so sure?”
Joe: “Because it’s true.”
Mary: “So . . . it’s absolutely true that there is no such thing as absolute truth?”
Joe: “Uh, yes, I mean, no - well, maybe.”
I’m sure you get the point.
But there’s more to this than simply exposing the folly of Joe’s assertion. Postmodern society, in its denial of absolute truth, has come perilously close to cultural insanity by holding with absolute certainty the notion that nothing is absolutely certain, thus sawing off the limb upon which it stands.
Sanity is restored by knowing the truth; or rather The Truth, with two capital T’s.
Among the many things Scripture says about The Truth, three stand out as being critically important to post-modern culture. First, there is the relationship of biblical love and The Truth, described in that great love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13. Verse 6 says, “Love . . . rejoices in the truth.” Why? Because if you truly love someone, you don’t want that person to live in error, because living in error causes needless pain.
Second, Scripture tells us where to find The Truth. Ephesians 4:21 says, “The truth is in Jesus.” If you want to discover The Truth, develop a relationship with Jesus. All The Truth you need for life and salvation is found in the person of Jesus Christ.
Finally, Jesus Himself made an immense claim in John 14:6, when He declared, “I am the way, the truth and the life. Nobody comes to the Father except through Me.” By declaring Himself to be identical with The Truth, and by claiming to be the only way to heaven, Jesus forced upon us a decision: is what He said false, or is it true?
If it is false, then He was either a liar or a lunatic. If it was true, then He was, and remains to this day, the Lord of the universe, and your only hope for eternal life.
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
WHERE WE LOOK FOR GUIDANCE
Odd, isn’t it, the places we look for guidance these days? Some look to the stars for lucky lottery numbers, hoping some twist of chance, some fluke of fate will make them instant millionaires. Others search online for advice about love from people they’ve never met, hoping for riches they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t need, so they can impress people they don’t like.
Some even seek direction revealed by the deal of a deck of cards, or fortune told by the marks in the palms of their hands.
All the while, in most of our homes is a Book, written for us by the Creator of the Universe, containing every instruction we need for life and peace, joy and love, fulfillment and purpose, just waiting to be read and followed: the Bible.
Are you looking for joy in life? The Book says you can find it in a relationship with Jesus: “I have spoken these things to you so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete” (John 15:11).
Need advice about love? One little chapter of the Book shows fifteen practical ways to be a more loving person: “Love is patient and kind. Love does not envy or boast, nor is it arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way. It is not irritable or resentful. It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices in truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a).
Wondering about direction for your life? The Book says: “Because the Lord is righteous and good, He teaches sinners the path they should follow. He leads the humble in the right way and teaches them His will” (Psalm 25:8-9).
There’s lot more in the Book for you to read and live by. God made sure it all gotten written down for you, because He loves you and dreams wonderful dreams for you. Like David said in Psalm 119:1, “Oh, the joy of those who live lives of integrity by following the Lord’s word!”
During Jesus’ earthly ministry, a time came when some of His followers began to disagree with His teaching because it was contrary to the common religious sentiment of the day. Some even forsook Him. When this happened, Jesus asked His closest followers, “Do you want to leave also?” Peter’s answer speaks for all who are seeking the truth: “To whom could we go, Lord? You’re the only One Who has the words of life.”
Indeed.
So rather than have someone look at marks in the palms of your hands, focus on the marks in the palms of His hands, for they remind you that He loves you and has a good plan for you – all written down for you in His Book.
And if you’ll read His Book, you’ll never have to try to read His mind.
Some even seek direction revealed by the deal of a deck of cards, or fortune told by the marks in the palms of their hands.
All the while, in most of our homes is a Book, written for us by the Creator of the Universe, containing every instruction we need for life and peace, joy and love, fulfillment and purpose, just waiting to be read and followed: the Bible.
Are you looking for joy in life? The Book says you can find it in a relationship with Jesus: “I have spoken these things to you so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete” (John 15:11).
Need advice about love? One little chapter of the Book shows fifteen practical ways to be a more loving person: “Love is patient and kind. Love does not envy or boast, nor is it arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way. It is not irritable or resentful. It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices in truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a).
Wondering about direction for your life? The Book says: “Because the Lord is righteous and good, He teaches sinners the path they should follow. He leads the humble in the right way and teaches them His will” (Psalm 25:8-9).
There’s lot more in the Book for you to read and live by. God made sure it all gotten written down for you, because He loves you and dreams wonderful dreams for you. Like David said in Psalm 119:1, “Oh, the joy of those who live lives of integrity by following the Lord’s word!”
During Jesus’ earthly ministry, a time came when some of His followers began to disagree with His teaching because it was contrary to the common religious sentiment of the day. Some even forsook Him. When this happened, Jesus asked His closest followers, “Do you want to leave also?” Peter’s answer speaks for all who are seeking the truth: “To whom could we go, Lord? You’re the only One Who has the words of life.”
Indeed.
So rather than have someone look at marks in the palms of your hands, focus on the marks in the palms of His hands, for they remind you that He loves you and has a good plan for you – all written down for you in His Book.
And if you’ll read His Book, you’ll never have to try to read His mind.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
THE LOCK WAS ON THE INSIDE
As I listened to her recount her experience, she recited with amazing clarity the words of her former friend, painful statements filled with venom and cruelty. Obviously, they had stung deeply. I longed to extend the healing balm of God’s grace to this wounded heart, so I asked a question. “When did this happen?” After all, the hurt seemed so vivid and fresh!
This graying great-grandma replied, “We were in High School. It was May of our senior year, just before graduation.”
Oh my! That was nearly sixty-five years ago! To hear her describe the event you would have thought it took place yesterday: tears still moistened her eyes, and the angry pain still caused her voice to crack.
In the six-and-a-half decades since it took place, she had relived and recited the event until it came to dominate her whole life. And now, she had called me, her pastor, because she felt trapped and afraid.
It struck me that, through all those decades, she had been constructing her own private prison. Building on the foundation of that oft-rehearsed High School betrayal, she had mixed the mortar of her pain, and stacked the bricks of other bitter memories, each pain remembered, each disappointment recorded, all put carefully in place.
In this prison-building process, a time came for her when prayer had changed into an exercise in doubt. She began to approach God convinced He did not love her, as evidenced by the pain in her life. Eventually she had all but given up praying, except in a routine, religious sense.
By the time we first talked, she had been incarcerated in her pain-prison so long she had begun to doubt her salvation. She was unsure about heaven. She questioned the truth of the Gospel. She struggled between her sometime faith in God and her mounting fear of the future. And she wanted me to give her assurance.
We talked. I prayed for her. Not once, but often. Sadly, every scriptural assurance I offered evoked only another recitation of her ancient pain. Every prayer I prayed caused her only to argue that God doesn’t answer prayer.
In the last conversation we had, I tried once more to assure her of God’s love and grace. She said she hoped it was true.
Some time ago I heard that she had died. I hope she left her prison before she left this planet. No prayer I prayed, no scripture I shared, could free her from that prison. The lock, you see, was on the inside. She had put it there herself. Only she could open it. But she would not.
Do you know people whose well-rehearsed pain has confined them to such a prison? If so, tell them the lock is on the inside, and Jesus offers them the key of forgiveness He forged at the cross. He paid the price. They only need to forgive to be set free.
This graying great-grandma replied, “We were in High School. It was May of our senior year, just before graduation.”
Oh my! That was nearly sixty-five years ago! To hear her describe the event you would have thought it took place yesterday: tears still moistened her eyes, and the angry pain still caused her voice to crack.
In the six-and-a-half decades since it took place, she had relived and recited the event until it came to dominate her whole life. And now, she had called me, her pastor, because she felt trapped and afraid.
It struck me that, through all those decades, she had been constructing her own private prison. Building on the foundation of that oft-rehearsed High School betrayal, she had mixed the mortar of her pain, and stacked the bricks of other bitter memories, each pain remembered, each disappointment recorded, all put carefully in place.
In this prison-building process, a time came for her when prayer had changed into an exercise in doubt. She began to approach God convinced He did not love her, as evidenced by the pain in her life. Eventually she had all but given up praying, except in a routine, religious sense.
By the time we first talked, she had been incarcerated in her pain-prison so long she had begun to doubt her salvation. She was unsure about heaven. She questioned the truth of the Gospel. She struggled between her sometime faith in God and her mounting fear of the future. And she wanted me to give her assurance.
We talked. I prayed for her. Not once, but often. Sadly, every scriptural assurance I offered evoked only another recitation of her ancient pain. Every prayer I prayed caused her only to argue that God doesn’t answer prayer.
In the last conversation we had, I tried once more to assure her of God’s love and grace. She said she hoped it was true.
Some time ago I heard that she had died. I hope she left her prison before she left this planet. No prayer I prayed, no scripture I shared, could free her from that prison. The lock, you see, was on the inside. She had put it there herself. Only she could open it. But she would not.
Do you know people whose well-rehearsed pain has confined them to such a prison? If so, tell them the lock is on the inside, and Jesus offers them the key of forgiveness He forged at the cross. He paid the price. They only need to forgive to be set free.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
YOU OUGHT TO BE COMMITTED!
It was the day we had been looking forward to for months, and it dawned hot and beautiful. The music was rehearsed. The vows were memorized. The preacher was prepared. The punch was mixed. The gowns and tuxedos miraculously fit.
The sanctuary was air conditioned, but the fellowship hall was not, so we had to put the cake in the refrigerator to keep the icing from melting!
A lot of money went into the day: dresses, tuxedos, invitations, travel, decorations, cake, flowers, and a hundred other little things, along with gratuities for the organist, the guitarist, and the pastor. Then, in a blur of whites and pastels, veils and patent leather, it was over. The crowd was gone, the cake was eaten or put away, the leftovers wrapped and stored.
All for what? Forty-five minutes of ceremonious pageantry? A couple of hours with friends and family?
Of course not. What it was all for was to show how important commitment is.
That’s why we put so much into weddings. Not to show off the bride. Not to build a monument to the prosperity of somebody’s family. Not to satisfy the wishes of a mother who didn’t have a nice wedding herself. Not for the romance, or the presents, or the party.
A wedding is a showcase for a life-changing, life-long commitment, and that’s why we make such a big deal of it: we don’t want the commitment to be made haphazardly or without solemn forethought and intentionality. By the way, that’s also why more and more pastors are requiring three or four months of pre-marital preparation. After all, a wedding lasts a few minutes: a marriage is supposed last a lifetime.
Commitments are critical to our growth as God’s creatures, because we become what we're committed to.
Whenever you make a commitment, at that moment you don’t yet measure up to it. For example, when I received Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I barely had a minimal grasp of that commitment: all I knew is that I was giving my life to Jesus. Yet, to this day, forty-four years after I was born again, the commitment I made continues to draw me further on. The fact that I committed to follow Jesus keeps pulling me higher up and further into His plans for me.
I could not do it on my own, without the accountability of commitment. I probably wouldn’t give of myself, or strive to serve God, or put my wife and family first, if I hadn’t promised God I’d try to do so, and hadn’t asked for His help. The commitment I made is what keeps me growing.
That’s why God expects people to keep making commitments. It is only as you keep growing that you stay effective and productive in your relationship with Jesus! It is only as you make solid, Spirit-led commitments that you grow up into them.
Are you committed to following Jesus? Is it time for a fresh commitment to Jesus, to your church or to your family?
The sanctuary was air conditioned, but the fellowship hall was not, so we had to put the cake in the refrigerator to keep the icing from melting!
A lot of money went into the day: dresses, tuxedos, invitations, travel, decorations, cake, flowers, and a hundred other little things, along with gratuities for the organist, the guitarist, and the pastor. Then, in a blur of whites and pastels, veils and patent leather, it was over. The crowd was gone, the cake was eaten or put away, the leftovers wrapped and stored.
All for what? Forty-five minutes of ceremonious pageantry? A couple of hours with friends and family?
Of course not. What it was all for was to show how important commitment is.
That’s why we put so much into weddings. Not to show off the bride. Not to build a monument to the prosperity of somebody’s family. Not to satisfy the wishes of a mother who didn’t have a nice wedding herself. Not for the romance, or the presents, or the party.
A wedding is a showcase for a life-changing, life-long commitment, and that’s why we make such a big deal of it: we don’t want the commitment to be made haphazardly or without solemn forethought and intentionality. By the way, that’s also why more and more pastors are requiring three or four months of pre-marital preparation. After all, a wedding lasts a few minutes: a marriage is supposed last a lifetime.
Commitments are critical to our growth as God’s creatures, because we become what we're committed to.
Whenever you make a commitment, at that moment you don’t yet measure up to it. For example, when I received Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I barely had a minimal grasp of that commitment: all I knew is that I was giving my life to Jesus. Yet, to this day, forty-four years after I was born again, the commitment I made continues to draw me further on. The fact that I committed to follow Jesus keeps pulling me higher up and further into His plans for me.
I could not do it on my own, without the accountability of commitment. I probably wouldn’t give of myself, or strive to serve God, or put my wife and family first, if I hadn’t promised God I’d try to do so, and hadn’t asked for His help. The commitment I made is what keeps me growing.
That’s why God expects people to keep making commitments. It is only as you keep growing that you stay effective and productive in your relationship with Jesus! It is only as you make solid, Spirit-led commitments that you grow up into them.
Are you committed to following Jesus? Is it time for a fresh commitment to Jesus, to your church or to your family?
Thursday, March 16, 2006
HYPOCRITES IN HEAVEN?
In all my years of ministry, I have talked with lots of people about heaven, and asked them if they wanted to go to heaven when they die. In all those conversations, only one person ever told me he didn’t want to go to heaven. When I asked him why didn’t want to go to heaven, he said something like this: “I don’t want to go be with all those hypocrites forever.”
Amazing! At first I was shocked. Then, I began to wonder: are there hypocrites in heaven?
To answer that question, we need to consider what people mean when they say “hypocrite.”
That word commonly refers to someone who says one thing and does another. It’s typically used to describe folks who come to church on Sunday, and seem to be pretty saintly in the sanctuary; but who then spend the rest of the week sinning like those who never go to church at all.
Unfortunately, that definition of “hypocrite” disregards the Biblical nature of the church. God’s Word doesn’t define the church as a saint museum, but rather as a sinner hospital. There’s no better place for sinners to be than in church, because that’s supposed to be the place we gather to learn of God’s mercy, forgiveness and healing. That includes you and me.
Jesus encountered the same problem in His earthly ministry. His infant church was comprised mostly of people formerly famous for sinning, but who were now forgiven and striving to overcome sin. Jesus was accused of having a hypocrite-filled church back then, so it shouldn’t surprise us if the church is accused of the same thing today.
But that’s the church.
Heaven’s going to be different: perfectly different. All the sin that plagues the church, that we Christians struggle to overcome, will be completely wiped away in heaven. Gone. Erased. Forever.
When you accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, at that moment, God delivers you from the eternal penalty of your sin. Then, as you grow in your faith and begin to obey God, He delivers you from the power of sin, so that little by little, you sin less and less. Finally, when you die, He opens heaven to you and delivers you from the presence of sin.
Free from sin’s penalty – that’s salvation, or “phase one.”
Released from sin’s power – that’s spiritual growth, “phase two.”
Delivered from sin’s presence – that’s heaven, “phase forever.”
If you are a Christian, right now you are in “phase two,” still striving to defeat sin. But when you die, you will enter into complete and sudden victory in the heavenly presence of God.
Heaven will be filled not with hypocrites, but with former hypocrites, those who were once very imperfect sinners, saved by grace and welcomed into heaven by God’s astonishing mercy.
If you’re willing to look humbly at your own sin instead of glaring proudly at the sin of those around you, there’s always room for forgiveness with Jesus. There’s still plenty of room in heaven, and lots of room in church!
Amazing! At first I was shocked. Then, I began to wonder: are there hypocrites in heaven?
To answer that question, we need to consider what people mean when they say “hypocrite.”
That word commonly refers to someone who says one thing and does another. It’s typically used to describe folks who come to church on Sunday, and seem to be pretty saintly in the sanctuary; but who then spend the rest of the week sinning like those who never go to church at all.
Unfortunately, that definition of “hypocrite” disregards the Biblical nature of the church. God’s Word doesn’t define the church as a saint museum, but rather as a sinner hospital. There’s no better place for sinners to be than in church, because that’s supposed to be the place we gather to learn of God’s mercy, forgiveness and healing. That includes you and me.
Jesus encountered the same problem in His earthly ministry. His infant church was comprised mostly of people formerly famous for sinning, but who were now forgiven and striving to overcome sin. Jesus was accused of having a hypocrite-filled church back then, so it shouldn’t surprise us if the church is accused of the same thing today.
But that’s the church.
Heaven’s going to be different: perfectly different. All the sin that plagues the church, that we Christians struggle to overcome, will be completely wiped away in heaven. Gone. Erased. Forever.
When you accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, at that moment, God delivers you from the eternal penalty of your sin. Then, as you grow in your faith and begin to obey God, He delivers you from the power of sin, so that little by little, you sin less and less. Finally, when you die, He opens heaven to you and delivers you from the presence of sin.
Free from sin’s penalty – that’s salvation, or “phase one.”
Released from sin’s power – that’s spiritual growth, “phase two.”
Delivered from sin’s presence – that’s heaven, “phase forever.”
If you are a Christian, right now you are in “phase two,” still striving to defeat sin. But when you die, you will enter into complete and sudden victory in the heavenly presence of God.
Heaven will be filled not with hypocrites, but with former hypocrites, those who were once very imperfect sinners, saved by grace and welcomed into heaven by God’s astonishing mercy.
If you’re willing to look humbly at your own sin instead of glaring proudly at the sin of those around you, there’s always room for forgiveness with Jesus. There’s still plenty of room in heaven, and lots of room in church!
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
I got one of “those” phone calls recently: a public opinion poll, the kind where they ask questions about political candidates. It was more than little entertaining. However, as I listened to the issues on the agenda of this particular pollster, I was reminded that our culture has obviously lost its sense of direction. We have completely severed the chains of our moral anchors, and we are utterly adrift on a stormy sea of rival opinions. We know neither where we are nor where we’re going.
It got me to thinking. And praying.
There was a time when the church served as the moral and spiritual conscience of our culture, not because it was perfect or pure, but because it called society without compromise to submit to Him Who is.
How did the church lose its moral influence in our culture?
It boils down to the fact that the church was asleep during those crucial times when the culture was making critical moral and spiritual choices. During the secularizing upheaval of the 1920’s, the sexual revolution of the 1960’s, the cultural relativism of the 1980’s, and the moral decline of the last decade, the church in western culture has done little more than wring its hands and pout.
Keith Green put it this way in one of his songs:
“The world is sleeping in the dark
That the church just can’t fight,
‘Cause it’s asleep in the light!”
What can be done to restore the church to its rightful place as the conscience of our culture?
It will never happen if we wait on the leaders of the church to make it happen. Indeed, the moral lapses of so many church leaders practically guarantee their inability to bring the needed changes. It has to begin with each of us. With me and you.
Admittedly, you can’t change the whole culture.
However, in the power of the Holy Spirit, here’s what you can do.
You can quit griping about the way things are, and start doing something about it, by bringing the moral imperatives of God’s Word to bear in your own life and in the public arena of decision-making and policy formation.
You can pray for your community and its leaders, and occasionally even attend a School Board or City Council meeting to say a word of Godly encouragement.
You can impact your sphere of influence: the people you know; the neighborhood where you live.
You can share God’s truth with others.
You can live God’s truth for them to see.
You can love people in Jesus’ name and demonstrate to them that He loves them very much.
You can show up where God’s presence is required.
You can stand up where God’s influence is needed.
You can speak up where God’s voice must be heard.
You can change your world, in the power of God: one choice at a time, one life at a time, one heart at a time.
You can. And you must.
It got me to thinking. And praying.
There was a time when the church served as the moral and spiritual conscience of our culture, not because it was perfect or pure, but because it called society without compromise to submit to Him Who is.
How did the church lose its moral influence in our culture?
It boils down to the fact that the church was asleep during those crucial times when the culture was making critical moral and spiritual choices. During the secularizing upheaval of the 1920’s, the sexual revolution of the 1960’s, the cultural relativism of the 1980’s, and the moral decline of the last decade, the church in western culture has done little more than wring its hands and pout.
Keith Green put it this way in one of his songs:
“The world is sleeping in the dark
That the church just can’t fight,
‘Cause it’s asleep in the light!”
What can be done to restore the church to its rightful place as the conscience of our culture?
It will never happen if we wait on the leaders of the church to make it happen. Indeed, the moral lapses of so many church leaders practically guarantee their inability to bring the needed changes. It has to begin with each of us. With me and you.
Admittedly, you can’t change the whole culture.
However, in the power of the Holy Spirit, here’s what you can do.
You can quit griping about the way things are, and start doing something about it, by bringing the moral imperatives of God’s Word to bear in your own life and in the public arena of decision-making and policy formation.
You can pray for your community and its leaders, and occasionally even attend a School Board or City Council meeting to say a word of Godly encouragement.
You can impact your sphere of influence: the people you know; the neighborhood where you live.
You can share God’s truth with others.
You can live God’s truth for them to see.
You can love people in Jesus’ name and demonstrate to them that He loves them very much.
You can show up where God’s presence is required.
You can stand up where God’s influence is needed.
You can speak up where God’s voice must be heard.
You can change your world, in the power of God: one choice at a time, one life at a time, one heart at a time.
You can. And you must.
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
WHY SHOULD HE LOVE ME SO?
Formative. Almost determinative.
It’s one of my early childhood memories, the kind that take on foundational importance. The details are a bit fuzzy, but the core is solid.
This formative, almost determinate moment took place during my Dad’s first pastorate, in a little old church in Stilesville, Indiana. While they had hired him to preach, and that only part-time, mind you, it seemed like every job that somebody wasn’t already doing fell to him, whether he could do it or not. So it was that, even though he didn’t read music, he became the choir director, because he sang bass in a barbershop quartet. Even though he’d never done it before, he ran the youth group, because he had teenage sons. And even though he wasn’t a soloist, he sang a solo several times a month, because he had the nerve.
Maybe it was on a Sunday night – that’s usually when he got to (translation: had to) sing – when I heard the song that lately has come rolling back through my mind like an 18-wheeler.
Love sent my Savior to die in my stead.
Why should He love me so?
Meekly to Calvary’s cross He was led.
Why should He love me so?
And the refrain:
Why should He love me so?
Why should He love me so?
Why should my Savior to Calvary go?
Why should He love me so?
When I was eight, it was just another song my Dad sang, not so different from most: nice enough, to be sure; and the people who heard him sing it obviously liked it, even though, as Dad said afterward, it was just a little out of his range.
Forty-four years later, I have discovered it’s completely out of my range.
Musically speaking, the song is certainly not daunting; but then, unlike my Dad, I had lots of musical training. He saw to it that I did. But there is no training, musical or otherwise, that can put the event the song refers to within our range.
Why, indeed, should He love me so?
That’s a question that just won’t go away, if you’ve pondered the crucifixion of God’s Son. All the logic of theological expertise and all the wisdom of the wise leave us staring awestruck into the marred countenance of Unexplainable Love, incarnate from the Virgin Mary, crucified under Pontius Pilate, Who suffered and was buried, and on the third day rose again.
Why should He love me so?
I can’t describe it, except to point to the cross. I can’t figure it out. What did He see in me that would move Him to endure such horror, such unspeakable agony for my salvation?
Why should He love me so?
There are no words left to speak.
Why should He love me so?
There is only a life left to offer. Here I am, Lord. Take me. I’m Yours.
It’s one of my early childhood memories, the kind that take on foundational importance. The details are a bit fuzzy, but the core is solid.
This formative, almost determinate moment took place during my Dad’s first pastorate, in a little old church in Stilesville, Indiana. While they had hired him to preach, and that only part-time, mind you, it seemed like every job that somebody wasn’t already doing fell to him, whether he could do it or not. So it was that, even though he didn’t read music, he became the choir director, because he sang bass in a barbershop quartet. Even though he’d never done it before, he ran the youth group, because he had teenage sons. And even though he wasn’t a soloist, he sang a solo several times a month, because he had the nerve.
Maybe it was on a Sunday night – that’s usually when he got to (translation: had to) sing – when I heard the song that lately has come rolling back through my mind like an 18-wheeler.
Love sent my Savior to die in my stead.
Why should He love me so?
Meekly to Calvary’s cross He was led.
Why should He love me so?
And the refrain:
Why should He love me so?
Why should He love me so?
Why should my Savior to Calvary go?
Why should He love me so?
When I was eight, it was just another song my Dad sang, not so different from most: nice enough, to be sure; and the people who heard him sing it obviously liked it, even though, as Dad said afterward, it was just a little out of his range.
Forty-four years later, I have discovered it’s completely out of my range.
Musically speaking, the song is certainly not daunting; but then, unlike my Dad, I had lots of musical training. He saw to it that I did. But there is no training, musical or otherwise, that can put the event the song refers to within our range.
Why, indeed, should He love me so?
That’s a question that just won’t go away, if you’ve pondered the crucifixion of God’s Son. All the logic of theological expertise and all the wisdom of the wise leave us staring awestruck into the marred countenance of Unexplainable Love, incarnate from the Virgin Mary, crucified under Pontius Pilate, Who suffered and was buried, and on the third day rose again.
Why should He love me so?
I can’t describe it, except to point to the cross. I can’t figure it out. What did He see in me that would move Him to endure such horror, such unspeakable agony for my salvation?
Why should He love me so?
There are no words left to speak.
Why should He love me so?
There is only a life left to offer. Here I am, Lord. Take me. I’m Yours.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
MY BIRTHDAY WISH LIST
Every year, my wife asks me, "What do you want for your birthday?" Every year, I don't know what to tell her.
So, this year, since my birthday is coming up in a little over a month, I thought I'd tell you the six items on my birthday wish list with plenty of lead time, and see what you can do about it. Remember, this is just what I want for my birthday. I may not get everything on this list; but, I can always ask. See if you can help me out here.
Birthday Wish #1 - I wish that all the church members in the town where I live would actually ATTEND the church of which they are members. I've always thought being a member of a church without participating in the life of that church was like owning a closet full of clothes and going naked all the time.
Birthday Wish #2 - I wish that Christians would remember who the enemy is. It's not that visitor in church who sat in "your" seat. It's not the church board, or the pastor, or anybody else who can bleed. We have an enemy, and his name is not on any church role in town. The devil's biggest successes occur when people forget that he and his lies are what we're supposed to be fighting, not somebody else at church, or some other church.
Birthday Wish #3 - I wish people would complain less and pray more. Not only is complaining a sin (see Philippians 2:14!), it doesn't do any good anyway. If we would spend half as much time praying for people and situations as we do complaining about them, God would do twice as many miracles. I include myself in this.
Birthday Wish #4 - I wish that more of the people who notice problems would become part of the solution. God didn't appoint any of us critics. But He did call us to be problem-solvers. You don't like how the youth leaders teach Sunday School? Ask them if there's any way you could help. You think your church's nursery needs improvement? Get involved. If you're not part of the solution, you may be part of the problem.
Birthday Wish #5 - I wish people would praise God more. I've read about places where the economy is bad. It's not bad here. My wife has worshiped in China where it's prohibited to have a Bible study in your home. A friend of mine has been in countries where church buildings are illegal. Fact is, we have it pretty good in America. Those who know where the blessings come from should give God the credit He deserves.
Final Birthday Wish - I want to be a better husband and father in the fifty-fourth year of my life than I was in the fifty-third. While my ministry at First Baptist is vital, my job at home is more important still. I thank God for a wife and family who haven't gotten too upset when I've forgotten that fact. Next to Jesus, they are the greatest gift I've ever received.
So, this year, since my birthday is coming up in a little over a month, I thought I'd tell you the six items on my birthday wish list with plenty of lead time, and see what you can do about it. Remember, this is just what I want for my birthday. I may not get everything on this list; but, I can always ask. See if you can help me out here.
Birthday Wish #1 - I wish that all the church members in the town where I live would actually ATTEND the church of which they are members. I've always thought being a member of a church without participating in the life of that church was like owning a closet full of clothes and going naked all the time.
Birthday Wish #2 - I wish that Christians would remember who the enemy is. It's not that visitor in church who sat in "your" seat. It's not the church board, or the pastor, or anybody else who can bleed. We have an enemy, and his name is not on any church role in town. The devil's biggest successes occur when people forget that he and his lies are what we're supposed to be fighting, not somebody else at church, or some other church.
Birthday Wish #3 - I wish people would complain less and pray more. Not only is complaining a sin (see Philippians 2:14!), it doesn't do any good anyway. If we would spend half as much time praying for people and situations as we do complaining about them, God would do twice as many miracles. I include myself in this.
Birthday Wish #4 - I wish that more of the people who notice problems would become part of the solution. God didn't appoint any of us critics. But He did call us to be problem-solvers. You don't like how the youth leaders teach Sunday School? Ask them if there's any way you could help. You think your church's nursery needs improvement? Get involved. If you're not part of the solution, you may be part of the problem.
Birthday Wish #5 - I wish people would praise God more. I've read about places where the economy is bad. It's not bad here. My wife has worshiped in China where it's prohibited to have a Bible study in your home. A friend of mine has been in countries where church buildings are illegal. Fact is, we have it pretty good in America. Those who know where the blessings come from should give God the credit He deserves.
Final Birthday Wish - I want to be a better husband and father in the fifty-fourth year of my life than I was in the fifty-third. While my ministry at First Baptist is vital, my job at home is more important still. I thank God for a wife and family who haven't gotten too upset when I've forgotten that fact. Next to Jesus, they are the greatest gift I've ever received.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
A TOUCH OR A CHANGE?
As we sat in the sanctuary, dozens of folks handled the big chunk of clay. Many touched it. Some even poked little impressions into its rounded surface.
However, after being passed through scores of hands, the ball of clay remained pretty much as it was when the first person among us touched it. Still just a more-or-less spherical glob.
It had been touched many times.
But it had not really been changed.
Reminds me of a lot of us Christians.
We go to Church on Sundays longing for a touch from God’s hand. And when He touches us, we sing with a tear in our eye or a lump in our throat, “He touched me! O, He touched me, and O! the joy that floods my soul.”
Believer, we don’t need only to be touched. We need to be changed!
Paul referred to this fact when he told the Galatian Christians he was laboring for them “until Christ is formed in you” (Galatians 4:19). Jesus Himself placed before the Church the challenge to become like Him, to be remade into His likeness.
Scripture calls God the Potter and us the clay in His hands.
Have you ever seen what it takes for a potter to make something out of a lump of clay?
First, the clay has to be dug from the ground. Then it has to be ground into a fine powder, and all of the impurities removed. Next, it is mixed with water into a thick paste and extruded into big chunks. From this lump, the potter breaks off a chunk and kneads it to bring it to the right consistency. Then he slams it down onto a wheel, gradually and painstakingly turning and molding it into shape. Finally, after the clay dries, the potter places it into a blazing kiln.
Then, and only then, is the clay fit for the use designated by the potter.
It takes more than a touch.
If all you want is just a touch from God, you are welcome to ask Him, and He will probably touch you. However, if that’s all you want, it’s all you are likely to get: just a touch from God. It will be wonderful, to be sure, and your soul will be thrilled.
And, after the thrill wears off, you may remain basically unchanged.
God’s preference is that you place yourself fully into His hands. Let Him utterly remake you, and form you into the likeness of His Son.
When you go to Church this Sunday – and you WILL go to Church this Sunday, won’t you?! – don’t come out of the building the same as you went in. Prepare your heart to let God make you different, indeed, make you more like His Son Jesus.
Let such a desire be your prayer for these trying times. After all, it takes more than a touch. It takes a change.
However, after being passed through scores of hands, the ball of clay remained pretty much as it was when the first person among us touched it. Still just a more-or-less spherical glob.
It had been touched many times.
But it had not really been changed.
Reminds me of a lot of us Christians.
We go to Church on Sundays longing for a touch from God’s hand. And when He touches us, we sing with a tear in our eye or a lump in our throat, “He touched me! O, He touched me, and O! the joy that floods my soul.”
Believer, we don’t need only to be touched. We need to be changed!
Paul referred to this fact when he told the Galatian Christians he was laboring for them “until Christ is formed in you” (Galatians 4:19). Jesus Himself placed before the Church the challenge to become like Him, to be remade into His likeness.
Scripture calls God the Potter and us the clay in His hands.
Have you ever seen what it takes for a potter to make something out of a lump of clay?
First, the clay has to be dug from the ground. Then it has to be ground into a fine powder, and all of the impurities removed. Next, it is mixed with water into a thick paste and extruded into big chunks. From this lump, the potter breaks off a chunk and kneads it to bring it to the right consistency. Then he slams it down onto a wheel, gradually and painstakingly turning and molding it into shape. Finally, after the clay dries, the potter places it into a blazing kiln.
Then, and only then, is the clay fit for the use designated by the potter.
It takes more than a touch.
If all you want is just a touch from God, you are welcome to ask Him, and He will probably touch you. However, if that’s all you want, it’s all you are likely to get: just a touch from God. It will be wonderful, to be sure, and your soul will be thrilled.
And, after the thrill wears off, you may remain basically unchanged.
God’s preference is that you place yourself fully into His hands. Let Him utterly remake you, and form you into the likeness of His Son.
When you go to Church this Sunday – and you WILL go to Church this Sunday, won’t you?! – don’t come out of the building the same as you went in. Prepare your heart to let God make you different, indeed, make you more like His Son Jesus.
Let such a desire be your prayer for these trying times. After all, it takes more than a touch. It takes a change.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
DIVINE APPOINTMENTS, ETERNAL DESTINATIONS
Have you stopped lately to consider the destinations of the people who move through your life: you know, all those folks you meet and interact with, if even for only a few moments? In any given week, there may be a hundred or more lives that you touch in one way or another. For a few of us, there are more. For some of us, there are less.
But for all of us, there are some.
These people all have a destination. As your path crosses theirs, they’re going somewhere; and because of that fact, they may seem to be in a hurry. Then again, maybe the one who is hurrying is you, with the result your encounters seem fleeting, trivial or perhaps even annoying.
But there is something vital about each momentary meeting. If you believe that God is in any sense sovereign in the affairs of His creation (and I do), your so-called “chance meeting” may in fact be a divine appointment God has been arranging for years. The blessing of a life or the salvation of a human soul may be what God would like to place on your agenda, and if you fail to understand that possibility, you may miss an appointment God made for you.
God may have arranged for the path of one who has forgotten Him to cross your path so that you can do some reminding. He may have brought a hurting heart before you so you could apply the healing touch of His blessing. That cranky teller, that absent minded clerk, or that waitress who forgets your order may be just the person God has brought to you (or sent you to), with a redemptive purpose for the meeting.
That’s why you and I must always be prayed up and ready to extend God’s blessing, share His love, and reveal His truth. You see, there is much more ministry in your day than what you may think. If you’re too busy to pray for someone, you’re too busy. Your schedule is simply too full if you don’t have a moment to ask a hurting or angry soul, “How may I pray for you?”
These people all have a destination: every one of them is headed either for heaven or hell. The very fact that you have contact with them is evidence that our sovereign God has placed you strategically in their lives as a kind of missionary.
If you know Jesus and they don’t, who else is going to tell them? You don’t think for a moment that it’s up to your pastor to tell them, do you? It’s very likely they don’t even know your pastor.
If God brought that person to you, it’s obvious He expects you to do what you can to bring that person to Him. It’s a divine appointment, and someone’s eternal destiny may be involved.
What, with the help of God, are you doing about it?
But for all of us, there are some.
These people all have a destination. As your path crosses theirs, they’re going somewhere; and because of that fact, they may seem to be in a hurry. Then again, maybe the one who is hurrying is you, with the result your encounters seem fleeting, trivial or perhaps even annoying.
But there is something vital about each momentary meeting. If you believe that God is in any sense sovereign in the affairs of His creation (and I do), your so-called “chance meeting” may in fact be a divine appointment God has been arranging for years. The blessing of a life or the salvation of a human soul may be what God would like to place on your agenda, and if you fail to understand that possibility, you may miss an appointment God made for you.
God may have arranged for the path of one who has forgotten Him to cross your path so that you can do some reminding. He may have brought a hurting heart before you so you could apply the healing touch of His blessing. That cranky teller, that absent minded clerk, or that waitress who forgets your order may be just the person God has brought to you (or sent you to), with a redemptive purpose for the meeting.
That’s why you and I must always be prayed up and ready to extend God’s blessing, share His love, and reveal His truth. You see, there is much more ministry in your day than what you may think. If you’re too busy to pray for someone, you’re too busy. Your schedule is simply too full if you don’t have a moment to ask a hurting or angry soul, “How may I pray for you?”
These people all have a destination: every one of them is headed either for heaven or hell. The very fact that you have contact with them is evidence that our sovereign God has placed you strategically in their lives as a kind of missionary.
If you know Jesus and they don’t, who else is going to tell them? You don’t think for a moment that it’s up to your pastor to tell them, do you? It’s very likely they don’t even know your pastor.
If God brought that person to you, it’s obvious He expects you to do what you can to bring that person to Him. It’s a divine appointment, and someone’s eternal destiny may be involved.
What, with the help of God, are you doing about it?
Thursday, February 02, 2006
TIME TO GET DESPERATE
From time to time we sing a song at our church that is emotionally and spiritually enormous in contrast to the actual brevity of it lyrics. Every time we sing it, the words convict me about the state of my relationship with God.
“This is the air I breathe: Your Holy Presence living in me.
This is my daily bread: Your very Word spoken to me;
And I, I’m desperate for You! And I, I’m lost without You!”
The melody is so easy that is makes singing the song not so much a musical experience as an intimate prayer.
Read the words again, and think of them as praying. Go ahead. Read them again.
There, now.
Isn’t the Presence of God as important as the air you breathe? Without air, you’d be physically dead. Without God’s Presence, you’d be even worse off: spiritually dead.
And how about God’s Word? Without His Word spoken into your life by the Holy Spirit, you would become spiritually malnourished, weak and diseased.
That leads you naturally to say “Lord, I’m desperate for You! I’m lost without You!”
Since I learned the song, I haven’t been able to escape that word “desperate.” God keeps pressing the question: “Are you really desperate for Me, John? Or is that just a nice song?”
According to the huge dictionary in my office, the word “desperate,” as it is used here, means “to have an urgent need or desire,” or “to make an ultimate effort, to give all.”
Does that sound like your attitude towards your relationship with God? Kind of makes you wonder. If you were desperate for God, how would it show in your life?
If you were desperate for God, you would take exceptional steps to pursue Him.
If you were desperate for God, you would pay any price to obey Him.
If you were desperate for God, you would take any risk to experience His power.
If you were truly desperate for God, you wouldn’t put limits on what you ask Him to do. You would crave His power, and you wouldn’t care how He manifested that power.
If you were truly desperate for God, you wouldn’t mind personal inconvenience or discomfort, just so long as you could live in the Presence of God.
If you were truly desperate for the Lord, you would be willing to do anything He tells you to do, even if it were something new or different or unfamiliar.
The problem is, folks like you and me are often more concerned with comfort than with the Presence of God. And that, brothers and sisters, is a sin for which we all need to stay in a state of repentance.
Are you desperate for God? Do you “have an urgent need or desire” for His Presence? Are you willing “to make an ultimate effort, to give all” for the sake of knowing Him?
We need God like never before! And that means we may need to do something we’ve never done before. It’s time to get desperate!
“This is the air I breathe: Your Holy Presence living in me.
This is my daily bread: Your very Word spoken to me;
And I, I’m desperate for You! And I, I’m lost without You!”
The melody is so easy that is makes singing the song not so much a musical experience as an intimate prayer.
Read the words again, and think of them as praying. Go ahead. Read them again.
There, now.
Isn’t the Presence of God as important as the air you breathe? Without air, you’d be physically dead. Without God’s Presence, you’d be even worse off: spiritually dead.
And how about God’s Word? Without His Word spoken into your life by the Holy Spirit, you would become spiritually malnourished, weak and diseased.
That leads you naturally to say “Lord, I’m desperate for You! I’m lost without You!”
Since I learned the song, I haven’t been able to escape that word “desperate.” God keeps pressing the question: “Are you really desperate for Me, John? Or is that just a nice song?”
According to the huge dictionary in my office, the word “desperate,” as it is used here, means “to have an urgent need or desire,” or “to make an ultimate effort, to give all.”
Does that sound like your attitude towards your relationship with God? Kind of makes you wonder. If you were desperate for God, how would it show in your life?
If you were desperate for God, you would take exceptional steps to pursue Him.
If you were desperate for God, you would pay any price to obey Him.
If you were desperate for God, you would take any risk to experience His power.
If you were truly desperate for God, you wouldn’t put limits on what you ask Him to do. You would crave His power, and you wouldn’t care how He manifested that power.
If you were truly desperate for God, you wouldn’t mind personal inconvenience or discomfort, just so long as you could live in the Presence of God.
If you were truly desperate for the Lord, you would be willing to do anything He tells you to do, even if it were something new or different or unfamiliar.
The problem is, folks like you and me are often more concerned with comfort than with the Presence of God. And that, brothers and sisters, is a sin for which we all need to stay in a state of repentance.
Are you desperate for God? Do you “have an urgent need or desire” for His Presence? Are you willing “to make an ultimate effort, to give all” for the sake of knowing Him?
We need God like never before! And that means we may need to do something we’ve never done before. It’s time to get desperate!
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
"What's Your Line?"
You remember the show, don't you? It was called, "What's My Line?" and I seem to have heard that it tried to make a comeback on the tube a while back.
The show featured guests with fascinating or odd careers, or unlikely positions in life (i.e., their "line," whence the show's title), and a panel of celebrities who would interview the guests to see which of the three was the real person with the fascinating tale to tell, and which two were just fakes trying to fool people. The panel would try to select the "real" person, and the more wrong votes they cast, the more money the guests would receive. The truth was always revealed when the host of the show would say dramatically at the end, "And now, would the REAL Bill Smith please stand up?!"
And Bill would stand.
It was a clever show with a fascinating premise: how many people can a person trick into thinking he's someone that he's actually not?
Sadly, there seems to be a parallel between the show and what sometimes happens in church life. The term, "getting dressed for church" doesn't always mean putting on a certain outfit: it may mean adopting a certain set of behaviors and responses. We want, after all, to live up to everyone's expectations when we go to church, don't' we?
However, it may be a different story when we go to work on Monday morning.
Or to the ball game on Friday night.
Or to the mall.
Or to a party with our friends.
It kind of makes you wonder, doesn't it, just how many roles the typical Christian tries to play. There's the work role and the home role; the "by-myself" role and the "with-my-friends" role; and, oh yes, the "going-to-church" role. No wonder that God often calls out to those who can hear Him, "Would the REAL you please stand up?!"
Some try to rationalize their role-playing by making it sound spiritual: "I'm just trying to 'be all things to all people,' like the Apostle Paul said." Right!? Let's not forget that Paul's motive was to win more people to Christ. Could our motive be that we just want to fit into our culture, or be accepted by people? All the while, we disregard God's commands about fitting into His Kingdom and being more like Jesus.
What God is seeking from His people is NOT that they "fit in." Indeed, God expects us to stand up for Him, which means we may stand out. Since He expects us to make a difference in this world, it is necessary that we live differently from the world.
The next time you feel pressure to "fit in," or play some role, stop and ask God, "Who have you called me to be? Lord, please help the REAL me to stand up . . . for You."
The show featured guests with fascinating or odd careers, or unlikely positions in life (i.e., their "line," whence the show's title), and a panel of celebrities who would interview the guests to see which of the three was the real person with the fascinating tale to tell, and which two were just fakes trying to fool people. The panel would try to select the "real" person, and the more wrong votes they cast, the more money the guests would receive. The truth was always revealed when the host of the show would say dramatically at the end, "And now, would the REAL Bill Smith please stand up?!"
And Bill would stand.
It was a clever show with a fascinating premise: how many people can a person trick into thinking he's someone that he's actually not?
Sadly, there seems to be a parallel between the show and what sometimes happens in church life. The term, "getting dressed for church" doesn't always mean putting on a certain outfit: it may mean adopting a certain set of behaviors and responses. We want, after all, to live up to everyone's expectations when we go to church, don't' we?
However, it may be a different story when we go to work on Monday morning.
Or to the ball game on Friday night.
Or to the mall.
Or to a party with our friends.
It kind of makes you wonder, doesn't it, just how many roles the typical Christian tries to play. There's the work role and the home role; the "by-myself" role and the "with-my-friends" role; and, oh yes, the "going-to-church" role. No wonder that God often calls out to those who can hear Him, "Would the REAL you please stand up?!"
Some try to rationalize their role-playing by making it sound spiritual: "I'm just trying to 'be all things to all people,' like the Apostle Paul said." Right!? Let's not forget that Paul's motive was to win more people to Christ. Could our motive be that we just want to fit into our culture, or be accepted by people? All the while, we disregard God's commands about fitting into His Kingdom and being more like Jesus.
What God is seeking from His people is NOT that they "fit in." Indeed, God expects us to stand up for Him, which means we may stand out. Since He expects us to make a difference in this world, it is necessary that we live differently from the world.
The next time you feel pressure to "fit in," or play some role, stop and ask God, "Who have you called me to be? Lord, please help the REAL me to stand up . . . for You."
Thursday, January 19, 2006
I'VE GOT TO SPEAK UP!
When the Declaration of Independence was written nearly two-hundred thirty years ago, the founders of this nation pledged their sacred honor to the notion that God gives every human being three basic rights. These include the right to pursue happiness, the right to enjoy freedom, and the right to live. Their assertion was not that the government provides these rights, but rather that they come as gifts from Almighty God. It follows then, that the government’s job is simply to speak up for and protect the rights given by God to its citizens.
For decades now – and especially since the landmark Roe v. Wade decision handed down 33 years ago today, legalizing abortion on demand – our nation has argued over the most basic of these three God-ordained rights: the right to life. The basic meaning of Roe v. Wade is that a child resting in its mother’s womb does not have the same rights as a child resting in its mother’s arms. The place of that child’s residence is seen as the determining factor regarding that child’s God-given rights to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Today there are politicians on both sides of this issue. Some of them say they will stand up for the value of every human life from conception until death. Others declare they will always support a “woman’s right to choose.”
As you ponder such differences, let me remind you of a crucial factor to consider. It’s a child we’re talking about here, not a “choice”!
By the time a woman is certain she is pregnant, her unborn child possesses every trait that medical science employs to define persons as “living.” By the twenty-first day after conception, the child’s heart is pumping blood through a closed circulatory system, and that blood is usually a different type from that of the mother. By forty days, the child’s nervous system reacts to outside stimulus, and his brain activity is measurable on an encephalogram. By nine weeks, the child is breathing amniotic fluid steadily, and will continue to do so until birth. The child does not drown by breathing the fluid, because she obtains oxygen from her mother through the umbilical cord.
The earliest that most abortions occur is around 11 or 12 weeks after conception. This means that virtually every abortion extinguishes a child who, by medical definition, exhibits every sign of life: pulse, brainwaves, and respiration. It is clear that “terminating a pregnancy” also terminates a life.
Therefore, before God, Who, according to Scripture, earnestly yearns to participate in the development of every unborn child; and before the church, charged by God with upholding His truths; and before our leaders, elected to uphold the rights of the citizens; I ask this question: how can a civilized nation deny to a child in the womb the rights it preserves for those outside the womb?!
Who will speak up for these little ones?
I’ve got to speak up. Won’t you?
For decades now – and especially since the landmark Roe v. Wade decision handed down 33 years ago today, legalizing abortion on demand – our nation has argued over the most basic of these three God-ordained rights: the right to life. The basic meaning of Roe v. Wade is that a child resting in its mother’s womb does not have the same rights as a child resting in its mother’s arms. The place of that child’s residence is seen as the determining factor regarding that child’s God-given rights to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Today there are politicians on both sides of this issue. Some of them say they will stand up for the value of every human life from conception until death. Others declare they will always support a “woman’s right to choose.”
As you ponder such differences, let me remind you of a crucial factor to consider. It’s a child we’re talking about here, not a “choice”!
By the time a woman is certain she is pregnant, her unborn child possesses every trait that medical science employs to define persons as “living.” By the twenty-first day after conception, the child’s heart is pumping blood through a closed circulatory system, and that blood is usually a different type from that of the mother. By forty days, the child’s nervous system reacts to outside stimulus, and his brain activity is measurable on an encephalogram. By nine weeks, the child is breathing amniotic fluid steadily, and will continue to do so until birth. The child does not drown by breathing the fluid, because she obtains oxygen from her mother through the umbilical cord.
The earliest that most abortions occur is around 11 or 12 weeks after conception. This means that virtually every abortion extinguishes a child who, by medical definition, exhibits every sign of life: pulse, brainwaves, and respiration. It is clear that “terminating a pregnancy” also terminates a life.
Therefore, before God, Who, according to Scripture, earnestly yearns to participate in the development of every unborn child; and before the church, charged by God with upholding His truths; and before our leaders, elected to uphold the rights of the citizens; I ask this question: how can a civilized nation deny to a child in the womb the rights it preserves for those outside the womb?!
Who will speak up for these little ones?
I’ve got to speak up. Won’t you?
Sunday, January 15, 2006
As Simple as A - B - C
Recently I talked with friend of mine named Dwight, a pastor in Alabama, about an evanglism class we’re taking. During the conversation, Dwight told of another preacher in his town who came to him for advice. A man in that preacher’s church had asked him how to become a Christian, and he wasn’t sure how to answer the man, so he had come to Pastor Dwight to ask what he should tell him.
To put it mildly, Pastor Dwight and I were both astonished! Imagine, a pastor not knowing how to become a Christian. It’s so simple!
Come to our church on a Wednesday night and ask the eleven-year olds in Awana: they can tell you how to become a Christian. It’s as simple as “A-B-C!”
The “A” stands for the word “Admit!” and it’s the first step to becoming a Christian: admit you need a Savior. Jesus put it this way: “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17). That might sounds like bad news, but really it’s very good news, because the fact is, we’re all sinners. Listen to the Word of God. “There is no one who lives righteously. No, not one” (Psalm 14:3). “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
Until you admit you’re a sinner in need of a Savior, then to you, Jesus is basically irrelevant. So, the first step is “A” – Admit you need a Savior. Do you admit that?
After “A” comes “B” – Believe Jesus died to save you from your sins. Notice that it’s not just “Believe in God.” Scripture says this about simply believing in God, “The demons also believe – and tremble!” (James 2:19). Obviously, there’s more to saving faith than just believing God exists. God’s Word says that to be a Christian, you must “believe in the name of God’s Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 3:23). “Believe in His name:” what does that mean? It means believing He is what His name declares Him to be. Jesus is His name, and “Jesus” means “The Lord Who saves.”
Do you believe that Jesus is the Lord Who saves? That’s step number two.
The third step to becoming a Christian is “C” – commit your life to Him.” Look back at step two for a moment and notice that “B” means believing that Jesus is the LORD Who saves. As the LORD, He is worthy to be in charge of your life. If you believe that He is the LORD Who saves, then commit your life to Him! One translation of Psalm 37:5 says, “Commit your way unto the Lord;” another version simplifies it this way: “Put your life in the hands of the Lord.” Have you done that?
It’s simple enough for an eight year old, and profound enough for a ninety-eight year old.
Admit you’re a sinner in need of a Savior.
Believe Jesus died to save you from your sins.
Commit your life to Him.
To put it mildly, Pastor Dwight and I were both astonished! Imagine, a pastor not knowing how to become a Christian. It’s so simple!
Come to our church on a Wednesday night and ask the eleven-year olds in Awana: they can tell you how to become a Christian. It’s as simple as “A-B-C!”
The “A” stands for the word “Admit!” and it’s the first step to becoming a Christian: admit you need a Savior. Jesus put it this way: “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17). That might sounds like bad news, but really it’s very good news, because the fact is, we’re all sinners. Listen to the Word of God. “There is no one who lives righteously. No, not one” (Psalm 14:3). “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
Until you admit you’re a sinner in need of a Savior, then to you, Jesus is basically irrelevant. So, the first step is “A” – Admit you need a Savior. Do you admit that?
After “A” comes “B” – Believe Jesus died to save you from your sins. Notice that it’s not just “Believe in God.” Scripture says this about simply believing in God, “The demons also believe – and tremble!” (James 2:19). Obviously, there’s more to saving faith than just believing God exists. God’s Word says that to be a Christian, you must “believe in the name of God’s Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 3:23). “Believe in His name:” what does that mean? It means believing He is what His name declares Him to be. Jesus is His name, and “Jesus” means “The Lord Who saves.”
Do you believe that Jesus is the Lord Who saves? That’s step number two.
The third step to becoming a Christian is “C” – commit your life to Him.” Look back at step two for a moment and notice that “B” means believing that Jesus is the LORD Who saves. As the LORD, He is worthy to be in charge of your life. If you believe that He is the LORD Who saves, then commit your life to Him! One translation of Psalm 37:5 says, “Commit your way unto the Lord;” another version simplifies it this way: “Put your life in the hands of the Lord.” Have you done that?
It’s simple enough for an eight year old, and profound enough for a ninety-eight year old.
Admit you’re a sinner in need of a Savior.
Believe Jesus died to save you from your sins.
Commit your life to Him.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Where Are All the Christians?
I'm taking a class these days about evangelism. In studying for the class I have learned some overwhelming statistics about the number of people in the USA who don't know Jesus Christ.
What I've learned is that even though as many as 90% of Americans claim to believe in God, somewhere around 150 million Americans say they don't have a "relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ." They may believe in God, but they don't know Him. These 150 million don't follow Him, serve Him or worship Him. From what we can tell, their so-called faith hasn't made one bit of difference in their lives.
I don't know about you, but to me information like that can be depressing if I ponder it for long in its full statistical enormity. I prefer to break it down into more manageable hunks, smaller pieces I can wrap my brain around -- or, more importantly, my heart. When I do that, with God's help, then I can remember that part of the good news about the Good News is that I don't have to share It with everyone. The 150 million unsaved people are not all my own personal responsibility, or yours either.
But some of them are.
Who do you know that you could share Jesus with? Is there a friend, a co-worker, a neighbor, or a family member you could talk with about what Jesus means to you? Is there anyone at all you could invite to your church, or to a Bible study? Surely there's someone you know and care about whose soul you could pray for and whom you could take with you to church.
Surely, there's someone.
Some one.
One life at a time: that's all you need be concerned about. Leave the masses to someone else, and you just attend to one there in front of you who doesn't know the Lord.
At the close of his book called "The Unchurched Next Door," Dr. Thom Rainer relates the following true story shared by Emily N. about her acquaintance Celeste.
"I knew Celeste was different. In fact, I knew she had that peace that I didn't have. We had known each other for just three weeks when Celeste started telling me about her faith. She invited me to church. No, she came by my house and picked me up. Two months later, I accepted Christ.
"You need to understand that I went from totally unchurched, no church background, no knowledge of church to becoming a Christian in just a matter of weeks."
Celeste wasn't focusing on 150 million people. She was concerned about one person she knew who didn't know Christ: her friend Emily. Celeste was just one person, and she made an eternal difference in the life of one other person, Emily.
Emily concluded her story this way: "What I'm still trying to figure out, with the millions of Christians in American, is how come it took forty-three years for someone to share about Christ with me. Where are all the other Christians?"
Good question, Emily.
What I've learned is that even though as many as 90% of Americans claim to believe in God, somewhere around 150 million Americans say they don't have a "relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ." They may believe in God, but they don't know Him. These 150 million don't follow Him, serve Him or worship Him. From what we can tell, their so-called faith hasn't made one bit of difference in their lives.
I don't know about you, but to me information like that can be depressing if I ponder it for long in its full statistical enormity. I prefer to break it down into more manageable hunks, smaller pieces I can wrap my brain around -- or, more importantly, my heart. When I do that, with God's help, then I can remember that part of the good news about the Good News is that I don't have to share It with everyone. The 150 million unsaved people are not all my own personal responsibility, or yours either.
But some of them are.
Who do you know that you could share Jesus with? Is there a friend, a co-worker, a neighbor, or a family member you could talk with about what Jesus means to you? Is there anyone at all you could invite to your church, or to a Bible study? Surely there's someone you know and care about whose soul you could pray for and whom you could take with you to church.
Surely, there's someone.
Some one.
One life at a time: that's all you need be concerned about. Leave the masses to someone else, and you just attend to one there in front of you who doesn't know the Lord.
At the close of his book called "The Unchurched Next Door," Dr. Thom Rainer relates the following true story shared by Emily N. about her acquaintance Celeste.
"I knew Celeste was different. In fact, I knew she had that peace that I didn't have. We had known each other for just three weeks when Celeste started telling me about her faith. She invited me to church. No, she came by my house and picked me up. Two months later, I accepted Christ.
"You need to understand that I went from totally unchurched, no church background, no knowledge of church to becoming a Christian in just a matter of weeks."
Celeste wasn't focusing on 150 million people. She was concerned about one person she knew who didn't know Christ: her friend Emily. Celeste was just one person, and she made an eternal difference in the life of one other person, Emily.
Emily concluded her story this way: "What I'm still trying to figure out, with the millions of Christians in American, is how come it took forty-three years for someone to share about Christ with me. Where are all the other Christians?"
Good question, Emily.
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Excuse Me, But We Need to Talk!
Most of America’s TV’s will be tuned to one of several bowl games this Sunday and Monday. Imagine the following scene taking place during one of the big games.
Eileen walks into the den, stands squarely in front of the TV at which Hank is staring, and says to him, “Excuse me, but we need to talk.” Trying to watch the next breathtaking play in the game, Hank asks a question that only proves how completely he has missed the point: “What do we need to talk ABOUT, sweetheart?”
Eileen has no trouble discerning where Hank’s mind really is. This is the man to whom she has pledged her heart, given her love and opened her soul, and there he sits, craning his neck to look around her at TV the screen, totally oblivious to their need. Fact is, it doesn’t matter what they need to talk ABOUT. They just need to talk, plain and simple; because communication is the raw material of relationships.
And so, as Hank stares past her at the big game, Eileen shrugs her shoulders, walks away to her room, and cries herself to sleep on the bed.
Hank? Heck, there’s less than a quarter-and-a-half left in the game. There’ll be plenty of time to talk later. Besides, what did Eileen want to talk ABOUT anyway?
Get a clue, Hank! At least you could have made a date to talk later. The subject matter is unimportant. What counts is the face-to-face, heart-to-heart sharing of one another’s lives. The whole purpose of communication is not simply distributing information but developing intimacy. Intimacy, not just information.
That’s also why we communicate with God. Christianity is a relationship with God, a relationship that, just like Hank and Eileen’s, either thrives on communication or suffers without it.
When people in relationships fail to communicate, they have problems. That applies whether it’s a business relationship or a personal one, a close relationship or a casual one. The health of the relationship is always determined by the condition of the communication.
We can’t really know people, or God, merely by being in their presence. It takes conversation, actually sharing thoughts and fears, goals and dreams.
Christians are meant to converse like that with God. We address Him in the language of prayer, and He addresses us in the language of Scripture.
This means that a daily quiet time in which you listen to God by reading His Word, and speak your innermost thoughts to Him in prayer, is more than just a religious exercise. It’s the very essence of maintaining your connection to Him. It’s what keeps you alive.
God is standing before you now, right in front of your TV, your stereo, your car, your house, and your job, and He’s saying, “Excuse me, but we need to talk.” What you talk about is not as important as the fact that you speak to Him and He speaks to you.
Do you have the time for God? Or is that game really more important than He is?
Eileen walks into the den, stands squarely in front of the TV at which Hank is staring, and says to him, “Excuse me, but we need to talk.” Trying to watch the next breathtaking play in the game, Hank asks a question that only proves how completely he has missed the point: “What do we need to talk ABOUT, sweetheart?”
Eileen has no trouble discerning where Hank’s mind really is. This is the man to whom she has pledged her heart, given her love and opened her soul, and there he sits, craning his neck to look around her at TV the screen, totally oblivious to their need. Fact is, it doesn’t matter what they need to talk ABOUT. They just need to talk, plain and simple; because communication is the raw material of relationships.
And so, as Hank stares past her at the big game, Eileen shrugs her shoulders, walks away to her room, and cries herself to sleep on the bed.
Hank? Heck, there’s less than a quarter-and-a-half left in the game. There’ll be plenty of time to talk later. Besides, what did Eileen want to talk ABOUT anyway?
Get a clue, Hank! At least you could have made a date to talk later. The subject matter is unimportant. What counts is the face-to-face, heart-to-heart sharing of one another’s lives. The whole purpose of communication is not simply distributing information but developing intimacy. Intimacy, not just information.
That’s also why we communicate with God. Christianity is a relationship with God, a relationship that, just like Hank and Eileen’s, either thrives on communication or suffers without it.
When people in relationships fail to communicate, they have problems. That applies whether it’s a business relationship or a personal one, a close relationship or a casual one. The health of the relationship is always determined by the condition of the communication.
We can’t really know people, or God, merely by being in their presence. It takes conversation, actually sharing thoughts and fears, goals and dreams.
Christians are meant to converse like that with God. We address Him in the language of prayer, and He addresses us in the language of Scripture.
This means that a daily quiet time in which you listen to God by reading His Word, and speak your innermost thoughts to Him in prayer, is more than just a religious exercise. It’s the very essence of maintaining your connection to Him. It’s what keeps you alive.
God is standing before you now, right in front of your TV, your stereo, your car, your house, and your job, and He’s saying, “Excuse me, but we need to talk.” What you talk about is not as important as the fact that you speak to Him and He speaks to you.
Do you have the time for God? Or is that game really more important than He is?
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
WHAT KIDS REALLY WANT FOR CHRISTMAS
When adults go Christmas shopping for the kids and youth in their lives, what do they have on their gift lists? DVD’s of a couple recent smash movies? An iPod? A computer game or two? Maybe a gift certificate to a tattoo parlor? More toys, preferably high-tech?
You might be surprised to learn that what most kids and youth really want is more time with their parents and more spiritual meaning in their lives. That’s what sociologist Christian Smith says in his recent book “Soul Searching.” Based upon extensive interviews with hundreds of youth of all ages and stages from across the nation, the book is full of surprises for the parents and grandparents of America’s current generation of youth and children.
Here are a couple of these surprises that are relevant to the Christmas story.
Far from being religion-bashing iconoclasts (as the media often paints them), today’s young people generally have a deep interest in the beliefs of their parents and grandparents. What puzzles them about the faith of their forebears is why their parents and grandparents haven’t taught them about it. As one young person I talked to stated it, “My parents spend a lot of time at church, but we’ve never actually had a conversation about why it’s so important.”
Hmmmmm.
As we commemorate the birth of Jesus, it’s a great opportunity to have some meaningful interaction about Who Jesus is, why He came, and what it means to us. Families will be gathering, and there will plenty of intergenerational situations. We need to redeem the time and ask some conversation-starter questions. Gently raise the topic with your children and grandchildren.
One thing my family has always done on Christmas morning is read the Christmas story. You’ll find it in the following passages: Matthew 1:18-25 gives a brief overview of Jesus' birth; Luke 1:26-38 describes how Mary became the mother of Jesus; Luke 2:1-20 tells how Jesus was born; and John 1:1-14 explains why He was born.
If you don’t have time to read all these passages, choose the first 14 verses of Luke 2. Then ask the children what they think it means for them. Then listen!
The second surprise is this: if today’s kids aren’t taught their parents’ and grandparents’ faith, they will come up with their own version of a religious worldview. They are not secular people. They want a faith-driven way of living. If we don’t teach them our faith, they’ll find one from somewhere else. And we may not like what they find.
Christmas therefore reminds us that what our children and grandchildren really want is meaningful relationships with us and a living faith in the Savior we claim to believe in. To be sure they receive this from us, we have to be intentional about spending time with them, on their terms, to share Jesus with them!
Tell the truth to your children this weekend. Give them Jesus for Christmas.
You might be surprised to learn that what most kids and youth really want is more time with their parents and more spiritual meaning in their lives. That’s what sociologist Christian Smith says in his recent book “Soul Searching.” Based upon extensive interviews with hundreds of youth of all ages and stages from across the nation, the book is full of surprises for the parents and grandparents of America’s current generation of youth and children.
Here are a couple of these surprises that are relevant to the Christmas story.
Far from being religion-bashing iconoclasts (as the media often paints them), today’s young people generally have a deep interest in the beliefs of their parents and grandparents. What puzzles them about the faith of their forebears is why their parents and grandparents haven’t taught them about it. As one young person I talked to stated it, “My parents spend a lot of time at church, but we’ve never actually had a conversation about why it’s so important.”
Hmmmmm.
As we commemorate the birth of Jesus, it’s a great opportunity to have some meaningful interaction about Who Jesus is, why He came, and what it means to us. Families will be gathering, and there will plenty of intergenerational situations. We need to redeem the time and ask some conversation-starter questions. Gently raise the topic with your children and grandchildren.
One thing my family has always done on Christmas morning is read the Christmas story. You’ll find it in the following passages: Matthew 1:18-25 gives a brief overview of Jesus' birth; Luke 1:26-38 describes how Mary became the mother of Jesus; Luke 2:1-20 tells how Jesus was born; and John 1:1-14 explains why He was born.
If you don’t have time to read all these passages, choose the first 14 verses of Luke 2. Then ask the children what they think it means for them. Then listen!
The second surprise is this: if today’s kids aren’t taught their parents’ and grandparents’ faith, they will come up with their own version of a religious worldview. They are not secular people. They want a faith-driven way of living. If we don’t teach them our faith, they’ll find one from somewhere else. And we may not like what they find.
Christmas therefore reminds us that what our children and grandchildren really want is meaningful relationships with us and a living faith in the Savior we claim to believe in. To be sure they receive this from us, we have to be intentional about spending time with them, on their terms, to share Jesus with them!
Tell the truth to your children this weekend. Give them Jesus for Christmas.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Christmas Quiz, part 2
Here is the second half of the Christmas Quiz we started last week. How did you do on part 1?
The correct answers with scripture references are at the end, so don’t peak until you’ve marked your answers. Remember to answer according to what you think the Bible says, because it is our only accurate source for the truth about Christmas.
11. When the shepherds finished their visit to Jesus, what did they do?
A. They just settled down for a long winter's nap.
B. They met the little drummer boy.
C. They asked Herod for further information.
D. They saw three ships come sailing in.
E. They had an impromptu worship service.
F. None of the above
12. Who saw the star in the east?
A. The Shepherds
B. Mary and Joseph
C. Three kings of orient
D. Herod
E. Both A and C
F. None of the above
13. The wise men stopped in Jerusalem to do what?
A. Inform Herod about Jesus.
B. Ask about the star they saw.
C. Find out where the king of the Jews was to be born
D. Get some Christmas gifts for Jesus.
E. Buy gas.
F. None of the above
14. What were the names of the wise men?
A. Crosby, Stills and Nash
B. Peter, Paul and Mary
C. Larry, Moe and Curly
D. Caspar, Melchior and Belthasar
E. Winkin', Blinkin' and Nod
F. No one knows
15. The wise men brought their gifts to Jesus while He was in . . .
A. A manger.
B. A stable.
C. A house.
D. A Holiday Inn.
E. A good mood.
F. None of the above.
16. What gifts did the wise men bring to Jesus?
A. Silver and gold
B. A coat of many colors
C. Myrrh, gold and frankincense
D. A pillow to lay His head on
E. Gold, incense and mirth
F. None of the above
17. How many wise men came to see Jesus?
A. Seven
B. Five
C. Twelve
D. A multitude
E. Three
F. No one knows
18. Why did Joseph take baby Jesus to Egypt?
A. To show Him the pyramids.
B. To teach Him the wisdom of the pharaohs
C. To put him in a basket in the Nile.
D. Because an angel told him to do so in a dream.
E. To register for a census and be taxed.
F. None of the above.
19. Who tried to have Jesus killed shortly after the visit of the Wise Men?
A. Pontius Pilate
B. Herod
C. The Pharisees
D. The Saducees
E. The Zealots
F. None of the above
20. What is the best way I can celebrate the birth of Jesus?
A. Give lots of presents
B. Get lots of presents
C. Go to lots of parties
D. Eat lots of turkey
E. Watch lots of football
F. Believe that Jesus is God's Son, and receive Him as my own Lord and Savior
CORRECT ANSWERS & SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
11. E; Luke 2:16-20
12. F; Matthew 2:1 They weren’t “kings.”
13. C; Matthew 2:1-2
14. F; Matthew 2:1 Scripture does not mention their names
15. C; Matthew 2:11a
16. C; Matthew 2:11b
17. F; Matthew 2:11b There were three gifts. The number of Wise Men is unknown.
18. D; Matthew 2:13
19. B; Matthew 2:7-16
20. F; John 1:11-12
The correct answers with scripture references are at the end, so don’t peak until you’ve marked your answers. Remember to answer according to what you think the Bible says, because it is our only accurate source for the truth about Christmas.
11. When the shepherds finished their visit to Jesus, what did they do?
A. They just settled down for a long winter's nap.
B. They met the little drummer boy.
C. They asked Herod for further information.
D. They saw three ships come sailing in.
E. They had an impromptu worship service.
F. None of the above
12. Who saw the star in the east?
A. The Shepherds
B. Mary and Joseph
C. Three kings of orient
D. Herod
E. Both A and C
F. None of the above
13. The wise men stopped in Jerusalem to do what?
A. Inform Herod about Jesus.
B. Ask about the star they saw.
C. Find out where the king of the Jews was to be born
D. Get some Christmas gifts for Jesus.
E. Buy gas.
F. None of the above
14. What were the names of the wise men?
A. Crosby, Stills and Nash
B. Peter, Paul and Mary
C. Larry, Moe and Curly
D. Caspar, Melchior and Belthasar
E. Winkin', Blinkin' and Nod
F. No one knows
15. The wise men brought their gifts to Jesus while He was in . . .
A. A manger.
B. A stable.
C. A house.
D. A Holiday Inn.
E. A good mood.
F. None of the above.
16. What gifts did the wise men bring to Jesus?
A. Silver and gold
B. A coat of many colors
C. Myrrh, gold and frankincense
D. A pillow to lay His head on
E. Gold, incense and mirth
F. None of the above
17. How many wise men came to see Jesus?
A. Seven
B. Five
C. Twelve
D. A multitude
E. Three
F. No one knows
18. Why did Joseph take baby Jesus to Egypt?
A. To show Him the pyramids.
B. To teach Him the wisdom of the pharaohs
C. To put him in a basket in the Nile.
D. Because an angel told him to do so in a dream.
E. To register for a census and be taxed.
F. None of the above.
19. Who tried to have Jesus killed shortly after the visit of the Wise Men?
A. Pontius Pilate
B. Herod
C. The Pharisees
D. The Saducees
E. The Zealots
F. None of the above
20. What is the best way I can celebrate the birth of Jesus?
A. Give lots of presents
B. Get lots of presents
C. Go to lots of parties
D. Eat lots of turkey
E. Watch lots of football
F. Believe that Jesus is God's Son, and receive Him as my own Lord and Savior
CORRECT ANSWERS & SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
11. E; Luke 2:16-20
12. F; Matthew 2:1 They weren’t “kings.”
13. C; Matthew 2:1-2
14. F; Matthew 2:1 Scripture does not mention their names
15. C; Matthew 2:11a
16. C; Matthew 2:11b
17. F; Matthew 2:11b There were three gifts. The number of Wise Men is unknown.
18. D; Matthew 2:13
19. B; Matthew 2:7-16
20. F; John 1:11-12
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Christmas Quiz, part 1
Apparently some folks out there artually read this article (for which I want to say, “Thank you very much!”), because after last week’s piece that included three questions from a “Christmas Quiz” we’ve done at my church, I’ve had several requests for the entire quiz. So, here is the first half of it. The rest will be in next week.
The correct answers with scripture references are at the end, so don’t peak until you’ve marked your answers. Try to answer according to what you think the Bible says, because it is our only accurate source for the truth about Christmas, but answer before you look it up.
Let’s learn to separate Christmas myth from Christmas truth!
1. Joseph and Mary were from where?
A. Bethlehem
B. Jerusalem
C. Nazareth
D. Egypt
E. Spain
F. Atlantis
2. When Joseph found out Mary was pregnant, what happened?
A. Joseph went to Solomon for advice.
B. Joseph wanted to end the engagement.
C. Mary left town for three months.
D. God told them to go to Bethlehem.
E. Joseph told Mary to get an abortion.
F. Both B and C
3. Who told Mary and Joseph to go to Bethlehem?
A. No one
B. God
C. Caesar Augustus
D. An angel
E. Mary's mother
F. Herod
4. Why did Mary and Joseph go to Bethlehem?
A. To get married
B. For a vacation
C. To escape from Herod
D. To register in a census and pay taxes
E. To visit Mary's cousin Elizabeth
F. To look for work in a larger town
5. What did the innkeeper say to Mary and Joseph?
A. "There is no room in the inn."
B. "I have a stable you can use."
C. "Come back after the Christmas rush."
D. "You hicks can sleep in the barn."
E. "Go away, kids. You bother me."
F. No one really knows.
6. Which animals does the Bible say were present at Jesus' birth?
A. Cows, sheep and goats.
B. Cows, donkeys and sheep
C. Sheep and goats only
D. Unspecified farm animals
E. Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!
F. None of the above
7. When the angels came to the shepherds, what were they singing?
A. "Glory to God in the highest"
B. "Peace on earth, good will to men"
C. "White Christmas"
D. "Fear not, I bring you good tidings of great joy"
E. "R – E – S – P – E – C – T"
F. None of the above
8. When the angels came to the shepherds, what were they playing?
A. Gin rummy
B. Harps of gold
C. Little drums
D. Trumpets
E. Lutes and lyres
F. None of the above
9. What sign were the shepherds told to look for?
A. One that said, "This way to baby Jesus."
B. A star over Bethlehem
C. A baby that doesn't cry
D. A house with a Christmas tree
E. A baby in a stable
F. A baby in a manger
10.The baby Jesus cried . . .
A. because He had to sleep on hay.
B. seldom or never.
C. when the doctor spanked Him.
D. probably just like other babies.
E. because the cows scared Him.
F. when the little drummer boy started banging on his drum.
Here are the correct answers with scripture references:
1. C (Luke 1:26-27)
2. F (Matthew 1:18-19; Luke 1:35-39,56)
3. C (Luke 2:1,5-6)
4. D (Luke 2:5)
5. F (Luke 2:7)
6. F (Luke 2:16)
7. F (Luke 2:13 – the key word is "singing." They spoke, not sang.)
8. F (Luke 2:13-15)
9. F (Luke 2:12)
10. D (Hebrews 2:14; Philippians 2:6-8)
How many did you get right? If you know the truth, the truth shall set you free!
Ten more next week.
The correct answers with scripture references are at the end, so don’t peak until you’ve marked your answers. Try to answer according to what you think the Bible says, because it is our only accurate source for the truth about Christmas, but answer before you look it up.
Let’s learn to separate Christmas myth from Christmas truth!
1. Joseph and Mary were from where?
A. Bethlehem
B. Jerusalem
C. Nazareth
D. Egypt
E. Spain
F. Atlantis
2. When Joseph found out Mary was pregnant, what happened?
A. Joseph went to Solomon for advice.
B. Joseph wanted to end the engagement.
C. Mary left town for three months.
D. God told them to go to Bethlehem.
E. Joseph told Mary to get an abortion.
F. Both B and C
3. Who told Mary and Joseph to go to Bethlehem?
A. No one
B. God
C. Caesar Augustus
D. An angel
E. Mary's mother
F. Herod
4. Why did Mary and Joseph go to Bethlehem?
A. To get married
B. For a vacation
C. To escape from Herod
D. To register in a census and pay taxes
E. To visit Mary's cousin Elizabeth
F. To look for work in a larger town
5. What did the innkeeper say to Mary and Joseph?
A. "There is no room in the inn."
B. "I have a stable you can use."
C. "Come back after the Christmas rush."
D. "You hicks can sleep in the barn."
E. "Go away, kids. You bother me."
F. No one really knows.
6. Which animals does the Bible say were present at Jesus' birth?
A. Cows, sheep and goats.
B. Cows, donkeys and sheep
C. Sheep and goats only
D. Unspecified farm animals
E. Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!
F. None of the above
7. When the angels came to the shepherds, what were they singing?
A. "Glory to God in the highest"
B. "Peace on earth, good will to men"
C. "White Christmas"
D. "Fear not, I bring you good tidings of great joy"
E. "R – E – S – P – E – C – T"
F. None of the above
8. When the angels came to the shepherds, what were they playing?
A. Gin rummy
B. Harps of gold
C. Little drums
D. Trumpets
E. Lutes and lyres
F. None of the above
9. What sign were the shepherds told to look for?
A. One that said, "This way to baby Jesus."
B. A star over Bethlehem
C. A baby that doesn't cry
D. A house with a Christmas tree
E. A baby in a stable
F. A baby in a manger
10.The baby Jesus cried . . .
A. because He had to sleep on hay.
B. seldom or never.
C. when the doctor spanked Him.
D. probably just like other babies.
E. because the cows scared Him.
F. when the little drummer boy started banging on his drum.
Here are the correct answers with scripture references:
1. C (Luke 1:26-27)
2. F (Matthew 1:18-19; Luke 1:35-39,56)
3. C (Luke 2:1,5-6)
4. D (Luke 2:5)
5. F (Luke 2:7)
6. F (Luke 2:16)
7. F (Luke 2:13 – the key word is "singing." They spoke, not sang.)
8. F (Luke 2:13-15)
9. F (Luke 2:12)
10. D (Hebrews 2:14; Philippians 2:6-8)
How many did you get right? If you know the truth, the truth shall set you free!
Ten more next week.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
The Truth Will Set You Free; But You Have To Know It!
One Christmas Eve at church, a brother and sister were singing the closing song as the candles were lit. The boy loudly finished the first verse of "Silent Night" with the words, "Sleep in heavenly beans." "No, silly," his sister corrected, "not beans! Peas!"
There is a great deal of Christmas misinformation floating around our culture. In a tongue-in-cheek effort to correct some of it, several years ago I came up with a Christmas Quiz, which became a regular feature of Advent at our church. Various editions of the quiz have between 20 and 25 questions, and the first year I gave it, only one person got more than half right. Here are three samples from the quiz, along with the correct answers and the scripture references
1. When the angels came to the shepherds, what were they singing?
A. "Glory to God in the highest"
B. "Peace on earth, good will to men"
C. "White Christmas"
D. "Fear not, I bring you good tidings"
E. "The Hallelujah Chorus"
F. None of the above
answer: F; Luke 2:13 (The key word is "singing." The Bible doesn’t say they “sang.”)
2. When the shepherds finished their visit to Jesus, what did they do?
A. They settled down for a long winter's nap.
B. They met the little drummer boy going to play for Jesus.
C. They asked Herod for further information.
D. They saw three ships come sailing in.
E. They had a praise and worship session.
F. None of the above
answer: E; Luke 2:16-20
3. The wise men brought their gifts to Jesus while He was in a . . .
A. manger.
B. stable.
C. house.
D. Holiday Inn.
E. good mood.
F. none of the above.
answer: C; Matthew 2:11a
It’s important to get it right. The truth will set you free, Jesus said, but only when you actually know the truth. It’s also important to answer the other crucial questions right about Christmas. Questions like this one, which Jesus Himself raised during His ministry: “Who is He, really?”
Buddhists say He was a great teacher.
Muslims say He was a prophet, almost as great as Muhammad, but not quite.
Many in our culture see Him as a religious leader.
They are all wrong.
The truth is that He is the only Son of God. He lived in eternity past with the Father, became a human being through the miracle of the virgin birth, lived perfectly and taught the will of God fully, died as a ransom for your sins and mine, then literally came back to life and rose from the tomb in which He as buried.
Any other understanding of Jesus is incomplete. Jesus asked His first followers this crucial question, “But what about you? Who do you say that I am?”
Today, He continues to ask the same question, and the answer determines eternity for your soul: “But what about you? Who do you say that I am?”
Jesus Himself is waiting for your answer.
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