Do You Want to Know How to Beat Death?

Have you ever thought about what you want to have written on your tombstone? Some of the better epitaphs on tombstones are, “I told you I was sick!” “Here lies Lester Moore. Four slugs from a 44. No Les, no more.” Guess who’s this is, “My Jesus. Mercy.” – Al Capone.
I think most people avoid talking about death as much as possible. You have probably never been to a party where the subject was part of the conversations. In general, even at after funeral gatherings, people avoid talking about death. We, our society, works hard to avoid getting old. We take pills, vitamins, cosmetics and even cosmetic surgery, and everything that promises to help us look and feel younger. But the truth is, even with all of our efforts, death will certainly come for each of us.
While I am not a betting man, I would bet you that your church saw a marked increase in attendance on Easter Sunday. Just as it did at Christmas (We clergy call many of you folks who come on those two days, Poinsettias and Lilies). Christmas is of course a family time, you know “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…” yuletide sort of thing. But Easter, I think there is something else that draws people to church. Aside from bunny rabbits, eggs, and new wardrobes, I think there is something in our DNA that wants to hear the story again and somewhere deep within us, we want to know how to beat death too. That’s the Easter story isn’t it. We never have a parking problem on Thursday or Good Friday, only on Easter morning. There is something about Jesus coming out of that tomb that people really long to know about.
I Corinthians 15:51-57 says, “…Let me tell you something wonderful, a mystery I'll probably never fully understand. We're not all going to die—but we are all going to be changed. You hear a blast to end all blasts from a trumpet, and in the time that you look up and blink your eyes—it's over. On signal from that trumpet from heaven, the dead will be up and out of their graves, beyond the reach of death, never to die again. At the same moment and in the same way, we'll all be changed. In the resurrection scheme of things, this has to happen: everything perishable taken off the shelves and replaced by the imperishable, this mortal replaced by the immortal. Then the saying will come true: Death swallowed by triumphant Life! Who got the last word, oh, Death? Oh, Death, who's afraid of you now? It was sin that made death so frightening and law-code guilt that gave sin its leverage, its destructive power. But now in a single victorious stroke of Life, all three—sin, guilt, death—are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ. Thank God!
The truth is, we cannot beat death, only God can. We can only have faith that we will be resurrected by our loving God. The great preacher Peter Marshall once told this story about death and I think it is the best I have heard. “There was a boy who was dying of a terminal illness. His mother read to him daily and cared for him. He realized that he was not like other kids and over time began to know that he was going to die. One day he asked his mother, “What is it like to die? Will it hurt?” She welled up and had to leave the room. She prayed for an adequate answer and God gave it to her. She came back to her son and said, “When you were very small, you would play until you were exhausted and collapse on my bed. When you awoke the next morning, you were in your own bed with your pajamas on. Your father had scooped you up and taken you to your own room and own bed. That is what death is like. You go to sleep and you Father in heaven will pick you up and lovingly care for you and place you in your own room in your own bed.” The boy understood and was at peace with the answer. A few weeks later, the boy died and indeed, he was lifted up out of his death bed and placed in his own room in heaven.” Indeed, God has a place for you in heaven. John 14 tells us this truth as well. “Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father's home. If that weren't so, would I have told you that I'm on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I'm on my way to get your room ready, I'll come back and get you so you can live where I live.” Maybe you can write on your tombstone, “I’m not here, this grave is empty and my room in heaven is now taken.”

IT IS Never OVER!!

Last Sunday, Easter, we showed this clip with a message that "It's Not Over!" 

Do you feel defeated?  Do you feel beaten?  Then this message is one of victory.

Enjoy.

click here for the video

Wake Up, There’s A War Going On Here!

Wake-up… wake-up! The voice roused me from my sleep and I felt a tug on my shirt to get up and get going. It was my brother-in-law getting me out of my warm bed to pile into the station wagon for the long trip to Duke Medical Center. I was ten years old and my mother had what would be terminal cancer. This particular night was not totally uncommon, just too common. She was in such pain that she couldn’t stand it anymore and had called my sister and her husband to come help her. For years I didn’t understand why my mother had to deal with cancer. Why I had to live without her. If God is loving, then why is life sometimes so unloving? The answer, while not simple, can be partly found in a biblical truth that many Christians miss because they are snoozing like I was that night.
The fact is… we live in a world that is at war. What… you thought life should be full of peace? The world in which you and I inhabit is one that by its very nature is at war. There is a raging battle between the forces of God and the forces of Satan. The battle has been going on since the Garden of Eden and rages on today. While the victory was won on the cross of Calvary, Satan refuses to go quietly into the night. He is determined to battle on, thus, we must face his wrath in our lives.
So why fight, I did say that Jesus won on Calvary. You don’t have to fight. Indeed, you do have choices, God is not one of forced labor. But, when people don’t battle evil, they suffer for it. In Deuteronomy 1:26-41, the Israelites are punished for 40 years for refusing to fight the Amorites. It is not suffering because of God, it is suffering which is self inflicted because evil is allowed to get a foothold. Ephesians 6 says it very clearly, “God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life.”(The Message)
So wake-up. Sleeper arise, wipe your eyes and do not be in denial! If you don’t believe me, how about C.S. Lewis who says in his book, Mere Christianity, “One of the things that surprised me when I first read the New Testament seriously was that it talked so much about a Dark Power in the universe—a mighty evil spirit who was held to be the Power behind death, disease, and sin . . . Christianity thinks this Dark Power was created by God, and was good when he was created, and went wrong. Christianity agrees . . . this is a universe at war.” Indeed, a war of the spiritual realms and the fleshly realms. Author John Eldredge puts it this way, “I am staggered by the level of naïveté that most people live with regarding evil. They don’t take it seriously. They don’t live as though the Story has a Villain. Not the devil prancing about in red tights, carrying a pitchfork, but the incarnation of the very worst of every enemy you’ve met in every other story. Dear God—the Holocaust, child prostitution, terrorist bombings, genocidal governments. What is it going to take for us to take evil seriously? Now back to my story. God is loving, pain ends and eternal life is given. I know my mother’s faith and I know her place in God’s loving arms although I still grieve for myself. Unfortunately, we live in a war torn world. Bad things do happen. Disease, violence, poverty, war, corruption and all those hideous things are not the product of our good God, but a symptom of a world that has fallen from the presence of sin and forces opposed to God. This Easter, know that the victory is won, but don’t forget what led to the tomb: a trial, a beating beyond belief, and inhumane torture at the hands of those influenced by Satan. You have an enemy. Now wake-up and let's go, war is at hand.

What Happened To The American Dream

What’s going on in our world? Every day things seem to be getting worse. People are losing their jobs, the stock market is down, the banks are teetering on collapse, and it seems that things are simply spiraling downward. Someone even recently told me that the end of the world is coming soon. I asked, “How do you know?” She said, “Look at all the horrible things happening in our world.” I certainly see her point. What’s worse is that it seems to be a rigged game. You know a con game like “Three card Monte”. It seems to me that the people or agencies that our country has long entrusted as keeping society safe have failed us. Crime is rampant. Oh, I’m not talking about “old fashioned” crime of break-ins, theft, even violence, although we have plenty of that. I’m talking about the criminals who have robbed our retirement accounts, savings, and allowed systems to enable unscrupulous people to profit from it all. Much of this “white collar” crime is to blame for our country’s economic and social problems, even the world’s problems. It seems that the world has become more and more Darwinian, survival of the fittest. The Golden Rule seems to be “he who has the gold rules!” And the question is what can we do about it?

Conventional wisdom seems to be at a loss here. I have listened to smart people debate the issues that are in front of us. Little has changed. Maybe we must begin to acknowledge that our problems are not new. I am not a prophet of gloom and doom. I am a realist who

looks at the world my children and grandchildren will inherit and I wonder what it will be like for them. History tells us that ancient Rome fell and many, many other empires have come and gone. If we are going to continue, things must change and change soon.

Our society has to begin to realize that people matter, especially the common person. Jesus tells the story of the widow who gave her last two coins to the church in Luke 21. Jesus’ point is not that the poor widow has given all that she had, the point of the story is… SHE SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN OUT OF MONEY. Those who had wealth should have cared for her. This is not welfare, but true benevolence to someone who was in need. It was more important to take care of the widow than to show off their wealth. All of the people whom Jesus is speaking to think they are “good people”. They have forgotten to be sure that the widow has not only enough to put in an offering to God, but she should not be down to her last coins in the first place. Most folks want the basics of a good life. Most folks are willing to work for those benefits. But our government has to ensure that the system is at least fair. Isn’t that what we want a fair system where we can make the best of our opportunities? We may not strike it rich, but we want a chance to prosper and rear our families.

How warped has our society become? I have a friend who worked for an NFL football team. Last Monday he got laid off as a “cost cutting move”. Meanwhile the team negotiated a 40 million dollar deal with an offensive lineman. Yep, they needed his meager salary and

took the chance that such a move might ruin his family. Ironically, the team sought him out to hire him because of his skill. He just happened to be the last hired in his department, it had nothing to do with his performance at all. That’s just business. I wonder what Jesus would say about that?

Will the world end soon as my friend said? I don’t know, but I do know that our society must wake up and begin to look out for its most precious resources, people and prayer. I hear the words of Maximus from the movie Gladiator… “There was once a dream that was Rome, it shall be realized.” Maybe we can recover the dream that once was America. God help us.

Two Bowls, Two Champions

Football season has come to an end and so I and many of you have an empty place within us until next fall when they tee the ol’ pigskin up again. But before we say adieu, I want to revisit the two championship games from both college and the NFL.

First let’s look at the final college game. It was the University of Florida against Oklahoma University. One of the participants was the Florida was quarterback Tim Tebow. Tim is a young man with a great deal of talent. But that’s not why I am writing about him. Talent in college football is everywhere. In a game like that, talent is shared by all. It’s not a case of who has any, only a case of how much each has. The Sooners had their own star quarterback (and Heisman Trophy winner) Sam Bradford. But Tebow stands out, not because he won the Heisman the year prior, but because of his clear and bold statements about his Christian faith. Tim is even bold enough to sport scripture on the black patches under his eyes that he wears during games. Tebow says this about his faith, “If people don’t believe it, that’s fine. There’s always going to be nay-sayers, people that are going to say it’s fake. But that’s fine, because you can’t control everybody. But I can control what I do, my attitude, how I approach the situation. How I approach the situation is I want to do everything in my power that football gives me to influence as many people as I can for the good, because that’s going to mean so much more when it’s all said and done than just playing football and winning championships.” Before last season began, Florida coach Urban Meyer was asked about his star. Meyer responded not about football, but about how Tebow has inspired the Coach to go with his own family on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic. “Tim has done a lot of things that opened my eyes, and that’s one of them,” Meyer said. “To have our children experience that, with three other families, it was a life-changing experience.” What a witness for Christ!

The second player I want to highlight is none other than Kurt Warner, the star quarterback from the upstart Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals were in the Super Bowl for the first time ever. But Warner had been to the big game twice before with the St. Louis Rams. He had won one and lost one. He is a guy who, after spending some time stocking grocery shelves, caught on with the Rams as a back up quarterback in 1999. When the Rams needed him, he stepped in and delivered. But, like so many other players in the NFL, his talent got him recognized, but his faith in God and willingness to speak about his faith has set him apart. Warner said, "If you ever really want to do a story about who I am, God's got to be at the center of it. Every time I hear a piece or read a story that doesn't have that, they're missing the whole lesson of who I am." In Warner’s own words, his faith defines him. No the Cardinals did not win, but that fact is irrelevant, Warner, Tebow, and anyone, including you, who witnesses about God’s love, mercy, and grace is and always will be… CHAMPIONS!

We look into the book of Acts to explain such zealous behavior by these two men. Acts 1:8 reports that Jesus promises, “… you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” Be bold and brave! May the Holy Spirit’s power descend upon all Christians who read this message so that we too may claim the mantle of champion witnesses.

Hail to the Chief

It has been an exciting week in our nation. Our country is living new history
in electing Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States. For those who voted for him and those who did not, he is the President… period. For the Democrats and the Republicans, he is the President… period. For the Christian, Muslim, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist, etc… even the Atheist, he is the President… period.
Scripture tells us how we are to respond to our new President. Romans 13:1-7 makes this bold statement, “Be a good citizen. All governments are under God. Insofar as there is peace and order, it's God's order. So live responsibly as a citizen. If you're irresponsible to the state, then you're irresponsible with God, and God will hold you responsible. Duly constituted authorities are only a threat if you're trying to get by with something. Decent citizens should have nothing to fear. Do you want to be on good terms with the government? Be a responsible citizen and you'll get on just fine, the government working to your advantage. But if you're breaking the rules right and left, watch out. The police aren't there just to be admired in their uniforms. God also has an interest in keeping order, and He uses them to do it. That's why you must live responsibly—not just to avoid punishment but also because it's the right way to live. That's also why you pay taxes—so that an orderly way of life can be maintained. Fulfill your obligations as a citizen. Pay your taxes, pay your bills, and respect your leaders.”
The apostle Paul wrote this to the Roman church in an era when the Emperor Nero was on the throne. Nero was a horror of an authority. He was the one who blamed the Christians for everything that went wrong and began a brutal era of killing Christians for sport and pleasure. Could the people respect him? Maybe not much, but Paul advises Christians to live in their society within the bounds of rule, order, and government. Today we can hear these words again afresh. I prayed for President Obama on election- day for his safety. I pray that his policies will be benevolent and for the best possibilities for his Presidency. I pray that our country will come together in reaching agreements that will be sound in judgment and prudent for future generations. Our economy is a wreck and there are those who need to be brought to justice for some of the crimes committed.
Ultimately though, there is free will. Free will allowed Nero to behave like a mad man. Free will enabled someone like Adolf Hitler to terrorize the world. But, free will brought Emperor Constantine to proclaim Christianity the religion of much of the known world. Free will enabled so many great leaders to choose to be the difference maker in helping the citizens each represented. You and I will continue to pay our taxes, obey the laws, and be respectful of our elected and appointed officials. But at the same time, I encourage you to be in prayer for President Obama, our legislators, and our judicial officials. May they use their will and authority to bring this country into line with what God wants for His people. Until next time, Blessings!

Don’t Waste Your Time

Happy New Year! So, what do you have in store for the New Year?
Are you hoping that it will be a better year than last? Usually, when I hear people speak about the New Year, they speak with a tone of hope. They hope that life will be better. They hope that their investments will recover from last year's losses and grow again. They hope that they will enjoy good health. They hope they will be happier. But mostly they are worried that things could only get worse.
Today, I want to be sure that I tell you the most important thing I can for your future in the New Year. 2009 will be another group of days, made up of 365 individual days, 52 weeks, and 8760 hour. Time is the one commodity that we can neither save nor trade. Time is a possession that slips though our lives with each passing second and disappears as quickly as the next second takes its place. It is not to be harvested nor accumulated… it is only to be used. While many of those hours will be consumed with work and sleep what about the rest of the time? Will you spend your time doing something of relevance?
Hebrews 13:13-16 tells us about time and how it is to be used. “… let's go outside, where Jesus is, where the action is—not trying to be privileged insiders, but taking our share in the abuse of Jesus. This "insider world" is not our home. We have our eyes peeled for the City about to come. Let's take our place outside with Jesus, no longer pouring out the sacrificial blood of animals but pouring out sacrificial praises from our lips to God in Jesus' name. Make sure you don't take things for granted and go slack in working for the common good; share what you have with others. God takes particular pleasure in acts of worship—a different kind of "sacrifice"—that take place in kitchen and workplace and on the streets.”
The lesson for us is that our time on this earth is short compared to eternity. We are simply asked to proclaim a God who loves us dearly to everyone we come across. That is how we offer a sacrifice to God though our actions. It isn’t about being good, but proclaiming that God loves us and forgives us in spite of ourselves.
I am reminded of the funeral I attended many years ago. I knew the deceased person and his family pretty well. When the preacher started talking about the life of the dead man, I actually wanted to stand up, ask the preacher to stop, and open the casket… because I was sure that either they had the wrong man in the box or I had wandered into the wrong funeral. The man the preacher was describing was not the man I, nor anyone else remembered with the exception of a few loved ones.
In the movie the Wizard of Oz, when the Wizard gives the Tin Man his heart, the Wizard imparts this bit of truth, “...that a heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others.” These are wise words for such a bumbling Wizard. Many people have loved… their money, their stuff, even their own selves. But for others to love you, you first must demonstrate love to them. Giving time, with a smile, can be worship. At first, it might seem difficult or “sacrificial”, but our time can be a gift to God no matter where we are or where we go. This year, make a difference for God and you will have no worries of ever having a bad year, just another good one!

Upside Down Christmas Video

Check out this video... it is well thought and pretty neat!

4 Words Video

Click on this link to view a neat Christmas Video

4 Words for You

Merry Christmas

Forget Santa… Try An Allegorical Tale Worth Your Time

As we approach Christmas, I want to talk to you about “The Shack.” It is a novel written by William Paul Young. It is a story about a man named Mac. Mac has had his ups and downs in life and after experiencing the death of one of his children, he has become pierced with a deep sadness. As you meet Mac and hear the retelling of his story, you begin to get to know him in a very realistic way. He is a man who is living, yet it is really a zombie like existence. His life has been derailed and he can’t get back on track (some of you know folks like this or even may be in his shoes). The story leads us with Mac to visit a small shack in the woods in the dead of winter after he receives a mysterious note. When he arrives he meets God.
I won’t give away any more of the story, but let me say that this particular book has generated a great deal of buzz. Most who have taken the time to read it, have loved it. Many have passed along copies to friends and loved ones so that others might enjoy it too. One guy named Jerry said on his blog, “I found The Shack to be a fascinating piece of work. I loved it too. I've already given away two copies. I really appreciated Young's images of things like forgiveness, (God) the Father, and the unique relationship of the members of the Trinity. I too was reminded that the Lord Jesus lives in the present more than the past or future, and that's good for me today. It was good to be reminded of God’s desire: "I want all of you and all of every part of you and your day." "Rules and principles are simpler than relationships" was a great reminder, too, of how easily we slip into legalism, judgments. Anyway, I'm impressed with Young's abilities with words, and I'd highly recommend this little volume to anyone who asked.
There are those who are frightened by the book. They are worried that people may take some things literally or accept Young’s story as gospel itself. A number of pastors and theologians have had “a fit” over the book. Even Lifeway book stores pulled it off the shelves temporarily. Fortunately, they put it back! Yes, some of the images and settings might be unsettling. Pastor David Dykes of Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas, endorsed the book but he says, “God the Father is portrayed as a character who goes by the name “Papa.” This image is what gives the 21st Century Pharisees apoplexy! Is God really like this? Is that what the author is saying? Of course not! No more than Jesus is really a powerful, noble lion named Aslan! But you don’t hear many (although there are some) who are criticizing the Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. I recommended “The Shack” to a pastor friend of mine recently and I warned him that for those folks who are wearing their religious underwear too tight, it will definitely cause a theological wedgy!”
I agree with Pastor Dykes. I remember all the hullabaloo about Jesus Christ Superstar, the Passion of the Christ, and other “controversial” Christian forms of entertainment. Ironically, maybe the controversy has helped sales of the book, now over 4 million and who knows how many hand me downs given. The other day when I went to my dental appointment at Dr. Hackbarth’s office in Bridge City, many in the office were in process or had already read the book and they loved it. The depiction of God is unique and different than many have come to think and it is a breath of fresh air. So, I would recommend my readers pick up a copy and don’t let others tell you what to think. Think for yourself and take the chance to see the story not as fact, but look for the allegorical truths woven within the text. I do believe Young has written an important text for anyone to enjoy and provided a place for some to meet the Holy Spirit... in the Shack.