The Me Generation

It is definitely not surprising to hear a television commentator say something that is so selfish that it makes you gasp.  It is surprising when the commentator is a Christian.  Recently, Pat Robertson on his television show responded to a question about Alzheimer's saying a man would be morally justified to divorce his wife with Alzheimer’s disease in order to marry another woman. The dementia-riddled wife is, Robertson said, “not there” anymore.

Well, I said it was surprising to hear Robertson say such things, but in reality it should not be surprising.  Robertson is being consistent with his theology.  Robertson believes in a prosperity gospel which glorifies the self rather than denies it.  According to the prosperity Gospel God wants us to be happy and have material blessings.  Well if God wants me to be blessed, he sure would not want me to have a spouse who cannot satisfy my needs, so why not divorce him or her when they are not there anymore.

The truth of the matter is that the prosperity Gospel is no gospel at all.  The gospel is about denying self not glorifying self.  The gospel is about blessings alright, but the blessings God has for us are not always material.  God can even bless you despite going through the trial of caring for one you love who has Alzheimer's.

Ask Robertson McQuilken if that is true.   Robertson McQuilken resigned from his position as president of Columbia Bible College when his wife of 40 years was diagnosed with Alzheimer's.  In his resignation, he said that he wanted to spend time with his wife because even though she could not remember him, he could remember her.  In caring for his wife, McQuilken learned what it meant to love even when that love could not be returned.  In so doing, his faith was strengthened and he became an example of to us all.

One day we will learn and maybe even some Christian leaders will learn that everything in life is not about our own happiness but about His glory.  Think about it.

Seeking God in Prayer

Most of us when we go to God in prayer know exactly what we want God to do.  When we pray, we ask God for what we want and know in our minds how he ought to answer our prayers.  I am reminded of the old story of the man who was caught in a flood.  As the water rose, his street had an inch of water covering it.  A truck came by to pick him up but the man said, " no.  I have prayed and I am trusting God to save me."  Later as the water was lapping at his front door, a boat came by.  The driver said, "hop on board, and I will save you."  The man said, "no, I have prayed and God will save me."  Later, as he was sitting on his roof, a helicopter came by to save him.  The man said, "no, I have prayed, God will save me."  The man died and as he was sitting before God, he complained.  He said, "God, I trusted you, why did you not save me?"  God said, I sent you a truck, a boat, and a helicopter, why did you not take one of them."

The man had in his mind what he wanted God to do and how he should do it.  God answered his prayer but the man did not recognize it.  The same thing can happen to us.  We need to pray and trust God to answer our prayers the way he sees fit.  We may not get what we want, but we will get what we need.  He will provide all our needs according to the way he wants, not what we think.  When we pray, we need to open our eyes to see what God does next.

Remember 9/11 Part 2

As we remember 9/11, we pay tribute to the heroes of that day, the men and women of the New York Police and Fire Departments.  On that dreadful day there were many victims, who did not know what happened to them.  They died instantly without knowing what happened.  However, these public servants charged into a flaming inferno, knowing exactly what had happened.  As men and women rushed down the stair cases of the twin towers, these firemen and police officers rushed by them up the stairs to try to save others.  Because of their efforts, fewer people then expected died on that day.  However, because they would not leave their posts, when the towers fell, many of these heroes became victims.

Jesus said, greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.  These men and women sacrificed themselves so that many more could be saved.  The Apostle Paul in Romans 5:7, ^"For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die."  These men laid down their lives for whom they deemed to be good people.  For their courage we salute them and honor their sacrifice.

But who would dare die for wicked people.  Let us suppose that the hijackers had some how survived and were trapped in the building, would anyone rush in to save them.  The answer is no.  Yet, Paul reminds us that Jesus died for the ungodly (vs. 6).  That God showed his love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Because of our sin, we were God's enemies.  Jesus sacrificed himself for us.  So as we honor the heroes of 9/11, we also take time to remember the greatest act of heroism, Jesus' sacrifice for us.  Think about it.

Remembering 9/11

That all you have to say is 9/11 attests to the truth that this was a defining moment for our nation.  Just as those from past generations can remember where they were and what they were doing when JFK was shot or Pearl Harbor was attacked, so those old enough to remember can tell you what they were doing on that fateful morning.  The attacks upon our nation shook the foundations of our nation, but also for a time strengthened our union.

This weekend there will be formal and informal remembrances of that day.  Many are upset that as of this writing, clergy were not invited to the memorial service in New York.  As a Christian pastor, I take no offense in this omission.  In the days following 9/11, there were prayer services and people crying out for God to bless America.  However, most wanted the blessings of God not the God of the blessings so as the moment faded, so did the intensity of the prayers.

In fact, I am not sure that people would really want to hear what Jesus would say to our nation.  The Bible tells us what Jesus would say.  In Luke 13, some people came to Jesus to tell him that Pilate had killed some Jews who were at the temple to worship.  It was a tragic event and I am sure people were asking the question why did God allow this to happen.  As when 9/11 happened, some were saying the people died because God was judging them.  Here is Jesus' response:

 ¹There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. ²And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? ³No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. ⁴Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? ⁵No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."

Jesus reminds us that we tend to ask the wrong questions and have the wrong focus.  You see we could ask God to bless America and we can never have an attack on American soil again.  Our economy could turn around and everyone in America who wanted a job could have one.  But being blessed like that does not mean that God is pleased with us.  We can live a life without anything bad happening to us and we can assume that we are blessed and God is on our side.  But the truth of the matter is that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and that the wages of sin is death.  We can gain this whole world but lose our soul.

But the good news is that when we recognize that I am a sinner and despite all the blessing I have, I have offended a holy God.  When I repent of my sin and turn back to God, trusting in his provision for me, then I can be saved.  God's provision is His son, who died for me.

So you see, I am not sure that people really want to hear that message.  So you see, I am not offended that pastors were not invited because I am not sure that the message of the Gospel would be allowed to be proclaimed.  However, nothing can stop you and I from reminding people of that truth, as we are in conversations about 9/11.  Think about it.