Is Anders Behring Breivik a Christian

Norway experienced last week what so many other countries have faced, terrorism.  Anders Behring Breivik admitted to setting off a bomb in the capital of Oslo and then heading to a camp where he opened fire.  Latest reports say that 76 people were killed in the attack.  As people began to investigate who this man is, they saw on his Facebook page that he labels himself, Christian.   The media jumped on that and began saying fundamentalist Christians were responsible for this latest attack.  In some ways I understand why the media broadcast this news, because most of us who heard about the attack immediately wondered if it were Islamic Extremists behind the attack.

But the question arises was this man who claimed Christianity, really a Christian?  I believe that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.  That we cannot earn our salvation by works but only by trusting in the finished work of Christ.  Which means people who do terrible things can find salvation in Christ.

However, although salvation is by faith alone, true faith in Christ does produce works.  That is those who trust Christ as their Lord and Savior find that they no longer want to head down the former paths of sin but desire obedience to Christ.   I am not just talking about external behaviors.  Anybody can attend church, give tithes and offerings, and help the poor.  The good works that Christ produces in us come from an inner transformation.  In Christ we can love our enemies and do good to those who hurt us.  We can do so because he produces that kind of love within us.  In Christ we can have joy no matter what our circumstance because Christ has filled our hearts with joy.

So was Anders Behring Breivik a Christian?  Although I cannot see his heart, I can see his fruit.  He hated his enemies and killed so many people because of his hatred.  So was he a Christian?  His Facebook page answered the question, yes.  His fruit answers it no.  Think About it.

Blessed are the Poor

This week the Heritage Foundation released statistics from 2005 about the poor in America.  What is Poverty  According to this report:

The typical “poor” household in America has a car

• 78% of “poor” households in America have air conditioning

• 64% of “poor” households in America have cable or satellite TV .. most have two TVs, along with a DVD player and VCR

• Most “poor” households in America with children have a gaming system such as an Xbox or PlayStation

• 38% of “poor” households in America have a personal computer

• Most “poor” households in America have a refrigerator, an oven and stove, and a microwave. They also have other household appliances such as a clothes washer, clothes dryer, ceiling fans, a cordless phone, and a coffee maker.

• The typical “poor” American has more living space than the average European.

• The typical “poor” American family is able to obtain medical care when needed.

Don't get me wrong, I do know that there are people living in America who are genuinely living in poverty.  As a church, our desire is to reach out to them, minister to them and help them by not only meeting their needs but equipping them to meet their own.

But the question is why do those who are labeled as living in poverty have so much?  Part of the answer lies in our mixed up value system.  In America, we are valued by how much we have.  To have TVs, Satellite Systems, cars, etc has become a right in America.  These things have become  necessities and precious resources are used to purchase these, rather than the true necessities of life.

But it is not just the poor that think this way, we all do.  Most of us are not satisfied with what we have, we want more. We have to have the latest gadget.  It is not good enough to have a cell phone, we have to have the latest cell phone.    As Christians, we need to learn contentment with what we have.  We need to learn that the quality of our life is not measured by how much we have but by how good God is. 

In the future, archaeologists will dig up our remains and instead of finding idols in the shape of birds and animals, they will find idols in the shape of I-Pods and X-Boxes.  What we go after the most is what we worship.  Think about it.

Repent or Perish

When we hear the words repent or perish, we often associate it with the preaching of the Gospel.  We understand that unless we turn away from our sin and our selves to trust Christ only for our salvation, we face eternal punishment in hell.  We repent (turn) or face eternal death.
These words mean something different for a pastor in Iran.  Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani was sentenced to death by an Iranian Court because he is a Christian who is obedient to Christ's command to go and make disciples of all nations.  The supreme court of Iran reversed the court's decision sending his case back to a lower court.  The court asked Youcef to repent.  It is unclear whether or not the death penalty will be reinstated if he did not repent.  Death Sentence for Pastor

Friends of Youcef doubted that the pastor would recant His faith in Jesus Christ.  He has done so thus far and more than likely will not do so to save his life.  Youcef is an example of faith to us all.  But it reminds me of all the things that cause us to keep silent about our faith.  We are afraid that people will be offended by our message.  We are afraid that we might be mocked.  We are afraid that we might be rejected.  Yet, this pastor and countless other Christians around the world stand firm in their faith in the face of true persecution.  It makes me wonder what would happen to us, if we faced such persecution.  I can only pray that we too would stand.  Pray for those Christians like Youcef who are facing persecution and pray for yourself that God would give you the faith to stand.  Think about it.

When Will it Stop

It has happened.  I will have to say I am not surprised.  But it is happened.  With all the news about legalizing "gay marriage" someone has finally brought a suit to legalize polygamy.  Suit Legalizing Polygamy.  After all if marriage is only about the happiness and well being of the individual, if it is only about my personal freedom, why not.  If someone chooses more than one wife, why should he not be free to marry as many women (or a woman marry as many men) as he wants.  After all this is America.   If a man wants to marry his dog, why should we prohibit him?

But the truth of the matter is that marriage is more than about individual freedom and the desires of one person.  From a cultural standpoint, even though polygamy has been practiced by cultures throughout history, a lifelong marriage between one man and one woman was seen as what was best for the society as a whole.  A stable family would lead to a stable society.  Marriage was not just about individual freedom but the good of the nation.

For the Christian, the Bible teaches us that marriage becomes a symbol of God's relationship with his people.  Paul in speaking about marriage references Christ's love for the church.  Ephesians 5:22-33  Paul quotes God's pronouncement about marriage from the book of Genesis and then says that this mystery refers to Christ and his church.  What Paul is saying is that marriage between one man and one woman was to be a picture of Christ's love for us.  Obviously, we as sinful human beings can never completely love one another that much, but in our limited love for each other our marriages were to be a sign pointing to a greater reality.

Will our nation as a whole support gay marriage or polygamy.  If we continue in the direction we are heading, it may not be now but some day our nation will.  Some rejoice at that thought, others weep.  If you weep over that thought, the answer is found in the gospel.  We need to proclaim through our lives, through our marriages, through our homes and through our witness the truth that God does love this world and their is hope in the gospel of Christ.  Think about it.

Raising the Debt Ceiling

Congress and the President are at a stand still on what it is going to take to raise the debt ceiling.  The debt ceiling is the limit on the total amount of borrowing the United States can have outstanding at any one time.  The nation has been here before and has always raised that ceiling in order to avert defaulting on its loans.  Ultimately, what this means is that the United States continues to spend more money then it has.  One side of the aisle says we need to raise taxes to generate revenue in order to meet all our obligations.  The other side says cut spending in order to have the money available for that which is absolutely necessary.

No matter which solution we take, it is amazing to me that the government can continue to do what no individual can.  There comes a point in an individuals finances that they cannot raise the debt ceiling, they simply have to go bankrupt. Yet our government continues to increase its spending year after year. Common sense tells us that this practice has to stop, or the nation will fall.  The question is will politicians put the welfare of the nation above their own political future.  Will someone be willing to make the hard choices, to bring our nations finances under control?  We will have to wait to see.

But there is a debt ceiling that continues to be raised in all of our lives.  That debt is the one we owe to God.  That debt ceiling is raised not because we deserve it but because of God's grace.  Everyone in the world lives under God's general grace. The wages of sin is death, not just physical death but spiritual eternal death.  Because all have sinned, we all deserve death.  But God is gracious and allows us to live so that we might receive God's special Grace. This grace is not given to all but to all who believe on the name of Jesus Christ.

God sent his son into this world to die in our place.  He took the penalty for our sin so that our debt to God is cancelled.  We receive this free gift by faith.  We put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who died in our place.  When we do so, God cancels our debt and gives us what we do not deserve, eternal life.

God's general grace is not limitless, there will be a day when the debt ceiling will not be raised anymore.  It is appointed unto man once to die and then the judgment.  Death is a sign that the debt ceiling will be raised no further and one has pay for their sins.  If you trust Christ, the payment has been made in full.  Have you trusted Christ today?  Think about it.

When Teachers Cheat

When I was in school (which is a statement I never thought I would say), we only had to worry about the students cheating.  We were told that if you cheated you would be punished.  If you were caught cheating, your paper or test was taken from you and you received a "zero".  The fear of not receiving any semblance of a good grade kept many students from cheating.

In today's classroom you not only have to worry about students cheating, but teachers and principals as well.  Americas Biggest Teaching Scandal  According to the news, 178 teachers were caught cheating on their student's standardized tests.  Teachers even had cheating parties where they gathered together to erase wrong answers on their students tests.  Their reason for cheating, their students had to perform well on the tests in order to show that they had taught their students well.

I'm not going to get into the argument about the necessity and validity of these end of grade tests.  I know I did not have to take them growing up and I am very glad I didn't because I don't do well on standardized tests.  All I know is that they are required until the law is changed.  Their are ways of working to change the law if needed and it does not include cheating.  In fact, cheating did them and their studenst more harm than good. 

As usual, it did not take long for many of these educators to justify their actions.  "It is not our fault, the standardized tests put too much pressure on the teachers."  "It just isn't fair to evaluate a teacher's performance on the basis of a grade."  I say this is usual behavior because it goes all the way back to the beginning.  In the garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve sinned, the first thing they said was "It is not my fault."  Adam said it was Eve's fault.  And Eve said it was the serpants fault.  My failure is never my fault. 

The truth is my failure, my sin is always my fault.  The bad news is that as long as we continue to justify our behavior and blame everyone and everything but ourselves, we will never find forgiveness for our guilt.  It is only when we confess our sin, that is agree with God that what we have done is sinful and it is our fault for doing it, that we can find forgiveness.

1 John 1:9-10 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."  If you want to find forgivenss from God, then you have to admit that you are a sinner.  Until then, you will carry the guilt you have into eternity.  In choosing to do so, you are choosing everlasting punishment.   But if you can admit your sin, and confess Jesus as your Savior and Your Lord, you can receive everlasting life.  Think about it.

Casey Anthony and the Judgment of Men

The verdict came in today and it shocked many.  Casey Anthony was found not guilty of murdering her child.  After months of being tried by the media, Anthony was tried by the jury of her peers.  What the jury found was different from popular opinion.  I will be honest, I really have not kept up with the trial.  I don't know what evidence was submitted and I don't know the defense.  All I do know is that I have listened to people over the last few weeks saying she was guilty.  But the jury disagreed.

The purpose of this blog post is not to debate the verdict.  As I said, I really have not kept up with it, but I have listened to the response to the verdict among people.  The one question I hear most is how could she be found not guilty.

I don't have an answer to that question.  If she really is guilty and the jury is wrong, it is a reminder that human judgment is flawed.   If she is not guilty, and popular opinion is that she is, this too is a reminder that human judgment is flawed.

The good news is that for those who long for perfect justice, it will come one day.  Psalm 7:11 says "God is a righteous judge."  His judgment is perfect.   As much as people today long for perfect justice, on that day they will no longer long for it.  They will want God to grade on a curve.  For on that day, God's evidence against us will be our every thought, word, and deed.  There is nothing hidden from God.  If we have violated one point of the law, we have broken it all.  If we have held anyone in the least bit of contempt, we will have committed murder in the eyes of God.  On that day there will be no hope.

But there is hope today, for although He will not grade on a curve, He does grade on the cross.  We cannot be good enough, because we cannot be perfect.  But God has provided a way for us to stand in the day of judgment.  If we trust Christ, then our sin has been punished already for Christ took it upon Himself on the cross.  Not only that God gives us Jesus' perfect righteousness.  So on that day we can stand in the judgement.  God will say to those who have trusted Christ, welcome home my child.

So, I don't know whether Casey Anthony is guilty or not.  But I do know that I am guilty, but in Christ my guilt is taken away.  Can you say the same?  Think about it.

Transformers and the Search for Significance

I just returned home from seeing the third installment of Transformers.  It was a very intense movie, action packed from start to finish.  There was one story line that intrigued me about the movie.  One of the main characters longed to do something significant again.  He had helped save the world twice before, the problem was no one could know his role in doing so.  Nobody knew who he was and now he longed to do something significant again.

In our world, significance is defined by what you do.  You live a life of significance if you do something great. That something great could be anything from being a hero on the battlefield or the football field.   Significance is defined by scoring a goal or winning an election.  We define significance by what we do.

But in God's economy, significance is not defined by what you do but who you are.  God is much more concerned about our "being" than our "doing."  In fact what we do flows out of who we are.  If we live a life of integrity and faithfulness, we may never become famous but we live significant lives.  We may never impact the world, but we can make a difference in the the lives of those around us.  Therefore, we need to focus on being great instead of doing great things.  When we do so, we will live a life of significance, even if no one ever notices.  Think about it.