Holes

I have been thinking a lot about holes lately.  No I am not thinking about donut holes, I am referring to the empty space that they left behind.   What gets bigger the more you remove?  The answer is a hole.  A hole does not have to be big in order to be significant.  The significance of the hole is found in what where it is found.  A large hole in a pair of jeans can make it fashionable; a small hole in a shirt can ruin it.

This week, I have been considering holes because there is a hole in the hearts and lives of our family.  Last year, my wife’s mother lost her short but valiant fight with cancer.  In March of 2012, she discovered that she had a brain tumor that had come from non-smokers lung cancer.  On May 02, she passed away.  Her passing has left a pretty large and significant hole in our family.

As you can imagine, this has been a pretty difficult year for our family.  That difficulty comes from learning to deal with the hole in our lives.  So you can understand why I have been thinking about holes.  The good news is that even though there is a big hole in our lives, we are not without hope.  Too often people live with holes in their lives and they don’t know what to do.  A loved one dies and the one left behind cannot keep going.  They live with the hole in their lives and they are so consumed by it that they just can’t seem to move beyond it.  Their lives become the hole.  So how do you learn to live with the hole?

If you have a hole in your jeans (and you don’t want to be fashionable), you patch them.  In order for the patch to be effective, it must be bigger than the hole.  When the patch is one, the hole is still there, but a repair has been made.  When a loved one dies and a hole is created, memories and even other people are not bigger than the hole.  They can fill but they cannot repair.  The only thing that is bigger is Jesus.  When Jesus covers the hole, you still miss the person, but your heart is repaired.  When Jesus is in your life, you not only find strength for today, but you have hope for tomorrow. 

If you have a hole in your life, Jesus can not only fill it, he can repair it.  Trust him today.

Terror in Boston: A Christian Response

I know its going to happen.  Some well intentioned but misguided person is going to put their foot in their mouth and proclaim that what happened in Boston today is God's judgment on America for ___________ (you fill in the blank).  I want to go ahead and apologize on behalf of all Christendom to you in advance.  When you hear someone say this, recognize they are not speaking on behalf of all Christians and I believe they are not speaking on behalf of Christ.  I know this because we read in Scripture Jesus' response to tragedy.

 About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple. “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered? Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.”  (Luke 13:1-5 NLT)

A tragedy occurred, Pilate had murdered some people as they were worshiping in the temple.  A tower had fallen in Siloam killing 18 people, another tragedy.  Did Jesus say that these events happened because of the sins of the people killed  Did he say that that these people were killed because God was judging their sin.  No, he did not.  In fact he said that was not the reason they suffered.  People in Jesus' day thought, as long as I go through life without anything really bad happening to me, I must be a really good person to be so blessed.  Jesus reminded them that we are all sinners in need of repentance. (even those people who proclaim that this is a judgment of God are sinners in need of repentance).  The rain falls on the just and the unjust.  Good things happen to all of us, and bad things can happen to all of us as well.  When good things happen to us it is not a sign that we are good, and when bad things happen to us it is not a sign that we are bad.  

The other reason I know that Jesus would not say that this is a judgment from God is because He said as he was heading to the cross, "The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” He said this to indicate how he was going to die."  John 12:31-33  Jesus said God judgment on the world happened at the cross.  Jesus bore the wrath of God for sin. If we trust Christ as our Lord and Savior, our sin has been judged at the cross and we can be forgiven.  If we do not trust Christ, our sin will be judged on the day of His return and we will not find forgiveness. 

A Christian response to this tragedy is to weep with those who are weeping. It is to console and comfort and provide for those who are hurting.  A Christian response is to pray for those who are hurting.  A Christian response is to praise and pray for those who rushed in to alleviate the hurt.   A Christian response is to say this tragedy happened because sin is in the world.  A sinful person chose to do an evil thing.  But God loves this world even though it is sinful.  For He sent his only begotten son into the world that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.  For Jesus came into the world not to condemn the world, but through him the world might be saved.  (John 3:16-17)

Let us as believers respond to this tragedy like Jesus would.  Let us respond with a message of grace rather than a message of Judgment.  Yes, the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.  Think about it. 

Responding to the Tragedy in Connecticut

As with most all of us, I have been struggling to get my mind around the events of this morning in Newtown, Connecticut.  It is truly hard to fathom, because before you can get your mind around what happened, you first must get your arms around your own children.  You thank God for them, and you thank God that they are safely in your arms.  But then, it dawns on you, there are moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas who will no longer be able to put their arms around their child again.  So you wrap your heart around those grieving families and a grief stricken school and town.  You cry and you cry out to God that He would somehow bring comfort to the comfortless.  And then you wonder, how can anyone find peace in this storm.  And you realize that the only peace to be found is one that passes all understanding.

Once you do all that, you begin to try to come up with some reason for what happened today.  You read the news online, you watch it on television and you hear explanations.  We need new gun laws some say.  If we only had stricter gun laws, this tragedy would never happen.  Some agree, others disagree.  But ultimately this answer doesn't explain today. Especially, since in China today, a man slashed 22 children with a knife as they were going through the gates of their elementary school.  (Click Here for Article)  Children are hurt and killed, even when there are no guns.

The brother of the perpetrator says that he was mentally ill.  Reports are out that he may have been autistic or he had some other personality disorder.  That must be the cause.  Yet, there are so many others who live with these disorders who never commit such a heinous crime.

The only explanation that we come to is that there is evil in this world. And evil has been around for a long time.  As we celebrate Christmas, we often forget that there was evil in the original Christmas story.   Matthew 2:16-18 (ESV) says,

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:

   “A voice was heard in Ramah,
    weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
    she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked.  Who really knows how bad it is?" (NLT)  Evil and wickedness reside in the human heart.  We sin because we are all sinners.  Thank God that all of us are not murderers, but the seed of murder is in our hearts.  Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire."  The anger, the contempt we have for people in our hearts is where murder begins.  We cannot look at this young man and say you are guilty without looking at ourselves and saying I'm guilty.

Which brings me to the good news and the only hope that can be found for days like today and everyday.  Jesus came into the world to save us from evil.  He first saves us from the evil in our own hearts.  Evil will be punished.  When you trust Christ, that punishment is placed on Jesus at the cross.  When you are free from that evil, then you have the hope that one day you will be freed from the presence of evil.  One day, Jesus will return and He will make all things new. There will be no more sin, death, evil, tears for they will all pass away.  Everything will be made new.  It will be made the way God originally created this world, good.

Until that day, we grieve with those who have lost so much today.  The only comfort we can share, is the comfort found in the hope of the Gospel.  And we cry out each day the prayer of John, even so Lord Jesus, Come! 

Opting Out of Christmas

Today I read this article that says that 45% of Americans would like to opt-out of Christmas this year.  The reason is the financial pressures that the holiday causes.  We are living Tim Burton's A Nightmare before Christmas.  When you divorce Christmas from its real meaning, what you end up with is a nightmare.  Yes, Christmas is a time for giving but since we lost the original meaning of Christmas, giving has become how much can I spend to buy for everyone around me.

Christmas is about God giving His only begotten Son so that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  Christmas is the celebration of Jesus' birth and the gift of eternal life that He represents.  The gift that God gave us was Himself.

The reason we want to opt out of Christmas is that instead of giving of ourselves, we give a lesser gift, which is what we can buy.  We think that the more we spend, the better the gift.  The real meaning of Christmas is the more we give of ourselves, the better the gift.  Instead of opting out of Christmas this year, why not receive God's free gift and then give of yourself.  Give someone your time, your love, your friendship, your self.  If you do you will not feel stressed out but blessed.

Eleven Years: Choosing to Remember

This morning, I participated in a local 9-11 remembrance ceremony.  There were not that many people in attendance, mostly local police, fire and ems personnel.  I am sure that in New York, New York and Shanksville, PA there were more crowds.  And I have to admit that I may not have been in attendance if I were not participating.  Our local ceremony was very simple but also very moving.  I wished more people could attend but I understand that people are remembering that day, eleven years ago.  I have seen on Facebook many posts reminding us not to forget.  That is good.  It is good to remember.

We need to remember those who lost their lives so that we can cherish life.  We need to remember the first responders who rushed into the World Trade Center to try to save others.  Some of these men and women died, some still live with the scars of that day.  We need to remember them so that we can be thankful for those who still serve.  We need to remember that people attacked us because they hated us and wished to bring this nation down so that we would be ever vigilant.  We need to remember the men and women who went to war so that we can remember that freedom is not free.  It is good to remember.

Remembering is a very good thing.  That is why Jesus told us to remember Him.  It was so important that Jesus gave us a ceremony, a meal to help us remember.  Some call it communion, others the Lord's Supper, but Jesus gave it to us that we might remember what Jesus did for us.  The meal involves all our senses.  We can smell the bread and wine, we can see it, feel it, taste it.  We hear the words, this is my body broken for you, my blood shed for you.  This makes a lasting impression, so that we do not forget.  We remember every time that we come to the Table that it is not I but Christ.  We are reminded that we are all sinners saved by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

It is good to remember, think about it.

Like many people, I went to the midnight premiere of “The Dark Knight Rises.”  I enjoyed the movie, went home to bed, got up the next morning and was shocked at the events that transpired in Colorado.  As I watched the television and listened to the radio about the reports of James Holmes heinous crime, I kept hearing the words, “not rational”, “how”, “why”, “unbelievable”.  I listened to President Obama’s response and I was heartened to hear him describe the act as evil.  I say that because many people today refuse to identify such heinous acts as evil.  When President Bush used the term in describing terrorists, some said he went too far.  After all one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.   But President Obama, declared the act evil and evil it is.  He also went on to say that we may never understand why.

There is a high level answer to the question.  No we may never know what caused this particular instance but we can explain on a philosophical and theological plane the reason why.  True, the answer sounds so unreasonable to many ears today, but it does not make this answer false.  The answer lies in the doctrine of original sin.  Yes, I said sin.  The doctrine of original sin teaches us that Adam’s fall effects us all.  That every man, woman and child is born with a sin nature, sin effects every part of our lives body, mind, spirit and will.  This does not mean that we are as sinful as we can be, but that sin touches every part of our lives. 

What makes this crime untenable is that most people are kept from being as sinful as we can be.  God has given each person in the world what is called common grace. Common grace includes both internal and external restraints upon our behavior.  We all have a conscience.  We know right from wrong.  The Bible teaches us that the law of God is written on our hearts.  This internal restraint keeps us from doing certain things because we know they are wrong.  Now, this is not always enough.  If you had to read the book, “The Lord of the Flies,” you remember the story is about civilized boys who engaged in horrendous behavior because they were stripped of God’s other common grace, external restraints. 

These external restraints include government.  Government is an authority established by god to promote good and restrain evil.  Laws are established to keep people from committing certain acts.  No, it cannot change hearts, but the fear of punishment can keep you in line.  When those external restraints are not there, people can engage in the most god awful behavior.  Just go to Daytona Beach on Spring Break when students are away from their parents.  When the cat is away, the mice will play. 

For most of us our internal sense of right and wrong and fear of punishment keep us from being as sinful as we can be.  However, some people refuse to listen to their conscience and are not afraid of punishment, so they give into their baser instincts and can commit heinous crimes.  We have seen this in history with men like Hitler, who were a law unto themselves and were driven to do what they wanted even if others would say it was evil.

Does that mean I am off the hook?  Does that mean that no evil lives within me?  The answer is no.  Jesus said, in Matthew 5:21-22, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”  Murder begins not as an external act but an internal attitude of anger, hatred, contempt and envy.  Because of God’s common grace we do not act on our feelings but Jesus said we are liable to judgment.  That is exactly why we need the gospel, we are all guilty.  If we have failed in one point of the law, we have failed in all.  We stand before God already condemned to judgment.  But God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but through Him the world might be saved.  Jesus bore God’s judgment for our sin on the cross.  If we put our trust in Christ, we will not perish but have eternal life.  Think about it.

Obamacare, the Supreme Court and Where our Hope Lies

It has been interesting to me to listen to the response from so many people about the Supreme Court's ruling on Obama Care.  Chief Justice John Roberts cast the deciding vote to rule that the Health Care Law was constitutional.  In his majority opinion, he made his ruling by arguing against what the administration said.  The administration argued their case under the commerce clause repeatedly saying that the individual mandate was not a tax.  Chief Justice Roberts rewrote the law saying it was a tax and therefore under the jurisdiction of congress.  Although she sided with the majority, Justice Ginsburg wrote a dissenting argument saying that the mandate was not a tax but fell under the commerce clause.

You may be able to tell by how I wrote the first paragraph, what I think of the decision.  I believe this is another decision that takes our nation away from the founders intent.  But that is not the point of this article.  What I want to write about is the response of so many people.  I have heard people say they are depressed, giving up, despondent and giving into despair.  As a Christian, that is not the way I look at this decision or any political decision or election.

When I vote, I vote my conscience which I hope is guided by my Christian convictions.  However, when the election is over, or when any law is passed, or when any decision is made, I do not give into despair.  I do not despair, because my hope is not in the political process but in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Some people say well why do you get involved? why do you vote and care about such things?   Well I vote and am involved in the political process because I am commanded to render unto Caesar, the things that our Caesars.  I recognize the government is an authority established by God and I am to respect that authority.  Since I live in a nation that allows me to have influence through my vote, I gladly am involved.

Yes, I want the candidates that I vote for to win, I want laws passed that are consistent with the purpose of this nation and I want judges to rule on the constitutionality of our laws.  However, when this does not happen, I will never give up hope, because my hope is ultimately not in the United States of America but in the Lord Jesus Christ.  If my candidate never wins an election, if our nation continues to drift from its founding principles, if judges continue to be activists rather than interpret the constitution, I will not despair.  I have hope, His name is Jesus.

In the last 2000 years many nations have risen and fallen.  With them the hopes and dreams of many have fallen.  But Jesus has stood the test of time.  Everyone who has put their hope in Him, have never been disappointed.  They may have been discouraged at times, but ultimately their hope has been secure.  Do you have that hope?  Think about it.