merittmusings

Witness to Jesus

There is no story as heart-wrenching as the story of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and truly no ending so wonderful as His resurrection. But if the story is so profound for us, imagine what it was like for those who lived it.

Matthew’s gospel is by the hand of one who was present during Jesus’ ministry, who followed Him through Galilee, and through to the garden of Gethsemane. But Matthew ran away when Jesus was arrested, and didn’t see Him again until His resurrection.

Mark’s gospel is by the hand of one who heard Peter’s preaching, and wrote down the story of Christ’s life from Peter’s perspective. Peter knew Christ from the time of John the Baptist through to the court of the High Priest, before he too ran away in fear, only to be restored by Christ, first by being eyewitness to the empty grave, and then receiving a personal commission from Christ at the seaside.

Luke’s gospel is an “orderly account” of all the stories attested to by the apostles, taking Matthew and Mark’s gospels along with additional information from many interviews and sermons. And then, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Luke wrote from the beginning of John’s ministry, to the ascension of Christ after His resurrection.

John’s gospel, though written last, is still essential reading, as we learn much about the disciples and Jesus’ other work in Judea. With John we follow Jesus through the garden, to the trials before Annas and Caiphas, and finally to the cross, where John is the only disciple to see Jesus hanging from the cross. John’s devotion is rewarded by being one of the first to see the empty tomb and the risen Lord. And at the last, the see the Lord return to tell him about the End.

These four gospels are the basis for most of what we know about Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection. These men wrote down the gospel message so that you and I could be the gospel message to others. Make a special invitation this month to someone you know to attend Easter services this year. Be the gospel to them. Show them Jesus’ love for them by sacrificing some of your time to tell them the gospel.

To Serve Man

If you don’t know what Lent is, it is a time of fasting and prayer preceding and preparing for Passion Week, traditionally the week of Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. It’s also a time to come to grips about what you believe. It seems our faith is under fire here lately, as this issue of Christianity in the workplace has become a thing. there was a bill in the Arizona legislature about Religious people refusing service for people they don’t agree with. Let me clarify what this is about, and why we should care about it.

The proposed law, Senate Bill 1062, represents the right of individuals with “sincerely-held religious beliefs” who own businesses to refuse service to one or more individuals whose behavior is sinful. Now this is a fairly broad brush, but it does reinforce the individual’s right to do with their things (like their business) whatever they want to (privacy rights) with whomever they want to (such as a customer) if their religion says they ought to do so.

The Supreme Court of New Mexico decided in favor of a gay couple against a Christian photographer who didn’t want to photograph their wedding because they were homosexuals. In this case, the government of New Mexico told Christians to keep their religious feelings out of the marketplace, and serve whomever comes through their door. Apparently, several states are trying to reverse this trend with similar new laws defending an individual’s rights from lawsuit over this kind of discrimination. Some are calling it bigotry, akin to segregation in the 50’s and 60’s. Others are calling it unfair, and homophobic.

I asked this question of the Bible Study group the other night. They were all old enough to remember segregation. One mentioned segregation was about being angry with the North for winning the Civil War. This anger was taken out on the blacks, who directly benefited. If true, segregation was about bitterness and resentment toward a situation that could not be won through force of arms. Very different then from discrimination against homosexuals.

Discrimination against homosexuals has up to this point been very specific. Christians who happen to be photographers, bakers, florists, and other associated with the marriage ceremony and tradition, have resisted serving specifically that one aspect of a some homosexuals’ life, the marriage. In other other aspects, these businessmen and women have been more than willing to make birthday cakes, take senior pictures, and prepare flowers for funerals and other things. Only in this one aspect, the wedding tradition, have these Christians declined to offer their services. Segregation against blacks was for all services and interaction. Discrimination against homosexuals has only been in regards to weddings.

All of this basically comes down to is this: do you have the right to be a Christian? Being a Christian isn’t just about going to church on Sunday. It’s about a lifestyle. I know that’s a dirty word these days, but Jesus makes demands on our lives. He says, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” Our Christian walk is defined by our ability to follow His Word. You cannot be a Christian in your head and not one in your work or your play. “Faith without works is dead.”

So if you were that Christian photographer, and a gay couple asked you to take pictures of their wedding, do you take the pictures, or refuse to serve them? Honestly, this is a decision that you have to make yourself. But consider how working with them might be an evangelistic tool vs. avoiding their business. All of our decisions have consequences. You just get to choose which ones.

Love Makes the World Go ‘Round

Literally. The Psalmist says, “He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. “For the foundations of the earth are the LORD’s; on them he has set the world.” (1Sa 2:8) The Lord Himself who spoke the universe into being, set the world on the foundations of the earth. And when He pronounced DAY and NIGHT, He set the world in motion, alternating its face toward the light.

The very purpose of our existence seems to be love. God made us because He desired, not out of want or need, but for His good pleasure to make beings who could love Him, who would admire all the great things He has done, and call upon the Name of the Lord. For love, God made the world and everything in it. For love of the creature that He would create, that He knew would reject Him, and for whom He knew He would send His Son, whom we know as Jesus Christ, into the world. And it is for love that Jesus will come again to take His own home with Him and establish a New Heavens and a New Earth.

When you think about God’s love, or even better, feel God’s love for you, how do you respond? Do you ever feel enveloped by God’s love for you or wish that you did? God’s love for you cannot be measured. Remember, He made the whole universe, and it stretches beyond our understanding. And all of this so that you would one day gaze up into the heavens with the wonder of a child, inspired by the God who made you. “The heavens declare the glory of God.” We respond by saying, “How great is our God!” Our love for God is expressed through prayer, worship, gratitude, obedience, and witness. If you’ve been feeling far from God lately, check your discipleship in these areas.

I want to encourage you to love. There is a tightrope of love that God treads on as He relates to us, balancing His love on the one hand and His justice on the other. We will see our very creation conditioned on love for our Creator. May we turn to the great love God has expressed to us through His Son, so our response to that love is as disciples of Jesus Christ.

Gazing at God

A new year has come again. 2014 marks the 107^th year for our church. If the Lord tarries, we will continue on into this new year worshipping the Lord and serving Him. But we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. We have lost parents and friends this past year.

As we turn our attention to this new year, we need to refocus our understanding of who God is. Why is there evil and death? Where is God when we need Him most? Time and again the Israelites of the Old Testament struggled to find out the answer to this question. But they often accepted a lesser god, a lesser being, a lesser deity than the One True God. They wanted a god who was like them, fallible, easily manipulated, and powerful enough to bring the rains in season. They wanted a God who would respond to sacrifices when called upon, a god who said “no rules!” when it came to sexual purity and marital fidelity. But in the end, Baal is not God. Molech is not God. Ashtoreth is not God, nor a goddess. All of these images of their imagined gods fell before the True God, like Dagon before the Ark of the Covenant. These false gods failed to protect Israel from invasion. And failed to produce fire when begged for, Baal on Mt. Carmel.

We tend to invent our god after our own desires and needs. We want a God who will heal our diseases, heal our marriages and families, and look away when we want to have some fun. We want a God who has the power to heal us, but the good sense to look away when we sin. We call him by various names like “The Man Upstairs” or “The Great Physician”, the Author of “the Good Book” that describe not so much Him, but what we think about Him. We believe that we will be able to slip by “St. Peter” at the “pearly gates” with a claim to heaven because we were “good” as opposed to “bad” and so spend eternity playing harps on fluffy clouds before the “Old Man”. Is this truly the God of the “good book”?

How can we know what God is really like? Can we know Him? What can we find out about Him, if He is not what we conceive? Does God want us to know Him? If so, how could He inform us to His Being?

When we look all around us, we see God’s handiwork. Is there any God capable of this? Dare we gaze upon the presence of God? All of the false gods fall before the True God. God Himself says: “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’” (Isa 46:8-10)

My prayer for you is that you will be glad that we do not worship any lesser God than the God of the Universe.

December Expectations

December is once again upon us. December brings with it the commercialization of the holiday, the gaudy and even tasteless Christmas décor full of light, sound, tinsel and garland. There is the traditional fight for the “true” Christmas, whether it is the Christ-child born on Christmas day or the annual arrival of St. Nicholas on housetops bringing gifts for the children. Is it about gifts and holiday glory, or is it about “peace on earth and good will towards men”?

To be honest with you, it’s all about to wear me out. I’ve been around this globe for 40+ years. I’ve been the kid expectantly waiting at the Christmas Tree. I’ve been the parent trying to provide the same experience for my own children. I’ve been the pastor trying to keep the “Reason for the Season” front and center during the worship services and have been disgusted at the reduction of the “holiday season” to dollars and cents for retailers. Like Thanksgiving, there is a reminder of those who will not be present this year. Depression goes up during the holidays without question. We miss them, and for good reason. Our loved ones made the holiday, the “holy days” special because we shared with them our hopes and dreams, our laughter and joy. Now, even if they had given us gifts we never liked, we would give much to see them all over again.

My grandmother always knitted sweaters for us during the rest of the year, and gave them away as presents for Christmas. Even though I never truly appreciated those sweaters when she was alive, I would treasure even the tiniest doily today, because it was from her hands. I’ve outgrown all those sweaters, but I wish I had kept just one. That annual tradition of hers was part of my understanding of what Christmas was about, and now its lost. I mourn this loss, and know that I will not see her face again until Jesus calls me home. I say to myself, “if only I’d known then what I know now.”

I’m afraid that as we get older, it is this thought of regret that can characterize our thinking during the holidays. It can be a stain on us and our celebration because we are thinking about the past, feeling the past pulling us backward to a time we cannot recover. But this is selfish. Did not my grandmother have memories too of her childhood? Did she not, while she knitted those many sweaters, have memories of her childhood, when she received such gifts from her grandmother? Didn’t she grieve? Didn’t she weep at a sudden powerful memory? But instead of dwelling on her past, she invested in her present, so that the next generation would have fond memories of her, not her grief.

Make this holiday season a joyous one for the sake of those who follow us. Let us remind them of Christ’s first advent, so that they will be ready for His second.

November Meaning

Before we get into the Christmas season, and start taking about Mary, Joseph, and the Shepherds, we need to look at what November means. November doesn’t have all the lights and tinsel. November is about home. There is the Homecoming, the homemade pumpkin pie, and the family coming home for the holidays. November is about coming home. It can be a time of great gladness and great sorrow. My family lost a family member this year. And there will be an empty place at the table. I doubt my story is unique.

But November also reminds us of great sacrifice. For the original thanksgiving was celebrated at great personal cost to Gov. William Bradford and the colonists of Plymouth Rock. It is a story that deserves to be retold as part of our nation’s history and religious heritage.

The Pilgrims’ story begins as their religious sect is marginalized in English society. Their stance on morality and virtue are too strict for some, and they are persecuted. They move to Amsterdam where any religion is welcome, but they find the morals there too loose, and are afraid their children will emulate them.

The make the decision as a congregation to emigrate to America, the newly discovered land where the English King has little power, and the English Church has little influence. Their chartered ship, the Mayflower, sets sail in the harsh North Atlantic, and finally sets sight on the Massachusetts coast that fall.

Their first winter was cruel, with cross after cross erected on the hill outside of the settlement. It is not an easy thing to be a settler in the new world, and it is not until they make some peace with the Indians, through the help of Squanto, that they are able to make any success.

The story of the pilgrims as we remember ends with the celebration of Thanksgiving in their first good harvest in the new world. Around their table was welcome one and all. It is this celebration that most people remember, not the sacrifices and lessons that preceded it. But this distant mirror of the marriage supper of the Lamb may yet remind of our celebration with the Son of God when at last our labors are done.

And maybe those two stories, of our family griefs and joys, and the sacrifice and faithfulness of the Puritan pilgrims, at some point intersect and intertwine, because our struggles are the same. Could we find in their story hope for our own? If we understood the faith of those pilgrims, perhaps we will find courage ourselves.

Armored for October

As we prepare for the festival the last Sunday of the month, it is high time we get ready with our costume. My kids start to get excited around the first of June talking about costumes for Halloween. One always wants to be a princess, and another a Jedi. So they start planning and trying on different pieces until the costume is just right. The costume just isn’t complete until all the pieces are applied. A princess needs a gown, a wand, and a tiara, along with gloves, shoes, makeup and hairstyle. A Jedi needs a robe, a lightsaber, the right shoes, and a determined attitude. It started to make me wonder what kind of costume a Christian should wear. What would be a distinctive costume for a Christian?

So much of what makes us different are concepts and ideas. We can’t exactly “wear” our theology or ethics on our sleeves. But after looking at those short lists above, maybe you were reminded of something. There is a list in the Bible similar to the costumes above, with sword, helmet, breastplate, sandals, shield and belt. These are the garb and armaments of a Roman soldier of Paul’s time, and we find this list in his letter to the Church of Ephesus. It is a letter written while Paul is in prison, guarded by a soldier at all times. But he takes occasion to immortalize the costume of the soldier into a Christian’s suit of armor.

When we look at Ephesians 6:14-18, we see “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,” (ESV)

I want to encourage you to take up the “costume” of the Christian, so that you can stand up to the powers of darkness that threaten every one of us.

Forget Not His Benefits

When the Affordable Care Act engaged in full force, small businesses were already making hard choices, hiring employees for part-time rather than full-time. Many people who were promised not to lose their healthcare were faced with losing their jobs. Now with labor day on the horizon, we begin to see the condition of jobs and benefits deteriorate unlike we’ve ever seen before.

Now, these same folks love Jesus, go to church, and are good Christian folks. But while the preacher goes on and on about the sweet by and by, they are hurting in the here and now. Does the eternal, holy, and good God see my needs where I am? Are God’s good gifts only eternity? Or are they for the here and now? What are God’s promises for his children while they tread upon this earth?

When we start a new job, we have come to expect certain kinds of benefits, including health insurance, dental insurance, vision and a retirement plan. Some jobs even include a life insurance policy in effect while we work for that job to help take care of our families. And these will be the subjects of our messages this month, for God supplies richly and abundantly the benefits of His kingdom upon those whom He has called.

But all those benefits assume that you are doing you job. Even these heavenly benefits are contingent upon the practice and growth of your faith. Are you expanding your toolbox by reading and studying God’s Word? Are you strengthening your relationship with Jesus by spending time in prayer? Does the practice of your faith include both going to church weekly and sharing your faith daily, with family, friends and people you meet?

Our job description is clear: As you go, make disciples, baptize believers, and teach them to be like Jesus. This is our great commission as the church, which applies to each of us if it applies to any of us. Each of us has been called, however we are equipped by the Spirit, to make disciples, to show others even if only by our example, what it means to be a Christian. Whether in tough times or easy, how do you labor for the Kingdom of Jesus Christ? Does everyone you know know you are a Christian? If not, repent of this sin, and seek to show others your faith. It’s ok to make others uncomfortable. We weren’t called to make them comfortable, but to bring their souls to Jesus. This is our job, and we have this job to do.

We find that the benefits to this job far outweighs the headaches and frustrations.

Health Insurance

Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
(Jas 5:14-15)

Dental Insurance?

“I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in all your places, yet you did not return to me,” declares the LORD.
(Amo 4:6)

Vision Insurance

Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
(Mat 7:3-5)

Retirement

even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.
(Isa 46:4)

Life Insurance

And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.
(1Jn 2:25)

All Roads Lead to God?

A common objection to avoiding Church is that “all roads lead to God.” This is the idea that sincerity itself is the measure of a “true” religion. All one really needs to do to be saved is to pick the religion that best suits themselves, and then sincerely practice that religion (even if it is Atheism) and they will be fine when the god(dess)es come for them. This is a dangerous mix of “your truth is your truth, and my truth is mine” (moral relativism) and “everyone is going to be fine” (universalism) at the end. There is a lie common to both. It is the lie that says “all roads lead to God.”

First, let us establish that there is such a thing as truth (epistemology). There are truths about life that are true regardless of where you live or what you believe. 1+1=2. This is always true, whether here or Timbuktu. If you want to test it, try it with your checking account. Try telling the bank you have more money than you have deposited. They will remind you of the truth of this right away. $100+$0 does not equal $500. If it is possible to know absolute truth (something that is always true) in everyday life, isn’t it just as likely that there is absolute truth in spiritual things?

To this end, not every religion says (as a statement of truth) there is a god. Wiccan, for example, leads one to mother earth, or nature herself, which can be manipulated through spells and witchcraft, if properly appeased through sacrifice. Buddhism doesn’t even worship a god, since Buddha himself was only a spiritual guide, not a god. Atheism, though not properly a religion, tries to answer the same questions, and ends up with the Universe as the mother and Time as the father. Worshippers must deny their uniqueness and manufacture their own purpose in the accidentally random landscape of (the god of) Chance.

Other religions depend on a number of gods. The Ba’hai is the best example of this, since they believe every god is legitimate. They have eight doors and eight altars to honor eight different gods. All are equal in Ba’hai. They will tell you they are all emanations of the same god, but this is certainly a god with multiple personality disorder, since no two agree. Others, like the Latter-day saints, believe in One God, but also in other, lesser gods, like Jesus and Satan. Jehovah’s Witnesses also believe that Jesus was a lesser god, if not a Man that God glorified. But believers in these religions hold these statements to be true.

Biblical Christianity, however, states that God is a Trinity. God is Three, yet One. He is same in substance, but different in person. This God is the Creator of the Universe in the Father, Savior of the World from Sin in Jesus the Son, and Provider, Counselor, and Sustainer in the Holy Spirit. The Three agree as One, exist as one, but work as three. Multiple personality disorder? Only if you can find a case where all three exist at the same time in the same space, and all agree on purpose. But then we get ahead of ourselves here. This is best a subject for an article all its own.

The point is, if all religions are equal, then we are truly insane. The rules of logic dictate that two facts that contradict each other cannot both be true. It is impossible, and at least one of the two is a lie. If a murder suspect says he was at the bar at 1:00am on Thursday night, the police check his alibi. Only if it’s true will they dismiss him. Why? Because he cannot be at the bar and at the scene of the crime at the same time. Those two facts contradict each other. [FACT – a statement that can either be proven or disproven, not by definition “true.”]

If one religion states there is no god, another states that there are many gods, and a third says there is only One God. At least two of the three religions are lies. They cannot all be true. Because if there must be a God (and I believe there must be due to a preponderance of evidence (Creation, Morality, The Bible, Jesus Christ, etc.), not merely by blind faith), then two of these statements have to be false, and therefore discarded. Not all paths lead to God because not all paths are true. Most are false. As a human being, you must make a decision as to which path is true. You cannot embrace them all or you’ll end up in the nut house.

Does Science have all the Answers?

Science is working very hard at making our lives easier, and along the way, has come up with some profound insights about our origins, and perhaps even our future. Science has helped saved countless lives through medicine. Science has given us better homes, the internet, the ability to talk to people on the other side of the world. We owe much of our standard of living to science. But when science starts to tell us about where we came from, or tests those things that we call “miracles,” the science begins to break down. Let me tell you why.

True Science is based purely and simply on the scientific method, developed by Rene Descartes about 500 years ago. The Method is as follows: 1) Develop a theory about how the world works, 2) test that theory through experimentation and observation to see if it holds true (generally), 3) either confirm your theory with your observations, or revise your theory in light of them. Note that the theory, once confirmed, can become a Law (of nature) like gravity, but only in a general sense. If you can apply 50,000 lbs of rocket thrust, you can refute gravity in near-earth orbit. These Laws, once confirmed describe what “normally” occurs, under normal circumstances.

Science requires observable phenomena. Science cannot occur if you cannot measure the results of your experiments or observations. For example, I could theorize that Green Men live on Pluto. I have no way of discovering this, and thus no way to observe or experiment. Thus, it remains a theory. This is also why experiments always have a “control,” one part of the experiment that represents normal, in order to measure the effects of the abnormal. If you were testing a new drug, you would have one lab rat that would be given no drug whatsoever (the control) in order to test the effects the drug has on other rats (the experiments). In any case, in order for your results to be valid, they must be observable. Any scientist who said to the FDA, I “believe” all the rats lived from taking this new drug, rather than presenting physical evidence, would be rejected. Fantasy evidence or imagined results (how things should have done or ought to be) is no substitute for real evidence in science. And any scientist that pretends or imagines evidence for his theory will be laughed out of the lab, except in one special case.

There is one theory that has been around since the 1800’s that still plagues us today. Its implications are so appealing that it probably will not die. That Theory is Evolution. It tries to explain everything from the origin of the universe to the origin of man, and yet, there is no evidence, no experiments, not even the lab rats themselves that can tell us whether it’s true. Why? Because you cannot repeat it. All attempts to repeat it in the lab have fallen short. And those scientists that have declared their proof cannot repeat their experiments. Evolution is a Theory without evidence, and yet, it is branded as Law. Why? Because of the numbers of scientists who “believe” it. Science is not determined by majority vote, but by majority experiment and observation (the evidence). If 1000 of your neighbors believed you smoked marijuana in your home, would that be enough to convict you? Or would rather let the evidence decide? If the majority believes in something that has not been proven true by the evidence, does that make it true anyway? This isn’t science. This is faith.

And what about faith? Science makes statements about miracles (they couldn’t happen) that science simply cannot address, because by definition, miracles are not repeating events. They are SUPERnatural. Science can neither prove nor disprove miracles, including the miracles of Jesus, the Creation of the Universe, or the Resurrection of Christ. But there is a secondary source of evidence often relied upon in the courtroom to determine truth, eye-witness testimony. Science cannot invalidate what a person witnessed, nor can it validate it. It is a completely different kind of evidence, but trustworthy nevertheless.

Therefore, if science makes truth claims about miracles, especially the origin of the universe, or the resurrection of Christ, they are lying to you, making a statement from their own brand of faith, because science simply cannot make statements about non-repeatable events, whether they were true or false.

We believe in Christ based on eye-witness testimony of the Apostles. We believe in Creation based on the testimony of Genesis. We believe in Miracles because the Bible records them, and we have no reason to doubt the truth of the Bible. Science has some of the answers, but true science never contradicts the Scriptures. That may sound like a brainwashed cult, but rather than a cult, we believe because of the EVIDENCE, not in spite of it.