Christian Living Today

How does a real Christian face death? I’m not referring to someone relating their out-of-body experience with the bright lights and warm fuzzies and death is a breeze attitude. I’m talking about real death with real pain and real anger and real sorrow. I’m talking about a real Christian facing the reality of death and growing stronger in their faith, stronger in their understanding of grace, and stronger in their commitment to God in spite of the other very real, very prevalent, and very powerful emotions which accompany facing real death.

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2) As this verse reveals, we are changed by what we know. “What I say means very little, but what God says means everything.” (Rachel Barkey)

If you follow any of the main conservative Christian blogs, you have probably heard about Rachel Barkey. Without doubt you have seen a link to her video presentation in March. Without doubt it has come to you highly recommended. I hope you have watched it. If you have not, PLEASE take the time to do so today.

It will take some time. It will tear at your heart. But, if you are a Christian wanting to grow closer to your Lord, if you are a Christian wondering how a real Christian answers the hard questions in life, or if you are just someone curious about what a real Christian looks like - this is a must see. You won’t be sorry.

Rachel is an incredibly gifted speaker. She is funny, articulate, and painfully honest. She is no superwoman. In fact, she places many of her foibles and frustrations on open display. However, she is very, very real. You hear her heart, and unless yours in made of stone, you respond, at least with empathy. PLEASE take the time and listen to her story today!

It is right and proper we look to Scripture for directives on walking uprightly. However, sometimes it is hard to put feet to our faith. Even when we know what is right, it is hard to envision how to respond rightly.

First we must remember we have only looked at the first verse in this passage. James will provide us greater insight as we proceed. However, James is not the only Scriptural passage dealing with a Christian’s proper attitude in trial. We have looked at a few verses in our last two posts. Never the less, because putting what we know in our head into practice in our lives is the hardest part, we will spend this post delving deeper into living James’ words: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,. .” (James 1:2) First let us look at one more Scripture which describes the Christian life.

Hebrews 12:1-3, 12-15 says, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. . .Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled . . .”Our first and foremost example is our Lord Jesus Christ. Calvin, speaking on the passage above says, though Christ was free “to exempt himself from all trouble and to lead a happy life, abounding in all good things, he yet underwent a death that was bitter, and in every way ignominious. . .[thus] he commends to us the patience of Christ on two accounts, because he endured a most bitter death, and because he despised shame. He then mentions the glorious end of his death, that the faithful might know that all the evils which they may endure will end in their salvation and glory, provided they follow Christ.”First, then, as we have discussed, we must get our perspective right. We must put our eyes on the goal ahead. We must resolve to be steadfast and resolute in following our Master’s steps. Then, following the directives in the second part of this passage, we strive to make our actions fall in line.Barnes comments on the second half, “Courage and resolution may do much, however, to make them firm, and it is to this that the apostle exhorts those to whom he wrote. They were to make every effort to bear up under their trials. The hope of victory will do much to strengthen one almost exhausted in battle; the desire to reach home invigorates the frame of the weary traveler. So it is with the Christian. In persecution and sickness and bereavement, he may be ready to sink under his burdens. The hands fall, and the knees tremble, and the heart sinks within us. But confidence in God, and the hope of heaven, and the assurance that all this is for our good, will reinvigorate the enfeebled frame, and enable us to bear what we once supposed would crush us to the dust. A courageous mind braces a feeble body, and hope makes it fresh for new conflicts.”This is another clear passage exhorting us to not only think like a Christian, not only talk like a Christian, but to walk the straight and narrow, even when the pathway is rough and the trials come in like a flood. We not only have Scripture’s strong words to bolster our faith, we have powerful examples.Karolina W. Sandell-Berg penned a mighty hymn in 1858. What makes “Children Of The Heavenly Father” so powerful, however, is not just the words, it is the incident which sparked their writing. Karolina wrote this hymn after watching her father fall over board and drown! Let’s look at three verses:

God His own doth tend and nourish;

In His holy courts they flourish;

From all evil things He spares them;

In His mighty arms He bears them.

Neither life nor death shall ever

From the Lord His children sever;

Unto them His grace He showeth,

And their sorrows all He knoweth.

Though He giveth or He taketh,

God His children ne’er forsaketh;

His the loving purpose solely

To preserve them pure and holy.

Here is an example of a Christian, in her own words, showing us how to bear up under an awful trial. Note where she places her focus - on God’s goodness and grace. She has just lost her father yet she says God tends and nourishes His own. She says He spares them from evil.

Wow, I’m afraid I would consider a similar situation evil. Yet, we see how she can say this, she places her focus heavenward. She says, “In His holy courts they flourish;” her eyes are one heaven, but she finds comfort in His grace (and care - in spite of what had happened) here below, “In His mighty arms He bears them.”

A couple more observations

1) She realized nothing could sever her from her Lord - and that was her most precious possession. 2) She realized her God knew her sorrows and would give her grace to bear up under them. 3) She knew God would never leave her nor forsake her, regardless of what bad things happened in her life. 4) She understood God’s loving purpose was to create her in Christ’s image (pure and holy).Karolina lived James 1:2. If we live long enough, we will lose people we love. Karolina has shown us how to respond to loss as a Christian. What about other trials? Karolina’s example is basic to any trial. However, let us look, briefly, at a few more situations and the basic Christian response.

Pregnancy resulting from rape - Our culture automatically responds to this situation with abortion. Even many well-meaning Christians recommend this as the solution. However, is this the Christian response? No. Committing a second sin does not negate the first. The Christian response is to bear the child, to embrace the child (before and after its birth), to love the child, to recognize the child is a gift from God “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward.” (Ps 127:3) Only a Christian can look evil in the face and see it as a gift from the hand of a loving God.

A Down’s Syndrome baby - With our current medical technology, doctor’s have the ability to determine if a child has Down’s Syndrome, even in the womb. According to a recent report, most of these children are being killed in-utero. Is this the Christian response? Certainly not! 1 Thess 5:14 says, “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.” The Christian response is to welcome, embrace, love, see as a blessing and look forward to this child, knowing God will display His power to a watching world through what they consider weak and foolish things.

Job Loss / Economic Uncertainty - I heard someone say, recently, the current economic situation will reveal who is really a Christian and who just says they are a Christian. Why? Because Christians should have a completely different response to an economic downturn, whether from a job loss or from the general economy. A Christian knows His Father will provide for his needs (Matt 6:27-33). Thus, while a Christian seeks to make wise financial decisions, while a Christian diligently looks to work with his hands and whatever job will provide for his / her needs, a Christian does not fret and worry and speculate and complain!

Loss of health or ability - Most people recognize the name: Joni Erickson Tada. Few, in comparison, have met her. At seventeen, when she suddenly went from a vivacious young woman with years of normal life ahead of her, to the bleak future of confinement in the body of a quadriplegic, she did not embrace her trial. Nonetheless, God by His grace taught her to find her joy in Him, to find her strength in Him, to find her fulfillment in Him.

Furthermore, she has not complained about her lot. Instead she has worked diligently as a spokesperson for others with disabilities and as a mouthpiece for Christ to a hurting world. She could have spent her life bitter and angry and self-focused. As Christ’s child, however, by His grace she chose to make a difference in her world, in spite of her limitation. And, what a difference she has made!

We could go on and on. Look at Joseph. Look at Moses. Look at Paul. Look at Job. Person after person after person facing incredible trials. Person after person who acted in a way we do NOT consider normal. Person after person who would have been (in our minds) completely justified to ‘curse God and die’. Yet time after time, they are given the grace to rise above the ashes of their life to praise and bless their Creator.

This, my friend, is what we are called to do. Is this not a high calling? Is this not a blessed calling? Instead of despair, we have hope. Instead of bitterness, we have peace. Instead of sorrow, we have joy!

Have you heard about the controversial new painting of President Obama? The one with his arms outstretched and a crown of thorns encircling his head? Obviously this painting has elicited (and will continue to elicit) quite a response. The painter entitled his painting “The Truth”, and from at least one angle, he is correct. For that reason, I believe he did us a favor.

After all, is this not the mental view many Americans, even Christian Americans, have entertained of President Obama. Is this not the platform on which he ran? Is this not the reason he was elected? We wanted change! We wanted some to ‘save us’ from the mess we perceived we were in. We wanted someone to make our lives easy, and comfortable, and pleasurable without requiring anything from us.

Well folks, we have it - and if you have not discerned the lie, maybe this photo will finally make you see. The problem is not what is outside, it is what is inside. We live in a fallen world. We are sinful creatures. We will never be free from the negative consequences of our sin - not without the work of a real Savior.

No man can rescue us from ourselves. Only the God-man, Jesus Christ, had that power. Only He offers a way out of this mess - and it is not a way most would choose to go. Is that not why we are told in Matthew 7:14, “. . .narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it”?

The solution does not start nor will it end with the government. The problem did not start there. The problem began in our hearts. Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, Jeremiah said, “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” (17:9)

Not only did the problem begin in our hearts, it remains in our hearts. In Matt 15:17 20 Jesus said, “Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man. ..”

If the problem began in our hearts, and if the problem remains our hearts, why are we looking to something outside our hearts to correct the problem? The solution starts in an individual life. Each Christian who turns to God in repentance, vowing, with God’s help, to walk according to His Word, is a step in the right direction. Once our churches return to their God-given role as the house of worship where Christians, committed to God’s word, gather to worship and learn and pray, we are beginning to deal with the issue.

Once Christians within these churches acknowledge our battle is not with the world but with remaining sin, then we will fall to our knees. When we fall to our knees in humility, seeking first, foremost, and finally God’s will and His will alone, God will begin to move. He has promised to do so. Second Chronicles 7:14 reminds us, “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Dear Christian friend. Will you join me in examining your own heart? Will you join me in inspiring your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to address the real problem - both by example and by encouraging admonition?

We live and die by the polls. At least the survey takers would have us think so. While I do not doubt some polls serve a purpose, Christians need to exercise great discernment when placing any value on poll results - especially polls taken by non-Christians which assume to represent something truthful about the Christian community.

Take the recent survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. While the results may contain a kernel of truth, I found them hard to discern.

I believe the danger is when people take such surveys at face value. However, two articles I read recently seem to do just that. USA Today’s recent Religion headline claimed, “Survey: Half of US Adults Have Switched Religions.” Dr. Deb’s April 28^th article on Examiner.com stated, “People Leaving Childhood Religion Blame Hypocrisy, Judgmental Behaviors.”

While both headlines are taken from the survey’s actual wording, I suggest we exercise caution when placing any weight on such things. Furthermore, the survey taker claims open-mindedness - not an understanding of the tenants of Christianity. The Pew Research Center, the parent organization, alleges to exercise, “Independence, impartiality, open-mindedness and professional integrity. . .”

There are at least four reasons Christians ought to use caution and discretion when seeking to interpret these poll results:

One - The church is in much of its current state because we have listened to the world. The world said people found church boring or irrelevant or old-fashioned. Instead of turning to Scripture to see if and where we had strayed from God’s original plan, we turned to pollsters to determine ‘what’ people were looking for. As a result we have many worldly churches which, for the most part, entertain the ungodly and starve the sheep.

Two - Most surveys are crafted and conducted by non-Christians. As a result, when conducting a ‘religious’ survey they do not understand those they are attempting to survey (remember 1 Cor 2:14 “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”).

Three - Furthermore, non-Christians are often seeking to discredit Christianity. While this is certainly not always true, there is a good chance the survey has been skewed or interpreted to discredit Christianity.

Four - Religious surveys often use ambiguous and/or broad terms which sound ‘Christian’ but which cannot be pinned down. Take the poll I mentioned above. Consider these familiar terms scattered throughout the survey results:

religion

convert

faith

Religion can mean many different things. The majority of Americans claim to be religious. However, it takes little insight to see our country is heading in a direction which is anything but Christian. Furthermore, you can find people who claim to be religious who hold to nearly every form of religion including cults, Christianity, and even a God of their own crafting.

Convert can also have very numerous meanings. A person can be a convert to Islam, Buddhism, Mormonism, atheism, or Christianity. A person can ‘say’ they are a convert while only giving lip service to the reality they claim to have changed their lives. Thus calling someone a ‘convert’ does not necessarily mean they are repentant.

However, I believe faith is the most elusive term used in this recent poll. What is faith? Many Christians cannot define the word biblically. Nonetheless, this survey claims, “Two-thirds of former Catholics who have become unaffiliated and half of former Protestants who have become unaffiliated say they left their childhood faith because they stopped believing in its teachings, and roughly four-in-ten say they became unaffiliated because they do not believe in God or the teachings of most religions.”

If one is truly saved, they have done more than give mental accent to the teachings of their ‘church’. In fact, I would say this survey does much to prove the truth of 1 John 2:19. “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.”

I close with two more quotes from the survey which I believe reinforce the fact many polled were never Christians in the first place.

“Two-thirds of former Catholics who have become unaffiliated and half of former Protestants who have become unaffiliated say they left their childhood faith because they stopped believing in its teachings, and roughly four-in-ten say they became unaffiliated because they do not believe in God or the teachings of most religions”

“Another reason cited by many people who are now unaffiliated is the belief that many religions are partly true but no single religion is completely true.”

Clearly, therefore, without defining terms, both for the survey taker and the survey reader, this poll is just a bunch of worthless numbers and words. Worse yet, it presents a picture which is probably quite skewed and even incorrect.

One of the nicest compliments I’ve received in a long while came from an unbelieving friend. The origin (an unbeliever) made the compliment more meaningful. This friend told us about folks he planned to meet for lunch. Then he invited us to come along. “He’s a bit eccentric. She’s just a nice lady. You’d enjoy them. You get along with everybody.”

The comment really did not sink in until a little later. Then I had to laugh to myself. Me getting along with everybody? Me the person who just a few short years ago avoided strangers, crowds, and any situation which would put me into the position of carrying on a conversation with someone I did not know fairly well.

I shook my head in amazement and humility. God has certainly done some work in my life, in this area, in the last few years. Work I knew was occurring, but work I had not really thought about. As I pondered this heart change, Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 came to mind. “For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.”

Some of us are naturally friendly and outgoing. Some of us get along much better with strangers than with those who know us well. Some of us are uncomfortable around anyone we do not know well.

God has wired us to be different. This is part of our individuality. However, the principle in Paul’s words is important to remember, regardless of how we are wired. Here are some questions to ponder:

If you are naturally friendly and outgoing, are you using your friendly nature and your ability to make people feel comfortable in a way that honors God? Are you seeking to bring people to the foot of the cross where, if God grant them grace, they will find salvation?

Being friendly and outgoing is an asset. You intuitively make people comfortable around you. However, it is far to easy to hide behind a superficial friendliness which cares little for the souls of those we call our ‘friends’.

If you get along better with strangers than with those you know well are you using this comfort with strangers as a witnessing tool? Have you ever put it to work in street evangelism? Are you seeking to win the lost?

And have you thought about why you do not enjoy being with family? While many of us have been ‘blessed’ with at least one difficult family member, God has not given us leave to forsake them either. We have obligations to family which we do not have to strangers. Furthermore, if our family members are unsaved, our zeal for their salvation should be greater still - because they are family. Thus, are you seeking to rebuild and restore (or build and create) those difficult relationships in your life so you can have a positive impact on those God has put in your family?

If you are uncomfortable around people you do not know well, are you seeking to get past your own self-absorbed view and put God’s honor and glory first? These are harsh words, but I am speaking to myself, too.

I always assumed I was just shy. And, on a certain level, I am not a people person. However, God did not put me here, save me from my sin, and make me His child to put my light under a bushel.

For years I assumed my life was ‘light’ enough. While the way I live is extremely important (people will not believe a word I say if my life does not live up to my words), the impact of my words, my friendship, my openness to hurting, hungry, seeking people is even more powerful. For our use of this, my friend, God will hold us accountable.

Take this unsaved friend who I mentioned above. This man is NOT someone I would have sought for a friend in the past. He is not easy to get to know (he has few people skills). He believes strongly in almost everything which is contrary to what I believe. Furthermore, he speaks strongly against many things I believe - to the point of slamming Christianity in my presence, at my home, knowing I am a Christian.

YET, God opened the door for us to share the Gospel with him recently. Not just a short talk but a five hour discussion about faith and life and sin and many other things. Were it not for the change God has wrought in my heart, a change which helped me set aside my pride and reach out to people who I don’t feel comfortable with, this conversation would never have occurred.

I challenge you to prayerfully consider this: Is your pride really worth someone else’s soul? Whether you are outgoing or timid, whether you get along well with strangers or they leave you tongue-tied - are you working to be ‘all things to all people’ (regardless of how you feel) that God may use you to win those He calls?

God grant us both the grace to be vessels in His hands to His honor and glory!

Grief grounds us. It brings us down from our flights of fancy and reminds us of our mortality. It brings us back to our foundation (or lack of it) and forces us to look at the reality of what we believe. It grinds away our sinful habits and self-sufficiency and brings us to our knees at the foot of the cross. Thus it is appropriate to call grief good. Its work is painful, but it is beneficial.

I have noticed grief does not have to effect you directly to impact your life. Reading of the way God is working in and through someone else’s struggles is one way God uses grief to rein us in. Watching someone we love wrestle through the slough of despair is another way. Facing something which wrenches the heart from our chest and runs it through a wringer is the most personal way.

Obviously the benefit we gain from our contact with grief depends on our response to it. How soft is your heart? Consider the following excerpt from one father’s journal.

“This afternoon, I spent ten short minutes with [him]. He opened his eyes, so I smiled into his face and whispered “I love you”. He kept gazing into me, and I defy anyone who has a hurt child to resist speaking hope and encouragement to them. It started simply - first whispered encouragement, then seeing that his lips were dry and swabbing his mouth for him. Quickly, my tender mercies to my broken child turned into too much stimulation for my boy, and he began to labor to breathe. I struggled to calm him without making it worse, without success. Within a few moments, he had locked his gaze on my eyes and was pleading for me to lift his head and pull his neck to relieve the pain. I cried as I refused: I knew I would be endangering his health if I started moving his head, but the hurting, lonely, frightened little boy staring out of [his] eyes understood only that his father wasn’t helping him.

“I’m weeping as I write this, for I failed to be the one thing a child always expects their father to be - I failed to fix it, to make it better. Worse, I failed to help my boy when he needed me desperately, and I have always told him I would ALWAYS be there for him if I could. I read my own betrayal reflected in his eyes.

“I finally had to resort to calling the nurse and having her calm him, and I left the ICU in despair, but under control. Until I ran into my friend in the hall, when the dam burst. To my shame, I ranted against my Lord - how could He be this unfair? How little God must love my son, if He would do this terrible thing to [him] just for the sake of “blessing” some other person somewhere else? Who does He think He is, anyway? I wept and wailed and threw my agony into the face of a God I now saw as a cold-hearted bastard who would kill my child to make some other kid happy.

“That’s when the two mothers showed up. They were the mothers of the two boys in the rooms next to [my son], both of whom are dealing with traumatic brain injuries. Amazingly and unjustly, they were both receiving relatively good news today, while I… Well, we spoke a bit, I admitted that we were not having a good day, expressing my frustration with God. One of the ladies said “I’ve felt the same way - and I try to remember that this must have been what Mary felt, watching God take her son to the cross. Yes, great things were promised for the future, but Mary probably couldn’t help wishing it didn’t have to be so.” When they had left, my friend gently asked me - “Can you honestly tell me that God didn’t bring her by to remind you that He knows exactly what a hurting Son feels like?”

“That drained the poison from my wounded heart, and I have been moving through this evening on a post-adrenaline swamp of mixed emotion. . .”

If this story doesn’t jerk at your heart a little, I would suggest your heart needs a good examination. Scripture tells us to “weep with those who weep” (Rom 12:15). I dare say if we are not saddened, if we are not convicted, if we are not challenged to re-examine who we are and where we are headed when we read these words, I dare say we are either not children of the Heavenly Father or we need of some personal trials to shake our complacency.

What is most striking about this father’s grief is the understanding he gains. As one wise person said, “He will never again think of his God’s love in the same way.” This man has been given a gift. The gift to understand, at least the gift of a hint of understanding, of the Father’s love for those He would redeem.

I close with an excerpt from Rick Gamache’s powerful “Crucifixion Narrative.” I encourage you to let these words sink deeply into your heart. For, if you are God’s child, this conversation is about you.

“Jesus is startled by a foul odor. It isn’t the stench of open wounds. It’s something else. And it crawls inside him. He looks up to his Father. His Father looks back, but Jesus doesn’t recognize these eyes. They pierce the invisible world with fire and darken the visible sky. And Jesus feels dirty. He hangs between earth and heaven filthy with human discharge on the outside and, now, filthy with human wickedness on the inside.

“The Father speaks: “Son of Man! Why have you sinned against me and heaped scorn on my great glory? You are self-sufficient and self-righteous—consumed with yourself and puffed up and selfishly ambitious. You rob Me of My glory and worship what’s inside of you instead of looking out to the One who created you. You are a greedy, lazy, gluttonous slanderer and gossip. You are a lying, conceited, ungrateful, cruel adulterer. You practice sexual immorality; you make pornography, and fill you mind with vulgarity. You exchange My truth for a lie and worship the creature instead of the Creator. And so you are given up to your homosexual passions, dressing immodestly, and lusting after what is forbidden. With all your heart you love perverse pleasure. You hate your brother and murder him with the bullets of anger fired from your own heart. You kill babies for your convenience. You oppress the poor and deal slaves and ignore the needy. You persecute My people. You love money and prestige and honor. You put on a cloak of outward piety, but inside you are filled with dead men’s bones—you hypocrite! You are lukewarm and easily enticed by the world. You covet and can’t have so you murder. You are filled with envy and rage and bitterness and unforgiveness. You blame others for your sin and are too proud to even call it sin. You are never slow to speak. And you have a razor tongue that lashes and cuts with its criticism and sinful judgment. Your words do not impart grace. Instead your mouth is a fountain of condemnation and guilt and obscene talk. You are a false prophet leading people astray. You mock your parents. You have no self-control. You are a betrayer who stirs up division and factions. You’re a drunkard and a thief. You’re an anxious coward. You do not trust Me. You blaspheme against Me. You are an unsubmissive wife. And you are a lazy, disengaged husband. You file for divorce and crush the parable of My love for the church. You’re a pimp and a drug dealer. You practice divination and worship demons. The list of your sins goes on and on and on and on. And I hate these things inside of you. I’m filled with disgust, and indignation for your sin consumes Me. Now, drink my cup!

“And Jesus does. He drinks for hours. He downs every drop of the scalding liquid of God’s own hatred of sin mingled with his white-hot wrath against that sin. This is the Father’s cup: omnipotent hatred and anger for the sins of every generation past, present, and future — omnipotent wrath directed at one naked man hanging on a cross.

“The Father can no longer look at His beloved Son, His heart’s treasure, the mirror-image of Himself. He looks away.

“Jesus pushes Himself upward and howls to heaven, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” “

Have you ever found yourself thinking something along this line? “I absolutely HATE it when she does that. It is so unfair. Why am I the one always left bearing the brunt?”

Or maybe your thoughts sound more like this: “It makes me so mad. Why am I always the one left to clean up the mess? Where does he get the right to go and veg and leave me with all the work?”

Whatever your pet peeve, there is no doubt in my mind you have visited it lately. That is the way it works. Satan knows which buttons to push. He knows where we are weak. He knows what gets our goat. He knows how to make us unhappy even when our blessings abound.

Then God graciously slaps us out of our ungrateful mindset. I experienced this tough grace just the other day.

Our hearts were broken and our bearings reset by a recent tragic accident. Hearing about it gripped our hearts. Seeing the broken body of a young man in a hospital bed, not even in his prime yet facing a dim and uncertain future, shook me on a deeper level. Shame. Contrition. Gratitude for my own blessings. A reminder of the fragility of life. These and more coursed through my heart and mind over the next few days.

I know life is not always easy. I have faced a few hard challenges myself. I could name dozens of people currently facing hard challenges. Will their foundation hold? Will mine?

We are wise to examine ourselves once in awhile. When God graciously brings us face to face with our mortality and the riches He has bestowed upon our lives, only a fool brushes these flash points aside. A wise person learns (and relearns) from them.

1) Thankfulness: Instead of whining when we are called to serve, we ought to be grateful we have someone to serve. Consider the numerous people who have lost loved ones, whose loved ones lie broken on a bed somewhere, whose arms have never held their own child - even for a short time.

Furthermore, think of the greatest mercy of all - the opening of our eyes and hearts to the saving truth. Even in the face of death, we hold the promise of a better tomorrow. Even in the hardest trial, we know the One directing our steps. Even when we are tired, discouraged, and world-weary, we know we are but pilgrims and strangers heading for our heavenly home.

2) Repentance: Our lack of thankfulness, our wrong response to Satan’s button pushing, our complaining about the ‘little’ things God brings across our path. These are all sin. Calling them sin, and repenting for these sins is the ‘right’ response.

3) Preparation: When hard providence visits a loved one or friend, in part this is a gracious reminder from God to prepare for our own trials. “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life” is not a Scriptural promise. While God does love and care for His children, Scripture is full of examples of godly men and women who faced difficult, sometimes nearly overwhelming, providence.

How well we stand when our day comes will depend on the quality of our foundation. Have we enjoyed deep, regular droughts from the streams of Scripture? Have we hidden God’s word in our hearts to give us power to fight against sin? Are our hearts firmly set upon the reality of God’s character?

Trials will come. Our faith will be shaken. Our emotions will be torn and tattered. Our greatest confidence - that which will help us stand in spite of our circumstances - are the truths of God’s word. May we be wise and faithful servants who prepare, in advance, to hold the banner high when our time comes to face the roaring lion while the world watches.

“Tens of millions of web users now find micro-content extraordinarily compelling and attractive. Micro-content is so easy to consume, so instantly pleasurable, so easy on the brain.”

Have we become a culture, a society, a church who wants our information in micro-bites?

 The statement above comes from a web developer who is obviously encouraging webmasters to construct their web pages to fit the micro-content mold. However, what does this say about us?

I do not agree consumers should want micro-content. However, I think this author hit it right on the head - at least in principle. Why? Look at the benefits he says we derive from micro-content. Easy to consume. Instantly pleasurable. Easy on the brain. Compelling. Attractive.

Revealing terms. Nonetheless, we can learn even more when we look at what he does not list. Informative. Educational. Enlightening. Beneficial. Challenging. Engaging.

I could go on and on, but I believe I’ve made my point. Look at the contrast. Micro-content appeals (and we cannot deny it appeals - look at what you read) because it is simple, easy to read, and pleasurable. However, it fails to be beneficial! In other words, how can we learn to discern right and wrong, good and bad, true and false, if we take life in micro-bites? For that matter, what does a micro-bite really tell you?

As Christians we should shun this form of information for at least two reasons:

One - it makes us lazy. As we grow more and more accustomed to short paragraphs, simple sentences, and mushy words, we lose the desire to dig for, work for, and even to think about what we read.

Two - it wastes our time. Look at Scripture. Here we have been given the blueprint for life. Contained in its covers we have everything we need for life and godliness. However, it does not come in micro-bites. In fact, it comes in macro-bites. It makes us think. It challenges our intellect. Anything which does not teach us or stretch us or challenge us to think is a waste of time.

While my argument may be deemed good or bad, depending on whether you agree with me or not, Scripture has much to say on the subject which we would do well to read and ponder.

Take Phil 1:9-10a “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent. . .”

Knowledge? Discernment? Do these things come in micro-bites? What exactly does it mean to ‘approve the things that are excellent’? At the very least it tells us there are things which are not excellent.

Look at 1 Thess 5:21 “Test all things; hold fast what is good.” Now there is a micro-bite which packs a macro-message. If our attraction to micro-meals is because we they relax us, they are easy to digest, they do not require us to think, then we are definitely failing to obey this mandate. ‘Test all things’ requires a lot more than mindless perusal.

Finally, consider Paul’s words in Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

How are we to be transformed? How are we to not be conformed? By the renewing of our minds. What further benefit do we gain from this ‘renewing of our minds’? We learn not only what is good, not only what is acceptable, but we learn what is the perfect will of God.

I am not suggesting reading for pleasure is a sin. However, if we are guilty of preferring our information to be entertaining, easy to consume, and pleasurable, maybe we ought to take a closer look at what we are reading - and the truth (or lack thereof) it contains.

February 12, 2009 is Darwin Day. This day marks the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin and apparently over 350 locations world-wide already have celebrations planned. While I am obviously not as enthused over the idea as the party planners, I do not have a problem with celebrating a man’s birth. However, I am concerned about the possible behind-the-scenes agenda.

Have you seen the new billboards? The ones created by the Freedom From Religion Foundation? Do you realize the potential behind this push? While America has enjoyed religious liberty for over 200 years, this could potentially be the beginning of the end.

I am not a gloom and doomer. I do NOT hold to a ‘the sky is falling’ mentality. However, are you aware it took only one atheist to get Bible reading and prayer removed from our schools. Furthermore, in 1963 when this occurred, the political and social climate were much more ‘Christian friendly’.

If you are interested in learning more, the Way of the Master has put together website (www.pulltheplugonatheism.com) to help you understand more about evolution, about Darwin Day, and about the plans of the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

Here is a sample article from their website:

“Once a year, Christianity celebrates the birthday of its Founder. A little more than 2,000 years ago a tiny babe was born in the small town of Bethlehem. Come all ye faithful and join in a new celebration of another birthday. February 12th, 2009 is the 200th year since a tiny babe was born in small town of Shrewsbury, England. Before the end of 2008, there were an amazing 102 celebratory events scheduled in 19 countries and it was hoped to make this an annual event “to celebrate science and humanity every year, on, or near, February 12, Darwin’s birthday.”

It does seem that evolution and established religion have other things in common besides wanting to celebrate the joy filled birth of their founders. The Vatican claims to have the bones of Peter in their actual possession (although this has never been verified), and late in 2008, headlines read “Darwin’s beard hair on display.”

According to the BBC, the beard hair is now part of a Natural History Museum exhibition in London. Apparently it was taken from Darwin’s desk in 1882 by female relatives (although this has never been verified).

After 200 years, Charles Darwin has been resurrected. Today, he is exalted among men and adored by millions of faithful believers who joyfully sing his praise.

Darwin has been deified, and so it won’t be long until someone finds that his image has evolved on a grilled cheese sandwich. “

Remember, evolution is an accept scientific fact which is anything but scientific or a fact. Christians today need to educate themselves to at least a few of evolution’s falacies as well as Scriptural truths. We need to be prepared - if for no other reason than to help the younger generation see the real truth - not a fabricated lie proported as truth.

Today’s society, Christian and non-Christian, is riddled with worry. It is the norm. It is accepted. It will make you sick (literally). It is sin!

What is worry? Webster’s defines worry as feeling anxious, uneasy, or troubled. Thus worry is an emotional response to outward stimuli.

Who worries? Everyone. While non-Christians have ‘cause’ to worry, Christians do not. Consider a pagan’s situation. They have no faith - or misplaced faith. They have no promises. In reality, unless one accepts that God is in control of, literally sovereign over, everything which occurs, they are left with ‘fate’, ‘karma’, or ‘chance’.

Consider someone who says, “I am the captain of my own destiny, the master of my own fate.” Could any belief be more unfounded or foolish? What can we control? Lightening strikes? Earthquakes? The drivers in the cars around us? The kitchen staff who prepare our meals? In reality we control nothing. However as Christian, we have the promises of a good God Who does control everything - for our good and His glory.

When do we worry? At any given moment worry can strike. Because it is a physical reaction to outward stimulus, something said, something we see, or something we don’t see. There are many worry triggers, but the most common is our thoughts. We think something, and our response is to worry.

Why do Christians worry? We worry because we fail to trust. Worry is predicated by a shift in focus. Like Peter (Mt 14:28-31) we start focusing on our surroundings. What is real or what we suppose to be real. Suddenly things look too big to handle.

Worry stems from our lack of faith (Mt 14:31, Mt 6:25-34).

Worry is foolish (Ps 127:1-2; Mt 10:19; Mk 13:7; Luke 12:11).

When worry comes knocking at your door, or barreling down the aisle of your heart, stop! Think! Remember! What has God promised you? What does God control? What area of your life and circumstances are beyond His reach?

If worry has you wrapped in its tentacles, remember. Remember Who you serve. Remember Who controls every aspect of your life. Remember what He has promised to do. Remember what you are supposed to do. Remember His commands and His promises:

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:6-7) “And my God will supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:19)