What should we tell our children?

16 Apr

We still do not know all of the details.  And we might never know them all.  But the United States of America has been attacked again, in a cowardly way.  The goal of any kind of terrorism is to strike terror into the hearts of intended victims… There are actually two circles of targets in a terrorist attack:  Those directly impacted by the attack.  In the case of Boston, those killed, injured, and those who were eyewitnesses of this heinous action.  The second circle is anyone who watches this on television, online, or through other forms of media… These are those who will fear based on this attack.

With all of that understood, what do we tell our children?  We hold much of the key to their feelings of security and, unfortunately, they are growing up in an age where this seems to happen more and more often.  How do we convey this message to them and preserve their sense of security??

First of all, remember that each child is different and will handle this information differently.  Second, be very selective about which news shows and web articles you permit them to see…  Over the last hours, some of the images on the web and in news coverage are pretty gruesome.  While these images are true, I’ll confess at 46 years old there are a couple I wish I could unsee…

What can we do??

1.  Tell them the truth … as they can handle it.  I think God models this to us in how He has progressively revealed Himself to us.  He has told us the truth, as we can handle it and process it.  This is where you MUST know your children.  And if you have different aged siblings, this will be tougher.  But the best thing you can do is be as honest as you can with them.

2.  A fact of life is that evil exists in this world.  Most children can understand that.  And, one of the saddest facts of what happened yesterday is the perpetrator(s) of this act of terror did this with no regard to the fact that they were hurting innocent people.  In fact, that is what they intended to do.  You cannot get any more evil than that.

3.  Another fact is that God expects His people to bring LIGHT and GOODNESS into the world.  So now WE have a job to do.  Satan might have struck the first in this battle, but WE MUST WIN THE WAR.  We can now find ways to bring GOOD to something that is really, really BAD.

4.  Tell them to pray, and pray often.  Pray for the victims.  Pray for the first responders, who ran TOWARD the explosions while others ran away from them… (THESE FOLKS ARE HEROES!  GOOD IS ALREADY RUNNING IN).  Pray for those who will investigate this terrible crime, that they will find the truth.  And, finally, pray for whomever did this.  YES, Jesus told us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.  I know this seems to go against EVERYTHING we feel inside right now, but they obviously are in DESPERATE NEED of a real relationship with Jesus Christ.

5.  We remind them to BE OF GREAT COURAGE.  We allow a terrorist to win when we FEAR.  I know that is hard, but God walks the paths of life with us everyday.  Even when evil tries to strike us.  And truthfully, we never know what will come our way.  But we were not given a spirit of fear, but a spirit of POWER.  Of courage.  And we can defeat this act of terrorism by holding our heads high and being BRAVE.

Obviously I am no expert… I am sure many will find problems with some of what I have written.  But the truth is always the best answer.

Why should we be surprised?

10 Apr

Sometimes I think about the national issues of today … the politically charged hot issues … and compare them to the hot issues just 20 years ago.  And I am amazed.  And I wonder what kind of world my children will have to navigate in 20 or 30 years.  And, honestly, that makes me sad.

And, slowly, I see the handwriting on the wall:  There are some in this world that call me narrow-minded and bigoted BECAUSE I believe the Word of God.  All because I believe God’s Word is true, and that I believe I am required to add nothing to it or take nothing away from it (Revelation 22:19).  Slowly but surely in these United States, I am seen as a monger of hate.  A pinhead (ok, I’ve been THAT for some time).

But why are we surprised??  There are two simple truths that will make these things more and more true, at least as long as people who do not fear God are at the helm of our society:

1.  People DO NOT WANT their sin exposed.  NO ONE likes to be called on the carpet, and NO ONE likes to be reminded their lives are against the Will of God.  Period.  And they will fight it tooth and nail.  Now, let me interject one very important fact here, too:  ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD.  We have ALL SINNED.  NONE OF US IS PERFECT.  So, this statement is not made from some high and lofty perch.  I am just as imperfect as the next guy, and ALL SIN is bad in God’s eyes.  Not just the ones identified in political battles.

2.  Jesus told us people would HATE US because we love Him.  Go read Matthew 10.  Jesus told us that the WORLD would hate us because of Him.  And, they hated Him.  I mean, c’mon, THEY CRUCIFIED HIM!!  ANOTHER NOTE:  When they HATE us, this is NOT A LICENSE for us to HATE THEM.  In fact, Jesus also reminded us that it is EASY to love those who love you … But, we who follow Christ are called to LOVE OUR ENEMIES and to PRAY FOR THOSE WHO PERSECUTE US.  In every way, Jesus reminded us that THE STATE OF OUR HEARTS, EVEN TOWARDS THOSE WHO HATE US, should be that of love.  There is no room for the volleys of hate from our side of any issue.

So, why should we be surprised?  In Matthew 10:22, Jesus reminded us that those who stand firm until the end will be saved.

I know what I’m going to do.  How about you?

A matter of trust

8 Apr

If you do not trust God, you WILL NOT trust each other.

One of the biggest obstacles for any church is a lack of faith.  A lack of trust in what God is doing.  A doubt of that to which God has called the church to do.  And when the church does not trust God, it will not trust each other.

I’ll confess this to you:  When I see this at Ebenezer (or in any church), it really breaks my heart.  The basic mistrust.  The conspiracy theories.  Then, when you add in the concept that teams like Personnel has to operate in a somewhat-confidential manner, it makes suspicions abound even more.  For no reason.  (Thanks to the legal climate of our modern society, Personnel HAS to operate in silence for most of their job.  It keeps the church from being sued, so this is a good thing!!)

I could write and write about this topic, but to cut to the chase:  We NEED to trust God.  We NEED to trust each other.  Otherwise, we will never see the full potential God has planned for our church OR for each of us as individuals.  Period.

 

Today’s Sermon: The Next Step

7 Apr

The Next Step from Ebenezer BC on Vimeo.

HEROES DOWN!

4 Apr

This is a blog post that has been a week in the making … Due to all of the sickness I’ve had in the past three weeks, it just hasn’t worked it’s way out of my mind until now!!  (With a cold, then a sinus infection, then the stomach virus from Hades, I feel like my life has been an episode of Wipeout)

These past few weeks has given me many opportunities to think about this.  I deal with it daily, especially for the past three years of my life, and now I am watching this happen to many of my friends.  And it is not fun…

A HERO is someone who rises above the ordinary to accomplish feats that seem impossible.  Many of our heroes are heroes because they have done this at great personal risk and sacrifice, many times rising above huge obstacles to pull us from the fire.  When I look around, there really ARE heroes in life… all around us.

And when I think of the first heroes we knew, I am drawn to people like my dad.  And I have certainly blogged enough about him in the last few years, but let me make it clear:  Two of my greatest heroes are Don and Janet Wike.  They have ALWAYS gone above and beyond for me, my sisters, and my family.  And even though dad is enduring great sickness, mom has just stepped in and filled the hero bill in an even GREATER way.

But, these past few weeks I’ve seen MANY heroes in tough spots.  I’ve seen Shirley, a hero that is doing EXACTLY what my mom is doing here in Florence in taking care of her husband (who is on the same track as my dad), and now Shirley is facing some MAJOR medical battles.  And, true to form, as I talked to her yesterday (over the phone, because I wouldn’t DARE give her this stomach thing) she has a terrific attitude and is only thinking of her family …  If attitude were 50% of the cure, then she would be 75% cured RIGHT NOW!!

I’ve seen my friend Bob, a true man of steel, face one of the toughest cancer surgeries that EXISTS.  And, so far, he is doing well.  The road will be long for him, but this is one of the toughest dudes I know.  I think once cancer realizes WHO it is messing with, it will go running like a sissy.

I visited my friend Nick, whom I haven’t seen in many years.  Nick is the father of one of my oldest friends and he always treated me like a son, too.  And when someone loves you, you cannot help but love them.  I haven’t seen him in at least 20 years, but he had a major stroke and is now recovering in rehab.  And I considered it a great honor to even get to go see him last Friday.  He is another one of the heroes that will not let this get him!!

And, today, a close friend, Mary, will undergo a second surgery for cancer.  She is another one of those “Wonder Woman” types, with a heart of gold and the courage of a momma bear when it comes to her family.  Now, she is gonna be FINE and will outlive many of us who read this.  But, she is a hero just the same.

And it is hard to see heroes when they are down, even if only for a little while.  When I think about some of what I’ve seen these past few weeks … And even these past 18 years I’ve been at Ebenezer … It forces me to realize that these heroes that we know and love ARE only human.  And there will be a day when each of them (as each of US) will cross over that river … And then, WHERE will all of the heroes be???

And I’ve realized this:  WE HAVE TO STEP UP!!  Because, if we are man and woman enough to do this, WE are the next generation of heroes!!  And maybe NOW is the time for some of US to step up and fill the gaps … and do extraordinary things for those around us.  For NO reason, perhaps other than the fact that God is calling us.

When I think about all of the heroes I’ve known at EBC and even in my life, I realize most all of them have done the things they have done in the power of the Holy Spirit.  And the same GOD … the same HOLY SPIRIT … has promised to BE WITH US and EMPOWER US to do HEROIC THINGS!!  Things that defy explanation!!!

So, think about it … Maybe it is time for YOU to step up!!

And please don’t forget to pray for these heroes!!  And the ones in your lives, too!

Today’s sermon: On the Same Day

31 Mar

On the Same Day from Ebenezer BC on Vimeo.

Today’s sermon: Triumph

24 Mar

Triumph from Ebenezer BC on Vimeo.

Does Prayer make a difference??

18 Mar

I had a visit today.  I won’t name the visitor for now, but he is a friend and a member of Ebenezer.  He told a story that needs to be retold again and again.  For now, let’s call him “Norm.”

Norm’s career was in an industry that took him all over the world.  He did a lot of work in Europe, and that is where this TRUE story is set.  Through his travels he met a young man who was a card-carrying Marxist.  Let’s call him “Sam.”  Sam had no concept of God, and never wanted one.  In Norm’s travels, some of those with whom he worked started calling him “the Preacher” because of his willingness to share his faith.  (Let’s stop right here:  He was NOT a spy or was not working for OSS or the CIA.  He was working in textiles!!)

In spite of Norm’s religious believes, he and Sam became friends.  They both understood where the other stood with their beliefs, and yet they maintained a friendship that would last well past Norm’s retirement.  That is where the story gets interesting …

Norm came to prayer meeting one night, many years ago.  He told us that his friend Sam, in a European nation, had been diagnosed with colon cancer and wanted us to add him to the church prayer list.  He also expressed concern that the medical care in this country might not be as good as what Sam could receive in America.  We began to pray for Sam, because we knew it meant so much to Norm.

There are a couple of miracles in this story.   One of them is that Sam recovered well, and is still alive and healthy today.  But the next is really where the power of God and the power of prayer intersect…  Sam, this card-carrying Marxist, is now in a relationship with Jesus Christ!!  And HE now prays for Norm and others all around him!!  The seeds were sown when Norm told Sam that a church in Florence, SC, was praying for him.  This puzzled Sam… WHY would they care about him??  WHAT would motivate them to pray for him??

I don’t know the details of the journey.  Maybe Sam will tell us one day.  But Norm is OVERJOYED today, because his friend Sam is SAVED!!!  And Norm attributes this to the POWER OF GOD and the POWER OF PRAYER.

Don’t EVER think your prayers do not matter!!  You never know what GOD will do!!

James 5:15  The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Today’s sermon: GO

17 Mar

Go from Ebenezer BC on Vimeo.

Learning the lesson

13 Mar

For those who follow Christ, there is a HUGE lesson to be learned in life … Don’t get me wrong:  There are MANY lessons to be learned over a lifetime of serving Him.  But there is one BIG ONE that will make life much more enjoyable … if you are willing and able to learn it!

At times in life, we map out EXACTLY how life is supposed to go.  We plan, prepare, and move towards an end we’ve developed in our lives.  And rarely do things EVER work out the way we imagine them.  So we beat our heads against the walls, we fret over the best-laid plans gone wrong, and we find very little peace in our lives.  And that, my friends, is natural and is EXACTLY what happens when we forget that GOD has a plan for us!!

He really does!! I am convinced with all of my being that God has a plan for every one of us, and if we follow His plan we WILL find peace and fulfillment in life that we will NEVER find without Him.  But we need to remember that His plans are NOT our plans … THEY ARE EVEN BETTER!!!  Sometimes we have to get a little ways down the road to see that, but it is true.  At least, that has ALWAYS been my experience.  In other words, this is not something I read in the Bible and HOPE is true:  This is something I’ve experienced OVER and OVER again in my life.  When the best plans I’ve made in my life go south, I’ve got to know that God has a BETTER plan for me.  It’s true!!!

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

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