New Year, New You!

In just a few hours from now fireworks will light up the night sky, champagne corks will pop, horns and whistles will blow, hugs and kisses will be exchanged and well wishes for a Happy New Year will be on the lips of many the world over. Behind this annual celebration is the hope and expectation that the New Year will bring about a change of fortune, as well as, an opportunity to wipe the slate clean and start afresh. Even advertisers and purveyors of self-improvement products and services get a piece of the action by promising to fulfill the wishes of customers who desire to transform themselves "from the old me into a new me." But 364 days down the road, the unfortunate reality is that human will and human effort alone is not enough to prevent us from falling short of our desired goal to transform our lives and to make them better.

Man's attempts at self-improvement are often rooted in the superficial and the external. We think change is a matter of our will. If we will ourselves to stop this or start that, we think that this is enough to produce the change we desire. But if that were the case, the first diet you tried would have worked or the first time you decided to stop smoking, drinking or the like would have been enough to produce sobriety in you. And yet, every new year, we find ourselves back at the same place, reciting the same vows, trying to make the same changes we promised to make a year ago.

What's wrong with us? The answer lies in the fact that the created cannot recreate itself---for that, we need the Creator. In Psalm 34, King David recognizes his inability to change his ways and so seeks the help of his Creator: "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me (Ps 51:10 KJV)." David recognized that without God's help he would continue to be lost in his sins. Paul explains the dilemma we all face as human beings in this world: "I have discovered this principle of life---that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God's law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh what a miserable person I am. Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God. The answer is in Jesus Christ, our Lord! (Rom 7:21-25 NLT)"

The only way you can become a new you in this new year is by surrendering your life to Christ who alone has the power to make all things new. For the sinner, he will cleanse you and forgive you of all your sins. For the Christian who has strayed, he will forgive you of your sins and restore you to the family of God. You don't have to wait until the clock strikes 12 midnight for your new life to begin. It can begin right now with a simple prayer of confession. Happy New You!

Where Are the Shepherds When We Need Them?

The White House announced recently that the Presidential holiday card would expressly omit any mention of Christmas or Jesus' birth. The words and meaning behind "Merry Christmas" has been replaced by "Happy Holidays" in almost every facet of American life today. Nativity scenes have come under attack and are illegal in some public places in many communities across this nation. The commemoration of Jesus' birth has become sadly, even for some Christians, a day of tree trimming and gift giving without a pause to honor the greatest gift of all. And like the Presidential card, Christians send out greeting cards full of holiday cheer, and no mention of the joy that came into the world when Christ was born.

The proclamation of Jesus' birth did not end with the shepherds. As 21st century Christians, we have a calling to proclaim this gospel message until the day of Christ's return. During this most holy of Christian observances, we have an opportunity to declare the real reason for the season: that Christ came into the world to save sinners. How can we sit on our salvation while there are still so many even at our doorstep who don't know Jesus Christ as Savior? The Shepherds left their sheep, and probably lost their jobs, to spread the Good News of Christ's coming. The words, "For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life," still have power to change lives in any season. This is the message of Christmas that Christians should be telling the world.

We must take a stand for Christmas, refusing to allow the world to dictate who, what and how we should celebrate. When someone says, "Happy Holiday" to you, don't be ashamed to respond with, "And may you have a blessed Christmas" or the like." As you gather around the Christmas tree with family and friends, read the story of the birth of Christ found in the Gospels before opening your gifts. As we honor the Savior, we can proclaim with the angels "Peace on earth, goodwill toward men."

A breakthrough or a watershed

Researchers today announced a crucial breakthrough in HIV/AIDS research--an experimental vaccine has been found to prevent HIV infection. Some 16,000 volunteers in Thailand took part in what was billed as the world's largest AIDS vaccine trial. Preliminary results showed that the vaccine cut the risk of becoming infected with HIV by more than 31 per cent. This study was sponsored by the U.S. Army and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, an arm of the National Institutes of Health.

Several years ago, during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, I was a researcher on an HIV/AIDS Prevention clinical trial funded by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and conducted by Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine. Some 6,000 volunteers participated in this study. The five-year study confirmed that HIV/AIDS is a preventable disease. When sexually transmitted, the risk of contracting HIV is significantly reduced, if not prevented, through regular condom use, monogamy and /or abstinence from sexual activity.
While I applaud any breakthrough in modern science and medicine that will eradicate disease and ease the suffering of those afflicted, I am concerned about what may result from the discovery of this vaccine. On its face, the vaccine removes the fear and may give more people a license to engage in risky behavior. Like the vaccine now being marketed to girls as young as 11 and 12 years of age to prevent the sexually transmitted HPV (Human Pappillomavirus) virus, the HIV/AIDS vaccine sends a morally defeating message, namely that "Its OK to sleep around again."

This cannot be the message that is allowed to go forth unabated. As Christian leaders, individuals and families, we cannot afford to bury our heads in the sand on this one. We must instruct our children that sex outside of marriage is wrong, even though we may have brought them into the world that way. We must confess our own sin, ask for forgiveness, and show them a better way-- if we expect to earn their respect. We must stop turning a blind eye to the sexual sins that go on within the Church that defile the body of Christ. And we must continue to talk about HIV/AIDS as a consequence of risky sexual behavior. Nearly fifty per cent (49 per cent) of the almost 54,000 newly diagnosed AIDS cases in the U.S. in 2006 were among African-Americans, who make up less than 12 per cent of the population. The Kaiser Foundation reported that Black women, age 13 and older, accounted for 66 per cent of the AIDS cases diagnosed in 2007. According to the CDC, HIV/AIDS continues to take a heavier toll on Blacks, bi-sexual and gay men than any other segment of the population.

Let's set the record straight. God doesn't compromise; he hates sin. And no vaccine known to man will exempt humankind from its consequences, unless we repent: "Come now, and let us reason together, " says the Lord, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow..." (Isa 1:18).

You Lie

A sidebar to the current health care controversy raging in this country is the unprecedented outburst of a U. S. Congressman who called the President of the United States a liar during his address to a joint session of Congress. This Congressman has been roundly criticized for voicing his view publicly and, as a result, not only faces sanctions by his Congressional colleagues for his actions but also may lose his bid for reelection to his House seat because of it. Oddly, few have readily addressed whether or not this Congressman's assertion is true, only that he had the nerve to speak his mind aloud. I wonder how many others in that audience thought the same thing but chose to ignore their conscience and keep silent out of fear of embarrassment or reprisal? Likewise, how many times do we as Christians keep silent in the face of what we know to be lies about and assaults against our faith? And how often do we fail in our responsibility as followers of Christ to speak truth to power?

Jesus came to call sinners to repentance. He addressed sin openly and directly with those who were sinning. The Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes were the power brokers of his day. He called them out for their phony religiosity and legalism; and because of it, they were determined to shut him up. But Jesus was a God-sent messenger who would not be silenced. In fact, he responded to his critics by announcing: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, and to set at liberty those who are oppressed (Luke 4:18 NKJ)."

With Jesus' departure from the scene, the anointing to do God's work now rests upon the shoulders of the people of God. It is the responsibility of every Christian to carry on this mission. We are not to keep silent on the issues of the the day like abortion, sex education in the schools, corruption in government, crime in the streets, poverty, homelessness, homosexuality and immorality. And we must not neglect or be afraid to police our own house -- even the church. As Christians, if we don't speak up, if we don't promote this gospel to the poor, the brokenhearted, the captives, the blind, the oppressed and sinners, then it must also be said of us, "You lie."

Your clunker for your life?

The Cash for Clunkers program, which debuted a mere two months ago, is over. The reason--it ran out of money. For what it was worth, Cash for Clunkers infused life back into a tepid auto industry, at least temporarily, by racking up better than expected car sales. It provided a way for those who could afford it (and for some who couldn't but did it anyway) to exchange older model, less fuel efficient cars for brand new, fuel efficient ones. There's something enticing about being able to discard something old for something new. The problem is, as soon as those new cars left the showroom floor, they were destined to become the clunkers of tomorrow at some future point in time. Cars are known to depreciate rather than appreciate in value even as the cost to buy them, depending on the make and model, continues to increase. As consumers, we seem determined to invest excessive amounts of money in things that won't last.

So what should we be investing in if not in expensive cars, opulent houses, designer clothes, expensive jewelry, priceless artifacts or gold? Economies that are based on material goods and personal wealth are fragile. Already, we have seen how some persons in this society have sought wealth and lost everything in one bad investment. Even further, countries that have suffered economic collapse have done so when conditions caused the currency of that country to become worthless. Ask yourself this question, "What is my life invested in? If you were to suddenly loose everything would you have anything left to live for? What gives your life meaning? May I suggest to you what life is not? Life is not in the abundance of the things we possess (Luke 12:15). Jesus tells the story of a rich man who had great wealth. For this man, life was all about building bigger barns to store his possessions. Finally, this man said to himself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy. Eat, drink and be merry." But God said to him, "You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?"

"So it will be," Jesus says, "with anyone who stores things up for himself but is not rich toward God." Elsewhere, Jesus tells us not to store up (or put our trust in) treasure upon the earth that is subject to decay or worse, becomes the target of thieves (Matt 6:19); but rather store up (give back to God what he has given us) treasure in heaven which will not decay or be subjected to thieves. Jesus concludes that where our treasure is, our hearts (time and attention) will be also. Consider the rich fool and strive to labor for those things that will matter to God and for eternity.

Michael Vick is right

Michael Vick is right to ignore his critics who want to vilify him as if serving 23 months in a maximum security federal prison, losing his job, being forced into bankruptcy and being separated from his children weren't sufficient punishment enough for his crime. If his critics have their say, Vick will always be spoken of as "Michael Vick, convicted felon." Just recently, CNN gave valuable airtime to a panel of so-called experts who discussed whether or not Vick's statement of remorse was really genuine or rehearsed. Hypocritically, these same critics no doubt have their own dirty little secrets that fortunately for them have so far been hid from public knowledge. I agree that what Vick did to dogs was reprehensible and cruel but so were the White man's offenses against Black people in this country--crimes for which few if any of the perpetrators or their descendants have stated remorse, let alone spent even one night in prison. These crimes against the humanity of Black people are little spoken of and conveniently forgotten. A sportscaster on ESPN weighting in on the Vick debate observed: To err is human; to forgive is divine. In a similar show of support for the underdog (no pun intended), Jesus Christ once told an angry mob that wanted to stone a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery, "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone (John 8)." Not one stone was thrown by that angry mob and no one has the right to throw stones now. What's more the Bible says that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." So unless Vick's critics have confessed their own guilt before God they have no right to sit in judgement against him. On that, God has the last word.

The Gospel to Go - Welcome

Welcome to The Gospel to Go

This website was created so that readers of my book, "The Gospel to Go: Fast food for the hungry soul," can share their personal testimonies of how their lives have been impacted by the book. From time to time, I will also be sharing my personal observations, testimonies and commentary on contemporary issues from a biblical perspective. Your comments are welcome. If you have not read "The Gospel to Go: Fast food for the hungry soul" or would like to order a copy, please email us at: thegospeltogo@gmail.com.

As Jesus commanded us, "Go into all the world and share the
Gospel."

Carolyn