Is your head in the sand

People who act as if they are oblivious to the happenings around them are often characterized as behaving like an ostrich with its "head buried in sand." I don't know much about the habits of the ostrich bird but I can see the same analogy applying to the those who see wars, earthquakes, famine, pandemics, rampant crime, environmental upheavals, seasonal changes and the like; and yet fail to recognize these as signs of the end times (Matt. 16:2-3).

Catastrophic events like these are unfolding worldwide almost daily, even in our own country. The popular culture believes that the world will one day solve all its problems and be at peace with itself. But scripture warns us that nothing can be farther from the truth.

For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, 'peace and safety,' destruction will come on them suddenly as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you brothers are not in darkness so this day should not surprise you like a thief (1Thessalonians 5: 2-4).

The word "should not" in that passage suggests that some brothers (and sisters) will be caught off guard, and hence totally unprepared for the Lord's return. Where do you stand? Are you prepared for the Lord's return?

In Matthew 25 tells the story of ten virgins— five wise ones and five foolish ones— who were warned to be ready when the bridegroom [Christ] comes for them. The five wise virgins were obedient and heeded the advice, keeping their lamps trimmed and with plenty of oil with them at all times. One day, when the bridegroom suddenly came unannounced, the five wise virgins were ready to go with him. But the five foolish virgins were caught off guard—their lamps had no oil. To their anguish, the bridegroom left them behind. The point of this parable is the importance of being prepared when he comes. Scripture warns, "we know not the day or the hour when [Christ] will return."

The first step in being prepared is making sure that you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ or to put it another way, you must be born again. Just being a good person doesn't cut it. People often deceive themselves by thinking that because they are kind hearted, or attend church that this somehow means that makes them right with God. Not so. The Bible says in John 3:7 that you must be born again. Romans 10 spells out the conditions for salvation through Christ:

First, there must be a confession of sin with true repentance. Followed by acceptance of Jesus as God's son, who died on the cross for our sin and who was also raised from the dead. Next, an invitation to Christ to come into your heart; and finally, believing in faith that Jesus has done what you have asked. 

Here's the test. If you cannot specifically recall a date or time when you made this confession or similar to God in a prayer, you would be correct to question whether you are really in the family of God. If you are not sure, don't allow Satan to deceive you about your standing with God. Satan wants nothing more than for you to keep your head buried in the sand of "self-righteousness." Open your heart today, and allow Christ to change your life. The bridegroom is coming, and is even now knocking at the door.

Don't cry for Haiti

There is a God in Haiti. He's in the faces of the survivors who spent long days and nights pinned under unyielding slabs of concrete, wondering if they'd make it out alive. There is no doubt that God was with them. He's in the faces of the rescuers who worked tirelessly, searching amongst the rubble of toppled buildings for sights or sounds of life. He's guiding the hands of the doctors and nurses who are caring for the injured under unimaginably tough conditions. He's in the hearts of people the world over who are donating money and other goods to help ease the suffering of a grief stricken, weary nation. While some skeptics may question and even blame God for this tragedy, the Haitians who survived the earthquake's terrible destruction know better. They are the ones that we see on TV dancing and singing praises to God for having escaped from the valley of the shadow of death.

Oddly amazing. Or is it? A poem written by Annie Flint some years ago perhaps explains it:

He gives more grace when the burden grows greater.

He sends more strength when the labors increase.

To added affliction, he adds his mercy;

To multiplied trials, his multiplied peace.

To outsiders and onlookers, "it does not yet appear what [it] shall be" but with faith, Haiti will rise again to become a better nation, even a God fearing nation for having been through this incredible experience. Already, this once forgotten people now command center stage in the world's affairs. Isn't that just like our God.

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.