I feel very self-conscious and inadequate writing today but I’m compelled to address the Newtown Connecticut tragedy.  I hope this is accepted as I intend it.

In the 1980’s Karen Burton Mains toured the refuge camps of the world.  Camps where adults and children were held for political crimes or famine related issues.  The camps were excruciatingly inhumane and ultimately chaotic. From her experiences she wrote a book that is incredibly meaningful to me entitled, “The Fragile Curtain.”  She chose that title because she came to realize that in the U.S.A. she was living behind a black curtain that kept her blind from the traumas the people in the rest of the world encountered.  There was a phrase she used toward the end of the book to describe the horrific conditions she experienced.  She wrote this, “My fragile curtain has been torn.”  That is how I feel today. 

Without the hope of eternal life in Christ, where there is no more crying or mourning or pain, where there is no more death, my hope in comfort and consolation would be shredded.  There is an insidious evil in our world, even in the supposedly safe areas of America, which defies rational explanation or logical understanding.  Evil has seeped into the lives of the naïve and innocent with a raw intensity that will defy psychiatry and counseling for years.  It will lift its horrendously ugly head in dreams and feelings in those who have endured their horribly traumatic day and they will never fully heal.  PTSD and other syndromes will be discussed and encountered for lifetimes.  There will be no opportunity for denial.  There is no reason “why” that will open the door of insight and personal healing.  Irrationality has no definition and this kind of childhood violence has no justification, therefore finding a satisfying explanation is impossible.  Healing the brokenhearted and binding their wounds will be slow.

The only option for us is love.  To love those who have lost someone they love. To love them so that possibly one day they might be able to encounter a day that has some normality to it with no high definition memories.  Every Christmas will force the facing of a holy day milieu that will be oppressive and dark.  

We desperately need to feel the grief of fellow humans who are just trying to take their next breath.  Who will get to that point of exhaustion and hope for some brief period of sleep so the hurt can be held at bay for an hour or two.  If I sound morbid and defeatist it’s because I, in a very very minor partial way, realize how long and painful will be the healing from emotional grief for a 5 year old child.

My fragile curtain has been torn.  I thank God my children are alive and enjoying life. And yet I fret.  I worry selfishly because I don’t want to be a grieving parent.  I don’t want to be the one who loses someone they love.

Praying for the community of people in Newtown with tangible expressions of love is our only option.  It won’t allow anyone to escape the psychological damage, and the process of grief that these poor people will have to endure.  But we can at least expend sympathy and some small acts of love.

If you have the gift of mercy or compassion why not write down the name of a parent who has lost a child today and send a card every month for a few years.  See if God can use your concern and love to, in some small way, help someone to heal.  

One other thing, hug, forgive, call, love your kids, parents, family, and thank God for the privilege of having them in your life.

So, for your Pastor, tonight, if you have young kids, do what was my favorite part of being a dad of young kids.  Give them a bath and afterward pull their little wet, warm, naked bodies wrapped in terry cloth close and inhale the sweet scent of shampoo and soap.  Then throw them down on the carpet and put your mouth on their bellies and blow out as hard as you can, making what Bill Cosby used to call "zerbets!"  Which are really just giant fart noises made with your mouth on their belly!  And while their laughing hysterically and asking you why you're crying just say, "God has filled me so full of love for you it just leaks out."

God bless,

Pastor Ed

Hindsight

Zacharias had finished offering the incense inside the Holy Place of the Temple.  He had prayed, talked to the angel Gabriel and emerged from the Temple to take his place on the porch.  He descended the stairs of the porch and approached the altar where the sacrifice was arranged.  He was supposed to now offer the prayer, called the Benediction, and the fires would be lit to finish the Sabbath sacrifice to God. 

But he found he couldn’t utter a word!  The statement of the angel Gabriel was true!  He could no longer speak. 

People initially waited and waited, the tension rising, the moment becoming more and more uncomfortable.  “Zacharias is supposed to pray, why doesn’t he open his mouth?!” they wondered.

Finally another priest moves toward him and others follow.  They discover Zacharias is not so emotionally and spiritually moved by his moment in the Temple that he’s unable to speak.  He’s not so overwhelmed by his responsibility to pray in front of all these hundreds of people that he cannot speak.  He’s just unable to speak!

Nine months and eight days later they bring their baby to the Temple for circumcision and naming. When the child is named John Zacharias’ ability to speak returns and he prays the prayer that he would have prayed at the altar.  He addresses God and honors all that He has done and will do for His people.  Then he adds a few choice sentences for the role his own son John will play in the plan of God.

“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways; To give to His people the knowledge of salvation By the forgiveness of their sins…”

John is called a Prophet!  There hadn’t been one seen for 400 years in Israel.  And it was true.  John prepared people for the coming of Jesus Christ.  When Jesus stepped into his public teaching role John said of Him, “Behold, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” 

Do you remember what Jesus said of John?  He said, “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist…”  Matthew 11:11

Hindsight

The interesting thing about Biblical prophecy is that the readers during Jesus time accepted the prophecy as prediction of the future.  That sounds a little silly but today we have to prove that the prophecy was actually written before it was fulfilled, then prove that it wasn’t tampered with, then prove that it applies to the actual event, then prove something else!  But when Jesus fulfilled prophecy it was in existence for at least 400 years and everyone knew it was written before it happened. Their parents had read it to them in synagogue before Jesus was born. They knew it wasn’t tampered with because they had memorized it together as a family before Jesus was born.  They lived in the culture where Jesus fulfilled it exactly as it was written. 

Why am I telling you this?

Because the impact of prophecy was greater on the original readers during Jesus time than it is on us today!  Why?  Because they felt the authenticity, they felt the exact fulfillment, they felt the authority and they felt the actual event!  We feel the shadow of a fulfillment that is 2,000 years old. 

Think of the end of child labor in the English-speaking world!  Wow, doesn’t that make your toes tingle?  Think of the end of home remedies and the advent of modern medicine!  Wow, doesn’t that bring back recollections of the black plague, polio and epidemic influenza that used to kill thousands?  Think of the end of outhouses!  Wow, doesn’t that bring back memories of walking through the snow in the middle of the night?  None of those issues are very meaningful to us because most of us didn’t experience the improvement of life or the direct impact of those culture shifts.

Because we’re separated from the events of prophecy we lose the emotional impact of the audaciousness of the fulfillment.

If I could give you an experience of the hair on the back of your neck standing up I’d have to; pick the stock, exhort you to put every penny you could scrounge up into it and tell you to hold it for 2 years, 2 months, 2 days, 2 hours and 22 minutes and then sell it at the exact time I prescribed and you’d be a trillionaire!  You’d appreciate my prophetic ability.  The hair on the back of your neck would stand up.

That’s the feeling the first century Jewish people experienced when Jesus fulfilled prophecy.  Jesus fulfilling prophecy struck people as unbelievable.  So they put it all on the line for Jesus and he fulfilled every expectation and prophecy the Old Testament could throw at Him!

I just wish I could feel the ancient fulfillment in the here and now like they did!

Hindsight

Freedom is one of the tremendous blessings for which I’m thankful to God!  I didn’t mention it in my sermon Sunday because I had to keep my message to 9 tremendous blessings!  But I am so thankful for a country that allows me to live out my freedom of religion in whatever way I see fit. 

Freedom is why we have the opportunity tonight at 4:30 to hand out fliers inviting Visalia Christmas Parade attenders to GateWay during the holiday season. 

146 people responded to the gospel of Jesus Christ in 2011and made a commitment.  Did you know that we're on the same pace or even ahead of that number this year?  Do you think God is using GateWay to reach, touch, heal, encourage, and save people in the Visalia region for Christ? 

Almost 38 years ago Cindy invited me to go to church with her.  I heard the message and responded by accepting Christ.  There are people who are valuable to God waiting to connect in a relationship with Him if we’ll just be bold and invite them to GateWay. 

We’re meeting at Starbucks on Main St. at 4:30.  Be a part of what God is doing at GateWay. 

Let’s utilize our freedom of religious expression and reach out to those who don’t have a church home this Christmas season.  

Hindsight

$41,218.00 worth of cash and commitments were made to Network Missions at GateWay on Sunday!  Thank you for your generosity and trust in what GateWay is doing to reach people for Christ.  Because of your gifts we were able to give Pastor Bill’s Metro Ministries a check for $10,000.00  That gift will keep buses rolling and Sunday School happening all over New York.  If you weren't able to give and would like to just drop a check in the offering marked "Network Missions."

I hope you had a great day hearing Pastor Bill Wilson’s story.  Someone said the job of a Pastor is,  “To comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable!”  I think Pastor Bill epitomizes that sentiment.  He went to Brooklyn to be a missionary to the urban world and his desire was to not only make a difference not in their physical living conditions but in their knowledge of God and commitment to Jesus Christ.  The staff of Metro Ministries has literally led tens of thousands of children to Christ.

I hope your were inspired and motivated not just to give financially but to think of yourself as the Bill Wilson missionary to your world!

GateWay to Christmas is coming and it’s the perfect opportunity to be on mission to invite friends, relatives and neighbors to a Christian Christmas experience.  Take a step of faith and buy some extra tickets and reach your friends for Christ!

Hindsight

Romans 16 is a roll call of important people in the life of the Apostle Paul.  I hope you’re taking time this week to make your list of people who are important in your life!

Bill Wilson is one of those important people for me.

I met Bill in 1987 at People’s Church in Fresno.  I was astounded by his story of moving into the Bushwick community of Brooklynn to begin a ministry to retrieve and minister to hurting and abandoned children. Bill began with the name of Yogi Bear Sunday School but soon adopted the new name of Metro Ministries.

Bushwick is an area filled with drugs, violence and urban dysfunction.  Bill has been beaten, stabbed and shot in the face, yet he stays in this to touch the lives of children.

Due to the success of Metro’s programs, President George Bush, Sr. appointed Pastor Bill to serve on the National Commission on America’s Urban Families in 1991. Metro’s influence was also identified as a factor in the noticeable reduction of crime in the Bushwick community and the organization was featured on ABC’s Nightline.

Bill will be speaking at GateWay this Sunday at 8:45, 10:30 and 6pm (There will be a Thursday night service but Bill will not be able to be a part of it.)

If you’d like to read Bill’s biographical book please call the church office and come by and pick up a copy as they’re available.

Come meet someone who was added to my list!  Bring some friends, they will be amazed by Bill’s story.

God bless,

Pastor Ed

Hindsight

Devotion to Jesus Christ was the topic at church Sunday (Acts 2:42.)  I want to highlight two ideas that I really didn’t have enough time to fully develop.  The first idea is the meaning of the word devotion itself.  The early Church devoted itself to 4 goals:

            #1.  Devotion to learning the teaching of Jesus through the Apostles.  All the theology that the early church wrote down for us so we could understand the full impact of who Jesus is.  The fact that He is a part of the Trinity.  That there is a Father, Son and Holy Spirit united in love and mission to reclaim their creation.  That each has specific responsibilities within that relationship.

            #2.  Devotion to the fellowship of all those who claim Christ as their Savior and join together as a family.  The early church had a fellowship that went beyond just gathering on Sunday mornings.  They ate meals together in homes to build relationship.  They gathered sometimes daily to hear scripture read and taught on because they had no Bibles of their own.

            #3.  Devotion to Communion.  The crucifixion of Jesus was so fresh in the minds of new believers because it was just a few weeks previous to their faith.  They could picture in their minds crucifixion because they had personally witnessed, maybe not Jesus crucifixion, but some crucifixion.  You couldn’t live anywhere in the Roman Empire and not have seen at least one crucifixion.

            #4.  Devotion to prayer.  There’s no greater challenge for us fast paced Western Christians than the spiritual discipline of prayer.  Practicing the presence of God so that they prayed without ceasing was the way the early church coped with the stress of living out their faith.  A few years later Paul would write New Testament books where he had to encourage people to pray because the persecution of the Romans drove the church underground.

The second idea I want to discuss is the outworking of the word devotion through the Church of Jesus Christ.  This word devotion is the strongest word for communication in the book of Acts.  It communicates that the early church took responsibility for communicating to their culture the truth and value of Jesus Christ but also His grace and love.  They took time to connect with people.  They took time to include others. 

The number one way people became Christians was through the experience of a worship service where Jesus was made the center of worship and a sermon was given to explain how to connect to people.

It’s always important for everyone to know how to share the gospel.  Every person in church should be able to ask, “If a friend were to ask you how to get to heaven what would you say?” and then tell them how to get to heaven.  

But the early church invited people into churches to experience worship and hear the Apostles teaching.  We can do the same thing today!  Invite people to church, especially those who’ve never been to an energetic, alive church!  Let them experience what it means to see other normal people worship God and interact with the Word of God through sermons. 

What does taking notes during a sermon say to new people?  “Wow, these people take this Bible thing seriously!”

What does engaged singing say to new people?  "Wow, these people take this worship thing seriously!"

This week think about the elements of devotion and practice the presence of God both outside during the week and then inside when we gather in the name of Jesus.

Hindsight

Jeff Link told a story in the Traditional Service at GateWay a couple of Sunday’s ago that stuck with me.  He cited a San Francisco Chronicle newspaper story that included a suicide note from a young man who jumped to his death off the Golden Gate Bridge.  The note was found in his apartment the day after he jumped.  The suicide note said, “If someone notices my distress and talks to me on my walk to the bridge I won’t jump.”  No one noticed and no one talked to him.

This sad story drives home the point I made on Sunday about encouragement.  There are times when all of us need the crutch of encouragement.  There’s pain, discomfort and injury in our lives and we need somebody, anybody to come alongside and prop us up with a little crutch of encouragement.  A kind or thoughtful word is helpful. 

Proverbs 25:11 says, “Like apples of gold in settings of silver (a great combination to make an expensive piece of jewelry), Is a word spoken in right circumstances (a great combination to make an encouraging statement.”

I  like the Irish fable:

         There were four people in the world, Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody.  Now, there was a very important task that was Everybody’s job, but Everybody thought that Somebody was going to do it. But Somebody didn’t do it. Anybody could have done it but Nobody did it. Everybody thought that Somebody was going to do it but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. So, it ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody because Nobody did what Anybody could have done.”

Encouragement is a choice that anybody can make.

Hindsight

Some have asked about the books I recommended on Sunday so here they are:

Hide or Seek by Dr. James Dobson

Parenting with Love and Logic by Dr. Foster Cline

Christian Child Rearing and Personality Development by Dr. Paul Meier

These 3 books have been very significant to me in raising my kids.  I hope they are helpful to you as well.

Parents can feel isolated and embarrassed about issues their kids are dealing with and never confide in another parent about their struggles.  Some parents also feel hesitant about going to a counselor to get some feedback concerning how their parenting is working.  So reading a couple of books is so helpful for gaining the depth of wisdom that comes from professionals who counsel hundreds of parents. 

I’ve found in my own life there can be a fog of understanding when I’m trying to evaluate my life.  I was sitting in a counselors office a couple of years ago talking about some struggles I was having and after about an hour this psychologist said to me, “You know what your problem is?!”  I said, “No, that’s why I’m here!”  He said, “You sound very …!”  I said, “That’s it!”  In one short hour this guy was able to put his finger on the heart of the issue and help summarize my difficulty.  That was really helpful because I could see what I needed to do next to correct the issue.  The fog dissipated and the next steps were clear.

I recommend books because they can be just as helpful as counseling and the cost is a whole lot lower.  You also get advice from people who have seen child rearing patterns and strategies that have consistently worked.  Advice about breaking your own negative parenting patterns are a part of these books as well.

Take action, don’t get discouraged and quit trying or sit in apathetic silence, get a couple of books and try a few new ideas.  Hopefully they’ll pay off in big relationship rewards with your kids.

God bless,

Pastor Ed 

  

Hindsight

Yesterday kicked off Family Month with Dr. Gil Steiglitz challenging us to develop “honor” and “respect” in our relationships, especially in marriage.  If you weren’t here I want to encourage you to go to the GateWay Visalia web site and under resources you can bring up his sermon and listen to it or next Sunday go to the 411 table and get a cd copy of the message for $3.00.

Remember that I Peter 3:7 says that we are to honor wives and women (moms, daughters, etc.) in our lives by granting it to them.  So this week you’re to “add value” to these ladies.

Remember that Ephesians 5:33 says that we are to respect husbands and men (dads, sons, etc.) in our lives by granting it to them. So this week you’re to “acknowledge value” to these men.

The primary purpose of these passages is the husband and wife relationship, but these principles need to be used in other relationships so that we respectfully build others around us. So take advantage of the Bible's role in your life and encourage!

Hindsight

Yesterday I wished I’d had time to develop the difference between real guilt and false guilt or what some psychologists call objective vs. subjective guilt.

Real guilt is when we can name a law, social standard or Biblical teaching that we have specifically violated.

False guilt or subjective guilt: is an uncomfortable feeling or regret, remorse, shame or condemnation that we experience when we have done something that we can’t put our finger on. 

False guilt is this free floating anxiety that can be caused by:  Unrealistic personal expectations, a sense of inferiority, or social pressure.

One of the largest causes of false guilt is poor conscience development as a child.  Dr. Gary Collins in his book Christian Counseling writes, “When the home is warm, predictable and secure, and when there is more emphasis on approval and giving encouragement than on punishment and criticism- then the child knows what it means to experience forgiveness.  But when there are poor parental models, and /or moral training which is punitive, critical, fear-ridden or highly demanding, then the child becomes angry, rigid, critical and burdened by a continuing sense of guilt.”

He finishes his article with this statement, “Remember that two good ways to learn about forgiveness are to practice it and to experience it.”

The first step is always, “Do what you can do!”  Practice forgiving and you’ll get better at accepting forgiveness which will help you eliminate guilt.

Personal counseling for guilt can be extremely helpful if you experience constant guilt from poor moral training with your parents.

Trinity Ministries Inc. here in Visalia has some really helpful counselors that can assist you in conquering the guilt dilemma. 

God bless,

Pastor Ed

Hindsight

I have a friend who is also a Pastor.  He was standing in a line at Starbucks behind a young lady who enjoyed talking, and she chose to talk to him. At one point in the conversation he asked her if she had ever tried church.  
She came a little unhinged and got a little angry and began to recite to him how badly she’d been hurt by the few churches she’d attended and she would have nothing to do with hypocrites like that. 

“You seem very upset,” he said, “and you still seem angry with those people, maybe even a little bitter.”

“I am!” she said.

He, in a very soft kind voice said, “How’s that anger-bitterness thing working for you in the rest of life?”

Her lip quivered and her eyes filled and she said, “Not very well.” 

They sat for an hour at Starbucks and had a long conversation over their coffee!

When you connect with Christ you encounter an inheritance of grace that changes the color of everything! Even at Starbucks.

Hindsight

Genesis 3 is the historical recording of Adam and Eve’s original sin.  From their distrust of God’s word and God’s character to their trust in the serpent’s word and character, sin entered the entire human race!  This story explains the original fall of humanity through which we all inherited the sin and guilt of Adam and Eve!  We all inherit a sin nature and the naturally inherited consequences for sin. 

The strategy of the serpent worked so well in this original scene that he has continued to pursue men and women in exactly the same way-by tempting them to distrust God’s word and God’s character. 

Is this a story of how I can sin and lose my relationship with God and my salvation today?  No. 

While the serpent’s strategy is the same, and my weakness is the same, Jesus’ payment for my sin is sufficient and my relationship with God is secure through Christ. 

Let me ask you, what do you think God’s ultimate plan is? I believe it is to bring as many people as possible into a saving knowledge of His Son’s payment on the cross for our sin? 

The Bible is not primarily a book about how to make bad people good, even though it can do that!  It’s primarily a book about how to make spiritually dead people alive!

Hindsight

Pastor Bill Yoshimoto leads our GateWay staff every morning in prayer.  He pulls out his World prayer book which lists every country of the world, lists what their needs are, lists what the major religions are and what percentage of Christians are there.  We pray for GateWay and then we pray for that country.

In Ephesians 6:18 Paul writes, “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view,  be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints…”

Paul uses the word “all” four different times.  He says that we are to:

#1.  Pray when we’re thinking about the armor of God!  Each piece of armor is a gift from God but it also has a corresponding act of obedience.  So pray that you’ll be obedient to the armor with which God has gifted you.

#2  Pray at all times!  Whatever you face in terms of struggle, temptation or blessing, you are to pray.  You can pray with a request or you can pray with thanksgiving.

#3.  Pray with perseverance!  The last thing we start and the first thing we give up is prayer.  Paul commands us to persevere in prayer.

#4.  Pray for all saints!  This simply means prayer for all the followers of Jesus             Christ. 

Stop right now and pray for the four “alls” that Paul lists.

God bless,

Pastor Ed

Hindsight

The Olympics have been great!  I’ve enjoyed watching swimming, track, tennis, volleyball, and diving.  I think it’s a wonderful tradition to get all the countries of the world together and compete against each other in a spirit of friendship.  The teams are still distinct because each country represented dresses it’s athletes in uniforms that distinctly point out who is on what team. 

That’s what the passage in Ephesians 5:1-14 is all about, behaving in a way in which you proudly represent God’s team.  That’s always Paul’s highest principle. 

Sometimes we read passages like this and as we read we think, “I can’t be a Christian because there have been times when I’ve failed to do what Paul says to do, I’ve sinned, and therefore I’m an idolater (5:5) and am not a Christian anymore!” 

What Paul is actually saying is, “The people of Ephesus who worship at the Temple of Artemis (Diana) are idolater’s because they worship a false goddess, don’t be influenced to behave like them, they’re on the wrong team.”

The influence of the Roman Empire and the Temple of Artemis (Diana) was constantly and blatantly in the face of these early Christians. 

Look at these contrasts:

            Rome said, “Mercy is weakness!”            Paul said, “Mercy is a virtue!”

            Rome said, “Conquer and take!”            Paul said, “Give to one another!”

            Rome said, “Sex is worship of gods!”            Paul said, “Sex is for marriage!”

            Rome said, “Enslave the world!”            Paul said, “All are free in Christ!”

Paul wants all followers of Christ to understand that they are saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8-9.)  The pagan Roman Empire was all about power and indulgence.  The Christian church according to Paul was all about grace and love. 

Once you’re on God’s team, you’re on God’s team because Christ paid your enrollment fee! 

Now that you’re on the team there are 3 rules:

             #1.  Mimic the coach (5:1,)

            #2.  Develop character like the coach (5:8-9,)

            #3.  Influence others to leave their Roman coach and join the new team                                     and coach (5:13-14.)

Hindsight

When I read, The No-Complaining Rule, by Jon Gordon I was struck by his usage of a Gallup Poll(pg.117.)  He cited a British study of 400 people which showed that when something bad happened to them they attempted to use it for a springboard into something good.  To turn misfortune into fortune!

They identified 5 deeply held beliefs that aided them:

#1.  Trust in a bigger plan.  Believe there is a God who is at work in your life with a phenomenal purpose that you may not be totally able to grasp.

#2.  Find strength in adversity.  Be like General Patton during World War II, “I was born for this time!”

#3.  Failure today leads to success tomorrow.  Like Woody Allen said, “Eighty percent of success is just showing up!” 

#4.  The worst event in life is often a catalyst for the best.  Crisis is often the very thing that motivates people to seek God.

#5.  Positive or Negative- the choice is ours.  

I like Chuck Swindoll’s quote about attitude:

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”

If we’re going to grow to maturity in Christ we’ve got to be solution focused and attitude adjusted!

Hindsight

This past Sunday we took a look at the church.  Jesus Christ founded it, the Apostles guided it, Paul expanded it and we inherited it!  When we analyze the New Testament we find numerous statements concerning what human relationships in the Church are supposed to embody.  Paul lists five attitudes that are essential for a church health in Ephesians 4:2-3: humility, gentleness, patience, love and peace.  I wish I could say that all churches everywhere have always reflected these values. 

Consider the scope of getting everyone on the same page.  Of the 6.9 billion people worldwide 2.2 billion people say they belong to the church.  That’s one third of all the people who exist on this planet today!  There are Christians in churches in every one of the 223 countries of the world. Christianity is the major religion of the world.  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Prevailing_world_religions_map.png) 

According to the Pew Forum the church of Jesus has quadrupled in the last one hundred years, but the percentage of Christians has stayed at about one third of the worldwide population.  
Yet there has been an amazing shift. 

In 1900 two thirds of all Christians lived in Europe, now only about a quarter of all Christians live in Europe.  Because of missionaries sub-Sahara Africa now makes up about a quarter of all Christians.  Of all current Christians one third are in the Americas and one eighth are found in Asia.  Asian Christians are also a result of sacrificial missionaries who went there 150 years ago.

If we look back in history we’ll see that these numbers represent healthy progress for the church.  It’s estimated that in 500 AD twenty two percent of the world was Christian. It’s also been estimated that by 1500 AD there had been a decrease in the worldwide church to nineteen percent.  However, today it’s above thirty percent!  God is at work in His world.

Yet our world is still broken.  When we hear of tragedies like the shootings in Aurora Colorado.  It proves to us that Satan is alive and well on planet Earth.  Jesus said that Satan has come to, “…steal and kill and destroy…” (John 10:10) and that certainly was the horrific result in Colorado.  But Jesus continues and says, “…I have come that they may have life and it to the full!” 

So when Paul writes to the Ephesians urging them to aggressively, “…live a life worthy of the calling you have received” he is praying that we will be militant representatives of the church with these five attitudes: humility, gentleness, patience, love and peace. The only hope for the world is the church of Jesus Christ.  The only hope for your world is you! 

(All the above numbers were taken from The Pew Forum, in consultation with demographers at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Laxenburg Austria, acquired and analyzed about 2,400 data sources, including censuses and general population surveys to arrive at Christian populations.  Http://pewforum.org/Christian/Global-Christianity-exec.aspx?print=true)

Hindsight

Choosing what to leave out of a sermon is painful therefore these past two weeks have been excruciating! 

Paul says in Ephesians 2:22, “…you…are…a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”  In 3:1 he then says, “For this reason…”  He repeats that phrase in 3:14, “For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.”

We need to understand Paul’s thought process.  He is stating that God is the Father of your spiritual family.  This connection to God as Father is a big issue for some, especially those who experienced growing up in a divorced family.

Judith Wallerstein is very widely considered the world’s foremost authority on the effects of divorce on children.  She wrote a book which I read cover to cover in 2000 entitled, The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce; A 25 year Landmark Study.  It involved long term interviews with 131 children over a 25 year period of time.

One of the major psychological battles that children of divorce face is a sense of being fatherless.  One interview Wallerstein conducted was with Larry who broke through the depression and passivity that a lot of children from divorce face.  His statement is very revealing, “I decided that I had to be my own father and take control of my own life, that I couldn’t rely on anyone, that I was the only one who was responsible for me.”

Isn’t it interesting that all through scripture God presents Himself as a father?! Especially, for the fatherless.  I'm not saying there aren't some great dads out there who stay connected with their kids after a painful divorce.  But statistics say that 33% of children lose ALL contact with their fathers after a divorce!  Even a greater percentage know where there father is but lose all contact because of the stress the parents divorce caused.

Freud said that we invent God because we need a permanent father who is not susceptible to death or tempted with divorcing from his family.  Basically, saying that we simply project a God so that we have a father.

Dr. Paul Vitz in his book, Faith of the Fatherless, follows the history of many philosophers who become decided atheists: Neitzche, Voltaire, Hume, Russell, Camus.  Vitz reports from his study that he believes all these great thinkers gave up on God as father because they were raised in families where their fathers had either died, left, or were highly abusive.

Wallerstein lays out some very useful rules for successful relationship for those who are children of divorce; I find them useful for everyone!  She writes,

“…never go to bed angry with each other…all grievances must be aired with 24 hours or they’re history. Never fight in front of the children. Never bring up past grievances; solve them now…Sulk if you must. Throw things if you have to. But don’t leave the scene. Problems in a marriage are meant to be solved, not ducked or avoided. Running away is unacceptable.  Rules are useful in every marriage, but they are essential in a marriage involving a child of divorce because rules make it safe to be angry and disagree. Making it safe for anger also strangely enough makes it safe to be honest and safe to love.”

In the Bible, Moses tells Joshua that he can be strong and courageous in leading God’s people because, “He will never leave you nor forsake you” Deuteronomy 31:6. 

The writer of Hebrews picks up on this and repeats it in 13:5 to command Christians to distrust in temporary materialism but to trust in their permanent Father, God. 

Jesus reiterates this in Matthew 28:20 when he says, “…I am with you ALWAYS…”  He also says in John 6:37&39-40  “All whom the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away…And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and  believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

God is a permanent indwelling heavenly Father who is fully capable of making promises that He is fully committed to keep.

Hindsight

The thing I love about the Bible is that it’s reality based.  If you wanted to start a movement you’d want to write stories about heroes who succeed wildly, who gain wealth incredibly, who stay healthy supernaturally.  I’d want to have people picturing God as though he were Santa Claus.  Instead, in the pages of scripture, we have people who often struggle, lose and suffer!  Following God does not guarantee health and wealth, reality is usually not like that.  Before you commit to following the God of the Bible count the cost carefully.  Look with me for a few moments at the how the Bible records the lives of individuals who are highly committed.

Jeremiah preaches for forty years and no one listens and nothing changes!  That’s got to be discouraging.  Yet Jeremiah faithfully followed God’s claim on his life and performed the task for which God had created him.  Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:4-5  If I were God trying to obtain recruits I surely wouldn’t tell that story!

How about Isaiah who is told, “Go, and tell this people: Keep on listening, but not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand. Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eye dim, Lest they see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed.”  Isaiah 6:9-10  Why would you tell that story if you were trying to explain the benefits of following God?

Why would God allow these stories into the pages of scripture? 

#1.  Because He wants us to understand that the world is an evil place, and when you serve a holy God who asks for holy attitudes and holy lives, evil people want to make you look like a loser. 

#2.  Because He wants us to realize that there are larger issues in life than our personal comfort.  What if every decision revolved around my own personal comfort?  I’d never get out of bed in the morning.  Being truthful, honest, and straight-forward may be a pea under the mattress of my personal comfort!

#3.  Because He wants us to comprehend that there are lessons that can only be learned through suffering.  I am inspired by people who, although suffering, are faithful to their Lord.