Memorial Day is Every Day

Today is Memorial Day.  We remember the men and women who have given their lives for our country and served faithfully in our armed forces.  We are in their debt and ought to thank them every chance we get.  I hope this blog reminds some of you to say “thank you” today to a man or woman who deserves it.

As believers in and followers of Jesus Christ, we recognize that in a sense every day is Memorial Day.  God’s Word prompts us to exercise both our vertical and horizontal memory.  Here’s what I mean…

Vertical Memory

Remember your Creator (Ecclesiastes 12:1)

I love regularly attending Sunday morning worship services because I am reminded every Sunday of who God is.  I see him in places of worship:  the smile on the face of one of his followers, the crosses that adorn our structures, the words of the songs sung in praise of our God, the talents of musicians or actors or singers, even preachers of the Word of God, the hugs, kisses, handshakes and warm conversation between church members – the body of Christ.

Remember the wonders he has done (1 Chronicles 16:12)

In Psalm 40, David says, “Many O Lord are the wonders you have done.  Were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.”  When I really think about it, that’s how I feel.  Sure I struggle at times when things aren’t going well.  I think maybe God has abandoned me or he doesn’t really care about me.  At times like that I simply begin to remember.  When I think back to all the wonders God has done in life – in my life – I am humbled and wind up thanking God for his faithfulness and confessing my own unfaithfulness.

When we have a little God, we have big problems.  When we remember our big God, we have little problems.  Of course we deal with major issues, but God helps us put them into perspective.

Remember Jesus Christ raised from the dead (2Timothy 2:8)

When we remember the power of God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are inspired to live lives the way God intended us to live.  In these last words of Paul to his disciple Timothy he urges Timothy to exercise his memory.  In the same way that fathers were encouraged to pass on the commandments and stories of God to the next generation, Paul tells Timothy to never forget the death and resurrection of Christ, through which we have forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

Horizontal Memory

Remember each other (Philippians 1:3)

Paul says at the beginning of his letter to the Philippians, “I thank my God every time I remember you.”  Do you have someone like that in your life?  When we remember who God is and all that he has done in our lives we must not forget those who have made an impact on our lives as well.  Paul called the church at Philippi his “joy and crown.”  Who represents those things to you?  Remember them.

Remember the poor (Galatians 2:10)

Another horizontal relationship the Bible urges us to remember is the poor, the mistreated, the imprisoned and otherwise marginalized among us.  It is easy to speak like Christians but to act like snobs.

There are many ways we can remember the poor.  Perhaps you bring in some items we can donate to the poor and needy.  Maybe you can serve at a rescue mission downtown.  Maybe you can give money to a ministry or this church or a charity that serves others. Don’t ever forget the less fortunate among you.  When you remember the poor, you remember Christ.

Remember my chains (Colossians 4:18)

Shortly before the end of his life, Paul reminded the church at Collasae to remember his chains.  On Memorial Day, we do our best to remember the courage and sacrifice of those who have served.  In the same way we need to remember that we are in a spiritual battle.  Jesus and followers of Jesus have many enemies in both the physical and spiritual world.  Let us not forget that there’s a battle going on.

*****

As some still search for meaning, exploring the truths of Scripture and the claims of Jesus Christ, let me remind you of one more time the Bible mentions the word “remember.”

Remember me when you come into your kingdom  (Luke 23:42)

Of all the “invitation” prayers a person can recite, this one might be one of the most meaningful.  A thief made this bold request of Jesus and Jesus said, “Yes.”  Maybe today is a day when you look up, look around, and look in.  Maybe today is your Memorial Day.

All Dogs Go to Heaven?

 It was January 8^th of this year when our family lost a beloved pet, Timber, one of our twin Siberian Huskies.  It’s weird how closely we can become attached to pets.  I miss Timmy very much.  He was our buddy for over 11 years and to the day he died he still looked like a puppy.

There’s a great story I read recently about a beautiful soul who works in the “dead letter office” of the US postal service.  Here is the account as told by a loving mother…

*****

Our 14-year-old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4-year-old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words:

Dear God,

Will you please take care of my dog?  She died yesterday and is with you in heaven.  I miss her very much.  I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.  I hope you will play with her.  She likes to play with balls and to swim.  I am sending a picture of her so when you see her you will know that she is my dog.  I really miss her.

Love, Meredith

The mom continued… We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven.  We put our return address on it.  Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven.  That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office.  A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet.  I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, “To Meredith , “ in an unfamiliar hand.  Meredith opened it.  Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, When a Pet Dies.  Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope.  On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:

Dear Meredith,

Abbey arrived safely in heaven.  Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away.

Abbey isn’t sick anymore.  Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart.  Abbey loved being your dog.  I am sending the picture back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.

Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me.  What a wonderful mother you have.  I picked her especially for you.  I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much.

Love, God

*****

After reading Randy Alcorn’s book “Heaven” I was motivated to study what scripture has to say about animals.  Alcorn writes that they seem to be earth’s second-most important inhabitants and addresses some of the most common questions followers of Jesus ask about them.

Will there be animals in heaven?

Isaiah 11:6-9 (prophecy about heaven…)

The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. 

The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest.

They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

Short answer:  Yes, there will be animals in heaven.  According to this passage, wolves, lambs, leopards, goats, calves, lions, yearlings/horses, cows, bears, oxen, even snakes will be in heaven with the rest of us.

Do animals have souls?

According to the creation story (Genesis 2:19), animals were formed from the earth, just like Adam was.  When God breathed His spirit into Adam’s body, Adam became a “living being” or a “soul.”  The Hebrew word is nephesh and amazingly is also used for animals!  In five separate verses in Genesis we are specifically told that not only people, but animals have the “breath of life” in them.  God hand-made animals, just like he hand-made human beings.

One of the world’s most renowned professors of Theology and Apologetics is named J.P. Moreland.  He wrote a book called Beyond Death where he notes that most Christians in the past believed that animals have souls…

It wasn’t until the advent of the 17^th century Enlightenment that the existence of animal souls was even questioned in Western civilization.  Throughout the history of the church, the classic understanding of living things has included the doctrine that animals, as well as humans, have souls.

Does this mean animals have souls?  Well, they certainly do not have human souls.  Human beings were made in the image of God, not animals.  Human beings are the crown of God’s creation, not animals.  Human beings absolutely exist after their death on earth, but that may not be the case for animals… which gives rise to a third and final question…

Will our pets who have died go to heaven?

Will Rogers once wrote, “If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.”

Bottom line is this… God can do anything He wants to do.  It would be simple for God to bring our pets to heaven if He wants to.  He is the giver of all good gifts, not the taker of them.  Let’s say it pleases us to have a pet restored to us in heaven… that may be good enough reason for God to do it!

If we know there are going to be animals in heaven, it seems God does one of three things:

1. God creates entirely new animals
2. God brings back to life animals giving them immortal bodies
3. God creates new animals and brings back to life our pets

I want to be careful and not give you the impression that our pets that have died will be resurrected in the same way human beings are resurrected.  Humans and animals are fundamentally different.  Instead of resurrection of pets, I think a better way to understand it is re-creation.

In a poem about heaven, John Piper wrote…

And as I knelt beside the brook

To drink eternal life, I took

A glance across the golden grass,

And saw my dog, old Blackie, fast

As she could come.  She leaped the stream –

Almost – and what a happy gleam

Was in her eye.  I knelt to drink,

And knew that I was on the brink

Of endless joy.  And everywhere

I turned I saw a wonder there.

Unequally Yoked

A lot of people have heard this phrase before but may not have done a thorough study on what it really means.  Our space here prohibits anything too in-depth, but should suffice to get our wheels turning.

The different translations of the phrase often rendered “unequally yoked” (found in 2 Corinthians 6:14) serve to show us one basic principle:  When you choose to partner yourself with someone else – date, befriend, and/or marry – be careful to choose according to your spiritual compatibility.

• The New International Version calls it being “yoked together.”
• The New Living Translation describes “teaming up.”
• The New American Standard Bible renders it “being bound together.”
• The International Standard Version urges us not to be “unevenly yoked.”
• The Aramaic Bible in Plain English says “do not be associates.”
• God’s Word Translation says to “stop forming inappropriate relationships.”

In one commentary the scholar calls it being “mismated.”  In other words, many of us can be mis-mated when we choose someone with whom we are unequally matched, yoked, bound, or associated with.

In these sometimes controversial words, Paul seems most concerned with compromising the integrity of the Christian faith, not with totally dismissing or disengaging with the non-Christian world.  A yoke is:

A device for joining together a pair of draft animals, especially oxen, usually consisting of a crosspiece with two bow-shaped pieces, each enclosing the head of an animal.

Imagine this device joining an ox with a chicken or even an ox with a dog.  Isn’t the image ridiculous?  But we do this all the time when we pair followers of Jesus with people who have a different belief system and worldview.  Paul chose his words carefully.  He viewed marriage (and other Christian partnerships) as a place where the partners should be equally yoked for success.

Yes, “mixed faith” relationships can work and people can mutually respect each others’ faith and beliefs in a healthy way.  But we’re not talking about sports or beer or opera or drapes here… we’re talking about what is supposed to be the cornerstone of a Christian’s life – Jesus Christ.

Think about your relationships… Are you equally or unequally yoked??

Holy Week

The week between Palm Sunday and Easter is called Holy Week.  2000 years ago Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and inaugurated a week that people of faith all over the world will never forget.  Something amazing happened every day and it behooves us to remember it well.

Monday - Just a day after he rode into town with people shouting his praises, the Bible tells us he entered the temple area and rebuked the money-changers.  He taught with such power that “the people hung on his words.”

Tuesday - The religious leaders questioned Jesus’ authority to do the things he was doing, but that didn’t stop him from amazing everyone.  He continued to teach and show great wisdom with phrases like “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s!”

Wednesday - When questioned by the authorities, Jesus never backed down.  When he was asked about the “end times” he explained what signs they should look for:  false prophets, wars, earthquakes, famine and more.  It was on Wednesday when Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”

Thursday - Traditionally, we call it Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday.  Maundy comes from the Latin word “mandatum” which means “commandment.”  It was on Thursday evening during the Last Supper when Jesus gave a new commandment to the disciples – that they love one another.  He washed the disciples’ feet, taught them about the Holy Spirit, instituted the celebration of Communion, and prayed for himself and the world.

Friday - The 24 hours between his betrayal in the Garden of Gethsemane and his death on the cross were full of humiliation, degradation, mocking, torture and excruciating pain.  Good Friday is only “good” because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross… which was plenty.  By dying Jesus covered our sin, removed our guilt, and satisfied God’s wrath.

Saturday - The Scriptures are silent – which actually speaks volumes.  Jesus’ body was removed from the cross, his body was prepared for burial, and he was laid in a tomb owned by Joseph of Arimathea.  Sadness, disappointment and disillusionment no-doubt filled the minds of his disciples.  They were expecting him to change everything, but as far as they knew, he was dead and gone.

Sunday - On the third day he rose again, in accordance with the Scriptures… Easter Sunday!  What a week!  Jesus conquered sin and death in one fell swoop!  Easter changed and changes everything.  This year, let it change you!

Many blessings to you this Holy Week!  I look forward to seeing your for our Good Friday presentation of “The Passion of the Christ” at 6pm or on Easter Sunday at 9am or 11am at Rocky Mountain Community Church. 7562 S University, Centennial, CO  80122.

Anthony

Who would die for a lie?

Have you ever told a lie that started to snowball?  A seemingly innocent fib turned into something bigger as you attempted to cover your tracks.  One lie built upon another until you couldn’t remember how many lies you told or to whom!  We ought to take our words more seriously.  An old Yiddish proverb says it well: “A half truth is a whole lie.”

No matter how big a lie gets, there aren’t too many people who are willing to give their lives for something they know isn’t true.  When push comes to shove, we break down and confess.  What we believe about Easter Sunday and the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a time when push comes to shove.

Did you know that all but one of the eleven disciples was tortured and executed because of his faith?  Check out this list of the disciples and how history records they died:

Peter – crucified, upside down
Andrew – crucified
Matthew – stoned
James – beheaded
Philip – crucified
Simon – crucified
Thaddaeus – killed by arrows
Thomas – spear thrust
Bartholomew – boiled in oil
James, son of Zebedee – the sword
John, son of Zebedee – banished to the Isle of Patmos

The word “martyr” refers to those who choose to suffer death rather than renounce religious principles or beliefs.  Thousands of people have suffered persecution and death over the centuries because of their belief in Jesus Christ.  In some countries today, tens of thousands are brutally slain every year, martyred simply for expressing their faith in the resurrection.

Your life probably isn’t on the line, but your faith is.  One of the most compelling pieces of evidence for the truth of the resurrection of Jesus is the fact that his followers willingly laid down their lives for what they knew was true.  After all, who would die for a lie?

The All-In Follower of Jesus

Maybe you’ve flipped through the channels on TV and come across one of these high stakes poker games – No-limit Texas Hold‘em.  Here’s what it looks like:  there are 8 or 9 odd-looking players sitting around an oval table, some are wearing dark sunglasses, others wear hoodies, everyone seems to have some poker web site advertised on their cap or shirt, there’s very little talking and the players have huge stacks of chips in front of them.  In between the commentary given by the show’s hosts, there is the incessant sound of chip shuffling.

Then it happens… One player feels his cards are good enough to push his entire stack of chips into the center of the table.  As confidently as he can, he verbally states his bet, “I’m all-in!”

If we liken our devotion to Jesus to high stakes poker, it would be accurate to say that being a true follower of Jesus requires all-in commitment.  Authentic followers of Jesus will do
whatever it takes to make sure they stay on the track that Jesus has laid out for them.  They’re absolutely loyal, completely, deeply committed.

On the whole, we don’t do too well with absolute commitment, do we?  We’ve come to celebrate something called “selective commitment” or “customized Christianity.”  We treat our faith like a buffet line.  We take a little bit of this, a lot of that, none of those and some of these.  We create our own personal dish of belief that may or may not reflect what is desired and required by Jesus.  Selective commitment is in essence saying, “I’m going to follow Jesus, but I’m going to pick and choose the areas in which I will follow Him.”  For example, you might say…

• “I’ll follow Jesus, but don’t ask me to forgive the person that hurt me.  I’m not going to let go of that resentment.  I’m not letting go of that bitterness.  I want that … I deserve that.”

• “I’ll follow Jesus, but don’t talk to me about my money.  I work hard for that money and I’m going to spend it where I want to.  That’s my money and you (God, Jesus, church, charity) aren’t going to get your grubby, greedy little hands on it!”

• “I’ll follow Jesus but don’t tell me to abstain from these sexual desires.  I can’t help the fact that I have these desires.  I’m only human!  Don’t ask me to abstain.  Don’t warn me against porn.  I’m a follower of Jesus, but that’s not gonna stop me from basically getting what I want.”

Customized Christianity tells us that when we follow Jesus we only have to follow him in the areas where I agree with him.  The other areas are up to me to decide.  Here’s what we’re really saying:  “Yes, I’m a Christian… but I’m not all-in.”

If you’re not all-in, you’re just a fan.  Jesus never gave us the option of selective commitment or “buffet Christianity.”  There is no bargaining, no option to re-write Scripture, no bartering or finagling to make it how you want it.  If and when you decide to become a follower of Jesus Christ, you’ve got to go all-in.  The all-in follower of Jesus loves God with all of his/her heart, soul, mind and strength.

Whoever

The most well-known, well-loved passage in all the Bible includes a word that is strangely misunderstood.  Take a look at John 3:16…

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

The word is “whoever” and you can see it right there in the second half of the verse.  Whoever means… anyone, everyone, you guys, those guys, them folks, all of us!  But for some reason I don’t understand, this incredibly inclusive and universal invitation from the lips of Christ himself is sometimes perceived as exclusive, narrow-minded and intolerant.  You’ve heard it before…

• God doesn’t accept certain kinds of people into His Kingdom
• Jesus isn’t interested in me… I’m too bad a person
• The Bible teaches that billions of people are going to Hell
• Such-and-such Church preaches that only members of their church are saved

Think about that word “whoever” for a minute.  God could have easily narrowed the scope of those who were invited to believe in Jesus and inherit eternal life… but he didn’t.  Check out these amazing passages from the Gospels and note Jesus’ use of the word “whoever.”

Matthew 10:32

Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.

Matthew 10:39

Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Mark 3:35

Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.

Mark 16:16

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

John 3:36

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.

John 4:14

Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

John 6:37

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.

John 11:25-26

I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.

Rev 22:17

Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

Max Lucado put it like this:  The word “whoever” unrolls the welcome mat of heaven to humanity.  It invites the world to God.                                                                                           

If you’ve ever heard or believed or been stumped by someone who says, “the God of Christianity must not be loving because a loving God would never send anyone to hell,” you need to meditate for a few minutes on the verses above.  God is loving.  God’s love for the world… for everyone in the world… is incomprehensible, almost unimaginable. God sincerely wants everyone to turn to Him and believe in Jesus.  The problem is that many people in the world really don’t want God!

Remember the stories from the Bible?  Over and over we see that God invites “whoever” to receive and believe in his Son Jesus Christ…

• The rich young man
• The poor old widow
• The educated Pharisee
• The uneducated beggar
• The strong Roman soldier
• The weak Jewish paralytic
• The religious
• The pagan
• The woman at the well
• The man whose daughter was sick
• The Ethiopian eunuch
• The Italian centurion
• Widows, orphans, boys and girls, Jew and Gentile, barbarian or civilized…

Race, age, gender, socio-economic status, education, nationality, social acceptance, family background, criminal record, physical abilities, marital status, even religious affiliation doesn’t matter.  Whoever really means whoever.