As you remember, we celebrated Memorial Day earlier this week.  Now for most of us, Memorial Day means a day off of work, grilling out with family and friends, swimming, and a fun kickoff to the summer months.  But for many others, Memorial Day is anything but fun.  It is a stark, painful reminder of the loss that they have endured.  For these people, Memorial Day is filled with tears, heartache, and regret. 

 

The observance of this holiday was originally known as Decoration Day and started in 1868, about three years after the start of the Civil War.  It was established as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the Union war dead with flowers.  By the time the 20^th century rolled around, Union and Confederate holiday traditions that were originally celebrated on different days had merged, the result being that Memorial Day would serve as a day to honor all Americans who died while serving in the military.

 

I am ashamed to say that I was one of those people that always viewed Memorial Day as a day off of work.  But this year was different.  I was gripped with a sense of gratitude as I looked around at people that I know and love that were and are grappling with their loss.  I was overcome with a sense of immense thankfulness at the fact that people died in order to secure my freedom to be able to grill out and hang with my family on that day.  While I was playing with my kids, I was acutely aware of the grim fact that there were those children who longed to play with their mommies and daddies again but would not.  My freedom was bought with a price.

 

In the same way, my spiritual freedom was bought with a price as well.  Because of the redeeming and sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, I have eternal freedom.  The apostle Paul said it well in Galatians 5:1 (NIV): “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.  Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”  In other words, Christ died a death that He did not deserve in order to secure my eternal freedom.  This means that through His power working in my life, the chains of slavery and bondage have been broken.  I am a new creature through Him and am no longer held prisoner to the trappings of this world. 

 

Because I have my freedom through my decision to follow Jesus Christ, I am called to leave the things of my sinful nature behind.  Paul warns against using our freedom in Christ to return to the things of this world in the thirteenth verse of Galatians 5: “You, my brothers, were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.”  Because I am a new creation, I am called to live a new life-one that is focused on love and service to others. 

 

I am so thankful for those who died so that I can enjoy my freedoms in this most wonderful country.  I am even more thankful that Christ died so that I can have full freedom from sin and death.  Because of those freedoms, I am committed to live my life in such a way that others might see my gratitude.  I never want to take my freedom for granted.

 

What about you?  Have you found true freedom in Christ?  Are you living your life in gratitude for that freedom or are you taking it for granted?  Let’s not play around with our freedom.  Let’s remember that Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice because of His immense love for us.  Let’s live lives that point others to seeking and finding that true freedom in Him.

 

Until Next Week,

 

Pastor JP

This coming Sunday, we are beginning an in-depth study of various world religions and cults.  I am so excited about this study, as it is one that is so important, particularly in this day and age.  There is no question that we are living in a spiritual world.  People are desperately seeking sustenance to satisfy their spiritual longings, and it doesn’t really matter how they get it just as long as they get it and it makes some kind of sense to them.  I kind of liken it to a mirage.  People are so hungry for the spiritual realm that they will wander around in the desert to what they think is water and when they finally realize that it is not water but sand, they will bend down and eat the sand anyway in the hopes that it will satisfy them.  The result is a cafeteria-like buffet of religious options, allowing people to pick and choose what sounds good to them and what makes them comfortable.  The problem with this rationale is that, as Christians, we know that the sand will not satisfy folks.  They will continue to be hungry.  But they will continue to seek, and that provides us with a unique opportunity. 

As Christians, we have an obligation to point people to the truth that can change lives.  It is not optional for us.  It is our duty.  The illusionist Penn Jillette, who is an avowed atheist, tells a story of an encounter with a fan after one of his shows.  The fan approached Penn and gave him a pocket-sized Bible.  Penn said that the man was sincerely nice and genuine in his approach, and he also said that he believes that the man knew that Penn is an atheist.  Penn went on to say that he still believes that there is no God and that religion had done a lot of bad things.  However, he has no respect for those who do not proselytize.  “If you believe that there is a Heaven and Hell and people could be going to Hell or not getting eternal life and you think ‘well, it’s not really worth telling them because it would make it socially awkward’….how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize?  How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?”  Wow!  What an indictment upon Christians. 

So that made me think.  If we have the truth that can change lives, and if we are called to share that truth, not only do we need to know what the Bible says and what we really believe, we must know what others believe as well.  Gone are the days of handing a pamphlet to someone about the Bible and saying “Read this.  Have a great day.”  We are going to have to invest and build relationships with people.  It is going to take time.  You must get to know them and what they believe so that you can effectively dialogue and engage them with the truth, which is the Word of God.

In this study, we are going to take a look at the beliefs and doctrines of various major world religions.  We are also going to look at cults-what they are and how to combat them.  Why is this important?  The Bible says in Matthew 7:15, “Watch out for false prophets.  They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” (NIV).   In other words, these various world religions and cults will seem appealing and enticing to people on the outside, but inwardly, they will destroy and corrupt.  It is up to us as believers to make people aware of this and to share with them the truth that can change their lives for the better.

So how is your heart?  Is it full of love for others?  Do you have a desire to share the truth?  Or is it full of hate and indifference?  Come join us beginning this Sunday evening at 5:30 so that we can begin to learn how to truly engage people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Hope to see you here!

Until Next Week,

Pastor JP

I just got back from a week-long cruise.  It was a wonderful getaway-a rare week with just me and Lacie.  No kids.  No meetings.  No phone calls.  It provided me a unique and much needed opportunity to recharge and refuel.  I spent a great deal of time in prayer and meditation about the work that lay ahead.  It allowed me to refocus on why I do what I do as well as whom I truly serve.  Sometimes, we get so busy “doing” that we forget exactly why we’re doing it in the first place and whom we are doing it for.  In other words, if you’re not careful, it is entirely busy to do the Lord’s work and be spiritually empty while doing it.  It’s kind of like being on a hamster wheel.  The hamster keeps going around and around on the wheel in a seemingly endless cycle because that is what it knows to do.  This cycle leads to a spiritual rut.

 

A verse that I’ve been focusing on a lot lately is Exodus 33:14.  “The Lord replied, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest’”. This comes from the Biblical account of Moses’ encounter with the glory of the Lord.  Moses was growing weary of leading the Israelites.  You will remember that they weren’t exactly an easy bunch to lead.  They were temperamental and spiritually shallow.  The Lord kept telling Moses to lead His people, but Moses was getting tired and wanted to know who would be going with them.  This led to the Lord’s profound declaration that He Himself would be present with them and would provide the rest and recharge that they needed to keep going.  Later on in this account, the Lord tells Moses that He will do this because He is pleased with Moses and even knows Him by name.  What a comforting thought that is!  The Creator of the Universe will give us the rest that we so desperately need because He knows us by name!  Wow!  This verse has refocused me, reminding me to allow His presence to accompany me in every aspect of my life.  I don’t want to get so busy doing the Lord’s work that I fail to walk with Him and find rest in His presence. 

 

Are you weary?  Do you need to recharge?  Do you need rest?  Look for the Lord.  Allow Him to walk with you.  Find comfort and peace in his presence and never forget why you do what you do and who it is that you truly serve.

 

Until Next Week,

 

Pastor JP