Some advice for men and women in marriage

Not that I'm gunning for Dr. Laura or Dr. Phil, but last night I experienced a very sad event and think it needs addressing:

A young minister was buried today, his funeral held last night. He was murdered by an act of sin and killed by a virus designed by the devil, commonly referred to as AIDs. This young man, for some reason, known only to him, decided to have sex with a woman to whom he was not married and it cost him his life. Unfortunately, most of the statistical data tell us that this is not an uncommon occurrance. George Barna, the Christian researcher, has come under fire recently for telling the truth about the hidden sin within the church. Data from the Census and other statistical references point to a behavioral pattern among those calling themselves "Christians" that is very unhealthy at best and deadly at worst. It can properly be said that today more "Christians" are divorced and engage in extramarital affairs than those who do not identify themselves with God.

Why? Well, one reason is that the "church" has been redefined as a building, which is a topic for another conversation, but another more important reason is that most people have placed their trust in a god they neither know, nor obey; not the God of the bible. Many persons living in America today, claiming the Christian faith, simply do not read, understand and follow the bible.

"Wait!" I can hear the cries now. I attend Beth Moore's study every monday! I have read the purpose driven life 3 times! I pray Jabez' prayer every day! Good resources all, but I repeat; most people have no more than a rudimentary understanding of the Bible.

If you have read this blog previously, you may know that the axiom upon which I have built my adult life is, "Reality is the mind of God revealed in the word of God". Dr. Steve Sullivan, Pharmacist, Pastor and Seminary Professor came up with this - and he's correct.

So, what does the word of God (reality) say about the subject of marriage?

1. It says that married people do not belong to themselves. In fact, all people belong to God, but Jesus makes is even clearer in the New Testament when He says that "wives submit to your husbands" and "Husbands love your wives, just as Christ loved the church." (1 Cor. 5:22-25).

How in the world can a wife love someone who ignores her, stays gone all the time, never talks to her and isn't interested in her goals, dreams or ideas and instead of having a six-pack stomach now has the whole keg?

or

How in the world can a husband love a wife who nags, sticks plastic cylinders in her hair, appears to have more and more menstrual cycles every month, has decided to start looking more like a man every day and who has exchanged her svelte figure for some new figure consisting of double digits?

How do we as fallen, nasty humans live with someone else for our entire lives?

We cannot - as fallen humans. But as children of the living God, we can put aside our nastiness, our selfishness and our laziness and carve out a life worth living - together.

This is the Bible's secret to lifelong marriage. Living together isn't marriage. Homosexuals live together, as do geese and octopi. Marriage is a man and a woman living in a triune love relationship with Jesus Christ, themselves and one another. How can the Bible help us have marriages that reflect this?

We must read it! But read it carefully!

The bible's wisdom section (Proverbs) tells us "It is better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife." (Proverbs 21:9). This is a truism, but not a recipe for a lasting relationship unless you are a roofing contractor.

The Bible does have an answer for everything. It does not address every situation, but its principles apply to any thing we may face living on this planet.

I recall an exchange between a man who had come for counseling prior to a divorce.
A question was asked of the man, "do you love your wife?"

No! He replied, I can't stand her.

"At this point, would you consider her your enemy?"

"You bet", he replied.

A smile came upon the counselor's face; the sort of smile the Grinch smiles when he has
discovered yet another unsuspecting Who, that has believed in a merry Christmas.

The counselor, casually picked up his bible and asked, "Let's look at what Jesus had to say about our enemies."
He turned to Matthew 5:44 and read, "But I tell you, LOVE your enemies, pray for those who persecute you."
The husband began to squirm.

Was Jesus making up a biblical rule He knew nobody could follow? Was He the greatest practical joker who ever lived?
No, Jesus is God and God's Son and wants only the greatest benefit to accrue to the account of those who worship Him. So why such a demanding doctrine?

It isn't demanding. It only seems so. Satan, or the devil or whatever you want to call him, has deceived our world into thinking that living life together as husband and wife is a demanding, thankless task only to be undertaken for the sake of appearance or as one psychiatrist has written, "for the sake of the kids". Nonsense.

Marriage is hard - if you try to do it on your own. In fact, I believe its impossible without God, which is why so many western "Christians" find it hard to remain faithful to their spouses.

Make no mistake - being a real Christian does not guarantee perpetual happiness and fun in marriage. While the bible tells us very little about Peter's wife, we know that Peter was martyred by crucifixion. His wife must have been devastated by this; it certainly was not a source of fun for her.

But these things are only like shadows on a mirror, not the true reality which are untold treasures promised to believers in Jesus Christ. (See 1 Peter 1 for details)

What the Bible tells us is that by following Jesus Christ and living by adoption into the family of God DOES guarantee us eternal power to overcome the trials, snares and temptations which destroy marriage. If human beings were capable of overcoming these things on their own, this world would be devoid of drug addicts or alcoholics; there would be no need for counselors or detoxification centers. The trials of this life are often not ours to choose.

What is ours to choose is whether we use the power of God as He has intended it to be used in order to overcome them.

Although much of popular psychology and self-improvement is garbage, there is an exercise which I believe has great merit. Anthony Robbins of late-night T.V. fame calls it his, "rocking chair" test. He pictures himself in a rocking chair at the age of 90, looking back over his life. He then asks himself the question, "did I live my life to its fullest?"

I would keep the chair, but swap the question for one more eternal; "did my marriage reflect God?"

If you asked this question regarding your marriage, what would the honest answer be?

The good you don't hear about Hurricane Katrina

My friend Rick Leatherwood, who has faithfully served God for many years in very hostile places has a saying with which I heartily agree; "The media is the handmaiden of the devil." It is. There has been a tragedy of immense proportions in the United States; one which in geography, loss of life and economic impact dwarfs 9/11. And true to form, every media outlet and every reporter are salivating at the opportunities for criticism, and the hope that some even greater catastrophe will befall those who have already suffered so much. So, to counteract some of the idiocy of the media, I would like to offer the following:

These comments are derived from counseling sessions with refugees from Louisiana, which I have had over the last five days.

"Thank you so very much for what your city and state are doing".

"I am being treated very well and am so grateful".

"Praise God for Texas".

One family I met with had been robbed 3 times on interstate 10 by roving gangs of armed bandits. Their shoes, money and watches were taken. Having arrived here, they received food, clothing and temporary shelter and a chance to take a deep breath.

Another woman I met lost her 3 children in the flood. Yesterday I received news that they have been found in Mississippi. She last saw them on a bridge in Louisiana. All are safe.

Wal-Mart, Inc. has ordered its Texas store Directors to Lousiana and when all is said and done will have provided at least tens of millions of dollars in aid.

Chili's restaurants has offered to hire any employee of their chains who was displaced by the floods and hurricane.

In the Houston Astrodome, somewhere around 17,000 people are safe, sleeping on clean cots, taking hot showers and eating three square meals a day, plus ice cream. Children have a play center. The Reliant center is now a hospital complete with a 24-hour pharmacy.

At the second mile mission center in Stafford, Texas more than 3,000 refugees have been given food, water, clothing, gasoline and temporary housing since last wednesday. When the churches of Fort Bend County, Texas decided to support the relief effort, 4 - 40 foot trailers were donated to collect goods as well as 2 box trucks to deliver them. Nearly 100,000 sq.ft of warehouse space has been given free of charge.

So far, churches have been helping without trying to take credit for it!

At the Galleria Hampton Inn where I attended a medical missions symposium on satuday night, the hotel hand an excellent command center complete with a job locator and a red cross representative.

At Hope House Houston, nine families have each received a 2-bedroom house rent free for one month.

You have all undoubtedly heard similar reports - these are just the ones I have first-hand experience with. God is blessing the people of New Orleans in incredible ways. This is a great gift to them and to us - another opportunity to serve.

In a strange metaphysical way, it almost seems like God allowed this tragedy so that people who claim to be His could indeed serve. Some of us were getting lazy.

So, turn off your television and read a good book AFTER you return from helping somebody today. Don't pull the old junk out of your closet to give, go buy a package of diapers and some baby food. Better yet, find a place to serve - doesn't have to be all day, even 30 minutes will be welcome. If you see a Louisiana license plate, stop what you are doing and greet the people in the car - share the love of Jesus with them. We have been given a great opportunity to be a light in a very dark world and to help some truly needy people. Good things are being done. Could they be better? Of course - humans are involved. But there must be hosts of people and angels praising God for His goodness and mercy in a time of terrible tragedy - make sure you are one of them!

Are you really living?

"In 1927, at the age of 32, Buckminster Fuller stood on the shores of Lake Michigan, prepared to throw himself into the freezing waters. His first child had died. He was bankrupt, discredited and jobless, and he had a wife and new-born daughter. "(www.bfi.org)

On the verge of suicide, it suddenly struck him that his life belonged, not to himself, but to God. At that moment, Mr. Fuller decided to embark on what he called “an experiment to discover what the little, penniless, unknown individual might be able to do effectively on behalf of all humanity.”

Over the next fifty-four years, he proved, time and again, that his most controversial ideas were practical and workable.

During the course of his remarkable experiment he:

•was awarded 25 U.S. patents
•authored 28 books
•received 47 honorary doctorates in the arts, science, engineering and the humanities
•received dozens of major architectural and design awards including, among many others,
the Gold Medal of the American Institute of Architects and the Gold Medal of the Royal
Institute of British Architects
•created work which found itself into the permanent collections of museums around the
world
•circled the globe 57 times, reaching millions through his public lectures and interviews.

Was Buckminster Fuller a Christian? Near the end of his life, when speaking to a group of young people about his amazing life, told them that in his lifetime he had earned between 25-30 million dollars, all of which came without plan. He said "You have to live in absolute faith in God - and I have". Sounds like a Christian to me!

So, my question is, why do so many people who claim to be Christians, live defeated, suffering lives filled with self-hate, covetousness and waste?

Because we forget who made us, and why we are here, and we have distorted the teachings of Jesus to fit our modern minds. We fuss and scream when we are denied our "rights". Listen to what Buckminster Fuller said about getting what we want, "The amazing thing is that when I don't get what I thought I wanted, it's because I didn't need it. I was on the wrong track. This way God can steer me."

Now, I am going to share with you a statement which is incredible in its complexity and yet so simple that even a small child can understand it. Yet, most completely miss it. I will preface this statement with the teaching of Jesus as recorded in the book of Matthew, chapter 10, verse 39; "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake, will find it."

Here's what Mr. Fuller said, "If I am going to carry on that way, and if I actually get on, if I really get on, I am going to have to, then, bound to have insights that would not develop if I were trying to earn a living. Can you understand that?"

Buckminster Fuller made such a huge impact on this world precisely because he decided never to make a living, but instead to make a life. He understood his place in this universe and more importantly understood his relationship to God. Having just received the Medal of Freedom from the President of the United States, Mr. Fuller said, "So when things like being given the medal of freedom and things like that occur, I simply do what I do every time I am going to lie down and take even a nap. I try to talk, as best I can, to God and I say, "Yours, dear God, is all the glory! All the glory! I am nothing."

Buckminster Fuller had a right perspective on his life, that even through great achievement, nothing or no one deserves glory but God. The power of this message is so clear, if we will only see it. Mr. Fuller also said, "That's why I am trying to let my audiences know that there is nothing that i've been able to do that they couldn't do, individually, equally well or better if they'd gone down the same circumstances; because I made this experiment, I am actually free from earning a living! And for fifty years I haven't thought about how to earn a living."

Are you bent on earning a living?

I know all the arguments, as I hear them almost daily; "Pastor, you don't know what it costs to feed my family" or "You don't understand what I have been through" or "Have you ever had to raise 3 children on your own?" And though I don't pretend to have the answers to any, let alone all of these questions, I know someone who does. He is the same person who helped Buckminster Fuller not drown himself in lake Michigan, and his name is Jesus. If you are focused on earning a living, you aren't focused on making a life - which is what Jesus wants. When Jesus told us to lose our lives, He really meant it. And we must never forget the second half of his promise which is that we will find a new life in Him. And when we find it, it won't be the same as it was - it will be entirely new - much better than we could have dreamed.

Just because we choose to live for Jesus instead of a paycheck, does that mean each of us will become a Buckminster Fuller? No. Some of us will be Sister Mary's who for 40 years has cared for retarded children in Pakistan. Some of us will be Marshall Rorie's who counsels men, women and children in need of God and direction in their lives. Some of us will be Charles Swindoll's who preach to thousands of people and some of us will be Ted Curby's who quietly and faithfully clean rooms, move tables and chairs and set up a church for people to visit on a sunday. A pastor friend of mine told me this morning about a young man in his first church who had suffered a brain trauma in a motorcycle accident and the only job he was capable of carrying out was to replace the chalk in the various classrooms of the church. Some of us will be like him. in fact, I hope that when I meet Jesus, I am considered 'like him" because this young man was faithful in all that he could do. Are you and I so faithful?

One of my professors, who is also my friend, told me that in his P.hD. program, only 31% of those who began the program completed it 3 years later. When I asked why, he said, "Jeff, they just quit. Earning a doctorate isn't really about being the smartest person in the world, it's about perseverance; about finishing what you start, and starting when others will not."

If you are living to earn a living, may I please urge you to stop. Seek God while He is near and don't put off another day, what He has intended you to do. it may be very hard at first, but as you look back, I promise you it will have been well worth it.

Is Martin Luther Forgotten?

I just finished watching the film "luther" the biographical story of Martin Luther who began his ecumenical life as a Roman monk and ended it as the catalyst used by God to break apart the tyranny of organized religion in the 15th century and to open the door of the gospel to every man, woman and child, first in Germany and then throughout the world.

What I couldn't get out of my mind is how similar the church today seemed to the Roman church in Luther's day. In the 15th century, Pope Leo and the Roman church sold indulgences - the offering of salvation for one's relatives suffering in purgatory; all for the price of a few pennies. For a bit more, one could save several family members or even one's long dead evil friend. Pope Leo took this a step further when he offered salvation for monies given to build St. Peter's Basilica.

Today in any major city are gigantic buildings dedicated to the memory of men, built upon the few pennies of the faithful, with the promise of rewards for those who give freely. These buildings are mistakenly called churches. Not that in some of them, perhaps even many, people are worshipping the One, true, God, it's just that the word we translate church never once applies to a building in sacred scripture.

For hundreds of years in America and certainly with much aplomb and grandeur in the 20th century, Americans have built great buildings to God, each one bigger and brighter than the next. Pass by the former Compaq center in Houston and one now sees "Lakewood Church" in all it's newly remodeled glory, with its benefactor in clear, orange letters "Joel Osteen - Pastor" emblazoned for everyone to see. It isn't hard to find one of these monuments to man, they are in nearly every city, whether one is in Houston, or Atlanta, California or Arkansas - these temples of man are increasing in number and grandeur.

Now wait a minute, some are now saying, "You've gone too far; My church is built out of the desires of the people to honor God and after all shouldn't He have a grand house to live in? "

Did you undergo a "building campaign" to build this magnificent house for God? What were you promised if you freely gave? Or perhaps you were told that "The Lord loves a cheerful giver" while you were made to feel guilty for not supporting the campaign, while the rest of the church kicked in.

What might God say about this? In Isaiah 66:1-3 states, "This is what the Lord says, Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool. Could you ever build me a temple as good as that? Could you build a dwelling place for me? My hands have made both heaven and earth and they are mine. I, the Lord have spoken! I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word. But those who choose their own ways, delighting in their sins, are cursed. Their offerings will not be accepted, when such people sacrifice an ox, it is no more acceptable than a human sacrifice."

Am I saying it is wrong to build a church? No. But we need to stop kidding ourselves, that the temples we are building for the glory of men are built to serve God. How does burdening people to give money to build something that will burn up one day, honor God? And if you think I have just had too much coffee today, consider this: People who come to the church for help, frequently bring up the fact that "I tithe to the church", as if this entitles them to some special consideration. They are convinced they have stored up for themselves treasures - an indeed they have. Where do they get this idea? From the church! They aren't getting the idea from cereal boxes.

Drive by a Mega church this week. Whose name is on the outside? Is Jesus mentioned anywhere? The very odd thing is - if you drive by a Mormon temple, His name will be prominently displayed.

What do we do? I propose we stop pretending we are glorifying God by building structures for the glory of man. People can worship God under a tent, in a warehouse and in the mall. There are more than enough empty buildings for you to put your church and you'd be doing both the landlord and the local business community a favor. Some might say, "Isn't that what Lakewood did, by renting and remodeling the Compaq center?" Well, did the 90+ million they spent to remodel it and the millions in lease payments they will spend, have any eternal significance? Will anyone get into heaven because of the shiny, new building? Whose name is on the building?

I would very seriously like for you to consider the following question - don't play games with your own mind; consider it truthfully. Picture the follwing person coming to your church - dark skin, thick, black hair, long nose, a fairly well trimmed beard and worn hands. Being poor, and not having bathed in many days, he would stink. His clothes have holes from wear, his shoes also would be worn or perhaps broken. What would happen? At my church, a "campus alert" would be issued in case he were a robber. He would be encouraged to visit our benevolence center - several miles away from our church, at a safe distance. If he asked for water, he might get it, but he would certainly recieve some strange looks and wouldn't be encouraged to sit on our very plush furniture.

The person described above would not be very welcomed at our church - and I suspect at many buildings in our country which are incorrectly named after a group of believers who are to gether to worship Christ, fellowship together and bear one another's burdens. Sadly, the description above is probably a fairly accurate description of a first-century Galileen, who is named Jesus. Jesus said "a prophet is not without honor except in his own country." The people of Jesus own hometown rejected Him. Would the "church" do the same today?

The truth about Pakistan

"U.S. drafts war plans in case of terror attack". Reads one headline of a major U.S. Newspaper today. And in every city in the western world, similar headlines attempt to stir people into buying whichever magazine or paper posts such articles. If one should pick up and actually read one of these articles, one would discover that terrorists are lurking at every streetcorner, governments are powerless against them and that Pakistan is a major source of terrorist funding and training. The problem is that all of these ideas are patently untrue.

Having just returned from Pakistan, and having visited the church there, I can tell you that Pakistan is no friend of terrorism. General Musharraf is no friend of radical islamists - in fact, they tried to assasinate him in 2003. Nearly every day while I was in Pakistan, I read local reports of the arrest and conviction of radical clerics calling for Jihadi nonsense. And in the two weeks I spent there, I did not meet a single person who was "anti-U.S." as CNN, the BBC and every other media outlet portrays Pakistan and the Pakistani people. No, I didn't stay in my hotel room, in fact the team I traveled with were invited to speak to more than 1,000 students at a large cultural center and I traveled about the city of Karachi freely. Security was excellent and all those I met wanted to be a friend of the U.S. and couldn't understand why our media were determined to paint their country as anti-american and pro-terrorism.

Are there terrorists in Pakistan? Absolutely. But there are also terrorists in the United States. And in Britain and in every other country in the world. Let us not forget that the second most violent act of terrorism we have ever experienced in the U.S. came about not because of radical muslims, but because of a deranged former U.S. soldier named Tim McVeigh.

What is most encouraging to me about Pakistan is not their pro-American stance or even their willingness to erase terrorism, but the power of the Christian church. While Pakistan is certainly overwhelmingly Islamic, the evangelical, Jesus-following church there is growing and the believers I met there were bold, joyous and filled with a deep longing to know Jesus and serve Him. As human beings, they aren't perfect, but they taught me many things which I hope will serve me as I walk through this life in the service of Jesus Christ. What were some of the things I learned from the Christians in Pakistan?

1. Jesus doesn't give a whit about denominations. Catholics, methodists and perhaps even some Baptists will be in heaven and probably some persons from each and every denomination will be in hell. I already knew that God "is no respecter of persons" but the Christians in Pakistan helped me to remember this important fact.

2. Materialism has blinded the American church. I already knew this also, but I saw first-hand how Jesus wants us to serve Him no matter what our material standing and without regard to buildings, or programs or any other manmade idea. I was reminded of Jesus' admonition to the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2, that they had left their first love. They didn't repent and Jesus removed their lampstand from its place as He said He would. Today, the church at Ephesus is a swamp filled with the ruins of a pagan temple.

3. The church is not a business. Corporateness has no place in the church. Yet, in America the church has become one of our nations biggest businesses. Pastors earn high salaries while families in their own congregations struggle to provide housing and food for their children. Many large churches spend more on audio/video production than third-world churches will ever take in during the lifetime of their pastor. Yet, churches in the developing world are baptisting hundreds and even thousands of believers a month. Christians in the muslim world are gathering to pray all night simply because they felt called by the Holy Spirit to do so - without a pre-arranged conference or vote. You might want to read John Piper's excellent book "Brothers we are not professionals".

4. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). I have prayed for healing for men and women and then sent them to the doctor. Why? Because I didn't really believe that God would heal them. Why? Because I had little faith. In Pakistan, where becoming a Christian can mean very serious persecution (loss of family, job, home, etc.) I saw incredible faith and consternation at my lack thereof. When someone prayed for healing, it was a surprise that the prayee wasn't healed immediately. Kinda like in that strange book the Bible! I had forgotten that Jesus said "I am the Alpha (first letter of the Greek Alphabet; denoting "beginning") and the Omega (Last letter of the Greek Alphabet; denoting "ending") the beginning and the end, the first and the last." (Revelation 22:13) Jesus doesn't change - people do. And just like those Israelites of old, many of us have either lost our faith or never really had it in the first place.
One study of over 1,000 churches around the world, demonstrated that advanced theological training actually corresponded directly to negative church growth. I wondered about this until I visited Pakistan. When you think you know everything, you don't need God and you can start to rationalize away His sovereignty. "God works in dispensations" we say in theological circles - which really means that God changes His mind and is different today than He was in the past. The problem is that the Bible doesn't say this anywhere. James 1:17-18 tells us that "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." God doesn't change. I would encourage you to read the account of Pastor Daniel Ekechukwu, who died in a car accident and was certifiably (by several major hospitals) dead for nearly 4 days. God raised people from the dead for His purposes in the past, why can He not do so now?

5. It's all about God and nothing about us. I have written before on the subject of money and so won't belabour the point here. But are you sure your giant new house is a gift from God? Does the Bible say that you should store up treasures here on earth and claim them as God's blessings? Read Luke 12:22, Luke 14:25, Luke 16:19 among many other passages and ask yourself "how many glasses of water or how much food or clothing can I not give the poor because of my earthly treasure?" The only difference between the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25 are what they did and did not do. This does NOT mean we can work our way into heaven. It does mean that when Jesus comes back He will not be here to make everyone feel good about how we wasted His resources.

So, the truth about Pakistan is that it is a pro-American nation, struggling to wrest itself from millenia of violence and decades of Islamic oppression. We should pray for the church in Pakistan - believing that God will open the doors of this struggling nation and reveal Himself fully to them, and that they will choose Jesus over anything else. Pakistan is not a breeding ground for terror any more than Los Angeles or Detroit. We can also learn some things from Pakistan - despite the fact that almost all of their marriages are arranged - they have almost no divorce. We claim to be a Christian nation and yet we have almost no lifelong marriage. Today, lift up the people of Pakistan and also ask God to work in your life to bear fruit wherever you are. A Christian life without fruit is like a pizza without cheese - it just doesn't make sense.
Find some people from Pakistan in your area and let them know you are praying for them. You just might see God do something for His glory and your benefit.

What will the church of the next century look like?

This is the $1.38 question which is on the minds, not only of the leaders of the church, but also the world. Though each generation asks this very important question, I am going to go out on a limb and suggest that the answer to this question for this generation is as once the most difficult in history and as plain as the noses on our faces. Why?

Well, for one thing, the world we live in is experiencing unprecedented change. Our world population changes, requiring only 1 decade to add another BILLION people.

Information changes - think about that slow, annoying desktop PC you bought 2 years ago which is now a paperweight, but was the fastest thing going when you bought it.

Technology changes - do you know that the world now has its first cyborg? Nanotechnology is allowing humans to be fitted with machines to provide new limbs, which can detect pressure and temperature and repair damaged organs. Nasa is crashing probes into comets and Burt Rhutan flew a ship into space twice in less than a month. The FDA has approved ubiquitous cloning of meat-producing animals.

Human emotions change - the overwhelming fear of nuclear holocost in the the 1950's was replaced by a hatred of the status quo in the 60's. Today, "social anxiety disorder" is listed as the greatest fear; people are afraid to be alone, which is pretty ironic on a planet that is rapidly running out of real estate.

Recently, our church conducted a survey through a recognized polling organization. This survey revealed some surprising things, but the most surprising was that the respondants, who intentionally were not a part of our church, said their most pressing desire was to "belong to something meaningful" or to "help others". Man is a very social animal, despite the odd hermit or Howard Hughes.

So, what does a church look like that ministers to the needs of people who see their world flying by them at breakneck speed, cannot manage the overflow of information which bombards them and are afraid of being alone, yet deep down want to help other people?

(Please see Acts 2:40-47)

In a nutshell, the real church will be full of sheep. The bible often refers to humans as sheep and in truth, we are more like them than we care to admit. Sheep can't handle much information, they are definitely afraid of being alone and are extremely social animals. Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd." (John 10:14-16 )

The church of the next century may or may not have a building. It may be in the city, or in the country. It will be in every nation on earth, and perhaps every nation will be in it.

If my definition sounds like nothing new; you're right - because the church is nothing new. It is now nearly 2,000 years old. And while the church must be relevant to the culture around it, it will be if we remember that the church is not a building, but an ecclesia - a community of people who believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and that He has saved them from their sin. If we look at history; enormous buildings, huge budgets and a myriad of programs are a new phenomenon, borne out of the wealth and affluence of the 20th century.

Picture if you will, the scene in the George Lucas film, Star Wars: Episode II - attack of the clones, when Anakin Skywalker chases a would-be assassin into a club on a busy thoroughfare. The club is filled with creatures of every shape and size and the boulevard with neon signs and vehicles filling up every inch of available space. Inside the club, Anakin's Master; Obi-Wan kenobi is approached by a young creature trying to sell him something called "death sticks". Obi-Wan uses the force to pursuade this young person to give up selling illegal drugs and to change his life for the better. This is a pretty good picture of the church of the future - active, separate believers intervening in the lives of hurting people no matter where they find themselves. This model, established by Jesus many centuries ago, is a model which will only change when He returns to set up His eternal kingdom on earth.

So, my advice to you, (if you are worried about what the church will look like), is to not be put off by technology, or programs, or the lack thereof - but rather become a faithful sheep. As sheep, we must follow our shepherd, Jesus Christ who tells us that if we really do belong to Him, we will know His voice and follow it as He calls out to us. (John 10:4)

JC's weekly June 27th - Why is the world so afraid of Jesus?

Why is the world so afraid of Jesus?

It is interesting to note the reactions of human beings when the name of Jesus Christ of Natsareth is used. I encourage you to try a short, rather unscientific experiment for yourself: ask three people today what they think about the name, Jesus Christ. The reactions you receive may amaze you. Some will express ambivalence, others, indifference or perhaps a mild curiosity. You will probably run into someone who says "oh, I am a Christian" (which, by the way, doesn't answer the question). Still others will demonstrate stark terror as if you had asked them, "would you mind if I bit you on the neck?"

Why? What is it about the name of someone who died 1,972 years ago that produces such reactions in people today?

It is my assertion, that it isn't he fact that he died 1,972 years ago that scares people - it's the fact that he didn't stay that way, that gives people in 21st Century America, the heebie-jeebies.

P.T. Barnum's statement "there's a sucker born every minute" aside, people really aren't stupid. Yes, there is mass hysteria over seemingly ridiculous things and the public eye is often focused on some absolutely trival nonsense. But meet a normal person on any given day in America and you are likely to find someone who is reasonably intelligent and savvy, at least in their own sphere of influence.
The fear invoked by the name of Jesus Christ upon the seemingly normal people of America occurs, because no other word in our language conjurs up images of truth, accountability and most importantly life and death like his name does. One may have never attended church, and may in fact be of a completely different religion than the followers of Christ, yet upon hearing his name pictures enter into our minds - pictures which most of us would rather avoid.

The most pressing thought that come to mind of course is, "what if he was right?" Surely he wasn't - most believe, but since in today's mind almost everything is possible, there may be a slight chance he was. If so, we had better change some things, hadn't we?

But mention his name and people intuitively know that something is definitely different.
When I go to a public place and people are cursing, drinking or doing things which aren't really good for them, and I mention the name of Jesus, immediately, they say "I'm sorry" or "oh! I didn't realize". Why? What is it about the name of Jesus which invokes such energetic responses among people at large?

The bible tells us. Jesus' name is unique in all of history. The bible says that the name of Jesus is "above all other names" (Philippians 2:9). Certainly, it isn't the spelling of his name, or even its pronounciation, (in Arabic-speaking countries, his name is pronounced "isa"). The name of Jesus is unique because Jesus is unique. No one else in all of recorded history ever got up once they were verifiably dead and buried. Jesus' name, represents Jesus himself - who did something that no one else has ever done. This is another reason why the Bible tells us that one day, "Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord." (Philippians 2:10)

Jesus' name is so great and so famous that even those who normally don't pay any attention to him, are disturbed by it. What really muddies up the waters of our normal, workaday lives is the notion that Jesus Christ has declared himself to be the Son of God - which he is, and which also explains why he alone of all the people of the earth didn't stay dead.

Neither Mohammed, Confucious, Buddha, the Dalai Lhama, nor any other figure in history can make this claim and provide the objective, historical evidence to back it up. The historical fact of his resurrection, makes the name of Jesus the only name that can save you. The Apostle Peter as recorded in the book of Acts, Chapter 4 tells us that, "there is no other name under heaven, given to men by which we might be saved". Saved from what? Well, from the very thing that makes Jesus Christ unique - death. When he woke up after having been dead for three days, Jesus had vanquished death; instead of death having power over him, he had power over it and it could no longer operate as if it were invincible. Jesus demonstrated that he alone has the ability to contravene death and he offers this unique power to anyone who will believe in his name.

David Frost, the popular british T.V. journalist has interviewed Billy Graham for many years and in one such interview, told Dr. Graham, "When I get to heaven, I'm going to tell them Billy Graham said I could come in." Dr. Graham's reply? "That won't do you any good, David - you'll have to tell them Jesus said you could come in." The only ticket to heaven bears the name Jesus on it.

Jesus' name is unique and deserves the utmost respect. Even if you don't believe in him, you would be well served to give his name the honor it deserves. Remember, today - anything goes and there just may be a chance that he was right. Picture yourself for one moment having died, and finding yourself standing before Jesus; trying to explain why you only said his name after you had smashed your finger with a hammer or when something shocking happened to you. Wouldn't it be much better if you stood before him and were able to actually thank him for all that he had done on your behalf?

Of course it would, and all you need do to make sure this happens is to follow the advice of St. John. He wrote, "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God."

Believe in Jesus' name. Then try using "darn!" or "crap!" or "beeblebrox!" the next time you hit yourself with a hammer.

JC's Weekly June 20th 2005

Looking Up?

The race of man is rapidly growing. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, world population is at an all-time high, with 90 million people entering our world each year. It took 123 years for the population of the world to grow from 1 billion to 2 billion, but each successive billion people have arrived in ever-shorter timespans. From 2 to 3 billion took only 33 years, from 3 to 4 fourteen years and it only took 11 years to grow from 5 to the current 6 billion people. The population of the world's most economically developed countries is actually dropping, while 95% of all population growth is taking place in the world's poorest countries.

Coupled with this incredible population explosion, is a dramatic increase in premature death. According to the worldwatch institute (www.worldwatch.org) for the first time since the great famine of China in the 1960's, the world's mortality rate is increasing, despite and perhaps even because of rapid population growth. The main causes of this dramatic calamity? HIV, water depletion and the scarcity of cropland for food.

HIV, which leads to the fatal AIDS Syndrome is wiping out whole cultures on the African and Indian Subcontinents. I have spoken to African pastors who have told me that they fully expect half of their church to die of AIDs in the coming year. One out of every three people on our planet live in Africa or the Indian subcontinent and these are the regions most devastated by thie terrible disease. In Botswana and Zimbabwe, the life expectancy of males has FALLEN from 62 to less than 44 years - primarily because of HIV/AIDS. The saddest fact of these statistics is that this disease is entirely preventable - And only children and rape victims indescriminantly die of AIDS, having inherited it from their sexually promiscuous parents or attackers.

In China, the world's most populist country, despite strict controls on families and forced abortion and sterilization, another kind of epidemic is raging - the lack of women. More than 50 years of the forced abortion of infant girls have created a gender imbalance that will dramatically affect Chinese and perhaps the world's culture. Some statistics I have read state that there are 152 men for every 100 women in China and in rural areas, where boys are needed for work, the figure may be much higher. What happens in a society where there are tens of millions of men with no women to marry?

The shortage of drinking water is something that we cannot imagine in America. One example of the effects of no available water could be seen in the Masai tribesmen of Africa who for generations, drank the blood of their cattle during the dry season because there was simply no water to be found. God has graciously helped in the case of the Masai; Living Water International (www.living-water.org) has provided clean water to this tribe and others, but one organization cannot even begin to address the global water shortage efectively. One film I recently watched from some of our missionaries in Bangladesh showed the condition of water in much of the undeveloped world - in the same river, people bathed, gathered drinking water, dumped their trash and human waste - all at the same time.

Even though there are perhaps millions of American families who struggle with meeting their daily nutritional needs, no one in America really knows what it is like for there to be NO food sources. Rich in farmland, our country pays farmers each year not to grow their crops. But in many parts of the world, there simply isn't any food because there isn't any land on which to grow it, or the population growth is far outpacing the ability of land to produce crops. One cannot feed 10,000 families from a single acre of land, and yet in some parts of Africa and India, this is the demand placed on the earth.

What does this have to do with the church?

In the book of Luke, Chapter 21, Jesus is giving His disciples and vicariously, you and I a picture of what will happen as the end of time draws near. "And He said, "nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be great earthquakes in various places and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven" (Vv.10-11).

In December of 2004, approximately 280,000 people died within 15 minutes from an earthquake and tsunami in the Indian ocean, which qualifies as a "great earthquake" in my humble opinion. Jesus went on to say "But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake." (v. 12) The Jewish believers until the time of Constantine (285-337 A.D.) were brought before the synagogues and persecuted in Jerusalem. Many Christians since then have been brought before kings and rulers for naming the name of Jesus' Christ. It is estimated, in fact, that since the Stalinist persecutions in Soviet Russia until the present time, more Christians have died than in all the centuries before combined.

For the last 2000 or so years, this particular prophecy of Jesus has been fulfilled. Further on in this passage (v.20), Jesus provides some startling detail. Jesus says that Jerusalem will be surrounded and that "Jerusalem will be trampled until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled". Jerusalem was crushed by the Roman Emperor Vespasian in A.D. 70 and not one single Jewish person was left alive inside the city.

Jesus then goes on to talk about His return. He states in (v.28) "Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."

One doesn't have to be Chicken Little to see that our world is heading for a disaster. Jerusalem has long been considered the "center of the earth" (according to Herod the Great) because on this tiny stretch of land alongside the Mediterranean sea lies the most fertile land in all the earth. Everything grows abundantly there - water is plentiful, the weather is just right and the soil is rich. If you were the dictator of a nation filled with starving, dying people where would you go? If you had an army of trained men, hundreds of millions strong and couldn't feed your people, in what direction would you travel?

That's right - to the most fertile slice of land on earth. This is precisely where these nations will go. When? I don't know. But what I do know is that before these nations of the East march toward this rich source of food and water, Jesus Christ will return. There have been earthquakes and famines on the earth for thousands of years. But there has never before been a time when mankind could no longer find food and water or when millions of men could not find women to take as wives, because these things simply were not there.

When Jesus comes back He is going to quickly leave again, taking with Him all those who have joined with Him in their hearts and minds. Those who do not leave with Him will be left here to watch as the great masses of humanity, driven to seek their basic necessities, march toward that most ancient city of Jerusalem; filled with food and exotic women. The Bible talks about what will happen when they get there. The details can be found in the book of Revelation, Chapter 19.

The Bible asks the question, "Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD?Or who may stand in His holy place?"(Psalm 24:3)

The answer, "who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully." (Psalm 24:4) In short, only those who have not lifted up their soul to anything else but Jesus Christ. In a world where sex, money, fortune, notoriety and self-indulgence are the loftiest goals one can obtain, it is easy to lift up our lives (our souls) and sell ourselves for these things. Don't do it. Nike is wrong. And when Jesus comes back, he won't be wearing tennis shoes. Set your mind and your life of the things of God. That way, as the end of time approaches, you won't be like Chicken Little, wondering what is going to happen next. Don't guess at the most important thing in your entire life - eternity. Be certain that when Jesus Christ returns, you will go with him. The trip is free; all you have to do is ask.

JC's Weekly June 13th 2005

In a recent interview with British author Joseph Pearce, the great Russian writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn, spoke about his worldview, having lived much of his life in Soviet prison camps and now watching as Russia struggles to free itself from the grip of communism.

Mr. Solzhenitsyn was asked; "A British journalist recently stated that you believe that Russia has overthrown the evils of communism only to replace them with the evils of capitalism, is that a fair statement of your position and, if so, what do you feel are the worst evils of capitalism?"

To which he replied, "In different places over the years I have had to prove that socialism, which to many western thinkers is a sort of kingdom of justice, was in fact full of coercion, of bureaucratic greed and corruption and avarice, and consistent within itself that socialism cannot be implemented without the aid of coercion. Communist propaganda would sometimes include statements such as "we include almost all the commandments of the Gospel in our ideology". The difference is that the Gospel asks all this to be achieved through love, through self-limitation, but socialism only uses coercion. This is one point.
Untouched by the breath of God, unrestricted by human conscience, both capitalism and socialism are repulsive."

There is a common tendency in the west to equate materialism (capitalism) with Christianity. This is not of God as many in America would claim. And yet, capitalism as an economic system appears to have many benefits. It offers the individual, if properly administered, with the ability to enjoy the fruits of his or her own labor. However, capitalism is an economic system and not, as we in America have come to understand it - a political one. Neither is it intended to be a religion; yet in America it has become just that.

The Bible speaks a great deal about money. Jesus warned His followers not to seek after financial wealth. Jesus was not an aesthete as some claim, denying all property rights and ordering people to live communal lives of poverty. As I have mentioned before, He and his followers had a bank account and through St. Paul, we learn that money is not the root of all kinds of evil - but the love of it is. The great problem of our generation is that the west is in love with money. Jesus taught a proper perspective for money; a perspective which I believe we have lost.

American life is inseperably intertwined with this natural desire for money. I use natural here in the pejorative, negative sense - as the Bible does. It is a "natural" person who cannot understand the spiritual things of God (1 Corinthans 2:14) and it is this same natural desire for money that permeates American society. But is Solzhenitsyn correct? Is capitalism, bereft of God, repulsive? I believe it is. And stand guilty of having participated in its ugliest aspects.

Capitalism as a system seeks the attainment of capital, for production and profit. In and of itself, this system is neither good nor bad - it, like the money upon which it operates is neutral; purely a system. But nothing in our world is truly neutral when it involves mankind. This principal illustrates the foolishness of much modern thinking ( or rather non-thinking) about government, schools and religion. There are no real atheists and to suggest that someone must remain "neutral" toward all things is idiotic. No one lives life without emotion, desire and will and so no system of man can exist without these things. This is the problem of capitalism. This is also the reason Jesus spoke in such harsh tones about the pursuit of money. He identified the "deceitfulness of riches". (Mark 4:19) and He said that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to go to Heaven. (Mark 10:25)

Solzhenitsyn did not say capitalism was repulsive. He said capitalism "untouched by the breath of God" is repulsive. My assessment of America is that much of our country is "untouched by the breath of God" and certainly our economic system must be included. For the Christian, our highest aim is always to love God and secondly to love man. One of the ways we demonstrate this love is out of service. No one can seriously suggest that the system of capitalism which we utilize in America serves mankind.

At a recent government hearing of the Joint Economic Committee, Federal Reserve Chairman, Alan Greenspan said, "The income gap between the rich and the rest of the US population has become so wide, and is growing so fast, that it might eventually threaten the stability of democratic capitalism itself." Thus the problem of American capitalism. In a system where each individual seeks his or her own highest good, someone eventually loses, because what may be in my best interest is not necessarily in yours, or anyone else's for that matter. When my own economic benefit is my highest priority, I and those whom I influence will eventually suffer.

Jesus taught that "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21) If we are honest, we know this to be true. When my aim in life was to become wealthy, my energies, efforts, time and resources were directed to this cause. Which means they were not directed to the love of God and my neighbor. "But can't we do both?" someone has asked. Not according to Jesus. He said "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." (Matthew 6:24)

Communism as a system is of the devil. It operates by force and coercion and Sozhenitsyn knows this well - he suffered by it. Capitalism is not necessarily of the devil - it is a system of economics. But without God as our guide, capitalism quickly becomes a tool of the devil - as does anything mankind uses or develops having left God out of the development.

How can we know where our "heart" is? Ask yourself the question, "If I lost all of my material possessions tomorrow, would I be burdened by this?" If answered honestly, most would say "yes!" If someone were to come to your house and ask for anything in it - could you give it to them? Or is there some cherished possession you must hold on to which is really the repository of your heart? Jesus taught us that no material thing is really worth anything. Sleeping in a bed under a roof with hot food and even transportation is a blessing from God. And so can be other material things. But ultimately, even the most opulent material thing will waste away into nothing. If there is something which you possess which you could not this day give away, then you do not possess the object - it possesses you.

Recently, a friend of mine was awakened by the smell of smoke and jumped out of bed to find his house on fire. He rushed to his children's rooms and woke them and he and his wife and children fled to the safety of the street outside and watched as their house burned. When I called him later that day, and asked how he was doing, he said "fine. My house burned down, but my family is safe and I can always get a new house - but only God can give me a family". His heart is in the right place.

Sozhenitsyn might ask, "is yours?"

JC's Weekly June 6th

" The glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
And all flesh shall see it together;
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." (Isaiah 40:5)

It is an incredible, awesome fact that one day every living creature will see the openly revealed glory of God. We see His glory today, but we see it through weary, darkened eyes.

Have you ever been in a room filled with smoke from a fire? Not the grey or white smoke caused by burning bisquits in the oven, but the thick, black smoke which rises from intense heat and burning wood, fabric and oil? In this type of environment, one must crawl on the floor in search of oxygen, and if we try very hard, through the choking soot and ash we can make out the faint outline of a door, or window. In my case, having seen the door, every ounce of my being was spent trying to crawl along the floor, reaching it. And once through it, after a fit of coughing, sneezing and hacking, I was finally able (after what seemed forever), to take a deep breath of fresh, clean air. (Thankfully I wasn't in Los Angeles !)

The scenario above aptly describes, I think our lives today. We live in a world filled with the thick, black smoke of sin and evil. We spend our lives gasping for breath, struggling to find a door through which we might escape.

The difference between my experience and our world today, is that God has placed a great, shining door in the room of our world - a door that we can see from anywhere on earth, if we will only lift up our heads and see it. Unfortunately, it appears that many people are focused on the floor and the short gasps of oxygen that can be obtained there. They bump their way around the room we live in and horribly, never reach the door.

It is my job to tap people on the shoulder and point them to the door. This is very easy work for me, because although I have to continue to put up with the wheezing and sneezing of this smoke-filled world, I have been allowed to peek through the door and know what is on the other side.

In contrast to the smoke-filled room where we now find ourselves, on the other side of the door, are enormous, rolling hills, filled with every imaginable flower (and some you cannot even imagine). On these hills live beautiful creatures; there are majestic horses, lions and even some lambs - all of which live in perfect harmony. It is never night there and through all of the hills flows a great river, which is so clear that you cannot even see your reflection in it.

In the world beyond the door, one never has to gasp for breath. In fact, you could run for a thousand years and never even become tired. Beyond the door, there is no sickness, disease or pain. Believe it or not, I even saw a unicorn there.

Sometimes I have to scratch my head and wonder why more people aren't headed for the white door. But this weekend, I met someone who is and I want to introduce him to you. His name is Billy and he is twelve or thirteen years old. Billy doesn't fit into the box that most of us put twelve and thirteen year olds. Billy lives in a foster home far away from where he was born, because his father tried to kill him. He arrived in Texas without any possessions, except the most precious possession any of us can have - a key to the white door. Billy talked to me about his mom, who he prays for because she "lives with lots of men". He prays for his father who is in prison in another state. Billy was very excited this weekend, because the tooth fairy brought him seven dollars for his tooth. (In case you didn't know - the tooth fairy is a Christian).

Billy and I spent three days together and I have to tell you that those three days were some of the most rewarding I have had on this side of the white door. I think that once we pass through the door to that world with rolling hills, I will look up Billy and we will spend a few years talking about the tooth fairy.

In case it's not clear, the dark room in my story is this earth and the white door is Jesus Christ.
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."

Billy and I would like to encourage you to lift your head from the floor and look up and see Jesus. Yes, the smoke is dark and thick, and yes, we know you sometimes have to cough and sneeze and it is hard to crawl through this dark room, but if you will just look up, you can see Jesus and He really will give you a key to the door and let you briefly look on the other side. Billy and I can tell you that once you have seen what's over there, you will never be the same.

It's awfully hard to be sad once you have seen a unicorn.

The beautiful Messier 81 galaxy 

The beautiful Whirlpool Galaxy 

JC's Weekly June 1st 2005

I was thinking today about the magnificence of God. Contrast this with the "mannishness of man" as Francis Schaeffer said. In my contemplation, I began thinking about the universe. Because I am not a scientist, I am limited in my ability to understand as much as I'd like to, but fortunately, there are some friendly scientists who have helped me. For example, there is the beautiful whirlpool galaxy pictured on my blog's opening page.

When we think of the universe, we tend to make our observations earth-centric. This is natural, but not a good idea. (When we think of our lives, we often think of them as "me-centric", which is also a bad idea) Perhaps some numbers can help?

According to the Sloan Digital Survey astonomical site, there are approximately 10,000 billion, billion stars in the visible universe. http://cas.sdss.org/dr3/en/proj/advanced/hr/

I have done some rudimentary calculations and if we say that 96 billion people have lived on the earth at some time, this means that each person that has ever lived could have somewhere around ten trillion of their own stars!

Some European fellows have discovered a group of stars called "Redshift 10" which are the farthest known observable objects in space. These stars are 13.2 million light years away. This means that to see them on earth, the light they emit left them 13.2 million years ago!http://www.eso.org/outreach/press-rel/pr-2004/pr-04-04.html

Now the really awesome part of God's universe is that we can only see about 4% of it because most of it is dark! We see stars, because they emit light. But we cannot see most planets, or black holes or other objects because they do not. Now, if we KNOW that there are somewhere around 10,000 billion, billion stars and these represent only about 4% of what there really is, well, you get the idea. God's creation is unimaginably vast.

And it is unimaginably creative and beautiful. If we look on the ocean floor at giant tube worms, we see these worms and some species of shrimp which live in environments that are unbelievably hostile. These creatures live in a solution of hydrogen sulfide which would kill any other living thing. they also live in temperatures which would melt steel. And yet they live and thrive just where God put them.

In the Bible book of Psalms, verse 104, the Psalmist wrote; "Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD my God, You are very great:You are clothed with honor and majesty, Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain."

When we look at the universe we can see the majesty of God, in brief. We could not survive a true glimpse of the full majesty of God. But one day, when Jesus Christ comes to take His followers with Him into His eternal kingdom, we will be able to not only see, but interact with the God who created us and His universe.

I am excited about this coming day. Are you?

JC's Weekly May 23

According to the UK Times (http://www.timesonline.co.uk) the President of France, Jacques Chirac is threatening to ignore the French public and press ahead with the new European constitution even if the people of France vote "no". It was once difficult for me to imagine any western leader saying such a thing, let alone actually doing it, yet as history progresses as we see the prophecies of the Bible come to pass before our eyes, nothing surprises me anymore.

Francis Schaeffer wrote: "Today we are left largely not only with a religion and a church without meaning, but we are left with a culture without meaning. Man himself is dead."(1) This is the position of the French People. Recently, I had the great pleasure of visiting with Pastor Fred Decoster who leads a Baptist congregation in Honfleur, France. This church now has 400 people attending, which in France is a vast number. Pastor DeCoster shared with me why France, which had such a rich Chrisitian history during the reformation, has become cold, pagan and dead. Beginning at age 5, French children are educated in philosophy - secular philosophy, which is atheistic, teaching the citizens of France that there is no God. This is why France is a morally bankrupt country (with the United States not far behind). If there is no God, then one's own personal good is the supreme desire of every man, woman and child. So, if the French people don't want to be a part of a grand new Europe, as it is designed, then their President's personal desire for this new government trumps the desires of the people he leads and so he is free to make any decision he chooses. In America, we recently had such a leader - Bill Clinton.

How does this affect those of us outside of France? Well, there is an old saying which is largely true, "As goes France, so goes Europe". History tells us this is correct. But the French people, who struggle to live each day as does everyone else in the world, can see that something is wrong with a united empire called Europe. There was once a united empire on the European continent; this empire was called Rome, which ended sometime around the year 400.(2)

The Bible tells us that once again, as history draws to a close, there will be a new united empire, consisting of ten nations, which forms out of Europe. This prediction, or prophecy was given to the Prophet Daniel, approximately 600 years before the birth of Christ, while the Jews were in exile in Babylon. (Daniel chapter 11)

The French people may largely deny the existence of God, but inside each of us is a yearning to know Him. Solomon wrote that, "God has placed eternity in their hearts"(3) and this is true, even for a people who don't understand why. Each person instinctively knows that this life on this planet is not all there is. I believe it is this innate feeling that there must be something more, is what is keeping the French people from ratifying the European constitution.

At any rate, history is indeed unfolding before our eyes, and whatever the outcome of the French referendum on the EU, there will one day be a new "Roman Empire". The question for all is "are you ready for this time?" This new empire isn't important simply for the economic and social power it will bring (a truly United Europe would dwarf the United States and as a trading partner with China would make the U.S. at best the third most powerful country in the world) but also because it signals the coming of the end of human history. Are you ready?





















1. (Francis A. Schaeffer, Death In The City, Ch. 1)
2. Rutilius Numantius: On His Return, I.xi.47, The Greatness of Rome in the Days of Ruin, 413
3. Ecclesiastes 3:11