Hope is spelled E-A-S-T-E-R

1 Corinthians 15:12-20 (NLT) – “But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead?
13 For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either.
14 And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless.
15 And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead.
16 And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised.
17 And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins.
18 In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost!
19 And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.
20 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.”

• I’ve got a home in Northern Arizona that the appraised value has dropped by more than 40%.
• I’ve got a retirement account that has dropped consistently for the last three years.
• I live in a state where state income has dropped drastically.
• I also live in a state where the employment rate has dropped to an alarming number.
• I’m married to a school teacher who received word this past week of a potential of 100 school personnel being laid off this coming year.
• I’m pastor of a church where some members have recently lost jobs, or received buy-out notices, or are on the receiving end of rumors and speculations of the loss of their job.
• I live in a country where confidence in the economy has slowly dropped over the last few years.
• I live in a country where most people think their children will be worse off than they have been financially.
• I live in a world where the outlook for the future grows dimmer and dimmer.
• I live in a world where, for most people, hope has slowly diminished and for many is extinguished.

I cannot think of an Easter in recent memory where there was a bigger need for hope, for something that would breathe life into the human spirit. Just a few years ago, so many people in our state and in our country felt like they were on pretty solid ground. We were in a boom economy and now we find ourselves in circumstances we never would have predicted.
A lot of people are feeling anxious.
We are facing pressures that we have not faced before.
There are people who regret decisions they've made over this last year. They wonder where things will stand a year from now.
Nobody ever wants to go through a season of hard times. And when hard times come, they have a way of making you ask:
What am I really counting on? Am I building my life on a foundation that's solid enough that circumstances beyond my control cannot take it away?
That's why Easter is so important. It is a time when we gather to remember the only hope capable of sustaining a human life through everything.
May I simply remind us that people have not gathered on Easter Sunday morning for the past 2,000 years to say:

• "The stock market has risen. It has risen indeed."
• They have not gathered to say, "The dollar has risen. It has risen indeed."
• Or, "The employment rate has risen."
• Or, "The gross domestic product has risen."
• Or, "Domestic car sales have risen."
• Or, "The value of your 401(k) has risen."

Here's the one hope that has held up human beings across every continent and culture for two millennia of difficult times of poverty, disease, pain, hardship, [and] death itself:

"Christ is risen. He is risen indeed."

(Thoughts adapted from John Ortberg.)

So what about hell?

This week (March 15), a leading pastor of one of the post-modern emergent churches released a book titled called Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived. In a video teaser for the book, this pastor made this troubling statement: “Will only a few select people make it to heaven? ... And will billions and billions of people burn forever in hell? Millions and millions of people were taught that the primary message, the center of the gospel of Jesus, is that God is going to send you to hell unless you believe in Jesus. So what gets subtly sort of caught and taught is that Jesus rescues you from God. How could that God ever be good? ... And how could that ever be good news?"
So how do we respond? What is important to understand is that God doesn’t send just anyone to hell, but only those who reject His revelation and choose to suppress the truth that He plainly reveals to them. In some ways, people choose to send themselves to hell by never choosing a saving relationship with God. Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seattle put it this way: “Hell is only for those who persistently reject the real God in favor of false gods. To paraphrase C.S. Lewis, either people will say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ or God will say to them, ‘Thy will be done.’”
The thought that a loving God would be tolerant of our disobedience to Him can be taken to the ultimate extreme by arguing that if God was tolerant of everyone then he should also be tolerate of rapists, child molesters, pedophiles, and sex-slave traders.
But such an idea is really absurd because a God of love is actively at work protecting His children from sin and evil by separating them from it. As Driscoll puts it, “In this way, God is a father who is tolerant of all who obey Him … but … is intolerant of those who sin against Him and do evil to His children.”
Think about it – we live in a world where our culture does not tolerate those who drink and drive, steal, rape and murder. We separate those people from society by incarcerating them. So if God does not do this as well, such action would be shameful, unjust, and certainly not loving. It would almost seem like God was approving and supporting evil if He did not punish such actions by separation in hell.
As always, we are on a slippery slope that is slowly leading to the demise of Christianity in America. Until next time,
Pastor Sam

Created for Something Different!

Have you really realized what disobeying God (called "sin") does for you? It gets you off track in what God really created for you to be. Consider these words from Oswald Chambers:
"The whole human race was created to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Sin has switched the human race on to another track, but it has not altered God's purpose in the tiniest degree; and when we are born again we are brought into the realization of God's great purpose for the human race, viz., I am created for God, He made me. (From My Utmost for His Highest, September 21)
God has so much more for us. Why is it we think we know better than God and we choose so often to go our own way. As Solomon put it, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but then end thereof is the way of death." So instead of using all your efforts and energy for you own purposes, why not dial into God's purposes for your life? That's a better track to follow!

Where are we and how did we get there? Part 5

The third myth that is a part of post-modernism is what we might call Philosophical Pluralism which says that everybody’s viewpoint is equally valid. I have my opinions and you have your opinions and they are equally valid. Sounds reasonable, doesn’t it. But there is hiding beneath the surface a much larger issue for those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ.
Philosophical pluralism would say that to hold a belief that my own ideas or my religion are “intrinsically superior to another one is necessarily wrong.” That is, for Christians to say that we have the truth, and all others are wrong would be the height of smugness and is wrong and must be condemned. And yet that is exactly what the Christian faith teaches. There can be no getting around the exclusive claims of Christianity that Jesus Christ is the only pathway to a right relationship with God.
Because philosophical pluralism sees all opinions and viewpoints as equal, the natural result is a unwritten belief that there are, therefore, no absolutes. There can be no objective truth. “What is good for me, is not necessarily good for you. Therefore, I have no right to shove my religion down your throat.”
In response, we need to realize that philosophical pluralism is inconsistent. It states that there are “absolutely no absolutes.” Think about it – we are told to hold to an ideology that states that it’s wrong to hold on to ideologies!
Wouldn’t it be a neat experiment to find someone who has this idea that there are no absolutes, that every person is free to do whatever he feels best doing, and just walk up and punch them in the mouth. And when they protest vigorously, simply exclaim that “violence toward you is necessary for my well being.
There response might well be, “That’s not right!”
“But what’s right for you is not necessarily right for me.”
At that point the person must either abandon his belief that there are no absolutes, or he must stick his jaw out to allow you to hit him again. Philosophical pluralism goes against so much in our very make-up as human beings. Consider these examples:
• Our sense of justice is an inbred witness to the fact that there are absolutes of behavior.
• Our conscience is a witness to the fact that there are things that are right, there are things that are wrong.
• Twinge of guilt and hesitation occur when an employee makes the decision to steal from his boss.
• The aching conscience is present when a woman and a man move in together without marriage.
The bottom line is that philosophical pluralism will not work. What does work in the biblical approach to life. Listen to what God said to the Children of Israel:
Deuteronomy 5:32-33 (NLT) – “You must be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God, following his instructions in every detail. 33 Stay on the path that the Lord your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy.”
Following God’s ways always leads to good. And again,
Deuteronomy 10:12-13 (NLT) – “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul. 13 And you must always obey the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.”
Did you notice the words “I am giving you today for your own good.” Sometimes we think that the biblical laws and commands are to rob us of enjoyment in life. In reality the opposite is the same. God gives those commands and instructions to us for our good. In fact, if we will follow them, we will always experience God’s best.
The Word of God has not changed, and will not change. This is God’s very best guideline for living life to its fullest. Anything less is simply second best.
Because of that, moral absolutes remain. They have not and will not change.
Philosophical pluralism, like the first two myths of post-modernism, is a dead end street that leads only to disappointment and destruction. God’s way is always best – hands down!

Where are we and how did we get there? Part 4

As we continue in our look at post-modernism, let’s consider the second myth that forms a part of the foundation of post-modernism. [If you haven’t read the previous blogs in the order posted, I would suggest you do so now to give greater sense to what follows.]
According to many people today, tolerance is the greatest virtue. This is the logical outcome of the idea discussed previously of relativism. Tolerance, in our society today, states that we must tolerate one another’s viewpoints. But the problem – whose definition of tolerance will we use?
The great thinker Voltaire put it this way: “I may disagree with what you have to say, but I shall defend to the death your right to say it.” That is the classic definition of tolerance that had prevailed for centuries. But today, there is a new tolerance in the land.
The new definition of tolerance today means more that putting up with someone or something in spite of the fact that we don’t like or agree with the idea or person. Now it means not only are we to put up with the person and their idea, but we must also embrace, affirm, and celebrate their ideas. We must value the views and practices of others in the same way that we value our own.
Tolerance is now the highest virtue – it’s more important to be tolerant than to be honest, loyal, or trustworthy. And here’s the bottom line – all people must be allowed to do and believe whatever they want and anyone who disagrees with that in any way is a bad person. Does this sound familiar? You read about this approach to tolerance each and everyday. Not too long ago a Swedish pastor was thrown in jail because he spoke from God’s Word against homosexuality. He was not “being tolerant.”
The new tolerance says that when you disagree with someone, regardless of the truthfulness of your viewpoint, you are not only wrong, you are intolerant! And you best be careful concerning what you disagree with, for you might be ultimately charged with a hate crime! This is where we are currently heading in America and it has huge implications for Christians in America.
The problem with the new tolerance is it, in itself, is intolerant. Perhaps you read of the school principal who stated: “Intolerance will not be tolerated in this school!” Is that double talk, or what?
Tolerance claims to consider all views and practices as equals. But look closer. When you or I disagree with abortion and take a pro-life stance, we are called intolerant. But have you ever heard a pro-choice, pro-abortion person tell us that we have a right to believe as we do and that’s okay with them?
The same difficulty lies with homosexual issue: we are supposed to be tolerant toward them for their beliefs. But when a Christian expresses the biblical viewpoint, the gay caucus cries bloody murder because of the perceived intolerance of the Christian. This view of tolerance (or intolerance depending on your viewpoint) has again raised its ugly head in the current controversy over the building of an Islamic mosque near the site of the 9/11 destruction of the World Trade Center. According to some, if you don’t believe it should be built in Lower Manhattan, you are being intolerant.)
The bottom line: The new tolerance of today is anything but tolerant.
So what does God think about all this? This new tolerance is simply double-talk. God’s Word says this:
Isaiah 5:20-21 (NLT) – “What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter. 21 What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever.”
Proverbs 17:15 (NLT) – “Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent— both are detestable to the Lord.”
Obviously, God desires truthfulness. o is that which is right and there is that which is wrong. While we must be tolerant of others right to believe as they do, we do not have to label their beliefs as correct when they are obviously wrong. The great need in our world today is a return to the definition of tolerance that was prevalent before the arrival of post-modernism.
Again God’s Word says,
Proverbs 14:12 – “There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.”

Where are we and how did we get there? Part 3

You hear it all the time – “You Christians are too exclusive. You don’t have the corner on religion; there are other ways to God.” What about the exclusive claims of Christianity – there is only one way to God? Is it correct, or do many roads lead to God?
A little background: From the 4th century through the 18th century, the philosophy or worldview of Theism dominated the thinking of Western Civilization. This was the Christian worldview with God at its center as Creator and Sovereign Lord, with Jesus Christ at its heart as being the only Savior, God’s Son, and the Bible as the authoritative Word of God, the absolute truth.
But then came the period known as the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution. Science and technology made tremendous gains. The Scientific process and the predominance of reason came to the forefront. Man was unlimited, or so they concluded, and could do anything and explain anything in our universe. Suddenly God was shoved aside and man became the center of the universe. Science was going to save the world, and human reasoning became the authority. Jesus Christ and the Word of God--the Bible--were explained away and watered down, becoming little more than relics of years gone by. Thus, emerged the modernistic worldview that has dominated the thinking of the western world for the last 100 to 150 years. With this new worldview came a new view about supernatural occurrences. What had been an “open” system now became a “closed” system. Let me explain: When Christianity dominated the thinking of mankind, the idea that God could intervene in the world with miracles and supernatural acts was generally accepted. No one seemed to question that our system of natural laws could be impacted by God who worked outside the system. Thus the system of natural law was an “open” system that could be “interfered with” by God at any time.
With the coming of the modernistic viewpoint that humanity was the center of the universe, God was limited in what He could do. Miracles no longer were possible. The laws of nature certainly couldn’t be set aside by God to allow for miraculous events. This, this world system was deemed a “closed” system that could not be acted upon from outside.
It is interesting to note that after 150 years or so of modernism, man hasn’t saved the world. Disease still runs rampant, wars and killings are wreaking havoc on our world, people still hate, people still live in poverty, and people still are searching for something to fill the void in their life.
Because of this we have seen the rise of a third worldview in the last 40 or 50 years called post-modernism or nihilism that simply says that meaning can’t be found, there are no answers, there are no black and white issues, no areas of life where truth is equally true for all people. We now have a generation of drifters because real truth, real meaning, real absolutes cannot be found. Or so it would seem.
The result of all this is that we now have a three-prong spirit that is indicative of the times in which we live: Religious relativism, Tolerance, and Philosophical pluralism that believes there are absolutely no absolutes.
This is the world in which we live – you see these three tenets of the post-modern worldview on every TV talk show, in every Hollywood movie, in most songs played on the radio, in TV show after TV show. You see it in the biased coverage by the news media. You hear it in the political arena. Our society is permeated by relativism, tolerance, and pluralism. And according to God’s Word, these three are all myths, they’re all wrong.
Proverbs 14:12 (NASB) – “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”
In this week’s blog, let’s look at the first tenet of post-modernism: religious relativism. At its most simplistic form, religious relativism is this: One religion can be true for one person or culture, but is not necessarily true for another. According to this viewpoint, we all worship the same god; we just refer to him (or her) by different names. As one religious scholar put it, “It is as though God is on the top of a mountain and all of us are merely climbing up different sides, yet headed for the same destination.” In this philosophy, no religion, therefore, is universally or exclusively true.
In an interview in July of 1998, the Right Rev. William E. Swing, Episcopal Bishop of California said this: “The question is can we stand the generosity of God in that he reveals himself to other people in the world through other symbols and through other stories?”
I immediately take note of Rev. Swing’s suggestion that historical events of incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection are merely symbols and mythological stories.
Bishop Swing continued: “I do believe that one can get to God by many ways. Nevertheless, when one gets to God, I believe that nothing about the Divine is contradicted by Jesus Christ.”
Or how about another post-modern portrayal by a Roman Catholic Sister Joan Chittister who said, “The question is whether or not Jesus is the only revelation of the love and presence and mind of God. The question is not, ‘Is Jesus the Way?’ The question is whether Jesus is the only way. And the answer to that must, in the end, have something to do with the justice of God.
“If Jesus . . . is the only way to heaven, then what are we to think about the other 80% of the world that is non-Catholic or even non-Christian? In fact, what are we to believe about God? Are we to believe that God created all these people in order to condemn them? Or are the things that are “true” in other religions, also salvific [able to save]?
“Why did the Jesus who said, “I am the Way,” not add, “and there is no other”?
Could it possibly be that Sister Joan missed the last part of John 14:6 – “No one comes to the Father but through Me”? Sounds pretty exclusive to me!
So, how did our world, and many leaders in churches all across America, arrive at such twisted thinking?
A large part of this thinking comes from the modernistic worldview or the worldview of naturalism. The philosophy of Naturalism believe that nature (the material and the laws that govern its existence) is all there is. There is no force beyond nature, no supernatural, no God. This truly is a “closed” system. Therefore, God is merely a figment of our imagination.
So, here’s the logic – If there is no supernatural world, i.e. God, and if all religions of the world actually find their source in the minds of men, then they are all equally useless. Therefore, it makes no difference which religion one chooses.
According to great thinkers like Karl Marx and Jesse Ventura (a little humor there!) – all religions are crutches created by weak-minded people who need help coping with the cruel world.
So you see, the person who believes in God, whether the god of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, is merely constructing his or her own reality. Therefore, it doesn’t really matter which religion you choose. They are all make-believe!
So, how do we respond?
First, realize that this is illogical. Law of logic that states that something cannot be both A and non-A at the same time and in the same way. Something cannot be dairy and non-dairy at the same time, or fattening or non-fattening at the same time.
Let’s suppose you call a friend and say, “Man, you ought to hear our preacher, Sam Crouch. He’s great!”
“Did you say, Sam Crouch?”
“Yes, Sam Crouch.”
“You’ve got to be kidding. Your pastor is THE Sam Crouch.”
Yes, Sam Crouch.
“Sam Crouch – that 7 foot black basketball player from North Carolina?”
Now, there are two responses you could give at this point. -- “No, that’s not the Sam Crouch who is our preacher; you must be talking about some other guy.”
Or, you might reply, “Well, that’s your interpretation of who he is!”
No one in their right mind would view this second response as valid; or would they? This is exactly the problem with religious relativism. In our world today, we have two groups – Muslims and Christians – who cannot talk about God in terms that are mutually exclusive and still conclude that they are talking about the same thing.
The Islamic religious says that Jesus is merely a prophet and not God. Christianity believes that Jesus is God in the flesh. Such thinking cannot be equally valid. One is right and one is wrong. They can’t both be right. That’s nonsense.
And not only is such thinking nonsense, it is also offensive. And it ignores the facts – Islam claims to be the only true religion. Christianity claims to be the only way to eternal life.
What does God’s word say?
Isaiah 43:10-11 (NASB) – "You are My witnesses," declares the Lord, "And My servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and believe Me And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me. 11 "I, even I, am the Lord, And there is no savior besides Me.”
Acts 4:12 (NLT) – “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
Call Christianity exclusive or intolerant if you like. But the fact remains – only one viewpoint can stand. My choice is with God and His unchanging Word that last forever! We tackle the next myth of post-modernism, tolerance, in our next blog.

Where are we and how did we get there? Part 2

As we mentioned in the previous blog (part 1), American culture today can be characterized as post-modern – no absolutes, no divine authority such as God, and in reality, no hope. This life is all there is and you are your own god. Because today’s society presents little hope and is perceived as outdated and wrong, post-modernism carried to the extreme would seek to destroy the current social order. Tragically, post-modernism talks very little about what it would replace the current social order with.

Obviously this prevailing philosophy in our day and time has created an America where morality, order, adherence to rules, regulations, and our government structure are taboo. As a result we are experiencing a rapid increase in the decay of society as we know.

This present-day philosophy of “post-modernism” is nothing new as was modernism when it was in vogue. These approaches to life have been around for centuries. In fact, Paul the Apostle dealt with similar world views in his day and time. One such philosophy in particular surfaced in the church at Colossae in late 50s or early 60s A.D. Note what Paul said:

Colossians 2:8 (NLT) – “Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.”

In Paul’s day, “philosophy had everything to do with theories about God and the world and the meaning of human life. Today we would call it a “worldview.” Paul said the “worldview” or “philosophy” beginning to show itself in the city of Colossae was in reality “empty and deceptive.”

This false world view that Paul addressed had incorporated Jewish elements and a Greek false teaching called Gnosticism. Gnosticism basically involved very strict following of rituals and dietary laws. It also involved angel worship. Gnosticism involved seeking to find salvation through acquisition of special knowledge. Gnosticism took away from the personhood of Christ by either saying that he didn’t really come in the flesh or that he wasn’t really God. This worldview eliminated God as the Creator and said that creation was done by some lesser angelic beings.

Paul told them that this philosophy or worldview was hollow and deceptive. And the same thoughts hold true for the world-views of modernism and post-modernism today. Not only are they empty of meaning – dead end streets--but they are also full of danger – streets that lead to death.

Paul told the Colossians that there were three things about the philosophy creeping into the church in Colossae that are equally true today.

1. This false philosophy was human in origin. In verse 8 Paul said that they come from human thinking. – It was a made-up philosophy. I can’t think of anything more appropriate to describe today’s prevailing world view. If life and its meaning is not authored by God and recorded for us in Holy Scripture, then we have to make up our own meaning. We answer the questions of life with our own ideas.

Where did we come from? If not God, then what – we create some theory called evolution which is not scientific and is contradictory to the very laws of nature that we see at work around us.

Why are we here? If we can’t find meaning in a personal relationship with God, we talk then either about the fact that we’re here to make a difference in the lives of our fellow man, or we say there is no meaning at all to life. That is the bottom line on post-modernism.

You can understand how such an approach is futile. If we don’t have an authoritative word from God and if God doesn’t exist, then what’s the purpose to life and where are we heading? Life really can be seen as meaningless.

2. Paul indicated that this philosophy was elementary in nature. This false world of Gnosticism chose to substitute something else for God. Again in verse 8 this philosophy is “from the spiritual powers of this world.” He is talking about lesser beings that took the place of God in creation and even in the path to salvation.

There is absolutely no doubt that today’s philosophies of modernism and post-modernism have substituted for God – with the results that they are inferior in their ability to answer the important questions of life. Who am I, how did I get here, what’s going to happen to me in the future, what is meaningful, what is right and wrong, what is real, and so forth.

Because the current worldviews or philosophies are inferior, people who espouse them still remain empty and searching. Only the real thing will satisfy – a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Any other approach leaves a person dissatisfied.

3. Finally, Paul called the philosophy of his day and time, “non-Christian.” It was not “from Christ.”

Gnosticism eliminated Christ and the salvation that He secured on the cross. The philosophies of today also eliminate Christ and the need for Christ. They water Him down by trying to analyze Him as a man and strip Him of His godhood. They view the salvation He offers as only one of many ways to meaning and purpose in life. The current philosophies of modernism and most especially, post-modernism, represent a very empty, deceptive, and even dangerous approach to life.

Look at it this way. If I wanted to give you advice on the most important aspects of life including how to ensure that you live forever, there are two ways I could do that – I could write you a number of letters or essays giving you the advice. Or I could visit you face to face to share the information with you.

Both of those approaches are precisely what God has done – He has given us a written revelation – the Bible, and He has visited with us face-to-face – in Jesus Christ. In the Bible, and in Jesus Christ, we have the correct and true answers to the fundamental questions of life.

Why, then, do people reject the Christian world view that centers in God and His son, Jesus Christ? Why have they chosen to substitute a worldview of their own creation that is by far inferior to God’s viewpoint? Why are they so quick to declare that God is dead, the Bible is irrelevant and out-of-date, or that Jesus wasn’t divine or that His salvation is unnecessary?

Here’s the bottom line –we want to be our own God. This is the essence of the humanistic worldview prevalent for the last 125 years. If we can water down, or eliminate God, we can be our own master. If the guidebook says this is the way to play the game, and we really want to make up our own rules, we have two choices – we can decide to change our attitude and actions and play by the rules, or we can throw away or change the rule book and do it our way.

Therefore, if I can eliminate God and His Word, pushing God from the center of my world, if I can play down Jesus Christ or declare that He never existed or never claimed to be God, then I am no longer accountable for my actions. I can do as I choose. Anything goes and I am not in danger of any kind of punishment or eternal death.

This is the American culture today. When you come to see that the perspective of our world has changed and God is no longer around and His laws are no longer relevant, then you can understand the turmoil that our country is in today.

To be continued!