The Problem of Sin

Ultimately, we don't have a crime problem or a gun problem-- or even a violence problem. What we have is a sin problem.     Gov. Mike Huckabee

We've all been horrified this past week by the senseless shooting in the movie theater in Aurora, Colorado.  When something like this happens our society jumps to discover the reasons why it happened and how we can prevent it from ever happening again. We so desperately want to find the cause and effect for each and every wrong. It lets us label the problem. It gives us the illusion that we can fix it. It gives us something to hold onto--something that makes sense out of the senseless. Immediately, news articles and TV shows began talking about how we can fix this problem: like how we need to learn to recognize the symptoms and behaviors of a serial killer; or how we must have tighter gun control so people cannot store up such a vast arsenal of destruction; or how people should not be allowed to wear masks or dress up as characters when they go into movie theaters anymore. And all those things may very well be true. But really, I think Mike Huckabee nailed it on the head in his Saturday night commentary. "Ultimately, we don't have a crime problem or a gun problem--or even a violence problem," he said. "What we have is a sin problem. And since we ordered God out of our schools and communities, the military and public conversations, you know, we really shouldn't act so surprised when all hell breaks loose!" The thing we forget, dear people, is that sin abounds in the hearts of man. Oh, we know in our heads this is true because it says so in the Bible, but in a situation like this we see it with our own eyes played out on the TV screen nightly; we feel the terror in our own hearts. Turning from our God and going our own way leaves individuals--and our society as a whole--free game for the snares of the evil one and the power of his destructive plan for the earth. Evil personified is loosed in this world, prowling around "....like a roaring lion seeking whom it may devour." 1 Peter 5:8 Instead of looking for answers on the evening news or from the latest pop psychologist, maybe we should turn to our Father God, who says, "And a new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you..." Ezekiel 36:26-27 The problem of sin, friends, will not be resolved by tighter laws or better law enforcement; it will be resolved by nothing other than a heart transplant, performed by the One who brings order out of chaos and redemption out of destruction. Pray for true redemption for our nation and our world. Greg

Credit Card from Heaven

July 19, 2012      Life Discovery Ministries

Jesus' power came from being filled with the Holy Spirit. The source of his authority, however, was his intimacy with the Father.    Dr. Charles Kraft I Give You Authority

We've been studying lately about our authority in Christ, and we have learned that we do not own his power and authority; He grants it to us in order to accomplish his purposes on this earth. This principle is illustrated by way of a story from Charles Kraft in his book, I Give You Authority, where he compares our authority under Christ to a "heavenly credit card." When Dr. Kraft's son went away to college he gave him a credit card. The card had Dr. Kraft's name on it as the one with ultimate responsibility. Under his name appeared the name of his son, authorizing him to use it. His son's name alone carried no authority at the time because he had no credit history. But with Dr. Kraft's name on the card, all the financial backing of his dad was behind him. Now there could have been a little apprehension about misuse of the card, but after all, this was his son--his own flesh and blood. They had a close relationship and his son checked with his dad regularly regarding its use. Kraft had made it clear to his son that he expected him not to misuse the authority he had been given. The card was for certain things: emergencies, books and other school expenses. And so he entrusted the card to his son, whom he trusted. When Jesus came to this earth, it was like he carried a credit card from his Father. Dr. Kraft writes, "As Jesus ministered, his ears were always open to the voice of the Father. Because he listened, he could take authority confidently, knowing he was acting in God's purposes. Jesus' intimacy with the Father enabled him both to maintain his authority and to get God's instructions concerning what the Father wanted him to do each day." Friends, Jesus was a man under authority. He was submitted and given to His Father's desires, perspectives and heart. "I do nothing on my own authority, but I say only what the Father has instructed me to say."  John 8:28 "The Son can do nothing on his own; he does only what he sees his Father doing."  John 5:19 Why do you suppose Jesus spent so much time in his last days on earth making sure we understood this? Because it is a model of how we are to operate today under the authority of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus sent his disciples out he gave them dunamis, power, and exousia, authority. "...he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick."  Luke 9:1-2 Before he left the earth he said, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.....so that the Son may bring glory to the Father."  John 14:12-13 The model for us, as always, is Jesus, who used his power and authority to bring glory to God and demonstrate the love of the Father for his children. Now that's a credit card! Greg

The Dog Days of Summer

It's summer, and time for wandering- Some of the best memories are made in flip flops. ~Kellie Elmore~ author

Meet our dog, Jazz. She's a sweet, blue-eyed Siberian Husky whose misfortune is that she lives in the Sonoran Desert when all she really wants is a big snowbank to burrow into. Oh well. Like the Stones used to sing, "You Can't Always Get What You Want." Jazz has decided to take the summer off and lay around, spending most of the day napping. She occasionally wanders over to her water dish and laps a little cool water. I look at her longingly. Sometimes dogs are a lot smarter than people. We call these days "the dog days of summer." The name technically has something to do with a star called Sirius (the Dog Star) that rises with the sun somewhere around July 3 through August 11. That's not important. All we know is that it's the hottest time of the year. With this heat comes the need for a slower pace, hopefully while on vacation...or a day at the lake...or at least a nice, soft couch in a cool place. But don't neglect your inner life this summer. Don't confuse what is urgent with what is important. Make every effort to stay connected. Take part in Sundays and Monday night classes if you are in town. We have some important topics we're covering this month. I will talk more about the Holy Spirit and healing. Pat Trotter will lead us on a journey in the Psalms. Pastor Chacko Varghese will share about his mission and ministry in India. Then in August we are going to enjoy a 3-part DVD series by Louie Giglio called Prayer: Remix. This video series is rich, radical, and very entertaining. In it Louie challenges us in how to move toward a healthier God-centered prayer life instead of our typical me-centered prayers. I hope we can have some good, lazy summer days, but I also plan to use this time for spiritual refreshment and awakening. Join me. "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near."  Hebrews 10:24-25    Happy Summer Days to You, Greg

We the People of the United States,

FREEDOM is a fragile thing   and is never more than one generation away from extinction.   ~Ronald Reagan~

We the People of the United States,   ...in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.  That, my friends, is the Preamble to our Constitution, adopted by the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Did you know it is the oldest written constitution in force anywhere in the world? And what a unique Constitution it is! Its wording is timeless. Unlike many of its imitators, it has survived huge social and economic changes, maybe because it is so different. Historians say that, unlike other constitutions, America's Constitution has almost nothing to do with matters of blood and land. We, alone, are a people dedicated to a proposition based on ideals. These documents, with their unusual mix of ideals and responsibilities, rights and duties, "...are a defining element of American life in a way that the written constitutions of other countries generally are not."  ~Jonathan Foreman, lawyer, historian and writer When I was 12 years old my Dad took me to New York City. It was a business trip for him; he traveled a lot in those days. I was never quite sure if he took me along because he missed me so much or because it was summer, school was out, and Mom "sent" me along with him because she needed a break! Regardless of how I managed to get there, Dad and I made many fond memories together on that trip. But the thing I remember most--as vividly as if it were yesterday--was looking out over New York Harbor from one of the 25 windows that line the crown of the Statue of Liberty.   The statue, at 22 stories tall, presented an imposing figure to a young boy. In those days you could go all the way to the top. After climbing the 354 steps we followed the gaze of Lady Liberty as she looked across the harbor toward the Atlantic Ocean. For a long time my Dad and I stood quietly, side by side, in awe. We talked a bit about his mom (my grandmother), who had come to American at age 16 and sailed into this very harbor, waiting in the long lines on Ellis Island for her immigration papers to be processed. We stuck our heads out and craned our necks to get a good look at the torch that Lady Liberty held high in her right hand, symbolically illuminating the struggle for freedom. The struggle for freedom continues. The "blessings of liberty" are a rare and precious jewel in this world. More than ever, this is the time to pray and intercede for our country and our leaders. I invite you to join me in praying that the Holy Spirit will move upon our nation. Governments are limited; charities are limited; but the Spirit of God knows no bounds. I thank God that in our country we still have the freedom to pray for that move of the Spirit. May the flame of Lady Liberty's torch never go out and may we pray without ceasing for our country and its people. Happy Independence Day! Greg