​Last fall, the Globe and Mail had the headline story, "Canadian household debt hits record high as consumer spending rises."  It went on to talk about "Canadians’ growing love affair with debt."  With nearly $80 billion in just credit card debt alone, the average Canadian does indeed have a love affair with debt, owing $1.65 for every $1.00 he/she has in disposable income.  People are in desperate financial straits – perhaps more than any time in recent history.
 
The cause for this dismal financial picture is often limited income; which makes sense; if we had “unlimited income” we wouldn’t have a financial problem.  However, I am convinced that more often than not, the greater problem is not limited income, but unlimited expense.  At every turn, we are bombarded with a compulsion for more!  We want bigger, newer, faster, brighter, etc, and there is always the option to buy now, pay later.
 
What I’d like to do in this Perspective is outline several Biblical principles on the topic of money.  Jesus did speak more about money than any other subject besides the “Kingdom of God.”  Jesus talked more about money than he did Heaven and Hell combined.  Eleven of the 39 parables He tells are about finances.
 
Why does Jesus talk about money so much?  Because He knows what kind of an impact it will have on our spiritual lives.  Yes, money is a spiritual issue.  Jesus said it himself, "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21).
 
Rather than say what you should or shouldn’t do, I believe that if we follow these Biblical principles we will do well in the area of finances.  Doesn’t mean we will “get rich”, but it will certainly put us on the right path both economically and spiritually.  Regardless of whether you are well off, or in financial need, whether you are in retirement or a student, these principles will help us stay on track.
 
Principle #1: Trust in God.
 
Philippians 4:19 "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."
Sooner or later, experience shows us that putting your trust in the economy, your employer, or your bank account is not a good idea.  They are not dependable. They can seem to be a great help one moment, but the next moment everything gets changed.
 
Our American friends put it on their currency: "In God We Trust".  Whether people live by that or not is a different story; but it’s a good reminder that even while we are holding money in our hands, that ultimately our hope is in God, not in money.
 
This is an important principle, for it lays the groundwork for all the rest.  It is God who we depend on.  That’s one of the reasons why God gave the people in the Old Testament the command for a Sabbath rest.  Not only was the Sabbath a day to rest physically, the reason for the rest was so that mankind would learn to put their trust in God.  For six days they would labour and toil.  For six days they would earn their living, ensuring that they have bread for that day.  But on the Sabbath, they rested. Why?  In order to be reminded that they depend on God. 
 
Yes, we go to work, we take responsibility, we do what we can – but we do so with an understanding that it is God who will supply all our needs.  Incidentally, this is also why we stay away from lotteries and other games of chance; we do not want to put our hope in “luck”.  We put our trust in God.
 
Principle #2: Don’t love Money.
 
1 Timothy 6:10 says, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."

It's important to clarify that the root of all evil is NOT money... it is the love of money. Money is not evil.   Having money, and even lots of it, is not evil.  God has been known to pour out blessings, even financial blessings, on some.  The problem is the love of money; and the love of money has led many people astray.
 
The problem with the love of money (besides it being idolatry) is that when we pursue it; that is, when we set money as the goal of life, we end up hurting ourselves - and most likely others as well, in the process.  Many people have been hurt by the notion of getting rich quick.  Others have taken advantage of others in their pursuit of money.  Still others have forfeited integrity in order to acquire wealth.   The love of money has been the downfall of many relationships.  It blinds people and causes them to do what they otherwise would not.  In many ways, its rather intoxicating – which is why Jesus said it is difficult for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven.  The more you have, the easier it is to get off track.  It’s not impossible to stay on track – it’s just more difficult.  We guard against that by keeping an “arms length” relationship with money.  In the end, money isn’t to be loved, it is a tool to be used for the honor and glory of God.

Principle #3: Give Generously.

“There he goes…. talking about giving…. doesn’t he know that’s an Old Testament law?”
 
It is true; Malachi 3:10 does say, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”
 
This an Old Testament command.  Aren’t we now living under grace?  Absolutely.  However, living under grace gives us greater responsibility, not less responsibility.  Put another way; what we do under “grace” should far outweigh what we did under “law”, and we clearly see this in the teachings of Jesus.
 
Several times, in Matthew 5, we find Jesus saying, "You have heard that it was said... but I tell you...."  In each instance, Jesus pointed to an Old Testament law, and the pointed to how they needed to surpass that law.  In concluding that section in Matthew, Jesus said, “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20).  It is very obvious that under grace we need to do better than the law. 

One way we do better is by giving generously.  Acts 20:35  "In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’"

Giving sets us free, while hoarding entraps us (James 5:2).  Giving changes the lives of others (John 3:16). Giving brings blessing back to us (Luke 6:38).  Giving allows us to store up treasures in Heaven rather than here on the earth (Matthew 19:21). Giving really is fun – we need to be in on it.  It is one of the best ways to keep the love of money in check!

Giving isn't just for individuals.  It applies for the church as well.  In 2014-2015 our local church gave away 29.9% of our contributions.  Incredible!  I remember a time when we didn’t have $100 to buy Sunday School materials.  Yet, this past year we gave away MORE money than what our donations were 10 years ago.

The truth of the matter is that giving 10% is just a starting point.  I like to think of it as a beginner’s tithe.  It’s a starting point.  I am so grateful to parents who taught me to tithe at a young age.  It has never been a burden and always a blessing.  God has shown himself faithful time and time again.

Above our tithe, we need to be generous in all our giving; whether that’s helping out a neighbor or a family member or in a special missions offering.  We will never go wrong in being generous.  People will forget your words, but they will remember your actions.
 
Principle #4: Stay out of debt.
 
Proverbs 22:7 reminds us, "The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender."
 
When you owe someone money; you are in effect their servant. Now, there's nothing wrong with being a servant - we should be servants - all of us - but we're talking about something else here - we're talking about owing - and when we owe, we are in essence going to work for someone else's behalf.
 
Perhaps the best way to put this is to suggest that going into debt is a form of self-inflicted slavery.  You take something, in exchange for a promise to pay back.  You are basically selling your future in order to gain something in the present.  That's usually not a good move because we don’t know what tomorrow will bring.  We can get into trouble.  It is so much better to stay out of debt (often by saying “no” to self) in the first place.  We don’t need the latest.  We don’t need the greatest.  We don’t need the newest or fastest.
 
If it is too late for you to stay out of debt, make it a priority to get out of debt.  The best way to get out of debt (or to stay out of debt) is to follow our last principle.
 
Principle #5: Follow a budget.
 
“Budget” is not a four letter word.  It is actually a Biblical principle. In Luke 14:28 Jesus reminds those who were seeking to be his disciple, “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won't you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?”
 
Many people break into a panic when they hear the word “budget”, thinking that a budget will not allow them to enjoy using money.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  In fact, a budget does exactly the opposite – it frees you to spend money the way you should.
 
Many years ago my older brother took his family and my family for a day at Disneyland.  I can’t remember how many of us there were, but we were a large crew.  By the time the entrance fee was paid and the food was purchased, it amounted to a rather significant amount.  Then, to top if off (no pun intended), there were souvenir hats at a ridiculous price.   My generous brother paid for it all.  I asked him how he could do that and he said it was all money put aside for this purpose.  I learned an important lesson that day.
 
That’s what a budget will do for you – it will allow you to freely spend money according to a plan, instead of on the spur of the moment.  It will give you a realistic picture of what you can afford and what you can’t afford.  It will help you put the other principles into practice.
 
The bottom line is you can’t afford to not have a budget.
 
Conclusion:

Money really is an important issue.  Like the tongue, it can be used for good or evil. The difficulty is using it for the good.  It's not always easy. The more you have, the more challenges you will face. But using money wisely is not impossible.
 
If we stick to the principles outlined above, we will have done our part.  The issue isn’t “how much” we have, but how we honor God with what we have.  And the best way to do that, is to live by Biblical principles for handling finances.

​This is Sunday! This is the day Jesus rose from the dead. As the early church taught us, every Sunday is a celebration of the Resurrection! This is Victory Day. This is Celebration Day!
 
This is the day that Christ broke the shackles of sin and darkness and brought us into the kingdom of light – we are no longer slaves to sin, we have been redeemed by the blood of the lamb.
 
This is the day when the sting of death lost its power; no longer able to frighten us into deep caverns of despair.
 
This is the day when the agony of loss was exchanged for the presence of peace.  This is the day when condemnation was condemned and a new creation was brought forth through Christ's victory on the cross.
 
This is the day when all men and women who have ever wondered if God could still love them after all they've done – this is the day they see the answer in the person of Jesus Christ.
 
This is Easter Sunday.  The day when those who have placed loved ones in the ground, or scattered ashes in the wind are reminded that death is not the end; but a transition.
 
This is the day Jesus was dying for.  This is the day when death gave way to victory.  This is Resurrection day – the day our world changed forever - our day of hope.
 
This is Sunday! This is the day that I have waited for all week long and the day that I have anticipated to come. This is the day we have the privilege of being welcomed into the very presence of our Risen Saviour; to rejoice anew with my brothers and sisters in the life-giving resurrection of our Lord.
 
This is Sunday! Christ the Lord is Risen Today.

​Four years old and on her own.  Abandoned by her mother, rejected by her uncle, she was put on a train with a one-way ticket to a far off part of the country.  Left to die of starvation, disease, or worse.  Somehow she managed to find a way to survive.  In the winter, she lived in a hole in the ground with only a mat protecting her from the snows above.
 
She learned to steal.  Caught, on three occasions, she was beaten and left for dead. After once such occasion, presumed dead, she was left at the garbage dump.  There, someone took notice of her took her to an orphanage.  Eventually a missionary couple adopted her and give her a name. She never knew her original name. She had no idea of what her actual birth date was or even her place of birth.
 
The story of Stephanie Fast is a story of God's protection in the midst of incredible hardship. Unfortunately, she is not the only one.
 
It is estimated that 153 million children worldwide, ranging from infants to teenagers, have lost one or both parents.  In the United States of America, there are 400,000 children live without permanent families.  In Canada, there are some 45,000 orphaned children in Canada, 22,000 of which are currently, right now, waiting for adoption.
 
While we don't talk about it much, the Bible has much to say about orphans and the fatherless.
 
The Old Testament description of God is very clear.  "He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing." (Deut. 10:18).
 
God expects us to do the same.  In Isaiah 1:17 we are instructed to, "Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow."
 
Why does God care so much?  Psalm 68:5 describes God as "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows."  Isn't that something?  God considers himself a father to the fatherless.  That’s why he cares.
 
There are many other references in both the Old and New Testament which very directly state God's concern for the widows and orphans and the fatherless.  Likewise, God is equally concerned about the foreigner in your land - that he/she not be taken advantage of. Wherever you look, God is on the lookout for the weak or the hurting or the vulnerable. And I don't know very many people more vulnerable than children.
 
The care of children is very much God's concern.  And, according to God's Word, it's something that we should be concerned about as well.
 
Matthew 18:5-6, Jesus said, "And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me."  Isn't that awesome?  You want to do something for God?  You want to impress God? (not that he can be impressed), do something for a child. You will touch the heart of God.  That's it!  Pretty straight forward.
 
The reverse is also true.  Jesus goes on to say, "If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea."   Remember, He is a father to these children. In other words; if you’re messing with them, you’re messing with Him!
 
This is so important to God that it states in James 1:27, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
 
More than any ritual, more than any prayer, any sermon, any whatever else - that which God looks at as a response to our faith - is how we look after the vulnerable.  Just as we were (and are) vulnerable and God poured out so much for us; he expects us to do the same.
 
We've seen it before.  As we have been loved (by God), we are commanded to love one another (see John 15:12 and 1 John 4:19).  As we have been forgiven (by God) we are commanded to forgive one another (many examples of this).  What God does for us, he expects us to do to one another.
 
1 Peter 2:9-10 reminds us;  "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."
 
There was a time when we didn't belong.  There was a time when we were outsiders.  There was a time when we were not the people of God.  But God has loved us; sought us; forgiven us; adopted us - and now we are his chosen people.  We have a sense of spiritual belonging.  We are part of a family.
 
I firmly believe that God would have us offer a similar sense of belonging to those around us - and, according to so many scriptures in both the Old and New Testament, He has his eye particularly on the vulnerable children.
 
How do we respond?  Just like anything else, we need to respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and then do whatever we can.  Not one of us can do everything; but all of us can do something.
 
We can start by getting to know the children in vulnerable situations - instead of thinking that somebody else will look after them.  According to God's word - we, the Christians, have this responsibility. If God puts it on your heart to consider adopting a child - or teenager - by all means - consider it. If God puts it on your heart to visit an orphanage and offer support - by all means - do it. They need prayer support.  They need financial support.  They may need an extra pair of hands. Maybe you can offer some support to a local family who has taken in some vulnerable children.
 
Stephanie Fast was saved because somebody listened to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.  That's all God wants you to do.  Listen and obey.
 
I want to encourage you to look for ways to care for the children.  Find an organization that you can support.  Consider adoption.  Consider foster care.  Consider sponsoring a child through one of many organizations (Nazarene Child Sponsorship is one of them).  Maybe make it a goal to visit an orphanage somewhere in the world.  Give financial support to those who are on the front lines of care.
 
While we can't do everything; we can do something.  Ask the Lord what that something is for you.
 
Psalm 100 reminds us, "we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture" (Psalm 100:3).  We have a sense of belonging.  Not everyone does.  Perhaps through you, you can bring that sense of belonging to someone else.

[See also this article: The Role of Spirit-Gifted Women in the Last Days]

Every once in a while the question comes up about the practice of ordaining women in leadership, especially in light of some scriptures which seem to prohibit it.  Some have wondered if the practice is contrary to scripture.  I do not believe it is.

Interestingly, at our recent district assembly, the report of the Christian Action committee focused on women.  The introductory paragraph states, "As a Christian, holiness, missional church we value our theological roots which, from the beginning, have recognized the significance of women in ministry. This is not a recent liberal shift, but a long historical acknowledgement that God calls both men and women to equal roles of leadership in Christ’s Church."

I am not in any way an official spokesman for the Church of the Nazarene, but as a pastor, I do have a response to the objections that are commonly raised.

First objection: Only men were the priests in the Old Testament

It is true, that in the Old Testament, only men were permitted to serve as priests.  Only certain men would be qualified to offer sacrifices.  It wasn't for all men, and it certainly wasn't for women.  The argument, therefore goes, that only men should take on the role of priests in the New Testament.

The difficulty with this argument is that the apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists, elders, and deacons in the New Testament are not taking the role of the Old Testament priests.

We like things neat and tidy.  If we can make a new testament equivalent to everything in the old testament, it looks neat, even symbolic.  So the church becomes the new testament version of the temple.  The Lord's Supper becomes the new testament version of sacrifices.  The Lord's Day becomes the new Sabbath.  And the ministers become the new testament version of priests.

It sounds nice, but it's not accurate.  We can't simply duplicate the old testament by making a new testament version of it.  The ministers in the early church were not priests.

In the new testament, Peter said, "You [referring to the whole church] also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1 Pet. 2:5).   According to Hebrews 4:14-16, all believers have the right to go directly to God through Jesus Christ (this was something that only the priests did in the old testament).

Peter continued, "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light..." (1 Pet. 2:9).  And if that wasn't clear enough, Revelation 1:5-6 says "To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever."

Throughout the new testament, we find that all the believers, together, are priests, men and women.  Even though, in the old testament, it was only certain men who could serve as priests, in the new testament, the ministers are not priests; instead all the believers are priests - both men and women.

Second objection: women can not be "head" over men

This is a common complaint about Paul's writings - that he puts women down; that he tells wives to submit to their husbands and emphasizes that the man is the head of the household.

Some people have very wrongly used these types of statements to figuratively (and sometimes even physically) beat on women.  That is a blatant misuse of scripture.  Paul does not condone that at all.  In fact, when we understand the context in which Paul wrote, we find that he is actually helping women.

The challenge we have is that we are looking at Paul's writing in the context of the 21st century.  Women today may read Paul's writing and think to themselves, "I'm sure glad I'm not his wife - I mean, he is quite a scandalous writer!"  Yes, Paul was scandalous - but not for the reasons that it would appear.

Paul was writing in a culture where women were nothing more than property.  They had very few rights (if any) and little protection from the law.  In this context, rather than putting women down, Paul was in fact lifting women up.  He was placing limits on the men.  And more than that, he was telling the men what it means to love their wives, even to the point of sacrificing their lives for the wives.

This was scandalous!  Why, a man would probably rather give his life to save his camel before he saved his wife.  That's the kind of culture they were in.  And what does Paul do?  He is teaching men to value their wives.  He is lifting up women, children, and even slaves as persons created in God's image (instead of property).

We see this clearly in Philemon, when Paul urges Philemon to accept Onesimus on the basis of the fact that he is "no longer a slave, but rather a brother in Christ”.

It's important for us to understand that Paul's attitude toward women if we are to understand what he had to say about women speaking in church.

Third objection: the New Testament explicitly prohibits women in ministry

On the surface 1 Corinthians 14.33b-35 seems pretty clear.  "As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in church.”

Corinthians was a problem church for Paul; in fact, his whole letter was essentially a problem solving letter!  And in this particular church, where the congregation was mostly gentile (non-Jewish), the new believers would have brought into the church the customs and practices that they had previously engaged in; namely, that they would go to a prophet to ask personal questions; questions like, "should I marry this person?" or "should I buy this land?"

Now, as part of the church, these same people, in this case some wives, brought into the church this practice of interrupting the worship to ask their personal questions.  And, what I believe Paul is saying here is that the worship time is not the time to ask your personal questions.  If they have a question, they should ask their husbands at home.  It's not that women can never be the speaker or leader, but as the listener, they shouldn't be interrupting the service.

What about 1 Tim. 2:12?  "I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent." Again, it doesn't sound very positive but Paul is dealing with a situation, probably in Ephesus, where some high-society women, new to the faith, figure that because they were wealthy, had fancy clothes and fancy hairstyles; after all, they were important women; therefore they should be able to speak and teach.

And what Paul is saying is "no".  The verb tense in verse 12 is most accurately translated "I am not presently permitting a woman to teach..."  The point is that these women are new to the faith.  Just as Eve was deceived because she didn't have all the information; so also these women don't have all the information.  They need to learn first.

Paul isn't saying that women can never teach; but that at this point, these particular women are not to teach because they need to learn themselves.

Throughout the New Testament we see women in leadership.  In Paul's letters, we find examples of women teachers, evangelists, prophets, deacons and apostles. Paul makes it clear Galatians 3:28; that in Christ "there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
 
More than gender; what determines (or should determine) the leadership of the church is the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit, which He gives to each one within the body of Christ, both men and women.


 

It was about a month ago that the United States Supreme Court made a five-four decision making same-sex "marriage" a constitutional right in all of the United States.  This has left more people divided than anything else since the abortion debate.  People have either been cheering a victory or lamenting an earth-shattering loss, depending on where they stood on this issue. Even the White House was decked out in rainbow colours.

The social media has been buzzing with all kinds of posts, many from Christian groups predicting doom and gloom; the beginning of the end, and a slippery slide into further sexual confusion and chaos.  And of course, those who support same-sex "marriage" have been displaying their colours, planning further changes and wondering why others can't live and let live.

I believe that it is in times like this that we need to remember the words of Paul in Philippians 1:27; “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.”   The question I'd like to raise and address in this article is how do we conduct ourselves in a godly manner in the midst of such circumstances?  And I'd like to offer three suggestions.

First, we need to point the finger at ourselves.

Jesus said it pretty plain – that we need to remove the plank from our own eye before we take the speck out of someone else’s eye – and when it comes to the decline of sexual morality, I can't help but wonder if we have only ourselves to blame.  Why? Because of our own inconsistency.  We know what God's Word says about sexuality (and I'm not referring here to just homosexuality); and yet we have not adhered to it very well.

13 The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body... 18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.  [1 Corinthians 6:13b, 18-20]

I know it's not the case with everyone, but for far too many people – in the church – we have not been honoring God with our bodies.  By and large, our actions have not lived up to our message.  While we talk about sexual immorality being wrong, you wouldn't know it by our behaviour.  Sex before marriage; sex outside of marriage; pornography; immodesty; and adultery.  Add to that Jesus' clear teaching in Matthew 5:28; "anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" and you can see that we are in pretty bad shape.

This is not just a problem outside the church.  This is a problem in the church.  So when we, the church, point to others about sexual sins, the world points back at us and wonders why we are being such hypocrites.    And regrettably, they have a point.

Part of the reason why the church is in such bad shape is simply because the church is open (as it should be) to all everyone.  We don’t make visitors sign a statement saying they have it all together before they are let in. Truth is, if we did that, no one would be in.  We have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  We all need help.  We have all failed.  We stumble in many ways.  I get that.  We are not perfect.

But those who know better, those who have been walking with the Lord, growing in their faith; they too will fall to the temptations of the flesh - and all too often the church ignores it.  Fortunately, there are also times when there is repentance, forgiveness, and restoration. After all, that’s why we are here.  If someone falls in sin, we are to restore them gently.  That's what we do. But the world doesn’t see that.  The world sees a church that is not practicing what it is preaching.  More than "restoring" the church has been "ignoring".

We do it all the time.  We poke criticism at some sins while ignoring others.  We lay down the law (even though we don't adhere to it) on sexual purity - but we don't focus too much gossip, or anger, jealousy, greed, and even gluttony.  If we point at some things, while ignoring others; we are being hypocrites.

The bottom  line is that we (the Church) haven't set the best example we could; and in the process we have undermined our credibility to be a voice of truth.  So when we respond to the collapse of sexual morality in our society, we need to begin by pointing the fingers at ourselves.

What can we do about it?  We can repent.  We can admit our failure.  We can admit our hypocrisy.  And where there has been sin, especially where the sin has been public, there needs to be repentance that is public.  We don't often do that because we like to portray a clean image.  The image is already messed.  It's time to come clean - publicly if we must.

Second, we need to remain calm.

While the decision in the United States is important - and it will have an impact on Christians - it is not the end of the world and we should not act as if the sky is falling or as if God was caught by surprise.

We get all up tight because the government is not adopting Biblical values.  Well, of course they are not.  Why would they?  We are not living in a predominantly Christian society so why would the world choose a godly way – especially when the church isn’t doing all that well to begin with?  It just doesn’t make sense.  For us to be surprised or “up in arms” over a decision made by a people who don’t adhere to Christian values, and expect them to do so, is unrealistic at best and hypocritical at worst.

I am not suggesting that this isn't important - what I am saying is what else should we expect? If God is not the moral authority upon which we base our society, then why would we expect the values of society to reflect those of the Bible?  We can't! So when decisions are made, like the USA did recently, or Canada did 10 or so years ago, we shouldn't be surprised.

1 Peter 4:12 reminds us, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you."

The truth is, throughout most of the past 2000 years Christians have been living and dealing with societies that were fundamentally opposed to Christian values.... and it was during those most difficult times when the Christian faith stood strong - and when the church made the most impact on society.

If you think things are bad now, remind yourself of what the world was like when the church was first starting out.  It didn't start off in a wonderful and supportive community.  Take a look at how Paul describes society in Romans 1:29-32.

 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
 
It was awful back then, and yet, the church grew.  Seems to me like we're only going back to where we began.  As bad as things are getting today, the truth is, we've been there before. Yes, it is contrary to God's Word.  Yes, it is disappointing and it will be devastating to society.  But that is also the times when the church has been the most prominent; salt and light.

So what are we to do?  We remain calm, we need to pray, and we need to stand on God's Word.  It is not the end of the world (at least, not yet) and in the darkness we have the opportunity to reflect the light and love of Jesus.

Three, we need to stand on God's Word.

We are not all that good at addressing what God's Word has to say about sexuality.  More often than not, we look at the negatives.  "Don't this... don't that...".  We don't focus on what God's Word does say (positively) about sexuality.

God is not ashamed of our bodies.  God's word is not afraid to speak about sexual intimacy.  You just need to read Song of Solomon to see that.

We also see it right in the beginning - when God created the heavens and the earth.  And after God created all things, he created man.  But it wasn't good that man was alone.  So what did God do?  Well, what he didn't do is create someone to go golfing or fishing with Adam.  He didn't create a hunting partner or a business partner. He created a woman; very distinct from the man.  "Male and female he created them" (Genesis 1:27).

And He created them very deliberately the way that He did so that they can experience sexual intimacy. It seems that sex, between a husband and a wife, was God's idea right from the beginning - and it was good!  It wasn't shameful. "For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.  The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame" (Genesis 2:24-25).

That was the way God created man and woman; to enjoy their sexuality within the context of marriage.

But like many other things that God created for the "good" man has turned around and used it for sin.

24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.  26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.    (Romans 1:24-27).

When it comes to what is right or wrong; it's not about what I think - it's about what God's word says. And when it comes to sexuality - it's really hard to not understand what God says about it.  The references in the New Testament (see Romans above) are clear, as are the references in the Old Testament. "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable" (Leviticus 18:22).  "If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable." (Leviticus 20:13).

The bottom line is that regardless of whether a person is homosexual or heterosexual or simply confused by it all, as followers of Christ, we are all called to a life of sexual purity.  Homosexuals and heterosexuals must equally abstain from the temptations of the flesh.

9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.  (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

It's easy to read off the list of those who won't inherit the kingdom of God and miss out on the most important part of this passage.  It's in verse 11.  "And that is what some of you were".  Past tense!  Something has changed!  They were washed.  They were sanctified.  Yes, even the sexually immoral.

Jesus didn't cast stones at the woman caught in adultery, but he did tell her to leave her life of sin.  That's what we're here for - to encourage one another to leave a life of sin; all sin, not just sexual sin.  And we're all in it together.  We've all sinned, and we all need the grace and forgiveness of God - which he gives freely to all who would come to him.  He's not out to get us. He's out to restore us.

Today, perhaps more than in any time in at least recent history, we, the church, need to be clear on what God's Word says about sexuality.  But it's not something we need to hold over someone's head to beat them; and it's definitely not something we should expect the "world" to embrace with us; but it is definitely an opportunity to live out the message found in 1 Peter 2:11-12:

"Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the [unbelievers] that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us."

By doing so, we will be conducting ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ; and for His glory.

I am not Charlie.

What happened in Paris was an awful and brutal and shameful tragedy.   It is incomprehensible that someone would brazenly and carelessly take the lives of others because they were offended.  Those terrorists were wrong.  They were dead wrong.

But I am not Charlie and I hope I never become Charlie.  Why?

Because Charlie represents everything I am not.

In the name of “free speech” Charlie consistently and systematically mocked everything and everyone.  It didn’t matter, politician, clergy, whoever, wherever.  Their unwritten creed was “we don’t care about your feelings”.  We don’t care what our satire does to you.  We don’t care if you are offended.  We don’t care if you are insulted.  We simply don’t care.

And so they would mock.  They would ridicule.  They would insult.  They would degrade.  And they would do all this knowing full well that the people or groups they were targeting would be deeply offended.  But, that wasn’t their concern.  Their concern was doing what they wanted regardless of how anyone else felt.

Very unfortunately (and of course criminally) a group of people responded with the exact same attitude.   They didn’t care how the people in the office felt.  They didn’t care about how the family members would feel by their ruthless, brutal action.  They didn’t care if people were hurt.  They too simply didn’t care about others.

While it is easy (and obvious) to point to the horrible actions of the terrorists (and to call it horrible is putting it mildly), and while no one deserves being gunned down in cold blood, what happened in Paris shouldn’t come as a big surprise.

If my attitude is, "I will do what I want regardless of how it makes you feel" why should we be surprised when the other retaliates in some measure without any regard to how the first person felt?

We have this thing called free speech.  But we also have this thing called responsibility.

Just because we have a right does not mean it is wise or even proper to exercise that right – particularly when it steps on other people.

In a civil society, we have (or should have) something called respect.  Respect means we treat people who we disagree with (even when we disagree vehemently) as a human.  That means, we don’t mock and ridicule and insult (unless we are still in grade 3).  It means we care about the other person.

This, I believe, is what Jesus modeled.  He met all kinds of opposition.  People rejected him.  They denied him.  They mocked him.  They even crucified him.  He didn’t mock them in return.  At times, he kept silent. When social outcasts were brought to him, he didn’t ridicule them.  He even went to eat with sinners.

Jesus never condoned sin.  He never swept it under the rug.  He never pretended it wasn’t important.  He didn’t say “you can believe whatever you want”.  Jesus had strong convictions and he made those known.  There was no other way.  However, even with those who were so opposed to him, he treated them with a measure of dignity.

That is what is sadly lacking in our world, and it is only worse because of the anonymity offered by the internet.

And so, I am not Charlie.  Charlie didn’t have respect for others.  He didn’t care.  And sadly, very sadly and very tragically, others choose to exercise the same lack of respect.

Please not misunderstand me.  I am not at all condoning or excusing the horrible acts perpetuated in Paris.  They were evil, plain and simple.  And I’m not at all suggesting that Charlie got what he deserved.  But what I am saying is that when someone pushes and pushes and pushes, you shouldn’t be surprised when others push back.  The tragedy is that they pushed back in the only way they know.  Guns.

We need to treat one another with respect.  Even if we disagree.  Especially when we disagree.

Biblically speaking, any form of communication I use should be primarily focused on “building someone up” not tearing them down.

Ephesians 4:29, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

Philippians 1:27, “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.”

May God help us to conduct ourselves in such a manner.

The Olympics.  What a huge event.  Over $50 billion in preparation costs.  Almost three thousand athletes from 88 countries around the world competing in 98 events. 

The Olympics come with the usual array of events:  Protests.  Threats.  Questions.  Complaints.  Couldn't all that money be used in a better way?  Then there's the thrill of victory.  The agony of defeat.  It's all there.

It seems the bigger something gets, the more opportunity to criticize it or protest against it.

There is much that I don't like about the Olympics, and yet, I find myself watching and enjoying the Olympics.  I find myself getting up early or staying up late to see athletes compete.  And not just Canadian athletes either.  From a wide variety of sports I've enjoyed watching athletes from around the world; Canadian or not.  I've even cheered for them (except, maybe, for the opponents to the Canadian hockey teams).

So why did I enjoy the Olympics so much?  Because people were involved.  Real people.

So much of today's "entertainment" is virtual.  Games are played electronically.  Most movies are computer generated; at the very least the special effects.  Most business is conducted electronically.  We communicate via email.  We seldom interact with real people.

During the Olympics, we get to see people; real people.  We see athletes shine and burst into joy; some because they won a medal; some simply because they were there competing.  We see real emotion.  We see talent.  We see effort.  We feel for athletes who trained for years but fell short of their goal; maybe they were just a little slow; maybe they literally fell and blew their chances; maybe it just wasn't their day.  And we see their pain.  We feel their pain.  These are people who have given up so much for one shot.

I believe I've enjoyed the Olympics because of this human connection.  These are real people, showing real feelings, in a real live setting.  And whether they win or lose, we feel for them and we feel with them; and that's something that, I believe, is lacking in today's world.

Far too much of our "connection" and "entertainment" is virtual.  It's a good thing that God didn't work that way.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life".  There it is; the personal touch.

God designed us for human contact.  We're made that way. It wasn't good for Adam to be alone.  It wasn't even good that Adam and Eve were alone - they were to multiply.  They needed each other; they needed others around them.  They needed human contact.

Much has changed since the days in the Garden, but the fact that we need human contact hasn't changed.  We still need each other.  And I thank God that one of the places we can find a human touch is in the Church.  The Church is a place for real people, with real feelings, sometimes with real problems and real failures, and often times with real victories.  We are not a perfect people; but we do have a real love for one another and the funny thing is the more people we share this love with, the greater it becomes.

The Olympics come and the Olympics go; but our need to stay connected remains.