Made By My Mistakes

Have you ever messed up royally as a Christian? A sin that bursts apart your soul and makes you wonder if Jesus Christ is truly living in you? If you have, you know what it’s like to wear a burden of pain that tears at your soul. Sometimes it tears with lion claws as the enemy turns over the soil of your past and digs up half-buried memories. It can feel hard to lift your head, to feel lovable, accepted, desired. Yet, when the rain of grace falls upon that soul, what grows out of your darkest days can become your greatest gift.

Such was the case of an impetuous fisherman named Peter – a man who in a moment of bravehearted grandeur boldly declared his willingness to die rather than deny his Savior. Yet hours later he cowardly cursed at anyone suggesting he knew the carpenter’s son. His devout promise is torn to shreds by fear and confusion. A rooster’s crow marks his darkest hour. Peter has betrayed the One he loves most, and now he wonders if Jesus can ever trust his love again.

Reading the last chapter of John always puts me on pins and needles. I see myself tugging at the robes of Jesus and begging, “Please be gentle. You know Peter loves you. You know he has always loved you. Sin is stupid and fear rips us up, and we slip into darkness – but you know Peter. He has never stopped loving you….I have never stopped loving you.”

“Do you love me?” Jesus asks. Peter replies with a resounding “YES!” But Jesus asks him again…and again. Many have said that by asking three times, Jesus was reflecting on Peter’s betrayal. I can’t help but think that Peter must have flashed back too. I envision him sighing deeply and dropping his eyes as he chokes out his final answer, “Lord…you know everything. You know I love you.”

I suspect Peter’s internal dialogue ran something like this: “O Jesus, you knew I would betray you. You prophesied it. Therefore you must also know that I love you more than life itself. I am weak. But I trust you to see past the weakness and know my heart. Since you know everything, you know that I love you.” Peter loved Jesus fully – yet he sinned. But sin was powerless to separate Peter from Jesus’ love.

I believe grace rained down in bucketfuls as Peter grasped the reality that love is not hinged on behavior – it is anchored in the truth of who Jesus is – LOVE ITSELF. Jesus was not there to condemn Peter; he was there to commission him. Out of the soil of pain a tree of righteousness was growing. A tree that can only grow when planted in the truth of grace.

Peter walked away from that encounter a changed man. Maybe more changed than all the others because he hadn’t a shred of ego left that believed he “deserved” love and glory and the honor of sitting at Jesus’ right hand. He had encountered the outrageously generous love of God – and he simply loved God right back.

It is up to us in our time of darkness to remember Peter and his time of darkness. He had dedicated himself to Jesus but he had messed up – he had not stopped loving Jesus but he had just made a big mistake. We also do not stop loving Jesus who now lives within us – but we, in weakness, make mistakes.

When we enter the book of Acts, Peter “the rock” emerges. A man altered beyond recognition. A man who stands bruised, battered and bold, crying out, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about the wonderful things we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19). Why? Because love does not stop.

Peter’s story reminds me that Jesus uses broken people – people who have come face to face with their limitations, fears, inadequacies and selfish egocentrics. When we have crumbled before the reality of who we are and we hear God whispering, “I love you anyway. You are exactly who I want you to be at this point in your life. You are exactly who I want as a growing child in my Family.”

We, too, cannot stop telling the world about the wonderful things he has done. Obedience no longer carries a checklist of duties – it flies on the wings of love. In those moments I don’t mind so much being “made” by my mistakes.

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A message on the anniversary of 9-11

[Sermon given by Lou Hodapp at the Missouri Veteran's Home on 9-11-2011] 

We come together on this rather solemn day of remembrance of the tragedy of 9-11. What a horrible, evil thing that event was!

The questions in some people’s minds were: How could a good God allow such evil? And why do bad things happen to good people? Godly people down through the ages have wrestled with these questions. I don’t profess to completely understand God’s plans but I do know this: God IS in control!

The book of Job is the oldest book in the Bible – it was written even before Moses wrote about the creation and the flood of Noah. Job was a man who  really was involved with the two questions mentioned: Why have evil at all, God? And why does evil strike good people, God?

Job was a person who God allowed to lose all his children and all his material wealth.

I call the book of Job the first and greatest debate.

Job had 4 friends who debated with him over evil and suffering. Job refused to blame God and said that God has a good purpose even though Job couldn’t figure it out. His friends blamed a punishing God and Job himself for the evil circumstances.

One reason the problem of evil has persisted as an argument against God may be that we struggle so hard to identify what eventual good could possibly justify the magnitude of evil’s horrible inpact.

We all have freedom to choose good or evil. Those Muslim pilots who flew those planes into the towers had the free will to do it. Free will serves a purpose in God’s plan for humanity.

Twentieth century history sadly reveals how difficult it is to expose humanity’s fatal leaning toward evil. More than a hundred million people were brutally murdered in that one century alone at the hands of despots who built their power over people.

No doubt Job found himself unable to imagine any good that could possibly outweigh his suffering and loss. Rebellion against God takes many forms. It may be a s subtle as simply ignoring God or as blatant as lashing out violently to harm others. But without the freedom to exercise this choice, humanity would be little more than robots.

In the last chapter of Job, after all the Great Debate, Job reached a conclusion he could live with.

Job replied to God, “I know that you can do anything and that no one can stop you. You ask who it is who has so foolishly denied your plan for good. It is I. I was talking about things I knew nothing about and did not understand things far too wonderful for me.”

In effect Job said, “I can never totally understand you, God. But I trust you and your plan for humanity and it is a place of peace and praise. I will love you and trust you to see me through what I do not understand.”

I’m sure we have all looked at the events of 9-11 and tried to see where God fit in. Just remember this – God is in charge of EVERYTHING.

And His whole purpose is to bring people to the understanding of their weakness of mind and inability to live life by their own power and strength.

In the days immediately following 9-11, the churches were filled with praying people. But God also wants us to pray on the good days, not just when we think we need God. What I’ve learned in 80 years is that real confidence in prayer isn’t found by projecting my desires on God on my bad days. Sure, I still do it – I still call on God to get me out of bad situations. But confidence is not built by how these bad situations turn out. Confidence is built by loving prayer and communication on the good days. Confidence is built when things are going right for us on the good days and we can sit restfully down and be thankful for the overall pattern of our life in Christ. We grow to understand that everything in our Christian life is used by God as a means of His overall WILL toward growth in His Family. Sometimes I have been grateful for His “yes.” Sometimes I’ve seen the wisdom of a “no”. Sometimes I’ve even wondered but learned to enjoy God in the process of waiting for His answer. Don’t neglect prayer on your good days. After all, there is no question of “yes”, “no”, or “wait” when you are cultivating a love relationship with God in Christ. Prayer on good days makes prayer of need on bad days easier to deal with and, in the long run, more of a love relationship.

Let me inject a little humor on this solemn day. A man was out hiking on a mountain trail. He got careless and slipped over the edge. As he hung by his fingertips on the precipice, he called out, “Is anyone up there that can help me?” He heard a deep voice say, “I am God. I can help you. Just let go and I will sweep you down to the ground on angel’s wings and prevent you from dashing your head on the rocks.” There was a long pause of silence. Then the man said, “Is there anyone else up there?”

Friends, God won’t test you like that to save you.

At Grace Church, our pastor has spent the whole summer basically on one topic – God loves you – just the way you are. But He wants you to be MORE than human. He wants you to come into His divine Family. You don’t have to and in fact you can’t earn your way to becoming a son or daughter of God. God has made it very simple – it is by faith alone. By calling out to God for a Savior from your sins, Jesus Christ’s death substitutes for your sin penalty. By agreeing as best you are able, to make Jesus the Lord of your life, you are saved.

Join me in your heart with this prayer: Heavenly Father – I really can’t figure out everything about you. As my Creator, you are just too big and all-knowing. But this I do know: You have proven yourself lovable to me and I want to be in your Family. I do accept Jesus as my Savior and will follow Him as Lord of my life as best I can. Thank you, Father, thank you, Jesus. You have promised in your Word to see me through good and bad circumstances – that you will never let me go. I stand on your promise. I have peace now. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Let’s finish with a specific prayer about 9-11. This is the prayer of Pope Benedict when he visited ground zero in April 2008.

O God of love, compassion and healing, we ask you in your goodness to give eternal peace to all who died there on 9-11 – the heroic first responders, the fire fighters, police officers, emergency service workers, along with all the innocent men and women who were victims of this tragedy simply because their work brought them there.

We ask you in your compassion to bring healing to those who, because of their presence there that day, suffer from injuries and illness.

Heal too the pain of still grieving families and all who lost loved ones in this tragedy. Give them strength to continue their lives with courage and hope.

We are mindful as well of those who suffered death, injury and loss the same day at the Pentagon and in the fields of Pennsylvania.

God of peace, bring your peace to our violent world. Turn to your way of love those whose hearts and minds are consumed with hatred. Grant that those whose lives were spared may live so that the lives lost there may not have been lost in vain.

Give us the wisdom and courage to work tirelessly for a world where true peace and love reign among nations. God bless America.

Amen.

Thank you for having me.   

Why Must We Endure Hurricanes?

[written by Hugh Ross - from his book, "Hidden Treasures in the Book of Job"]

In the aftermath of Hurricane Irene and other massive storms, one wonders why God would subject the planet to such forces. Given the laws of physics the Creator used in shaping the universe, the absence of such storms would mean either less rainfall, less evenly distributed rainfall, lower quality living space on the continents, or more extreme day-to-night temperature differences. The present number and intensity of hurricanes yields the optimal balance between advanced life’s well-being and collateral damage.

Hurricanes serve a number of beneficial proposes. They substantially increase chlorophyll concentrations along continental shelves, bringing nourishment to many species located there. Hurricanes powerful winds lift huge quantities of sea-salt aerosols from the oceans, and these play a critical role in raindrop formation. They also ensure that enough rain falls to support a large, diverse land life population. In addition, these aerosols and the clouds they form efficiently scatter solar radiation, allowing hurricanes to act as a global thermostat. When tropical oceans get too hot, they generate hurricanes. The aerosols and clouds produced by hurricanes serve to cool down the tropical oceans.

Every form of severe weather, not just hurricanes, brings beneficial effects. Lightning, for instance, is a major contributor to nitrogen fixation, a crucial nutrient supply for plants. Lightning also generates wildfires which remove growth inhibitors, infuse soils with water-retaining and mineral-rich charcoal, and facilitate the growth of fungi, a vital nitrogen fixater for plants. The lightning strike rate on earth is optimal for maintaining a high quality of life. Scientists observe the same level of optimization in every other form of “bad” weather.   

Jesus and Muhammad

Among the world’s great religious leaders, only two founded religions whose adherents now number well beyond a billion people—Muham­mad and Jesus Christ. As of 2008, researchers estimated world totals of approximately 1.5 billion Muslims and 2.1 billion Christians. Therefore, combined, Muslims and Christians make up approximately 54 percent of the world’s population.

While Muhammad (AD 570–632) and Jesus Christ (c. 6–4 BC–AD 30) loom as arguably two of the most influential people in history, the identity, mission, and message of the two leaders stand in stark contrast. In this article I will introduce the life and thought of Islam’s prophet, Muhammad, and then briefly com­pare him with Jesus Christ, who among Christians was known as the Son of God

The Life of Muhammad

Muhammad was born into the Quraish tribe in the vicinity of Mecca (modern day Saudi Arabia) in AD 570. Orphaned early in life, he was raised by his uncle Abu-Talib who was the chief of the tribe. Without for­mal education, Muhammad served as a camel driver in the Arabian Desert where he experienced cross-cultural interaction with members of the Jewish, Christian, and Zoroastrian religions. At 25 years of age he met and married a wealthy widow named Khadija and they had several children together. Through marriage Muham­mad became a rather well-to-do merchant.

Islam’s Prophet

According to Islam, while meditating in a mountain cave on the outskirts of Mecca (Mount Hira), Muham­mad fell into a trance and was greeted by the voice of the angel Gabriel. Through these extraordinary angelic encounters Muhammad is said to have received divine revelation that he would memorize and later recite. These revelatory encounters propelled Muhammad to the status of conduit of the God, Allah, and the specific messages formed the content of the Qur’an. As a result, Muhammad became the final and supreme prophet (seal of the prophets) of Allah.

The content of Muhammad’s message focused upon God’s absolute unity (radical monotheism) and the impending divine judgment facing humanity. That message is succinctly summarized in what Muslims refer to as the Shahadah (Islamic creed): “There is no god but the God (Allah), and Muhammad is the mes­senger of God.”

Muhammad’s importance in Islam is not limited to his prophetic or revelatory role. For ‘‘Muslims’’ (mean­ing those who submit to Allah’s will) he’s also the principal moral example. Muslim scholar Seyyed Hos­sein Nasr explains: ‘‘The prophet is seen by Muslims as the most perfect of all God’s creatures, the perfect man par excellence…whom the Quran calls an excellent model.”1 Of course, it should be understood that Islam views Muhammad as being solely a human being. But some Muslims revere Muhammad’s moral example highly enough to call him the “living Qur’an.”

Upon his death in AD 632, Muhammad was the undisputed religious and political leader of the Arabian people. He headed a religion that would one day domi­nate the entire Middle East and beyond. At least one historian has ranked Muhammad as the most influen­tial person in history.

The Prophet and the Son of God

Muslims view Muham­mad as the supreme and final prophet in a long line of prophetic figures (some 124,000) that includes but is not limited to such biblical figures as Abra­ham, Noah, Moses, David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, and Jesus. Historic Christianity refers to Jesus Christ as the only Son of God—meaning the person who shares God the Father’s divine nature and is therefore God in human flesh.

Five Ways Muhammad and Jesus Differ

These two respective leaders of the largest religions on earth profoundly differ when it comes to their per­son, nature, and message.

NATURE: Though viewed by Muslims as history’s greatest person, Muhammad never claimed to be anything other than a mere human being. In contrast, Jesus Christ proclaimed himself the Son of God who possessed both a divine and human nature.

CHARACTER: Muhammad, while highly intelligent, courageous, and persuasive, was––from an objec­tively historical perspective––not a morally perfect man. Whereas in Western civilization the greatest moral compliment to be paid is to say that one is Christlike in character.

MISSION: Muhammad’s mission was to persuade people to submit their wills completely to Allah. Jesus Christ, on the other hand, came to rescue sin­ners by providing a permanent sacrifice for human sin on the cross.

ROLE: In Islam, while everything is based on Mu­hammad’s life and teaching, nevertheless he is not the center of Muslim worship and devotion. In sharp contrast, historic Christianity is all about Jesus Christ (emphasizing his person, nature, life, death, and resurrection).

STATE: Muhammad died at the height of his power as a great spiritual and political leader but remained in the grave. Unlike all others, including the great leaders of the world’s religions, Jesus Christ rose bodily from the grave at his resurrection.

Hope vs. Assurance

The Islamic prophet Muhammad offers a message of moral reform and submission to Allah’s will with hope of paradise in the hereafter. The Son of God, Jesus Christ, secures for those who trust in him salvation from sin and eternal life via his victory over death.

Comparison of Leaders:

Jesus                                  Muhammad

Figure: Historical, factual       Figure: Historical, factual

Status: God Incarnate             Status: Merely human

Role: Lord & Savior       Role: Prophet & Example

Mission: Redeem sinners        Mission: Promote
                                                   Submission to Allah

State: Resurrected                   State: Dead

 Comparison of Religions:

Christianity                                 Islam

Problem: Human Sin                          Problem: Human
                                                              Weakness

Need: Reconciliation                           Need: Moral
                                                               Guidance

Solution: Faith & Repentance       Solution: Submission

Ultimate: Personal Redemption         Ultimate: Paradise

Assurance: Yes                                     Assurance: No

Deity: Trinitarian Monotheism          Deity: Radical
                                                               Monotheism