"The Hard Work of Being a Christian"
by Pastor Richard Carr

Article excerpted from the August 2011 issue of "The Lampstand"

Perhaps the greatest claim to fame of the Lutheran Church is our stand on justification.  Luther came to a radical (yet correct) understanding that we are saved completely by the finished work of Jesus Christ, and that we have nothing to do with it.  We don’t cooperate with God in having saving faith, we don’t meet God halfway; a Christian’s salvation is completely a work of God without any human “help.”  A sorrowful result in correctly understanding our salvation is that since God is completely responsible for it, we sometimes adopt the attitude that salvation is the whole picture for a Christian.

“As long as I’m saved, what else is there?” is an often thought of attitude.  To be more crass, some view their Christian faith as merely fire insurance for the day that they meet their maker, and there is nothing they have to worry about or do since God grants us our faith.  But there is a serious problem with this understanding.  God desires us to not just be saved from the punishment of Hell.  God wants us to right now experience more of Him, and to start the process of being holy.  This is called our sanctification.  Some refer to sanctification as holy sweat.  It is rightly called holy sweat because it is hard work, and oftentimes it appears to be brutally hard.

Ephesians 4:17-24 sheds a bit more light on this topic of sanctification.  Verses 17-19 explain one of the reasons why we should seek to be sanctified, because we are not ignorant: “17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.”  The vast majority of the world is ignorant or unaware of their miserable state of being.  The Bible calls us out and tells us to stop acting like foreign aliens to God.  The Bible says those living in sin have a darkened understanding and a blind heart.  They are numb to their conscience and strive to live in lewdness, filth, and act greedy.  For those of us that have learned the truth about Jesus, and have a relationship with Him, we are different, or at least we should be different.  So God tells us further in verses 20-24 how we who do have a relationship with Christ should be like. “20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on  the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” NKJV  By the renewing of our minds through meditating on on God’s Word, listening to sermons, praying, and simply being with God, we feed the new righteous man or woman within us.  Likewise, as we feed our new righteous nature, we starve and seek to kill our old sinful nature.  But here is the hardship.  Our old nature doesn’t like to starve.  It rears it’s ugly head time and time again, desiring to starve and kill our new righteous nature we have in Christ.  So there is a constant battle within us.  We are justified and declared holy once and for all because of what Jesus Christ has done.  Yet there is a daily struggle of our old and new nature to gain control of us.  What we do, how we live, even what we wear, eat, and drink can affect which nature gains strength.

It is neither easy to kill that old nature, or frankly enjoyable.  We must train and condition our souls, minds, and bodies.  An athlete knows that without sometimes pushing through physical pain and weakness, there will be little physical growth.  Likewise, without pushing back against our old nature, there will be little development of our new nature.  Colossians 3:2-5 says:  “2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. 5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”  NKJV

I am not asking you to die the way many cults throughout the ages have encouraged their followers at times to do.  What I am asking you to do is slay that evil beast living within you.  Everyday we have a choice to make.  Which nature do we feed and nurture, and which nature do we starve and attempt to put to death.  Being a Christian starts with our justification.  But living as a Christian is an ongoing struggle that unfortunately all of us have until we go to be with Christ in glory.  Let us join together in this hard work, encourage one another, and put to death our old sinful nature.

"Balance"
by Pastor Richard Carr

Article excerpted from the July 2011 issue of "The Lampstand"

I was recently meditating on Mary and Martha.  Most are familiar with these women, and their friendship with Jesus.  The focal point regarding these women was when Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to Him teach, while Martha was busy getting everything just right.  When Martha complained to Jesus, He gently scolded Martha and said Mary was doing the best thing by sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening.   It seems like a simple concept.  It is better to spend time with Jesus, than always trying to “do” for Jesus.  But many, especially those with the gift of hospitality and service, struggle with keeping a proper balance.  There is a dear woman I know who, as a result of her spiritual gifts, loves to serve others.  Yet, as a result of this service, she often struggles with this account of Martha and often feels guilty of being too “Martha-like.”  God uniquely gifts each of us with different talents and passions.  There is nothing wrong with serving and being busy for the Lord.  In fact, for some it would be a waste of their talents for them not to.  But the key is finding balance in busyness, not being controlled by the urgent, and making time to sit at the Master’s feet, even when “stuff” needs to be done.

Charles Hummel wrote an essay called the Tyranny of the Urgent.  This short yet powerful essay speaks to the typical busy American more now than ever.  Hummel outlines that in three short years Jesus completed all His earthly work.  Imagine, in just three years Christ was able to finish all the work that was to be done by Him.  The Bible testifies to this in John 17:4 when Christ simply says He had finished everything God gave Him to do.  There were still people that needed to be healed, sermons to be preached, and moneychanger tables to be flipped, but Christ was finished.  Most of us would have a hard time saying we are finished when the task at hand is still not completed, yet Christ modeled for us something different.  Because of Christ’s radical commitment to staying connected to God, He knew God’s daily will for His life and work.  Part of Christ knowing God’s will, was knowing when He was finished on earth.

So is it wrong to be busy?  Absolutely not!  Jesus was so busy and tired that he fell asleep in a boat in the middle of storm!  Yet, as busy as Jesus’ ministry and life was, He was never stressed out about all the unfinished urgent things that still needed to be done.  He let go of the urgent and focused on the important.  And the key to finding out what is important in our lives is found in our connection with God.  Every day Jesus dedicated time to be with God to get His compass straight.  Jesus needed His marching orders every day from God, just as we do.  By finding His direction daily He was not distracted by all the urgent things that crossed His path.

So what about you?  Are you balanced in your busyness by having a good handle on the important and the urgent, or is your life a series of fires that always need to be put out, thereby controlling your time, energy, and money?  Being “Martha- like” is not just being overly busy.  Being “Martha-like” is being controlled by events, and losing focus of the important tasks at hand that God wants you to focus on.  Now more than ever, we need to stop doing, doing, doing.  God doesn’t call us to frantically stay busy, but rather to be Spirit-led, intensely following the path God has laid out for us.  If you aren’t sure if your life is properly balanced and Spirit-led, start by looking at the time you spend with God.  If you don’t have daily time in prayer and God’s Word, chances are you are being controlled by urgent events, rather than intensely following God’s plan for your life.  If you would like to further study this concept of the tyranny of the urgent you can read Hummel’s essay for free at www.uga.edu/.../Tyranny%20of%20the%20Urgent%202.doc

In summary, there is no easy way to align our lives properly.  The tyranny of the urgent has many chained to the treadmill of life with no apparent way to get off.  But there is a solution, there is a hope, and there is a model for a balanced life in the person of Jesus Christ.  By better following Christ’s model of balancing priorities and finding our direction through daily time with God, we can avoid being Martha-like and slay the foul beast of the urgent, so we can do the best, and intensely follow the plan God has for us.  

"Worthy of the Calling"
by Pastor Richard Carr

Article excerpted from the June 2011 issue of "The Lampstand"

In England, where there is a noble class, titles are a big thing.  Just before the recent royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, the queen of England made the couple the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.  William also became the Earl of Strathearn and Baron of Carrickfergus, which makes his wife both a countess and baroness.  While very few in England or the world ever achieve these lofty titles, some are bestowed lesser titles.   Elton John is no longer just a flamboyant singer with a pension for goofy outfits and glasses, he is Sir Elton John because he was knighted.  Other famous people who have been bestowed the honor of being knighted are Sean Connery, Paul McCartney, and Anthony Hopkins, just to name a few.

Many years ago becoming a knight was much more than just receiving a title for being popular.  The typical road to knighthood started when a boy was 8.  He worked his way up from being a page to a squire, to eventually a knight (likely when he was in his 20’s).  This process included rigorous physical training as well as lessons in what and how a knight was to act.  The concept of chivalry was drilled into the heads of these young men.  Love, honor, charity, respect, and virtue were all part of a knight’s daily life.  Knights were also typically very wealthy since having a war horse, full armor, and all the necessities of war were costly.

While modern day “knights” may be similar to their ancient forerunners in having great wealth, there is little else that connects the two.  Unfortunately, modern society has become enamored with the title of knight, but not the discipline in becoming one.  As Christians we have a similar disconnect.  Many in our culture have made the claim of being a Christian; from Jim Jones (drinker of the poisoned Kool-aid) to Fred Phelps Senior (leader of the hate-filled Westboro Baptist Church infamous for picketing soldier’s funerals).  These and many others have claimed to be Christian, and walk around with the title of Christian, but fail to live out the calling of a true Christian.  The apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:1, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,….” (NKJV).

It is obvious that many “Christians” have failed to follow this one simple verse.  How many Christians do you know who are currently living their lives worthy of their calling?  How many Christians take their title of “Christian” serious?  A knight was given his title by the king of his country.  A knight would never dream of bringing shame or dishonor to his name or his king.  Since the knight spent so much effort, wealth, and time becoming who he was, bringing anything other than glory and honor to his king, would be unheard of.  To be a knight meant that a great sacrifice was made, a sacrifice that would never be cheapened through careless living or selfish desires.  While not all knights lived up to their calling, the vast majority did.

Perhaps the reason why we as Christians fall into sin so easily is the fact that our salvation, our calling as redeemed holy saints of God, comes to us at no personal cost.  Don’t misunderstand.  The cost to be redeemed meant that God would be born in a stable, to a poor family, live a typical life, teach a stubborn people, be betrayed by almost everyone, and die a horrible death.  The cost to be a Christian was great, it just wasn’t great to us.  It would be a powerful thing if we as a church meditated on this concept of living a life worthy of our calling.  How would our worship time with the Lord be different?  Would we strive to interact with the world differently?  Would we seek to build fame, money, power, and comfort for ourselves less, so we could bring glory to God, and better serve the one who “knighted” us with the title of Christian?  The life of a Christian  is not based on merit, but mercy.  However, we should ask ourselves a question,  “Because of this mercy, am I walking worthy of the supreme calling God has placed on me?”

"Being A Difference Maker"
by Pastor Richard Carr

Article excerpted from the May 2011 issue of "The Lampstand"

I remember growing up how impactful various people were in my life.  But few people impacted me more than my Boy Scout leader, Ed Haunn.  Mr. Haunn was a giant of a man in many ways.  I and some other Boy Scouts used to joke around about his “Popeye” forearms - they were immense.  I remember watching him pick up a dead tree and carry it to our campsite by himself on his shoulder.   When I tried to lift it to move it, I could barely move it with the help of another boy, let alone carry it.  He was also immense in his soft spoken personality.  I and other boy leaders would sometimes meet at his house to plan camping trips, talk about life, and just spend time with him.  Whenever we in leadership went to our summer camp early to help set up, he would always take us to a special diner that served hamburgers the size of small children, and homemade pies that rivaled some of the ladies pies in our congregation.  I remember when I became an Eagle Scout, he had tears of joy in his eyes.  He was a man that cared about me, and that was obvious.

As our culture becomes increasingly more hostile to Christian young people, now more than ever  we need positive Christian role models like Ed Haunn who care enough about the youth to get involved in their lives.  Our congregation has men and women in it that have a rich faith in God, and much experience in life.  What would happen if only a quarter of the adults in our congregation got serious in wanting to be a difference maker in at least one youth’s life?  What would happen to children and young adults if monthly, or even weekly, a young person would be invited over for a piece of pie and some conversation?

One result would be less of a divide between the age groups.  Instead of having a church where the youth and young adults sit together in the back, perhaps there would be an intermingling of ages in the pews.  Another result would be that real discipleship could start to take place.  It is impossible to disciple or train up a person in the faith, when there isn’t any personal connection.  There would also be a passing on of valuable experience in matters of faith, life, and personal living.  I am a firm believer in learning from other’s experiences, both mistakes and successes.

So I ask you, “What is keeping you from spending time with a youth or two from the church?”  On a recent retreat I asked the youth if they would like to be discipled, if they would like a deeper training in the faith, a more intimate relationship with another adult to learn more, and delve deeper into matters of faith.  I had at least 10 wanting this.  Now all I need are adults willing to invest some of their time and energy.  Perhaps you want to be a difference maker.  Will you be an Ed Haunn to a youth?  If you are interested or want to find out how to help, please contact me and I will help you get started.  The next generation is depending on us!

"If You Could Pick One Thing"
by Pastor Richard Carr

Article excerpted from the April 2011 issue of "The Lampstand"

 
I recently had a good friend remind me that we can all do many things half decent, but normally we can only do a few or even one thing really  well.  I would agree with that statement.  Unfortunately, I typically gravitate toward being a “jack of all trades,” but master of none.  I do car repair, major appliance repair, drywall finisher, house painter, swimming coach, home-schooling dad, explosive technician (I really like to make things like potato guns and other things that go boom), roofer, electrician, plumber, and finish carpenter (just to name a few).  And these jobs don’t even deal with my paid profession as a pastor.  I could fill a page with all my jobs I attempt to do as your pastor.

As I was pondering this idea my friend reminded me of, I started thinking back to my report to the congregation this past summer.  In that report I confessed my failures in certain areas (especially in anything requiring planning).  I had asked for people to come along side of me to help and aid me in areas of the church that need addressing.  I explained the concept that we as a congregation make up one body, and that each part of the body has a role to play.  1 Corinthians, chapter 12 goes into great detail concerning the concept that each person is a part of the big picture.  If one part tries to do something it is not equipped to do, that part will do poorly or fail, and the rest of the body will also suffer.

I know that every one of us is busy.  The concept of adding more to an already full plate is the last thing we want.  Yet, I can’t help but think, what would our congregation look like if we all chose one thing to focus on.  What would happen in our church if we simplified our congregational life and all found one thing we like to do, one thing we feel good at doing, one thing that we feel passionate about - and do it?  That might mean some of us do less stuff and focus on one thing.  If you are like me,  perhaps you need to let the 20 balls you are juggling in the air drop, and only throw one ball up in the air at a time.  For some it might mean reaching down and picking up a ball to throw up in the air for the first time.

I would like to challenge each one of us to simplify our lives and focus on just one thing.  That might mean something we have been doing as a church stops for awhile.  That’s ok.  If you are doing something you hate, you probably aren’t doing it well.  That also means that maybe you are taking away the joy that someone else might have if you were to stop doing what you are doing to all allow them a chance.  A result of this might even mean that we combine all the children’s Sunday School/Growth Groups into only one or two age ranges because we only have a few teachers that really want to teach.  It might mean that we have no coffee and tea in the kitchen area after church.  I know that the result of this will be hard for some to understand at first, but over time those things that remain will be done well, and with a cheerful heart.  After all, doesn’t God care more about our heart’s attitude than the fact that we are just doing stuff because we feel it needs to be done?

If you want to simplify your life and get back to the basics and do them well, I believe it needs to start with our walk with God, our spouse, our children, and our congregation.  I want to give you permission to step back, simplify, and find just one thing God is calling you to in our congregation.  Let’s let go...and let God!

"Why has God Allowed Us so Much Pain?"
by Pastor Richard Carr

Article excerpted from the March 2011 issue of "The Lampstand"

As I was thinking about this past year in our congregation’s life, my mind started recalling all the pain, suffering, death, and stress that many of us have gone through.  Some of us, after receiving our share of pain, got back in line for a second and third helping!  If we are really honest with ourselves, we might start asking the question, “Is it all worth it?”  It seems at least by first glance that those who delight in wickedness seem to sometimes have it much easier.  Or maybe we begin to question if God really is in control.  If there is a good God, then why is there so much trouble for Christians?

The apostle Paul wrote, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to the believers in the Roman church in Romans 8:18 an answer to these questions: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (NKJV)  Does this statement seem to ring hollow to you?  If it does, we should examine the suffering that Paul had gone through personally.  He was beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, attacked by robbers, imprisoned, and left for dead.  Furthermore Paul knew what it was like to be hungry, thirsty, cold, naked, weary, falsely accused, and abandoned by his friends.  If something bad could happen to you because you were a Christian, it probably happened to Paul.  Yet Paul said all our suffering just doesn’t come close to the future joy, happiness, and glory that is coming for believers.  Paul was a man acquainted with sorrow, yet he had a future hope of a coming glory that “kept his chin up.”  

God also knew, looking into the future, just how terrible the Christians were to be treated, especially in Rome.  They were used as entertainment in the arena where wild animals would destroy them, and they were covered in pitch and burned alive to provide light in Nero’s gardens. Throughout history Christians have been targets of abuse, torture, and neglect.  Yet despite all the abuse that God knew would be heaped on Christians, He wants us to know that all this suffering we go through doesn’t hold a candle to the glory that awaits believers on the other side of eternity. 

Body builders lift weights and go through pain physically because they want to enjoy the results of a finely chiseled body.  Students in grad school go through all night study sessions, and spend loads of money so they can graduate and work in a field that normally brings in lots of money, and prestige.  Dog owners endure chewed up slippers, furniture, messes, and much else so they can one day enjoy a dog that is well trained, mature, and loving.  The point is we all endure hardships in order to achieve results that we want.  God wants us to know that no matter how bad things get for us we will one day “graduate” into an eternity of bliss, joy, and extreme pleasure.  The pain we go through now is miniscule compared to what is to come.

And to top it all off, God never intended for us to have to endure the pain we have in this world.  He created a perfect world, and perfect people, who had perfect bodies, who would live in a beautiful garden.  We are the ones that messed it all up.  We are the ones that chose sin, but thanks be to God that we have been given another chance to live in that perfect world- now we just have to endure a short human lifespan before we can have it.  Instead of asking God why we have to endure such immense pain, we should focus on the heavenly reward that far surpasses anything we have to endure here on this earth now.  

"What Should A Christian Listen To?"
by Pastor Richard Carr

Article excerpted from the February 2011 issue of "The Lampstand"

I have an eclectic array of favorite music. I grew up listening to 70’s era "classic rock," and then while in the army I started listening to "heavy metal," and then after being convicted that my music should reflect my morals and values I started listening to pretty much just Christian music. When I came back from the Army and enrolled in college I took a music appreciation class and learned to love classical music. On top of that I grew up in a very liturgical church that only sang the old hymns in the classic red hymnal. Fast forward a few years, and while serving my last parish I played the drum set to modern praise and worship music. Depending on my mood I could be listening to an orchestra playing a moving piece by Bach, or occasionally while flipping through the radio channels in the car I could land on Magic Carpet Ride by Steppenwolf and blast the radio. God gave humans the ability to compose, sing, and play music that is as exotic and unique as a field full of wild flowers. A hot question that has been debated vigorously through the years is what should a Christian listen to?

Obviously music has the ability to be powerful, uplifting, and thoroughly enjoyable. Americans young and old have favorite music that stirs the soul, and makes us tap our feet. Is the music we pump into our heads a guilty pleasure or is it beneficial to our walk with the Lord? As Christians are we supposed to listen to listen to only "Christian" music? What makes music Christian? I cannot give a complete answer to these questions, in part, because I know many solid Christians who disagree on the answers. What I can do though is give some guidelines that have helped me in choosing what music to listen to and what music to avoid.

Perhaps the easiest place to start is by examining the lyrics that are being sung. Ask yourself the question, "Do I agree with what is being sung, or is the singer glorifying something that is destructive, bad, or sinful?" "Sex, drugs, and Rock and Roll" is a common phrase because typically sex and drugs is glorified in modern secular music. Romans 16:19b says, "… I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil." (NIV) If we seek to apply Romans 16:19 to the music we listen to we would all do well. By simply paying attention to the lyrics you listen to, you will be far more discriminating (in a good way) than most. Forget how good a song sounds or how it makes you feel. A clear objective measure to use concerning what we listen to must be the quality of the words being sung.

Some Christians have circulated stories of witch doctors being called out of the forest with modern rock beats, or the evils of syncopated rhythms associated with certain styles or genres of music. Frankly, I personally have never seen, experienced, or found anything sinful with a style or rhythm. Nor have I found that certain musical instruments are from the "devil." Pipe organs were mostly used in church services for years dating back to our beloved Martin Luther. Pipe organs have slowly been replaced by pianos, which seemingly are being replaced by the guitar. Regardless of which is the dominate instrument used in leading worship, all instruments are simply tools used to help lead others into worship of God. While I personally believe that there is no instrument on earth that can hold a candle to a really good pipe organ for many songs, I also greatly enjoy banging away on the cymbals and drums during a stirring modern praise song.

I look at music the way I look at tropical fish and wild flowers. There are so many unique and sometimes even strange choices to enjoy, why not enjoy them all? Instead of worrying if a song has a Christian label or is sung by a Christian, ask yourself a few simple questions. "Does this song glorify something different than what the Bible tells us to glorify?" "Is this music something I would want my children to listen to?" "Am I being innocent of evil and wise about what is good by listening to this music?" By carefully evaluating our music choices we will find that perhaps what we have been enjoying is glorifying sin. If that is the case, you have a choice - continue pumping into your head lyrics that glorify evil, or replace that music with something that helps your spiritual condition. It is not my place as your pastor to police your music choices, however, it is your place as a child of God to glorify Him, not sin.

"Spiritual Fitness"
by Pastor Richard Carr

Article excerpted from the January 2011 issue of "The Lampstand"

In the time leading up to Christmas, my family underwent a nasty stomach bug that really did a number on us.  For those living in a big family one of the many “benefits” is sharing sickness. Sometimes the bigger the family, the longer the length of time sickness stays around.  After much rest, plenty of fluids, and some good old-fashioned chicken soup, we got better.  Sickness is a part of life.  Ever since the fall of mankind into sin we have endured sickness.  Fortunately, God has given us the ability to be healed naturally, as well as good foods and medicine to help.   Just as all of us on occasion get sick physically, would it also be accurate to say that we can become spiritually sick as well?

Jesus took part in a party of sorts.  It was held in the home of a man known as Levi (or Matthew as he was also called).  Levi invited over many of his friends who were thieves, cheats, and worse. To make matters worse, Jesus invited Levi to join Him and become one of His disciples.  Well, when the religious leaders of the day saw Jesus eating, drinking, and enjoying the company of these people of ill repute, they complained and mocked Jesus.   Jesus simply replied that those who know they are sick know they need a doctor.  To put this in a context that applies to us today, it could be said that those of us who realize our sins, failures, and shortcomings need a cure.  We find that cure in Jesus.

Sadly, many find the cure they look for, but quickly turn from Christ and seek to embrace their old sin sick lives again.  Being a Christian starts with our justification.  This is a one-time event.  We become washed, cleaned, and renewed.  This only happens once.  However, what follows after justification is sanctification.  This is the ongoing process of becoming all that God desires us to be in this life.  Just as eating a healthy diet, drinking plenty of water, and getting rest all help us avoid most sickness, occasionally we will fall ill at times.  Unfortunately, many Christians aren’t eating well, staying hydrated, and resting, “spiritually speaking.”  God tells us in Hebrews 5:12-14 that many Christians are weak and infantile in their faith because they aren’t feasting on God’s Word as they should.  Jesus Himself refers to His desire to give “living water” to those who thirst for it in John 4:7-14.  Also, many Christians struggle with anxiety and stress, yet doesn’t Jesus say in Matthew 11:28, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (NKJV)

The truth of the matter is that many Christians are living in habitual sin, spiritually weak from malnourishment, and stressed out about life.  God has given us all the food, water, and rest we want - many simply haven’t taken it.  Perhaps you find yourself thinking how nice it would be to be released from all your stress, your worries, your burdens, and your habitual sins.  How wonderful would it be not to have a bad temper anymore?  What would it be like to truly be formed into the image of Christ?  That is what sanctification is, and that is what we can have.  There is no quick fix for being made into the image of Christ, but there is a way.  By being in the Bible, either by listening to it or reading it daily, your strength will grow and your sickness will diminish.  Once you have establish, a routine of reading the Bible, try just 5 minutes of prayer a day.  If you want to do more, great, but if you aren’t doing any prayer, this is an achievable goal that can work.  Lastly get active in our congregation.  Regularly attend church and growth groups.  We are stronger together as one unit than all of us doing our own thing.  You have a church family that needs you, and one that you need.  Once you get into the routine of reading the Bible, praying, and regular church participation, you will find yourself well on the way toward becoming spiritually fit.  Will you ever have struggles, sin, fear, and anxiety?  Sure you will, but due to your spiritual conditioning you will be sick less often, and able to bounce back from the trials all Christians go through.  Let this new year be the year you determine to not just get physically fit, but also spiritually fit.

"Unconditional Love"
by Pastor Richard Carr

Article excerpted from the December 2010 issue of "The Lampstand"

 Recently I read a fictional novel that described the love a man had with a woman.  At first this seems rather ordinary.  Many stories have been written throughout the ages dealing with love.  Yet what made this story of love unique was this man was a popular evangelist and this woman was a junkie, who struggled with her addiction and occasionally wondered back to a horrible man who supplied her with free drugs.  The typical reader, including me, thinks just dump this woman and find another.   Despite the hurt caused to the evangelist, he always showered her with seemingly unconditional love.  The evangelist had an uncontrollable attraction toward this woman despite her habit, despite her hurting this man, despite her love for sin.  The woman knew what she was doing was wrong, yet just as a dog     returns to it’s vomit to lick it up she returned to her sinful lifestyle.  What this evangelist later found out was that God had given him just a tiny taste of the love God has with mankind.  It was almost impossible for the evangelist to not love this junkie.  The reason for God doing this to the evangelist was to teach him a lesson about God’s love.  Just like the junkie, all mankind constantly struggles with accepting the love of God because we constantly pursue sin.  Take yourself as the perfect example.  How many times today, or this week did you knowingly choose to sin even though you knew it was wrong?  You returned toward your horrible sin, just like the junkie returned toward her drugs.  Just as a dog returns to it’s own vomit to lick it up, so also are we who return to our sins after God lavishes His unconditional love on us.

We rejected God in the garden of Eden after he, like a bridegroom, built a beautiful home for us.  We did the one thing forbidden by our lover - we ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  God sadly couldn’t allow us to live in paradise with Him, because of our poor choice.  Imagine how God felt after investing so much into making everything perfect for mankind and then we, like the junkie, turn toward sin.

Yet God’s love is deep, wide, and expansive!  God in the person of Jesus Christ lowered Himself to be born in a hole in the wall, where animals defecated, and instead of soft cotton or wool sheets he had animal food- hay to sleep in.  Is it shocking for an evangelist to love a junkie so much that he would be willing to lay down his own life?  Or is it more shocking that a perfect God lavishes His love on us so much that our continual rejection of Him doesn’t diminish His love for us in the least bit?

Don’t get caught up in the trappings of Christmas this year.  Christmas is about love.  God’s unconditional, radical, unwavering love for a people that are addicted to sin.  A people that hurt their lover over and over again by running off to a bad man who only wants to see us in bondage to our sins, and addicted to the false high that most of us mistakenly call love.  Christmas is about God’s love becoming flesh for our benefit, so that after 33 years of living among us He can die in our place.  If you are interested in reading the whole story that influenced this devotional, the novel is called When Heaven Weeps by Ted Dekker.

"Suffering - That’s for Those Other People"
by Pastor Richard Carr

Article excerpted from the November 2010 issue of "The Lampstand"

I recently received an e-mail from a missionary family (Nate and Rhoda Jore) who work in Africa.  They wrote how a 16 year old boy was beaten to death for trying to steal a $90 sugar cane press.   They explained that “mob justice” is a way of life there.  They then went on to explain how their teachings about the Good Samaritan had been applied by one of the men Nate is training.  A man took his wife, who was likely going through a miscarriage, to a local hospital.  The government hospital refused to treat the woman because the family didn’t have any money to pay.  So the husband took his wife to another hospital.  Later, at the other hospital, the woman died along with her baby.  This man who Nate had been working with helped cover the cost of transporting the body back, helped with the burial, and is currently helping to care for the surviving son of the dead mother and grieving father.  I can’t imagine the pain that this husband is going through at the loss of his wife and unborn child; the anger at the hospital for not treating his wife, and possibly the frustration with God for allowing this terrible tragedy to happen.  Sure God provided a man to come along side of him to help with the burial of his wife, as well as helping with the child the mother left behind, but still.  If we are honest we probably have an acceptable level of pain, suffering, and turmoil that we accept as being within reason, but once we pass our self-imposed level we feel as if God hates us, or wonder if God is even real.

Sure the Bible speaks of the apostle Paul being stoned and left for dead, beaten with rods, whipped, imprisoned, shipwrecked, tired, hungry, cold, and just plain worn out. (2 Cor.11:22ff.)  Yes, Job suffered terrible loss, as well as all the apostles, and all the prophets.  Yes, the early Christian church suffered horrible persecution at the hands of the government. But we are living in America; the land of the free, home of the brave, and last great bastion of Christianity.  Surely God won’t allow us to suffer as much.  Let’s face it, this may not be theologically correct, but most if not all of us expect a certain level of comfort, sustenance, and care from God.  And the minute things go 
wrong in our eyes, we doubt, lose faith, and turn from God.  The sad truth of the matter is that we American Christians have become a little too accustomed to comfort.  And does the Bible square with our comfortable Christianity?  Some argue that it does, yet a very clear verse stands in stark contrast to our “American Christianity.” 2 Timothy 3:12 says, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” (NKJV)  There is no maybe about it.  If we really desire to live as God has called us, meaning that we are the salt and light of the world, we will suffer persecution.

Instead of asking why we suffer so, we should be asking why aren’t we suffering more?  Perhaps we haven’t been persecuted as much because we really are just blending in.  Instead of being light, we hide it.  Instead of being different from the world and seeking to preserve our country, our state, our county, our church, and our family from the world by being salt, we seek to lower our impact and just blend in.  I write this thinking of  myself.  Often when things don’t go “my way” I pout inwardly and ask God why, or just ignore God altogether.  Truth of the matter is that we have allowed our culture to shape our understanding of what it really means to be a Christian instead of God.  God has told us we will suffer, that we will have our own cross to bear, and that this world is not our own.  As things grow progressively worse for our country, or things take a bad turn in our lives, let’s stop blaming God for our pain.  God already told us this side of eternity was going to hurt.  Life will be eternal bliss on the other side of eternity, there will be no more battling with our sinful flesh, the world, or Satan and his followers.  We are in a war now, but this war will not last forever.  Just as in war, soldiers make sacrifices and suffer loss- we will likewise make sacrifices and suffer loss as well.  Unlike real war, we will never suffer unnecessarily, because God will use all that we experience for his glory.  Press on toward the goal with me, as we count the cost of being faithful.  For the end of our pain is glory forever.  Amen.

"Being A Family"
by Pastor Richard Carr

Article excerpted from the October 2010 issue of "The Lampstand"

Something I have learned is that having a family means having arguments.  The more people in your family the more potential there seems to be for disagreements and arguments.  One child complains that another isn’t doing their job, while the other child is hurt because one of their siblings doesn’t want to come to their “tea party” and when dad gets home and asks what toppings they want on their pizza there is even an argument over that.  While our family is not always complaining and arguing, there seems to be a good bit of it these days.  Perhaps you are in that same spot now, or you can relate with what I am dealing with because not too many years ago you were right there in the middle of things.

In some ways our church family can mirror these same problems of arguing and bickering about who is doing what, or who is not contributing their energy, or one member can be upset at another for something that was either said or done.  We can act just like little kids some days!  What we sometimes struggle with as a church is not something new either.  Since the formation of the very first church there has been strife, arguing, bickering, and well let’s face it- sin.  We can pretend this strife doesn’t exist but that doesn’t work too well for my kids, and my guess is that it doesn’t work for the church very well either.  What both my own family, and my church family needs to do is learn to cope with the stress of people’s poor behaviors, and attitudes by not giving room for our flesh to lash out.  We need to give the Spirit room to work in our lives.  We need to not just talk like we are Christians, we need to live like it.  The apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:1-3:  "I therefore,  a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to  walk in a manner worthy of  the calling to which you have been called,  with all  humility and  gentleness, with  patience,  bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in  the bond of peace."  (ESV)

If my children don’t allow their fleshly desire to lash out and attack their their siblings with words (and sometimes hitting, spitting, throwing of various items and who knows what else), and allow the Spirit of God to work through them humility, gentleness, and patience; all the while working to accept each other in love, then we would have peace and not strife in our household.  If my church family (including me) likewise works to keep our flesh in check and live by the Spirit in humility, gentleness, and patience- bearing up each other in love, we would have a church united by God in peace.

Just as in our “blood” families we have to forgive each other, and bear one another’s burdens, so to must we in our church family forgive one another and bear each other’s burdens.  For in forgiveness we have peace.  Through the Spirit we have unity, and through love we have power.

"An Infection"
by Pastor Richard Carr

Article excerpted from the July 2010 issue of "The Lampstand"

If you heard on the news that a horrible new germ had been discovered that caused blindness, paralysis, brain damage, and eventually if untreated death- what would you do?  You no doubt would take all the necessary steps to avoid this germ, and if infected, you would immediately seek healing.  What is sad is that there is such a problem in our culture today, and few are doing anything to combat it!  This problem once mostly attacked men and boys, but now the quickest growing population group infected by this problem are young girls.  What is this infection you may ask?  Pornography.  Porn leads to a blindness of reality, a paralysis of normal healthy relationships, actual chemical dependency from hormones released when viewing porn, and death of healthy relationships, as well as a literal death and separation from God in Hell because of unrepentant sin.  Unfortunately it seems that a "right of passage"   for many boys is the viewing of porn.  Those boys grow up and become men that have never really dealt with their sins, and the effects of their sins dealing with porn.  If left unchecked and not dealt with, men never fully overcome their exposure to porn and lead a weak ineffectual life.

I believe one reason many men have not stepped up and become spiritual leaders at home and in the church is the result of sexual sin that started with the viewing of porn.  It is possible to overcome the effects of porn, and be fully healed- yet for many men the stronghold established in their secret lives is too powerful to be overcome by themselves.  For those men that are married they have a partner that should ask them about their purity.  Wives should periodically ask their husbands if they have been pure in what they have looked at and thought about.  When sin is confessed, wives and husbands should not attack each other but the sin.  Come together as one flesh and wage war against sexual sins (as well as any other sins).  For single men, you need to have accountability partners to ask you the same questions.  And for boys and girls living at home, parents need to lovingly and firmly ask questions and dig into their child's personal life to see if there are struggles that need to be dealt with.

Some more "helps" in avoiding this sin is making sure that all internet connections in your home, or that any of your family members have access to are filtered to keep bad stuff away.  Most of us will be weak at some point in our walk, and we need to put as many barriers between us and porn as possible.  Also you as a family should decide what television shows are appropriate and block any shows that are not.  Don't allow yourself or your family to stumble at a time of weakness.  Also we should strive to be proactive.  Instead of just waiting for the next attack from the enemy concerning sexual sin, fill your minds with Scripture and Spiritual songs.  Reading this article is not enough for most that have been living in this bondage for years.

I recommend reading Every Man's Battle by Stephen Arterburn, Fred Stoeker, and Mike Yorkey.  Another good book to read is Healing the Wounds of Sexual Addiction by Mark Laaser.  There are also different purity conferences that one can attend to help get you jump started, as well as inpatient and group therapy sessions available.  Another helpful tool in breaking the bonds of porn is a free internet site called Setting Captives Free - http://www.settingcaptivesfree.com.

This site is a 60-day Scripture-based devotional that helps us to apply Biblical principals to overcoming not just porn, but overeating, homosexuality, and drunkenness (these are all separate courses). This problem is only getting worse, and as Christians we are under attack even more now than just 10 years ago.  The question that remains is do you care enough about yourself, son, daughter or grandchild to make a difference or do you want pornography to wrap itself around you or your loved ones tighter?  If you or a loved one is struggling with this issue, confess your sins, and allow the light of God's love to clean out your heart.

"Heaven"
by Pastor Richard Carr

Article excerpted from the June 2010 issue of "The Lampstand"

Unfortunately too many believers today are confused about the concept of the "after life."  Some believe that when we die we all just sit in the ground and become worm food.  Others believe all people go to heaven, while still others believe that some go to heaven and some go to hell.  The clear teaching of Scripture is that only those that believe in Jesus as their Savior go to heaven, and the rest do indeed go to spend eternity in hell.  What is so sad is that many people, both Christians and non-Christians have a horrible understanding of what heaven will be like.  Will we all sit on clouds and play harps?  Will we be in a church service for eternity?  

Heaven is our ultimate home.  We are truly not Americans, or Europeans, or Asians - we are Christians, and our home is heaven.  Because of this heavenly citizenship we are really just aliens here on earth.  Peter 2:9-11 says, "But you are a chosen people, 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.  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.  Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul." (NIV)  We must shift our understanding of our citizenship to accepting and embracing our foreign status here on earth, and look to heaven as our ultimate home.

While the physical location of heaven is of little importance to us many Scriptures speak of heaven as basically being up!  Genesis 17:22, John 3:13, Acts 1:9-10, Job 3:4, Deuteronomy 4:39, 1 Kings 8:23, and Joshua 2:11 all give us an idea of a physical location of heaven.  While the word heaven or heavens can refer to the stars or sky, some of these references imply that this is where God dwells.  Whether heaven is in the stars or sky or not, one truth that is not debatable is that heaven truly does exist.

Have you ever wondered about death?  How long do we remain in our bodies before being with Christ?  Are we going to have to wait to see Jesus at the 2nd coming?  2 Cor. 5:8 helps us to understand that we must be absent from our current physical bodies to be in heaven, while 1 Corinthians 15:35-44, 50-52 helps to explain what our new heavenly bodies will be like.  We will not be floating spirits in heaven.  We will have bodies that will bear the likeness of Jesus Christ's risen body, 1 Corinthians 15:49, that could be touched and felt, Luke 24.

Finally one last aspect of heaven is that no, we are not going to be in church forever in heaven.  John 14:1-3 speaks of having rooms in heaven specifically for us, which begs the question, if we have rooms why wouldn't we be using them?  Why would God pave the streets in heaven with gold if we won't be walking them?  Why would God create a wonderful garden in the beginning of mankind for us to enjoy, but leave us in heaven to sit in church for eternity?  Heaven will be a wonderful environment absent of sin, totally perfect, and extravagantly decorated all for us!  My hope is that this article will have wet your appetite for further study of heaven and perhaps answer some common questions.

"Repentance and Restoration"
by Pastor Richard Carr

Article excerpted from the May 2010 issue of "The Lampstand"

About a week ago I was listening to the radio and the preacher was telling us that there is a problem with American and British Christians.  I assumed he would say any number of things, yet for everything I thought he would say he said something that I really struggled to accept and believe.  He said that too many Christians in America and Britain claim 2 Chronicles 7:14 as a quick fix for our countries, "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then  I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (NKJV)  He went on to explain that we wrongly believe that God has to heal our lands if we repent.  It is believed, he argued, among most Christians that repentance and restoration is a simple cause and effect relationship.  This means that God is in fact obligated to restore us, his children, if we do as we should and repent or turn from our sins.

At first I thought "No, this man is wrong."  We see many examples of God's chosen people throughout the Old Testament living in rebellion.  Then as a result of this rebellion punishment or discipline happens; they repent, live in peace for awhile, and then the process repeats.  We even see God showing mercy and averting punishment on the city of Nineveh (not His chosen people) after they are warned of impending destruction, which causes God's prophet Jonah to go into a fit of rage.  It seems that mankind lives on a see-saw where one minute they are living in rebellion, God threatens discipline and carries it out, then the see-saw tips and the people live in peace and prosperity seemingly as a result of their repentance.

Yet the more I meditated on this thought, and the more I grappled with this concept, the more I began to see what this preacher was talking about.  We live with the thought that as Christians if we sin all we have to do afterwards is say we are sorry and try not to do it again.  Many today think they can live as they want because they have a quick fix of being able to be forgiven when they are done with their sin.  Pray the prayer, seek forgiveness, and then presto God gives us restoration.

When I was doing my preparation for my sermon on Josiah I found a very interesting passage.  In 2 Kings 23:25 the Bible says this of King Josiah, "Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him." (NKJV)  Josiah was the picture of repentance and restoration.  He so thoroughly purged the idols and cleaned up all forms of idol worship in his land, that God says in His word that there were none like him before, nor were there any kings like him afterward.  It goes without saying that if ever God was going to hear from heaven and heal the land of Judah, which 2 Chronicles 7:14 says will happen, then it would be a result of Josiah's obedience and repentant heart.  Yet the very next verse following the proclamation of how good Josiah was is this response of God, "Nevertheless the Lord did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath, with which His anger was aroused against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him.  And the Lord said, "I will also remove Judah from My sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, 'My name shall be there.'"  2 Kings 23:26-27 (NKJV).

True repentance will lead to forgiveness of sins - every time. Regardless of the depth of sin, or even how many times that sin is committed we are told by God that He will forgive.  We are told to even follow His example and to forgive countless times when someone wrongs us, just as God forgives us we are to forgive others.  Matthew 18:21-22 illustrates this point when Peter is told how often we are to forgive, "Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?"  Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven."(NKJV).  Luke 17:3-4 further illustrates the need to forgive constantly, "Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.   And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him." (NKJV).  God will always forgive a repentant sinner.  But God will not always restore a repentant sinner on earth (obviously God will completely restore all sinners when they die and go to heaven).

We see this concept of forgiven, but not restored in an earthly sense in many examples.  A lifelong drunk converts and then dies one year later of a failed liver as a result of drinking.  An obese Christian dies at an early age of heart disease because of eating too much junk.  A drug addict is converted to Christianity, but dies of AIDS from a dirty needle used years ago. These are all personal examples of God allowing our sin to follow through with its natural consequences.  Nazi Germany systematically singled out Jews and other "undesirables" and killed millions, as a result God allowed Germany to be brutally conquered by Russia and the other allies in WWII.  The Roman Empire was one of the largest, most expansive, wealthiest world empires, yet God allowed the Roman Empire to collapse even though their official religion eventually became Christianity. Even God's own chosen people saw their country captured and their leaders sent to exile as a result of the sins of the very wicked King Manasseh.

God does desire to forgive the sins of mankind.  God will forgive the sins of anyone that turns from them and cries out to God for mercy.  This is all a result of Jesus' death on the cross.  His death paid the ultimate price for our sins.  Yet God is not bound to forgive and restore us as an individual, or as a nation.  God may show mercy on us, or our nation and completely restore us - however He may also have reached His limit with us.  The right path for us is to always seek forgiveness the minute we sin.  Regardless of the earthly consequences we must make ourselves right before God.  Our nation also must be made right before God.  The really scary thing is that perhaps we are past restoration.  Perhaps we are so far gone as a nation that God is furious with us like He was with Manasseh's government.  No one knows if we've reached past the tipping point.  We must humble ourselves and cry out to the Lord, and perhaps as a nation God will still restore us, and revive our Christian roots.