Left Behind?

Someone sent me today a web link that was a video of a pastor preaching and talking about the Second Coming he talked about how it could happen right now. This month this week or even right at this moment all of a sudden the church is empty the pastor is gone and a small percentage of the congregation is left looking around wondering what happened. This kind of teaching may seem compelling. Planes falling out of the sky, car accidents, poor people left behind wondering what happened.
The Main problem that I see with this perspective, is it nowhere taught in Scripture, it is a speculation based upon a misunderstanding of the idea of Christ’s coming being a thief in the night. If we look at the idea of the thief in the night that taught in the Scriptures the warning is vastly different than our common understanding of it. This is true in Matthew 24:42 were Jesus says, “therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known what time of the night the thief was coming he would’ve kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
What is the point? If we are not watching we will be caught off guard notice Jesus says to watch. But if the rapture happens the way this video presents, what are we to watch for? The exhortation here takes us back to verse 32 watching means that we are watching for the signs that Jesus has given to us, or we will be caught off guard. Jesus tells his disciples, verse 32 “now learn the lesson from the fig tree: as soon as his twigs get tender and his leaves come out you know that summer is near. Even so when you see all these things, you know that it is near right at the door.” When Jesus says “even so when you see all these things” he is talking about the signs that he is given to his disciples that refer to the signs of the Second Coming. The watching that Jesus if referring to the watching for the signs of his Second Coming.
The signs are very clear they begin in verse four Matthew 24 they are watching that no one deceives us with a claim of being the Christ. A person who is not watching his life and does not know his Bible will probably be caught off guard by the claims of a false Christ or a false prophet. We are to watch the political situation in the world and not be surprised when nations rise against nations and kingdom against kingdom. We are to watch and note the occurrences of natural disasters Jesus specifically mentions famines and earthquakes. When we see all these things happening we should know that we are getting closer to the end. Jesus describes these as the beginning of birth pains. That means we should not be surprised when the number of false Christ’s wars famines earthquakes increase Jesus said they would and we should be watching for these things.
Jesus in verse 14 tells us another thing that we are to look for before he comes back. He says, “and this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole earth as a testimony to all people and then the and shall come” Jesus is telling us that we are to look for the completion of the great commission. Watching means being involved in the great commission sharing our faith trying to win as many as possible before Christ comes back. Knowing that Christ is not coming back until we are finished with the task that Christ is a sign to us. It is clear Jesus says that once the gospel of the kingdom has been preached then, the end shall come. “The end” of course means the end of this age, which is brought about by the coming of Christ.
Watching also means looking for the coming of the Antichrist in verse 15 Jesus tells us, “so when you see standing in the holy place the abomination that causes desolation, spoken of through the prophet Daniel let the reader understand-then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Jesus is telling us here to watch for the abomination that causes desolation, which is the coming of the Antichrist. We are to watch for the coming of the Antichrist and be ready for the worst period of tribulation that the church has ever faced.
Paul expresses the same theology in 2 Thessalonians 2 where he writes, “concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter suppose it to have come from us saying that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and a man of lawlessness is revealed (the Antichrist).” Paul is saying that the Second Coming and the rapture will not occur until two events happened: one the great apostasy, and two the coming of the Antichrist. Why would Paul tell the Thessalonians this if they were to expect an any moment rapture of the church?
I believe one of the main problems, with the left behind perspective, is that it teaches a shallow discipleship. It’s about making a commitment to Christ not about being a radical Christ follower. The perspective of watching is the idea of living in light of Christ’s Second Coming. In 2nd John 1:8, John says “ Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward.” John is telling us to live cautiously to live circumspectly in light of the coming of Christ and to make sure that there is nothing deficient in our Christian lives. The idea of watching is a call to follow Jesus and to live for him. Don’t be taken in by fanciful left behind teaching instead prepare yourself watch your life and be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Blessings pastor Wenner.

AN AFFIRMATION OF BIBLICAL SEXUALITY

This is a document draw up by myself an my good friend Don Nelson from Beverly Evangelical Covenant Church.  Enjoy.

Basis

Because the Scriptures, the Old and New Testaments , are the authoritative Word
of God;  and,
Because Christian faith and conduct are defined by the Apostolic teaching of the New Testament and the prophetic instruction of the Old Testament, and not by clerical authority; and,
Because every doctrine necessary for salvation is expressed in the Apostles’ Creed, affirmed in the early ecumenical councils of the Church,  and adhered to by all faithful Christians; and,
Because destructive movements denying these truths have arisen within the institutional Church in North America, we make the following affirmation:

Affirmation

1. We affirm that God created the universe  and is Lord of Creation . Because God made the human race in God’s own image  every person has worth and dignity . Any belief or conduct that diminishes the equal value of all human beings (e.g., ageism, ethnocentrism, racism, sexism, slavery) is a sin against God and an affront to his divine majesty and glory.

2. We affirm that the human race has fallen into sin , and that sin corrupts every sector
of God’s creation .

3. We affirm that salvation is a gift of God  provided exclusively through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ . Christ’s sacrificial death is sufficient for the forgiveness of all sins , and the ministry of the Holy Spirit is sufficient to liberate all sinners from the power of sin.

4. We affirm that God has established three distinct agents to restrain sin and defend against evil: a) the Church (visible and invisible, local and universal)  , to teach God’s Law and the sufficiency of the Gospel to meet its demands; b) the state, to promote moral accountability
and social order ; and c) the family, to train, instruct and nurture children to be productive citizens of both earth and heaven .

5. We affirm that God has graciously given his moral law to humanity, primarily through the Scriptures and secondarily through the human conscience . God’s holy commandments reveal right and wrong, protect us from sin’s destructive consequences, and promote wholeness, peace, and joy.  All human beings are accountable to God’s law .

6. We affirm that God the Creator  has given us sexuality as a sacred gift , and that God has provided authoritative guidelines for the edification of human beings within sexual relationship .

7. We affirm that a publicly declared, legally binding marriage between one woman and one man is the only appropriate place for sexual intercourse. Heterosexual marriage, faithfulness within marriage, abstinence outside of marriage—these constitute the Christian standard.  Both the Church and the state are responsible to protect the institution of heterosexual marriage.
Sexual activity outside of marriage (fornication,  adultery,  prostitution,  homosexual acts,  incest,  pedophilia,  and bestiality ) and the sexual objectification of others (the use of pornography,  spousal sexual abuse , and rape ) are sinful and inconsistent with Christian faith.

8. We affirm that by and through God’s saving grace  and the work of the Holy Spirit , with prayer  and the guidance of the scriptures , a believer can and will overcome any habitual sin or addiction, although it may come only after much struggle and wrestling . The general direction of the Christian life is characterized by perseverance and growth in Christian character .

9. We affirm that Christians are called to love all those who are outside of Christ.  Love is expressed in words of Truth  and acts of compassion  that affirm the value of each person without ignoring or endorsing sin.  The failure to love those who are outside of Christ is itself a sin.

10. We affirm that the primary mission of the Church is to make disciples of all nations and cultures, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that Jesus Christ has commanded . Christian discipleship is life-transforming devotion to Jesus Christ, marked by obedience to God’s will as it is revealed in his Word .
Accordingly, the Church must not establish unrepentant sinners (including practicing homosexuals and other sexually immoral persons) as members or leaders . To do so is to deny the saving work of Christ, the ministry of the Holy Spirit, and the mission of the Church.

Response

Out of the faith declared here we issue a call to ministers of the Gospel and other church leaders:
 to submit to Christ as the Head of the Church;
 to acknowledge that the Bible is the authoritative Word of God;
 to preach the whole Gospel message;
 to call parishioners to obedience to Christ in every area of life, including sexuality;
 to prepare people for marriage, enrich marriages, and help restore failing marriages;
 to affirm the gift of celibate singleness and welcome singles into the life of the church;
 to care for persons who are involved in sexual sin; and,
 to live with integrity, according to the Christian standard.

Likewise, we issue a call for Christian laypersons:
 to embrace the priesthood of all believers;
 to influence the culture for Christ;
 to live according to the Christian standard of sexuality;
 to forsake silence about sexuality; and,
 where there is serious moral and spiritual compromise among leaders, to call them to repentance and, if necessary, to take action that is appropriate within the guidelines established by your denomination or congregation.
Rev. Donald K. Nelson, Sr. Pastor, Beverly Evangelical Covenant Church, Chicago, IL
Rev. Steven Wenner, Sr. Pastor, St. Paul’s Bible Church, Chicago, IL
Endnotes

In this document the terms “Scripture(s)”, “Old and New Testaments”, and “Bible” always refer to the canon of sixty-six (66) books finalized by the Third Council of Carthage in A.D. 397.
2 Tim 3:16,17
The first six (6) ecumenical councils include the councils of Nicea, Constantinople I, Constantinople II, Constantinople III, Ephesus, and Chalcedon.
Gen 1,2
2 Chr 20:6
Gen 1:26-27
Ps 8:4-5; Mt 10:31
Gen. 6:5; Job 15:14-16; Psalm 51:5; Jer; 7:9; Rom. 3:23, 5:12-19
Eph. 2:1-4; Eze 12:2; Rom 6:23; Rom 8:18-25
Eph 2:8-9
Acts 4:12
Eph 1:7; 1 Jn 1:9
Rom 6:1-2,11-14; Gal 2:20; 1 Pet 1:2
Matt 16:18, 18:17; 1 Cor. 5:1-13; Eph 3:10
Gen. 9:5-6; Rom 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17
Gen 18:18-19; Deut 6:4-9; Jos. 24:14-15; Pro. 13:24, 22:6, 15,  23:13-14, 29:15; 6:1-4; Col 3:20-21
Rom 2:14-15
Ps 1; Mt 4:3,4; 2 Tim 3:14-17
Rom 1:18-20; 2:14,15
Gen 1:1, 1 Chr. 16:26, Ps 24:1-2, 104:5; Isa. 51:13
Gen 1:26-27, 2:4-25, 4:1-2
Exo. 2014, Lev. 18; Mark 10:1-12; 1 Cor. 6:12-7:40, Eph 5:22-33, 1 Thes 4:1-8,
Resolution on Human Sexuality, 1996 Annual Meeting of The Evangelical Covenant Church; ed.
1 Cor 6:15-20; 10:8; Gal 5:19; Eph 5:3; Col 3:5
Ex 20:14; Mt 5:27-30; Jn 8:1-11; 1 Cor 6:9-10
Deut 23:17-18; Jer 5:7; 1 Cor 6:15-20
Gen 19:1-25; Lev 18:22; Rom 1:24-27; 1 Cor 6:9-10
Lev 18:6-16; 1 Cor 5:1
Lk 17:1-2
Lev 18:23
Mt 5:27-30; Col 3:5
1 Cor 7:3-4; 1 Thess 4:3-8
Gen 19:1-25; Deut 22:25-27; 1 Thess 4:3-8
Matt 7:15-23;John 8:34-36; Rom. 6:14
John 6:61-65; Rom. 8:1-13; Gal 5:16-26; 1 John 3:4-10
James 5:13-20,
Psalm 1:1-6, 19:7-14, 119:9-11; 2 Tim 3:16-17; Heb.  4:24-25
Romans 7:7-25; 1 John 2:1-2
Romans 6;1-23; 1 Cor. 6:11; Phil 1:6; 2 Tim 1:8-11; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:6, 14, 6:4-6, 10:26-39; 2Peter 1:3-11; 1 John 3:3-10
Mk 12:28-34; Lk 6:27-38,32-36; Jas 2:8
Eph 4:15
1 Jn 3:18
Prov. 8:13; Am 5:15; Rom 12:9; 1 Jn 2:15-16
1 Jn 4:20-21
Mat. 28:18-20
Ex 16:28; Lev 22:31; Mark 8:34; John 14:21, 15:10; 2 Tim 4:1-5; 1 John 2:3-5, 3:4-10, 4:4-6
1 Cor 5:1-13, 6:9-11; 2 Cor 6:14-18; 13:5-6; Eph 5:1-7;1 Tim 3:1-7; 6:11-16; 2 Tim 3:1-9; Tit 1:5-11, 3:8-11
Rom 1:16-17;

Let God be your vision. Joshua 16-17

In my last newsletter article I wrote about how the twelve spies who went into the land of Canaan saw the land from two different perspectives. The 10 saw the land from the perspective of what they could do, but the two, Joshua and Caleb, saw the land of promise from the perspective of what God could do. The report of the two was very different as the one group focused on the fact that there were giants, cities with high walls, and they saw the power of the people of the land but none of them saw God except Joshua and Caleb.
What difference will seeing God in the equation of our circumstances make in our lives? What I would like to look at in this news letter article is an obscure passage in the book of Joshua chapter 16 where it speaks of the allotment of land for the tribe of Manasseh. It says in verse 10: (NIV) They did not dislodge the Canaanites living in Gezer; to this day the Canaanites live among the people of Ephraim but are required to do forced labor. (Josh 16:10) What do we see in this verse? We see that they were not able to do what God said that they would be able to do. God had said that he would go before them and drive the inhabitance out of the land. Yet the sons of Manasseh were not able to accomplish what God had said they would be able to accomplish. Why not? Is God’s word not trustworthy or was there something else wrong in this situation?
We get a little glimpse of the problem when you look at the next chapter. If you look at Chapter 17 starting in verse 12 we see that once again it says that Manasseh was not able to occupy the towns of the Canaanites. Then in the next few verses we have the people of Manasseh complaining to Joshua that their inheritance is a little squeezed and asking for more land. Joshua tells them that they have all the land that they need, all they have to do is go and take it. Again we see the perspective that God would be with the Manassites if they would go forth. In verse 16 we see the reason that the Manassites were not able to take the land that God had given them was because they saw iron chariots rather than God. Josh 17:16 “The people of Joseph replied, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the plain have iron chariots, both those in Beth Shan and its settlements and those in the Valley of Jezreel.”” To the person who does not see God, the iron chariots can be pretty menacing; after all they were the tanks of the ancient world.
People who see God rather than their circumstance do not see obstacles, they only see potential, but people who do not see God can only see failure. You see that, if we look at our circumstance without seeing God we will always come up short in the resource category. But when God is at the center of our vision our resources are unlimited. Iron chariots are no match for the infinite power of God. David found that to be true in 2 Samuel 8:3-4 where he was able to capture 1000 of Hadaezer’s iron chariots.
What is your circumstance? What are the iron chariots in your life? Maybe it is a child that has wondered from the church and is wondering in the world. Do you see God in your equation or your own resource? Maybe it is the spouse that does not believe? Do you see God in your circumstance? Maybe it is a financial problem that is way beyond your own resource. I ask you again, do you see God as your own resource? As a Church do we see the iron chariot of our own limited power or do we see the potential of God? Let us look through the eyes of faith and through the promises of God so that together we can embrace the victory of God.

Christmas in May

History is very important because history is what tells us where we have come from and where we are going. If you were ask yourself what is the pivotal event in all of human history that not only tells us where we came from but also answers the question of where we are going. History takes on a whole new meaning when we grasp the issue of central importance. If you were to read many of the theories of history that are being spun out they would tell us that we are really going now where that history has no meaning. They would see history in terms of some social cause or some political ideology i.e. communism, or socialism, fascism. Some elevation of a human idea such as supposed innate goodness of man or some theory about how to restore man back to his native pristine innocence.
The Bible tells us just the opposite in its view of history. The Bible sees man as having lost his goodness and become corrupted by sin. Darkness pervades the condition of the human race. When we watch the news we see that this manifestation of evil. Mankind is lost in nature’s night, but light has dawned upon the whole human race. St. John picks up on this light in this way,

John 1:1 (NIV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

Light has now dawned in the person of Jesus Christ. Light that gives hope to the world. Light that gives meaning to history, because the meaning of history has now come. The one who was from the very beginning (before time began to be counted), who with God and in his very nature was God, has now dawned upon the scene of human history. He has provided, something that all other views of human history are impotent to provide, eternal life.
John tells us that his life becomes the source of light for all mankind. Mankind has now the potential to be free from the bondage to the fear of death. The writer of the book of Hebrews picks up this view of history, in Hebr 2:14-15 (NIV) “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death–that is, the devil– and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” Jesus as a little baby becomes the hope of the world. He answers the burning question that all of us are asking what is the meaning of life and death? Where are we going? Jesus came as a little baby to be God solution to our problem, to be the source of light in our darkness.
This Christmas as you ponder it’s meaning. Remember that the author of life came himself. He took on the very nature and form of a human was born in the most humble of circumstances so that we could understand that God’s ways are different that man’s ways. God sent his Son in the perfection of timing as Paul says in Galatians 4:4 (NIV) But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law. When things looked hopeless, God, in perfect timing sent Jesus to be the hope of the world. History has meaning for us as Christians because we look back to the historical reality of the cradle which ultimately led to the cross and the empty tomb. This certainly tells us where we came from.
Christmas also tells us where we are going. It tells us that the same baby, is now a king in waiting, and will be the consummation of all of this age. We are moving towards an everlasting kingdom that will once and for all put an end to darkness.

Have a blessed Christmas,

Pastor Steve Wenner

The Importance of Confession

One of the amazing principles taught consistently throughout the Scriptures is, when we come clean and confess our sins, God is so generous to forgive. But if we refuse to come clean and deny that we are guilty before God, he will not forgive. This is taught clearly in 1 John 1: 8 – 10. Many today, when you talk to them about Christ will say, “I am a good person”. What they are saying in essence is that, “I’m good enough on my own merit to go to heaven.” This answer is no different than the Pharisees who said, “I thank you that I’m not like other men” (Luke 18:9 – 14). John deals with this answer when he writes, “8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” (1Jo 1:8-10).
John tells us first of all, that if we claim to be without sin we are self deceived and God’s truth is not in us. The “truth” that John is talking about, is the word of God. When we come face-to-face with the word of God we come face-to-face with who we are. The person who says, “I’m a good person”, has not come face-to-face with the truth of the word of God. Without the conviction of the word there is no salvation. That is why John writes earlier in verse 7, “but if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purified as us from all sin”. “The light” that John is talking about is the light of the word of God. John is saying that salvation is found in walking in the light, where the truth about us is revealed and where there is constant exposure to our own sinfulness. Now that can be a pretty scary place to be, because we are exposed and left bare in our guilt and condemnation. But the good news is once we recognize our guilt are sinfulness then we can flee to the promise of God, which is salvation through Christ. When a person insists upon “I’m a good person” they are showing that they have never allowed the word of God to convict their hearts with the truth.
John also tells us if we claimed we have not sinned we make God out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. When a person says, “I’m a good person”, he is denying what God is said about them. God has said, “There is none righteous, no not one” and “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. In essence what they are doing is calling God a liar because they are denying God’s testimony about themselves.
The good news, is what John tells us in verse 9 where he writes, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”. Once we are exposed by the truth of the Scriptures and feel guilt, and are exposed to the judgement of God, and we confess our sin, then we find that God will freely forgive. That’s why John uses the words “faithful and just”. Faithfulness means that God is absolutely consistent in his generosity, it doesn’t matter how bad a person has been when we confess our sins God will forgive, he is faithful. Just means that God is right in doing so there’s no injustice when God forgives when we confess.
In a self-righteous culture we must not shrink back from declaring the sinfulness of all people. This may sound cruel at first glance and a bit too narrow, but the truth of the matter is, this is the essence of evangelism. There’s no comfortable way around this if we are going to be faithful to the Great Commission. We need not be afraid to point to the fact that people are sinners, because this will help them understand the grace of God. How do we do this? We must expose people to the truth of the scriptures. The requirements that God has given us in his word that are absolute and binding on all people.
Here’s where the difficulty comes for us, we have so many people around us who go to church, and so we tend to assume that they are okay. Many of these churches do not preach the gospel so they give their members the impression that by their own goodness they can go to heaven. The question isn’t whether they go to church are not, but what are they trusting in. If someone is trusting in anything other than the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross, 2000 years ago, for the remission of their sins then they are not saved. Religion, good deeds, being a nice guy, generosity, being a good family man or woman, church attendance, etc. can never save a person from their sins. God’s standard is absolute and that standard is his righteous and holy law, which every person will be judged by.
The best diagnostic question still is, “If you were to die today why should God let you into heaven?” Because the answer reveals what the person is trusting in if they say, “I’m a good person” then they need a little more law. They need to be convicted of the fact that they are not good enough to go to heaven on their own. If they show that they are convicted of their sins then they need the gospel to show them the solution for their sins.
My heart is more and more stirred with gospel themes; and my prayer is that your will be as well, and that together we at St. Paul’s will see a great harvest for the gospel.

Blessings,

Pastor Steve Wenner

April 2003 from the Pastor

Much has happened since last month’s newsletter where I talked about what is to be the response of the righteous in the face of advancing wickedness. We are now in the middle of a war that will have ramifications for years to come. Much of the Muslim world is more hostile towards the United States. What does all this mean? Where are we headed as Christians? Kelly and I are excited by the Bible Study that we are planning on the Day of the Lord. There is no more important subject that will help us to see how we are to live and what our true hope is.
You see we do not know what will be the ramifications of this war, but we do know who is in control of the movement and flow of history. Because he has given us a good idea of what is coming in the future. We should never be discouraged by the events that are taking place all around us because of our hope that is in Jesus Christ who will ultimately conquer. Even if the towers fall and all is lost we know that our future is guaranteed because of Jesus Christ. They can take our lives but they can never harm our souls.
I like the way Paul captures this truth in Romans 8:18 where he writes, “yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will give us latter” (NLT) When we see all that God has planned for us everything that we suffer in this life will all seem so insignificant. God has planned something so wonderful but he has called us to serve him in this age. In the following verse Paul so beautifully captures what we are living with when he “20 Against its will, everything on earth was subjected to God’s curse. 21 All creation anticipates the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” (NLT) Even the Creation is looking forward to our liberation as the children of God, and so should we.
When we see things like disease and war, and famine they are part of the brokenness of this age that Christ came to overcome. The hope of the second coming gives us the hope of the final liberation of the creation. In fact our Lord Jesus told us to look for them and expect them before his coming. Don’t be discouraged. Be looking up with a hopeful spirit. I am looking forward to studying prophecy with you in Bible Study this month.

Hoping with you in Christ,

Pastor Steven Wenner

How to deal with those who struggle with sin.

I would like to deal with the topic of how we are to relate to those who struggle with sin. In my previous articles that dealt with my discussion with Rev. Neff and my response to him was about weather homosexuality is a sin. The danger for us is to think that homosexuality is worst than any other sin and to shun homosexuals because it seems more socially repugnant than other sins. I think the issue is very relevant to us because it is just been announced that Dick Cheney has a homosexual daughter. Dick Cheney response to his daughter is to support and love her and affirm her in her homosexuality. The republican candidate for congress, Allen Keyes told reporters that he would love his daughter like Dick Cheney but he would tell her that homosexuality is a sin. How should we as Christians respond to those around us who struggle with homosexuality, or of course any other serious sin?
The first thing that we need to understand is that homosexuality is not any worst than any other sins in God’s eyes. Sin is sin and it separates us from God. Next we need to understand that to be tempted in a certain way is not sin. When the Bible speaks of sin it speaks of sinful actions not the direction of temptation. Sin is when temptation is acted upon and we give into it as the Apostle John writes, “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness” (1Jo 3:4). Temptation is something that we as a Christian will never be free from; it will be a life process to learn to resist it. We speak today about homosexual orientation, really what we are saying is the way a person is tempted. We all have some sort of orientation; some area that we are consistently tempted in; some sinful attraction that draws our hearts, whether it is coveousness, or lust, or overeating, or pride, or adultery, hatred, anger, malice, slander and so on. The list could be endless.
Here is how we know that temptation is not sin, because the Lord Jesus was tempted. Here are just a few references. “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil” (Mt 4:1). Now in order for Jesus to be tempted there must have been some attractive force at work in Jesus’ heart that pulled him in the wrong direct or it would not be a temptation. Hebrews takes this idea a step further when its writer says, “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted” (Heb 2:18). Jesus’ temptation caused him suffering and therefore was very real, the book of Hebrews elaborates even further when it says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are— yet was without sin” (Heb 4:15). The Bible says that Jesus was actually tempted in the same kinds of way that we are, yet Jesus has overcome temptation and he understands the power of it. So if it is not sin for Jesus to be tempted than it is not sin for us to be tempted. To be tempted or to be orientated in any direction is not sin. Sin is born when we act on the temptation and give into it.
Satan has two strategies one is to convince us that we have to give into temptation and that we are powerless against it. The other is to make us feel guilty that when are tempted, and to convince us that it is wrong for us to feel that way so that we become discouraged and give up and give into the temptation. The beauty of the sinless temptation of Jesus is that he offers us an alternative. We can be free from the futile thinking that temptation or desire makes us automatically sinful. As one tempted, Jesus holds out the help we need so that we are not powerless again the temptations that we face.
Many today have drawn the wrong conclusion, they think that because a person has an inclination in a given direction, that is the way they were made, and therefore it is right to practice their natural desires. I.e. if a person has a attraction towards a person of the same sex than that is the way they are, and it is right for them to act upon their natural desire. One may be tempted to murder, or to steal, or to embezzle, or to take another man’s wife, if we followed to logic of today, that because we are orientated in that direction it must be right and therefore good. Do you see how that would lead to social chaos? The fallen world in which a person grew up in and the brokenness of their circumstances may orientate someone towards homosexuality, but to jump to the conclusion then that it is than right to practice what the God condemns, is the wrong conclusion.
We as the church of Jesus Christ must offer to the tempted the grace that can help in temptation. That means we must not discriminate between temptations but must deal compassionately with the weak and tempted. To hate any one because they have a certain sinful tendency is hypocrisy because we all have an orientation that tempts us, just not the same ones. We must affirm the full humanity of Jesus and the fact that he knows the pull of temptation and he has over come it and offers his grace to help in temptation. As Paul writes in 1Co 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
We need to help people realize that the devil is a good fisherman and he know just the lure that will capture our attention. God is not the author of temptation, in other words he did not make you that way. But the fact that a given sin is attractive is a manifestation of our own broken circumstance. James put it this way, When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed Jas 1:13-14 . Jesus Christ who has been tempted in every way just as we are is able to deal gently with the tempted and give them the grace that they need to overcome it. That is a message that we must trumpet as we love the weak and point them to Jesus how is able to save to the uttermost.
I agree with Dick Cheney, I would love my daughter unconditionally if she came to me and said that she was tempted to be a lesbian. I also agree with Allen Keyes that I would make sure that she understands that it is a sin to practice homosexuality, but I would assure her that just because she is at times tempted by a desire for other women sexually it is not sin until she gives into the temptation and acts upon it either through homosexual practice or lust, because I would not want her to be over burdened with false guilt. I would point her to Jesus who can forgive all her sins and who has the power to help her resist the temptation to practice homosexuality. I would encourage her to give her body to Jesus as a living sacrifice and to be celibate and chaste as the bride of Christ and to prepare for his coming. Finally I would assure her that singleness is desirable and honorable alternative for her.

God Bless you all,

Pastor Steve Wenner

Life lessons from a heart attack!

Life lessons from a heart attack!

Some of you who don’t regularly attend may not have heard that I had a heart attack on April 14th at about 12:15 a.m. I awoke to terrible pain in my back which of course I thought was a muscle spasm. Well the pain was so bad that I ended up going to Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park where I was confronted with the fact that I was having a heart attack. I ended up getting an Angiogram and a stint was put in. I certainly did not expect a heart attack at my age, 42 but that is exactly what I had. What I would like to share with you this month is some things that God has reinforced to me through the heart attack. God never waists any trials in our lives but always uses them for our good to make us more ready to be with him in eternity. So here goes.
The first lesson that was enforced to me is that life is really a vapor. I have begun to look at people differently since I had my heart attack and I had a friend that died of one at age 44 two weeks before I had mine. I now am more in tune to the fact that every ones life is in danger, life can come screeching to a halt in a moment. None of us are really secure in this life. James reminds us in 4:14, “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” This means that we can not take life for granted. We must focus on our lives in light of God and eternity. We must live every day to please God because none of us has a guarantee that we will have tomorrow. If you have never placed your faith in Christ don’t delay you may not have another opportunity. If you have placed your faith but are really not living for Christ don’t delay. You may not have tomorrow.
The second lesson that was enforced to me is that God is in control of our circumstances and we must learn to trust what he allows in our lives. The safest place that we can be is in the hands of our God. There was the moment when I was told that I was having a heart attack. Now I had a choice at that moment, I could panic or remind myself that I was in God’s hands. I chose the latter and I was ask why I was so calm? I had the opportunity to tell those who were working on me that “for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.” (2 Timothy 1:12b). God has not promised us a trial free life but he as promised that we will not be abandoned or forgotten when we are going through trials. They are an opportunity to know God better as we experience his grace in the midst of them.
If it is true that God has not promised us a trial free life than the third lesson that was enforced to me is that our hope is not in this life, but is in the life to come. Hope is an expectation of good. If we can not expect a life free from trials than our hope should not be in this life. God has promised because Jesus has been raised from the dead that we will also be raised, not to this same mortal life but to life immortal, where we will experience the bliss of eternity with God. Our faith connects us to this hope, and this hope will not disappoint us, because God has given us his Spirit who assures us of sonship in spite of the trials of this life. (Romans 8:18-27)
The more we can be people of faith who focus on the hope that God has promised us the more confident we will be in spite of the trials of this life. You see, peace in our circumstances comes to us, as we focus on the promises of God not the circumstances of life. That is why Christians around the world are victorious in spite of their sufferings they focus on their eternal hope not their sufferings and so should we. That is the central lesson of Hebrews 11 is that the people of faith were people who focused on hope to come not on the things of this life and we can be the same kinds of people as we focus on hope.
If everything that I have said so far is true and it is then the forth lesson that was enforced to me is that, the only thing that gives us certainty is the gospel. Therefore the gospel needs to be the source of certainty for our lives and the main message to those around us. No other beliefs can give certainty because they are based upon works. Only the gospel gives us certainty because it is based upon the promise of God and the work of Christ. This gives us immense confidence God will not let us down because if he did he would not be God. Those around us, who think that they will get to heaven by their good works, can never know for sure that they have done enough. All other messages give false hopes because they are not based on reality. The gospel gives us a genuine hope because it is based upon the fact of Jesus’ death and resurrection and ascension to glory. People live their lives trusting in their good works but they do not know that God will not except their good works because that would be a rejection of his own Son and God will not reject his own Son.
The final lesson that was enforced to me is that someday I will have a new body. This is the central hope of the gospel. If this body dies than I go to be with Christ to await the resurrection at the 2nd coming of Christ. One of the reasons that we should long for the day of Christ’s return is the hope of immortality. Death will dog our footsteps until Christ comes back than death for us as believers will be destroyed forever and we will spend eternity with Christ in a new glorious body that will never die.
I am thankful that the doctor thinks that my prognosis is good, but this is not my hope. I would have just as much hope if the doctor said my prognosis was bad, because this heart attack has enforced to me that nothing in this life is my hope, only what I have in Christ is my hope and I hope it is yours as well.

Blessings Pastor Wenner