One Nation Under God

Happy 4th of July, American friends!

In America, today is Independence Day, the 4th of July, commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1776.

Since that day, God has blessed American in a unique way.

Millions have come to America to live, to worship, to work, to prosper, to thrive in the freedom that was wrought through the labors of our Founding Fathers.

America has been uniquely free.

Not because we are a “Great People”, but because we have been greatly blessed by the Sovereign God Who created us.

Not because we are “exceptional”, but because our Sovereign Creator has seen fit to give us an exceptional foundation in the Word of God, which tells of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

And this foundation of God and His Word was used to construct both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.

No human document can even approach “perfection”. But these documents had two qualities that make them exceptional:

1. They acknowledge God our Creator, and

2. Instead of seeking a Utopia, based on the absurdity that men are basically “good”, they take into consideration the sinfulness which every person is born with, and seek to protect against that sinfulness by ensuring certain inalienable “rights” to its citizens.

By ensuring these rights, and by limiting the powers of Government, and through the “balance of powers” within the Government, the Founders sought to give the maximum opportunity for freedom — a freedom which, while not a Utopia, yet gave people the room to grow, and learn, and prosper, and preach the Gospel, and give to others, including other nations.

Far from perfect (remember the sinful nature that all are born with), yet through the influence of those principles of the Word of God, and by His Grace, we made changes for the better.

Even the Constitution itself included a mechanism to improve by “amendment”. So, for example, the evil of slavery which was a “blind spot” at best, and an evil regardless, was permanently eliminated by the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.

This foundation of the Word of God and the Savior Jesus Christ has historically been woven into the fabric of our nation, even among those who have not come to personally know Jesus Christ. The Lord, His Word, and His righteousness have been at least to some extent honored by the vast majority of Americans…

…until recent years or decades.

Our problems are not primarily political.

They SEEM that way, but they’re not.

Many of you reading this believe our nation is in decline. I agree. Rapid decline. Dangerous decline.

But if we think this decline is merely dependent on the next election, we are wrong. If America does not radically revert back to the FOUNDATION, the decline will continue. Rapidly.

Full disclosure: I am a political animal. I love politics and the economics that intertwine it. I am an opinionated Libertarian-ish “thinker”.

But even political and economic Liberty cannot save our nation from its decline. Only the Creator Himself can. But He is a Jealous God, and our nation is no longer leaning on Him nor giving Him the honor that He so justly deserves.

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, I urge you to commune with Him first, above every other priority in your life.

Seek His face, seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, bask in the Grace of His Life within you and the work He has already accomplished on the Cross. “Draw near” to Him and He will draw near to you.

Then in your politics, you can love, not hate — persuade winsomely, not bicker and beat over the head — be at peace in your heart, not bitter and anxious.

And out of that the Sovereign Lord may choose to reverse the decline.

And He may not.

Be involved in politics. Vote. Run for office. But don’t “lean” on that as the ultimate solution. It is NOT the ultimate solution.

And as you vote, vote “righteously”.

While the world says, “It’s the economy, stupid”, for example, don’t be shamed into thinking the Holocaust Of The Unborn should take a back seat. Over 50 million unborn children have been killed…so far.

No candidate is perfect, nor ever will be. But I have declared that I will NEVER vote for any candidate that favors the right to kill the unborn. I am saddened to see brothers and sisters in Christ who have abandoned this issue, or even promoted the “right to choose”!

Yet we expect the continued blessing of God on our nation?

“Lord, I pray you WILL bless America. But I pray that we will understand the principle from your Word when you said, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,’.”

God Bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home.

Enjoy this very beautiful musical piece, in honor of the Lord Who gave us America.

Moralism, Morality and Grace

Sometimes when Christians really get ahold of the grace of God, and their release from the bondage of legalism gives them a new joy, they become a little confused between “moralism” and “morality”.

“Moralism”, for our purposes here, is that awful, even nauseating, idea that if we’re good enough, if we follow enough “rules” of what’s right and wrong, then we can earn the love and favor of God.  Indeed (so says “moralism”) we DESERVE the love and favor of God, even heaven itself.

Such “moralism” is rightly criticized, because:

1) No one is “good enough”.

We instinctively know this of other people.  Their faults are often glaring, and their blindness to them is just another chink in their armor of “goodness”, evident to all but them.

2) When we think WE are “good enough”, we are merely adding pride to our long list of sins, any one of which would be enough to bring condemnation from the Perfect and Holy Lord God.

However, when people of grace rightly criticize the concept of “moralism”, they often throw out the baby of “morality” with the bathwater of “moralism”.

Here’s what I mean.

“Morality”, for our purposes here, is the thinking and doing of what’s right.  It’s knowing the difference between right and wrong, and doing the right, even if imperfectly.

And “morality” is good!  It’s right for people not to steal.  It’s right for people to have sex only within the bonds of marriage.  It’s right for people not to bear false witness against others. And it’s right to refrain from killing one’s unborn child.

Conversely, it’s wrong to steal, to have sex outside of marriage, to bear false witness, and to kill the unborn children.

True, no level of “morality” will gain us heaven.  We are born with a sinful nature, and we’ve committed many sins as a result, and our acting “moral” will not erase that condemnable record.

That’s why we needed a Savior, Jesus Christ, and when we believed in Him, He forgave us all those sins, having paid for them on the cross, and He declared us righteous by grace through faith in Him.  A free gift.  GRACE!

But that doesn’t mean we are to be so foolish as to join the world in blurring the difference between right and wrong.

“But who are YOU to judge ME?”, one asks.  “Doesn’t the Bible say, ‘Judge not?’”

People acting immorally love to quote that verse. But it doesn’t mean don’t “judge” what’s right and wrong.  God has already determined that, and put it in His Word, and in our heart and conscience.

In context, “Judge not” merely means not to judge the heart of another, especially in a self-righteous hypocritical way.  But to judge right and wrong actions is not only legitimate biblically, but necessary to a society.

Here’s the bottom line.

“Moralism” stinks.

But there is, and always will be, right and wrong, morality and immorality.

To deny that, or ignore it, is to use “Grace” to chip away at some of the “Truth” — whereas Jesus is “full of Grace AND Truth”.

Speaking The Truth In Love In Politics

We Christians need to ask ourselves, seriously, if we are going to love people or not. Even people we disagree with. Even people whom we consider enemies.

The Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 13, says if we don’t have love, we’re just sounding brass and clanging cymbals.

“Oh, I believe that.”  Really?  Let’s get real with that.

Ready?  Here we go…

If you don’t love President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Eric Holder, and leftist activist SCOTUS Justices, you are just sounding brass and clanging cymbals.

And if you don’t love me, because I just said that…well, you get the point.

Of course, love is a Fruit of the Spirit. And we’re not always going to be walking by the Spirit, are we?  But that’s our goal and the desire of our heart, isn’t it?

On the other hand, we ought to always speak the truth.

We don’t have to cower in our defense of God’s institution of marriage, or ending the murder of the unborn, or any other true and good thing.

But God told us to “speak the truth in love”.

Not just speak the truth.

Not just love.

I know, some of these issues touch our emotions deeply. And evil is real.  But when that results in bitterness and hateful language, we’ve left the realm of our Savior and gone into another realm.

And the irony is, it doesn’t even work in persuading.  No one ever says, “Oh, since you’re yelling at me with shrill anger in your voice and calling me names in ‘ALL CAPS’, then okay, I’ll agree with your view!”

Now there’s no guarantee that speaking the truth in love will persuade either, but at least we will be doing the bidding of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ — and leaving the results to Him.

“The Perfect Father” – A Father’s Day Message by Pastor Bill Sasser

A Father’s Day Message delivered by Pastor Bill Sasser

on June 17, 2012, at Grace Church at Franklin, Franklin, TN

Starving Under Expository Preaching

I am a big fan of expository preaching and teaching. To preach the Word of God verse by verse and “give the meaning” is one of the highest forms of honor to God’s Word, and the most fulfilling food to the sheep…unless…it is devoid of Christ and His Grace.

“The Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17). Jesus is the true Bread of life, and even the most accurate and well-delivered exposition will leave malnourished sheep hobbling along the path with their ribs sticking out, if that Bread is not a part of every meal.

Preachers and teachers, please don’t let a sermon or lesson leave your lips, without our precious Savior and Lord, and His wonderful Grace, being an integral part of it.

Hear Mr. Spurgeon’s little story:

A young man had been preaching in the presence of a venerable divine, and after he had done he went to the old minister, and said, “What do you think of my sermon?”

“A very poor sermon indeed,” said he.

“A poor sermon?” said the young man, “it took me a long time to study it.”

“Ay, no doubt of it.”

“Why, did you not think my explanation of the text a very good one?”

“Oh, yes,” said the old preacher, “very good indeed.”

“Well, then, why do you say it is a poor sermon? Didn’t you think the metaphors were appropriate and the arguments conclusive?”

“Yes, they were very good as far as that goes, but still it was a very poor sermon.”

“Will you tell me why you think it a poor sermon?”

“Because,” said he, “there was no Christ in it.”

“Well,” said the young man, “Christ was not in the text; we are not to be preaching Christ always, we must preach what is in the text.”

So the old man said, “Don’t you know young man that from every town, and every village, and every little hamlet in England, wherever it may be, there is a road to London?”

“Yes,” said the young man.

“Ah!” said the old divine “and so from every text in Scripture, there is a road to the metropolis of the Scriptures, that is Christ. And my dear brother, your business is when you get to a text, to say, ‘Now what is the road to Christ?’ and then preach a sermon, running along the road towards the great metropolis—Christ.

“And,” said he, “I have never yet found a text that had not got a road to Christ in it, and if I ever do find one that has not a road to Christ in it, I will make one; I will go over hedge and ditch but I would get at my Master, for the sermon cannot do any good unless there is a savour of Christ in it.”
(From “Christ Precious To Believers”, preached March 13th, 1859)

Honor Thy Mother

A Mother’s Day Message delivered by Pastor Bill Sasser on May 13, 2012, at Grace Church at Franklin, Franklin, TN.

Thoughts On The Cross Of Christ

By Michele Rayburn

When I think about the cross, I think of what Christ’s death on the cross accomplished. What Christ did on the cross is not “the end” or “an end in and of itself”. But rather it is the beginning, and the means by which we are not only forgiven and our sins paid for, but we begin to experience eternal life right now, having received the Holy Spirit. And we are now able to “walk in the Spirit” and thereby grow and mature in our faith.

Without Christ’s crucifixion, we could not receive the Holy Spirit so as to experience His life and become ministers of the New Covenant, the gospel of our salvation to all that would believe. Because we have received the Holy Spirit, we glorify God in the earth and carry out His work as well.

When I think of Christ’s death on the cross, I think of Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

And Colossians 3:1-4 says, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God…For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”

Hebrews 12:2-3 says, “…looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross…consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.”

The author of Hebrews reminds us to look at how Jesus was able to endure such suffering because He was forward-looking, anticipating the joy that would follow, and encourages us to be like-minded…to not become weary and discouraged in our sufferings, but to look forward to the joy that is to come after this life.

Our church had to say goodbye to one of the members of our congregation a couple of Sundays ago. He came to church to see everyone one last time because he knew that he only had a few days left to live. He was a young man with inoperable brain cancer. I was so glad to see him just one more time, because I wanted to know how he was feeling spiritually…could he say, “It is well with my soul”.

Though he was very, very weak sitting in his wheelchair, barely able to speak or hear, and very frail, I was blessed by his countenance. He had an almost imperceptible smile on his face, and a glow about him. I could see that though outwardly he was perishing, inwardly he had the joy of the Lord. That’s what I needed to see.

I thought of how he must be looking forward to his new home in Heaven, that he was ready. He was looking forward to the joy that was to come. And that’s what the author of Hebrews is encouraging us to do in our sufferings. (This young man has since gone home to be with the Lord.)

When I think of Christ’s death on the cross, I think of the acceptance and unconditional love that we have in Him. Ephesians 1:4-7 says, “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself…by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.”

One Pastor/theologian wrote, “…other religions cannot tell us of a dying Savior.” I would have to say that other religions not only cannot tell us of a “dying Savior”, (though “many Christs will come”) but they cannot tell us of a risen Savior either.

I remember talking to my cousin about Jesus Christ years ago. She preferred to follow the teachings of Buddha. So, I finally said to her that all those other “prophets” from those other religions are dead, but Jesus Christ is alive…He has risen from the dead! I will never forget the look in her eyes. She was speechless. It was a moment I will never forget.

The gospel is not “the cross”, per se, as I sometimes hear people say. The gospel is “the good news”…that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins,  that He was buried, and that He rose again on the third day. (1 Cor.15:3-4)  And so He promised that we would be raised up with Him, first spiritually, at the moment we first believe, and then physically, “on the last day”.

In dying, He fulfilled the prophecy that He would die on a cross as payment for our sins, with the promise that whoever believes in Him as their Savior and Lord would not perish, but have everlasting (eternal) life. (John 3:16)

We have all been separated from God because of sin, and there’s nothing we can do to earn favor with God in order to be reconciled with Him. All God calls us to do in order to be reconciled with Him is to trust in His Son because Jesus paid for our sins.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. -John 3:16

Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013)

Baroness Margaret Thatcher, The Iron Lady, Britain’s first woman Prime Minister has passed away.

“The Iron Lady” was a great description of her because she had a statesman’s spine, but was indeed a Lady.

She once said something like, “Being powerful is like being a lady — if you have to tell people you are, you’re not.”

If you want to know the Source of her iron, it was Christ. One of the greatest speeches by a politician I have ever heard or read was her address to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1988.

Read it, if you like, and bask in the wisdom of this great friend of President Ronald Reagan: http://goo.gl/Iuplt 

Happy Easter!

Picture a mean bunch of guys, big rocks in their hands, hate on their faces, kicking up dust in the ancient Judean sun.

“For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God!”

With these amazing words in John 10, the Jews gave their reason for trying once again to stone Jesus.

Not yet ready to die, and certainly not by stoning, Jesus escaped Judea and crossed the Jordan River to where John the Baptist had once baptized repentant Israelites, probably Perea.  He stayed there for a while, and many believed in Him there.

When word came to Jesus that his beloved friend Lazarus was deathly sick, He didn’t cross the Jordan back to Bethany near Jerusalem to visit his friend on his death bed.  No one could blame Him for staying .  After all, hadn’t the Jews repeatedly tried to seize and stone Him?  So the disciples didn’t blame Him, and they weren’t surprised that He stayed in Perea.  It only made sense.  Lazarus would have to rely on the comfort of His immediate family, Mary and Martha.

But the disciples were surprised a couple of days later, when Jesus said, “Let us go to Judea again.”  What?!

They said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are you going there again?”

And He told them He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead.  Do you think they believed Him?  I don’t.  I think Thomas spoke for all the disciples when he said, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”  They thought this was it.  The end.  Crazy, but hey, He’s the Lord.  We will follow Him and we will die with Him if necessary.

But they didn’t die that day.  They went to Bethany, and Jesus spoke the words that thrill our hearts, as believers in Him:

“I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE.  HE WHO BELIEVES IN ME, THOUGH HE MAY DIE, HE SHALL LIVE.  AND WHOEVER LIVES AND BELIEVES IN ME SHALL NEVER DIE…”

And he raised Lazarus from the dead.

And later He died on the Cross.  They finally got Him.  They finally put an end to the One whom they said blasphemed because He said He was God.  And the brave disciples who went to Bethany with Him, willing to die, cowered behind a closed door, mourning the loss of their Rabbi, and their dreams.

We appreciate His death now.  We know that it paid for our sins.  We cringe at the horror of the Innocent One being beaten and scourged and crucified and separated from His Father as He took the fury of the Wrath of God on Himself.  We appreciate it.  But we don’t exactly celebrate it.

What we celebrate is that on the third day, He rose from the dead.  He authenticated that He is Who He said He was.  He is the Anointed One, God the Son, the Christ, the Messiah!  And He is alive!  And we say Hallelujah!  He is risen!

Even as a historical event, it’s noteworthy.  But He did it for a purpose.  He was “raised for our justification”.  He was crucified, buried, and raised from the dead, that we might live.  He said He came that we might have life and have it more abundantly.  And in some mysterious way, when He died on the Cross, we died with Him, and when He was raised, we were raised with Him, and seated with Him in the heavenlies, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion.

We were made alive spiritually, with the promise that we will be raised physically as well, on that Great Gettin’ Up Morning!  We became New Creations!  Old things have passed away, behold all things have become new!  There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus!  Hallelujah, what a Savior!

And all because He died for our sins.  He became sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Christ!

He Is Risen!

It Is Finished

by Michele Rayburn

We have died once to the penalty of sin, and so we have peace with God. (“I have been crucified with Christ…”)

We are able to die daily to the power of sin because we stand in grace. (“… it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…”)

And someday when we are present with the Lord, we will be free from the presence of sin. (“…and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God Who died for me and gave Himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20)

Jesus died once for our sins, and shed His blood for us, so that we can rest completely in His finished work on the cross.

Sometimes we as Christians live as if it isn’t “finished”. We live as if our sins are not forgiven, past, present and future. And we find ourselves trying to earn God’s favor each day.

But we stand in grace, in a permanent state of forgiveness, precisely because “It is finished.”