Jesus, Lazarus and Judas

Pastor Reuben of the Randers Free Church with Gary Sweeten


My sermon for Palm Sunday

Here is a terrific story. Jesus and his pals come back to the small town of Bethany located just outside Jerusalem to visit with His old friends Mary and Martha and their brother Lazarus. The story is found in the Gospel of John Chapter 12 and it has some real characters in it.

Here is how it begins: "Martha was serving and Lazarus was reclining at table with Jesus. Mary took a jar of precious, very expensive ointment and began to anoint the feet of Jesus with it." Not much seems to have changed in this family. Martha is still serving while Mary is forgetting to work so Jesus can eat with Lazarus.

Oh, wait a minute. something has changed. Lazarus is not dead any longer. He is sitting there at the table as big as life and twice as active. "But," you say, "he was dead as a door nail. What happened?"

Lazarus, Mary and Martha lived in a rather small town so everybody knew everybody's business. Not a soul in Bethany was ignorant about the death of Lazarus and that it was a tragic death for a man so young. Everybody talked about it for days. This must be why so many of the people of the village were gathered outside the house to see if they could get a glimpse of Jesus and Lazarus.

They also knew that Lazarus was so dead for so long that his soul had already ascended out of his body. Every Jew knew that one's soul stayed in a dead body for no longer than three days, yet Jesus had called Lazarus forth from the tomb of death after he had been dead for four days. IMPOSSIBLE!

As an observer from modern times, it seems to me that everyone present would be overjoyed with the situation. what could anyone find to criticize in this situation. Well, some people found a great deal to disloike and even hate.

More later. I must have some tea with Peder Poulsen, my current Danish host, and Galina Chentsova, head of our ministry in Russia .

Healthy Churches

I have been interested in developing healthy churches for a very long time. I have seen some slight movement toward facilitating health in a few congregations but frankly I am not sure health is a very high priority for most Christian leaders.

Developing healthy churches is dependent upon facilitating healthy interpersonal relationships in the staff, elders, deacons and members. The kids in Sunday school will not likely become good communicators and good at caring for each other is the Sunday school teachers do not model those things. And, even if the teachers are excellent at interpersonal relationships, when the kids go home to chaos, conflict unbridled and miscommunication exponentially growing, how can the kids live healthy lives?

The church is a system of systems; a family of families. It is the sum total of all the family systems that are congregating. Here is my definition of the goals of church members:

A desire to learn how to work out all the problems and conflicts they have not been able to work out on their own at home. Husbands and wives bring to a marriage all the un worked issues carried over from childhood. Those issues are poured into the congregation with the high expectation that God, the Minister and the Elders will help the people get well, healthy or at least better.

This sets us up for grave disappointments. So, when we set the Ministers up on a high pedestal of expectation, they have a very long way to fall when they cannot deliver. But no human can deliver healing so it is unfair to set the Ministers up that way. Yes, but it happens every Sunday.

So, what shall we do? Teach the skills of healing, growth and change to every single member. Teach personal responsibility and how long it takes to bring change. Teach about mercy and grace for self and others. Teach every member how to listen and listen and listen. Teach every member how to take every thought captive. Teach them how to stop all that Stinking Thinking.

Every member needs to be trained to rest in Christ and stop all the performance nonsense.

It is not easy but we can make some steps toward healthier living. Why wait? Start now!

MARLEY'S GHOST

MARLEY was dead, to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it. And Scrooge's name was good upon 'Change for anything he chose to put his hand to.
Old Marley was as dead as a doornail.

Scrooge knew he was dead? Of course he did. How could it be otherwise? Scrooge and he were partners for I don't know how many years. Scrooge was his sole executor, his sole administrator, his sole assign, his sole residuary legatee, his sole friend, his sole mourner.
Scrooge never painted out old Marley's name, however. There it yet stood, years afterwards, above the warehouse door, -- Scrooge and Marley. The firm was known as Scrooge and Marley. Sometimes people new to the business called Scrooge “Scrooge” and sometimes Marley. He answered to both names. It was all the same to him.

Oh ! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, was Scrooge! A squeezing, wrenching grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner! External heat and cold had little influence on him. No warmth could warm, no cold could chill him. No wind that blew was bitterer than he no falling snow was more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less open to entreaty. Foul weather didn't know where to have him. The heaviest rain and snow and hail and sleet could boast of the advantage over him in only one respect, -- they often "came down" handsomely, and Scrooge never did.

Nobody ever stopped him in the street to say, with gladsome looks, "My dear Scrooge, how are you? When will you come to see me?" No beggars implored him to bestow a trifle, no children asked him what it was o'clock, no man or woman ever once in all his life inquired the way to such and such a place, of Scrooge. Even the blindmen's dogs appeared to know him; and when they saw him coming on, would tug their owners into doorways and up courts; and then would wag their tails as though they said, "No eye at all is better than an evil eye, dark master!"
But what did Scrooge care! It was the very thing he liked. To edge his way along the crowded paths of life, warning all human sympathy to keep its distance.

**This description of Scrooge is the best illustration I have ever seen of a hardened, callous sinner whose heart and mind and spirit are so deadened to human life and nurture that he prefers loneliness and rejection to warm fellowship.

Just imagine for a while the cold, hard, penetrating eyes and the lack of compassion that covered his face like a steel mask. No knight in armor ever had a more forbidding visage than Scrooge. No one wanted to be near Scrooge.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The fellowships who follow Christ that we call churches are called to be the opposite of Scrooge. In Ephesians 5:22 ff we read that the fruit that grows from the seeds planted by the Holy Spirit are-Love, joy, peace, gentleness, kindness, gentleness, meekness and so forth.

But, his nephew and family lived out their poverty stricken lives with joy, love and good cheer. What a contrast. The wealth of Scrooge did not bring him joy and certainly did not endear him to others. But sick little boy, Tiny Tim, although crippled physically was a giant in the Spirit.

How do we do this? By being filled with the Holy Spirit and stirring up that Spirit to grow as much fruit as possible. Who will you be like this Christmas? Scrooge or Tiny Tim?

Islamic Terror Knocks on our Door

I have been a therapist involved in the healing ministry for several decades. During that time I have seen thousands of men and women whose mental states were a mixture of angry, depressed, bitter and despairing and some whose behavior was often compulsive, hopeless, hurtful and self defeating. In the case of Nidal Hasan, whom I never saw in therapy but whose mindset was familiar, the mental state was a mixture of fantasy and extreme bitterness.

Hr. Hasan was following in the footsteps of other terrorists who have flown airplanes into buildings full of workers, blown themselves and others up in marketplaces and homes and mosques, led suicide attacks on hotels and churches and acted in other seemingly inexplicable ways. But is it a mystery why these men do such things? Not according to the Bible, God's book of psychology and behavior.

Read this prophetic passage in Hebrews 12: 12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

In the passage above the writer encourages the sick and feeble to prepare for healing. In many instances people with problems and pain need to work at getting better. Mr. Hasan did the opposite. He diligently pursued illness of mind and soul.

14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

Verses 14 and 15 tell us exactly what will cause murder: self pity, unforgiveness, hatred and bitterness. Mr. Hasan had evidently rehearsed his perceptions of US mistreatment of fellow Muslims and it drove him to madness and murder. It literally did what was predicted in Hebrews by causing a bitter root and that causes trouble and defiled many families.

What else can drive so many Muslims to murder thousands of innocent men, women and children? Anyone who ruminates over and over on being a supposed victim will develop a deep suspicion or even paranoia about the people who have, in his fantasy, victimized him. Mr. Hasan was paranoid and complained often and loudly about how the American Army, of which he was a well paid officer, was persecuting Islam and Islamic countries.

The people who suffered as a result were men and women standing unarmed and helpless in a line at an Army base in Texas. Let his mental, emotional and moral derangement be a warning to all of us that the Bible is right when it comes to the main causes of violence: a root of bitterness from a refusal to forgive past wrongs by offering others mercy and grace.

By grace we are saved, healed and delivered not by works lest anyone should boast.

Gary Sweeten Day in Cincinnati

 

This is a photo of the proclamation by Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory making October 2 Gary Sweeten Day in Cincinnati. It was a great blessing and honor to have EMI go to all the trouble to have the Mayor make the proclamation.

The Mayor also made Sunday, October 3 College Hill Presbyterian Church Day in Cincinnati for founding EMI and its predecessor, the Teleios Center, and supporting EMI's national and international ministries for thirty years.

HEALED AND WHOLE

One day I dug a little hole
And put my hurt inside
I thought that I could just forget
I'd put it there to hide.

But that little hurt began to grow
I covered it every day
I couldn't leave it and go on
It seemed the price I had to pay.

My joy was gone, my heart was sad
Pain was all I knew.
My wounded soul enveloped me
Loving seemed too hard to do.

One day, while standing by my hole
I cried to God above
And said, "If you are really there
They say, you're a God of Love!

And just like that -- he was right there
And just put his arms around me
He wiped my tears, his hurting child
There was no safer place to be.

I told him all about my hurt
I opened up my heart
He listened to each and every word
To every sordid part.

I dug down deep and got my hurt
I brushed the dirt away
And placed it in the Master's hand
And healing came that day.

He took the blackness of my soul
And set my spirit FREE!
Something beautiful began to grow
Where the hurt used to be.

And when I look at what has grown
Out of my tears and pain
I remember every day to give my hurts to him
And never bury them again.

By Carol Parrot

Adoption Heroes

My friend Carole Adlard has just been recognized as an "Angel" to many babies in need of a family. Here is her heroic story.

For Immediate Release September 27, 2009


Contact: Congresswoman Jean Schmidt Honors Carole Adlard as an Angel in Adoption™
To Be Recognized at National Event in Washington, DC


Cincinnati, Ohio: September 27, 2009 Congresswoman Jean Schmidt has selected Carole Adlard as a 2009 Angel in AdoptionTM for her outstanding advocacy of adoption issues. The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI), which orchestrates the Angels in Adoption™ program, will honor Carole Adlard along with more than 190 Angels, at an awards ceremony and gala event in Washington, DC, September 30, 2009.

Carole Adlard is being honored for conducting twenty three years of adoption education. “I felt the adoption process was lacking,” explains Carole Adlard, “ In order to improve the practice of adoption, I formed an adoption educational agency called Adoption Option..” Adoption Option has become a catalyst for a broad array of adoption activities in Southwestern Ohio including, an infant adoption video based curriculum that is used by schools, agencies and pregnancy testing centers throughout the U.S; an adoption mentoring program for unwed pregnant teenagers; adoption mediation program for birth and adoptive parents; a professional adoption education program which educates medical and mental health professionals on how to provide faction adoption information in a non directive ways; an adoption media initiative that conveys accurate adoption information to make communities more adoption literate and adoption friendly. Mrs. Adlard has spoken on adoption in national conferences including National Neonatal, National Infant Adoption, National Right to Life and The Common Ground Network for Life and Choice.

The Angels in Adoption™ program is CCAI’s signature public awareness campaign and provides an opportunity for all members of the U.S. Congress to honor the good work of their constituents who have enriched the lives of foster children and orphans in the United States and abroad.


“The Angels in Adoption program is unlike any other program in the Nation’s Capitol. Because of it, over 1400 “Angels’ have come to share with Washington their adoption experience and left with a renewed excitement of all that adoption makes possible,” said Congresswoman Jean Schmidt.“I learned one simple lesson from my time on the hill, knowledge is power. Angels in Adoption is meant to give Members of Congress the knowledge they need to use the power they have toward making the dream of a family a reality for every child.”


In addition to the more than 190 local angels from around the country, several National Angels will also be recognized at the ceremony and gala for their dedication and commitment nationally and internationally to child welfare on a grand scale. Former “National Angels” include First Lady Laura Bush, Patti LaBelle, Jane Seymour, Muhammad Ali, the late Dave Thomas, Steven Curtis Chapman, Bruce Willis, Alonzo Mourning, and Marcus Samuelsson.

The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) is a 501(c)3 nonpartisan organization dedicated to raising awareness about the tens of thousands of orphans and foster children in the United States and the millions of orphans around the world in need of permanent, safe, and loving homes through adoption. CCAI’s goal is the elimination of the barriers that hinder these children from realizing their basic right of a family.

CCAI was created in 2001 by the active co-chairs of the bicameral, bipartisan Congressional Coalition on Adoption (CCA) to more effectively raise Congressional and public awareness about the issue of adoption.

The Angels in Adoption™ program was established in 1999 as a Congressional press conference to honor outstanding individuals. Since then, the program has developed into a yearlong public awareness campaign culminating in an extraordinary awards Gala and celebration in Washington, D.C.

Rid Self of Stinking Thinking

Irrational Thinking that leads us to miserable feelings and unreasonable acts are a fact of life. I grew up in an area that prided itself on living in anxiety, fear and misunderstandings, especially in homes and churches.

About thirty years ago Margaret Josephson Rinck and Alice Petersen attended a seminar put on by Dr. Maxie Maultsby, a Plastic Surgeon who turned to Psychiatry because the people he operated on to make more beautiful were as miserable after the surgery as before. He decided that he needed to help miserable people stop making themselves fell so badly and he took up brain studies.

Meg and Alice returned from that workshop all excited about integrating Dr. Maultsby's insights with the Bible and we wrote manuals on the topic and taught hundreds of people how to be "Rational Christians". It was enormously successful.

I preached this morning at Tri-County Assembly of feeling miserable and start feeling joy. The Bible is the very best book of psychology ever written. Psychology means the study of the soul and who better that the One who created our soul to teach us how to heal it and keep it whole? God knows our heart and our soul and wants to replace lies with His truth that will set us free.

Race, Religion and Redemption

The term for salvation in Greek is sozo and it is used to denote many things having to do with God's power to bring His people into wholeness. For example, it is used to focus on coming to Christ as our Savior when we are born again. I was reared in a society that asked people, "When were you saved?" and we did not mean when were you pulled from a raging river but when were you saved from the Devil?

It can also be used to indicate healing. We know that being a Christian and attending church services regularly can lead to a healthier and longer life. This is especially true for African Americans. Blocking African Americans from church could be considered a lethal act.

According to polls a whopping majority of over 80% of us come from a Christian tradition. About 42% of Americans attend religious/church services weekly. This is far more than those who attend all professional sports in an entire year.

Some 95% of Americans believe in God. In 1985 George Gallup found that 72% stated: "My whole approach to life is based on my religion." We are the most religious western nation by far. This is especially shocking when we realize that the country is divided almost 50/50 in politics. America, for all her weaknesses, is a religious nation. As one wag noted, ”India is the most religious country in the world and Sweden the least. America is a bunch of Indians ruled by Swedes.”

Research shows that 91% of blacks, 93% of Hispanics and 88% of whites report a religious affiliation. Even more startling is the number for regular attendance: 51% of blacks, 48% of Hispanics and 43% of whites attend services weekly or more often.
Sixty four percent (64%) of blacks in the national sample were members of religious communities (churches) with 59% of whites and 43% of Hispanics.

Participation in religious activities outside weekend services is also high with 47% blacks, 41% whites and 31% Hispanics saying they are in church during the week as well as on Sunday.Social Capital

In a nation obsessed with racial and cultural diversity the facts about minorities and religious faith have been strangely absent from the dialogue. There is one astounding statistic about African American longevity and church attendance that is rarely if ever mentioned in the debates about faith based organizations and health care. An article by Hummer et al in Demography Journal, 36:273-285 in 1999, Blacks who attend church live much longer than those who do not.

Never Attend Whites-77 Years--Blacks 67 = A 10 year difference
Less than weekly-weekly--Whites 80 Years--Blacks 75=5 years
Weekly or more Whites--83 Years--Blacks--80 = 3 years

Whites who attend services more than weekly gain an average of six years in longevity but African Americans who attend services weekly or more gain a whopping 13 years in life expectancy. Their difference in longevity is almost eclipsed by church attendance. In fact, when Blacks attend church more often than weekly it raises their life expectancy to that of whites who attend weekly or less.

It is also a historic fact that the Abolitionist Movement to free slaves in this country originated largely in Christian churches and revival meetings. Despite the strong resistance of many rich and powerful church leaders those who were revived in the Spirit placed their lives, church membership and treasure at risk when they insisted on offering freedom to those in bondage. No wonder so many African Americans are involved in Christian ministries. The benefits are overwhelmingly positive.

Augustine's Rest

Michael Cristiani wrote a comment on the last post about finding our rest in God. Bishop Augustine is one of the most influential Christians in history. He was a wild mouse who rebelled against every convention and who desperately needed the peace of God. He found it when he heard the voice of the Spirit speak to him and he was born again.

The Bishop lived in north Africa and was a brilliant theologian. However, it appears to me that he failed to really find his rest in Christ while on this earth. My evidence for such a conclusion is how hard he was on people who failed to live up to his standards.

In my experience, anyone who is rigidly ungracious toward other sinners is out of touch with the peace of Jesus. As Hebrews 12:15 says, "Let none of you fail to obtain the grace of God and cause a root of bitterness grow up to defile many people.

Those of us who fail to obtain God's gracious attitude toward ourselves and others are very likely to become bitter. Bitter resentment leads to sickness of body, mind and spirit. Grace leads to peace.

Choose Life

There is a surprising Bible passage uttered by the Lord God to the Children of Israel. DT 30:19

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants.

It is surprising because many of us assume that all people will naturally choose life without requiring God to warn them. But, it is not so. It is a truism's that millions of people choose death, curses and evil on a daily basis.

I was trained in public universities by secular humanist professors who were, as a rule, committed to the notion that all people are born good, pure and innocent. So, I naturally began to think that way as well.

The Bible gives us a different picture entirely. It paints us as deceitful broken and prone to selfishness and evil. Who is correct, Carl Rogers or Moses? What have we learned from life and counseling?

For a long time I struggled with the paradox of secular humanistic ideas in a fallen world. Finally, I was informed by my personal experience and biblical study the Moses was right and Carl Rogers was wrong. Over the last forty or so years I have struggled unsuccessfully to be perfect like I was taught and I have worked with thousands of people whose commitment to purity, peace and love was sabotaged by pride, prejudice and power.

The heart is wicked, deceitful and self defeating. That is why we need the daily, moment by moment salvation of Jesus Christ. Moses lays it out this way on the next verse. We can choose life

by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.

Life comes from:

1. Loving God
2. Obeying God's voice on a daily basis.
3. Holding fast to Him because He is our salvation.

Gary Sweeten

Listening and Accomodating to Others

The more I study the research on counseling, influence, sales and leadership the more I am convinced that tuning in to others is a key to effectiveness.

The mind operates at least six times faster than we can talk. So, we are filling in the blanks when another person speaks. Instead of listening to them we listen to ourselves as six times the speed of their sound.

Today I met with friends Eric and Elaine Hansen. Eric made a great comment about the importance of developing great relationship skills. He went on to say how difficult it is to master those skills. "Learning soft skills is hard" he said.

I said, "Very hard" and we laughed at the fact that we are all "teachers" of soft skills but still find it difficult to practice them.

All it takes is humility, patience, gentleness and peace.

Gary Sweeten

Sexual Abuse Recovery: Is There Hope?

One cannot keep from reeling at the high numbers of people who are sexually abused, shocked and traumatized in America. Here are the differences:

1. Sexual Shock is a one time or very rare sexual interaction that are inappropriate. This includes porn, sexual touching and sexual verbalization's.

2. Trauma is more than shock and includes occasional sexual interactions that are inappropriate.

3. Abuse is an ongoing, chronic inappropriate sexual interaction.

The results are different for the differing levels of pain.

1. Shock leaves a person with distorted, confused and cold emotions.
2. Trauma leaves a person with frozen, confused emotions.
3. Abuse leaves one with permafrost emotions.

There is good news, however, for all of these situations. Healing and restoration is possible for all three levels of pain. I have personally been involved with people who have been able to recover completely even from chronic abuse.

Recovery comes from faith, hope and love.

Never, ever give up. I heard a podcast today about a woman who was severely beaten, abused and rejected who ran away from an "insane asylum" in Australia and completely recovered, largely on her own. God's people are constantly seeing hurting people healed through prayer, worship, discipleship and caring.

Gary Sweeten

Gary Sweeten

Muslims Long for Heaven

I was reared in a strongly conservative culture where hell was discussed a lot. We longed for heaven. Now, Christians have it so good that we rarely discuss heaven or hell. Muslims are different and I can see why. No Valentine's Day celebrations are allowed.

The Arab News reports that in Saudi Arabia, opposition to Valentine's Day has the imprimatur of the state: The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice intensified its vigilance over flower, chocolate and gift shops to confiscate items related to Valentine's Day, a perennial crackdown on a holiday perceived by many to be both Western and immoral.

These do not sound like the actions of a civilization confident in its own superiority. In a speech Egyptian cleric Hazem Shuman sounds even less confident: Imagine that the Prophet Muhammad is standing before you, and so are the Jews and the Christians. The more you celebrate Valentine's Day, the more the Jews and Christians are happy, and the more the Prophet Muhammad is sad. The more you do this, the more the Jews and the Christians gloat at us, while tears flow from the Prophet's eyes. Do you want to make the Prophet sad and the Jews and Christians happy?!

He makes the prophet sound like a man in trouble. He says: People, if Muhammad Ahmad Ibrahim holds a party, and George Mikhail whatever holds a different party, [Muhammad the Muslim] will wear the same clothes as [George the Christian], both will buy dresses for their wives from the same shop, both will seat their wives on the stage for all the people to see, both will book a hall in the same club, both will invite single men and women and have them intermingle, both will hire a band, musicians, and female singers and dancers, and both will have crowds intermingling outside the club. If you are invited to Muhammad's party, how would you distinguish it from George's party?

No wonder they long for paradise.

Gary Sweeten

PS If you do not understand God's grace and mercy, you might even mistake Islamic legalism and grim adherence to these standards as being admirable. On one of my trips to the Holy Land a friend was constantly admiring Muslims because they prayed five times each day. I told him those prayers were to a god of revenge and that Jesus showed us a tender Father.

Love and Marriage

Karen and I have been married over 47 years and it gets sweeter every year. Here are some thoughts about marriage from youthful but keen observers.

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY?

"You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming." Alan, age 10

"No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with." Kirsten, age 10

WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?

"Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then." Camille, age 10

"No age is good to get married at. You got to be a fool to get married." Freddie, age 6

HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?

"Married people usually look happy to talk to other people." Eddie, age 6

"You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids." Derrick, age 8

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?

"Both don't want no more kids." Lori, age 8

WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?

"Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough." Lynne, age 8

"On the first date, they just tell each other lies, and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date." Martin, age 10

WHAT WOULD YOU DO ON A FIRST DATE THAT WAS TURNING SOUR?

"I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns." Craig, age 9

WHEN IS IT OK TO KISS SOMEONE?

"When they're rich." Pam, age 7

"The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that." Curt, age 7

"The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do." Howard, age 8

IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?

"I don't know which is better, but I'll tell you one thing. I'm never going to have sex with my wife. I don't want to be all grossed out." Theodore, age 8

"It's better for girls to be single, but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them." Anita, age 9

"Single is better, for the simple reason that I wouldn't want to change no diapers. Of course, if I did get married, I'd just phone my mother and have her come over for some coffee and diaper-changing." Kirsten, age 10

HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED?

"There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there?" Kelvin, age 8

"You can be sure of one thing - the boys would come chasing after us just the same as they do now." Roberta, age 7

HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?

"If you want to last with your man, you should wear a lot of sexy clothes, especially underwear that is red and has a few diamonds on it." Lori, age 8

"Tell your wife that she looks pretty even if she looks like a truck." Ricky, age 10

Ricky has it right. Affirm your wife no matter what. The research shows that we need a 5 X 1 ratio of affirmation to complaints to have a great marriage.

Gary Sweeten

Seek First the Kingdom of God

Did you read about the man who lost his job and went home to see his wife and five kids? He killed them and himself because he was so upset about losing his job. I would say that this is an extreme example of loving and serving mammon more than God.

In Matthew 6 Jesus offered us a beautiful and healthy way to look at material things. It is the way we can keep our wits about us during this economic slowdown.

19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. (If you want security do not place your mind on getting it from material goods. Mold, rust, inflation and a lowering stock market can take our material treasures away from us. No body can take heaven's treasures from us.)

21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (My dad always said, "The pocket book nerve is the nerve closest to a man's heart.)

22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! (This is powerful. The eyes are windows to the soul. If they are filled with evil, greed, mammon and self service the soul will be in a dark dungeon!)

24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."

Not long ago Bernard Madoff, a very wealthy investor, was found to have been ripping off his investors for some 50 Billion dollars. They included his own family, his Rabbi and Congregation as well as numerous Jewish and secular charities.

How dark would a man's soul need to be to do such a thing? He had many houses, yachts and assorted luxurious items while stealing from charities. He attended Synagogue, gave to their charities and yet was so greedy that honoring God was a complete fake.

But to a lesser extent, many of us choose mammon over God. We worship the things money will buy and long for it in the bank or retirement account so we will feel secure. Is my security in things or in God. Jesus gives us this advice.

32 The pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Is my security in things or the God who supplies all my things?

During this financial meltdown I have seen my retirement fund almost disappear. I was very anxious and I sought the Holy Spirit's guidance. He spoke to my heart and comforted me. (I'll tell you later what He said to me.)

Have you sought the Lord and His Kingdom during the meltdown? Did He comfort you?

Are you trying to operate in His kingdom rather than the political kingdom?

Are you exceedingly worried about your things? Does the worry help you or increase the bank account?

Let me know what you are experiencing.

Gary Sweeten

http://www.sweetenlife.com/

Peer Helpers, Coaches and Chaplains

I have been interested in the power of People to help each other for a long time. With the rise of Alcoholics Anonymous, Lay Pastors and Christian Cell Groups we are seeing an explosion of self help or really mutual help opportunities. Here is the good news from a Clinical Counselor; Peer Helping is almost always as useful as that offered by Professionals.

On Saturday I spoke with about twenty men and women who are volunteering to be available to people in pain to offer a listening ear, a warm heart and caring prayer. The group was called together by Jim and Kathy Mills who are fostering the development a Chaplaincy movement here in Greater Cincinnati. It is a great idea.

If you are interested in being trained as a Chaplain, send me an email and I can get you in touch with Jim and Kathy.

Gary Sweeten
www.sweetenlife.com

Atheist Anwers to Christian Joy

The atheist lobby has come up with an answer to all the Christian joy and charitable activities that make them look so bad. The anxiety and worry of atheistic groups has risen sharply with a recent study showing that conservative Christians are decidedly more charitable than Liberal unbelievers. Despite their usually successful claims to the contrary, new studies by several neutral scientists proves conclusively that Conservative Christians live longer, have better marriages and better sex, and are generally happier than libs.

The atheist groups approached a Drug Laboratory in Moscow that was shut down after the fall of Communism. They asked the atheist scientists to develop some medicine that would suck the life and joy out of Christians so their lives of freedom and peace would not be so superior.

The scientists went to work and resurrected a drug developed under Stalins's rule that fit the bill. It is called, CEREBRUM and the enclosed video proves its effectiveness. If you or someone you love is suffering from high levels of fun, joy and reverie, get CEREBRUM today.

Ps. Satire alert!!!

Gary Sweeten

http://www.sweetenlife.com/

Speaking of Change

A man was being tailgated by a stressed- out woman on a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow just in front of him. He did
the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.

The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration, as she missed her chance to get through the intersection, dropping her cell phone and makeup.

As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up. He took her to the police station where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a holding cell.

After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.

He said, 'I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him.' I noticed the 'What Would Jesus Do bumper sticker,the 'Choose Life' license plate holder,the 'Follow Me to Sunday-School' bumper sticker,and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk.Naturally....I assumed you had stolen the car."

Ouch!

A Good Year Passed and Another is Coming

2008 was a great year. Not because I made a lot of money in my retirement account. I did not. In fact I lost a lot of money.

Not because I became famous instead of rich. I did not. In fact I am even more humbled by my lack of fame and influence.

Not because I was successful as a minister or teacher. I was not successful in the sense that Obama wants me to be his Pastor nor does anyone me to speak at their big conferences. In fact, I get to talk to small groups of hearty Believers occasionally and I like it.

Why was 08 great?
Why will 09 be fine?

Because I have Great and Fine God. God is in control and I am not. Whew, that is a relief. I just heard two men argue over how to stop the wars in the Middle East. They were very sure of their answers to issues that have lasted several thousand years. They are deluded and I am not. I don't know what to do.

I am glad that Obama is President and I am not. I am even more pleased that God is in Heaven and I am on earth. I pray that Obama will also seek God.

I am greatly blessed by the Providence of God. I grew up with five rooms and a path to the bath room. Our water only ran if we carried it as we jogged. Our coal stove barely warmed a space of a few feet around it. My family and neighbors had little education and less money.

Thankfully, I was reared with a solid faith in God. The Holy Spirit came to me while I was a young boy of ten. Yes, I have been a Believer for over sixty years. That means I have accumulated a lot of grace, mercy and blessings from the hand of almighty God. So, I have an attitude of gratitude. I am thankful for my family, friends, fellow believers and this nation.

The Lord s my light and my salvation.
Whom shall I fear?

Gary Sweeten
www.sweetenlife.com