The Secret Wireless

Fred Phelps almost protested at my church once.  They decided not to after they realized they weren't going to get on television, or anywhere near the funeral procession (one of the perks of our church basically owning the whole block).  But our little community was ready for them all the same. Some were ready to ignore them.  Some were ready to ask them why they had come.  Others, I am sure, were ready to do them bodily harm if they stepped off the curb toward the grieving family of an American hero. Today, as I learned about Phelps' death, and as the nation wondered how it should respond, it was the words of Jesus that came to mind:  "Ye have heard that it hath been said, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy.'  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." I'm not sure anything else needs to be said.

Have you honestly thought about it? Have you? Why?  Why does He love love you? It is something most people, if they believe in God, take for granted.  "Of course God loves me.  How could He not?" Well, God shouldn't love you, and that is a fact.  He should not love me either.  I am a reckless, useless, disgusting sinner in His sight.  I stand before Him saturated in sin, wreaking with the stench of it.  I am constantly thumbing my nose at God.  So why does He love me, or you, or anyone? We could take the Lutheran answer here, the Sunday School answer, and simply say, "For the sake of Christ." This is true.  God loves you for the sake of Jesus Christ.  But that only pushes the question back one step. Why did God send Jesus to suffer and die for sinning scum like me? Do you want to know the real answer? Do you? OK, here it is: I HAVE NO FREAKING IDEA! Isn't that awesome?!  I have absolutely no idea why God loves you, or me, or any

II Peter 1:16-21   “Is Jesus ever coming back?”   Have you ever wondered that?   Do you find yourself watching the news, or surfing the internet, or struggling with sin or conflict in life, and just wish this could all be over with?   You are not suicidal.   You just want Jesus to return and make everything right, like He promised to do.                 And so you wonder.   You long for Jesus to return, to crush Satan, to raise the death, to set this world right.   And you wait.                    The Church has been waiting for 2000 years.   How much longer is it going to be?   How many more centuries, or millennia will pass by without the visible revelation of Jesus Christ?                 The Apostles struggled with this question.   They had seen Jesus ascend into heaven.   They had heard the promise of the angel that He would return just as He had gone from their sight.   This was an essential part of the early preaching of Peter and Paul.   Their sermons and