The Secret Wireless

To those called to be shepherds of Christ’s flock, Illinois has passed a law making it possible for men and women to enter into “civil unions” with any other person they choose, be they male or female. This means, of course, that a man may enter a civil union with another man. A woman may have a civil union with another woman. There are many implications for such a law. Those implications could be ethical and moral, political, social, and spiritual. While it is tempting for pastors to address the social and political aspects of such a law, I wish to issue a call for pastors everywhere to address this as the spiritual issue that it is. Women and men are going to come to you asking for civil unions. In the face of this request you have a responsibility as those called by God to spread His Word. To neglect that responsibility is to ignore the call of God. As homosexuals enter your office asking for civil unions in a religious setting you have a God-give...

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:18-22) “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love .” (Galatians 5:6) Friends in Christ, These two verse shoot straight to the heart of the Christian message and mission. Jesus Christ has suffered, died, and risen. He has conquered death and the grave. He has set us free from the fear of sin and death. And this is not mere philosophy. This is not book knowledge for a select few seminary professors. It is life changing, reality creating good news for each and every one of us. You are a new creation in Je...

You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way. Friends in Christ, “[Love] does not rejoice with wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.” (I Corinthians 13:6) The Eighth Commandment is about the truth. It is about the way we are to treat our neighbors, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ, when it comes to t...

You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not scheme to get our neighbor’s inheritance or house, or get it in a way which only appears right, but help and be of service to him in keeping it. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not entice or force away our neighbor’s wife, workers, or animals, or turn them against him, but urge them to stay and do their duty. Friends in Christ, To summarize these commandments, we should not be jealous. It is fairly simple. We should feel no jealousy or envy over what other people have, no matter how nice it may seem or how much we may think that we deserve it. Coveting is similar to lust. It is a desire, a feeling, or a thought. It is something that occurs in our h...