Crossroads Celebration Church

This week in the college class I teach, Ethics, we entered into the discussion on abortion. In 1800 there were no laws for abortion in the U.S.. In 1900 all 45 states had laws banning abortion. In 1973 abortion became legal for first trimester only. In 1989 abortion became legal in all trimesters.

I came upon a website that I quoted in class and now share with you from Gregory Koukl, called Stand to Reason: Morally Velocitized. “Two years ago I wrote that our culture was becoming morally “velocitized.” The term describes something I learned in driver’s training in high school. Once a driver accelerates from, say, 30 to 60 miles per hour and settles in, he gets acclimated to his new speed and loses his true sense of velocity. It doesn’t feel as if he’s moving any faster than he was at first.

This is dangerous on the highway, but it’s deadly when it happens to the moral consciousness of a society. Years ago, Dr. Francis Schaeffer noted that what was unthinkable yesterday is thinkable today, and ordinary and commonplace tomorrow. We saw it happen once in this century. We’re seeing it happen again.”

I, Mark Tuttle, share this quote not just about abortion, but about the moral velocity of all ethical and moral situations. I read in the Des Moines Register [October 22, 2008] yesterday how they want to decriminalize prostitution in San Francisco, California. It is up for vote next month in an issue called Proposition K. In the article, it states that at this point it does not make prostitution legal, but would forbid authorities to investigate, arrest or prosecute anyone selling sex. The article also confirmed the legality of prostitution in two states, Nevada and Rhode Island in certain locations.

So the question I pose is ‘what’s next’? Will we get comfortable about prostitution and eventually make it legal in all 50 states? We are becoming more velocitized in the concept of marriage that we will eventually make homosexual unions legal in all 50 states? I pose another concept, if we keep the velocity going, will we legalize the union in marriage of three people? What’s to stop us? Often in debate, I have used as an analogy the rubber band. It will stretch and stretch and stretch, but even the rubber band has it’s limit and will eventually break. What is societies breaking point in abortion and prostitution and homosexual unions, just to name three? Was the great flood in the time of Noah the breaking point of the velocity of immorality? Was Sodom and Gomorrah the breaking point in the time of Abraham and Lot again for the velocity of immorality?

Having just seen the $700 billion bailout, what about corporate greed and lies to cover up such glaring financial ruin. Are we allowing moral velocity in the work place? Does this trickle down to the household and allowing our children to run loosely over moral issues? Where do we draw the line?

Maybe it’s time we check our speedometers and hold to the speed limit signs. Are they not put there for a purpose? Maybe it’s time we get back to the basics of God’s laws and hold firm to the Truth that is spoken in the Bible. I recall that there is penalty for trying to change what is written in God’s Word. I think we may want to hold true to God’s Word or we might end up with another kind of flood or hail fire and brimstone.

The other day I was listening to a Christian radio station and the lady said she and her husband didn’t celebrate Halloween and their young children were starting to ask questions. Like their childhood friends would ask what they were dressing up as for Halloween and the kids asked mom and dad why they weren’t getting costumes.

It reminded me of the year my mom came to our house to visit her young grandkids and I didn’t have up the Halloween decorations. I told her we didn’t want to celebrate ghosts and witches and monsters, which really don’t support our Christian faith. (some of you have been in my house and know that I am the one who decorates for the seasons and holidays and do it up well most of the time – something I learned from mom who loved the seasons and holidays)

So I started looking for friendlier ways to celebrate Halloween. Now we have decorations in our yard that have Winnie the Pooh, Tiger, Shrek and our neighbors added Mickey Mouse to our menagerie of Halloween decorations. I do a lot with pumpkins and fall leaves. And of course we do turn on our light on Beggar’s night to hand out goodies. We do try to come up with more alternatives to candy for the kids safety and parents ease of mind. So we have found a coupon for an ice cream treat the kids can enjoy days or weeks after the candy is gone. We’ve handed out nickels and pencils and some fun Halloween tracts.

But there is a tie in Halloween to our Christian faith. Halloween is All Hallow’s (another word for Holy) Eve or the night before November 1st or All Saint’s Day. And Christians have dressed up in costumes of their favorite saints on that eve. I remember a church party one time that a friend of ours came with only a sleeping bag that they carried under their arm. We spent a lot of time trying to guess their character and finally they said its an Old Testament character – a friend of Daniel who hung out with Shadrach and Meshach. His name….”a bed to go” or Abednego.

We don’t have to join the world in things that detract from our faith, but we can find ways that still glorify God. There are lot’s of heroes of the faith that would make a great Halloween costume and their are family friendly ways to celebrate sans the monsters and witches and it is one of our fall holidays that can be rich in color and harvest time remembrances. Be safe this Hallowed-een. Enjoy the season and the celebrations. This year it’s got to be less scary than the political scene.

So mom, I put up Halloween decorations now every year, because of that one year you wondered why we weren’t celebrating. We are celebrating, just not the way the rest of the world is celebrating. This is probably true of many holidays with a mix of secular and Christian celebrations.

What have you done lately, husbands for your wife? I’m not talking it’s her birthday or your anniversary or a holiday. What have you done this week for your wife? Have you fixed a meal? Have you done the laundry? And maybe these are your regular chores so they don’t count if they are. Have you rubbed her shoulders or done something without being asked, just because. And have you done it without the expectation that you might be getting something back? (And you know what I mean!)

Yes, I watched Fireproof the movie and it stirred some guilt for letting some husband duties slide. Gentlemen we should be doing something at least weekly for our wife without her expectation of it. If you are a little snippy with your comments to your wife – CUT IT OUT! If you think you can watch sports on TV all day long, find at least one hour to do something for her. If you haven’t given her a break from the kids, then send her away for a little shopping or a coffee while you wrestle the ankle bit(I mean the little cherubs) for an hour or two. Clean the toilets or some of the things she might hate doing. Get her oil changed if she has to find the time to do it herself.

This ain’t date night, this is just being a good and Godly husband. Gentlemen – report back and let me know some of your ideas. It’s not bragging time, but some of us need a little help and reminders once in awhile to be supportive husbands.

There are plenty of movies I want to see, but can wait for them to come out in DVD. Fireproof is an excellent movie that needs to be seen in theaters. And it needs to be seen soon. There are plenty of good movies out there, but only a few rare ones glorify God. Hollywood needs to know that families are hungry for good, quality movies that Christians will watch. I would say in the last ten years there haven’t even been ten good Christian movies. The rare ones have been the Narnia movies and Facing the Giants which is from the same film makers as Fireproof. Go see it in the movie theater just to make a statement.

Fireproof is excellent for anyone who wants to see marriage work. It has a solid Christian commitment to God, to marriage, to all relationships and it teaches honor and respect. Please stay through the credits. There are some things you will see in the credits, that you would never see in secular movie.

I give it my two thumbs up! I believe my wife gives it two thumbs up as well!

Have you ever had a cop pull you over and ask you the question, “Can you justify doing 49 in a 35?” Now I will admit this hasn’t happened to me in a few years, but it has happened more than once. Usually I cannot justify speeding. I could come up with some lame excuse but it still would not justify my speeding.

I have had other Justifiers in my life. Getting jobs has been one of those great justifiers. When I got the job as a college professor they justified my transcripts to see if I had a Masters and if I had the right courses to justify teaching certain classes. Limo driving, the DOT had to justify my chauffeurs license with a driving test. The crossing guard, the Ankeny Police had to justify my background check to make sure I would be safe with kids out on the street. Certain things were required to justify my new employment and there was someone accountable to justify those requirements.

Someday I will face the Great Justifier on my Judgement Day. God will ask about the sins in my life, probably why I was speeding might be one or two of the questions, but other sins in my life. And I will not be able to justify them as well. But one thing I do know and I will claim at that moment, is that Jesus is my Savior and I believe that he died for my sins and he rose for my place in heaven. My justification will be in Jesus my Lord and Savior.

We don’t get a pass because we missed the signs. (Remember the cop asking about our speeding) We don’t get to heaven because we have an excuse. We get to heaven because we believe in Jesus. That’s it – plain and just that simple. Jesus said, “I am the Way!” John 14 So how are you planning on being justified the day of your Judgement and the Great Justifier asks about your sins?

I have a third grader that comes every morning across the street where I do my crossing guard. She has her backpack on. She is riding her bike and usually has her meds (I think she has vitamins) in one hand, her breakfast in another hand, all the while steering her bike and trying to get across the street. And she usually does a good job of conversing while doing this masterful trick of multi-tasking. She is amazing. I keep telling her she needs to grow a couple more hands and arms.

I was reading Nehemiah chapter 4 this morning and I was reminded of this multi-tasking. Nehemiah was this lowly cup-bearer for the king and accepted God’s call to go and rebuild the destroyed city of Jerusalem. In chapter 4 the rebuilding meets resistance by the enemy and so the people respond. Prepare for battle, counter the attackers with prayer to our God and set a round-the-clock guard against the enemy. The common laborers held a tool in one hand and a spear in the other. Each builder had a sword strapped on to his side as he worked. Even getting water, they kept a spear in hand.

As we face undaunting tasks we might need to have a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other, let us not forget to prepare every battle with counter attacking by being in prayer to our God. Battles will be victorious if we keep our face toward God.

Nehemiah did just that. The city was rebuilt in a record 52 days. And this cup-bearer was not only a leader in the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, but he was also the leader in a great spiritual awakening in the land. The missions that seem impossible are always possible when we begin our counter attacks with prayer to our God and willing to put a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other.

Multi-tasking is done well by a good many people, but it is even more successful when it includes God.

In a shrinking world, it seems like everybody knows somebody. In 1984 there was a movie filmed in our backyard called “Country” starring Jessica Lange and Sam Shepard. We knew the auctioneer in the film and some of those extra’s that came to the auction. We even went to the same high school as the young man, Levi, that played Jessica and Sams’ teen son. The church that Jessica and Sam went to in the film was one that my daddy had pastored just three years earlier, so we knew some of the churchgoing extra’s.

So I bet I could do six degrees to Kevin Bacon and a few other Hollywood stars. I’ve been excited more recently than the 80′s to know some celebrities. Kyle Orton the Chicago Bears Quarterback was a member of a church I served when he was in high school. We’re not buddies, so don’t think I can get an autograph. Had I known I would have gotten one earlier in his career. This summer I found out that one of my church campers is now a guitar player for Christian artist TobyMac, actually one of my favorite artists. Tim Rosenau was a pretty good musician back in junior high. I remember him doing soundtracks on his keyboard in the 1990′s. I already have Toby’s autograph back when he was in DCTalk.

So what are your six degrees to celebrity fame? Shaken hands with a president? Touched the hem of Elvis’ shiny outfits? (it’s a biblical thing about touching the kings hem)

One thing I have done is touched the lives of celebrities. I’ve prayed for our presidents and their wives and for our governors and their wives. I have prayed for Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman. I have prayed for Kyle Orton – probably laid hands on him in prayer. I have prayed for Tim Rosenau. I have communed with both of these last two young men. I’ve prayed for these and others for the purpose of God’s movement in their lives and the potential witness their fame can bring the world, if they knew Jesus. Some of these do and some, well I can’t answer for them on their faith. But by the power of prayer and the power of God at work in lives that can be influential, Greater things than just fame can happen. So keep on praying for our nations leaders and people of influence. Six degrees (or less) of connection can possibly transform lives. It’s not just about who you know, unless the Who is God!

I was reading my Bible this morning, doing my journaling and reading about the time that Peter was being accused of being a follower of Jesus. You can read it in Luke 22. I was reading the Message translation and the third time Peter was being accused they said, He’s got ‘Galilean’ written all over him. And of course Peter denied it, just like Jesus predicted.

And it got me to thinking, shouldn’t we have, He’s got ‘Jesus’ written all over him. Or She’s got ‘Jesus’ written all over her. Would we deny the accusation or would we be proud to say, “Glad you noticed.” Or “It’s hard to hide something as good as Jesus, thanks for seeing the glory!”

I say shine! Shine for Jesus! Let the Glory of God rise up and be noticed in you and around you today! Don’t be shy – may you be accused today! I’d much rather be accused of shining for Jesus than accused of stealing someone’s parking space, or not getting my work done or cheating on…you get the picture.

I hope someone says to you today – You’ve got ‘Jesus’ written all over you!

I have been at the corner of 9th and Greenwood at 7:30 am every morning since August 15 to be a crossing guard for the nearby Westwood Elementary School. I have come to know many of the regular children and a few parents. Some are shy or bashful and some are in a hurry to get to school. But there are two that just make my day. One is a girl in fourth grade who mostly rides her bike to school in her flip flops. She has been ready for Halloween since the beginning of September. She reminded me again of her excitement today. She is very bubbly in personality and very friendly.

The other is a mom and her middle school son, who have the boys bike hanging out of the trunk of their black sports car. I haven’t a clue her name, but she stops every morning and grins and waves. I get some people to give a little wave or nod of my existence on the corner, but this woman is boldly waving and smiling as if we have been friends forever.

The sun is rising later in the morning and with the cooler temps we have had some foggy mornings and a few scattered sprinkles in the morning. No matter the forecast at my crossing guard corner, I know that I always have some early morning sunshine.

Isn’t it nice to have some bright shining people in our lives. It makes me want to smile a little more and say hi to strangers a little more often. I hope and pray that you are an encourager every morning and throughout the day. We all need a little sunshine, even on a cloudy day.

This is my favorite time of year. It’s not just a holiday or a season, it’s a whole quarter of a year or longer. I love the start of school, fall colors, birthdays in October, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year. I am an anticipation person and this whole time of year is wrapped in the anticipation of schools start with buying new supplies and school clothes to the anticipation of the trees turning colors and the cool air coming in and then the anticipation of birthdays and holidays. These are the best of times for me.

But this year is different. Mom died in February and we have slowly hit some of the first year events without her. Like in June it would have been my parent’s 50th Anniversary. I wanted them to celebrate, but it just seems a little empty. Instead, dad was at a memorial service for the pastors and pastors wives who have died in the past year. It should have been their big celebration. It was a little quiet that afternoon when dad came over. Now it’s fall and tomorrow is mom’s birthday. It will be the first one without her and then of course Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years will all be the first without her. She was a holiday person. We cleaned out the house and she had hundreds of holiday napkins and decorations and so much more to celebrate the holiday’s. I think she is part of the reason, I love this time of year so much.

It may seem like the worst of times, admittedly I have shed a few tears yesterday and today remembering her this week, but it is still the best of times. It is the best of times, because when we remember a loved one we remember the best about them. This was also her best time of year. She was a fall colors person. And no matter what happens, this is still my best time of year. I will still anticipate the cooler weather and the day the fall colors seem their brightest. I will anticipate my birthday at the end of October and Halloween and Thanksgiving and Christmas and the New Year. I hope one day we will be adding some new things in life to anticipate in this time of year, until then I trust God to continue to bless our family and the joy of the season and the holidays. I know God has blessed my mother with an eternal home and the is the Best of Times.

I pray that you know the Father and the Son who complete the plan of our salvation. If you do not, drop me a line and we’ll talk. I hope that everyone would know the Best of Times.