Just A Thought

 It is one of the most well-known prayers of our day. It was written by Reinhold Niebuhr, who was an American theologian and commentator. He was one of the leading intellectuals in the United States during the 20^th Century, who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964. He wrote this prayer for a sermon that he preached at Heath Evangelical Union Church, in Massachusetts. It was used in sermons in the church beginning in 1934, and, in 1951 it was published in a magazine. Since then, “The Serenity Prayer” has been popular with Christians of many denominations. But most people are probably familiar with it because it is used in Alcoholic Anonymous meetings all over the world.

Before reviewing the prayer, let’s consider why people in AA meetings have found the prayer to be such a comfort. Alcohol has a been a social problem since the beginning of time. The website www.webmd.com describes the problem Americans have with alcohol like this:

It is estimated that between 18 million -- or one in 12 adults -- in the U.S. abuse alcohol or are chronic alcoholics. Nearly 100,000 Americans die each year as a result of alcohol abuse, and alcohol is a factor in more than half of the country's homicides, suicides, and traffic accidents. Alcohol abuse also plays a role in many social and domestic problems, from job absenteeism and crimes against property to spousal and child abuse.

The immediate physical effects of drinking alcohol range from mild mood changes to complete loss of coordination, vision, balance, and speech -- any of which can be signals of acute alcohol intoxication, or drunkenness. These effects usually wear off in a matter of hours after a person stops drinking. Many law-enforcement agencies regard a .08 percentage of alcohol in the bloodstream as evidence of intoxication. Larger amounts of blood alcohol can impair brain function and eventually cause unconsciousness. An extreme overdose, alcohol poisoning, can be fatal.

That academic description cannot begin to convey the grief and pain cause by people who are bound by alcohol. Neither can it begin to capture the frustration, shame, fear and helplessness experienced by those caught in its grip. 

In 1935, two men set out to help people whose lives had been marred by alcoholism. They established a faith-based, twelve-step program called Alcoholics Anonymous. Bill Wilson and Bob Smith founded the first group in Akron, Ohio. The idea was to invite people to admit their need for help, turn to a higher power and then take steps toward overcoming the addiction. AA has been in existence for 80 years and there are now over 115,000 groups world-wide. 

Each time a group meets, they recite the Serenity Prayer, so there is no telling how many people have prayed this prayer. This prayer is effective because it is based on biblical truths and because of the sheer volume of people who have prayed it. Here is the most commonly used version of the Serenity Prayer:

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

Courage to change the things I can,

And wisdom to know the difference.”

The Serenity Prayer personifies how Believers can rest in God through prayer. We can have peace because, through prayer, God will help know what we need to do and what we need to leave up to Him. Prayer works and is powerful because the God to whom we pray is so big… and powerful… and full of mercy and grace. Because we pray to an all-powerful God, we can enjoy serenity, even in difficult circumstances.

# posted by John W. Hanson @ Friday, January 29, 2021

 Many wise lawyers have begun addresses to a presiding judge using this familiar phrase: “If it please the court”.  In a few words, they are recognizing the authority of the judge and the entity that has given the judge their authority. The lawyers are making a respectful argument by emphasizing their humble role in the system. They are appealing to a higher power. It seems to me that Americans would be wise to take the same approach as they talk to God about the predicament in which we find ourselves now days - because we need divine help!

Unrest, epidemics and corruption are not new. Empires have risen and fallen for millennia, and they have often fallen for the same reasons - because mankind is slow to please the highest court of the universe.  Today may seem extremely troubled to those of us trying to grapple with its issues, but a brief look at history will reveal that people and countries are not any more messed up today than they have always been. One thing has changed, however; we are now more interconnected as a world, so we are more aware of, and more effected by, the chaos of other people groups than at any other time in history. 

Jesus predicted a world like the one in which we now live when he said:

Watch out for doomsday deceivers. Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities, claiming, “I am Christ, the Messiah.” They will deceive a lot of people. When reports come in of wars and rumored wars, keep your head and don’t panic. This is routine history; this is no sign of the end. Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Famines and earthquakes will occur in various places. This is nothing compared to what is coming.

They are going to throw you to the wolves and kill you, everyone hating you because you carry my name. And then, going from bad to worse, it will be dog-eat-dog, everyone at each other’s throat, everyone hating each other. In the confusion, lying preachers will come forward and deceive a lot of people. For many others, the overwhelming spread of evil will do them in—nothing left of their love but a mound of ashes.

Staying with it—that’s what God requires. Stay with it to the end. You won’t be sorry, and you’ll be saved. All during this time, the good news—the Message of the kingdom—will be preached all over the world, a witness staked out in every country. And then the end will come. (Matthew 24:4-14 MSG)

When our world is topsy-turvy it causes us to search for order or meaning. We tire of politics, biases and spin. We beg, “Just the honest facts please!” That is why so many take comfort in the Bible; it doesn’t hide humanity and it doesn’t sugar-coat truth. It has stood the test of time, becoming one of the most tested and proven books in the world. A graphic that can be found on www.OpenBible.info demonstrates just how amazing the Bible is. It shows the 340,000 cross-references between the Old and New Testament. Even though the Bible was written by many different authors who lived in many different times and places, there is incredible unity within Scripture - because it was inspired by the ultimate judge of the universe.

Since we are watching the predictions of Jesus come to pass, it should make us want to turn to the Supreme Authority of life, whether or not it pleases the mob, the financially powerful, the political elites or the religious rulers of our day. Soon we will all stand before the King or Kings who is called the “Righteous Judge”. We would be wise to approach Him today with the words, “If it please the court,” and then live our lives in a way that truly pleases Him.

# posted by John W. Hanson @ Friday, January 22, 2021

In 2020 COVID has demonstrated just how tentative and fragile life can be. We have all witnessed how quickly governments can take liberties, and how quickly people give them up when their health and safety are at stake. The social unrest in our nation has also demonstrated how volatile our society can become and how much hurt lies beneath the surface. The uncertainty can make us wonder what the future holds. Luckily, there is hope.

I grew up on a church pew. As a child I heard preachers explain Bible passages that predict that the world would become more tumultuous. Their contemporaries scoffed. I heard preachers use Scripture to point out that someday there will be a global order and that everyone on earth will be given a number in order to buy or sell. Unbelievers mocked such an idea as impossible. Others pointed out that Scripture talks about a short period of peace in the Mideast. Those ideas were also dismissed as improbable. Yet here we are: many of those preachers have passed on, but their predictions are coming to pass. Come to find out, the Bible has accurately predicted the future for millennia, and continues to be a reliable glimpse into the future - and into eternity. 

One of the most significant prophecies in the Bible predicts that even as our world experiences turmoil, many people will become believers, just before Jesus Christ (who died and rose from the dead 2000 years ago) comes back to “catch away” those who are looking for Him. Such a claim may seem far-fetched, but God is good enough to give open-minded people little glimpses into eternity by letting them see similar miracles in real time. For example, several years ago a colleague of mine, Lee Stoneking, who lives in upstate New York, dropped dead in the airport in Sidney Australia. He was pronounced dead on arrival, but forty-five minutes, and ten shock treatments later, he came back to life. His story was so exceptional, that in 2003, he was invited to tell the whole world in a speech to The United Nations General Assembly. To date millions have viewed it on Youtube and other venues. 

Jesus gave us all a little glimpse into the future. Here is one of his more famous predictions:

Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?”

Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you,  for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many.  And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world.  But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.

Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers.  And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other.  And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people.  Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.  But the one who endures to the end will be saved.  And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:3-14 NLT)

# posted by John W. Hanson @ Friday, January 15, 2021