Following are articles that have appeared in Weld County newspapers: The Tribune published in Greeley, CO and The Herald-Voice published in Eaton, CO.

Don’t Let It Go – Give It Up (published in The Tribune 11/24/12)

Composer Giacomo Puccini sent Christmas cakes to his friends. One year, after they were sent, he and conductor Arturo Toscanini had one of their frequent quarrels. The cake was gone, but Puccini sent a telegram saying: "Cake sent by mistake." Toscanini replied: "Cake eaten by mistake."

That humorous incident illustrates a tragic truth. Any counselor will tell you that most people hold grudges that threaten their emotional and physical well-being.

Such attitudes are fostered in a modern society that prizes individual rights. We hang on “for the principle of the thing.” Like Gollum with the ring, we embrace the joy of the pain and the desire for revenge until it becomes a part of our being.

But there is a price to pay. National Geographic, in November, 1985, reported that a park ranger in British Columbia found an interlocked set of moose antlers. He speculated that two bull moose began fighting, got their antlers intertwined, could not get free and died together. Just like us when we will not forgive.

Modern psychology recognizes the problem, but the best it can do is advise, “Let it go!” Occasionally, that’s enough. But for most, the desire for vengeance continues to overwhelm.

The Bible goes much deeper than this on two fronts. First, and most importantly, it reminds us, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph 4:32). This is meaningless unless and until one really grasps the truth that God, in Christ, has given His own life to pay for our sins, making it unthinkable that we would continue to hold out against someone else. This theme is repeated multiple times through the New Testament, including in the Lord’s Prayer: “and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matt 6:12).

But it also confronts the issue from another perspective. There is a great play on words that starts in Eph. 4:26-27, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” Give no opportunity to the devil. Now look at Romans 12:19, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’” The phrases translated “give no opportunity” and “leave it” are the same Greek word. So the Bible is advising, don’t give the devil opportunity – rather, give God opportunity.

In other words, you want vengeance? Give it to the ultimate revenge manager! He repays as appropriate. That’s a little different than just saying, “Let it go.”

The truth is, even the injustices that come our way are intended in some way for our ultimate good. It may be intended to encourage our submission to God in the first place. Or it may be intended for our continued growth.  But injustice is never wasted – unless we refuse to let it go.

Joseph is a wonderful example. Sold into slavery by his brothers at age 17 with all the trauma that would have caused. Yet years later, after he rescued those same brothers from famine (read the whole wonderful story in Genesis 37-50), they got nervous when Dad died -- scared to death Joseph would now take his revenge. What was to stop him?

But Joseph responds to their fears, “‘Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.  So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.’ Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them” (Genesis 50:19-21). He gave it to God, and he saw God’s good purpose. There’s a man who knew how to live, not just exist.

Got a long standing grudge, resentment, desire for revenge? Don’t let it go. Give it up – to God who will know exactly what to do with it. And start living again.

Dave McNeff is pastor of the First Congregational Church of Eaton/Ault

Become a “Carrier” (published in The Herald/Voice 10/25/12)

A guy sits on a psychiatrist’s couch looking miserable. The psychiatrist says, “Look, making you happy is out of the question, but I can give you a compelling narrative for your misery.”

Most of us don’t want the narrative, we want happiness. So we search for it – in things, success, recreation, relationships, pleasure, hobbies, travel, stimulants, and whatever else you want to throw on the pile. While these may bring temporary enjoyment, ample evidence suggests they can’t bring lasting contentment.

There is a reason for that. Let me illustrate. A successful alumni group visits a retired college professor.  Conversation inevitably turns to the stress in their lives.

The professor hosts them with a large pot of coffee and assorted cups – ranging from plain porcelain to elegant china.

After everyone gets a cup, the professor observes, “You all know that the cup adds nothing to the quality of coffee, right? Yet, notice that you have taken all the china, leaving the plain cups behind.”

Then he drew this analogy. “Life is the coffee; your jobs, position, relationships, possessions, money, hobbies and the like are the cups. The type of cup does not define, nor change, the quality of life a person lives. Yet, concentrating so on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee. Often, we expect the cup to enhance the coffee – something it can never do.

He concluded, “The happiest people don’t have the best of everything; they make the best of everything.”

His point was clear. We can find temporary enjoyment in external things, but true happiness comes from within. You don’t find happiness; you carry it with you.

Abraham Lincoln once said, “Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” I’d modify that slightly to read, “Most folks are about as happy as their relationship with God allows.”

Want to build happiness from within?  Prov. 29:18 says, “. . . blessed (happy) is he who keeps the law.” Get to know and obey God’s Word, and happiness builds from the inside. You won’t need a compelling narrative for your misery. You’ll be carrier, not a taker.

A humorist named George Mikes decided to write a book on psychoanalysis. In preparation, he submitted to analysis himself. The psychologist began by asking whether Mikes had had a happy childhood.  “I am still having a happy childhood,” Mikes responded.  So are faithful children of God.

By His Grace, Pastor Dave

The White Lines of Freedom (published in The Tribune 10/13/12)

“Truth to Live By” – our church’s tagline – a bit out of step with the times. The latest polls indicate that most people don’t believe in truth. And without truth, there is nothing to live by. Your way is as good as my way and vice versa.

However, simple logic demonstrates the absurdity of such a position. The statement “there is no such thing as absolute truth”, is itself a statement of absolute truth! The position is logically indefensible by its own definition.

More to the point, no one lives like that. We all live like truth exists -- thankfully!

We just returned from a trip to the UK. They not only drive on the wrong side of the road there (!), but many of the roads wind interminably and are barely wide enough to fit two small cars – a definite challenge to this freeway-addicted American!

Postmodern thought would suggest that freedom is being able to drive on any portion of those impossibly narrow roads which works only until the moment of accountability in the form of an oncoming tour bus! It quickly becomes clear that true freedom is found between the bright white line painted in the center of the road and the thick hedge, laden with hidden power poles defining a left boundary. Disaster looms – except within the lines! No relativism there.

So – people all over the world accept the absolute truth of “white lines” down the middle of roadways. To do otherwise would be foolhardy; we all know it and we all live like it.

That physical reality illustrates the spiritual truth of Jesus’ statement: “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” You think freedom is the ability to live any way you want? I tell you freedom is to know my word and abide in it – truth to live by.

Consider two great spiritual truths. The second greatest is this – the wages of sin is death. That’s what God told Adam and Eve way back in the beginning. Did God mean physical or spiritual death? How about both. The moment they sinned, the process of corruption and decay set in that would eventually take their life. Physical death. And, they found themselves hiding from a God with whom they had previously enjoyed perfect fellowship. Spiritual death. Every physical death from then until now is a continuing reminder of God’s truth – the white line – sin means death.

But the greatest spiritual truth is the promise of redemption. We’ll never stay safely within God’s boundaries. It’s impossible. But Jesus did. And then He gave His life to pay the penalty of death for anyone who would believe in Him. Peter said it this way: “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God.”

Jesus successfully navigated the holy ground between the white middle line and the hedges, and now, through His death and resurrection, He offers His righteousness to us. That’s the truth. But to live by it, we have to commit our life to His lordship. It’s not enough to know, Paul says we must “confess Jesus as Lord” (Rom 10:9). It’s an issue of faith.

Adam and Eve believed. When God promised a Redeemer through Eve’s progeny (Genesis 3:15), Adam believed and named his wife Eve (“mother of all living”), before she even had any children (Genesis 3:20)! In response to their faith, God replaced their attempt to cover their own sin with fig leaves with garments of skins (redemption, bought at a price). Out of death, God brings life for those who believe.

“Truth to live by” – out of vogue with the times, but perfectly in tune with God’s revelation. Times change; God doesn’t. That’s why truth to live by will never go out of style.

Dave McNeff is pastor of the First Congregational Church of Eaton/Ault

A Change in Call Signals (published in The Tribune 9/01/12)

Trivia time! We all know “Air Force One” is the call sign for any plane carrying the US president. Question:  Has that sign ever been changed in mid-flight.

Answer: One time.  On August 9, 1974, as President Nixon flew over Missouri on his way to California from DC, Gerald Ford was sworn in as president. At that moment, the call sign for the Boeing VC-137C (a modified 707) was changed to SAM 27000, its normal Air Force designation.

It takes a powerful person to influence a change in an airplane’s call sign. It takes an even more powerful authority to effect a change in identity in a human life.

Take the identity “Christian.”  Depending on who’s counting, there are somewhere between 2.3 and 2.6 billion people on earth who claim that title. I would love to think that every one is legitimate. But, of course, there is a wide variety of reasons that people claim that identity.

For some, it is about being born in a certain location. For others, it is inherited from parents. For others, it is belonging to a certain church. For others, it is the product of having gone through a certain ritual. For still others it is about good works, or at least “doing their best.”

But what would Christ Himself say about such claims?  His words give little credence to the reasons given above for claiming His name.

Jesus said things like, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24). It is not birth location, but placing one’s faith in Him that makes one a Christian.

Jesus said, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). It is not an inheritance, but a matter of personal belief in His death and resurrection in one’s place that makes one a Christian.

There is a telling interchange in John 6:28-29: “Then they said to him, ‘What must we do, to be doing the works of God?’”  Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” The only “work” God accepts is belief in the Son He sent to be the satisfaction for the sin of the world (I John 2:2).

Jesus once said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Jesus must be in charge of any life that claims to be “Christian”.

The Apostle John summarizes all this by saying, “He [Jesus] came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:11-12).  “Christian” are those who have invited Him “on board.”

Remember the movie Air Force One?  Harrison Ford is President James Marshall whose plane is attacked by terrorists. Being a former soldier the president fights back until there is only one terrorist and the president left on board. In an attempt to rescue the president a zip-line is connected between Air Force One and a smaller plane providing a possible means of escape (it’s a movie, folks!).

Radio contact is lost. Officials are horrified as radar shows the presidential 747 go down. Agonizing moments of silence ensue, but then the small plane radios in, “Liberty 2-4 requests a change in call signals to Air Force One." The president was safely on board.

Only Jesus is big enough to reverse the devastation and rebellion that sin wrecks in a human life.  But the call sign has to go from “Me” to “He.” To be Christian is to have Christ on-board. He comes by invitation.

Dave McNeff is pastor of the First Congregational Church of Eaton/Ault

Needed – A Few Good Men (published in The Herald/Voice 8/30/12)

A lovely rich girl falls for a poor beggar.  He fears she only sees him as a reformation project and agrees to marry her only if she will travel the world with him, begging from house to house.  She reluctantly agrees, they marry and begin their world begging tour. At the tour’s end, the beggar says, “Well, Darling, you’ve proven yourself. Let’s go home. No more begging.”  “Fine,” says his wife.  “But first, let’s finish this row of houses.”

The point is, we all have influence, consciously or unconsciously. How much better to lead with purpose and clarity. The truth is, our culture craves effective, selfless leadership, especially among men – many of whom have abdicated.

How important is this?  Edmund Burke famously reminded us, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."  That's a sobering thought.

Many qualities go into making an effective leader, but foremost among those is a firm knowledge of one’s own strengths, weaknesses, abilities and values.  And – a willingness to go against the crowd.

On the third floor of the Smithsonian’s American History Museum in Washington, DC, there stands a stuffed horse named Rienzi. Who was Rienzi and how did he get there?  Well, Rienzi belonged to Civil War General Philip Sheridan.

Rienzi got into the museum because one morning late in the war Sheridan’s Union army was surprised by Confederate troops in the Shenandoah Valley and began a hasty retreat. Sheridan was 20 miles away in Winchester, VA when he heard the sound of battle. After an exhausting ride, he and Rienzi arrived just in time to rally the Union troops to stop their retreat, and to turn and follow their leader into battle, turning a rout into a stunning victory.

Sheridan knew who he was, what he could do and was willing to go against the tide.

Men of our community have an opportunity to prepare for such leadership.  A chapter of Men’s Fraternity, a group of community men dedicated to doing something, not nothing, will be meeting again this year at 6:00 AM on Thursday mornings at the Congregational Church (corner of 2nd and Cheyenne) to challenge each other to be the best we can be. Everyone is welcome.

The program consists of a great breakfast, watching a 40-minute video aimed at helping identify our strengths, weaknesses and purpose in life, and a brief period of interaction. No one is put on the spot, but leaders are being built. We urge you to be there.

A corollary to Burke’s comment is that when good men do nothing, they are no longer good. Come and join a group of good men seeking to get better and make a difference.

By His Grace, Pastor Dave

Underdogs and Impossibilities (published in The Tribune 7/21/12)

It’s almost Olympics time again -- the time when champions emerge from unexpected places.

Four years ago, Michael Phelps was going for a record eight gold medals in swimming, but he needed help from teammates in the 4x100 meter freestyle relay.

Phelps swam the first leg, but by the time the fourth US swimmer, Jason Lezak, entered the pool, he was a full body length behind the favored French team. And Alain Bernard, swimming anchor for the French, was a former world record holder at 100 meters.

At the turn, the lead had grown and everyone, including the US TV announcers, had conceded the race to France – everyone, that is, except Jason Lezak. With history on the line, Lezak dug deep. Almost imperceptibly he began to gain ground.

With just a few meters to go, victory still seemed out of reach. But with a miraculous lunge at the finish, Lezak touched .08 second ahead of Bernard. He had swum 100 meters in 46.06 seconds – the fastest time in history for that distance.

Lezak said later, “I’m not going to lie, the thought crossed my mind: no way am I going to do this. Then I told myself that’s ridiculous, I’m racing for my country here, I can do this.”  By thinking beyond himself, he pulled off the impossible.

Such feats are a constant reminder that when we are aiming for something bigger than ourselves, amazing things can happen. The Bible constantly reminds us that we were made for something bigger than seeking our own comfort.

Isaiah 43:7 tells us we were made for God’s glory, not our own. The Bible teaches that mankind is the pinnacle of creation in that we were made in the image of God (defined by our self-consciousness, sense of morality and God-consciousness at a minimum). That image is damaged by mankind’s rebellion against our Creator, but it is not obliterated.

In fact, it is subject to a glorious restoration by faith in Christ. God reminds us in II Cor. 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” The old that passes away is the never-ending but ultimately futile search for meaning in serving self. The new that comes is the opportunity to contribute to something bigger – to be part of God’s plan “to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth” (Eph 1:10), by fulfilling the potential of the image of God in us.

Don’t believe it?  Well, let’s pay an early morning visit to Capernaum on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee in late AD 25.  Several fishing vessels come ashore and the men begin to unload their catch.  They reek of fish and sweat and sea water.  The language is pretty salty as well.  They are bringing to market the catch of the day, drying their nets on nearby rocks, thinking no further than doing the same thing next day. They expect nothing more out of life – ever.

Our tour guide says, “See those four guys?  Over the next 40 years, those guys are going to turn their world on its ear.  The emperor himself will know of them, and the faith they help establish will outlive the Roman Empire. Those guys are going to change the world.”

You’d have replied, “You’re crazy! Are you kidding me?  Those guys?  Not possible.  They’re just poor, uneducated fishermen!”  Right!  Uneducated, unrefined fishermen, who met Jesus Christ who urged them to something bigger than themselves. And so Peter, James, John, and Andrew – and a few others of their kind changed the world.

So as the Olympics start, I wonder, what underdog will emerge.  But I also wonder, what unknowns are out there changing their world by living up to the image of God in which they have been created? There is a challenge worth taking on.

Dave McNeff is pastor of the First Congregational Church of Eaton/Ault 

Inflating the Influence of “Bad Apples” (published in The Herald/Voice 6/13/12)

One church secretary was in the habit of recording the title of the sermon in the bulletin followed by the pastor’s name. One Sunday morning she noticed a lot of snickering as people got settled. The cause became obvious when she noticed what she had typed: “What Makes God Sick: Pastor Joe Smith.”

I find that interesting because I have found that one of the major reasons people stay away from church is because they can’t stomach some of the people they find there – usually labeled hypocrites.

Those who feel that way may be surprised to learn that they have a lot more in common with Jesus than they might have thought.  Here is what He wrote in a letter to one early church: “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth [literally, vomit you up]” (Revelation 3:15-16).

Jesus doesn’t take kindly to those who claim one thing and live another any more than most of us. They make Him sick, whether found inside the church or out. If you hate religious dishonesty, you are in good company.

The question is, is it wise to let the duplicity of a few scoundrels dictate our own actions and drive us from truth just because it has been trampled on by others? Do we really want to inflate the influence of those we despise by basing our beliefs and actions on their foolishness?

There is also the question of whether we are being duplicitous ourselves.  C. S. Lewis once pointed out, “If what you want is an argument against Christianity . . . you can easily find some stupid and unsatisfactory Christian and say, ‘So there’s your boasted new man!  Give me the old kind.’"  Could it be that the condemnation of slackers is merely an evasion?

Consider the farmer who invited a friend to have some fresh cider made from his apple orchard. The friend politely declined and when pressed admitted that he had found the man’s apples sour in the past. When asked which apples he had eaten, the friend replied, “Why, those that fell along the road over your fence.” The farmer laughed and acknowledged, “Yes, those are sour. I planted them to fool the boys who live around here. Come to the middle of my orchard and you will find a different taste.”

May I suggest that at the center of Christian faith is a Christ of infinitely “different taste” from some of His supposed followers.  His is a taste worth pursuing.

After all, we don’t let exaggerating fishermen keep us from the joy of the real thing. Nor do we let the inflated egos of a few self-deceived chefs keep us from the joy of true culinary art!

How shortsighted it would be to allow the “bad apples” of religious experience keep us from pursuing the soul-satisfying relationship that awaits all who will cast aside excuses to find heart-warming, life-changing truth in Christ.

Who knows, we might even find a few “good apples” – kindred hearts who are the genuine article and who rejoice the heart of Christ.

By His Grace, Pastor Dave

The Fine Art of Denying Reality (Life is Short and Eternity is Long) (published in The Tribune 6/09/12)

A trivia question for sports fans. What do Wilt Chamberlain, Mickey Mantle, Walter Payton and Payne Stewart have in common other than their status as professional athletes? Give up? Well, each was among the all-time greats in their respective sports basketball, baseball, football and golf. And, all had reasonable expectations of living well into the 21st century. None made it.

Stewart intrigues me. He won his second US Open in June, 1999 at Pinehurst in North Carolina. I can still see him in his black knickers and white socks watching his 15-foot par putt going in at the 18th hole to defeat Phil Michelson by one stroke. Six months later, he was gone at age 42, victim of the crash of a private plane that somehow lost cabin pressure, causing loss of consciousness for all aboard.

Who knew as he boarded the plane he was taking his last steps. Actuarial tables say he should have lived another 35 years. But neither the law of averages nor his good health and success could guarantee him another day. That's the fragility of life that we all live with.

But while we all know better, surveys suggest most of us live as though life will last forever. Little preparation is given to what comes next. We intentionally duck that reality in favor of life in Fantasyland.

Don't think so? Consider this. A recent survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life advises that 82 percent of Americans believe in an afterlife. Eighty-two percent! But a study by Kosmin and Lachman from City University in New York published in Newsweek indicates that only 19 percent of adult Americans practice their faith. That suggests that 60 percent of Americans who believe in an afterlife live as though that fact were irrelevant, willfully avoiding a hard reality.

The truth is, the worldview of most people is informed by the old Coors commercial -- "You only go 'round once, so get all the gusto you can!"

Thomas Chalmers was a lazy Scottish minister in the early 1800s. He once wrote a pamphlet claiming that a pastor can easily complete his pastoral work in two days and then pursue other pleasures. The "Coors" philosophy before its time!

But in a four-month period in 1808 he faced in rapid succession the death of a beloved sister, a favorite uncle and his own severe illness. Eyeball-to-eyeball with his own mortality, he realized he was not ready to go. He began to reconsider the life, death and resurrection of Christ, eventually claiming by faith the eternal life offered on the basis of Christ's atoning death.

Years later a fellow-pastor, jealous of Chalmers hard-won ministry success, waved the old pamphlet at him and asked, "Did you write that?" Chalmers replied, "Yes sir, I did. But I wrote it when I was strangely blind. . . . I had forgotten the shortness of time and I had forgotten the length of eternity."

I'm happy that Payne Stewart didn't forget. Interviewed after his Open win he said, "First of all, I have to give thanks to the Lord. If it weren't for the faith that I have in him, I wouldn't have been able to have the faith that I had in myself on the golf course."

Family and friends testified unanimously to the dramatic change in Stewart the last couple of years of his life. He had accepted Christ, was studying the Bible and living his faith. His wife commented that peace reigned in the new Payne Stewart. She said, "Everyone close to Payne knew that his faith was real." I can't speak for Chamberlain, Mantle or Payton, but Payne Stewart was ready to go.

The question is, are we ready -- or are we denying reality? Moses prayed, "So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12). A heart of wisdom understands this most basic of facts: Life is short -- and eternity is long. It only makes sense to be prepared.

Dave McNeff is pastor of the First Congregational Church of Eaton/Ault

What God Thinks of Religion (God Will Not Be Bought Off By Ritual) (published in The Tribune 4/28/12)

Karl Marx wrote: "Religion is the opium of the masses." From a certain perspective, there is a lot of truth in that statement.

I'm a pastor. But religion scares me to death. Religion is people trying to reach God through human efforts. By that definition the world teems with catatonic people, placated by the thought that they will be all right in the end because they are "as good as the next guy and better than most."

Or they are convinced that some occasional ritual offsets an existence that otherwise ignores God. That's religion as an opiate.
What's really interesting is that most people believe that's what the Bible teaches -- be good, do your best and God is obligated to honor the effort.

In fact, the Bible teaches exactly the opposite.

There is a fascinating message in Isaiah 1:11, one of many such in the Bible. God says, "'What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?' says the Lord; 'I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats.'"

The obvious reaction to this is, "Wait a minute! Who asked these people to bring these sacrifices in the first place? Wasn't it you, God?" Of course, it was. So, what gives?

An insight into God's character found in I Samuel 16:7 will help. God has just rejected Saul from being king of Israel for his disobedience. Samuel, the prophet, is sent to the home of Jesse to anoint a new king. As soon as he spots Jesse's oldest son, Eliab, he thinks this strapping lad must be the one.

But God weighs in: "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." God sees to the core of our being. He is only interested in human effort spawned by a repentant and contrite heart.

We see this in the Jewish rite of circumcision. Ancient Israelites saw this as their key to the kingdom! God saw it differently. He said through Moses, "Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn. For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe" (Deut. 10:16-17).

This is God clarifying, "If I dont have your heart, the effort is immaterial. It amounts to bribery -- and I can't be bought." To think anything else is to be comatose on religion.

Want to know what God thinks of religion? Read Jesus' comments to the most religious people of his day, the Pharisees, in Matthew 23. It will curl your hair. And He summarizes the problem by saying in verse 26, "First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean." They had a heart problem that negated any possible merit from good works or ritual.
The 21st century application is easy. We can forget our goodness. We can forget confirmation. Forget church attendance. Forget baptism. Forget ritual. What does God see when He looks at our heart? That's the question. The rest will follow if the heart is cleansed by repentance. But God will not be bought off by ritual to cover a hard heart.

Jan Karon's fictional Father Tim says this in Home to Holly Springs, "I was in my forties before God cracked open my heart and revealed himself to me and I surrendered my life to him. That was the breakthrough. Before that, I was merely a man with an agenda. After that, I was God's man and it was his agenda. It changed everything."

God must be approached from the inside out. Contrary to modern advertising, the question is not what's in your wallet, but what's in your heart?

Dave McNeff is pastor of the First Congregational Church of Eaton/Ault

A Lot of Explaining to Do (published in The North Weld Herald/Voice 4/5/12)

Five questions for those who deny the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ:

1. How do you explain the empty tomb?

I am not aware of any credible scholar or critic who denies that the tomb was empty, but how do you explain that fact? It's hard to believe the grief-stricken, runaway apostles overcame a Roman guard and moved a two-ton stone to steal the body and then died to preserve their lie that he was resurrected. Furthermore, neither the Jewish nor Roman authorities ever produced a body that would have squelched the movement they desperately wanted to stop. The tomb was empty. That takes some explaining.

2. How do you explain the eyewitness testimony?

Eyewitnesses included all the apostles and followers of Jesus. And Paul says that more than 500 saw Jesus at one time, most of whom were still alive to refute the claim when Paul made it had it been untrue. Archaeologist, Sir William Ramsey, set out to discredit the historicity of Luke's writings. Instead, archaeology proved Luke right time after time. After years of study Sir William concluded, "Luke is a historian of the first rank. . . . This author should be placed along with the very greatest of historians."
We accept much less eyewitness testimony for almost any other fact of ancient history. Eyewitness testimony to the resurrection can't be cast aside without explanation.

3. How do you explain the emergence of the Church?

No observer in the days following the death of Christ would have predicted that this small sect of disillusioned believers would eventually turn the Roman Empire on its ear and attract followers worldwide among all races and classes of people. But it happened. Explain that without the resurrection.

4. How do you explain the pivotal roles of Paul and James in church history?

James, the brother of Jesus, is presented in the Gospels as antagonistic and agnostic, right up to the death of Christ. Six weeks later he is found praying with the apostles and eventually becomes the leader of the church in Jerusalem. He gained the nickname Old Camel Knees in deference to his prayer habits to his risen brother. Paul was so famous for persecuting and trying to kill Christians that even after his conversion they wanted nothing to do with him at first. Both men claimed to see a resurrected Christ. How do you explain their changed lives if Christ was not raised?

5. How do you explain the fact that all the apostles (save John, who was persecuted and exiled) died for what they knew to be a lie if Jesus was not resurrected?

Mass hallucinations? Psychologists tell us there is no such thing. Conspiracy to create a religion? That they were willing to die for despite no benefit to themselves? Keep in mind that these men were in a position to know for sure whether or not Jesus was alive. They were realists, not men given to flights of fantasy. So how do we explain their martyrdom?

You can reject the resurrection of Jesus Christ as myth, but in that case, you've got a lot of explaining to do! And a lot riding on your answer. The weight of evidence says He is indeed -- ALIVE! Happy Easter!

By His Grace, Pastor Dave

 
Two Kinds of Faith (published in The Tribune 3/17/12)

As leader of the Reformation, Martin Luther was by definition one of history's great theologians. But he had a tough time with the biblical book of James. He called it a right strawy epistle and never really warmed up to it.

Luther was committed to the concept of justification by faith alone, a clear derivation from Paul's theology. His dilemma with James came from comments like, "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?" (Jas. 2:14). "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead" (Jas. 2:20).

So, what gives? Do we throw out James or Luther?

I suggest we hang on to both with a death grip. Properly understood there is no discrepancy.

It helps to understand the Bible presents two kinds of faith -- one real (saving faith); and one not (pseudo-faith). Both deal with the same facts. But one commits to those facts; the other does not.

This differentiation is seen in a fascinating observation made by John regarding Jesus' early ministry: "Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because . . . he himself knew what was in man" (John 2:23-25).

The NT word "believe" (Greek, pisteuo) is simply the verb form of "faith" (pistis). To believe is to have faith. And many "believed" in Jesus as a result of the miracles that attended his ministry. But John observes that Jesus did not "entrust" himself to them. The word "entrust" in the original is also "believe" -- pisteuo. They believed in Jesus, but he did not believe in them!

Theirs was a pseudo-faith, not a saving faith. They believed he was special, but wanted nothing to do with a life-changing commitment.

It is pseudo-faith that James attacks in his comments. His point is that saving faith is more than assent to certain facts. He notes in 2:19, "You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe -- and shudder!" Demons believe, but are not saved! Saving faith makes a commitment that results in fruit -- the good works of a changed lifestyle.

Many today believe the facts about Jesus, but their faith is pseudo, not saving. Paul advises us in II Cor 13:5, "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith." Test yourselves. Is your faith the real deal?

A student named Ken Davis once spent 20 minutes in speech class explaining the law of the pendulum. A pendulum can never return to a point higher than its release point. He illustrated by swinging a weight attached to a string against the blackboard. The class unanimously agreed they believed in the law of the pendulum but class was not yet over!

They convened to another room where a 250-pound metal pendulum hung from the ceiling. A volunteer was selected, seated, and the weight pulled by pulley to within an inch of his nose. The law said the pendulum, upon release, would swing to the other side of the room and return just short of its starting point, leaving the volunteer in complete safety. Everyone agreed.

But when the pendulum was released, broadly arcing across the room, the volunteer was quick to jump out of its return path. When the class was asked, "Does he believe in the law of the pendulum?" they responded unanimously, NO!

Similarly the Bible recognizes a difference between real (saving) faith, which commits wholeheartedly to Christ, and pseudo faith which accepts the facts in theory, but which runs for cover when faced with the need to commit.

The question is, are we pseudo or are we real?

Dave McNeff is pastor of the First Congregational Church of Eaton/Ault

 
Bringing Life From Death (published in The North Weld Herald/Voice 3/15/12)

A farmer was showing off his stand of corn to the new pastor who commented, "Isn't it amazing to see what the Lord can do with a place? To which the farmer replied, "Yes, but you should have seen what it looked like when the Lord had it by himself!"

Well, it's true the farmer put a lot of work into that crop. It is equally true that he never could have done it himself.

Jesus pointed this out in Mark 4:26-27 when he said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how." The farmer knows that if he puts seed into the ground under the right conditions, it will sprout. But he has no clue how or why. He could not cause that part of the process if his life depended on it.

The fact is that with all of our technological acumen, we cannot by any human process make a kernel of corn that could suddenly become many when planted in the ground. All we can do is plant the real thing, water the ground, go to sleep and wait for the miracle God built into that seed.

But Jesus saw further application in this truth. To Him the physical world often illustrated spiritual truths, and this is no exception.
He says in John 12:24, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." He goes on in verse 24 to make clear that He is referring to people when He continues, "Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."

Eternal life requires some kind of change. The Bible teaches that in our natural state we are "dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph. 2:1). To gain eternal life we must accept that Jesus died in our place for those sins, and then accept His life by dying to our old self so He can remake us as a "new creation" in Christ (II Cor. 5:17).

Just as surely as He creates physical life, He creates spiritual life. But in each case, there must first be a death.

A Sunday school teacher was explaining how we must repent of our sins to go to heaven. When she finished she asked, "Now, where do you want to go?" The kids shouted out, "Heaven!" "And what must you do to get to heaven?" One little boy in back yelled out. "Die!"

Well, he was on the right track! It is in dying to self, that God is able to make us alive in Christ.

D. L. Moody once said, "Soon you will read in the newspaper that I am dead. Don't believe it for a moment. I will be more alive than ever before." Can we say that with the same assurance he had?

By His Grace, Pastor Dave

 
Looking for Wisdom in All the Wrong Places (published in The Tribune 2/4/12)

British statesman, W. E. Gladstone, served multiple terms as prime minister of England between 1868 and 1894. He once addressed college students, reflecting the optimistic British outlook of the glory days of the British Empire.

However, one student challenged him, "Sir, are we to understand that you have no anxieties for the future? Gladstone thought for a moment and then replied, "There is one thing that frightens me. I fear that the fear of God seems to be dying out in the minds of men." Clearly his fear was justified.

The Bible says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Prov. 9:10). But our culture has pretty much discarded such thinking. Wisdom, after all, is to be found in institutions of higher learning, in the never-ending quest for certainty via experimentation in accordance with scientific methodology. God, if He even exists, has clearly turned us loose to find our own way. To imagine that he is not willing to turn a blind eye to whatever slight foibles we may have is to live in the Dark Ages.

But suppose for just a moment that there is a world of unseen realities that cannot be tapped by our five senses. Many physicists now posit based on string theory equations that there may be ten dimensions or more of reality, far exceeding those of our material space/time continuum. So, let us suppose that God does exist and that He is indeed the one who authored the words of Hebrews 9:27, ". . . it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment." Then what?

Then, I think we could agree that someone who knew everything there is to know about the material universe -- every chemical compound, every physics equation, every mathematical formula, everything material -- but who denied any reality beyond his discernment would not be very wise after all, would we not?

And if the God who is perfect in holiness and who created both the seen and the unseen were actually going to hold him morally accountable, then clearly the fear of the Lord would be the beginning of wisdom. Other knowledge would pale by comparison.

In a previous life as an executive at Motorola, I was once hosted by the Chief of Police in Macau, a small Portuguese protectorate off the mainland of China not far from Hong Kong. Gambling was a major industry in Macau, so the Chief was anxious to show us the operation of the largest casino in Macau. The visit was fascinating.

But what struck me most was the reaction to our entrance. The establishment was abuzz with the noise and activity one would expect in such a place. Yet the moment this slightly built, unimposing man entered the building, the buzz subsided to a whisper. Instantaneously a "Red Sea" of bodies parted to create a path across the main floor. Nervous faces watched our every move. He merely pointed to someone who was immediately taken into custody. Fear of the Chief was evident in every corner of the room.

As I reflect on that experience I wonder why we find it so easy to fear a mortal man, but so difficult to fear the God who made both and holds eternity in His hands. Jesus himself warned that we should not fear the one who can merely destroy the body, but rather the One who can destroy both body and soul (Matt 10:28).

Doesn't God deserve at least a real, open-minded look? Would one be foolish to fear the One to whom we are accountable, but who is also the most loving Being in the Universe, waiting only for a sign from us acknowledging that we need and want Him to create a permanent relationship?

Might that not indeed be the beginning of wisdom?

Dave McNeff is pastor of the First Congregational Church of Eaton/Ault
 
The Fine Art of Diversion (published in The North Weld Herald/Voice 2/2/12)

While on a road trip, an elderly couple stopped at a roadside restaurant for lunch. Forty-five minutes after resuming their drive, the wife realized she had left her glasses behind. Her husband, who tended toward grouchiness in the best of conditions, was not happy!

He complained and scolded his wife relentlessly on the whole return trip. The more he chided, the madder he got. The wife was greatly relieved when they finally reached back at the restaurant. As she got out of the car and hurried inside to retrieve her glasses, the old geezer yelled after her, "While youre in there, you might as well get my coat and credit card!"

I'm afraid I've been that guy more times than I want to admit. The truth is we all see the foibles of others much more clearly than we see our own. We've been in cover-up mode ever since the Garden of Eden when Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent. God, of course, was not fooled.

One of the easiest ways to cover up is to divert attention away from our own issues and onto someone elses. Its a lot easier to look outward than to look inward. Far easier to point out someone else's faults. It's the fine art of diversion. And it alienates us from both God and man.

Jesus says, "Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? . . . You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye "(Matt. 7:3-5).

That is a lot harder than it sounds. True self-evaluation can be a devastating experience. The thought of peeling back the layers of rationalization that protect our ego is frightening. And yet, it is the first step toward not only healing relationships with others, but also with a holy, but gracious God.

It is only when we stand naked before Him in humble recognition of our own inability to meet our own standards, let alone His, that we are at last prepared to accept His forgiveness as the free gift that it is, without trying to add any merit of our own to the process.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the editors of The Times of London asked several eminent writers to contribute pieces under the theme "What's wrong with the world?" The most profound reply came from theologian G. K. Chesterton who replied, "Dear Sirs, I am. Sincerely yours, G. K. Chesterton."

Chesterton's answer reflects someone who was willing to pay the price to get to the right, and only, starting point for removing alienation, both with God and others. It's a steep price, but it is eternally worth paying.

By His Grace, Pastor Dave