I'M SPARTACUS!

           Fifty-five years ago, in one of the epic movies of the 1960’s, actor Kirk Douglas (100 years old this year) played Spartacus, the slave who led a revolt of seventy thousand slaves against Rome to win their freedom. The movie was based upon a historical person of that name. In the signature scene, a military envoy announces to the remaining army of captured slaves that their lives are to be spared. They would not be crucified as long as someone would identify the body or the living man named Spartacus.

            Spartacus himself slowly arises so that his fellow slaves might live. But before he can identify himself, a slave next to him jumps up and says, “I’m Spartacus!” Another the slave says the same, “I’m Spartacus!” And so do they all, thus sacrificing their lives for their leader. Historians say the body of Spartacus was never found, but all the surviving slaves were crucified, lining the Appian Way with crosses all the way from Rome to Capua.

            Jesus’ parable of the rich man and Lazarus brings that movie to mind, but in reverse. Whereas all the slaves were willing to sacrifice their lives for their leader, our Lord Jesus was willing to sacrifice Himself for all His people enslaved to sin. He became like Lazarus - poor, despised and a beggar - the powerful Son of God who stoops down to earth to share our sorrows and bear the eternal punishment of our sins.

            Jesus' crucifixion for the sins of the world is the “great reversal.” God became despised and lowly. Deity became human, that we might be given our freedom.

            Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 8:9, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich.” And 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, ”For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

            At the Judgment Day Jesus shall rise and say, “I take the place of those sinners.” The name "Lazarus" means, “The one God helps.” The Divine Helper is crucified for us as if on a string of crosses all the way from earth to the gates of hell. Because Jesus has defeated Satan and has arisen from the dead for us, we are all set free from slavery to live eternally.

By His great sacrifice we are the children of God.

Rev. Bob Tasler, www.bobtasler.com

DEALING WITH DOUBT

        Everyone has doubts, especially about God. To experience times of doubt about God or our relationship to Him is part of being human. Doubt is feeling uncertain about truth, reality or the nature of something. We can’t see God, so we may wonder if He really exists. We see the beauty of creation, yet we wonder if it is the result of random time as scientists tell us. Humans beings seek proof. We’d like to be more certain.
        Is doubt sinful? It can show a stubborn pride if we insist on having proof for everything. Yet we live every day without proof. We turn on electronics and expect they will work because they worked yesterday. We live with our loved ones believing they will act or feel about us today as they did yesterday. True, hearing or seeing something differently today than we did yesterday may cause us to wonder. Wondering can be an element of doubt, but it’s not necessarily sinful.
        Some doubts are like temptations. They come to us through images, thoughts or words and it’s hard to stop them. Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that temptation is common to all people, but God will give us a way to overcome it. I believe we can say the same about doubts.
        Remember how Jesus prayed in the Garden asking His Father if there was another way to accomplish salvation? What He saw coming was painful and He prayed for another way. Was that temptation or doubt? Whatever the case, we know His Father didn’t condemn Him for it.
        Luther once said temptations are like birds. You can’t stop them from flying over your head, but you can and should stop them from making a nest in your hair. Occasional doubts can creep into our thoughts. It’s only when we insist there must be proof for everything that we betray a sinful pride.
        In a sermon I once heard the pastor give three principles for dealing with doubt: 1) Don’t run from your doubts or think having them makes you less Christian. 2) Deal with your doubts through God’s Word. 3) Remember - doubts are overcome by a person, not by a situation.
        Jesus is that Person. He helps us deal with our doubts in a beneficial way. But don’t expect doubts to disappear just because a few things change.
        The greatest of God’s Old and New Testament servants had doubts, and God helped them get through their doubts to a place where they had peace of mind.

“Lord have mercy on those who doubt.” (Jude 1:22)

Rev. Bob Tasler
www.bobtasler.com

WE ARE STILL FREE!

Despite repeated attempts by lesser groups to force us into their way of life,
we are still free.

Despite endless laws from elected politicians restricting speech and actions,
we are still free.

Despite endless edicts from non-elected regulators to “protect us” with more rules,
we are still free.

Despite threats from elitists that our world will crumble unless we agree with them,
we are still free.

Despite courts legalizing actions humanity has wisely kept illegal for aeons,
we are still free. 

Despite being swamped by useless information,
we are still free.

We are free to worship God as we choose, despite what others may threaten.

We are free to defend ourselves and our loved ones, even with force, for it is a human right.

We are free to think whatever thoughts we may have, for no one can police our mind.

We are free to pursue happiness so long as it does not harm others in their quest.

We are free to cherish our loved ones and keep our Godly commitments until death parts us.

We are free to give thanks to God and mankind for the right to live life without fear.

Some may seek to take away our freedoms, but in Christ, WE ARE STILL FREE.

"If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE." (John 8:31-32)

Rev. Bob Tasler

www.bobtasler.com

GIVE THANKS FOR WORK

        Some Christians grow up believing work is bad, that it's a curse brought on by sin and must be endured as punishment. This mistaken belief can cause people to think what they do in their jobs isn't important, or isn't as important as the work of someone else, a doctor, teacher or worker among the poor like Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the "saint of the gutters."

        But work, no matter what we may think of it, is good and helpful. It saves us from dullness and boredom. For much of my active ministry I looked forward to a time when I would not be hemmed in by a schedule of required activities. Now that I am retired I see every day the need for things to do, beneficial physical and mental activity to help myself and others. 

        Time hangs heavy on our shoulders when there is no work. True, it's a pleasure to have time off to rest and rejuvenate. Even Jesus Himself took time to rest and urged His disciples to do the same. But in due time we need activities, labor to shape and share our life with others. 

        The one who prefers to remain idle, who lives off the labor of others and expects others to provide for him, becomes more than lazy. He becomes a parasite, taking from others and giving nothing back. That person comes to expect that others "owe him a living" and so he creates any number of reasons to blame others for his state and mask his unwillingness to work. 

        Good work helps, and evil or neglected work destroys persons and eventually societies. Let's approach each day's labor, whether at a job or in some activity to help others, with an awareness of the dignity of working in the world God has given us. "God saw everything that He had made and behold, it was very good." (Genesis 1:31)

Relax awhile today, but then do something helpful to someone else.

Rev. Bob Tasler, www.bobtasler.com

WHO'S LISTENING TO YOU?

        Last week my wife and I attended our annual retired pastor’s gathering, this year a picnic on a sunny warm day. A dozen and a half longtime friends enjoyed backyard fellowship and fine food.
       At one point each of us was asked to share a little of what we have done this summer. One pastor’s wife with several married children said they’d had a family reunion, and at some point the conversation turned to football. One of the grandchildren grew tired of the topic and in a loud voice declared, “Jesus and Broncos! Jesus and Broncos! That’s all we ever hear about at our house - Jesus and Broncos!”
       While we laughed at the cute comment, the boy had said something I thought was great. The little fellow was listening and what he heard from the grownups was good. His was a Christian family where Jesus truly was present. It reminded me of a plaque I saw on a wall:
             “Christ is the unseen Guest at every meal,
              The silent Listener to every conversation.”
       There is certainly no shortage of bad news today, much of it fueled by the Media who live by slogans like, “If It Bleeds, It Leads” or “Good News Is No News.” The political news is pathetic. Our children hear more than we think, and if they are hearing our anger, fear or constant criticism at home, the little critics will absorb our anger and fear.
       I saw a short video at a church service whose central point to the adults was, “Stop all the arguing - You’re scaring the kids!” Good point!
       But if our children hear us speak of Christ’s love and joy in living, it helps them better handle their normal struggles of growing up and facing life. Anything we can do to foster God’s peace and love in our kids is better than dumping our fears all over them. “Love one another, as I have loved you,” said Jesus in John 15:12.

A little sports fun helps, too. Go Broncos!

Rev. Bob Tasler
www.bobtasler.com  

MOLDED BY THE WORLD OR BY JESUS?

      In the early 1960’s, Toronto Professor Marshall McLuhan said, “The medium is the message.” He meant our inventions will shape us. He even wrote of a Global Village and predicted the Worldwide Web decades ahead of time. A devout Roman Catholic, he saw the effects popular culture was having on people, long before PCs, cell phones and satellites. He saw people being shaped by technology, and he said the effects may not be good.
      Today we see these effects all around us. The constant barrage of instant information shapes our thoughts and chips away at our ability to choose what’s important. So long as we have a laptop and Google, we think we have all we need. The young especially are finding it hard to exist without their iPhone, and they are becoming more and more dependent on questionable technology.
      Can we even imagine life without our gadgets? With them we inform, entertain and communicate. We don’t look at things, we “iPhoto them” and perhaps look at them later. People take “selfies” no matter how appropriate the time or place. We can’t even go to the grocery store without our cell phone. And when our batteries go dead, we’re nearly helpless.
      This is not good for us, and the Apostle Paul said so 2,000 years ago. In Romans 12:1-2, he wrote, “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God re-mold your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good.” (J.B.Phillips)
      We may not be able to stem the tide of excessive technology, but we can keep it from holding us hostage. Every day we can ask God to help us focus on what is really important - His Word and prayer which will help us follow Him and love our neighbor. Every day we should remind ourselves this will soon be replaced something else. But the Gospel of Jesus Christ will remain.

Don’t be shaped by the world. Ask Jesus to shape you His way.

Rev. Bob Tasler
www.bobtasler.com

AGAINST ALL ODDS

        The 2016 Rio Olympic games are under way and have produced at least one story worth remembering. It's not about how many gold medals one athlete racks up, but a story of performing against the odds. Such is the story of Derrick Redmonds who tore his hamstring in the 200 meter race at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. He crossed the finish line, but only with the help of his father who had come out of the stands to hold him up and walk together.
        Or "Eddie the Eagle" Edwards who represented Great Britain as a ski jumper in the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, despite being clumsy, nearsighted, and having jumped barely a year. Or the Jamaican Bobsled team which finished last each of the five years it competed. These all are remembered for their effort rather than for winning.
        On August 14, 2016, 24 year-old Wayde van Niekerk became part of that group, winning the Gold Medal in the 400 meter men's race. Why should he be included in a group of losers? Because he should never have been there, let alone won. Niekirk, a biracial sprinter from South Africa would not have been allowed to participate a few decades ago under Apartheid laws. He had been trained with less money and under conditions considered primitive to elite runners. And Niekirk won his race from the 8th lane. Runners never win Gold Medals in the 8th lane, let alone set a world record!
        But none of this would have been possible without his coach, Ans Botha, a white-haired 74 year-old great grandmother! "Tannie Ans", 50 years his senior, guided young Niekirk to Olympic glory, as he smashed Michael Johnson's 17 year-old World Record.
        Tannie Ans, who began coaching in the 1960's, has no plans to retire, and is still sought out by rising stars. "I have such a big responsibility to get an athlete to develop to his full potential," she says.
        Our Heavenly Father does this and far more. He makes winners out of losers every day. Because of His Son Jesus, He picks us up when we fall and brings us across the Finish Line to eternal glory with the angels. We might look like losers on earth, but when we trust in Jesus, we are all winners. As St. Paul said,

"We are more than conquerors through him who loved us." (Romans 8:37)

Rev. Bob Tasler, www.bobtasler.com