A Simple Choice

Dr. Mike Murphy

June 2, 2024

I find myself today, anxious to watch play out all the plans the Lord has for you and me.  A six pound, twelve ounce future bundle of joy, that in five months you will name Charlotte.  I will be a good baby, by everything people will tell you. One that smiles more than cries, and one who will delight you in sleeping through most nights.

As I turn seven months old, I will develop a high fever that will bring the greatest of fears to you.  Although the doctor will not be overly concerned, as a new mother, it will be your constant worry. Finding you rocking me in your arms all night, as you hold me close.  And with each rock, a future smile will come to your face as you remember each song you sang to me that night.

As I turn two, my curiosity will become as big as my attempt to take each step.  ”Why”, will soon become my favorite word, and you will hear me say it so often, you will hear it in your sleep.  But with each “why”, you will watch my mind grow, and you will soon discover just how bright your little girl is.

As I start school, it will feel like my friends are growing faster than my questions were once coming.  I will be a popular girl, who others are attracted to by her smile. Who is also as polite and courteous, as I will be smart.  A child who each teacher will want as I move to the next grade, and who each day will make you proud, as you see the grades marked on my tests.

As childhood ends, and the teen years begin, you will watch as my mind will often shift from grades to boys.  You will find me far more consumed with the outfits I want to wear, than whether or not my homework is done. And you will often wonder if I will ever stop asking you about what makeup I can wear.

As I begin to drive, you will feel the disappoint that peer-pressure can often bring to a young girl.  One night you will get that dreaded call, with me telling you how sorry I am, but that I have been drinking and just cannot drive home.  As your anger will subside, you will sit down to talk to me, and explain so well to me, the worries you have for me. And although through the tears we will hug, I will still find myself grounded for the next two months.

As graduation comes, I will have a scholarship soon waiting for me, as you hear me say I will have a doctor's office in my distant future.  But as college comes, so will the love of a young man. A young man, who you know will distract me, but your heart tells you he will always be good to me, and each day will cherish me.  A young man, who will have the greatest impact on my life. A young man who is destined to be in the ministry, and who will minister to me early on, as he will lead me to Christ. A young man, who will leave me hearing wedding bells before I can hear the bells of college graduation.

As my marriage life starts, you will watch me devote myself to the ministry as much as you also see that devotion from him.  With the small church he will minister at, you will see me giving my all. Leading the youth, even trying to lead the choir as I occasionally sing a note off key.  But each day, you will watch as my love for him grows almost as much as you will see my love grow for the Lord.  

As the days go by, you will soon see my becoming a mother, too.  A little girl on the way, that will soon remind you so much of me.  And you will smile as you see me becoming a new mother, with the same worries and concerns that you one day had, not so long ago.

So many things to be proud of, waiting in the distance for both of us.  So many memories that will forever be entwined in the thoughts of both of our minds.  A lifetime of smiles, of tears, of concerns, of hopes, and of dreams, that we will see play out in the most amazing of ways.  So many plans the Lord has for both of us, so much purpose He has waiting ahead of us.

But as I feel the first twitch of pain, I realize, all of His perfect plans, are the farthest thing from what you now have planned.  Plans that see me more as a burden and a hardship, than they leave me as a part of your greatest hopes and dreams.

With what you call “a simple choice”.  I see you pushing aside all the plans the Lord has put in place for us, all the hopes and dreams He lovingly looked to place in your arms as I was born.  I watch those plans quickly begin to fade, and as I feel the pressure and pain building on my small body, I realize that the hope He offered is quickly being sucked from your body, as parts of me are being torn away.

In this world today, it is impossible for us to not feel for any young woman who finds themselves unexpectedly pregnant.  Feeling the weight of everything on them, as if their hopes and dreams are crashing down around them. And as they feel this build, they hear this world tell them how easy it is to just get rid of all this pressure.  A clean break, by simply choosing to abort the child, and start new again. Convincing them that they can live their own dream, without the child being a part of their plans. But I would just ask any young woman facing this choice, to take a single moment of their time, and read one simple verse. “'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’”, Jeremiah 29:11.

As you read these words, I pray you will take each one to heart.  And as you read these words, I pray that a rash decision will be replaced in your heart with a lifetime of hope.  A hope that looks past the hardship that surrounds you today, to give you a glimpse of the dreams and plans He has in place for you tomorrow.  A hope that does not leave you looking back with a heart full of regret, but looking forward with a heart filled with joy. A hope that will soon fill your mind each time you see the smile on your child’s face.

Today, I plead with you, I pray for you, that the lifetime joy of His plans will outweigh the pressure you now feel from your sudden and rushed plans.  And that today, you will make His plans your simple choice.

Please pray with me that abortion will no longer be the leading cause of death we see in the world today.

And Satan Smiled.....

Dr. Mike Murphy

May 25, 2024

 

“Quiet.  I once longed for it, but now it haunts me.  It surrounds me, punishing me for what I have not done, and for what brought me to this place.  I still ask myself how I got here. How did I end up at this place?  I did nothing, but doing nothing soon became the evil that faced me and the sin that convicted me. From the small flicker of flames soon came a blazing fire.  A fire that not only consumed all who were close to it, but eventually those that watched from a distance.  A fire that grew so large it could no longer be controlled.  A fire that most chose to try and escape, until many, like myself, had nowhere left to run.  A fire that engulfed and destroyed this land.  A fire that has now consumed me.”

(And Satan smiled.)

“For thirty-two years I have served as a pastor.  I have served at an average size church in the Midwest of this country for the last twenty-six of those years.  I served the church each day.  I have been there for the good times, and I was there through the bad times.  I was there when the church saw its’ pews full, and I remained faithful to the church at times when there was plenty of room on those same pews.  I was there as the church built a new sanctuary.  I was there as it added a fellowship hall and a gymnasium.  I was there for the births of many of its’ youngest members.  And I was there as many of its’ oldest members left this earth. 

Each day I was there.  And each day I watched as the faces of those I looked out at on Sunday morning changed.  As they changed, the values they brought with them also changed. Just as this nation changed, the changes that came to this church happened slowly at first. But over the past few years they have escalated until they were out of control.  Words that were once viewed as nothing  more than rejected suggestions eventually became the law of the land. Values that were once spurned, soon found themselves endured by the people. Then those values that were endured, became an accepted part of our society, soon celebrated and embraced.  And before we even knew it, those embraced values became the standard, the law we were told to live by.  What we once did not question as wrong,  became the standard that all were forced to see as right.”

(And Satan smiled.)

“As the standards changed, the fire found the door of the churches of this nation.  Would these churches stand by the words the Bible taught them, or would they rethink those words to fit the beliefs of our society?  Many bowed to the pressure, teaching that the Lord’s standard of old did not apply to this world today.  Some taught that God’s Words were nothing more than fables, suggestive stories for good men to live by.  Stories not designed to teach a standard, or a way of salvation, but a recommendation to help men overcome. Others believed that the God of the past was not the same God of today.  God knew more today that he did when the words of the Bible were written.  The God of today had come to accept many of the things He once saw as wrong.”

(And Satan smiled.)

“Then there were those that stood firm, teaching that God’s Word was the only truth. His Word was unchanging, His teachings were unwavering.  The words and examples He gave to us yesterday, are the same words and examples He gives to us today.  At first they were dismissed, uneducated fools babbling about things they could never understand.  But as the issues grew, their stances stayed just as firm.  Soon they were seen as intolerant, hate-filled bigots who stood in the way of progress.  As these values continued to grow, those that spoke out became less and less.  But a few did not lose their voice, continuing to hold steadfast in God’s Word.  But the harder they held to the Word, the more despised they became.

The day finally came when their teachings were no longer accepted.  Their words and views were considered so hateful they could no longer even be tolerated.  Their words caused harm to society,  standing in the way of this nation’s progression.  Soon laws were written and passed to ensure their words could not be heard, and that their actions must confirm the new found values of our nation.  Many faded into the background out of fear. But others continued to speak, and refused to be a part of this change.  At first they were outcast, no longer allowed to speak.  Almost overnight, this nation began to take stronger action on anyone who refused to accept these changes.  Pastors who stood firm soon found themselves facing charges. Many of these were the lucky ones. Others found their churches and homes burnt to the ground.  And what happened to so many others was simply unspeakable, crimes committed against them and their families that the government deemed unworthy to prosecute.  We watched as ‘freedom of speech’ became ‘freedom from speech’, and God’s Word was replaced by society’s voice.”

(And Satan smiled.)

“I followed many others, I decided to take no stand.  We would remain silent on the issues.  Our church would focus strictly on God’s love, and avoid all other topics.  Our church board agreed, that although we did not agree with many of the issues of the day, we would not speak on them.  They would hold no place in our church.  Some around us taught that God’s grace and His truth were entwined, that you could not know one without the other.  We took a different approach, only teaching God’s mercy, and leaving the rest up for interpretation. We figured if we avoided the issues, the issues would avoid us.  We believed that compromise would keep the focus of this nation from the doors of our church.

We watched in horror as many churches around us were closed.  Their doors shut because of the words that had been spoken from their pulpits.  As we prayed for these people, in the back of our minds we were just glad it was not us facing this persecution.  But when those that spoke out were silenced, society did not stop.  It was no longer enough to remain silent, it became required that these new found values had to be accepted within the walls of every church, and spoken of from the pulpit each Sunday.  Persecution was now knocking on the door of our church.”

(And Satan smiled.)

“Society and our nation now turned to me for an answer.  I tried everything I could to show those who questioned us that we were no threat.  I showed them every sermon I had given over the past several years, not a one speaking on the issues that troubled this country. But my examples were not enough.  I pleaded with them for a compromise, telling them that we would never try to interfere with how they lived their lives, if they would just let us live ours. My pleas of compromise were mocked.

I was now standing face to face with my own choice.  I would either conform my beliefs and those of my church with the values of society, or I would face the consequences that would follow.  At that moment the truth of what I had done all these years overwhelmed me.  I had compromised God, and now I was left with nothing to stand on.  My fate was not being decided today, but had been sealed years ago when I let fear drive me.  I had denied God, and placed my hope in my own understandings.  Without even realizing what I was doing,  I had fought this fight until now on the side of man, not on the side of God.  And I was about to be sentenced by man as a traitor, as I suddenly realized that I could no longer raise my sword in the air against the Lord.”

(And Satan smiled.)

 

“I will never again see my church, I will never again speak from its’ pulpit.  I do not even know what has become of it or anyone who graced its’ walls.  All I know are the dingy stones and bars that I see each day.  I spend each day reflecting on the lost opportunities of my past. I pray each day for forgiveness, and I realize that if this horrible place does not kill me, the anguish of what I have done soon will.

I now find myself alone. Contained by these four walls. Locked away because I am seen as a threat to others.  The words I once refused to speak, society is now afraid others may hear from me.  Now that I have found my voice Lord, I have no one left to speak with. Now that I have found the words, there is no one around to hear them. I now sit in the quiet, and the remembrance of my own silence is all that is left to torment me.”

(And Satan smiled.)

Before it is too late, it is time the Church rose up, and removed the smile from Satan’s face.

The Pews Were Not Empty!

Dr. Mike Murphy
April 21, 2024 

“As we woke that Thursday morning, it was obvious something was wrong. I looked over and my wife was still asleep.  As I looked across the room, all I could see was darkness.  With the power out, I eased out of bed and walked through the house.  I glanced out the window, and could see the power was out through the entire neighborhood.  I remember thinking to myself that we would finally have a peaceful morning.  A morning without distractions, a time I could quietly read my newspaper without the world bothering me..  But as I opened the door, I could quickly see that something greater was wrong.”

“As I searched for the newspaper that was not there, I noticed a car in my neighbor’s front lawn.  The car was parked strangely in front of their yard, and no one was around it to be found. As I suddenly became more aware of my surroundings, I looked across the street to see something else that made no sense.  The garage door had been left wide open, and the rear door of their SUV was still up.  Tom and Jan Buckley were two of the most paranoid people you would ever meet.  They would not go out into their backyard without locking every door and turning on the alarm.  For them to leave the door up and the vehicle open all night was just unthought of.”

“So I made my way across the street to make sure everything was okay.  As I entered the garage, I could see clothes lying on the floor.  They were not scattered, but laid on the garage floor as if someone had dropped them all in place.  I called out for the Buckleys, but no one answered.  No one was there. Now I was starting to become concerned.”

“As I made my way back to the house, I noticed again the car that was parked in the neighbor’s yard.  As I made my way to it, I noticed again clothes. Laying on the drivers seat, was another full set of clothing.  Now my mind began to race.  Just what was going on?  My first thought was to make sure my wife, Stacy, was still okay.  I hurried into the house, to find her still asleep.  I woke her in a panic, explaining to her all that I had just seen.”

“I guess some things must be seen to be believed, as she thought I was playing a joke on her.  I grabbed her by the hand, and took her to see what I had just seen.  I watched as the color left her face.  Immediately she ran into the house and picked up the phone.  She tried to call our daughter, who was away at college.  To our horror, the phone did not work.  We tried the cell phone, but those were out also.  Without power, we began to search for anything we could find that would help us to figure out just what was going on.  We still had a portable radio, but as we turned the knob, we soon learned that no channel could be heard.  All we could hear was the disappointment of static.”

“It was late Friday night before the power returned, and even later before the phones began to work again.  As we watched the television, we soon saw every channel filled with news of what had occurred.  What had happened in our neighborhood was not an isolated incident. The whole world over had seen similar events.  Vehicles left abandoned.  Planes that had fell from the sky without any sign of why.  Chaos and destruction everywhere you looked.  Countless dead, and an untold number of others missing.  No one knew why or how. Many speculated, but no one had any answers.”

“We were so grateful to hear the phone ring.  It was our daughter, telling us that she was okay.  She told us that Amber, her roommate, was among the missing.  We had known Amber her whole life.  We had watched as she had grown up, and had attended church for years with her family.  We would later learn that her family was missing also.  As shaken as we were by the news of Amber, we were just happy to hear our daughter’s voice.”

“As Saturday turned to Sunday, we found ourselves wondering about others.  The phone lines were so overwhelmed that calling anyone had become all but impossible.  So being Sunday morning, we decided to follow our usually routine.  We got dressed and made the short drive to the church we attended. We just wanted to see some familiar faces, and talk to those we had known for years.  As we arrived, we did not know what to expect.  Whose face we would see, and which faces would we not see.  Faces we knew we may never see again.”

“As we arrived, we could not believe what we saw.  Others had evidently felt as we had felt, yearning to be with familiar faces, they had also come that morning.  Although we did see a few new faces, we were surprised at just how many of the same, recognizable faces we saw as we entered the doors.  As we walked in the sanctuary, we were surprised to see that the pews were not empty, but filled with friends we had known for years.  I will never forget that Sunday morning, as the pastor prayed from the pulpit for all those that had left us.  His message that morning brought us to tears, a message of God’s love for all those around the world.  And how one day, everyone the world over, no matter what they might believe,,would be together in Heaven.  A day we would once again be with those who we had mysteriously lost.”  

The Rapture!  A day so many of us anticipate, and cannot wait to experience!  A day of hope and promise, a day that will change this world forever. Many in the Church today read the above story and chuckle.  They see the Rapture an a fable, the wild interpretations of babbling fools.  They would turn their nose up at the story above, calling it nothing more than the writings of unenlightened fiction.  They would quickly ask, “If this so-called Rapture was real, how could we ever believe that the events that followed, would include a church full of members?”  As I watch the recent events of the Church today, I begin to wonder just how much of this story will one day be fiction, and how much will one day be factual.  

As we read and observe decisions that many of our denominations are making in recent years, we cannot help but be filled with frustrations and questions.  And as we hear the answers to these questions, we are left with nothing but even more frustrating questions.  If you could go back fifty years, and tell a church-going Christian about the state of the Church today, what do you think their response would be?  They would find more fiction in the story you were telling them than in the above story!

In recent years, we have watched as denominations have made God and His Word unwelcome within the walls of their churches.  We have watched in horror as sin has become an accepted part of their doctrine.  We have watched as God’s Word has been compromised, as many churches now look to appease the world instead of teaching the proven truth the Lord has given us.  And we have watched as denominations has placed the reasoning and logic of men, above the inerrant wisdom of God.  

Recently, I found myself speaking to a group of ministers about this topic, and where it was leading.  One commented that he could not believe he was watching these denominations make the same mistake over and over.  But as I thought about his words, I began to realize that they were not making a mistake. An old saying began to ring in my mind, ‘You cannot make the same mistake twice’.  The second time you make it, it can no longer be a mistake.  At that point it becomes a choice!

We are watching today as so many in the Church as openly choosing to ignore God.  We watch as the Scripture is defined in terms of who we might offend, instead of who we might save.  We watch as the Proven Word, is now being taught as the allegorical word.  And we watch today as many churches offers its’ members degrees in righteousness.  The degree of self-righteousness, where their own desires at looked upon before God’s will is sought.

With our ‘newfound insight’, we can see where this godless approach is leading the Church.  In a recent poll, only forty-five percent of this nation has confidence in or trusted the Church.  Over three-fourths, seventy-six percent believe the Church is losing its’ influence, no longer seen as a voice to lead our society.  And when asked about the Scriptures, only twenty-two percent believe that the Bible is God’s spoken word.  Think about what this poll shows us. Most of this nation does not listen to the Church, does not know the message of the Church, and does not believe what they hear from the Church.  And when we take a second to think about it, how can we question their logic.  How do we expect our society and our nation to listen and believe the Word of God, when we no longer teach and follow God's Word?  How does this nation see Christ when they look at us, when we have chosen to no longer reflect the image of Christ?

Now is the time that the Church got back to being the Church.  We need to remember and return to the purpose Christ created us for, and called us to be. We must again find our way back to discipleship, Finding ourselves with a desire to be deep-rooted in His message and His Word, and willing to take that message of Christ to the world around us.  We must again seek to glorify God, showing the world the triumph that can only come through the salvation of Christ. Having His values reflected in our values for all to see.  And we must again strengthen the body of Christ, equipping each with the tools to overcome sin, and proclaiming the truth of the Gospel to all who will hear.  As we take this message to the world, we must again remember what Christ taught us that true love is.  The love Christ taught cannot be found in the acceptance of sin, but can only be present when we show the world how Christ alone can help us to overcome the stranglehold that sin has on our lives.

Before it is too late, the Church must return to its’ first love.  We must find again the passion that drew us to the Cross. We must open our mind to the sinful realities of this world, and open our heart to the Truth of the promised next world.  Now is the time for the Church to choose, and now is the time that the Church got that choice right.  We must once again proclaim His Word, so that the pews may be found full today.  So on that glorious future day, the pews will truly be found empty!

Praying each of you will make a choice for Christ!

.....With Just One Step!

Dr. Mike Murphy

April 13, 2024

"What was it like to live with Jesus?”, the young boy asked.  The man paused, and drew a deep breath as he reflected back in his mind.  As the memories raced through his thoughts, he fought back the tears that could have so easily filled his eyes.  Those years had been unlike any other, and even today he was still learning just how special they were. He remembered the three and one half years he had traveled the countryside with Christ, the time he spent with Him had gone by in a flash.  But in that moment, in that glimpse of time, his life had changed forever.  Without him even realizing it, Christ was not only teaching him, but preparing him.  Preparing him for the amazing things he would see, and the incredible things the Lord would call him to do.  Each step that he would one day take.

Through the years, he had often received news of the horrible deaths of many of his fellow brothers.  Of the eleven others he had spent so many days with, only a handful now remained.  And in the back of his mind, he knew exactly where his calling would one day lead.  He knew that one day soon he would be joining his brothers again.  As he reflected back, he could still hear the words that Christ had told those twelve that prepared each for that very day.  But as he looked at the crowd that had gathered around him, he knew that today Christ had prepared him for a different purpose.  Today was a day of sharing, telling all that could hear him of the love that only Christ could bring this world.

As his mind returned to the young boy, his thoughts again turned to words.  As he looked at the youngster and smiled, the words again began to flow from his lips.  “I simply do not have the words to tell you what those years were like.  A couple of my brothers have tried, but this world cannot hold enough words to explain to you all we saw, and all we heard.  But I can tell you they were days unlike any other, wonders and miracles we saw that still leave me amazed to this very day.  Things I witnessed and have thought of so many times since.  But things so amazing we still find it hard to put into words.  If the Lord will grant me wisdom, let me try to tell you about one of those days!”  

As he paused to speak, he placed the young man on his knee, and looked into his eyes.  “One day I remember like few others.  We had all recently heard the sad news that John had been beheaded.  Upon hearing this, Jesus had gone off in a boat to pray and to be alone.  But the crowds followed Him, so He came back ashore as thousands gathered around Him in an area far away from any of the villages.  Despite the loss He felt for John, He knew the people had also lost a beloved man of God.  You could look into His eyes and see the love He had for every person that made up that crowd.  So even though you could see the hurt in His eyes for John, and could feel just how tired His body was, Jesus put the needs of those He loved above His own.  Looking back now, I realize that there was so much He still needed us to know about the kingdom of God.  So Jesus did what no other could ever do, He taught us, and healed many around Him that day.”

“As evening approached, the crowd became hungry.  I remember as Jesus asked me where food could be bought for the people to eat.  We all told Jesus that it was impossible, the cost would be too much and the villages were too far away.  As I remember my words, I realize how I should have known that it was a mistake to place impossible and Jesus together.  But I have to admit, it was a mistake I would often make again.  A mistake I would make again in the next words I spoke.”

“His reply astonished us.  He told us to feed them.  Some five thousand men, not counting the thousands more women and children that filled the countryside.  Again, we made the mistake of telling Him it was impossible.  We watched that day as Jesus took the lunch of a young boy, one a lot like you, and feed all that were there.  It was years later before I realized, the lesson that day was not about feeding the crowd, the lesson that day was about the twelve of us. Jesus was showing us that day that our trust could not lie in what we saw in this world, that He alone could fulfill our every need!”

“As night fell, Jesus sent us ahead on a boat across the Sea of Galilee.  I remember well, as early that morning a storm rose up, and we were afraid for our lives.  As we looked out on the sea, we could see an image approaching us. Knowing how far out on the water we were, we became scared at what was coming our way.  Many thought it to be a spirit, others began to cry out of fear. But as the fear began to overtake us, we heard a familiar sound coming from the image.  It was the voice of Christ, telling us to not be afraid.  Jesus was walking on the water towards our boat!”

“Suddenly Peter asked Christ to call out, wanting Christ to tell him to join Him on the water.  We heard the words of Christ telling him to come.  We watched as Peter stepped out of the boat, and stood on the water facing Christ! We began to see the fear on Peter’s face, as he realized where he was and what he was doing.  We watched helplessly as the waves consumed him, and as he began to drown.  We heard Peter cry out, ‘Save me Lord!’.  We watched in shock and wonderment as Christ reached out and grabbed Peter’s hand, pulling him into the boat.  And we marveled as the storm stopped the moment Christ joined us in that boat.” 

“Our lives changed that day.  What man could have led a simple fisherman to walk on water?  What man could reach into the pounding waves and then bring that man to the safety of the boat?  And what man could have calmed the storms that roared around us that day?  It was at that moment that we realized that no man could do this.  Only God Himself could!  Young man, I had known Jesus before that day for many days.  But it was on that day that I first knew Him as the Christ!”

“Just read the Scriptures!”  Were the words Erin’s mother heard, her daughters only request as she lie gasping for breathe.  The cancer that plagued ten year old Erin had all but taken her body, but it could not touch her spirit.  So Erin’s mother picked up her Bible, and began to read.  For four hours on that early October morning, loved ones each took turns reading God’s Word to Erin. And through the pain of the cancer that she had battled for three years, Erin listened to the words.  

Through the words she read, Erin’s mother prayed for another miracle. She even placed her Bible of the floor, and stepped on it, literally showing God that she stood on His Word.  But as the hours past, God spoke to Erin’s mother, and her prayer for a miracle soon became a prayer of “Thy Will”.  Fifty-one hours later, the Lord called Erin home, to forever be at peace by His side.

Those who were present that night, were amazed by Erin’s faith.  Even through great pain and struggle, she still turned to God, leaning on her faith in Christ.  At six years old, Erin had accepted Christ into her life.  A year later, she was diagnosed with a life threatening form of cancer.  But four months after the initial diagnosis, a second scan found young Erin cancer free.  The doctors told her that what had happened was impossible.  Erin knew different, even at a young age she knew that nothing was impossible with God.  

Erin was not content with just her family knowing, she wanted the world to know what God had done.  She began speaking at local churches, sharing her testimony and her incredible faith.  She had but one desire, for all to know the hope and joy she had found through Christ.  Even when the cancer returned, Erin continued to give praise to the Lord.

During those last minutes of Erin’s life, a peace fell over her mother.  She remembered the words that Erin had told her when she was six, having just received Christ. Erin had told her that she could not wait to get to Heaven.  She told her mother of a love she felt from Jesus unlike any other.  As Erin passed, her mother knew this was a love her little girl would always feel.  For the ten short years she was on this earth, her mother had watched as the Lord had used Erin in the most powerful of ways.  A child who had the heart of Job!

You may ask yourself, what could Peter and young Erin possibly have in common? Steps!  Both were willing to step out on faith!  Peter had the faith to make an impossible first step, and Erin had the faith to trust Christ with her last step.  Both showed us what the Lord could do with just one step.  With one step of faith, God can change the world!

Through all his faults and all his doubts, Peter was the only disciple willing to step out of the boat, to make a step of faith.  And what an amazing step it was! Through one step, Christ showed the world that when we focus on Him, anything is possible.  When our eyes are on Christ, and our heart desires the Lord, there is nothing He cannot use us to accomplish.  And like Peter, even when we fall, Christ is there.  Ready to pick us back up, so we can make that next step for Him.

Hebrews 11:1 tells us, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”  That one step from Peter completely defines this amazing verse!  When we focus upon Christ, the assurance and conviction of our faith becomes clear.  And those who watched from the boat that day, were no longer blind to their faith.  It immediately became clear that Christ was who He said He was, and all power rest in His hands.

Erin’s step was no less amazing.  At a time most of us would falter, Erin’s focus was clear, her eyes were on Christ.  Her last step was like Peter’s first step. Our Savior right in front of her, calling her forward, bringing her closer to Him. And just as Peter’s story and his words ring in the ears of most of us today, so do Erin’s.  Even though most of you do not realize it, you have heard Erin’s story many times!

If you listen to Christian music, often you have turned on the radio and heard the words,  “As the thunder rolls, I barely hear You whisper through the rain. ‘I'm with you’.  And as Your mercy falls, I raise my hands and praise the God who gives and takes away.”. Each time you hear these words, you are being witnessed to by Erin. The song “Praise You In This Storm”, was written about a young girl who was dying of cancer, a girl who never lost sight of Jesus.  A young girl named Erin. What a step Erin took!  She showed us that although the verses of our song may not be long, they can be sung clear and loud.  Erin sang her song with a shout for our Savior!

As you read these words, I ask but one thing of each of you.  Bring your focus on Jesus, get out of your chair, and take just one step! Make one step for Christ!  With just one step Christ can change the world.  With just one step, Christ will use you in ways you never thought possible. With just one step, He will use you to reach people you never thought you could ever reach.  With just one step, He can bring peace to your greatest storms.  Christ can do all things.....with just one step!

Praying each of you will make just one step toward Christ!

Why Christ?

Dr. Mike Murphy

March 17, 2024

“All religions are the same”

“Any religion can get you to heaven”

“Every religion worships the same god”

We have all heard these statements over and over.  We hear many discard and diminish religion, telling us that religion has no place in society.  We hear many claim that religion is just a way to control men, to manipulate the world in a direction that religion wants it to move.  We hear many tell us that this world has moved beyond religion, no longer in need of religion's gods.  And we hear many tell us that religion is restricting us, prohibiting this earth from becoming all it can be.  I have news that may shock you, I firmly agree with the many.

I am a man of strong Christian faith.  I believe that Christ was exactly who He said He was.  I believe every word of the Bible.  And I believe that the Lord God was the One who set this world into motion, and He alone is in control of this world today.  So you may ask yourself, how can I believe this and agree with the one’s I mentioned above?  I can do so because of one statement.  I just as firmly believe that Christianity is not a religion.

I once heard religion best defined as a belief or set of codes that qualifies and disqualifies an individual based on how well they follow those codes, and how they act in performance with those codes.  That definition just about sums religion up.  Religion has so often provided man a way to maintain and abuse the power some have over others. Religion has always been created by man, and has never been the intent of God.  Religion opens the door to change the codes or “requirements” as it goes, requirements that can be changed or manipulated in order for the few to gain more power.  Every religion is built upon the concepts of men.  Concepts that teach man how he can reach a higher state through his efforts to follow the requirements the religion sets forth.  Requirements where the masses never see the benefit, only the “high power” and those in a position of power do.

When we look closely at Christianity, we soon see that it is far from a religion. Christianity is a relationship.  A relationship between God and man.  In Christianity, God created a way for man to not only see the benefits, but to have his life touched by the benefits(Romans 8:3).  In Christianity, God created a way for man to receive what man was incapable of ever doing for himself(2 Corinthians 5:21).  In Christianity, God gave man the most precious of gifts(Romans 6:3), a gift we did not earn and did not deserve.  In Christianity, God took the weight of the world on His own shoulders, so that man would be free of the restrictions that sin has over us(Ephesians 2:8-9).  In Christianity, God gave man what no code could ever give him, what no requirement could ever bring him.  He gave man grace.

The easiest way to describe the difference between Christianity and every religion of this world, is to simply look at “Whose” hands are reaching.  In every religion, we see man reaching up to God, trying to find a work-like way he can hope to gain access to God.  In Christianity, we see God reaching down to man, looking to lovingly bring man forever into His presence.

To best see this, we need look no farther than at Christ Himself.  While Christ was walking with us on this earth, there was nothing He spoke out more against than religion. We often see Him calling the religious leaders “hypocrites”, telling them they followed a religion, not God.  An example of this can be seen in one of the Ten Commandments, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”(Exodus 20:8).  In His day, the Pharisees had so added to what God had given us, that the commandment itself had become impossible to follow.  They had proclaimed that you could not enter a field on the Sabbath.  In doing so, your foot might accidentally hit a crop, thus causing it to be harvested.  Harvesting was considered work, thus you would have worked on the Sabbath.  You could not spit on the ground on the Sabbath, because the saliva from your mouth might mix with the dirt forming mud, mud being a form of mortar.  Again, causing you to work and to violate the commandment of God.  They even became angered at Christ because He healed a blind man on a Sabbath, claiming that the man’s healing was a form of labor(John 9:13-17).  In other words, God violated His own commandment by healing a man on the day He sat aside as holy.  This is how outlandish their religion had led them!

Christ could not stand this, and showed the religious leaders just how ridiculous their actions were each time He got a chance.  He saw the Pharisees using the people for their own benefit, so they could control the people and their actions.  And He knew that with each new restriction, they were destroying the people’s relationship with God.  They had made God’s relationship with His people nothing more than a scientific formula.  Telling them they needed to add three of these, and to avoid two of these in order to get the equation right. The Pharisees had lost the whole reason God gave us the Ten commandments in the first place. Forgetting that He gave them to us out of love!  Look closely at each Commandment(Exodus 20:1-17).  Each one shows us how we can strengthen our relationship with the people around us, and how we can strengthen the relationship we have with God!  The Commandment on the Sabbath does this also.  It gives us a time for rest, so we can spend that time with those we have a relationship with, and so we can spend that time with the Lord, who is always looking to spend time with each of us.  God knew that for a relationship to work, it required us to spend time in it.  Devoting time to it.  God so desired to have a strong relationship with us, that He included that time in His Commandments. Giving us the time to help that relationship grow, and for the love that would come out of that relationship to flow.  No religion can ever do this for you, only a relationship with God can!

The Law(The Ten Commandments) is a perfect example of the difference between a religion and a relationship.  In the Law, we see the love that God has for us.  The Law was never meant to be a scientific formula for us to live by.  The Law was a way to help us build a relationship.  A relationship with those around us, and the Lord above us.  But as the Pharisees got their hands on the Law, we see the destruction that religion brings to us.  We see the restrictions that religion places on us.  Restrictions we can never live by, restrictions we can never live up to.

Religion is man’s attempt to reach up to God.  Christianity, is a relationship where God is reaching down to us.  The grace and mercy that Christ brought to this world is the thorn that sticks in religion’s side.  Religion perverts God’s love and it seeks to destroy the relationship Christ came to bring us. Religion lives by its’ own rules, rules that no relationship can ever survive. Religion is about what work man must do to make himself right in the eyes of God. Christianity is about what the Lord has already done to make us right in His eyes.  Religion enslaves you, binding you to the codes it sets forth.  Christianity frees you, from the hold that sin has over you.  Religion says you must find a way to earn your salvation.  Christianity says that salvation is a gift, one Christ came to freely give. Religion ask more from you that you can ever give.  Christianity offers more to you than you will ever need!

The difference between religion and Christianity is greater than any structure could ever bridge.  Christianity does not come with a checklist, only an invitation.  Believe that Christ died for you sins, and accept him as your Savior. That is it, it is really that simple! Christ came so you could have a relationship with Him.  A relationship that is not empty of religion’s promises, but a relationship that is filled with God’s love.

Christianity is not a religion, it is a relationship.  A relationship that brings us into the family of God.  And what a family we join when we say yes to the relationship Christ offers! A family with the power to answer every question this world will never have the answer to. A family that offers you unconditional love, not the restrictions that comes with the false hope religion offers.  A family that will always be there right beside you, and longs to spend an eternity with you!

So next time someone ask you what religion you belong to, let them know you do not belong to a religion. Tell them that you do not allow any religion to control you. Tell them that you do not follow or believe one word that a single religion has to offer you. Tell them you belong to a family, and that you have a relationship with Christ.  A relationship that gives you all the love you will ever need! A relationship filled with a greater love than any religion will ever know!

Praying each of you have a relationship with God!