Faith and Facts

A Three-In-One Building from a Three-In-One God

2010-09-17T04:55:00.008-05:00

Yesterday morning I was invited to the VIP tent at Lighthouse Christian Fellowship & School in Antioch, Tennessee. Antioch is a Nashville suburb located on the southeast side of the city. ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition has been busy at work this entire last week rebuilding Lighthouse Christian School because it was devastated by the flood that seized upon Nashville this past Spring. Anyway, the work will be complete today, and the new buildings, playgrounds, and tons of other extra surprises will be unveiled to the church and school this evening. ABC will air this episode of Extreme Makeover in early November.

God really is a good God! My connection to all this is that I pray weekly with a group of local pastors from the Antioch area. Al Henson (the founding pastor of the church and school) and John Yancy (the current senior pastor of Lighthouse Christian Fellowship) are true servants of God, and the fact that ABC Extreme Makover: Home Edition chose to target Lighthouse Christian School (LCS) for one of their projects was by no means an accident. Our group of pastors hadn’t been praying specifically for this to happen; we didn’t even know about it until Al and John were notified by ABC that they had been chosen, and we were at liberty to talk about it. But we pray every week for our community and for all the churches in the Antioch area. Lighthouse was hit hard by the flood, as were many people, businesses, and churches in the greater Nashville area. And I’m not going to try to defend why Lighthouse Christian School was more deserving of receiving this gift than any other school, business, or family in Nashville. I doubt it is about who might be more deserving or less deserving. But I’m certain that God is behind this selection, and I'm sure that God has His reasons.

Sure, LCS has been a staple in Antioch for years, breaking through cultural and social barriers all along the way. But they’re not alone in this. And LCS has always been generous in the way it gives to the community. Even when it was hit as hard as it was with the recent flood, Lighthouse was a key player in the flood relief in southeast Nashville. There were many key players. I know, because I saw the formulation of these relief efforts, and I saw the impact that these efforts had as a result of reaching out in the community. There are countless people, churches, and organizations involved in these efforts. But Lighthouse, even in the midst of a wiped-out school (one of its buildings actually floated down Interstate 24), was right there with everyone else helping others who were hurt in the flood.

Things happen for a reason. This new three-in-one school building that Lighthouse has received, which was made possible by Extreme Makeover and many local and national organizations who are just as important, will be a symbol of God’s goodness for many years to come. And isn’t it fitting that this new school building, three buildings connected into one building, reflects how we have one God with three distinct personalities? God was and is definitely in this thing—and I personally believe that the impact of this blessing will not be fully realized for a long long time. But to God be the glory!

Yahweh's Anointed One

2010-09-10T07:10:00.003-05:00

Yesterday morning, as part of my Bible reading, I read Judges chapters 7 and 8, along with John chapter 3. Each time I read it, I’m always fascinated with the way God used Gideon and the men of Israel to fight against and conquer the Midianites, but it was the third chapter of the book of John that really struck a cord with me yesterday when I read it. And while I’ve read John 3 countless number of times, it never gets old.

Even those with only a cursory familiarity with scripture are usually able to remember John 3:16, "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." This often remembered verse of scripture is a statement that Jesus made to a very well educated Jewish man, Nicodemus, who came to speak with Him one evening. And those of us who recognize the Bible to be inerrant and infallible, believe that this meeting between Nicodemus and Jesus is a real event that happened a little over 2000 years ago.

This encounter really is a compelling story. Nicodemus, a highly regarded Jewish leader (a Pharisee), comes to speak with Jesus, and the first thing he does is to tell Jesus about how he and others recognize Him to be a teacher who has come from God. Here’s how the Amplified version puts it: "we know and are certain that You have come from God [as] a Teacher" (John 3:2). I like this translation because, whether or not any Jewish leader other than Nicodemus was ever willing to admit it, it tells us that these leaders knew that the finger of God was upon Jesus. But what they didn’t know, and couldn’t understand, is why. And what’s marvelous about this particular story is the fact that Jesus doesn’t even wait for Nicodemus to ask: “So what’s the deal Jesus, why are you here doing all this stuff?”

You need to realize that the Jews of the Old Testament, as well as the Jews of the first century, anticipated that God would some day raise up “Yahweh’s anointed one” (Messiah). However, their entire understanding about what this Messiah would be all about was limited to the idea that through the Messiah Israel would somehow be restored socially and politically to the splendor of David’s kingdom. I highly doubt that Nicodemus, in his wildest dreams, associated Jesus with this long awaited Messiah. But Jesus was the Messiah. You see, the purpose behind why God raised up a Messiah among the Jewish people wasn’t to raise up someone among the Jewish people who would lead the nation of Israel into some political and social superpower; God’s purpose was to redeem humankind to Himself. And this is what the good news about Jesus coming into this world is all about.

Jesus explained this to Nicodemus during this encounter. Not in so many words, mind you, but this is what all that born again language is about. It’s no wonder Nicodemus was confused. Nicodemus hadn’t even asked a question; but he nevertheless walked right into Jesus’ answer about what exactly determines whether a person experiences or doesn't experience the kingdom of God. Jesus told him that unless a person was born again, he or she would not experience the kingdom of God (John 3:3). And when Nicodemus didn’t understand, Jesus explained that He wasn’t referring to physical birth, but spiritual birth.

Regardless of whether we believe it or understand it, we are all spiritually dead as a result of Adam’s sin in the Garden. And that’s why every human being is in need of being redeemed into right standing with God. And the problem most people have is that even when they come to grips with the fact that they are in need of being in right relationship with God, they think this “right standing” is accomplished by trying to please God enough that He’ll eventually let us experience His kingdom. No, no, no, a thousand times no! God certainly wants us to try and please Him, and I’m sure He is disappointed when we fail in this area, but it has absolutely nothing to do with our eternal standing before God. This eternal relationship hinges only upon our recognition that God’s plan for our redemption was to send Jesus (the Messiah) into the world to die on a cross (to once and for all pay the penalty for sin), and on our decision to confess Jesus as Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead after Jesus was crucified and buried (Romans 10:9).

Leading godly lives and trying to please God is something that we all should aspire to, but it has nothing to do with our salvation. What I’m saying is that it is all about God sending Jesus to us, and Jesus' sacrifice on the cross; we can’t work our way into right standing before God no matter how hard we try (Ephesians 2:8-9). John the Baptist sums this up nicely in a conversation he had with his own followers, which is also recorded in John chapter 3. John said,"It’s not possible for a person to succeed—I’m talking about eternal success—without heaven’s help. You yourselves were there when I made it public that I was not the Messiah but simply the one sent ahead of him to get things ready." (John 3:27-28, MSG).

Beck is Wrong: Mormonism isn't Christianity

2010-09-03T08:41:00.005-05:00

This past Saturday a rally of several hundred thousand were assembled at the National Mall in Washington D.C. by Glenn Beck, a Fox News TV host and radio man. While I admittedly do not know too much about the rally, my understanding is that it was designed as part of Beck’s attempt to restore honor to America, particularly as it concerns American politics. But Beck’s recent rally isn’t what I want to address in my blog today. It is Beck’s insinuation that faith in God as a Mormon is the same as faith in God as a Christian that I’d like to discuss today. And while such a claim flirts with the whole concept of universalism, I’ll not tackle that here.

Glenn Beck is a Mormon, and he is unapologetic about it. Good for him. What I mean is, it is good that he is unapologetic about his faith. I am a Christian, and I am unapologetic about my faith in Christ. About a year ago I happened to stumble across a seven part series on YouTube of Glenn Beck sharing his testimony about his conversion into Mormonism. I listened to the whole thing, and what struck me the most was that in the last part, where Beck talked specifically about the moment of change that he had experienced, I was taken back at how Beck’s testimony would have sounded almost identical to the testimonies of many evangelical Christians had just a few words or phrases been changed or omitted.

Let me say that I am somewhat perplexed by Glenn Beck. I have seen his broadcast on the Fox News Channel on more than one occasion, but I don’t watch him regularly. And I actually listened to him on the radio a few times before he became a TV guy. Politically, I think he is well informed. And while I don’t agree with all of his politics, he seems to have many of his facts in order. Many folks, particularly those on the left, seem to view Beck’s politics as somewhat dangerous. I don’t, not exactly. What puzzles me about Glenn Beck is that for all intents and purposes he seems to be a very intelligent man. And by his own admission, he supposedly reads just about everything he can get his hands on, especially American history. So, what I find puzzling, is how Glenn Beck could be so totally ignorant about the questionable historical and theological sources of his religion. I admit that over the years there appears to have been an attempt by Mormon historians to conceal much of the damaging historical evidences that surround Mormonism. But these historical evidences are easily verifiable.

I know that Beck considers himself a Christian, or at least I’ve heard him speak in such a way that places Mormonism in the same religious “camp” as Christianity. I also know that he admittedly recognizes that many Christians do not view Mormons as Christians (heaven forbid anyone ever point out that there are some serious differences between Mormonism and Christianity). Because of this, I would love to sit down with Glenn Beck and, from an orthodox Christian perspective, try to explain to him why I do not categorize a Mormon as a Christian. I have no ill feelings towards Glenn Beck as a person, or towards Mormons as a group. While I’m certainly no expert on Mormonism, I would welcome an opportunity to spend as much time with Beck as necessary to examine whatever primary sources we needed to examine in order to perhaps find some consensus, if any could be found.

I have no reason to doubt that Glenn Beck sincerely believes Mormonism is a valid extension of the Christian faith. However, Mr. Beck’s sincerity doesn’t make this so. And this is exactly what troubles me the most. From the turn out at the National Mall this past Saturday, it is obvious that Beck has a very large following. And from the few times I’ve heard him, Beck himself, when speaking about political history or American history, urges his followers to not simply take his word about something, but to research it, and to read it for themselves. But we live in a lazy society that often times just believes what it hears. Hopefully, those who follow Glenn Beck will do exactly what he says—look things up themselves, and get the historical truth about whatever it is they’re uncertain about. And if Glenn Beck claims that Mormonism is just one brand of Christianity, I would hope that his followers would research this as well. What’s more, I wish Glenn Beck would simply do what he urges others to do, and dig a little deeper into the history behind his own faith.

Whether it is the various plagiarisms, anachronisms, or false prophecies connected with the Book of Mormon, or the many inconsistencies that Mormon theology has with Christian theology, these false claims and theological inconsistencies are all well documented. For instance, the Mormon teaching about the birth of Jesus Christ is a total distortion of the Biblical revelation, and it is in keeping with the polytheistic doctrine of God that Mormons hold to. But you won’t hear this from the mouths of Mormon leaders, when they are plainly asked. Walter Martin, in his book, The Kingdom of Cults, clearly illustrates this. Martin writes,

Brigham Young further declared: “He (Christ) was not begotten by the Holy Ghost. . . Jesus, our elder brother, was begotten in the flesh by the same character that was in the garden of Eden, and who is our Father in Heaven” (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1, pp. 50, 51). There can be no mistaking the fact that the Adam-god doctrine is meant here, no matter how vehemently the Mormon apologists of today may deny that it was ever taught. The language is too clear, the cross-reference easily demonstrable, and the denial of His conception by the Holy Spirit evident for all to see.

Mormon leaders, however, while accepting the doctrine as Young declared it, are extremely careful not to allow “the Gentiles” (all non-Mormons) to understand the full impact of the teaching until they have come under extremely favorable Mormon influences. This is understood by the fact that in Look magazine, later reproduced in Leo Rolsten’s A Guide to the Religions of America (1963, pp. 131-141), the Mormons employed the subterfuge of semantics to escape declaring this position to the general public.

In the Guide book, the question was asked, “Do Mormons believe in the Virgin Birth?” (p. 134). To which the Mormon spokesman, a high-ranking member of the Mormon hierarchy, replied, “Yes. The Latter-day Saint accepts the miraculous conception of Jesus the Christ.”

Now, it is obvious that if apostle Richard L. Evans, the Mormon spokesman, had set forth the doctrine of Brigham Young, a doctrine which has been taught by his church and which appears in authoritative publications, even nominal Christians would have been shocked and goaded to some comments, and the one thing the Mormon Church does not desire is adverse publicity. Indeed they maintain a public relations staff in order to avoid such embarrassments, so Mr. Evans resorted to semantic vagaries in an attempt to make his religion appear “orthodox,” which it is not!

This, of course, is just one example of how Mormonism is quite different from Christianity. All we (or for that matter Glenn Beck) have to do is dig below the surface of the Kumbaya, we all love Jesus, rhetoric that we often hear from the Mormon community, and look for ourselves at the questionable historical and theological sources that undergird Joseph Smith’s religion. It is all very well documented.

Nominalism Part II

2010-08-27T07:00:00.008-05:00

Last week, when the media hype was focused on whether President Obama was a Christian or a Muslim, I presented a third option—that he may be neither. And in my discussion, I suggested that the Bible gives us a pretty clear picture of what the essence of Christianity looks like, and I went on to say that certain Christian practices would naturally be played out in the life of someone claiming to be a Christian. While I believe this to be true, I do not want anyone to be confused about what makes a Christian a Christian. And the difficulty with trying to ferret out nominalism is that nobody but God truly knows any one person’s heart.

Scripture clearly states: “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it” (Ephesians, 2:8-9, NLT). Paul also reiterates to the Galatian Christians, who were being fooled and pressured by some of the local Jews who were twisting the truth concerning Christ, that “it is through faith that a righteous person has life” (Galatians 3:11, NLT). And Paul again makes it clear that “we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law” when writing to the church in Rome (Romans 3:28).

In view of these scriptures, if someone claims to have confessed with his or her mouth that Jesus is Lord, and claims to have believed in his or her heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, then who are we to claim otherwise. Basically, it is between that person and God. And while there are scriptures like 1 John 2:4 and 2:6, which say, respectively, “if someone claims, 'I know God,' but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth,” and “those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did,” we need to be careful that we do not start thinking too much of ourselves, and begin casting judgment on others. As I said, in the end the truth about whether or not someone is a Christian is between that person and God.

So what do we do when someone makes what seems to be a specious claim about being a Christian? I suggest we take that person at his or her word, and not get drawn into a debate that cannot be won. And if we suspect that someone claiming to know Christ really doesn’t, then we ought to pray for that person. Nominalism exists, and there will always be people who claim some religious affiliation without being truly connected to that which they claim, and truth and love are the only forces that can overcome this. And if we want to to be men and woman of truth and love, then we should be praying for folks who we believe are misinformed about the truth of Christ, and we should be asking God to show Himself strong in the lives of these people.

Obama: Christian, Muslim, or Nominalism?

2010-08-20T07:46:00.009-05:00

Yesterday, the buzz in the world of politics was all about whether or not President Obama was a Christian or a Muslim. Obviously this is a peripheral question that has surfaced in the midst of all the controversy surrounding the proposed building of a mosque at Ground Zero. And quite frankly, the President’s personal faith shouldn’t really be a matter of public debate. But since the question has been raised, let’s explore it. I’d like to suggest that there is a good possibility that Barack Obama is not a Christian or a Muslim. Isn’t this a third possibility? Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not claiming that he is neither a Christian nor a Muslim; I’m just saying that the possibility exists that he may be neither. Does it not?

To answer such a question one must first know what the criteria is to be either a Christian or to be a Muslim, and secondly, one must know the individual fairly well. And to be honest, we live in a culture where the only measure for someone’s religious affiliation seems to be his or her simple profession of faith. Now I’m a Christian, and I place a great deal of emphasis on my profession to be a Christian (and so does the New Testament). However, just because I profess to be a Christian doesn’t necessarily make it so. Let me explain.

The Bible provides us with a pretty clear picture of what the essence of Christianity looks like. There are certain Christian practices that would naturally be played out in the life of someone claiming to be a Christian. And while I’m not talking about achieving a level of perfection in any of these practices, witnessing a certain level of consistency in regards to Christian living, or seeing at least a glimpse of evidence that reflects at least an effort to pattern one’s life after Jesus Christ, by the person claiming to be a Christian, is something that might give credence to someone’s claim to be a Christian. This isn’t brain surgery, but we live in a culture that wants to be associated with labels without ever understanding what these labels may represent.

When we read the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the believers in Corinth, specifically in the 5th chapter, we see that Paul is rebuking these believers because there was a “Christian” man among them who was sleeping with his father’s wife, yet the Corinthian believers didn’t seem to be bothered by this. Paul tells these believers that they should be mourning in sorrow and shame over such behavior, and they should remove this man from their fellowship (1 Corinthians 5:2). Now I have no doubt that this guy, who was living in sin with his stepmother, thought of himself as a Christian. And it is clear from scripture that he was considered a member of the Christian community in Corinth. But he wasn’t a Christian, and Paul told the church in Corinth what to do so that this man would be saved on the day that our Lord Jesus returns (1 Corinthians 5:5).

Just because I claim to be a Christian, doesn’t make it so. And while I am certainly not an expert on Islam, I suspect that simply professing to be a Muslim doesn’t make a person a Muslim. As I have already said, we live in a time where people love to be associated with religious labels without ever realizing that there is more required to actually be associated with a particular label other than just the label itself. This is called nominalism. Nominalism is the philosophical doctrine (from the Middle Ages) that various objects, labeled by the same term, have nothing in common but their name.

Is President Obama a Christian or a Muslim? I don’t know, and because I don’t personally know Barack Obama it would be foolish to try and answer this question definitively. I believe I have reason to question whether our President fully understands the essence of Christianity. The fact of the matter is, I question whether Jeremiah Wright, Obama’s former pastor, really knows the meaning of true Christianity. But in today’s politically correct postmodern climate I suppose anyone can label himself or herself whatever he or she would like, and that makes it so. Or does it?

No matter what we call ourselves, there will come a day of reckoning, when God will judge us for who we are in His eyes, and that is all that matters in the end. We might be able to fool society, but God sees beneath the labels.

Officiating Funerals (Speaking the Truth in Love)

2010-08-13T07:28:00.014-05:00

Last week, during a meeting with a group of pastors that I meet with regularly, the question was asked: When we conduct a funeral, what is our primary aim? We went around the entire group, and each of us put in our two cents. Having done more funerals than I ever thought I would have done during the earlier years of my ministry, this was a question that I had asked myself about 2 or 3 years into ministry.

The fact is, the first gathering that I ever officiated as a pastor was a funeral for my mother-in-law. She died relatively young, at age 56, and while many questions probably legitimately abounded as to whether or not she was a Christian, I had personally led her in praying a paraphrased version of the “sinners prayer” in a small New Jersey hospital room about a year before her death. There didn’t seem to be any dramatic turnaround in my mother-in–law’s life during the last year of her life. It’s not like she immediately started attending church and things that are normally associated with Christian living, but when she prayed that prayer I believe she genuinely sought forgiveness from sin, and sincerely invited Jesus to take up residency in her life (and I’m certain that she was quite unsure how this would happen). I shared all of this at her funeral.

Funerals really should be a time of celebration—celebrating both the life of the deceased and the fact that he or she is in a place far greater than we can ever imagine. However, the Bible makes it clear that the passing on from this life into heaven, where we will enjoy eternal life in the presence of God Almighty, is not something that automatically occurs. And this is where things sometimes get difficult, at least for me, as a pastor who is approached and asked to officiate someone’s funeral.

This is because funerals are also about providing comfort, consolation, and closure to those who were the closest to the deceased. And the truth is, nobody close to someone who has just died wants to deal with the possibility that this deceased person may not be spending eternity in the presence of God. It has been my observation that when people are grieving over the death of a loved one, they just want to be comforted. And even if the deceased person was not a Christian, those who are grieving over this person’s death should receive comfort. But the question begs: To what lengths?

My take on officiating funerals is that Christ should be proclaimed, and comfort should be extended to those who are grieving the loss of a loved one. And this is very easy to do when the preacher has first-hand knowledge that the deceased person had a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ. But when the pastor who has been asked to officiate a funeral has no knowledge that the deceased person was a Christian, or even worse, he or she is pretty certain that the deceased person was not a Christian, then what is the preacher to do? The need to provide comfort to those left behind is still just as great.

Situations like this require immense discernment. Some might suggest that the pastor should go ahead and just officiate the funeral and speak in such a way that indirectly gives the impression that the deceased person is now in heaven, wrapped in God’s arms. I disagree. While there is no need to point out how the deceased person seemed to reject the notion of having anything to do with God during his or her lifetime, neither should those who have been called to proclaim the gospel speak as though something was, if it was not.

I do not believe that funerals should be turned into evangelistic crusades where all those who turn out to pay their respects are forced to hear some convoluted version of the gospel, and then asked to commit their lives to the Lord. Don’t laugh; there are some pastors who approach funerals with this very mindset. However, a funeral can certainly be an occasion by which those present can hear the good news, and learn about the inheritance that awaits all those who love God and seek to serve Him in this life.

Extending compassion and comfort to those who are left behind when an unbeliever dies can be a challenge, but this is where dependence on the Lord for His wisdom can cause a tragic situation to possibly be used for good. But to stand up at a funeral and to pretend that someone was a God follower when he or she was not, and to give the impression to other nonbelievers that they too will someday pass into heaven automatically upon death in this life, doesn’t honor God or the person who has died. The Apostle Paul, in the context of explaining how God called people into certain offices "to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature," insisted that by "speaking the truth in love" we could avoid being "tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching" (Ephesians 4:11-15, TNIV).

When we are confronted with the challenges that officiating funerals can sometimes present, we need to just seek God for wisdom, and speak the truth in love.

A Self Serving Faith?

2010-08-06T06:57:00.008-05:00

As I have mentioned before, I listen to several podcasts regularly. While most of these are sermon podcasts, a few are not. One in particular, the White Horse Inn at Oneplace, is a weekly podcast that is led by Michael Horton where he and a few other Reformed pastors discuss scripture and Christianity in general. In an episode this past May, in which Dr. Christian Smith (author of “Souls in Transition” and professor at Notre Dame) was a guest on the program, I first heard of the term “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism.”

Smith summarizes moralistic therapeutic deism as the actual functional religious faith of most American teenagers regardless of what their formal religious background is. According to Smith, the basic ideas represented in moralistic therapeutic deism are:

God exists; God created the world; God wants people to be nice and fair and good to each other, and this is what the Bible and all world religions teach; the point of life is to be happy and to be satisfied; God doesn’t really need to be involved in our everyday life in any real way until we have a problem or trouble, and when problems and/or trouble do arise in our lives we can call on God to sort of swoop in and help us out with these problems; there is an afterlife (a heaven), and the people who go to heaven are good people (and most everybody is good).

When I heard this, I about fell out; my first thought was that this brand of “Christianity” is probably quite a bit more common than most people realize.

In this interview, Professor Smith was pretty much using the term “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism” in a discussion about the spiritual lives of a people group that he calls emerging adults. And rather than getting sidetracked into an entire discussion about who and what emerging adults are, suffice it to say that emerging adults represent those persons who fall into the age category that is situated somewhere between the teenage years and the fully settled down adult years. Perhaps ages 19 through 29 might loosely represent the age group of those that Smith refers to as emerging adults.

The majority of the discussion during this podcast episode focused on how prevalent “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism” is among these young emerging adults. And I agree with this assessment. But after I reflected on this sort of pseudo-Christianity, I began to question whether or not this religious view might not actually reflect the beliefs of a majority of church-goers in America today. The apple can’t fall too far from the tree, can it?

I’m a Baby Boomer (just barely), and as a pastor who cannot help but try and honestly assess how the Christian faith is played out in the lives of American Christians today, I have to wonder whether or not moralistic therapeutic deism (as defined above) is the belief system that really characterizes what many current church-goers subscribe to. I’m speculating, of course; and I suppose there really isn’t any way to know this for sure. But I think it’s too easy to point our fingers at the “emerging adult” generation and accuse them of creating for themselves a self-serving Christianity, when in fact, we may have created it for them.

Sexual Orientation: Nature or Nurture, and the Church's Response?

2010-07-30T08:01:00.020-05:00

I am not a gay basher, nor do I approve of and condone homosexuality as a lifestyle that somehow dovetails with the church. Six months ago I turned 50 years old, and during my lifetime I have witnessed the gradual social transition that homosexuality has undergone. A homosexual sexual orientation has not been considered socially acceptable in American society until the last couple of decades or so. If a person was gay 35-40 years ago, he or she was usually very discreet about it. Times have changed, and along side this change has emerged the discussion about whether or not someone is born with a bent towards homosexuality. And as this discussion lingers, the question begs: What should be the church’s response to homosexuality, regardless of whether the answer to this nature/nurture question is ever scientifically determined—and regardless of what the answer to this question may be?

This is a huge topic, and there are certainly many different individual threads connected to the nature versus nurture discussion. Consequently, tackling and attempting to answer this nature/nurture question really doesn’t solve all that much; it just shifts the discussion to some other questions.

I have an opinion on whether or not a person is born with a homosexual sexual orientation, but before I share my own position I’d first like to ask: Why does it matter? Does it make it any more socially acceptable if a person is born with a predisposition towards be sexually attracted to people of the same sex? Should it? While there is really no way of knowing for sure, I kind of suspect that with the speed of technological advancement that we’ve witnessed in the last half century, particularly in the area of DNA discoveries, that this nature/nurture question might be scientifically answered before long. Maybe even during my lifetime. And if and when we are privy to the answer to this nature versus nurture question, then what will this mean? Since homosexuality is a charged and often debated topic, especially as it concerns how the church should view people who are sexually attracted to members of the same sex, I think it would be helpful if we all pondered these questions.

Okay, my take on the whole nature/nurture question is that a person probably is born with some bent towards practicing homosexuality. Quite simply, if a gay person claims that he or she was born with some “leaning” towards being a homosexual, I am inclined to agree that this may in fact be the case. Up until about 5 years ago, I would have never even considered contemplating such a conclusion. I had always believed that, if a person were born with some bent towards homosexuality, then this would mean that God had created this person with this particular bent. And I was convinced that this couldn’t possibly be true, because if it were, I wouldn’t be able to juxtapose this with my understanding of God.

So what happened 5 years ago to change my opinion on this? Well, I suppose the best way to describe my 180 degree turn is to attribute my current stance on this nature/nurture debate to a fuller understanding of God and a fuller understanding of sin. I’m not naïve. I imagine there are some folks reading this (from the pro “nature” crowd) that applaud my changed view on this, and applaud my ability to embrace a fuller understanding of God, but cringe at the fact that my changed view is equally the result of a fuller understanding of sin. I also realize that there are some who may be reading this (from the pro “nurture” crowd) that abhor my changed view on this matter. This bunch would most likely commend me for embracing a fuller understanding of sin, but would probably accuse me of embracing an inaccurate understanding of God.

Just because I believe that a person might be born with a bent towards a gay sexual orientation, it doesn’t mean that I don’t still consider homosexuality a sin. I believe the Bible makes it clear that homosexuality is sin. I also believe the Bible considers drunkenness to be a sin. And as someone who has had first-hand knowledge and experience with alcoholism, I have to ask myself the question: When God created me, did He create me with a bent towards the sin of drunkenness? And if He did, is it unfair that God would create me in such a way that my reaction to drinking alcohol could rarely be controlled? I believe these are legitimate questions, and I think they’re applicable as it relates to the entire nature/nurture discussion concerning homosexuality.

What really changed my opinion on this whole nature versus nurture thing was my conclusion that we are all born with individual “bents” or “leanings” toward sin. Don’t some people wrestle more than others when it comes to resisting the urge to steal? Or how about adultery? While some people may be captives to some sins, to a higher degree than the average person, we don’t hear them running around claiming that they were born to be a thief, or that they were born with some “adultery” gene. But at the same time, it seems undeniable that some people wrestle with issues at a level that others do not.
However, just because we, as human beings, may have been created with a predisposition to something, this doesn’t give us a license to act upon it. And this is especially true if we are a God follower; because God’s word does not change. I believe God’s grace is sufficient enough to help every single one of us overcome and deal with any individual innate predispositions we may have—be it alcoholism, homosexuality, or anything else. And I realize that there is a temptation to believe that our individual situation is unique, and that nobody else is wrestling with the urges or impulses that haunt us, but I do not believe this to be true. One of Satan’s greatest tricks is to convince us that we’re the only person on the block who deals with “such and such” to the degree that we are dealing with it. This is just a lie from hell.

So, if I’m correct, and homosexuality is a predisposition that a person is born with, then what should be the church’s response to the homosexual who seeks a relationship with God and with a community of believers? Quite simply, we just need to love a person in this situation. I know we sometimes confuse love and compassion with the convoluted notion that to love a person who is engaged in wrongful behavior is to somehow condone the behavior itself. But again, this is a lie from the pit of hell. I’m not saying that this isn’t sometimes a difficult road to navigate, because it often is. However, we should never underestimate the power of love! Some may ask: How does just loving someone help to bring them through deep-seated patterns of sin? While I may not be able to explain how this happens, I know that it does. Operating in God's love gives us the wisdom and the ability to speak the truth and inspire others in ways that defy the world's understanding. God’s love working through us is the most powerful force on the face of this earth.

The Words We Use: Are They Meaningless?

2010-07-23T11:28:00.008-05:00

Today I read a bunch of Psalms, and for some reason Psalm 14 stuck in my craw. Psalm 14:1 reads, "Only fools say in their hearts, 'There is no God.'" So what does this mean, really? Just how does a person ‘say in his or her heart?’ They don’t actually speak, do they? Is it an assumption that a person makes within himself or herself; one that is played out by this person’s actions? If a person says in his or her heart that there is no God, does it follow that this person would then denounce the existence of God publicly? Or is this just a personal denial—one made perhaps out of ignorance?

I have other questions about what David was driving at when he recorded these words, and my questions really aren’t all rhetorical. The second half of this verse says, "They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!" Now I realize that the average person who reads this verse of scripture would probably conclude that because his or her actions are not evil (which is what most of us probably think about ourselves), then this verse obviously doesn’t apply to him or her. However, could it be that when the term “evil” is tossed around, that the images which come to our minds are scenes out of a horror movie like The Exorcist, or a memory of some recent news broadcast where some low-life got caught doing some terrible thing to an innocent child? Is it not true that we all have an understanding of what evil is, and of what evil is not? And isn’t it also true that we rarely ascribe this adjective to ourselves?

As an adjective, the term “evil” has several meanings: 1. morally bad or wrong; 2. having the nature of vice; 3. tending to cause great harm; 4. having or exerting a malignant influence. Perhaps there is only a small percentage of human beings for which the term “evil,” as an adjective, would apply. But I suspect not. My guess is that we all tend to use a sliding scale to define words that are used. For instance, what I might view as morally bad or morally wrong behavior may not be morally bad or morally wrong behavior in your eyes. This is the culture we live in today—everything is relative, and nothing is absolute.

Psalm 14 is not a real long Psalm (only 7 verses), and later, in verse 5, David says, "for God is with those who obey him." Therefore, I’m led to believe that making a sincere effort to obey God is probably somehow tied into whether or not someone falls into the category of a fool as described by David in Psalm 14:1. But then again, what is considered a “sincere effort” may also be up for debate in this culture where relativism rules.

Break Time

2010-03-09T21:25:00.007-06:00

In the three short months that I've been blogging, I think there have only been a few days when I haven't posted an entry. And I suppose the primary reason I started this blog was to have another outlet for which to write. I keep a journal, but blogging is different. And while I love to write, and while I have especially enjoyed this blog, I would be lying if I didn't confess that it is time consuming.

For several reasons, journaling takes much less time and thought than does blogging. I suspect it depends on what a person blogs about, and how in depth the topic is. But I have recognized that the time I am spending blogging every day during the past three months is biting into time that I could devote to other activities. Because of this, I'm going to take a break from posting any entries on this blog for awhile.

I started this because I enjoy it, and I've continued to blog because I enjoy it. And I always told myself that if it ever seemed to become a chore, then that should be a sign to take a break from it for awhile. Well, it is starting to feel like an obligation to post something daily. I know, it's probably kind of ridiculous for me to feel this way since there are probably only a handful of folks who even read this blog regularly. But I do not want to ever post an entry because I feel obligated to do so. Maybe I'm just getting extra busy. Maybe there're other things I'd rather be doing with my time. Maybe, maybe, maybe...

All I know is that I'm going to take a break from blogging for awhile. When I'll return to it, and how often I'll post an entry, is anybody's guess.

Drawing Near

2010-03-08T09:30:00.004-06:00

We live in a world where busyness is the norm. And it is often difficult to just mark out time in our schedules to get alone with God for no other purpose than to just get alone with God. Whether it is getting alone totally entirely by ourselves, or whether it is retreating with others, it's just hard to do in the culture we live in.

Today I'm going on an overnight retreat with a few other Christian men. I imagine there will probably be about 5 or 6 of us all together, but there may be as many as 10 of us. But our goal is to just take about 24 hours and just close in with God in such a way as to let Him do with us as He will. We are all Christians, and we're all pastors or Christian leaders in our community. I know some of the men fairly well, and there are others whom I don't know that well. Either way, I am really excited to see how this time alone with God and with each other unfolds.

We have had this overnight retreat planned for a few months. It's something we decided to do in an effort to get a little closer to God, and to get a little closer to each other. Our time will not be without structure, but I suspect there will also be time to get alone or to get together for some one-on-one time with other men. To be honest, I don't really know what to expect. All I know is that in a few hours a handful of Christian men are going to "get away" for about 24 hours for the purpose of drawing closer to God and to each other. How could I not want to be a part of that?

Sometimes we just need to be intentional about putting ourselves in a position where God can do whatever He chooses to do with us. So my prayers for this time away with a few of my brothers in the Lord is that I would approach the next 24 hours or so with an attitude of love towards God and others. Sometimes all God wants is for us to takes a few steps toward Him—"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you" (James 4:8).

A Gospel of Mystery

2010-03-07T17:10:00.019-06:00

Have you ever heard anyone refer to a "cheap" gospel? I have. In fact, I'm afraid I've used the term myself. When someone talks about a "cheap" gospel message, I suspect what they're driving at is an antinomian attitude that claims that because our justification in Christ frees us from the law, we can do as we please. Now this kind of attitude is wrong, and Paul clearly tells us not to use our freedom in Christ to satisfy our sinful nature (Galatians 5:13).

However, when I hear people refer to "cheap" grace, I can't help but wonder whether it is code for the legalist's way of saying that salvation isn't as simple as just yielding ourselves to Christ and the work He did on our behalf. But you see, the gospel is that simple! I think it is criminal that many Christians have grown up in the church thinking that the gospel had to be harder than just believing in Christ, and many have. And it's because that's what many Christians teach.

I suppose the gospel is surrounded with a degree of mystery, but the fact that the gospel is so simple is part of what makes it mysterious. There are probably tons of people in this country who might make a decision for Christ if it weren't for the fact that deep inside they're concerned that once they give their lives to Jesus, all the Christians around them are going to want to place yokes around their necks and try to change them. And sadly, this kind of thinking isn't far from what quite frequently happens.

I'd be lying to people if I told them that they wouldn't experience change in their lives when they come to Christ. They will. But this is also part of the mystery of the gospel. When we come to God through faith in Christ, change does happen within us, but it occurs naturally—from the inside out, by God, not because we are handed a list of do's and don'ts from our legalistic Christian friends, and then somehow succeed in conquering sin through our own strength. Why are we taught that we must try to keep the law, and that with God's help it is possible?

Accept the mysteries that surround the gospel, and just come to God, and let Him do His work in you!

Postmodernism: True = False

2010-03-06T19:40:00.014-06:00

For about the last 20 years I have heard the term postmodernism tossed around quite loosely. I am certainly not going to attempt to define it here. The fact is, I probably would do a very poor job trying to define postmodernism. Is it a set of ideas? Is it a way of thinking that is critical to foundational assumptions? Is postmodernism a counterculture, a way of life? In postmodernity, is contradictory thinking the new norm? In the context of postmodern thought, is it even possible to rationally communicate with each other?

Rather than try to answer all of these questions, and and others, thus getting into the whole movement known as deconstruction, I'd like to share with you a story that is told by Millard J. Erickson. It's a story I read some 15 years ago, in Erickson's book, Where Is Theology Going? Erickson tells the story in the first person, and this story points out the dangers involved whenever we drift too far from logic. You'll have to decide for yourself whether this simple illustration correctly depicts a rather complicated subject. I think it does. Listen to Erickson's story:

I have a T-shirt which I purchased at an annual meeting of the American Philosophical Association. I sometimes wear it to class when I want to make a particular point about logic. I remove my coat and outer shirt, displaying this T-shirt. On the front are the words, "The sentence on the back of this shirt is false." On the back is the message, "The sentence on the front of this shirt is true." I ask my students whether they like my shirt, and then whether they believe in it. What does one do with statements like that? Or what would you think if I said to you, "The statement I am now uttering is false." Would you believe me or not? And how would you like to take a true-false examination in a course taught by an instructor who makes such statements? (57-58)

Timing & Tone Matter!

2010-03-05T18:00:00.009-06:00

I recently found myself in a situation where I wanted to share with someone about how important it is to make a decision for Christ. It was kind of difficult because this person, who I care about very much, has chosen not to follow Christ. Anyway, this person's father is near death, and because I'm also concerned about where this person's father will spend eternity, I decided to try and tactfully approach the subject. We have had discussions about Christianity in the past, but this person has never been very receptive to anything I have ever had to say.

Sharing the gospel really is difficult sometimes. For me, it isn't because I'm timid about what I believe in, or because I doubt my ability to explain the gospel message. I find it difficult because I recognize that there are often some very legitimate reasons for why people have chosen to not yield their lives to Jesus Christ, and I don't want anything that I say about God, or the way in which I say it, to be yet one more stumbling block in the way of someone coming into right standing with God. That is why I try my best to always be sensitive about letting the Holy Spirit prompt me when the timing may be right to speak with someone about Jesus. And I always try to share the gospel in a loving way. Sadly, there have been more times in my life than I care to admit when my zeal and ignorance about when and how to share about God has clouded my judgment, and I probably did more harm than good.

I know there may be some who would contend that any time is a good time to tell somebody about Jesus, but I disagree. When we share about Jesus, and how we share the message, is extremely important. I am of the opinion that God continually presents each of us with opportunities to share about Jesus—but I would contend that shouting "Jesus wants to save you from hell" to a complete stranger out of your car window as you drive through a toll booth is not how God draws it up.

I don't always get my timing or tone correct when I share about Jesus, but this doesn't mean I should give up. I just keep asking God to help me get better at it. I want to share my love for Jesus as much as I can, but I need to be sensitive about whether my timing and tone are right. The last thing God desires is for me to arrogantly force-feed the gospel to someone, and/or to do it at a time when He has not first softened this person's heart and prepared this person to receive the loving message about Jesus.

Because of how much I care about this person, and about this person's father who is near death, I'm praying that my timing and my tone were correct in this recent encounter.

Me and Prayer, Prayer and Me

2010-03-04T19:40:00.006-06:00

As a Christian, prayer is very important to me—prayer is where I draw my strength. Listen to David in Psalm 59:16-17, "But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress. O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love."

I am as human as the next person, and I suppose I have had my share of misconceptions about what prayer is and how it is done. Perhaps I still have some misconceptions. But one thing is for sure: I desire a level of intimacy with God that would be impossible without communing with Him through prayer. There have been times in my life when I understood prayer as a discipline that was required of me as a Christian; now I understand it as an opportunity to just close in with God.

I realize there are times when we need to pray together with others. And I do, quite often. But I always seem to connect more with God when I'm alone praying. I suppose it is because I am easily distracted. And when I am praying by myself, there are fewer things to distract me because my only distraction is myself. I'm very analytical, and for whatever reason, when I'm around others and we are praying collectively, I cannot help but analyze the prayers I hear from others. And before I know it, I'm analyzing everything to the extent that my closeness to God during this time of prayer is almost nonexistent. So, I do better when I pray alone.

If I'm honest, I feel like maybe there's something wrong with me because I function so much better alone in prayer than with others. But these words by Jesus in Matthew 6:6 help a little, "when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private."

"Thou Shall Prosper" by Daniel Lapin

2010-03-03T08:30:00.009-06:00

Like I sometimes do, I purchased this book some time ago with the intention of reading it, and then never got around to it because there was always another book I wanted to read more. Well, I finally opened up Thou Shall Prosper, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. So much so that the next time I buy a book to read, I'll think twice about leaving it on the bookshelf while other books attract my interest.

The author, Daniel Lapin, is a Jewish Rabbi, and in this book he sets out to share the formula for success that has helped Jewish people achieve such prosperity in business throughout the ages. But before outlining the 10 principles of this formula, Lapin affirms the assertion that Jews are disproportionately successful when it comes to making money, and he debunks a few myths about how this Jewish success in business comes about.

To illustrate that the Jewish people really are disproportionally more successfully in business, Lapin provides several facts. He provides one statistic that speaks volumes: "Jews constitute about 2.3 percent of the U.S. population. That means that there should be about nine Jews on the Forbes 400 list [Forbes' annual list of the 400 richest Americans]. In reality, depending on the year, there are between 60 and 100 Jews on this prestigious list. Similar data for the more average population reveal that the percentage of Jewish households with income greater than $50,000 is double that of non-Jews."

So what's the secret behind this Jewish success in business? Well, that's what this book explains. And Lapin does a marvelous job. He doesn't provide his readers with some get-rich-quick formula, instead, he outlines 10 broad principles that undergird the Jewish approach to money and wealth. Within each principle are multiple subsets of principles. And, as is the nature of principles, Lapin ends up basically sharing with his audience a mindset that pervades the Jewish culture—a worldview and a way of life that has brought about a disproportionate level of success in business to the Jewish community in all places at all times.

This book will not appeal to those who want to bifurcate wealth-building into one compartmentalized arena of their lives. Lapin's prescription for making money is much more systemic, and it touches just about every corner of how one lives life. I highly recommend the book.

Why the Bible?

2010-03-02T18:00:00.005-06:00

I made a comment two days ago, in Sunday's blog entry, about how God did not write the Bible in order to prove Himself or His existence. And to those of us who believe that the Bible is inerrant and infallible, this is important to remember.

God gave us scripture for one primary purpose, and that was for the purpose of drawing humankind back into right relationship with Him. From Genesis to Revelation the Bible is one unfolding plot of God’s redemption for humankind. And central to this plot is the promise that God made to Abraham, which is fulfilled in Christ. As early as Genesis 3:15 the gospel is announced to Adam and Eve, but it is more clearly revealed later in the covenant that God made with Abraham. Ultimately, Jesus is the promised seed of the woman, the greater Child, through whom God uses to draw all nations unto Him. The Bible is one big story about God's desire and His means to draw human beings back to Himself.

God could have set things up to where we all were simply robots that served and worshipped Him, but that was not His way. He did not force His existence on us, nor will He ever. Faith is a fundamental part of the redemptive process. Namely, faith in Jesus Christ. So when we share with others about our faith in Jesus and our belief in scripture, we need to recognize that we can't hold up the Bible as God's proof that what we believe is true. It was not written to prove God; it was written so that we might be drawn to Him through faith.

However, one side note to this is that, while there is no empirical evidence that we can use to absolutely prove that the Bible is true and that God exists, nor is there any empirical evidence that can prove otherwise! But the evidence of a redeemed life, the victories that others can see in the changed lives of those of us who have been drawn into right relationship with God, should speak for itself.

Completely Resting In Him

2010-03-01T08:05:00.007-06:00

I'm currently at a place in life where I am acutely aware that I am entirely resting in God's hands. It's a great place to be, even though it doesn't always feel so fine. In a way, it can feel like a double-edged sword. What I mean is, I'm very grateful to be at a place where all I can do is rely on God, but why is it that we usually have to get to a place in our lives where we are utterly exasperated before we realize how comforting it is to be resting entirely in God? We should know better, shouldn't we?

I'd like to think that when everything is fine, and everything in life seems to be going as well as it possibly can, that I am just as fixed in my reliance upon God as I am when things seem so unsettling. But am I? I want to think so, but maybe I'm not. Perhaps it is just that we are more aware of our real need for God when times are tough. Either way, when my current circumstances begin to change (which at some point they will), and when I find myself in a position where it doesn't seem like I really need to just rest in God, I'm determined to make certain that I rest in Him all the more!

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]29 Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. 30 For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good--not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne" (Matthew 11:28-30, AMP).

One thing is certain: whether you are are resting in God all the time, or not, He is there for you. If you are heavy-laden, then let Jesus lift your burdens.

Faith Requires Vulnerability

2010-02-28T18:15:00.015-06:00

When we fully trust God, when we have faith in God, when we believe beyond a shadow of a doubt, it is not always easy to explain. For instance, I believe that God sent Jesus into the world to die so that I might live; I believe God raised Jesus from the dead, and I have fully yielded myself to Jesus' Lordship. Therefore, I believe that I am saved (Romans 10:9). But while I'm certain of this, explaining my certainty to others is not so easy.

I would even go as far as say that I can't prove that I'm saved. But there is not a doubt in my mind that I will spend eternity in heaven. The only way I know how to explain how I know, and you may have heard this before from others, is to say, "I know that I know that I know." Now that explanation isn't based on too much empirical evidence is it? Nevertheless, there is something that is alive within me, way deep down inside, that says, "yes Bob, you are saved and it is settled." But to prove this to someone, I can't do it. Sure I can point to scripture, and I can explain how scripture says this and how scripture says that, but the fact of the matter is: God didn't give us the Bible in order to prove Himself to us, or so that we could prove Him to others; He gave us the Bible for the purpose of bringing us into relationship with Him.

Faith involves a certain degree of vulnerability. But when I use the term "vulnerability" I'm not talking about checking our intellect at the door. No, God gave us our intelligence, and He wants us to use it. When I talk about vulnerability, I am referring to our need to approach God with a willingness that He may respond to us in a way that is far beyond our intellect. He may respond in a way that doesn't even make sense. And knowing this, we need to be willing to approach Him anyway and allow Him to respond to us in any way He so chooses. This is what I mean when I say we need to approach God with a certain degree of vulnerability. And this isn't always easy to do. But if we approach God with this kind of "vulnerability" or "willingness," then He will not disappoint us. Ever.

Children often display this kind of vulnerability and trust. "I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it" (Mark 10:15).

Every Spiritual Blessing

2010-02-27T18:25:00.015-06:00

In the ecumenical prayer meeting that I attend every week with a group of other area pastors, our normal routine is to engage in a time of Bible study, and then seek the LORD through a time of corporate prayer. As we reflected on scripture this past Thursday, we discussed Ephesians 1:3, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places."

The pastor who led our discussion last week asked everyone in the group to help him make a list of all the different spiritual blessings that are included in the blessings which Paul spoke about in Ephesians 1:3. Knowing that such a list would be impossible to compile, his point was to remind us of how vast the spiritual blessings of God really are. I thought it was a clever approach.

Anyway, as I contemplated what spiritual blessing, or blessings, I could think of to contribute to the list, I really was overwhelmed. The spiritual blessings that have been poured out to those who are in Christ really are too great to attempt to itemize. As I thought about it, I began to equate Paul's comment about "every spiritual blessing" to the abundance and to the totality of God's grace. What I mean is, we often define God's grace as the unmerited favor of God—a gift from God that is impossible to earn on our own (Ephesians 2:8-9). And God's grace is this, but isn't it much much more?

It was in this context that I began to think that maybe Paul's words about being blessed "in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places" was just another way of describing the breadth of God's grace.

Joseph's Secret

2010-02-26T06:30:00.005-06:00

The story in the Old Testament about Joseph (the "colorful coat" Joseph) has always intrigued me. Here is a kid that one day, by no fault of his own, gets his entire world flipped upside down. At age 17, Joseph is snatched out of the comfort of the only home he had ever known. One day he is his daddy's favorite son, the next day he is staring at the backside of a camel on his way to be a servant in the land of Egypt.

For the next 13 years Joseph endures some pretty undesirable circumstances. In Egypt, he is sold to an Egyptian officer and serves as this guy's slave. As time goes on, Joseph is promoted to the position of being this guy's personal attendant, but he is a slave nonetheless. Later, when Joseph is confronted with a decision to do right or wrong, his choice to do what is right and honorable doesn't seem to benefit him at all because this Egyptian's promiscuous wife lies about Joseph, and Joseph gets thrown into prison. Again, Joseph rises through the ranks and is promoted by the prison warden to be in charge of all the other prisoners, but he is a prisoner nonetheless.

It's not until he is 30 years old that things change for Joseph. After he correctly interprets a couple of dreams for Pharaoh (the king of Egypt), Joseph is released from prison and elevated to a place of prominence in the land of Egypt. He is in charge of all of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. Now, by all standards, this is a pretty nice promotion. So Joseph gets a new Egyptian name, an Egyptian wife, and gets to work leading the affairs of Egypt. It won't be for at least another seven years, some 20 plus years from the time he first set foot in Egypt, that Joseph is reunited with his Hebrew family. Joseph is somewhere between the age of 37 and 44 when Joseph's father, his brothers, and all of their families move to Egypt.

There is a whole bunch that we can draw out of Joseph's story, but Joseph's ability to just keep trusting God through all that he has to endure is what strikes me the most. God obviously knows what He is doing all along. And while Joseph has every opportunity to give up on God, he never does. He just keeps doing what is right. It seems like it must be so hard for Joseph, to keep on doing the right thing even when doing so only leads to more misfortune. But Joseph's secret, I believe, is his unfailing trust in God. No matter what, no matter how bad the circumstances ever get, Joseph trusts God.

God wants us to trust him regardless of any circumstance we encounter. If we will simply make up our minds that God knows what He is doing, that He is more in control of our current circumstances than we could ever imagine, and then live out our lives by doing what we know is the right thing to do—then we'll be okay, and we will eventually arrive exactly where God has been taking us all along.

Make Joseph's secret your secret; just trust God.

A Personal Encounter

2010-02-25T07:55:00.004-06:00

When an authentic relationship develops between a human being and God, it is always a personal relationship as opposed to an intellectual relationship. What do I mean by personal? It's when the God of this universe reaches into our lives and touches us in some way that, while it doesn't make sense, we nevertheless cannot deny the reality of it! Andy Stanley uses the phrase "the explainable versus the undeniable" when talking about this, and I can't think of a better use of words to sum up that thing which separates an intellectual understanding of God from a personal understanding of God.

We see this played out in a real life story in the New Testament in the 9th chapter of John—one of my truly favorite Bible stories. Jesus spits on the ground, makes some mud, puts it on a blind guy's eyes, and then tells him to go wash in the pool of Siloam. The guy goes and washes off the mud, and he is healed of a blindness that had handicapped him from birth. Now get this, the fact that this blind guy could now see was undeniable even though it could not be explained. So, some of this guy's neighbors and other people who knew him when he was blind refused to believe that he was healed, so they took him to the Pharisees, who also refused to believe that this man was healed of blindness. They just couldn't accept the unexplainable! It didn't matter to the Pharisees that they were able to verify this man's previous blindness through the testimony of his parents; the whole thing just didn't fit the box they had placed God into. The fact is, Jesus didn't fit their box.

What we learn through this story is that we all seem to understand God within the context of our own little boxes or worldviews, and whenever something happens outside these boxes, even if it is undeniable, we retreat and insist on seeking an explanation until we find one. And the paradox is that often we can't even fully explain our explanations, but they serve as a clarification nonetheless. This is what the Pharisees in this story did. They asked this man repeatedly what had happened, and the man told them the weird circumstances surrounding his healing, but they refused to accept this.

Isn't this the thing that most often gets in the way of our relationship with God? When it comes to the things of God, isn't it our inclination to opt for the explainable, instead of the unexplainable, that interferes with our ability to accept as real fact those things that are not revealed to our senses? Isn't our need to search for the explainable, rather than to acknowledge the undeniable, the barrier that often keeps us from God? "So we see that they were not able to enter [into His rest], because of their unwillingness to adhere to and trust in and rely on God [unbelief had shut them out]" (Hebrews 3:19, AMP).

Talk to people who are close to God. I suspect that over and over again you'll find a whole bunch of unexplainable stuff in their stories, but you'll see in their eyes how real Jesus is to them. This is because God meets us through personal encounters that, while undeniable, are often unexplainable.

Fear the LORD!

2010-02-24T09:00:00.007-06:00

Part of my Bible reading this morning included reading Exodus chapter 20, usually remembered as the "Ten Commandments" chapter. Now I love reading scripture, and I hold it in high regard. Therefore, I think the ten commandments that are specifically mentioned in Exodus 20 are important and should obviously be observed, even though Jesus later narrows our list of commands down to two (Matthew 22:40).

But even if all the Law and the Prophets hang on loving God and loving our neighbors as we love ourselves, and even if we are very successful in abiding by these two commands as we live out our lives, I do not believe it is our love for God that enables us to live in such a way that we live obedient lives unto God. Hear what God instructs Moses to tell the people in Exodus 20:20, "Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin." This verse may seem somewhat paradoxical or self-contradictory, but it's not. God is not saying, "don't be scared of me, because I want your panic-stricken view of Me to be before you, so that you won't sin." That would be ridiculous. No, God is telling the Israelites (and us) not to be scared of Him, but to respect and venerate Him, so that we won't sin. It is not our love for God that will keep us from sinning, but our reverence for Him.

On one hand, we might be tempted see our reverence for God Almighty as being wrapped inside of our love for Him; and in some ways it is. But I also believe it is possible that our love for God can sometimes obscure our ability to stay in constant awe of Him. Maybe we have a skewed understanding of God's love and forgiveness. Maybe we just get too familiar with God. After all, He is our Daddy, and He wants intimacy with us. However, do we too often mistake God's love for us and His desire to forgive with the false notion that it's alright to occasionally disobey Him because His forgiveness is so readily available? After all, we can't lead sinless lives, can we? In 1 John, there are many references to where our love for God and our obedience to God is linked together. But I believe the key to growing in our obedience to the LORD is a healthy reverence towards God. We'll never entirely blot sin completely out of our lives on this side of glory (1 John 1:8). But if we balance our love for God with a genuine awe of Him and reverence towards Him, we'll certainly make significant strides where living without sin is concerned.

“Don’t be afraid. God has come to test you and instill a deep and reverent awe within you so that you won’t sin” (Exodus 20:20, MSG).

Where Do You Stand?

2010-02-23T11:50:00.009-06:00

This morning I was contemplating the beliefs that, as best as can be stated, represent how I view life and reality in general. One of the beliefs that I hold, which is somehow weaved into my overall worldview, is that I believe that such a thing as unchangeable moral truth exists, and that such moral truth is defined by the Bible.

Well, while pondering this, I wondered what it would mean if a person did not ascribe to such a belief. Is it a belief that everyone who claims to be an evangelical Christian should embrace and ascribe to? And if there are people who claim to represent evangelical Christianity, yet do not want to attach themselves to such a statement, why is this?

I know many people in this world who want to be careful about what they stand for—in what they say and in what statements they align themselves with. I tend to be this way. However, we need to watch out that we do not become so careful that we end up not standing for anything. I freely admit that it isn't always easy for me to pin down what I believe and let it hang on me like a Christmas tree ornament for the world to see. If fact, many of my thoughts in this blog can probably be viewed as somewhat doctrinaire or stubborn. And I recognize that drawing a line in the sand, and saying, "this is what I believe," opens me up to scrutiny and to the possibility of being wrong. And I'm wrong more times than I care to admit. However people rarely have a problem knowing where I stand.

Real Friendship

2010-02-22T17:30:00.008-06:00

Today I was speaking on the phone with a woman who is a friend of mine. This woman and I actually became friends through a mutual friend. It is my friendship with this mutual friend that is the subject of today's blog entry.

Without using names, I have a good friend who is in prison. While this guy has his share of problems (don't we all!), and while he has had some run-ins with the law, he is currently in prison on a trumped up felony charge for which he is innocent. I'm afraid that my friend may have to serve another 4 years on a 10 year sentence.

I really consider my buddy a good friend, and he knows that I'm a good friend. This guy has had several so-called friends, who really only hung out with my buddy because he had money and because he is a very generous man. However, when he found himself in prison, these "friends" were nowhere to be found. And when he does finally get out, there will be many so-called friends that reappear like roaches in the middle of the night.

We probably go through life with just a handful of really goods. My friend, who is in prison, probably needs me in his life right now more than I need him in my life right now, but that's beside the point—we're friends, and that's that. I'm sure the day will probably come when I may need his friendship more than he needs mine, and I believe he'll be there when I need him. But even if he were not, my friendship towards him would not change. You see, my friendship with him doesn't hinge upon him being friends with me in return. It's kind of weird in a sense, because while most of my friendships are pretty much reciprocal in nature, my friendship with this guy is not this way. Don't get me wrong, reciprocity exists in my friendship with this guy, but it's different in the sense that I am certain that I will be friends with this guy for life regardless of whether his friendship towards me ever dwindles.

I'm reminded of Proverbs 18:24, "A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."

Who You Were & Who You Are Now

2010-02-21T19:10:00.009-06:00

Yesterday I wrote about how we can be content in all circumstances by trusting God and knowing who we are in Christ Jesus. The Apostle Paul, in his second letter to the Corinthians, tells us that "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17). We who are Christians need to remember that we are no longer the person we used to be prior to placing our faith in Christ; we are new in Christ!

I liken the change we undergo to the change that occurred in the life of Jacob in Genesis 32 when he wrestled with the the Angel of the LORD, or with the LORD Himself. This night changed everything in Jacob's life, and the changing of his name from Jacob to Israel signifies this change in Jacob's life. Prior to this night, Jacob's life was very reflective of his name, "Supplanter; held by the heel." Jacob was a schemer and a plotter his entire life. That is, up until the night he wrestled with the Angel. After this night, when Jacob's name was changed to Israel (one who strives with God), we never again hear about Jacob cheating, lying, or scheming. Don't misunderstand, he wasn't perfect. We see later that he played favorites with children, expressing more love to his son Joseph. But, in a very real sense, when Jacob became Israel he became a new person. And he lived out his life as the new person he had become as a result of having been touched by God.

When we receive Christ, we become new persons. And just as Israel left the old nature of Jacob behind when God touched his life at Peniel, we need to leave our old natures behind when God touches our lives through the new birth experience (John 3:1-21). Knowing who we are in Christ Jesus and walking in this victory is inexplicably tied to living out the kind of life we are capable of after having been touched by God.

Know who you were, and know who you are now!

Are You Content?

2010-02-20T10:30:00.010-06:00

Contentment is a tricky thing. As a Christian, I believe God created every human being with a destiny to reach, and He equipped each of us with the ability to achieve our individual destinies. Having said this, I must confess that the line between God's sovereignty and our ability to choose our own course is often difficult to distinguish. Most likely there isn't a line between the two, and it all kind of just overlaps.

Scripture is not silent about our need to be content. Recognizing their constant concern for his welfare, Paul writes in his letter to the Christians in Philippi, "Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:11-13, NLT). Now Paul is not saying that contentment is settling for less than God's best in life. He is telling the Philippians, and he is telling us today, that the secret of living in every situation is to trust God in all circumstances. Read the Amplified Version of Philippians 4:11-13,

"Not that I am implying that I was in any personal want, for I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am. I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want. I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency]."

Paul obviously experienced frustrations in his life, as do we all. And there were probably times when he was tempted to question God's presence in the midst of his circumstances. But Paul's secret was that, regardless of his circumstances, he trusted God entirely in all circumstances because he knew who he was in Christ Jesus.

While I am currently experiencing a period of transition in my life, I am determined to not lose sight of the fact that God has a plan for me. I am determined to just abide in Him, in the midst of and in spite of any circumstances that may confront me. And I can do this because I know who I am in Christ! "For we walk by faith [we regulate our lives and conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, with trust and holy fervor; thus we walk] not by sight or appearance" (2 Corinthians 5:7, AMP).

Be encouraged, and rise up on the inside and recognize who you are in Christ! We all need to live in the reality that "overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us" (Romans 8:37, NLT). These aren't just words, this is the truth revealed through God's word! Understand what it really means to be content, and then rest in the knowledge that God really does know the plans He has for you, "plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11, TNIV).

"Time Gaps"

2010-02-19T07:00:00.008-06:00

This morning, as I was reading Scripture, I realized how important it is when we are reading the Bible to keep in mind that the Bible as a whole, and some of the individual books in the Bible, were not recorded in chronological order. And even when we are reading a book of the Bible, a narrative that has been recorded in chronological order, we need to realize that there are time lapses between the sequence of events that we are reading about.

For instance, the book of Acts, a book in the New Testament that records the birth and the happenings of the Church after Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension, begins by recording the events that took place just after Jesus' ascension, and ends with Paul's imprisonment in Rome. While it is easy to sit down and read the 28 chapters of the book of Acts in one sitting, it would be helpful to remember that the events that are recorded occurred over a time period of about 30-32 years (probably A.D. 30 until about A.D. 60-62).

I was reading the book of Mark this morning, and, if I didn't know better, then I might have been led to believe that the phrase "after he had spoken to them" in Mark 16:19 was referencing the conversation that Jesus had with his disciples during the evening on the day that He rose from the grave and "appeared to the eleven" in Mark 16:14. The fact of the matter is, about five and a half weeks transpired between the time when Jesus appeared to the eleven disciples in Mark 16:14 (in Jerusalem, probably on Sunday evening April 9, A.D. 30) and the time when He was taken up into heaven in Mark 16:19 (at the Mount of Olives, probably on May 18, A.D. 30).

By harmonizing the gospel of Mark with the other three gospel accounts of Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension, we are able to see that Mark 16:14 and Mark 16:15 represent two different conversations. As we read scripture, especially chronological narratives, it would be helpful for us to remember that there are often gaps of time that might accompany the chronology of these narratives. If we believe that the Bible records actual historical events, which we as Christians believe, then keeping these "time gaps" in mind will help us develop a more comprehensive understanding of scripture, and we'll then be better equipped to share these truths with others.

Come Back To God

2010-02-18T18:20:00.008-06:00

Today, while meeting with a group of pastors, we discussed what Paul meant in 2 Corinthians 5:21, when he wrote: "We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God." Our group is an ecumenical group with pastors representing a whole host of traditions. Our discussion was good.

Obviously Paul was writing to believers who represented the church in Corinth. Actually, in the second sentence of his letter, Paul indicates that he is writing to all the Christians who are scattered throughout the southern region of the Greek peninsula. So, in our discussion today, we asked a bunch of questions. Did these Christians need to be reconciled to God? If so, what's that about? Aren't we reconciled to God when we place our faith in Jesus and accept God's grace? Did they drift away from their first love, and need to return? What does it mean to be reconciled? Are we reconciled to God as individuals, as a group, or both? Are there different kinds of reconciliation? All of these questions and more were raised, and while time did not permit us to sufficiently address all of these questions, it was nevertheless a good discussion. It prompted me to blog about our discussion.

After I got home, I checked to see what the meaning of the original language was. The Greek verb, katallasso, which is translated "be reconciled" means:

1) to change, exchange, as coins for others of equivalent value
2) to reconcile (those who are at variance)
3) return to favour with, be reconciled to one; to receive one into favor.

In this second letter to the Corinthians, Paul is defending himself against those who have raised questions about his authority and his motives. And it appears that the believers in Corinth were very well acquainted with the struggles involved with Christian living, having wrestled with the immoral influences that seemed to tug at their resolve to live for Christ. Later in this letter, Paul strongly urges these believers to cleanse themselves from this filth (2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1).

So, what did Paul mean when he urged the Church at Corinth to be reconciled to God? I think the New Living Translation says it well, "Come back to God!"

A Clear Conscience

2010-02-17T09:30:00.011-06:00

This morning I read about Paul's trial in Caesarea in Acts chapters 24, 25, and 26 (Paul would have been a good defense lawyer!). At any rate, as Paul begins to present his defense before Felix, he says that, because of his hope in God and his belief in the resurrection, he strives "always to keep [his] conscience clear before God and all people" (Acts 24:16, TNIV). But how do we keep our consciences clear? The simple answer is by doing what's right, and by quickly confessing and repenting when we do wrong!

In my 1/7/10 blog entry, I remarked about how I believe the human conscience is the voice of our human spirits. If our spirits are the primary means by which the Holy Spirit speaks to us, and our consciences represent the "voice" of our born again human spirits, then we should strive to keep our consciences clear. But what does this mean, and how can we do this?

I believe the easiest way for us to protect our consciences is to constantly consider the two commands that Jesus claimed were the greatest commands; love God and love others the way you want to be loved (Matthew 22:36-40). Since I believe sin is the greatest threat to contaminating our consciences, I try to focus on these two commands. Jesus said that all the other commandments hang on these two, so if I can keep these two, I figure the others will be covered. Furthermore, if I live my life by seeking to always love God with all that I have, and if in all I do I am constantly trying to place the needs and the feelings of others on equal footing as that of my needs and feelings, then even when I do screw up and sin, I am more likely to recognize the sin in my life no matter how small it is. It is my opinion that the small, and seemingly inconsequential, sin is the one that sears our consciences. But when we are living a life that really places our love for God and our love for others out in the forefront, then dwelling on a nasty thought, or committing a minor selfish act, will be more apparent to us. And when we recognize these things, we need to do what God has told us to do.

Because of our love for God, we should live life with the image that the Holy Spirit of God is right there with us all the time (which He is); therefore, He sees, hears, and thinks everything that we see, hear, and think. If this was a constant image to us, and we ever found ourselves in a place where we happened to be listening to something that would grieve the Holy Spirit, we would be more apt to not lend our ears to whatever it is we were hearing. So because of our love for others, if we lived life in such a way that we were constantly trying to treat others the way we want to be treated, then we will either help others when we see they need help, or, if for some reason we neglect to help someone in need, we will then be more conscious of this failure to help, and will immediately ask God to forgive us.

It is this immediate confession and repentance that keeps our consciences clean. We all can remember when we were children, how heavy we felt the first time we told a lie. But the heaviness wasn't quite as heavy the second, third, or fourth time we told a lie. And without correction, if we had continued to lie without consequence, we would have eventually become so dull that telling a lie might not be heavy at all. This is what continual sin, without confession and repentance, will do to our consciences.

Don't let this happen; keep your conscience clear!

Explaining Away the Unexplainable

2010-02-16T12:20:00.007-06:00

Eight days ago a 28-year-old Haitian man, Evan Muncie, was pulled from the rumble of a building in Port-au-Prince that had collapsed during the January 12th earthquake. Muncie had been trapped under the building for almost four weeks (27 days). Upon being rescued, Muncie claims that while trapped a man dressed in white, or a man with a white coat, brought him water.

Having done an internet search on this story, I'm unable to provide an exact quote from Muncie because no media source seems to have provided any direct quotes. The only thing that is seems clear is that this Haitian man made a claim that someone provided him with water during the time he was trapped, and no one seems to want to take the man's claim seriously. Because it is impossible for a human being to live for 27 days without any water, skeptics are claiming that Muncie must not have been trapped for the entire 27 days, and his comments about someone dressed in white bringing him water are the result of hallucinations.

We live in a time when Christians are, by and large, often mocked if they stand up for what they really believe—even when they stand up for what scripture claims. I believe in angels, and I'm not embarrassed to admit it. And the Bible, which I believe is the inspired and inerrant word of God, supports the existence of angels. In Hebrews 13:1-2, the writer of the book of Hebrews warns us: "Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!" In the first chapter of the book, we are told that angels are "spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation" (Hebrews 1:14).

I'm not saying that Evan Muncie's claim about being trapped for 27 days and receiving water from somebody while being trapped is a clear case that Muncie was visited by an angel, or perhaps even by the Lord Himself. What I am saying is that I believe it is a possibility. We live in a culture and a time that is apt to try and explain away the unexplainable, which is what the main stream media seems to be trying to do with this story. But the propensity to explain away the unexplainable is nothing new. Read the story in John 9 about the blind man who was healed of his blindness by Jesus. It is a good example of the natural tendency human beings have to resist, deny, and explain the unexplainable.

Revolving Rededications

2010-02-15T06:55:00.003-06:00

Now I know that salvation is in Christ alone, through faith. And I believe we as Christians need to be constantly alert that we never add anything to Christ as our means of salvation. However, there is also the danger of committing one's life to God out of pure emotion without a full understanding of what such a commitment means. This is usually tied to the notion that all one needs to do for salvation is pray a prayer, and that's it. On one hand, receiving salvation is as simple as calling out to God through prayer; on the other hand, it is more than just speaking words.

For this reason, I believe it is necessary for folks to have a good understanding of what it means to believe unto righteousness before actually doing so. Furthermore, Christians need to have a proper understanding of the victory they have in Christ. As a pastor, I can think of few things that frustrate me more than hearing about persons who rededicate their lives to God on a revolving basis, sometimes even weekly. Pastors ought to take a long hard look at themselves and their preaching and teaching if this ever becomes a pattern among those in their congregations.

Please don't misunderstand me, the gospel is not difficult to understand. It's actually rather simple. But if people are recommitting their lives to the Lord week in and and week out, then there is something wrong. I'm not suggesting that people don't struggle with sin or wrestle with the issues of life on a weekly basis. Life is often a constant battle, and we all experience vulnerabilities to these things. But this doesn't mean that we need to pray the prayer of salvation over and over again on a revolving basis!

When we believe unto righteousness, then God's Holy Spirit comes and takes up residence within us. And, as children of the Almighty God, we have access to God's armor. We need to understand that when God paved the way for us to be able to have right standing before Him, by sending Jesus into the world to pay the debt of sin for all of us, God also provided us with everything we need to live successful lives dedicated to Him.

Second-Guessing

2010-02-14T17:20:00.008-06:00

Some time back, while getting my hair cut, my then hairdresser made a comment about how he believed God existed in everything, even in the painted concrete walls of the salon where he was cutting my hair. Since I knew this hairdresser well enough to speak honestly with him, I lovingly tried to explain how I disagreed. Surprisingly, this guy seemed shocked that I didn't agree with him.

Basically, told this guy how I believed in monotheism, and that monotheism is the doctrine which claims there is only one God, and that He is personal and separate from His creation. I then explained how what he seemed to believe sounded very much like pantheistic monism, which is a kind of monism that identifies God with the universe and all that is in it. It is usually summarized by the line: "All is One, One is All, All is God." While monotheism has its roots in the West, pantheistic monism has its roots in the religious worldviews of the East.

I had been getting my hair cut by this guy for about 14 years, ever since I was a graduate student at Vanderbilt. Any way, I continued going to this guy because he really did do a great job cutting my hair, and he cut my hair at a very reasonable rate. He knew I was a pastor, and while I never pushed my beliefs on him over the years, I did pray for him, and I always held out hope that I could make a positive impact in his life by just trying to represent Christianity well. From everything this guy ever told me, he didn't have a very positive view of Christians.

Not long after this "pantheistic comment" incident, my hairdresser raised his rates to the point where it wouldn't have been financially wise to continue going there for hair cuts. Was it a coincidence? Probably not, but I don't know this. Nevertheless, I couldn't help second guessing myself, wondering whether I had done a poor job of witnessing to this guy over the years? Earlier in our relationship, should I have been more adamant about letting this guy know the depths of my Christian views? I never put a basket over the light that is shining in my heart, but was never really overly evangelistic when we had contact. Maybe I should have been more vocal. However, I always sought God about how much I should press this guy about faith issues, so I have to just trust that showing love to this guy, and not jamming the gospel message down his throat, was the approach that God wanted me to take.

When sharing our faith, sometimes we just have to go with what we believe is right, and then just be at ease with whatever results are yielded.

A Balancing Act

2010-02-13T16:00:00.008-06:00

Scripture tells to watch what we say (Proverbs 4:24; 8:7). What is in a person's heart will roll off a person's tongue (Matthew 12:34). While it is somewhat of a mystery, human speech is a powerful force. The old saying that parents teach their children, STICKS and STONES WILL BREAK MY BONES but WORDS WILL NEVER HURT ME, really isn't true. Words can and do hurt! If you don't think the words that we speak are powerful, then read the third chapter of James.

Jesus said, "for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matthew 12:37). The Apostle Paul tells us that "with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved" (Romans 10:10). I take seriously my responsibility to speak the word of God, but I do not want to become legalistic with this. That is, legalistic in the sense that I only zero in on what I say. While I want to guard my speech, and speak things which are edifying to others and to myself, the above scriptures suggest there is a relationship between that which is in our hearts and that which we speak. Therefore, I also want to focus on filling my heart with the wonderful things of God, and then just let my speech be a reflection of these things. But having said this, I also recognize my need to be deliberate in speaking out words of faith. To me, speaking out those things I believe is what gives feet to my faith!

This sometimes feels like a balancing act. On one hand, the words we speak will be a natural overflow of that which is in our hearts; on the other hand, there are times when we need to intentionally speak out the words of God. All I know to do is to navigate my way through life with the confidence that God will help us keep our balance.

Keep Going!

2010-02-12T12:01:00.006-06:00

This morning I was reading the familiar passage in Isaiah 55:10-11, "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it." I love this passage because it tells me, in no uncertain terms, that God's word will accomplish that which God sent it forth to accomplish. Regardless of the circumstances, God says that His word will not return void.

Circumstances can often be daunting. We don't have to look very far to become perplexed, and to wonder why things are the way they are. But God, the Creator, did not create all that exists only to then sit back and let things play out without any involvement on His part. No. Whether we always recognize it or not, God is actively involved with His creation. Sure, we might not always understand things. And it might sometimes appear that God is nowhere to be found. But don't be fooled; God is very much in control. Much of our problem is that we constantly forget that we are finite beings, and that God is an infinite Being. A couple of verses earlier, in Isaiah 55, God tells us that He doesn't do things the way we do things, and that this is tied to the fact that He doesn't think the way we think. How quickly we lose sight of the enormous difference between us as finite human beings, and God as an infinite Being. Why do we so easily forget that there was a time when we were not. This cannot be said about God Almighty!

We need to trust God regardless of our circumstances. Don't misunderstand, there are things we can do and ways that we can act that will either benefit us or work against us. However, when we are seeking God with all our heart, and walking in His ways as best we know how, and our circumstances look bleak, we simply need to remind ourselves of Paul's words: "It’s what we trust in but don’t yet see that keeps us going" (2 Corinthians 5:7, MES).

Forgiveness is Conditional!

2010-02-11T17:55:00.004-06:00

In Matthew 18: 21-22, when Peter, thinking he was being more than reasonable, asked Jesus whether forgiving a person up to seven times was enough when this person continued to sin against him, Jesus said, "not seven times, but seventy times seven!" Now Jesus wasn't telling Peter, or us, that we should forgive a person, who continually wrongs us, up to 490 times. Jesus was saying we should forgive this person as many times as we have to, regardless of how many times this might be. To say it another way, there is never a time when we should not forgive.

When He teaches His disciples how to pray, Jesus shines a light on why it is so important to forgive others. In Matthew's gospel, Jesus, after instructing his disciples to pray, "forgive us our sins as we have forgiven those who sin against us," He follows up these words by also telling them, "if you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins" (Matthew 6:12, 14-15, NLT). Paul echoes Jesus' command in his letter to the Colossian Christians, "Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others" (Colossians 3:13).

How dare we assume we can walk in forgiveness, and then be unwilling to forgive others, even once. We must always remember that forgiveness is conditional! If we're unwilling to forgive, then we cannot receive forgiveness.

When Being Wrong Is Right

2010-02-10T06:59:00.004-06:00

Is it ever right to be wrong? Let me ask this question another way: Are there times when it is important for us to not insist on being right? I say yes!

In 1 Corinthians 13:5, we are told that love does not insist on its own way. In other words, if God's love abides in us then we will not be self seeking. Too often we can forget about extending love, and get caught up with our on need to "be right." Perhaps I should only speak for myself. I have to be careful that I don't forget to allow love to be the driving force when, in my passion, I'm trying to explain stuff to others. This is true regardless of the topic.

Because we all tend to view things differently, and there are tons of reasons for this, I need to be sensitive to the fact that others may not see things the way I do. I could be wrong. The other person could be wrong. It could be that each us, with different levels of understanding, are at places where agreement is highly unlikely. As someone who normally sees everything in black and white, I have to remember that there are different shades of grey.

As tough as it is to swallow, I have to keep in mind that sometimes I am most right when I acknowledge I could be wrong. I mean think about it, nobody is ever always correct (1 Corinthians 13 also tells us how love is not arrogant). And sometimes, even when we're right, it's best to be wrong. That is, as Christians we should be thinking about putting the other person ahead of our own need to be right--even if we are! Now I'm not talking about going through life pacifying others in the name of love. That's silly. I am just saying there are times when the relationship is more important than the need for either person to insist on being in the right. It is at these times when being wrong is right.

Dare to Believe

2010-02-09T07:59:00.033-06:00

As Christians, as sophisticated modern-thinking 21st century Christians, I believe one of our greatest dangers is our penchant to not recognize unbelief for what it really is. Unbelief and faith can not be found operating together. You either believe, or you don't.

Our need to believe runs deeper than just believing in the gospel message. Don't misunderstand, believing unto righteousness is extremely important; it is how we receive God's gift of salvation. But after we become saved, we need to heed Paul's words, "continue to work out your salvation" (Philippians 2:12). This is what Peter is talking about when he quotes Lev. 11:44, and calls us to "be holy in everything you do" (1 Peter 1:15). You see, once we are born again we then embark on the process of sanctification. Simply put, once we are saved we are capable of following after the mind of the Spirit by the Word of God until we are entirely changed by it. Therefore, studying the Bible and then picking and choosing only what seems reasonable to believe will seriously stunt our ability to grow in faith! This is why I contend that unbelief is such a danger to Christians today. Unbelief always has been, and always will be, the greatest hindrance to our desire to grow and become mature Christians.

Too often we do not understand the things of God, and we don't even realize that our unbelief is the root cause of this. There are many causes for our unbelief. We fear embarrassment for daring to believe something we can't prove. But if the Bible says it, then we need to believe it! We can't prove that we're saved by Christ, through our belief in the work He did on our behalf at Calvary, but we don't back down from that, do we? So why do we so often shy away from other beliefs that, while they're tough to comprehend in natural terms, are nevertheless consistent with scripture?

Our biggest problem today is that everyone is comfortable with the notion that we can each bring our own interpretation of scripture to the table, and just agree to disagree. But while there are some instances where we do have to agree to disagree about how we interpret the Bible, accepting that we all have different interpretations is employed way too much. Much of this is pure unadulterated eisegesis! We read into the text what we want it to mean, and then walk away with our own personal interpretation. This would be a recognizable problem if any one of us stood alone in the way we interpreted scripture; but when we can find others to support our views, or believe something in scripture simply because that view is popular among others, it kind of takes the edge off of the fact that our understanding may actually be the result of our own inability to believe what the Bible is really saying.

Even if it may create tension for me in the natural, I would rather dare to believe something in scripture when, in the context of what God's Word teaches as a whole, what I am daring to believe seems very plausible. Read the following two scriptures, but keep in mind that the Greek participle ol-ig-op'-is-tos (you of little faith) and the Greek noun ap-is-tee'-ah (unbelief) are both derived from the same original Greek verb pi'-tho (to believe). Listen to what Jesus had to say about not believing:

"And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. He answered them, 'When it is evening, you say, it will be fair weather, for the sky is red. And in the morning, it will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening. You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.' So he left them and departed."

"When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. Jesus said to them, 'Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.' And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, 'We brought no bread.' But Jesus, aware of this, said, 'O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.' Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees." (Matthew 16:1-12, ESV)

"Still later he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead." (Mark 16:14, NLV)

We can see by the words of Jesus that He expected the disciples to believe all that He told them, in the context of all that He told them, so that they could grow in their understanding. Does Jesus expect any less from us?

Recognize unbelief as the obstacle it is, and dare to believe!

"The Starfish and the Spider" by Ori Brafman and Rod A. Beckstom

2010-02-08T07:59:00.007-06:00

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I read this book, but I was pleasantly surprised with The Starfish and the Spider. In a nutshell, the book discusses two different organizational approaches: that of centralized or coercive systems, and that of decentralized or open systems; the starfish represents the open organizational style, and the spider represents coercive organizational style.

The authors pointedly discuss how most organizations are structured around the traditional centralized approach. In this approach, like a spider, all decisions are made by a group who are hierarchically at the top (like the head or brain of the spider) and then passed on down to the rest of the organizational body. However, with "starfish" organizations the decision-making process is decentralized in such a way that everyone in the organization is, in a sense, in charge. A more practical way of looking at this would probably be to say that, in an open organizational system, nobody is really "in charge."

The book cites many starfish organizations that are flourishing, from Craigslist to Al-Qaeda, and after reading the book one suspects that, in a technologically-driven world that has given rise to the internet and possibilities like Skype, there may be an ever increasing trend towards decentralized organizations. My big takeaway from this book was to never underestimate the power of networked-type organizations. As the book illustrates, this is what the major record labels in the music industry did when peer-to-peer music sharing organizations like Napster hit the scene. To overlook the power and influence that a decentralized organization can wield, as subtle as it may appear, is a mistake.

Got My Blessing

2010-02-07T14:00:00.009-06:00

Benny Hinn held a conference in Nashville during the past few days, and I went to the Friday and Saturday sessions. I do not really know that much about Benny Hinn. I have read his book, Good Morning Holy Spirit (which, by the way, is a very good book), but I really don't know too much about his ministry. Now I'm not clueless; therefore, I am well aware that Benny Hinn is a controversial figure. But I wanted to go and listen to him for myself, so I did.

I imagine that most people pile in to these Benny Hinn services for any number of reasons. Yes, amid the several thousand people who attended, there were some rather odd people there. But I'm sure there are folks who consider me to be rather odd. Anyway, I am very glad I attended. The primary reason I went to see Benny Hinn was because I wanted to put myself in a position to be blessed, and I was definitely blessed these past couple of days.

Regardless of what people say, Benny Hinn knows scripture and he knows God! I listened to several teachings over the last couple of days that were very very insightful. This was my blessing. And my wife, who wasn't necessarily thrilled about me dragging her down to the Friday night talk and the Saturday miracle service, was blessed as well.

You can say whatever you want about Benn Hinn's eccentricities, and he is eccentric, but I was blessed by his ministry these past few days.

Marks of Salvation

2010-02-06T07:30:00.006-06:00

Two weeks ago I preached on the difficult words that Jesus spoke during His sermon on the mount: "Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven..." (Matthew 7:21). And I wrapped up my message by suggesting a few questions we might want to ask ourselves so that we're not caught by surprise when we stand before Jesus some day.

In theological circles, there are several opinions about when Jesus' disciples were saved. And I confess, their salvation is little different than ours in that our spirits are regenerated by looking back at what Jesus did on the cross and by placing our faith in His atoning work. The disciples, on other the other hand, received their salvation in real time. Some claim that the disciples received salvation in Caesarea Philippi when Jesus asks the disciples who they thought He was, and Peter replied by saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16). Others point to John 15:3, where Jesus says to His disciples, "you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you." And still others claim Jesus' disciples received their salvation the evening that Jesus rose from the dead, when He was gathered together with the the disciples and "breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit'" (John 21:22).

Each position has its merit, and I'm not interested in contending for one view over another. Nevertheless, I think Peter's response to Jesus in Caesarea Philippi, lays out four things that happen when a person receives the new birth. First, our salvation is the product of a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. Salvation is not just a prayer! Secondly, our salvation is a revelation: the Holy Spirit reveals to us that Jesus is the Christ. Thirdly, we must confess with our mouth what we believe in our hearts (Romans 10:10). And fourthly, this confession should be a public confession. While the regeneration of our spirits is the result of a personal encounter with Jesus, our decision to yield our lives to God is not something that we whisper or keep to ourselves (Matthew 10:32).

Dead Faith

2010-02-05T17:31:00.010-06:00

In his epistle to Jewish Christians who were scattered throughout the Roman Empire, the Apostle James, our Lord's brother, wrote: "If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead" (James 2: 15-17). So, what exactly is dead faith?

I know many folks often have problems processing the difference between what James says about our faith "with works" and what Paul says in his letter to the Ephesian church about how God's grace is a gift apart from works. This is because Paul is talking about how the gift of God's salvation is not something we can earn through any "works" or meritorious behavior. And this is true. Our right standing before God is a result of receiving God's grace through faith in Jesus. There is nothing we can do on our own to become righteous and just in God's sight. Our righteousness comes through placing our faith in what Jesus did by dying on the cross on our behalf.

And James is in total agreement with Paul. James is well aware that God's grace is a gift from God, and cannot be acquired by works. James knows that a Christian is made right before God by placing his or her faith in what Jesus did for us. But James wants the Jewish Christians he is addressing, and us, to realize that becoming a Christian is not simply a matter of mental assent. He wants his audience to understand that becoming a Christian involves a real change in the way one thinks and behaves.

The term "works" in James 2:17 is best understood to mean corresponding action. Our works, or our corresponding actions of obedience, are what gives feet to our faith. Abraham was justified by his faith, but it was his corresponding action of obedience to God, to sacrifice his son Isaac, that made Abraham's faith a living faith. In Genesis 22, God wanted to see Abraham's faith. And Abraham showed God his faith through his obedience. This is what James is trying to say when he talks about how faith without works is dead. Dead faith is a faith that is void of any corresponding actions of obedience.

Mixed Grace is not Grace!

2010-02-04T06:31:00.008-06:00

Why is it that we Christians, after being justified, seem inclined to believe that we somehow still need to live life under a strict obedience to the law; and that with God's help this will be possible? Believe me, we can't keep the law. God knew this, and He poured His grace out to us by sending Jesus, who, by dying on our behalf, made it possible for us to have right standing before Him. All we have to do is place our faith in Christ (Galatians 2:16).

As I read through Paul's letter to the Galatians this morning, I was reminded how our tendency to view the gospel as some sort of weird mixture of grace and law is not a new phenomenon. Six short months after Paul introduced the Galatian Christians to Christ, they had already begun to drift away from a gospel of pure unadulterated grace to "another" gospel which consisted of being circumcised, keeping the Jewish dietary laws, and observing the O.T. feasts. What happened was that certain Jews in Galatia (Galatia was located in modern day Turkey) wanted the Gentile Christians in Galatia to add something to the death of Christ. I suspect it was a case where these proud Jews, who couldn't lose sight that they were initially God's chosen people, couldn't resist the opportunity to add the adherence of their cultural laws to the death of Christ. And then, to legitimize these actions, they sought to impose all these rules on the Galatian Gentiles who had already been justified by having placed their faith in Christ.

It was false teaching to add anything to the gospel back in the first century, and it is false teaching to add anything to the gospel today. And while it is sometimes difficult to resist feeling somewhat righteous and just in the eyes of God based upon how obedient we have been in our Christian living, we need to always remember that we are saved by grace! The difficulty arises because of our desire to please God with our obedience. Make no mistake about it, our obedience does please God; but we cannot confuse this with what has made us righteous and just before God. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ, period. Any gospel which is not pure unmixed grace is "another" gospel.

What Is Faith?

2010-02-03T07:30:00.008-06:00

In Hebrews 11:1, the Apostle Paul gives us a clear definition of faith. Among a few of my favorites is James Moffatt's translation: "Now faith means that we are confident of what we hope for, convinced of what we do not see."

This morning, while reading today's devotional entry in the Smith Wigglesworth Devotional, Wigglesworth offered his own commentary on faith. I have read this entire devotional book through several times, reading each day's devotional entry on each corresponding day of the calendar year. And each year I read through this devotional, each daily entry seems as fresh as the first time I read it. Listen to what this plumber turned preacher tells us in the February 3rd entry about faith:

We may think we have faith in God, but we must not doubt in our hearts. Faith is an inward operation of the divine power that dwells in the contrite heart and can lay hold of things not seen. Faith is a divine act; faith is God in the soul. God operates by His Son and transforms the natural into the supernatural.

Faith is active, never dormant. Faith lays hold; faith is the hand of God; faith is the power of God. Faith never fears; faith lives amid the greatest conflict; faith moves even things that cannot be moved. God fills us with His divine power, and sin is dethroned. "The just shall live by faith" (Rom. 1:17). You cannot live by faith until you are just and righteous. You cannot live by faith if you are unholy or dishonest.

God wants us to move mountains. Sometimes things appear as though they cannot be moved, but you can believe in your heart and stand on the Word of God, and God's Word will never be defeated. First, believe that you get them, and then you will have them. That is the difficulty with people. They say, "Well, if I could feel I had it, I would know I had it." But you must believe it, and then the feeling will come. You must believe it because of the Word of God.

How Do You See the World?

2010-02-02T07:55:00.005-06:00

Whether we realize it or not, each of us has a worldview. We each have our own complex system of beliefs which governs how we approach life. Our worldview basically reflects how we view reality. A person who believes that our existence here on earth is just a vapor compared to the longevity of our eternal existence, will probably approach life quite differently than someone who believes that our human existence is all there is. But a worldview, or collection of beliefs about life, is not unique to the individual. A worldview is something that is often shared by whole group of people, be it a cultural worldview, a religious worldview, or whatever.

As an evangelical Christian, I hold a biblical worldview. This means that I interpret reality through the lens of the principles put forth in the Bible. In a book I read a few years ago, unchristian by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons, the authors outlined several key elements which they believe constitutes a biblical worldview. My worldview is nearly identical:

• I believe God is the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator of the universe and that He still actively rules it today
• I believe that Jesus was born by a virgin as God incarnate, lived a sinless life, died for me and for anyone who calls on Him, was crucified and buried, rose from the dead, is seated in heaven with the Father, and will someday return for His church
• I believe Satan is real
• I believe Christians must share their faith with others who do not know about the saving grace of God
• I believe the Bible is accurate in all the principles it teaches
• I believe that unchangeable moral truth exists, and that such moral truth is defined by the Bible

What is your worldview? Are you living day by day in a manner which is consistent with the views you hold about life, the universe, and reality in general?

The Persuasion of Love

2010-02-01T18:44:00.006-06:00

Today I spent 2 hours and 23 minutes on a phone call with someone who baited me into a discussion about the baptism with the Holy Spirit and the initial physical evidence of speaking in tongues. Thank goodness my cell phone ran out of juice!

The person I was speaking to is someone who I am very close to; therefore, we are able to speak plainly to one another. Nevertheless, sometimes people need to just agree to disagree. My love for the person I was talking to today, and the general need for me to let love be the dominant characteristic in my life, are more important than me being able to coherently explain the reason I embrace the Christian doctrines that I do. In retrospect, I'm a little bit disappointed because I didn't quite let love take center stage during this discussion. I came close, but I didn't completely yield.

I am passionate about what I believe in, but so are the people who disagree with me. And while presenting a sound biblical defense of our faith is important, in the end, our apologetics must take a back seat to our love for others. Reflecting on my lengthy discussion today, where I provided what I believe was a very reasonable and persuasive argument, reminded me of the story that Jesus told in Luke 16 about the rich man and Lazarus the beggar. At the end of the story, when both men had passed into life in the hereafter and the rich man was in a place of torment while Lazarus was carried by angels to Abraham's side, the rich man called out to Abraham and asked him to send Lazarus to dip his finger in water so he could cool his tongue. Abraham responded by saying that there was a great chasm fixed between where the rich man was and where Lazarus was, and no one can cross this chasm to the other side from either direction. Then, the rich man pleaded with Abraham to send Lazarus back to his father's home to warn his three brothers so that they wouldn't also wind up in the place of torment where he was. "But Abraham said, 'Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.' The rich man replied, 'No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.' But Abraham said, 'If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets, they won't listen even if someone rises from the dead.'"

I know that there are times when reasonable people must just agree to disagree, but there are also times when people are blinded from being persuaded, even if someone rises from the dead. Either way, love must trump our need to defend those things that we passionately believe. Love carries with it a persuasion all its own. Even when you can't change someone else's mind, you can still love them. And by practicing love, you may get another chance to speak into that person's life.

A Spiritual Thing

2010-01-31T12:50:00.009-06:00

This past Friday evening and Saturday morning a relatively small snowstorm blew through the Nashville area. The accumulation was only between 4-7 inches, but it was a combination of snow and ice. Being from Philadelphia, I know all about ice storms. Growing up it always seemed as though New York City and Boston (the cities to the north) got all the snow while Philly got the the ice and sleet.

Well, because the temperatures in Nashville have stayed well below freezing, not too many people were out and about this weekend. And many Nashville churches canceled their Sunday services. While we're in a period of transition waiting on God to reveal where He wants to use us next, my wife and I have settled into attending a local church in the area. I suspected this church would cancel its Sunday services, and it did. And this was the right thing to do, as the road conditions were very poor this morning. But I really missed church.

I don't know, on the surface I wouldn't have thought that missing church this one Sunday would have impacted me so much. But it did. I can't put my finger on it, but I really missed worshipping God this morning. I know, my wife and I could have just had church together at the house, or we could have done church by live streaming a worship service over the internet. But there is something about worshipping God in a corporate environment. Maybe I'll never really know why it bothered me so much to miss church this morning. Perhaps the reason I missed church so much today cannot be understood on an intellectual plane.

Maybe it's just a spiritual thing.

Whiter Than Snow

2010-01-30T07:45:00.011-06:00

This morning, as the sun came up, everything was snow covered as far as I could see. The whiteness of snow, after a fresh snowfall that blankets the ground as far as the eye can see, reminds of me of how clean we can be with a single touch from Jesus.

King David knew this. That is why he called out to God in the 51st Psalm after the filth from the sins that he had committed through the entire Bathsheba fiasco had robbed him of his cleanness and had stolen his joy. Sin is so dirty, and its consequences are so wrenching! Sin really does destroy. But David's plea to God paints a picture that is more beautiful than the snow covered landscape just outside my window. "Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." David knew that with a blink of an eye, God would forgive and restore him of all his disobedience. But the key to this was "a broken and contrite heart [broken down with sorrow for sin and humbly and thoroughly penitent]." David knew that this forgiveness and restoration wasn't attainable by simply placing a significant offering in the basket at church on Sunday morning. No, David knew that the kind of cleansing he sought could only be had by sincerely turning his heart back to God.

God will wash away your sins if you will just call on him (Acts 22:16). Most of the sinful filth in our lives pales in comparison to the anguish David realized from his adulterous and murderous actions, but make no mistake about it: unrepentant sin, whatever it is, will cause tons of remorse and it will suck the joy right out of our lives. But the good news is that God, in an instant, will wash away our sins and make us whiter than snow if we'll just turn our hearts to Him.

Do We Really Know Scripture?

2010-01-29T09:30:00.006-06:00

Today, while working out, I listened to an episode of a podcast that I regularly subscribe to, White Horse Inn at Oneplace. This episode, which was about the book of Galatians, began with a series of brief interviews where 12 students from a conservative evangelical Bible college were randomly asked: Do you know what the book of Galatians is about? Only 2 of the 12 students knew what Paul's letter to the Galatian church was about. I thought this was astounding! By the way, Paul's letter to the Galatians is about how salvation is in Christ through faith alone, apart from works.

I probably shouldn't make too much of the fact that only 2 of 12 of the Bible college students knew what the book of Galatians was about. Or should I? Are the results of this brief survey, which was by no means a well developed scientific study, indicative of the church at large? How many people in your church, if asked, would know what Paul's letter to the Galatian church was about? How about those that make up the youth group at your church, what percentage of these teens would know? Do I dare ask how many pastors, who are out there leading churches, might not be able to give a coherent answer if pressed to explain what the book of Galatians was about?

Is the Bible being taught in our churches? Are important doctrines, like that of justification, being communicated to those who attend church week in and week out? Hopefully, all of these questions can be answered in a positive light. But I wonder...

One thing is certain: listening to this podcast episode today has reminded me of how important it is, for those of us who are involved in teaching others through Bible studies, classes, or small groups, to regularly emphasize and teach doctrine to those we influence every week. I enjoy dovetailing stories in and through my sermons, and there is nothing wrong with this. In fact, Jesus was a master storyteller. But He included doctrine in His parables. And so should we. A bunch of stories, without any substance, just won't do.

"New Guy"

2010-01-28T14:15:00.011-06:00

I have mentioned before how I meet once a week with other pastors and Christian leaders for a time of prayer and fellowship. Well, because of the recent holidays, our group took a break from meeting during the last two weeks of December. When we started up again earlier this month, there were a few more men who joined our group. And having missed the first week that we started meeting again, I didn't get to formally meet these two guys.

So, when our group met two weeks ago, one of these new men led our gathering (we kind of pass the baton around week to week as it relates to who is designated to lead the discussion and prayer time). I won't mention this man's name (hereafter I'll refer to him as "new guy"), but I must confess that I was awestruck by his obvious love for God and his heart for ministry. Then, last week, even though this man did not lead the meeting, he nevertheless participated in our conversations and our time of corporate prayer. Again, I was moved by this man's evident connectedness with God.

Well, even though we get together for lunch after our time of prayer each week, I still hadn't had an opportunity to speak with this man beyond a simple introduction. That is, until this morning.

Because I had volunteered to lead our gathering this morning, I showed up about 10-15 minutes early. This "new guy" was already there and had set up the chairs and everything for our meeting. And since no one else had yet arrived, we were able to share a little bit about ourselves with one another. He asked me where I served as a pastor, and I explained to him how since last month I have been in a time of transition, but that I was encouraged about what the Lord seemed to be doing in my midst. Then I inquired about which church in the area he was pastoring. While I was able to keep a pretty good poker face, his answer about knocked me off my seat!

"New guy" explained how he wasn't a pastor, but was a member of a local church down the street (it is a church that I am familiar with, in fact, three pastors from this church attend this prayer meeting somewhat regularly). As best as I can remember, "new guy" said, "I am a servant; we're all servants of the Lord." I then asked "new guy" what he did for a living, and he told me he is a painter. He explained how he almost didn't come to today's prayer meeting because it meant he would be passing up on making an additional $65 that he would have earned had he stayed at work, but that he came because he really enjoys the fellowship that he receives at these meetings. By this time, other men had started to arrive, and our meeting commenced.

When we went out for lunch after our meeting today, "new guy" wasn't able to join us. He had to get back to work. As I shared with another pastor about how mystified I was to learn that "new guy" wasn't a pastor by vocation, I learned that I wasn't the only one surprised by this revelation. As I reflect on this whole "new guy" thing, I am torn between admiring him because he possesses characteristics that are essential for pastoral ministry, and being disappointed because I realize that there are many pastors who lack these very characteristics.

I suppose the primary reason I mistook "new guy" for being a pastor is because the majority of the men in our Thursday morning prayer meetings are in fact pastors. The bottom line is this: I rejoice that my brother is a painter! While I am saddened that many pastors lack qualities that are necessary for pastoral leadership, characteristics that "new guy" possesses, the truth is that an overwhelming love for God and a heart for ministry are not traits that are exclusive to and for pastoral ministry. All Christians should exude an obvious love for God and a passion for ministry. As "new guy" rightly pointed out, "we're all servants of the Lord."

The Principle Thing

2010-01-27T11:48:00.007-06:00

If I had to put my finger on one single thing that is of extreme importance to Christian life, I would point to love. To me, love needs to be the principle thing for any Christian. And in particular, our love towards others. Jesus said that we should love God, and that we should love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Furthermore, He said that the entire Law and the Prophets hang on these two commands (Matthew 22:37-40).

Yes, Jesus gave us this new commandment to love one another. And by loving one another, He maintained, others would recognize that we belonged to Him (John 13:34-35). John reminds us of this new commandment by continuing to call us to love one another (2 John 1:5-6). James signals the importance of brotherly love, and refers to loving others as the royal law (James 2:8). And Paul, on numerous occasions, underscores this importance of loving one another (Philippians. 2:2; Romans 13:8; 1 Thessalonians 3:12; 4:9).

If we, as Christians, are going to discover the victory that we have in Christ, then we must walk in love! In fact, I'll take it one step further: If we fail to walk in love, not only will we not experience the level of victory in Christ on this side of glory that God intends, but we will fail miserably in all our attempts to walk as Jesus walked. This is because everything Jesus did was motivated by love. Love is the principle thing. "God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them" (1 John 4:16, NLT).

Live in love, it is the principle thing!

Nobody Stands Alone

2010-01-26T08:06:00.008-06:00

I'm am huge advocate of large churches. And while I realize that the main reason I prefer large churches is most likely just a matter of personal choice, I'm never at a loss to cite the benefits of being a large church. One obvious benefit is that large churches can do more and can reach more unchurched people because they have more resources available to them. But the bottom line is: I just love big churches.

However, large churches are not problem-free. One of the many criticisms of large churches is that when a church congregation grows past a certain point, it loses that "family feel" and "friendly" aspect that so often characterizes the smaller church. And this is a legitimate observation. When church congregations are relatively small in size, and most folks know just about everyone else in the church, there is less of a chance for people to get lost in the crowd. In a small church, it is usually very evident to the whole church if one member encounters something in his or her life that, for whatever reasons, causes that person to pull back from God and from church. The small church has a connectedness about it that normally makes it impossible for someone to get lost in the crowd and to fall through the cracks without someone else noticing. This, however, can be a real problem in large churches. That is, unless the large church has a good small groups structure in place.

This is one reason (there are several) why I believe the large church must be a church of small groups. Notice that I didn't say, "a church with small groups." There's world of difference! Before a church begins to experience numerical growth among its congregants, it must have in place a vision of how it plans to guard against becoming a large church that loses the ability to keep a focus on relationships front and center. Churches that loose this ability are churches where folks can easily get lost in the crowd and fall through the cracks. However, churches that became large with a solid small group structure in place are generally churches that made a conscious decision that they wanted to be a place where no one person stood alone.

Small groups are essential to large churches! I say this because it is in the context of small groups where real relationship occurs. Years ago I read a book by Bill Donahue and Russ Robinson, Building A Church Of Small Groups, and a story was shared about a church (if my memory serves me correctly I think it may have been a church in Australia) where a member of the church experienced some sort of sudden illness (like a heart attack or a stroke) that required this person to be rushed to the hospital. This person's spouse made two phone calls, one was for an ambulance and the other was to the small group leader of the small group which they were involved with through their church. I assume the second call was to get people praying. Anyway, this couple's small group leader arrived at their house before the ambulance.

I'll always remember that story because it speaks volumes about the level of ministry that a well organized and Christ-centered small groups ministry can provide to a church that, by virtue of its size, might otherwise lose unconnected people through the cracks.

Wolves and Fruit

2010-01-25T16:00:00.008-06:00

In Matthew 7:15, as Jesus begins to bring His Sermon on the Mount to a close, He warns us to beware of vicious wolves that disguise themselves as harmless sheep. Then, in the next 5 verses, Jesus tells us that we will be able to identify the difference between wolves and sheep by the fruit that they produce.

When I consider what Jesus is telling us in this scripture, I am reminded of a scene in the Johnny Cash movie Walk the Line. The scene I am referring to is set in Wheeling, West Virginia, in 1959. June Carter is in a small general store doing some shopping, when she is approached by a middle-aged store clerk. This clerk, a seemingly pleasant woman, approaches June Carter and says, "your ma and pa are good Christian folks in a world gone to pot." June Carter then replies, "Thank you ma'am, I'll be sure to tell them you said that." The clerk, taking dead aim for the speck in June Carter's eye, says, "I'm surprised they even speak with you after that Carl Smith business." Then this clerk, with utter disdain, says, "Marriage, you know, is for life. Divorce is an abomination!" And June Carter, cut to the heart by these painful words, apologizes, saying "I'm sorry I let you down, ma'am."

Now I may not have quoted this scene verbatim, as I am relying on my memory of it. But whether or not I have quoted it word for word, this scene is nevertheless a good representation of a wolf disguised as a sheep. This woman, portrayed to be a "good Christian woman" looks like a character right out of the old television program, Father Knows Best. And the film, as it has progressed to this point in the movie, has depicted June Carter as someone who is struggling with that very fact that she is having relationship problems. So when this clerk makes this reference about the problems that June Carter and Carl Smith are having with their marriage, it is somewhat of a climax. This clerk was a vicious wolf disguised as a harmless sheep!

We need to be careful about letting wolves penetrate our congregations. Our churches need to be environments where people who need to connect with God are able to find Him without first being examined by folks who, having logs in their own eyes, dress up like sheep and search for the specks of dust in the eyes of others. Wolves aren't hard to spot, they have rotten fruit hanging all over their branches!

Coincidence or Not?

2010-01-24T14:08:00.006-06:00

I was up early this morning, and then my wife and I drove to a church in a neighboring community where I preached. Then, after church, we took some friends out to eat. Having just gotten back to the house, I'm exhausted and ready for a nap. Of course, the NFC Championship game between the Colts and the Jets has just started. As I sit here in my study, with the football game on the television in the background, I'm just reflecting about my morning. God is so good!

After I finished preaching, a couple in this church came up to me and said that the topic of my sermon was exactly what they had taught and discussed during Sunday School. When I heard this, I just smiled. God certainly has a way of dovetailing different aspects of our gathering together to accomplish what He desires. And on this Sunday morning, I suppose He wanted to drive home the truth of what was discussed in this Sunday School class and then repeated in my sermon.

Some might claim this was pure coincidence, but I know better. I've seen stuff like this on numerous occasions. I had no idea what scriptural text or subject matter was going to be taught during this adult Sunday School class. The fact is, I don't know anything at all about this church's Sunday School program. But God knew exactly what He was doing. This is just a little thing, but I love the fact that God shows Himself at work in our lives in the small things as well as in the big things.

Some might claim that it was purely coincidental that I happened to preach the same thing that was taught in this adult Sunday School class this morning, but I know it wasn't. It was just another example of God showing Himself strong in the little details of our lives.

The Older Brother Syndrome

2010-01-22T08:59:00.011-06:00

It would be hard for me to put my finger on one particular parable that Jesus told, and claim it as my favorite. All of Jesus' parables are valuable and significant. But if I had to name five parables that speak volumes to me every time I read them or hear them, Luke's account of the two wayward sons in the 15th chapter of his gospel would be among these five. After hearing this story, who could ever forget the imagery of the father who, filled with love and compassion, ran to kiss his son when the son was still a long way off? How awesome!

Two wayward sons? Yes, at least that is how I understand the parable. We all clearly recognize and understand how serious the waywardness of the younger son is, but I would contend that the wayward behavior of the other son, while somewhat subtle, is just as serious. Could it be that the older of the two brothers, while he stayed with his father, and always worked hard for him, was just as lost as his brother?

Screaming out from this parable is the grandeur of God's grace. We all see it in the welcoming home of the prodigal. But it's even more grand than this. We often focus on the forgiveness extended to the younger son, and lose sight of the fact that this reckless young man did nothing to merit being welcomed back into his father's household. Sure, he humbled himself to the point of returning to his father, and fully intended to be treated the same as one of his father's hired servants. But instead, the younger son received grace. And this grace is the same grace that had also been poured out to the older brother; he just didn't realize it.

The irony is that this older son was just as lost as his younger brother because he had lost sight of the comprehensiveness of his father's grace, and his need of it. Even though he remained loyal to his father, and worked hard for him day in and day out, the older brother had somewhere along the way become inward and selfish. He had come to view his membership within his father's household as something he had earned.

If you are a Christian, be very careful that you do not allow yourself to become inward-focused and selfish. While it is subtle, this kind of an attitude is a huge obstacle to God's grace. Usually, our ability to forgive and accept others, or our inability to do this, will serve as a good barometer for whether or not we have the Older Brother Syndrome: losing sight of God's grace and our need to extend it.

Why Worry?

2010-01-21T16:00:00.004-06:00

Worrying is such a waste of time and energy. In Matthew 6:27 Jesus asks us, albeit rhetorically, "Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?" In all aspects of everyday life, Jesus instructs us to not worry but to instead trust Him.

Don't miss understand, I am as human as the next person, and there are everyday life issues than could cause me to worry or become anxious. But whenever I find myself entertaining thoughts that tend to cause anxiety, I intentionally force myself to direct my thoughts to things that have to do with the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matt. 6:33). In other words, focus on what pleases God, just do what's right. This isn't always easy, but I really believe that God knows all of my needs. When something in the natural is pressing in on me to the point where anxiety and worry seem almost unavoidable, I'll sometimes just speak out loud and say, "I refuse to worry about such and such, because my heavenly Father knows what I need, and He knows what is best for me."

This is why I encourage believers to fill themselves up by reading scripture. One cannot be an avid reader of the Bible and not be positively affected by what God's word says.

"Evil and the Justice of God" by N. T. Wright

2010-01-19T15:03:00.008-06:00

In Evil and the Justice of God, N. T. Wright summarizes a rather complex issue. Wright tackles the subject of evil in the world, and how God deals with it. Wright correctly points out that God chooses to restrain evil rather than to contain it. Moreover, he illustrates how foolish it is for anyone to view evil in terms of those who are evil, and those who are not. Wright methodically dismantles the widely held notion that Western democracy is somehow the answer to global evil, noting "that the line between good and evil runs through us all." But he doesn't just discuss moral evil, he also recognizes the reality of natural evil, which is associated with all sorts of natural disasters. It was more than a little ironic that I picked this book up just prior to the recent earthquake in Haiti.

Wright does a splendid job with this topic. This book was in no way a comprehensive handling of the problem of evil and God's solution to it, nor was this Wright's intention. Wright contends that "older ways of talking about evil tended to pose the puzzle as a metaphysical or theological conundrum. If there is a God, and if he is (as classic Jewish, Muslim and Christian theology all claim) a good, wise and supremely powerful god, then why is there such a thing as evil?" Rather than approach the subject from this perspective, Wright focuses on what he describes as the new problem of evil. Cautioning against ignoring or belittling evil, as the Enlightenment taught us to do, Wright contends that "for the Christian, the problem is how to understand and celebrate the goodness and God-givenness of creation and, at the same time, understand and face up to the reality and seriousness of evil."

Anyone who reads this book will journey through the Bible with Wright as he helps his audience view evil as a practical problem as well as a philosophical one. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and recommend it highly.

Still Aching for Haiti

2010-01-18T01:29:00.011-06:00

It's 1:30 in the morning, and I can't sleep. I received an email about 7 hours ago from a friend who is a pastor in Haiti. My friend is about my age, maybe a few years older than me, but we bonded quite a bit when I visited his country on three separate occasions last year. He name is Kenol, and he pastors a church in Les Cayes, a seaport town about 125 miles southwest of Port au Prince.

Here is the email that I can't get out of my mind:

we 're happy to receive your mail , I greet you and your family, as you know we're not fine at all , the earthquake damage everything until now we can not summarize anything , eacch family almost loose somebody , it's the case for Sis. Bettie who lost a brother and for my family there are some I don't hear from them , some of them are died , pastor Paulas loose a someone , and the chief of the church of God is died , until now we don't know if we missed one of our student but , it's sure that they are touched by what happened , the association is a victim of what happened , houses , parents., we are alive and we 're keep on praying.

I am still reeling from what happened in Haiti last Tuesday. And when I read emails like this, from people I know and love, it is very painful. These people are my friends. I knew Bettie's brother, and while I know he is in heaven with our Lord Jesus, I ache inside for Bettie. I ache for all my friends in Haiti who have lost people close to them. My good friend Daniel, who lives in Port au Prince, called me last Wednesday to let me know he was alive. But he and his family are living outside, and they have no food or water.

I'm still aching for Haiti, but there are ways that I can help. And you can too. Whether it is Convoy of Hope, Samaritan's Purse, or any relief organization that you trust, I urge you to send something, no matter how small the donation. It will make a difference. And by all means, please join me in continuing to pray for this country.

Finding a Fit

2010-01-17T12:31:00.006-06:00

I don't think too many people realize how awkward it can be for someone, who is in midst of transition, to visit churches. As I announced early last month when I started this blog, God is calling me in a different ministry direction. Therefore, I am waiting on the LORD to plant me in this new assignment (I can't tell you how excited I am). But in the meantime, my wife and I needed to find a place to worship. I suppose we could just visit different churches week in and week out, but this can really become overwhelming.

We actually did visit a number of local churches after we left the church we were previously at. But for the most part, the visits to these churches were intentional, in that my wife and I decided to visit a few of the churches that I have expressed an interest in pastoring. Because some of these churches are local, I figured it might be a good idea for my wife and I to try to get a feel for what a typical worship service is like in these churches. So we visited several churches. We would slip in just before the worship service began, and then, when the service was over, we would try to slip back out again without bringing any attention to ourselves. We visited each of these churches only once, as numerous visits might be perceived as an attempt to try and leverage myself as a candidate, which was certainly not the case. But once we had visited each of these churches, we found ourselves in a position where we needed to find a place to worship at temporarily until God guides us to the church that He is calling me to lead.

I hold my ordination credentials with a particular church "denomination" or group, and I am confident that the congregation which God will eventually call me to lead will also be connected with this group. Therefore, when my wife and I began looking for a church to settle into temporarily, it seemed only natural that it would be a church that was connected to this tribe. And sure enough, God has led us to just the right congregation.

I can honestly say that we have found a place that seems to be just the right fit for where we need to be worshipping during this time of transition. Sure it's a little awkward, in that we know we will only be at this church for a season, but that's part of being a pastor who is in transition. I suppose I could be anxious for God to open the door and to quickly move me into the church that He eventually will lead me into, but I know that God's timing is always perfect. So I'm just going to enjoy the ride...God will lead me to where He wants me soon enough. And in the meantime, He has provided my wife and I with a place for which to worship that is, as Goldilocks would say, just right. God is so good!

Whenever we are in a place of transition and don't have a church home, it is God's will for us to seek out where He would have us worship. It's awkward, to be sure, to be a stranger amongst a church family. But the regular gathering together of God's people to praise Him brings Him pleasure, as well as bringing us many rewards. So don't allow the awkwardness of visiting churches get in your way. God has just the just the right fit for each of us.

Healing for my Hairdresser

2010-01-16T13:30:00.006-06:00

When I was getting my hair cut today, the woman who cuts my hair was telling me about how she has had a crick in her neck for the last 4 days. What she described wasn't the normal kind of muscle spasm that we usually associate with the typical crick in one's neck. First of all, a crick in one's neck doesn't normally last for 4 days. Secondly, the irritation in her neck seems to worsen during the day as the day progresses. Whenever I experience a crick in my neck, it usually loosens up a little throughout the day which makes it not quite as irritating. And finally, my hairdresser has a big knot on her neck accompanying these muscle spasms.

As she was describing her frustration about this ailment, and how she has even considered going to see a doctor (wondering if it might be a tumor or something), it dawned on me that I should pray for her healing. Now you must understand that she is not a Christian. She might claim that she is, but I get every indication that she doesn't mind having God in her life, as long as she can keep Him on the shelf. She doesn't attend church, she lives with her fiancee, and while I suspect she believes very much in God, she doesn't seem to have any desire to pursue God any further than the mental ascension she has of His existence. Anyway, she knows I'm a pastor. If fact, she knows I'm a pentecostal pastor. Well, she knows that I embrace speaking in tongues. She asked me once about speaking in tongues, and then seemed kind of shocked that I believed in that sort of thing (she was polite, but I could detect her shock). So, as she was wrapping up telling me about the neck issues, I told her to hold on a moment from cutting my hair, and I laid my hand over the knot on her neck and prayed that she would be healed and that God would be glorified through it. After I prayed, she gave me the routine "thank you" and continued cutting my hair.

I feel so helpless sometimes when I pray for someone to be healed. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that divine healing was provided for in Jesus' atonement. And I realize that when an instant manifestation of healing is not apparent, then many people figure that God, for some reason, just didn't want to heal them. I have come to terms with the fact that I cannot concern myself with the attitude others take, nor can I place my faith in whether or not the instant manifestation of a person's healing occurs. I place my faith in God's word, not in whether or not I witness some instant manifestation of healing. God's word instructs me to pray for the sick, so I will. And I'll leave everything else up to God.

Many thoughts raced through my mind before, during, and after praying for my hairdresser, but I just did what I thought God wanted me to do. And right then and there, I sensed that He wanted me to pray for her healing. So I did.

Be Yourself

2010-01-15T08:18:00.005-06:00

I'm a preacher, and whenever I preach, it is critical that I simply be myself. I'm not suggesting that being true to who God has made me, as a person and as an individual, is the only factor necessary for me to be all I can be as a preacher, but it is an extremely important consideration. If I'm not myself, then I'm not being true to God who created me to be me.

I suppose we do live in a culture that tempts us to become envious of others. And believe me, pastors are not exempt from this temptation. Since the arrival of podcasts, I listen to more sermons than you can imagine. And I have heard some very good sermons from some very good preachers. But in each case, I really believe an integral part of what makes a good preacher good is that he or she is true to being the person that God created him or her to be. But being true to who God created each of us to be is not unique to preachers, to me, or to any one person. God created each of us to be our own distinct selves.

I love what God tells Jeremiah, "Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you..." (Jeremiah 1:5, MSG). God didn't just call Jeremiah to be a prophet to the nations, He created Jeremiah for this very purpose. And Jeremiah would not have been who God created him to be, and he wouldn't have fulfilled the plans that God had for him (Jeremiah 29:11), if he went around trying to be like Zephaniah, Nahum, Habakkuk, or Ezekiel, other prophets who were active around Jeremiah's time. No, Jeremiah was true to himself.

Each one of us needs to embrace the person God created us to be. He made each one of us distinctly us. Nobody else can be us, and we can not be somebody else; we shouldn't want to be. There is a movie out, Precious, that movie critics have been raving about. For several reasons, which I won't get into here, I don't normally watch R rated films. However, I may check this movie out. The movie is based on the novel Push, by Sapphire. I haven't read the book, but from everything I hear, the movie is supposedly better than the book (this would be rare). At any rate, the film is about a black teenage girl who is in the throes of a life I expect nobody would envy. I'm tempted to watch the movie just to see whether or not the main character in the story ever comes to embrace who she is, and as a consequence, begins to live life with the knowledge that she is significant. Since our culture doesn't seem to want any Christianity in the public square, and Jesus in particular, I suspect the gospel message is absent in the movie. And without Jesus, none of us will ever realize our full significance.

Be yourself; God made you special for this very reason!

Who Is Blessed? What Is Blessed?

2010-01-14T07:59:00.006-06:00

This morning, when I sat down to write today's blog entry, I became distracted. And before I knew it, it was time for me to leave for an appointment. Not a problem, I figured, I would just finish the blog entry later in the day.

Well, today I met with a group of pastors (we gather weekly), and we prayed through the Beatitudes, the first eleven verses of Matthew chapter 5. Our prayer is primarily focused on our local community, but it is not limited to that. And because praying through the Beatitudes today was especially meaningful for me, I decided to share my thoughts about it.

As each verse was read, and we all reflected on it and prayed, I could not help being amazed at how in each verse Jesus begins with, "Blessed are those...." And then, in some instances, it almost seems like what Jesus is saying is an oxymoron. Take, for instance, Matthew 5:10. I couldn't stop wondering, "How could being persecuted for doing what is right be a blessing?" Jesus qualifies this by saying that this person is blessed because they belong to the kingdom of heaven. In my human finiteness, I can kind of understand how someone who is merciful will be blessed, in that this person will receive mercy. But those that are persecuted will be blessed, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs? I just kept trying to wrap my mind around that. And what about verse 4, which says, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." Is this a blessing I want? Wouldn't it be better to not grieve at all, and therefore not need to be comforted?

It's amazing that I was able to pray at all with all the struggling I was doing. But I did. When I'm praying, especially when I'm praying through scriptures, I have learned to try to not let myself become distracted. In this case, I didn't let myself be distracted by aspects of the scripture that weren't necessarily making sense to me. And our time of prayer was very good.

Later, I gave more thought to Jesus' words. First, I know that I'm only asking for trouble when I start playing God. As I often like to quote, God tells us, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways" (Isaiah 55:8). That's my starting point for not understanding some of Jesus' pronouncements in the Beatitudes. Secondly, perhaps my Western understanding of what it means to be blessed is a little bit twisted. The Amplified version of Matthew 5:4 sheds some light of this, "Blessed and enviably happy [with a happiness produced by the experience of God's favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His matchless grace] are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted!" Do I have a skewed understanding of what it means to be blessed? Again, hear how the Amplified version records Matthew 5:10, "Blessed and happy and enviably fortunate and spiritually prosperous (in the state in which the born-again child of God enjoys and finds satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of his outward conditions) are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake (for being and doing right), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

**As an update to yesterday's blog entry, I received a phone call from my friend Daniel Vallon today. He and his family are alive. I thank God for keeping a protective hand over Daniel, Norma, and the girls. However, conditions in Port-au-Prince are dire; please keep praying for the Haitian people.

Leaning on God

2010-01-13T07:42:00.009-06:00

Yesterday, in the late afternoon as I returned home from the gym, I received word that Haiti had experienced a severe earthquake. I have several good friends who live in Haiti, so I immediately tried to call them. When I couldn't reach them by telephone, I sent them emails, but I know it will be some time before my friends will be checking email. While I'm somewhat frustrated because I cannot make contact, even this morning, I do have the ability to pray. Praise God!

I am praying for the entire country, but my prayers have been focused primarily on my good friend, Daniel Vallon. Daniel, his wife Norma, and their two daughters live in Carrefour, Haiti, a district in Port-au-Prince that appears to have been hit hard by this earthquake. I was in Haiti on three separate occasions during the past year, and Daniel served as my interpreter each time I was in Haiti. We really became very good friends in the process. And Daniel, who is 52 years old and had never been to the United States, visited Nashville this past September and spent 10 days staying in my home. So, while I am certainly concerned about Daniel and his family, I also know that God loves Daniel, Norma, and the girls, and is able to be their hiding place in this time of need. I just need to pray!

For me, prayer is not a matter of tossing requests out to a transcendent God, wondering if any of my requests will be heard and/or answered. That is not prayer. Scripture urges us Christians to let our requests be made known to God, and we can be certain that God hears us and responds to us. But prayer is so much more! As I pray this morning for Daniel and his family, for my other Haitian friends, and for the entire country, I pray with confidence. God loves my friends, and He loves Haiti. And while I do not understand all of the reasons for why bad things happen to good people, I do know that God is still God, and I trust Him. Furthermore, He hears my prayers and acts on them. I know this, not because there is anything special about me, but because the God I serve is the One true God who created all that exists. He is still very active in His creation, and He does respond to the prayers of those who call on Him in faith!

God loves my friend Daniel, so I'm just going to pray in faith, and trust that God will be the rock that my good friend leans on during this tragic time.

What a Great Phone Call!

2010-01-12T09:08:00.005-06:00

Yesterday the pastor that I used to work for called to check in with me. I cannot put into words how thrilled I was to receive his call. While I am certain that it was God's desire that I move on from this church-plant that I had given all of myself to, and even though I know that my former pastor recognized the need for me to follow the direction that I believed God is taking me, it would be disingenuous to say that my departure was not at least a little bit awkward.

My pastor and I were good friends before he asked me to help him plant this church, and we'll be good friends for a long time to come. But the enemy worked overtime to try to drive a wedge in our relationship. We were all created with emotions, and Satan loves to use our emotions as a means to try and to stir up discord. You see, my announcement to my pastor a couple of months ago about how I sensed God was making it clear to me that He desired to take me down a different ministry path, quite possibly to lead a church of my own, was sincere. And while my pastor, who knows me pretty well, knew that I was just pouring out my heart to him and doing what I sensed God was prompting me to do, it would be naive to think that the Devil wouldn't try to use my departure as an opportunity to interfere with our relationship.

I had poured myself out to this church-plant for two long years, and I cannot express the thoughts and emotions that raced through my head, almost continually, when I realized God was calling me in a different direction. "Is God really telling me to leave? Yes. Am I just giving up on the difficult work of church planting? No. Was I abandoning my pastor when he most needs me? No. What will my pastor think? I can't worry about that, and I have to just trust God in that area. What will others think? I can't worry about that either. What if, what if, what if...." My thoughts were bombarded, and I'm certain that my pastor's thought processes were attacked with equal vigor. So the question begged: What would become of the bond between me and my pastor?

We talked yesterday, at length, for the first time in over six weeks. My wife and I have been intentional about trying to give my pastor, his wife, and the entire church the space they needed following our leaving. And this has been a two-way street in that contact with us has been limited in an effort to make our departure easier for us. So, when I received that call yesterday, and we each caught one another up to speed about what God has been doing in our lives and in the lives of those around us, you can imagine how excited I was.

It's funny how, if we will just trust God, things will work out even when we can't understand how. I feel like such a heel for doubting God; for entertaining the thought that my relationship with my former pastor might be strained as a result of following Him. God knows, and He'll always work things out. "For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:9).

An Uncommon Altar Call

2010-01-11T14:26:00.015-06:00

Several years ago, I read an account of how Charles Finney, after his conversion into Christianity, experienced an encounter with the Holy Spirit that seems very similar to what Pentecostals today would refer to as receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The primary source for this story was the Memoirs of Rev. Charles G. Finney written by Finney himself, published in 1876. So, because I wanted to read the account of this story, as originally recorded by Finney, I went to ebay and found myself an original copy of Finney's Memoirs.

For whatever reason, I pulled this book off my bookshelf today and read several stories. Perhaps it is because Charles Finney was a man who was definitely led by the Holy Spirit. As witnessed by several of my recent blog postings, my thoughts seem to currently be gravitating around the subject of being led by the Spirit. Anyway, I want to share a story that Finney recorded about a time when he preached in the town of Rutland, New York. And while there were several things about this particular story that jumped off the pages at me, there was one comment that Finney made that has made me question a practice that so many modern day preachers, myself included, seem to perform regularly: the altar call invitation.

Anyway, let me share this story with you, written by Charles Finney. Finney is in the early stages of his ministry as an evangelist. Having stopped practicing law, his former profession, he is now traveling from town to town preaching in the finger lakes region of New York state. The setting is in the town of Le Rayville in the early to mid ninteenth century. God had been working mightily through Finney's preaching, and many had been converted, including a certain judge who had invited Finney and his wife to stay in his home as his guests. Finney writes,

.... But after a few weeks, the people urged me to go and preach in a Baptist church in the town of Rutland, where Rutland joins Le Ray. I made an appointment to preach there one afternoon. The weather had become warm, and I walked over, through a pine grove, about three miles to their place of worship. I arrived early, and found the house open, but nobody there. I was warm from having walked so far, and went in and took my seat near the broad aisle, in the centre of the house. Very soon people began to come in and take their seats here and there, scattered over the house. Soon the number increased so that they were coming continually. I sat still, and, being an entire stranger there, no person came in that I knew, and I presume that no person that came in knew me.

Presently a young woman came in, who had two or three tall plumes in her bonnet, and was rather gayly dressed. She was slender, tall, dignified, and decidedly handsome. I observed, as soon as she came in, that she waved her head and gave a very graceful motion to her plumes. She came as it were sailing around, and up the broad aisle toward where I sat, mincing as she came, at every step, waiving her great plumes most gracefully, looking around just enough to see the impression she was making. For such a place the whole thing was so peculiar that it struck me very much. She entered a slip directly behind me, in which, at the time, nobody was sitting. Thus we were near together, but each occupying a separate slip. I turned partly around, and looked at her from head to foot. She saw that I was observing her critically, and looked a little abashed. In a low voice I said to her, very earnestly, "Did you come in here to divide the worship of God's house, to make people worship you, to get their attention away from God and his worship?" This made her writhe; and I followed her up, in a voice so low that nobody else heard me, but I made her hear me distinctly. She quailed under the rebuke, and could not hold up her head. She began to tremble, and when I had said enough to fasten the thought of her insufferable vanity on her mind, I arose and went into the pulpit. As soon as she saw me go into the pulpit, and that I was the minister that was about to preach, her agitation began to increase--so much so as to attract the attention of those around her. The house was soon full, and I took a text and went on to preach.

The Spirit of the Lord was evidently poured out on the congregation; and at the close of the sermon, I did what I do not know I had ever done before, called upon any who would give their hearts to God, to come forward and take the front seat. The moment I made the call, this young woman was the first to arise. She burst out into the aisle, and came forward, like a person in a state of desperation. She seemed to have lost all sense of the presence of anybody but the presence of God. She came rushing forward to the front seats, until she finally fell in the aisle, and shrieked with agony. A large number arose in different parts of the house and came forward; and a goodly number appeared to give their hearts to God upon the spot, and among them this young woman. On inquiry I found that she was rather the belle of the place; that she was an agreeable girl, but was regarded by everybody as very vain and dressy.

Many years afterwards, I saw a man who called my attention to that meeting. I inquired after this young woman. He informed me that he knew her well; that she still resided there, was married, and was a very useful woman; and had always, from that time, been a very earnest Christian.

Maybe I'm making too much about Finney's comment of having rarely ever called people forward, but I find it fascinating. I have nothing against altar calls, and I'm sure I'll continue this practice. However, as it pertains to me, I want to be sure that it is the Holy Spirit who is prompting me to make such an invitation, as opposed to me simply inviting people to come forward at the end of a service out of rote habit.

Altar call invitations seemed to be uncommon for Finney, yet many many people were converted under Finney's ministry. Such a revelation should cause every leader today to pause and to reflect upon exactly how much control he or she exerts over a typical worship service versus how much control this leader yields to the Holy Spirit. I suspect that every pastor wants the Holy Spirit to have total control any time the people gather. If not, then he or she should. I cannot stress enough how essential it is that we know Him well enough to recognize what He is doing and what He desires to do, be it individually or corporately!

Embrace God's Presence

2010-01-10T13:18:00.010-06:00

I know it sounds kind of like a cliche, but I do not know why anyone would want to go through this life without God. However, in all reality, those who don't share this desire have probably never experienced God's presence firsthand, and they don't know what living life with God is really like.

Moses knew that it was useless to try and live life without God. In fact, after the golden calf incident, Moses told God that he didn't want to lead the people to the place that the LORD had prepared for them unless God personally went with them. For he knew that God's presence was indispensable, and that it was God's presence that set them apart from others (Exodus 33:15-16). Do we approach living life with the same hunger for God's presence, and recognize that God's presence in our lives will make all the difference? Or, do we fool ourselves into believing that God's presence is too transcendent and unknowable?

Well, God is knowable in a very real way! But we need to acknowledge His presence through the eyes of faith, rather than relying on our physical senses. I'm not saying that we'll never physically experience God's presence; but I am saying that we cannot assume that God is far away just because we don't detect His presence with our physical senses.

Jesus said, "be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20).

Don't Get Fleeced

2010-01-09T07:21:00.007-06:00

What is a fleece? The simple answer is a woolen coat of a sheep or a long-haired goat. But as a Christian, I have come to understand the term to be a way to perhaps get an answer from God.

The phrase "put out a fleece" has been derived from the story in the Old Testament, in Judges 6, where the Spirit of the Lord told Gideon that God was going to give Israel victory over the attacking Medianites and Amalekites. After hearing God's declaration, Gideon wanted to be sure he had heard God correctly, so he told God that he was going to put his fleece on the the threshing floor overnight, and that if the dew fell only on the fleece, and the ground all around it remained dry, then Gideon said he would know that this word from God was true. In the morning the fleece was covered with dew, but the ground which surrounded it was dry. Still not convinced, Gideon laid his fleece out a second night, but this time he asked God to let the dew cover the ground all around his fleece, but to keep the fleece dry from the dew; and this happened.

So because of this story about how Gideon put his fleece out to confirm that he had heard God properly, the phrase "put out a fleece" has become synonymous with seeking God's will. I've never liked putting out fleeces before God, by asking Him to do such and such, and then to conclude that God has spoken when such and such either occurs or does not occur. I have always felt that by doing so, I was in essence telling God how to speak to me in a way that I chose to hear from Him instead of letting God speak to me the way He so chooses.

One reason I think Christians should be careful about putting "fleeces" out before God, is because the Holy Spirit has been given to every person who has placed his or her faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore, the Holy Spirit dwells within every Christian, and will speak clearly to any child of God who carefully listens. In Old Testament times, the Spirit of God was only given to priests, prophets, and kings. But because of what Christ did at Calvary, the Spirit is given to every Christian.

I read Genesis 24 this morning, about when Abraham's servant went back to Abraham's original homeland to find a wife for Isaac, and when Abraham's servant was standing by the well as the women were coming and going, he put out a "fleece" before God to determine which woman God had prepared to be Isaac's wife. I thought about how Abraham's servant didn't have the Spirit of the living God dwelling within him; therefore, resorting to putting out "fleeces" was probably a natural way to try and determine what God was saying. But this is not the case with Christians today. We can discern the voice of the Holy Spirit, who lives in us and speaks directly to us, if we we only listen.

One big problem that I see with using "fleeces" is that it is attempting to hear God through the physical realm rather than trying to hear Him in the spiritual realm. Therefore, we shouldn't be surprised if "getting fleeced" ends up being the result of our having put out a "fleece," and we miss hearing from God altogether.

Transparency is Vital

2010-01-08T11:04:00.006-06:00

I firmly believe that we live in a culture that sniffs out inauthenticity in a heartbeat. And I believe this is especially true as it relates to young adults who are curious and open to christianity. Many young people today who are not Christians accuse the church of being full of hypocrites.

Now I'm not going to try to persuade anyone that there aren't people who claim to be Christians who are hypocritical. However, all too often genuine Christians who seek to live pure and holy lives are categorized as hypocrites if they don't lead perfect lives. And this is unfortunate. If I wake up tomorrow morning and say to myself and others that today I'm not going to slip into such and such kind of sin (let's say I'm going to refrain from being judgmental), and then by the end of the day find myself in a situation where I have cast judgement on someone, and I ask God to forgive me and to help me to not be this way, then I am not a hypocrite. However, if I say this same thing but with no real intention of trying to curb any judgmental attitudes that might rise up within me during the day, then when I inevitably cast judgement on someone, I am very much a hypocrite.

So, how can Christians clear up some of the confusion between raw hypocrisy and simply missing the mark? I believe part of the solution lies in the need for Christians to be more transparent. I am a Baby Boomer, and I pretty much grew up in church. Having been dragged to church every Sunday, one would think that I would have lived out the Christian faith as an adolescent and young adult, but I really didn't. I wrestled with letting Jesus really be the Lord of my life, and I take full responsibility for that. However, one thing I noticed in church circles as I was growing up was a propensity by many to hide, or to mask, any of their shortcomings as Christians. Basically, I grew up in an era when portraying an image to others that Christians have it all together was very important. And projecting this kind of an image still exists today, albeit not quite as much.

When I was younger and was confronted with this got-it-together Christian image, I instinctively knew that this wasn't real. What would have helped me a great deal would have been to see and to get to know some Christians who shared some of their imperfections. And in today's culture, transparency is vital. Young people today are thirsting for authenticity! And if we, who represent Christ, are unwilling to be transparent once in awhile, then we're going to be labeled as hypocrites. Now I'm not suggesting that we go around airing all of our dirty laundry; but we do need to be sensitive to the guidance of the Spirit and sometimes reveal our weaknesses and our failures.

Being Led by the Spirit

2010-01-07T09:57:00.005-06:00

My greatest desire in life is to guided by the Holy Spirit of God in everything that I do. Wesley Smith, who was the president of Valley Forge Christian College where I completed my undergraduate degree, once said: "The secret to being pentecostal is not speaking in tongues, it is that the Spirit helps us to creatively respond to life's problems." I have found this to be very true, and that is why being led by the Spirit is my primary aim in life.

Every human being has a spirit, a soul, and a body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). And when a person believes in his or her heart that God sent Jesus into this world to die for us so that we could be made right with God, then that person's human spirit is reborn and that person is a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). And scripture tells us that God's Holy Spirit, who lives in us from the moment we receive regeneration, bears witness with our human spirits. I am convinced that this is the primary way, if not the only way, that the Holy Spirit speaks to us. Proverbs 20:27 says. "The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all his innermost parts."

If the way the Holy Spirit speaks to us is through our own human spirits, then I want to do everything I can to be sensitive to hearing the Holy Spirit when He speaks to me through my own spirit. And because I believe that the voice of my spirit is my conscience, I obviously want to listen to my conscience. But all too often we don't do what is necessary to guard the tenderness of our consciences. The apostle Paul talks about how some Christians, who, in later times will depart from the faith, have seared consciences. But the question begs: How does one protect the tenderness of his or her conscience, and keep it from becoming seared?

I believe two primary ways of keeping our consciences tender are through diligently crucifying the flesh, and through continually renewing our minds. If we get lazy, and do not stay alert to those things that can sear our consciences, then I believe we will eventually dull the tenderness of our consciences to the point where we cannot hear the Spirit speaking to us through the voice of our own spirits. Let me give you an example of what I believe can happen with our consciences. When I eat something that is cooked, I like my food to be piping hot. I'm talking about food that steam is pouring off of. And while I can place a bite of extremely hot food in my mouth, this wasn't always the case. If, when I was a boy, I tried to eat food with it being as hot as I like it today, then I would have burned my lips and my tongue. But over time, I have dulled the tenderness of my lips and my tongue to the point that they are not sensitive to the overly hot food that I eat today.

Sin will dull the tenderness of our consciences. I certainly don't want to be legalistic. In fact, it seems that those who Paul was talking about when he wrote to Timothy, who had consciences that had been seared, had a tendency to be legalistic. But I do want to pursue holy living, so that I can properly discern the voice of my spirit through my conscience, whenever the Spirit of God wants to guide me. That is why I believe it is so important to crucify the flesh whenever it rears its ugly face, and it is why I seek to continually renew my mind. I really want to know what is the "good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:2).

Answered Prayer

2010-01-06T17:15:00.000-06:00

Today I visited a good friend, and he drove me out to see the new home he and his wife are building. I spoke with this good friend on the phone recently, and he had told me about building the new house; therefore, it didn't come as a surprise that his new home was about two weeks away from being ready to move in. But even if we hadn't spoken on the phone recently, I wouldn't have been shocked.

Although it has been about five years, it seems as if it were yesterday when my friend excitedly told me about some land that his was in the throes of trying to purchase. He immediately drove me out to see the property. It was only about a stone's throw from where my wife and I used to live. Well, let's say about half a mile. Anyway, when we arrived at the site, we turned off of the road and he drove us up a dirt road, just a little ways, until we came to a brush-covered piece of land at the crest of a hill next to a 100 year-old tree. My friend and I got out of his vehicle and walked around this area collecting burrs on our pants from the waist down. My friend was so excited! He shared with me how this spot, on the top of the hill next to this huge tree, was where he dreamed to someday build a new home. I'll never forget how we prayed together that God would enable him to acquire the property, and that in God's timing my friend would eventually erect a new home right where we were praying.

Well, today I was able to see first-hand an answer to a prayer that was prayed back in 2005. There are many circumstances that could have thwarted the answer to our prayer, but my friend loves, serves, and enjoys God with all he has. Seeing this house today reminded me of one of God's promises: "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart" (Ps. 37:4).

God Is Able

2010-01-05T17:33:00.000-06:00

I spent all of today and yesterday at the home of a young man I know. This man is currently out of work, and because my truck needed servicing, I decided to let him do the work and just pay him what I would pay a good mechanic. This guy, who is in his twenties, has one of the best work ethics I have ever seen.

My heart breaks for this young man. Because of a series of circumstances, he is living with his mom and his step-dad, who have custody of his 3 year-old daughter. His biological father lives about 5 minutes down the road. This young man has spent most of his adult life in prison because of his involvement with making and using crystal meth. Cooking and using meth is what his father does, it is what his uncles do, and it is what all of his friends do. Basically, cooking and using meth is the life that this young man grew up in.

His mother left his meth-cooking father when he was young, and his step-dad has always treated him as if he were his own son. But his mom and step-dad have their own set of problems. They live in a small home that belongs to the young man's grandfather (his mother's dad). His mother and step-dad make the mortgage payments on the home. It's a two bedroom shoebox, with space heaters warming each room. There is a 4-door 2002 truck, with a broken fuel pump, sitting in the driveway waiting to be repossessed by the bank. The step-dad, who collects disability, stopped making his $537 per month payments on the truck about 5 months ago. The rationale being: Why put a new fuel pump on a truck that the bank is gonna repossess?

I don't know how this young man acquired such a good work ethic growing up around others who just want to collect government checks and watch television all day long, but he did. Nevertheless, life seems to be stacked against him. How does he break away from an environment that is going to eventually destroy him? One way, or the other, this young man seems screwed. Only the power of God in his life can do such a thing. I am just believing that since he gave his life to the Lord recently, he has more of a chance to survive and conquer his struggles than he can even imagine. I'm just going to keep praying for my young friend. God certainly loves him, and God is certainly able to help him.

Taking a Bold Stand!

2010-01-03T19:19:00.000-06:00

Brit Hume, the retired evening news anchor from Fox News, frequently appears as a panelist on the weekly Sunday show, Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace. I enjoy this weekly newscast. However, because I'm in church every Sunday morning, for me to watch it requires that I either record it or watch the show later in the day when it is rebroadcasted.

On today's show, Chris Wallace asked the panelists, one of which was Brit Hume, to share their opinions about what each thought we could expect in 2010 as it concerned a number of different subjects: politics, the economy, sports, literature, movies, et cetera. When Hume was asked about sports, he candidly shared his opinions about Tiger Woods. Noting that he believed that Tiger Woods would certainly recover as a golfer, Hume was less confident about Woods' recovery as a person. Then, citing how he believed the extent to which Woods could recover seemed to depend upon Woods' faith, Hume invited Tiger Woods to turn to the Christian faith where he would receive the forgiveness and redemption that, in Hume's opinion, is necessary for Tiger Woods to make a total recovery and be a great example to the world. Kudos for Brit Hume!

I suspect that Hume, as well as Fox News, will be bashed for Hume's comments in the days that follow. Having acknowledged that Tiger Woods is said to be a Buddhist, Hume said that, in his opinion, he didn't think Buddhism offered the kind of forgiveness and faith that is offered by the Christian faith. It seems pretty predictable that most of the forthcoming criticism will no doubt surround this analysis (which, by the way, is true). Those who want to pounce on Hume for the comments that aired today should be very careful. I have watched Brit Hume cover the news for many many years. And as a news reporter, Brit Hume was, and still is, in a class of his own.

Hume was asked his opinion today, and he gave it. And I believe he offered his opinion out of love. Brit Hume is smart enough to know what possible ramifications could result from these comments. It seems obvious to me that Hume really believes that developing a personal relationship with God, through the person of Jesus Christ, is the only real solution to the dilemma that Tiger Woods finds himself in. No, Hume didn't say all this. But in the Christian faith, forgiveness and redemption can only be found through placing one's faith in what Jesus did at Calvary, and Hume is too bright to not know this!

I say hooray for Brit Hume! He took a bold stand. He shared not only what he believed, but he shared what he thought was the only anecdote available for the problems that confront Tiger Woods. You can watch a video clip of Hume's analysis here.

Family Rocks!

2010-01-02T17:48:00.000-06:00

My wife and I have three children, and our youngest, Samantha (who'll be 23 in a month) spent the holidays with us. She only lives about an hour north from us, but spent the past week and a half with us since the university that she works for was shut down for Christmas and New Year's. At any rate, Sami headed back to her own home today with her 2 year old Westie Terrier. We loved having Samantha with us during Christmas; and she enjoyed her visit.

We love all three of our children, and even though the older two are now married, we still remain very close with all three. Our son and his wife live here in Nashville, and recently bought a house about three miles from us. Therefore, we see them regularly. And although our other daughter and her husband live in upstate New York, we enjoyed a visit with them this past August. This coming Independence Day we're all planning to spend a week at the beach together. We have yet to take a family vacation that did not include our entire family. And while this won't last forever, my wife and I are thrilled that our adult children still want to spend so much time with us. We are truly blessed. Family rocks!

Evaluating Our Motives & Our Methods?

2010-01-01T14:21:00.000-06:00

I have a real heart for those who are far from God, and I want so much for them to experience all the joys that accompany a life that is lived with Jesus as Lord. And while I look for opportunities to tell others about Jesus, and while I encourage other Christians to share their faith with people who don't know God, I have to ask: "How often do our efforts to draw people to God really just end up pushing people further away?" This is a legitimate question that every Christian should take seriously.

Whenever our attempts to share Jesus with somebody who doesn't know Him appear to fail, the first thing we should do is examine our motives and our methods. Do we really care about the person that we have engaged, or do we care more about ourselves? Please don't treat this question lightly. I'm not suggesting that we intentionally set out to serve ourselves, but I do believe a subtle shift can occur once we start sharing our faith with someone. Think about it: What happens when we're sharing our faith, and someone objects to our claims? Do we respond in a loving way, understanding that there are probably some very good reasons behind why this person is objecting to the things we have to say? Or do we feel the need to defend God, and quite possibly, ourselves? If we're not careful, what starts out as a legitimate concern for somebody, a person who desperately needs a relationship with Jesus, can turn into an "argument" about why people need or don't need God in their lives.

As a Christian, I think I could make a good case for why people need God in their lives. But I need to remember that I did not enter into into Christianity because somebody pointed out to me, on purely intellectual terms, all the reasons why I needed God. Nor did I become a Christian because all of my reasons for not wanting to serve God were somehow instantly neutralized in a conversation one day when somebody decided to share his or her faith with me. No, I became a Christian because I experienced Jesus in a very personal kind of a way. Therefore, let's all evaluate our motives and our methods when it comes to sharing Jesus with others.

God wants to use each of us as He draws people into His kingdom; and I suspect that one way we can be effectively used by God is to just love people while looking for ways that we can help point them towards experiencing a personal touch from Jesus.

"Forgotten God" by Francis Chan

2009-12-31T10:35:00.000-06:00

For my birthday earlier this month, my wife gave me Francis Chan's latest book, Forgotten God. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and I suspect that once Forgotten God gets a bit more exposure, it will start selling like hot cakes the way Crazy Love did, and still does.

The "Forgotten God" Chan writes about is the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. And the title of his book is so fitting. As Chan bears out, many churchgoers in this country are clueless about the presence and the activity of the Holy Spirit in the world around them, let alone His presence and activity in their very own lives.

Early in the book, Chan cuts right to the chase when he writes,

Those of us who believe in Jesus would never deny the truth that we have the Spirit of the living God, the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead, living inside of us. I'm just not convinced we've internalized this truth and enjoyed His blessings as He intends. It seems like this is mostly head knowledge to us, and that we have not owned it. It has not really made much of a difference in our lives, to the degree that if we woke up tomorrow and discovered that it is not true the Holy Spirit lives inside of us, most likely our lives wouldn't look much different.

Chan challenges his readers to be authentic followers of Christ, later asking each of us to anwer the question: "Do I want to lead or be led by the Spirit?"

Chan provides a well balanced critique of how the Holy Spirit really has been, and continues to be, neglected by many who claim to be Christ followers. But he doesn't leave us there; throughout the pages of Forgotten God, Chan provides a roadmap for how each reader can live a life that is marked by the awareness of, and a yieldedness to, the presence and activity of the Holy Spirit.

The Danger of Unconfessed Sin

2009-12-29T09:15:00.000-06:00

As I am not living anyone else's life but mine, I have no way of really knowing how much other Christians struggle with keeping focus during their prayer time. And while I believe there is a level of victory to be won in this area, trying to maintain focus during times of prayer and meditation is probably a universal source of difficulty among Christians.

Most of the time, I view the distractions that I encounter during times of prayer as mere efforts by the devil to thwart any real connection that I might experience with God while praying. Because to me, setting aside specific times to get alone with God are all about trying to "connect" with Him through intimacy...it is a time when God shares with us, and we share with Him.

There are certainly countless things that can interfere with our ability to maintain focus and truly commune with God, but there is one thing in particular that I believe will destroy a person's prayer life, if not destroy the person's relationship with God altogether, and that is to harbor unconfessed sin. There are several reasons for why we sometimes choose not to confess certain sin in our lives. You see, to confess sin is to call it what it is. And if we will do this, then God will forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all wickedness (1 John 1:9). But maybe we don't believe this. Or maybe there is sin in our lives that we don't want to confess because we don't want to turn away from sin in one particular area of our life or another; and it is more comfortable to fool ourselves by ignoring the wickedness of this sin than it is to call it what it really is. After all, confession involves true repentance; therefore, if our plans are to not repent from sin, then God's not going to forgive us and cleanse us of sin, is He?

And then there are some who the enemy wears down with certain sin, convincing them that God's not really going to forgive them of this sin or that sin. The devil either uses a monstrous failure in our lives, or some sin in our lives for which we continually seem to fall towards, to get us to think that there are either some things that are too horrible, or some areas where we have failed God too many times, and forgiveness is consequently unattainable. And because we are deceived, we don't even talk to God.

I view unconfessed sin as a pinhole in my being; a pinhole that, like a small crack in a dam, will allow even more unholiness to leak into my life. And I believe that if I don't clog up this pinhole by confessing this sin, then the pinhole will slowly grow in size. So much so, that one day I'll wake up and find that I have a gaping hole in my being, a hole for which all sorts of wickedness is using as a means to flow freely in my life. And while Satan and his cohorts have no power over me because of what Jesus did for me at Calvary, I nevertheless believe that unconfessed sin will somehow, over time, annul the rights I have to this protection. I know this is a bold statement, and I am fully aware of the implications it raises: If a person can forfeit some or all of his or her rights as a Christian, when exactly, and how exactly does this happen? Does this mean a person can lose his or her salvation? You can draw your own conclusions to these questions, all I know is that scripture is very clear about the importance of continually seeking God and turning from our wicked ways.

Now, because I view unconfessed sin to be such a danger to my Christian health, I am very conscious about confessing any sin that works its way into my life. And every day, when I set aside time to be alone with God, I try to first confess anything that might interfere with my ability to commune with Him. One thing I know: I certainly cannot expect to be able to concentrate in prayer, and hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, if there is unconfessed sin lurking away somewhere within me.

Don't play around with unconfessed sin; it will ruin your ability to pray, and it will eventually ruin your relationship with God!

Is Your Vision Really Vision?

2009-12-27T15:49:00.000-06:00

I am of the opinion that vision is critical to any organization, and the local church is no exception. To me, a church without vision is like an automobile without fuel. A brand new Mercedes may look nice sitting in the driveway, but without any fuel, it is less useful than a bicycle! And if this is true, then it is obviously important for a church to make sure that its vision is really a vision.

I try to read and listen to as much as I possibly can when it comes to vision. And I haven't come across a better working definition for "vision" than the one Andy Stanley offered in the first episode in a four part series that he recently did on his Leadership Podcast. This series was about creating and maintaining a compelling vision for your organization. Anyway, Stanley defined vision as "a mental picture of what could be, fueled by a passion that it should be."

The reason I like this definition so much is because it whittles the concept of "vision" down to something concrete and tangible that I can actually wrap my hands around. It seems that all too often the term "vision" is used to describe things we simply desire. And in the church, we habitually use this term to represent just about any Christian virtue we please. There is certainly nothing wrong with seeking to pattern our lives, be it individually or collectively, after biblically right behavior. In fact, I encourage it, but local church congregations need to be careful that they do not adopt, as their vision, something that is too broad and too general.

In the second episode of this four part series, Stanley speaks of how vision is usually nothing more than a solution to a problem. He then challenges church leaders to dig hard in an effort to determine what problem and/or problems confront their communities and their churches; and asserts that when the problem or problems are identified, then the solution to this problem or problems will be their vision. Stanley adds a third component to this by suggesting that we all ask the question: "Why us, and why now?"

If vision is as important to the fabric of an organization as I believe it is, then every leader should be continually asking himself or herself, "is the vision of the organization I lead really vision, or is it something else that is just disguised as vision?"

A Christmas to Remember

2009-12-26T12:05:00.000-06:00

Last night, as my wife, my youngest daughter, and I were wrapping up an enjoyable Christmas Day, I got a clear glimpse of the selfless love that the New Testament speaks about. And it occurred when I least expected it.

Because my son and his wife spent this Christmas in Atlanta, and because my oldest daughter and her husband stayed in Rochester, NY, for Christmas, the Christmas Day gathering in the Lawrence home was me, my wife, and our youngest daughter (who is in town for a week or so). And the three of us really enjoyed this Christmas! But because it was just going to be the three of us in Nashville for Christmas this year, I thought it would be fun if we went to the Tennessee Titans game on Christmas Day. I tested the waters by asking my daughter what she thought about the idea, and after receiving a positive response, I bought three tickets.

Now you have to understand that I actually enjoy watching a good football game, but my wife and daughter could really care less. And while watching a professional football game live, in a stadium, is very electrifying, all three of us realize that the best seats for such an event are usually in the warmth of a person's own home. Nevertheless, after a late afternoon Christmas dinner we headed to the game all geared up to close out a Christmas to remember.

The temperature in Nashville last night was 35 degrees when the game started. We were bundled up good, and enjoyed nice lower level seats. But the game, however, was pretty much a disappointment. The Titans were being dominated by the playoff-bound San Diego Chargers. And even though we were dressed with multiple socks and layers of clothing, my feet were starting to get a little cold as halftime approached. I was periodically checking with my wife and my daughter, to inquire as to whether or not they were having a good time. And each repeatedly said that they were, but I knew they were as cold as I was (probably more cold), and that they had to have been secretly hoping the game would be over sooner rather than later. Their lack of excitement for the game wasn't hard to detect, as my wife and daughter seemed to be more preoccupied with the engagement proposals that kept flashing up on the stadium scoreboard.

Now I knew that both my wife and my daughter had been excited about the prospect of doing something quite different this Christmas, but this excitement had worn off by the end of the first quarter of the game. Our home-team Titans were not playing very well, and the game was pretty well decided by halftime. However, not wanting to waste the money I had spent on the tickets, and holding onto a glimmer of hope that the Titans would start the second half playing the kind of football they're capable of, I gave no indication to my wife or daughter that leaving the game before it had completely ended was even an option.

As the third quarter of the game was nearing the end, and it became obvious that all hopes of a Titan's victory were gone, I asked my wife and daughter if they wanted to leave. I'm sure they did, but they weren't about to let me know it. You see, they didn't want me to miss the end of the game on account of their discomfort or disinterest. No, they were going to stick it out to the end, as cold as they were, because they cared more about me than they did themselves. I coaxed them into leaving early anyway (which really didn't take too much arm twisting), and we got home before the game was over.

All the way home I marveled at how much my wife and daughter love me. Now this may seem kind of trivial; but they were really cold. I was really cold, and I'm used to sitting out in a snowy tree stand before daybreak. My wife and daughter, however, are not used to sitting out in freezing temperatures. So I know that they were cold! And while they could have cared less about the football game, their love for me meant that they were willing to stay sitting there, in that freezing environment, until the very end of that football game. And they were going to do this without ever showing the slightest bit of displeasure...all because they just wanted to please me!

Because of this, Christmas 2009 will always be a precious memory to me.

Joy in Heaven

2009-12-25T10:20:00.000-06:00

This Christmas morning, on December 25th 2009, angels are definitely rejoicing in heaven. It's not because they are celebrating the birth of our Savior that occurred some 2009 years ago, although they may be, but they are rejoicing because someone prayed to God this morning and asked Jesus to be his Lord and Savior. The Bible tells us that "there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance" (Luke 15:7).

I received a phone call this morning from a young man who I hadn't spoken to in almost a year. He is 26 years old, and most of his adult life has been spent in jail. I'll not make any excuses for this young man, but he was born and raised in a pretty bad environment. In an era where an excellent work ethic is often hard to find, this young man is one of the hardest most diligent workers I've ever been around. I know this because he once worked for me. However, having grown up in an environment where drugs, firearms, and just about everything else was commonplace, this young man has been battling meth addiction since he was a boy.

My young friend called me up this Christmas morning, and after we talked for about an hour, he gave his life to the Lord. Therefore, there is quite a bit of joy in heaven right now. I will be praying for James, and I ask that you pray also. Yes, he is now born again, but he is at a point in his life where he knows that he desperately needs to get away from his family and friends and make a new start somewhere fresh. If he doesn't, he will either die from using meth, or he'll wind up back in jail doing more time than you or I could bear.

The devil is already telling me that James is doomed for failure, but I know that he is the father of lies. I believe that, for a long time to come, Christmas Day is going to have a very special meaning for my friend James.

Christmas is in Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T18:48:00.001-06:00

I love Christmas Eve. My wife and I usually just spend the day enjoying each other, our family, and our friends. And this Christmas Eve has been no different. We were pleasantly surprised when some good friends stopped by our house for a visit in the early afternoon, then we made a few visits of our own.

Perhaps the reason I love Christmas Eve so much is because of the anticipation I experience all day long...knowing that Christmas is just a day away. And every Christmas Eve, when I go to bed and close my eyes, I know that Christmas morning is only one good night's sleep away. Yes, I love Christmas Eve because all day long I'm reminded that Christmas is so close I can taste it!

But isn't this how the Christian life is, or at least the way the Christian life ought to be? Once we have believed in Jesus Christ, and have been made right with God through faith, God is so real in our lives that it is almost as if we can taste heaven. Sure, I know we still live in these earthly bodies, but didn't Jesus tell us that He would give us the keys to the kingdom of heaven, so that whatever we bound on earth would be bound in heaven, and whatever we loosed on earth would be loosed in heaven (Matthew 6:19)? Didn't God give us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57)?

Yes, I love Christmas Eve because I see so much of Christmas in it. And I love my life as a Christian because I see so much of heaven in it.

True Fellowship

2009-12-23T11:57:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and a week later is New Years Eve. And while I'm certainly excited about celebrating the birth of our Saviour, and about ushering in another decade, I will miss my normal Thursday morning routine for the next couple of weeks. You see, every Thursday morning at 10:30 in the morning I meet with a group of men, other pastors and Christian leaders, and we pray for each other and for our local community.

I joined this group this past summer, and I must admit, I have really grown to look forward to our Thursday mornings together. Our group fully understands the importance of praying for our community, and we have each grown to recognize the significance of developing relationships with others who understand the throes of ministry. When I joined the group, I wasn't quite sure how I would be received by the other men. Not only am I a pentecostal preacher, I am usually pretty vocal about my beliefs. In fact, I remember asking the folks in my small group to keep me in prayer back when I decided to first check out this ecumenical prayer group.

In retrospect, I think joining this group was just what I needed. And God knew it! Not only do I meet regularly with a group of men who genuinely care about me and love me unconditionally, I have learned to better appreciate the differences that each of us brings to the kingdom of God. Don't misunderstand me, there are some moments when I bite my lip and hold back my thoughts, but that's the right thing to do. You see, I'm learning that loving is more important than agreeing.

Because of the holidays, our group is not meeting until the first Thursday in January. These men truly love me, and I truly love them; therefore, I can hardly wait until our meetings resume!

Emotionalism, Intellectualism, or Both?

2009-12-22T08:17:00.000-06:00

This past Friday an article about evangelical intellectualism appeared in the WSJ. Even though it's been 4 days now since I read this piece, I can't seem to stop thinking about it. I suppose it is because I have such mixed emotions about this subject. While I might disagree with Jonathan Fitzgerald, the author of this article, that evangelical intellectualism is somehow a new phenomenon, I nevertheless think his overall analysis was rather fair and balanced.

I have grown up in an era when the notion that an educated person would actually defend the idea, scientifically and/or biblically, that God had created the world was, for all intents and purposes, unheard of. I was continually bombarded with the notion that a truly "educated" person would embrace the theory of evolution. As a young adult, I experienced firsthand the level of contempt that many evangelicals encounter in parts of the scholarly community. As a 36 year old evangelical who had just completed a very well balanced 4 year pre-seminary program at Bible College, I entered Vanderbilt Divinity School to pursue a graduate degree. I was not naive about what I anticipated I would encounter in this theologically liberal environment, but I was unprepared for the amount of condescension that I would receive as an evangelical. For a school that touted tolerance, it became quite apparent to me that my evangelical worldview would never be given an ounce of credence.

From Fitzgerald's WSJ article, one might conclude that there exists an overwhelming impression among intellectuals that emotionalism and intellectualism are somehow polar opposites and, as such, are mutually exclusive. Let me say that nothing could be father from the truth. While there is a danger involved with taking either to an extreme, Christians need a healthy balance of both. The Latter Rain Movement of the 1950's is a good illustration of the dangers involved when too much of an emphasis is placed on emotions; and the Jesus Seminar of the past 25 years is a good example of what can happen when people rely wholly on their intellect and subsequently get too full of themselves. What today's evangelical needs is a healthy balance of both!

"Extraordinary" by John Bevere

2009-12-21T09:40:00.000-06:00

I just read John Bevere's new book, Extraordinary. It was excellent! If you're tired of muddling through life as an "ordinary" Christian, then this book is a must read.

Bevere starts off a little slow, reaffirming the understanding that his readers already have about grace (how God's grace is undeserved and how it is unattainable through our own efforts). But then the book takes off like a rocket when Bevere introduces a fuller picture of God's grace. He provides a portrait of how God, through His grace, has provided everything we need to live a triumphant life in Christ. Using scripture as the bedrock for his assertions, Bevere provides a roadmap for how we can successfully live in victory, living out a life that will truly reflect the glory of God.

The Blind Side

2009-12-20T16:16:00.000-06:00

Last night my wife and I went to see the movie, The Blind Side. I thought I knew the story about Michael Oher, and realize how little I really knew.

I love films that are based on real-life events, and I especially like movies for which the primary storyline is packed with redemptional qualities. This movie is all that and more. This story about a poor and traumatized teenage black boy who is taken in, loved, and cared for by a wealthy middle-aged white woman and her family is a must see.

Doing the right thing is always the right thing to do. This movie underscores this principle.

Awakened to Pray

2009-12-19T21:48:00.000-06:00

I woke up at 2:30am this morning, and I got out of the bed about 15 minutes later. I'm an early riser, but not that early. I awoke with a burden to pray for a couple of people in particular. This doesn't happen often, but God has awakened me before in the wee hours of the morning with a burden to pray for someone. On one of these occasions, a few years ago, when God wakened me to pray for a guy that I knew, I found out two days later that this guy's wife had had him arrested, and he was in jail the night I was awakened to pray for him.

Whenever I wake up with a burden to pray for someone, I never really know what it is that I'm suppose to pray for...but God knows. Some might wonder: Do I ever feel like what I'm doing is silly, and that perhaps God really hasn't awakened me to pray for someone? Yes, I'm human, and I have had doubts about the circumstances behind why I have awakened at strange hours with a burden for someone. But I have also learned to detect the voice of the Holy Spirit. And I've learned to trust my instincts when situations like this occur. Anyway, the way I figure it, I would rather be wrong, and wake up an pray for someone who doesn't need my prayer, instead of assuming that God really didn't wake me up and that He isn't nudging me to pray for someone, and then to roll over and go back to sleep without praying for a person who really might be in need prayer.

Pray for Tiger Woods

2009-12-18T09:01:00.000-06:00

Christmas Day is one week away. Now I don't watch a whole lot of television, but I'm not entirely clueless about what has been going on with Tiger Woods in the last few week. Even when I'm at the gym working out, with headphones in my ears listening to what I want to hear, it doesn't seem like a day goes by when my eyes don't catch at least one channel, on one of the TV monitors in the gym, that is covering the Tiger Woods story. His situation is sad, and our country's obsession with this story is equally sad.

If you are reading my blog, there is a good chance that you have made a choice to live your life for Christ. So for those of you who are followers of Jesus, let me encourage you to be in prayer for Tiger Woods. The man seemingly has everything this world has to offer, but I highly doubt that he has a real relationship with God. As Christmas approaches, let's pray that this would be the best Christmas that Tiger Woods has ever experienced! I realize that at this very moment, seven days before Christmas, the idea that Christmas 2009 could be the best one that Tiger Woods has ever experienced is hard to wrap our minds around. But God is bigger than what our minds can conceive, and He can do much more than what we often dare to ask.

Join me in praying that Tiger Woods would come to recognize that God really does love him, and that there is nothing that Tiger has done or could do to change this!

Blown Away By God...Again!

2009-12-17T09:48:00.000-06:00

God never ceases to amaze me. My wife and I are in a transitional time with church. Therefore, we are visiting different churches on Sundays and during the midweek services. Last night my wife and I checked out a nondenominational church that is less than 3 miles from our home. We honestly didn't know too much about the church, but felt like this would be a good place to go and worship God during the middle of the week.

Did God ever bless us! This church, which is very contemporary in the way that it does church, was having its Christmas celebration (I think). The music was just the right blend for the season and for worship, and the brief word from the pastor was spot on perfect for what we and many others needed to hear. And as a bonus, Russ Taff treated us all to a few songs that he had recorded over the years, songs that really blessed those of us who were present.

We had no idea what God had in store for us last night...but God has a way of blowing us away when we least expect it!

Destroy the Root of Bitterness

2009-12-16T11:23:00.001-06:00

Bitterness is a tricky thing. It will sneak up on people clothed like righteousness, but in reality it seeks to kill and destroy. I detest bitterness! And it plants itself in the lives of people in various ways. Some people harbor bitterness towards friends; some towards people they don't even know; some towards family members; and some are even bitter towards God. But however one slices it, bitterness is wrong. It not only hurts us, bitterness also hurts others.

The Bible says: "Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many" (Hebrews 12:15, NLT). That's great advice, but how can we stop bitterness from creeping into our lives? After all, it is usually connected to real hurts that we have experienced. The Apostle Paul tells us how to do this in Ephesians 4:32. They key is to have compassion towards, and to show forgiveness to, the person that you are bitter towards. Sincerely pray for the one who has wronged you, and before you know it God will allow you to see this person through the lenses of compassion; and then you will feel sorrow for this person and will be better able to understands why he or she has harmed you. But we must also forgive this person, just as God through Christ has forgiven us. Nothing will ever outweigh the depths of sinfulness that each of us has received forgiveness of from our Father in heaven!

Show compassion and forgiveness, and destroy the poisonous root of bitterness before it destroys you.

Try Just Being Nice!

2009-12-15T10:58:00.001-06:00

This morning, while I was working out, I listened to an episode of Rick Warren's Ministry Podcast (it is a conversational podcast designed to be a resource for ministry leaders). This episode was focused on creating innovation in one's ministry. Warren shared one simple story which spoke volumes to me. He told about how he was in a grocery market one day, and he was in the checkout line behind a guy who was buying a bag of ice. However, the guy buying the ice had left his checkbook out in his car. So the man buying the ice asked the cashier if it would be okay if he ran out to his car to get his checkbook. At which time the cashier asked Warren if he would mind waiting. Warren said, "of course not," and then turned to the guy buying the ice and said, "why don't you go ahead and grab the bag of ice on your way out, and I'll just pay for it." The cashier then gasped, and asked, "who are you?" And the guy buying the ice said, "oh, he's at Saddleback."

The man got his ice, Warren paid for it, and the cashier then told Warren that she had a daughter that might like to go to a church like Saddleback. At any rate, Warren wrapped up his story in this podcast episode by explaining that evangelism really isn't that hard, sometimes all we need to do is try being nice to people! Warren concluded with, "I could go around wearing a button that says 'I'm a Christian, and if you're not, then you're going to hell,' or I could buy a bag of ice for someone."

Take Control of Your Thoughts

2009-12-14T09:26:00.001-06:00

I've always said that we cannot control some of the thoughts that pop into our mind. Probably all of us, at one time or another, have had an absolutely ungodly thought flash into our minds while we are praying. This used to puzzle me. I couldn't understand how such a horrific thought could enter my mind, especially when I was attempting to focus of God.

I have concluded that while I may not be able to entirely control the kinds of thoughts that may occasionally try to distract me, from prayer or from simply just trying to dwell on thoughts that are pure, I am the one who chooses what I do with the thoughts that cross my mind. If an ugly thought suddenly pops into my mind, I am immediately confronted with two choices. I can either entertain the thought, or I can fight the thought. As a Christian, I want to keep my thought-life pure, so my choice is easy: I fight it. However, I do not attempt to fight wicked thoughts with my own strength. God's word tells us in the 10th chapter of Paul's second letter to the Corinthians that "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor. 10:4-5, NKJV). Therefore, I use the word of God, and speak directly to the source of any ugly thoughts that try to make their way into my thought process.

The devil and his minions are powerful, and we should not take lightly the schemes of the enemy. But sometimes we give way too much credit to the devil. God is omniscient, which means He knows everything--even our thoughts. But the devil, while powerful, is nowhere near as powerful as God. And the devil is not omniscient. While I believe the devil can plant evil thoughts in our minds, he does not know our thoughts. And if this is true, I cannot just "think" these ugly thoughts away when they bombard me. This is why I believe it is so important to speak aloud to the source of bad thoughts. With the authority given to us by Jesus, and with the word of God on our lips, we need tell these wicked thoughts to leave. And they will! I don't need to shout or scream, but I do want the enemy and/or his representatives to hear and to heed the word of God Almighty.

If we ever entertain any impure thoughts (and we all know what thoughts are pure and what thoughts are not), then we are only asking for trouble. Therefore, I urge you to do what God's word tells us to do, and "take every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."

An Abundance of Blessings

2009-12-13T18:53:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I warned that we, as Christians, cannot simply have faith for anything we want; we have to ground our faith in God's word. Having said this, God has promised so much to those that follow Him. And we need to realize this! Our heavenly Father wants to pour out His blessings on us much more than we often realize. Jesus gives us a glimpse of this, "So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him" (Luke 11:13, NLT). God wants to give us the gift of the Holy Spirit, and He wants to shower us with an abundance of blessings. All we need to do is ask!

"You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions" (James 4:2-3, ESV).

Believing, and the Need to Know God's Word

2009-12-12T09:51:00.000-06:00

The writer of the book of Hebrews tells us in the 11th chapter what faith is, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1, ESV).

Simply put, to have faith in something, is to be convinced of something. To have faith in God, is to believe that God will do what He has said He will do. This is why it is so vitally important to know God's word. We can't believe for something just because we want to. Even if there is something that we think we need, this still doesn't mean that we can automatically have faith for it to come to pass. We can only have faith for those things which God's word has promised us.

Let me give you an example. Suppose you and I were good friends, and you and your spouse wanted to go to a Christmas party tonight. But in order to go, someone would need to watch your children while you were gone. And suppose someone then asked you, "who is going to watch your kids tonight?" And you replied, "Bob Lawrence is going to come by the house and watch them." And then let's imagine that this person also asked, "did Bob say he would watch your children for you tonight?" And your response was, "no, I'm just believing that he will." Do you see how misplaced this faith is? It borders on ridiculous, but people do this with God all the time. While I might gladly babysit for my friends, they have no right to believe that I'm going to do it unless I had told them that I would. And it is the same with our faith in God: We can't just believe God for anything we so choose; we need to ground our faith in what God has said He will do.

It Really Is a Wonderful Life!

2009-12-11T09:00:00.000-06:00

Tonight I am taking my wife, my son and his wife, and my youngest daughter and her boyfriend to see the play, "It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play." I've always enjoyed the movie, and I can't wait to see a live production of it.

The title and the script of this play/movie communicates and parallels how extraordinary a life in Christ can really be. Yes, like the main character in the story, George, I sometimes feel like the life I'm living isn't that wonderful at all; but it really is! I received an email this morning from a young lady in Haiti who shared with me how blessed her life has been in the past six months. She went on to tell me that a sermon I had preached over in Haiti back in early June had been very instrumental to her current walk with the Lord. This really caught me off guard, because I had no idea that the words which God spoke through me on that hot Sunday morning in Haiti this past June had touched this young Haitian woman so much. But God has a way of doing this.

I know it's tough to walk by faith, instead of walking by those things we see everyday in the natural (2 Cor. 5:7), but we need to realize that God is able to accomplish so much more through our lives than we will ever fully comprehend. And that should excite all of us who are in Christ to embrace the wonderful life that God really has set before us.

Judging Others and the Treadmill Effect

2009-12-10T08:36:00.000-06:00

I recognize the value of continually asking God to cleanse me of any and all sin that tries to creep into my life. To me, unconfessed sin is something I refuse to play around with! Therefore, I don't want a single day to go by when I don't ask God to forgive me of my sin, and to help me in my efforts to never go that way again.

However, God is also bringing me to a place where I really recognize the dangers involved with casting judgement on others. Now I certainly understand that we live in a world where each of us has to constantly make individual and collective judgements about things; this is simply part of life. We are constantly bombarded with decisions that require using sound judgment: Is this safe? Would this be a wise thing to do? The list is endless.

In 1 Corinthians 13 we are told in no uncertain terms that, as Christians, we are nothing unless we embrace life and all that we do with true selfless love. Scripture is clear, "If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others, I would have gained nothing" (1 Cor. 13:3). In other words, we might think we are making great strides as Christians, but in reality we're not going anywhere. I call it the treadmill effect. On a treadmill you might go 1 mile, 5 miles, or 100 miles; but at the same time you've gone nowhere.

I see how casting judgment on others can have the same effect in our lives. If we want God's blessings to flow in our lives, and if we want to mature in our intimacy with God, and if we want to experience all that God wants us to experience, then we need to stop casting judgement on others. In Luke 6:37 Jesus tells us very plainly how damaging it is to cast judgement on others. We need to stop concerning ourselves with the specks of dirt in the eyes of others, and concern ourselves with the large amounts of junk we have in our own eyes (Matt. 7:3). Otherwise, we are just spinning our wheels and kidding ourselves! In reality, our "Christian" endeavors are not very Christian at all.

Let's all stop casting judgment on others, get off the treadmill, and be all Christ intends for us to be.