Trust Files

In my job, I have responsibility for the destruction of documents for the area I cover. Today was a bit different than the usual "grab the shred and go"". We cleaned out the basement at one of my locations which was full of ancient trust files. We carried out over 180 large boxes full of mostly estate files. This afternoon, we started to run them through the shredder. I got to thinking that we were destroying the entire story of the lives of certain people. The larger files contained hundreds of documents detailing the assets and acquisitions of a lifetime of work. I got to thinking how hard they must have worked to acquire their wealth, and how hard they worked to grow and protect it. Now, I am am simply sending it into a machine that grinds it to little bits. How fleeting this small life is! It is especially so when you think about eternity. I've often thought that life is a warm up for the main event, when Heaven and Earth will be made new along with all of us. In that perspective, I want to have treasure that really lasts, the kind that is stored in Heaven. The kind I can lay at the feet of Jesus out of love for what He has done for us. Don't get me wrong, money isn't evil, but it can and unfortunately often does become an idol. Everything belongs to God, and every pursuit should begin with God and His purposes, not you and your ideas. I praise the Spirit for reminding me of this when I forget it.

I'm Sorry

Dear Non-believer,
I'm sorry. I'm sorry that we as Christians have given you the wrong impression of our Savior. I know we tend to present and misrepresent Him in ways that turn you off to the message of God's love and grace. First, we tend to politicize Jesus. He was never and will never be a political movement or force. Jesus worked from the bottom up. He frequently turned and had compassion on those that "decent" society would have nothing to do with. He was the friend to the leper, the blind beggar, the prostitute, and the vile tax collector. He didn't march into Rome and overthrow Caesar, or run for the senate. We tend to think if we just pass the right laws, or elect the right people, that that counts as evangelism. Jesus believes in being relational. He loves you one-on-one. We should be better at loving you on a personal level. The by-product of that is a moral society, a society that passes laws in an attempt to legislate morality will never succeed. Second, I'm sorry that we tend to huddle in our little groups. I'm sorry that we like to spend time with people that walk, talk, and look like us. The gospel is not a message for a certain kind of people, it is for everyone. God created eveyone! He purposefully create a diversity among humans so that when we come together we are a beautiful masterwork! We were, and never will be, an exclusive club whose income, status, or geneolgy has to be just so. Lastly, I'm sorry that we don't do a good job of living out our faith. We're loud when we shouldn't be, and quiet when we should be standing firm. We need to a better job of loving everyone. We need to be salt and light to the world. I've often wondered how we are supposed to win people for Christ without showing them what it means to be a follower. We rely too heavily on "drive-by" evangelism instead of relationship building. I missed the Bible story about Jesus buzzing by, handing out a tract and leaving. I do however, recall that He spent significant time with people healing, teaching, and loving. He immersed Himself in the emotions and trials of the people that He came into contact with, no one was beneath His time. I will, however, not apologize for the gospel. Jesus came to Earth to accomplish His great purpose. Everywhere He went, He touched the lives of people. He suffered at the hands of His people and died for them. He died for us too. He is the only one who could take our debt on and cancel it. He set aside His divinity just to stoop down to gather us up in His arms. Shouldn't we do the same as a reflection of Him?

The Thief on the Cross

With the recent events of the world, I've been thinking about the thief on the cross next to Jesus a lot lately. I have actually been a little upset at our reaction in this country to the news of the death of Bin Laden. It's not because I don't think that the man was justified or a good person. His crimes were heinous, but do we need to celebrate death? Does his death really mean that anyone he hurt is any less dead, injured, or emotionally damaged by loss? Don't get me wrong, Bin Laden got the earthly justice he had incurred, but God's justice is much different. God doesn't see things through the eyes of blind vengeance, He sees things as sin or not sin. No sin is any greater than another to God. The same is true with our justification in Christ. His forgiveness is complete and binding as long as we don't deny Him. Hypothetically speaking, if Bin Laden had called out to Christ with his last breath, we are going to see him in Heaven, think about that one for a minute. That's what happened at Golgotha. The thief said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." We will see that thief in Heaven, Jesus made it possible. I'm not saying Bin Laden cried out to Jesus, but if he had, God would accept him. The same is true for any villain since the time of Christ. I am often stunned by how intolerant believers can be about other people. The important thing to remember here is that God hates sin, not people. People's sin is what incurs God's justice. God's desire is to save as many people as possible, and is being deliberately slow in His second coming for your sake. Just remember, with every strike of the whip, bruise, and hammer stroke, God said, "I love you!". The real enemy has been defeated, and this world is face its judgement by one who is able to do so justly.

The Strawberry Patch

The other day, I was weeding out my strawberry patch at home. I spent a lot of time on it because it was the first time this year I had done anything with it. Some of the weeds came out very easily, and the whole root came up with them. Some, like the crabgrass or dandelions, were more difficult to pull. I had to dig a little to get those out. When I got close to my strawberry plants, I had to take great care, I didn't want to damage their tender roots. The purpose of course was to allow them space to grow and flourish. Weeding also helps to eliminate the competition for nutrients and water resources. I got to thinking this might be a lot like what God does when he is trying to sanctify us. The weeds are like the sin in our lives, we are like the strawberry plants, and God is of course the gardener. He wants to get rid of the sin so we can grow, flourish, and bear fruit for the Kingdom. The church is kind of like that strawberry patch in that it is surrounded by field that is full of weeds. The weeds produce seeds that are blown into the patch all the time. I constantly have to pull the weeds, otherwise they take over and choke out my strawberries. One thing I noticed was that the prettiest weeds were the hardest to uproot. The violets were immensely difficult to pull. They also seemed to grow the closest to the strawberry plant. Isn't it that way with some of the sin in our lives too? It looks great to us, but it is the most aggressive and deeply rooted. These are the things that God must pull out carefully. He may even have to trim us back a little to get them out without permanent damage. The great thing about God is that he never fails to get the root. Other seeds may blow in and sprout, but the old weed that was deeply rooted is gone. He also is much better at keeping our lives "weeded out" than I am at keeping my garden. He never stops working nutrients and water into the soil, taking great care to give you everything you need to grow in Him, and to bear the best fruit.
May the peace and grace of the Lord Jesus go with you and keep you!

A lesson from Nehemiah

"When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven" (Nehemiah 1:4) Nehemiah was weeping because the city of Jerusalem had been conquered, the walls had been destroyed, and the gates burned. Jerusalem was where the center of God's people was supposed to be. He then set out from his very comfortable life to organize a revival amongst God's people by rebuilding the walls. It worked, and though he faced a lot of hardship in the process, he fulfilled his mission laid on him by the Lord.
When was the last time you were filled with this kind of emotion? Think about all of the lost and lonely people around you. Think of your neighbors and friends. Are all of them going to be with you in eternity? If not, isn't that a cause to weep? Well, now that I have thoroughly depressed you... sorry. It is time for a revival of our own. Instead of weeping and tearing our clothes, we should set about the task given us by Jesus: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20) . This is pretty clear to me, our Lord wants us ALL to be evangelists. He also promises to help. Actually, Jesus will do all the work, you just have to introduce people to Him. Pretty easy, huh? I know, I over-simplify. Not everyone will receive Jesus, and that is sad, but at least you can say you tried. There are a lot of times that I just want to shake people and say to them, "Don't you understand that I love you?", but that may be offensive to some people. I really do love people, as hard as it is sometimes. I don't see people as mean and cruel, just as lost people. This makes them do mean and cruel things, and only Jesus can change a person's heart. Remember, people will never see Jesus if you act like a Pharisee. Those guys just didn't get it, and it breaks my heart to see some of our brothers and sisters acting in this fashion. Here's the main points I guess:
1: Feel compassion for the lost with all of your spirit, soul, and body (With the assistance of the Holy Spirit of course)
2:Introduce people to Jesus, he'll do the rest.
3: Love everyone, they need it.
4: Remember that you too were once unsaved. Reflect on what life was like before then, compare, and realize that the ONLY way their lives will get better is with Jesus.

God Bless!

Almost....

Most of the time, with most of the skills I have, I am almost great at them. Oh, sure, I can do a fair job at most things I try, but I have never felt like I have "mastered" anything. Maybe I lack the patience to continually practice one thing or another. Maybe I am just destined to be a "Jack of All Trades, Master of None". Sometimes I feel like this in my spiritual life too. I always think that I should pray more, fast more, sing better, do more in ministry, teach better, witness more effectively, and the list goes on and on. When these thoughts come though, I must realize that as long as I am letting the Lord guide my path, He will make sure that I am effective and well equipped for the task. Remember to, that you are fighting in a spiritual war! The enemy would like nothing more than to dishearten you. Take heart! God is with you! I also have to realize that God is going to make me perfect someday. I have been justified at the cross, so why worry about gaining the whole knowledge of the world? Jesus said, " What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" (Mark 8:36)
In short, there is nothing "almost" with God. What He wants to be accomplished will be and has been. Furthermore, He didn't almost choose the right people, He doesn't make mistakes! You are loved and saved for a better purpose. Ask Him what it is that He wants you to do, throw away your own ideas about what you think you should be doing, and above all(as usual) read your Bible often and always. God Bless!

Self-esteem

I've been doing a little thinking about self-esteem lately, and I have come to the conclusion that it is a sin. I know I should write uplifting words of encouragement, which I will, after I explain myself here. First, let's look at the definition:

1. a realistic respect for or favorable impression of oneself; self-respect.

2. an inordinately or exaggeratedly favorable impression of oneself.
(http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/self-esteem)

I think we should start first with what Jesus has to say on the subject:

"Then he said to them all: 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?' "(Luke 9:23-25)

Denying yourself doesn't seem to fit the mantra of self-esteem does it? We are called to a life of service and sacrifice for His glory, not ours. Any thoughts or feelings of self-worth based on what you perceive as your own abilities is giving yourself glory! We need to first recognize that we are saved for His purpose and will first, and our need second. Every ability, gift, or treasure comes from God and belongs to God. To have "high self-esteem" is to lack humility, and also runs afoul of the first and second commandments (Exodus 20:3-4). Essentially, thinking too highly of yourself is a form of idol worship, and to define it as self-esteem is put an image to it. Yes, not a physical image, but one none the less. God even names Himself "Jealous" (Exodus 34:10), He detests idolatry.

Here's the good news, and a reason not to be depressed:
"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved." (Ephesians 2:4-5)
God bore His wrath caused by our sin on His own son, the only one who could take the penalty for us. Why? Because He loves us. Depression is a tool of our enemy, don't give into that one's whisperings. If you have given your life to Jesus, you are justified, righteous, and holy in the sight of God. What joy! What a reason to sing!
If you are feeling depressed, and nothing seems to get you out of it, one of two things is the case:
1. Search your heart, you not yet be converted! Have you given your life completely to Jesus?
2. You haven't put on the full armor of God, which is your salvation combined with the instruction of the Word. (In other words, trust Jesus, read your Bible, and go to a church that sits under the authority of the scriptures.)
Remember, this life is simply preparation for the main event, which is eternity in Heaven, reconciled to God, praising His name forever!

Thoughts on the Emergent or Emerging Church and some other thoughts

Lately, I have been increasingly concerned about some of the ideas of the "emerging church". I think this may be part of the message that God was trying to give me in my dream the other night (see previous post). In other words, I think this post applies to all false teaching. First I should try to define this movement as simply as I can. It finds its roots in the Evangelical movement. There is an emphasis on lay leadership, peer-to-peer evangelism, missional living, and wide variation in worship styles. These things I do not have a problem with (they are well-defined Biblically). I have been increasingly concerned with its preoccupation with social justice, political positioning, and acceptance of cultural and worldly ideas. I recently attended a meeting where some missionaries were talking about the work that they were doing in South America. They went on at length about trying to change trade practices and political systems. However, when they were asked by someone if they were sharing the Gospel with the people there, there was dead silence. After a bit there was an answer about not being directly involved with the people there, and they were, "just there to teach church leaders". We can't forget the driving force behind our desire to do good works. That is the grace of our God, shown to us in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ! I am also concerned that this push for social justice has shifted the focus of the local church from community to an emphasis on world missions. How many of your neighbors and co-workers are believers?
I also see a potential conflict of interest, so to speak. We cannot let the negative influences of the world enter the church, no matter how well meaning they may sound. One of those influences is consumerism and branding. I am interested in discipleship, not attendance numbers. I'm not saying that community outreach events should be stopped by any means, but a well-organized, doctrinally sound, and Bible-rooted church will prosper simply by its commitment to those core values. An emphasis on holiness and holy living will attract people to the church simply by example. God desires us to work on a person-to-person basis. The human soul and spirit has been created with a desire to seek God, and only one truth fulfills that desire. Nothing of this world can do that.
In short, I think there is an attempt to reform what is in no need of reform. Jesus did that work for us already. I think we try to push the church into a glossy box that we like to look at and feels good to the flesh. This is something that the Bible strongly admonishes. It's okay to have diversity of humanity in a church, but it's not okay to have diversity of spirit and truth. We should cater to Jesus! We are to be molded into His image, and not to the world's. I find it interesting that the emergent church movement was really spawned out of the same era that started to embrace Eastern Mysticism, pluralism, and the "if it feels good, do it" doctrine. I also worry that this will lead to the rise in "Christian" cults. I could even argue that entities like the Westboro Baptist Church are a product of this type of thinking, they use whatever scripture they like to fit and justify their own thinking. (I think they forgot the second of the two great commandments that Jesus gave). I guess, as usual, my message to everyone is, "READ YOUR BIBLE!". May God bless you and your church, and may it feed you the right food at the proper time.

A Dream, March 5, 2011

I was awoken this morning early by a dream. I think it was a warning to God's people. Now, before you think I've gone off the deep end, I did not see a revelation of end times or new scripture or what-not. In my dream I was in a church. I don't know what denomination or where. The service was reasonably well attended, but there was no life in the congregation. I was struck by the lack of enthusiasm and extreme ritual with which the service was presented. The sermon began, and while the pastor was talking, they started passing out bread for communion. Without a word on why we were eating the bread, the people were just gobbling it down. Not wanting to be out of place, I did the same. It tasted like a doughnut hole. They then started to pass out the "wine". I started to listen to the pastor talk while they were doing this, and got a real shock. He was on the pulpit proclaiming that the resurrection of Jesus was simply a bit of mythology. As he was saying this I looked and I saw that the "wine" was orange fruit punch. I could take no more of this and I interrupted the service. I admonished the pastor, and began to teach in what limited capacity that I had, but from the Bible. I saw life on the faces of the people as I began to speak to them directly from God's Word. I woke up shortly thereafter. I remember talking about rebirth, justification, and sanctification.
I think the warning is this: Beware of false teachers! They are everywhere, claiming to have some new insight on the Word. Read scripture for yourself, know that it is right. Guard yourself against these teachings! I was on a website last night that claimed to know the exact date of the Return (which incidentally was almost four years ago by their measure). It admonished people with scriptures taken out of context and out of time. These are the most dangerous of false teachers. They twist the Word to fit their theology instead of letting the Word shape their beliefs. Jesus warned us this would begin happen in the end times. See Matthew 24: 10-12, and Mark 13:21-23. Yes I know I said I didn't have a dream about the end times, but I believe that we have been in the "end times" since Jesus ascended. The point is, that our culture is starting to embrace a pantheistic and materialistic way of life. A lot of this has crept into the church. We have a "this is the way I want my religion, and can I have fries with that?" approach to living. If nothing else remember that Christ shed His blood and died so that your sins may be forgiven (past, present, and future for those that love Him). He rose on the third day to conquer death and Hell, and to prove that he is the messiah. We are born again of the Spirit (rebirth or regeneration) We get to count our sins to Christ, and take his credit of righteousness for ourselves (justification). And the Spirit will begin to mold us in Christ's image, and that this process will take the rest of our lives (sanctification). Loved ones, read your Bible, hide it in your heart so the enemy cannot have any victories in your life. The Word of God stands true, never forget, and do not stand for teaching (in loving admonishment) that is counter to the Word from anyone claiming faith in Christ. God bless the true church of Christ!

February 28, 2011

Do you have any friends who are unbelievers? Have you been active in trying to show your faith to them? I don't mean that you should go around and hand out pocket gospels to everyone you come into contact with (although, if you want to, I'm not going to argue). How do you treat them? Do you find yourself looking down on them? Let's think about this for a moment, and try to figure out why it is we sometimes do this. I think we try to put an expectation of holy living on a group of people that have not within them the capacity for such a life. The motivation for us to live a life of holiness is the presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. For someone who has not yet accepted Christ, the Spirit is not living within them. This should not make us be condescending towards our unsaved friends, but make us ever more compassionate. I have a desire to bring as many of my friends and loved ones with me to heaven as possible and you should too! Remember that at the moment they are still captive to the world and in bondage of sin. Christ sets us free of that bondage and makes us his own possession (I realize this is a bit paradoxical, and a subject of many more posts to come). The only way to view your friends is to see that they are in need of emancipation. They need to see that being a Christian is the only way to achieve real joy and fulfillment. Be tenderhearted and always be ready to lend a hand. Demonstrate the love of Christ, be the hands and feet. Be the good Samaritan in the figurative sense, stop and render life-saving aid, no matter the cost and risk. Love your unsaved friends without reservation. Remember, you were once as they are now.

Grace

I think it is important for a Christian to try to understand the significance of grace. Grace, simply put, is God's love expressed through the redeeming sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. He sent his only son to suffer and die in my place. Why did he do this? It was the only way His will could be accomplished. It was the only way that we can be reconciled to Him. He created us for a relationship, but because of our rebellion, we separated ourselves from Him. Even though He knew it was going to happen, I'm sure it still broke His heart when it happened. This was simply not acceptable, and God already knew how this was going to be fixed. I am amazed at His great love, his kindness, and his mercy. Before I was a Christian, I knew things weren't right. I lived a "good" life. I was kind and cheerful, generous and gentle, but I still felt like something was wrong. I felt a sense of longing for an answer to that problem. The Lord came through. He said, "Follow me.", and I listened. He took my sin and died for it, and credited His righteousness to me. He never fails me, and he never leaves me. What a deal! There is a catch though, but it is one I am happy to accept. I am now a servant and a bond slave of Christ, forever his possession. And to think, one day I will be made perfect because of what He did, not because of anything I've done, except to answer His call. Until then, I wait, watch, and do what He tells me to. Praise the Lord!

Statement of Faith

This is going to be long, but I think it important to lay out my faith and theology at the outset.

1. I believe in The Triune God. Three distinct, yet equal and completely unified parts of one whole: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
2. I believe that the Bible is the unerring, perfect word of God. I take it to be completely literal, factual, and correct.
3. I believe that God, first for His perfect will and purposes, and second, because of our inescapable problem of sin, sent His son, Jesus, to suffer and die on the cross and rise again on the third day. In so doing Jesus died a sacrificial death to justify us to God by his blood. In so doing, all who call on his name are covered by his blood, causing God to forgive every sin past, present, and future.
4. I believe that Jesus is the only one able to accomplish this because of his sinless nature.
5. I believe that faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life in Heaven.
6. I believe that Jesus Christ will return in glory at the end of the present age to usher in His kingdom for eternity.
7. I believe God desires a personal relationship with His creation as father and friend. When a person accepts Christ, he or she becomes a true child of God and coheirs with Christ.
8. I believe that all who come to genuine faith in Christ will never fall away.
9. I believe that miracles are NOT limited to the Apostolic Age, and that we are given dominion over all things on Earth.
10. I believe it is our duty as servants of Christ to spread the gospel to the whole world through a variety of means. First among these means is the example we set for the world in our daily lives.
11. I accept the rule of Christ in my life, and allow him to sanctify me until we are made perfect in Heaven. I believe this is accomplished through the work of the Holy Spirit.
12. I believe that when I accepted Christ, I was spiritually born again, and am now a new creation.
13. I believe that baptism in water is an important outward symbol of faith. That being said, there is no means of external or ritual ablution that can cleanse you of sin, only faith in Christ, and a true heart commitment to Him is the means by which we are saved.
14. I submit to God's will, and put my own aside knowing that His is perfect, and mine is carnal.
15. I believe that Christ is the King, and the head of the church.