Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)
"And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing, situation -- some fact of my life -- unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing, or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment. Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God's world by mistake. Until I could accept my alcoholism, I could not stay sober;
Unless I accept life completely on life's terms, I cannot be happy. I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and in my attitudes." Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition p. 417 Copyright 1976 A.A.W.S. Inc.
This has been an interesting week. On Monday of this past week, fresh from a week with my wife on vacation, I returned to work and encountered something that inspired me to write this entry. Many of you may not know but my job consists of working with individuals who have had a traumatic brain injury (TBI). I help them with vocational counseling, whether that consists of helping them accept what they can no longer do or to explore careers that a person who suffers an injury of this type can pursue based on their symptoms and ability post-injury. I encountered a situation this week that inspired the thoughts that I now "put to paper". I'll give a little information that is general in nature due to confidentiality. I saw someone who was trained for a very high level military job and at the conclusion of their training, before they began their career, they were injured in an accident. This accident resulted in injuries that eliminated the possibility of this individual being able to fulfill their career aspirations and left them with devastating injuries that medical science says will hinder this person from being able to be independent for the rest of his life. This medical opinion was reinforced by many different specialists in many different parts of the country. Injuries of this type keep an individual from completing any complex task (or from multi-tasking). Injuries like this also keep an individual from committing information to short-term memory so that it eventually can be stored in long-term memory. In other words, it limits the ability to learn new information and also the ability to act on old information in a complex way. A person with this type of injury can go from being one of the highest functioning individuals that you can describe to one who is very much like a five year old. Often times, a person who suffers this type of injury must have supervision and a caregiver 24 hours a day. A meeting occurred with the family of one such individual this past week. As we sat in the meeting with various trainied speicialty physicians and specialists from various fields, I listened as each in turned talked about the individual and the fact that medically, everything had been done for the individual that could be completed in a hospital setting. The family needed to look at the reality of taking the person home or to a structured environment where little, if any progress, would be made in the future in regard to improvement. Also in question was this persons ability to find meaning in some type of work if they were able to work at all. Also sitting in the room, and the center of this meeting and the reason for which is was called, were the parents. After each medical professional gave their opinion, the mother and father of this individual stated that they believed that their child will improve and will have a greater purpose than the consensus of opinions around the room. They also stated in no uncertain terms that they would keep "pushing" against the opinion of the medical community that further progress would be made. They would continue to advocate for therapy and treatment of their son, even if the medical community said that he had reached maximum benefit from the treatment. Were they in denial? Many sitting in that room probably thought so. But I venture another opinion. I believe that they illustrate what is means to have faith. They did not deny their son medical treatment in the hopes that God would perform a miracle apart from the normal established God-given abilities of medical treatment. Rather, they availed themselves of every type of medical treatment that modern science offered. In fact, they had searched all over the country for medical alternatives. They were availing themselves of everything that God had placed at their disposal but when the knowledge of those disciplines had reached it's limits, instead of giving up, they continued to push and chose to believe that God was able to push the boundaries of science and do what man cannot do.
Do I know what the outcome of this situation is going to be? No. Do I believe they are in denial. No. They know what the medical facts are. They are just believing God for something greater, whatever method He chooses to use. Whether it is medical science or the miraculous, God is always bigger than the circumstance.
I have also spent several years of my career as a Substance Abuse Counselor. The "acceptance paragraph" which is quoted from the Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book, is a classic statement and foundation for recovery. It keeps individuals who are struggling with addiction from getting frustrated with themselves and others. It is profound in it's simplicity. However, acceptance is not a substitute for faith. It is the foundation on which faith is built. It is knowing that things are the way they are because that is the way they are. However, faith is believing that God is bigger than the way that things are and can change them. Faith is believing that HE will change them while I am still living in the way that they are. Living is not waiting. It is walking in the midst of. It is accepting but trusting in the God of change.
I saw faith in action this week. When you see it, don't expect everyone around you to understand it. Only those who are seeking to walk by faith will understand faith when they see it in others. Even then it is a mystery beyond understanding. But don't mistake faith for denial. Denial is the refusal to see things as they are. Faith is the ability to see things as they are but choosing to go beyond to the way that they can be with the God of creation on the scene. FAITH IS SUBSTANCE. FAITH IS THE MATTER. FAITH MAKES WHAT IS UNSEEN MORE REAL THAT WHAT IS SEEN.
Sunday, January 29, 2017
Monday, December 19, 2016
Musings of a Prodigal Son - Not My Life
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)
As I was sitting in a great worship service on Sunday Morning, several things began to dawn on me. I'm sure you know the feeling you have when you hear something that you've heard many times but it is as if you are hearing it for the first time. We were worshipping and singing a wonderful warfare chorus that contains the following lines:
There's a breaking in my favor,
there's a shifting in my direction,
there's a breaking in my favor as I praise!
HALLELUJAH!
This is a powerful warfare song and praise does have the power to break walls and change things. That is truth and I do not want to diminish that fact. Praise from an open heart is one of the most powerful tools we have against our enemy (Satan).
However, as I am worshipping God, I am reminded that so much of our focus is on getting God to provide breakthroughs FOR US. Having a breakthrough is a testimony and shows the great power of our God. When things change that the natural world cannot explain and which go against the natural order of things, there can be no doubt that our God is great.
The truth of this song is that God breaks in our favor AS WE LIVE SUBMITTED TO HIS LORDSHIP. If we are submitted to his Lordship, Satan will try to thwart our life at every turn because it is hurting his plan and purpose for the world. We need the warfare forces of heaven to intervene for us.
But as I am singing this, I realize while I am observing others and thinking about my own life, we often want God to give us the "break through" while we are living life OUR way. When we don't get what WE want, we are prone to think that God is not listening to us.
Praise works when we live a radical life! Radical by the world's standards but a STANDARD life by God's instruction. He said that greater works shall WE do because He goes to the Father. The forces of darkness led by Satan will do everything they can to prohibit the spread of the Kingdom of God and they will attempt to thwart our life at every turn if we live radically for God. We are not promised a breakthrough in a quest to build our own PERSONAL KINGDOM! If our goals are not Kingdom Goals, we are not promised to have a breakthrough. The life of a radically committed follower of Christ is not limited to this current realm or world. The view from a radically committed life is one that stretches into eternity! Live or Die, my life is Christ. That is the attitude of a true believer who watches spiritual walls fall down like blocks stacked too high!
The old saints knew what they were singing when they sang, "this world is not my home." (they were saying that my home is wherever Christ leads me whether in this realm or the one to come).
When I look back at my own life, the breakthroughs have always come when I didn't care about me. Those rare times when I have just desired to follow him no matter how radical it seemed. This takes me back to a time when I was meeting with a friend in a small room, praying that God's will would be done in my life. I meant it. I made radical decisions as I sought to listen to God. Even though I could have made mistakes in the "hearing from God", it did not deter me from attempting and God gave me breakthroughs. He opened doors. He made things happen. He met my needs and the needs of my family. Can I do it again? That is the thought that kept running through my mind as I worshipped God yesterday. Do I believe strongly enough to be radical in my decisions as God leads? Do I still trust him even though I know "more" than I once did? Has my knowledge decreased my faith? Do I believe what God says despite what I see? Has my ability to see more of this natural world resulted in a decreased ability to discern that which is unseen? Waiting for the "reasonableness" of the hour is never the way of God. Being a true disciple now looks more radical than it has in the past. This is because we are more worldly than we've ever been.
The focus of a life submitted to Christ is supposed to be one of SACRIFICE. It means giving up my will for His. It means that my life is not supposed to be lived for me to have breakthroughs as I want them but rather to allow my life to be lived so that others may know Christ, however long my life is. Sometimes the breakthrough is a using up of our life so that others may know him. Sometimes people die (leave this present world) so that others may see God. This is a radical view of discipleship but the model set forth by Jesus. Let us not bring Jesus down to our standard but let us raise our standard to live as He lived. He died to give us that capacity. The sole purpose of a life who has Christ is to magnify him in this present world for as long as God sees fit. Period. It is taking the long view. We have lost this perspective in much of western society because living for Christ often does not "cost" us anything. Many who profess to be Christians today are living from a "what's in it for me" mentality. This has nothing to do with true discipleship. A true disciple is only concerned with serving others. What about you and me?
Jesus was never intended to be our "whole life insurance policy" with the benefits being drawn out for OUR benefit while we live. Rather, we are drawn to Christ in order to magnify Him so that others are drawn to him. Our life is truly not our own if we believe what the Bible says.
Remember Jesus' call to some of his early disciples (Luke 9:59). He said, "Come, follow me." At some point, some of them said, "First, let us go bury our father and then we'll come." In other words, "Let us make arrangements first." That's only reasonable right? No. Jesus replied, "Let the dead bury their dead." He was not being insensitive to their familial needs. He was simply saying, "I am calling, follow me NOW." Surrender NOW. Serve NOW. Sacrifice NOW. Change your focus and life goals NOW. True Christianity is not based on logic and what is reasonable. It is based solely on submission and obedience. Power comes when the first make themselves the last and put the last first. When the most anointed and powerful become the humblest servants. If we want to see the power of God manifest in this present realm, this is the type of obedience needed. When David slew the giant Goliath, he did it because he did not look at the reasonableness of obedience. He didn't say, "Man, that is a big dude. There is no way I'm going out there." He said, "How dare someone taunt God like that, I will face him in obedience to my Father God. The outcome is HIS. My business is to obey."
The Word of God often cuts deeply. Will we shield ourselves from the blade of radical obedience?
As I was sitting in a great worship service on Sunday Morning, several things began to dawn on me. I'm sure you know the feeling you have when you hear something that you've heard many times but it is as if you are hearing it for the first time. We were worshipping and singing a wonderful warfare chorus that contains the following lines:
There's a breaking in my favor,
there's a shifting in my direction,
there's a breaking in my favor as I praise!
HALLELUJAH!
This is a powerful warfare song and praise does have the power to break walls and change things. That is truth and I do not want to diminish that fact. Praise from an open heart is one of the most powerful tools we have against our enemy (Satan).
However, as I am worshipping God, I am reminded that so much of our focus is on getting God to provide breakthroughs FOR US. Having a breakthrough is a testimony and shows the great power of our God. When things change that the natural world cannot explain and which go against the natural order of things, there can be no doubt that our God is great.
The truth of this song is that God breaks in our favor AS WE LIVE SUBMITTED TO HIS LORDSHIP. If we are submitted to his Lordship, Satan will try to thwart our life at every turn because it is hurting his plan and purpose for the world. We need the warfare forces of heaven to intervene for us.
But as I am singing this, I realize while I am observing others and thinking about my own life, we often want God to give us the "break through" while we are living life OUR way. When we don't get what WE want, we are prone to think that God is not listening to us.
Praise works when we live a radical life! Radical by the world's standards but a STANDARD life by God's instruction. He said that greater works shall WE do because He goes to the Father. The forces of darkness led by Satan will do everything they can to prohibit the spread of the Kingdom of God and they will attempt to thwart our life at every turn if we live radically for God. We are not promised a breakthrough in a quest to build our own PERSONAL KINGDOM! If our goals are not Kingdom Goals, we are not promised to have a breakthrough. The life of a radically committed follower of Christ is not limited to this current realm or world. The view from a radically committed life is one that stretches into eternity! Live or Die, my life is Christ. That is the attitude of a true believer who watches spiritual walls fall down like blocks stacked too high!
The old saints knew what they were singing when they sang, "this world is not my home." (they were saying that my home is wherever Christ leads me whether in this realm or the one to come).
When I look back at my own life, the breakthroughs have always come when I didn't care about me. Those rare times when I have just desired to follow him no matter how radical it seemed. This takes me back to a time when I was meeting with a friend in a small room, praying that God's will would be done in my life. I meant it. I made radical decisions as I sought to listen to God. Even though I could have made mistakes in the "hearing from God", it did not deter me from attempting and God gave me breakthroughs. He opened doors. He made things happen. He met my needs and the needs of my family. Can I do it again? That is the thought that kept running through my mind as I worshipped God yesterday. Do I believe strongly enough to be radical in my decisions as God leads? Do I still trust him even though I know "more" than I once did? Has my knowledge decreased my faith? Do I believe what God says despite what I see? Has my ability to see more of this natural world resulted in a decreased ability to discern that which is unseen? Waiting for the "reasonableness" of the hour is never the way of God. Being a true disciple now looks more radical than it has in the past. This is because we are more worldly than we've ever been.
The focus of a life submitted to Christ is supposed to be one of SACRIFICE. It means giving up my will for His. It means that my life is not supposed to be lived for me to have breakthroughs as I want them but rather to allow my life to be lived so that others may know Christ, however long my life is. Sometimes the breakthrough is a using up of our life so that others may know him. Sometimes people die (leave this present world) so that others may see God. This is a radical view of discipleship but the model set forth by Jesus. Let us not bring Jesus down to our standard but let us raise our standard to live as He lived. He died to give us that capacity. The sole purpose of a life who has Christ is to magnify him in this present world for as long as God sees fit. Period. It is taking the long view. We have lost this perspective in much of western society because living for Christ often does not "cost" us anything. Many who profess to be Christians today are living from a "what's in it for me" mentality. This has nothing to do with true discipleship. A true disciple is only concerned with serving others. What about you and me?
Jesus was never intended to be our "whole life insurance policy" with the benefits being drawn out for OUR benefit while we live. Rather, we are drawn to Christ in order to magnify Him so that others are drawn to him. Our life is truly not our own if we believe what the Bible says.
Remember Jesus' call to some of his early disciples (Luke 9:59). He said, "Come, follow me." At some point, some of them said, "First, let us go bury our father and then we'll come." In other words, "Let us make arrangements first." That's only reasonable right? No. Jesus replied, "Let the dead bury their dead." He was not being insensitive to their familial needs. He was simply saying, "I am calling, follow me NOW." Surrender NOW. Serve NOW. Sacrifice NOW. Change your focus and life goals NOW. True Christianity is not based on logic and what is reasonable. It is based solely on submission and obedience. Power comes when the first make themselves the last and put the last first. When the most anointed and powerful become the humblest servants. If we want to see the power of God manifest in this present realm, this is the type of obedience needed. When David slew the giant Goliath, he did it because he did not look at the reasonableness of obedience. He didn't say, "Man, that is a big dude. There is no way I'm going out there." He said, "How dare someone taunt God like that, I will face him in obedience to my Father God. The outcome is HIS. My business is to obey."
The Word of God often cuts deeply. Will we shield ourselves from the blade of radical obedience?
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Musings of a Prodigal Son - The Architect of Evil
"But what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds." (2 Corinthians 11:12-15)
I remember as a child living in Alabama that there were these beautiful red berries that grew in the woods that looked so delicious. However, at an early age, my mother and dad taught me that eating these berries would make me very sick. They looked delicious. In fact they looked even more delicious than the strawberries that we grew in our small strawberry patch. There is a lesson in these berries. Things that can hurt us are not always "ugly" and they don't always "appear" to be bad.
There are two types of people in this world (there are actually more but basically we can divide people into two groups. There are those that believe that there is an organizing entity who works in this world toward some end. They believe that things are not random but rather intricately designed by a creator who has a divine purpose. There is also the type of person in the world who believes that everything is random. This person believes that things happen per chance and that arbitrary circumstances create the world as we know it. These people believe that evolutionary changes in one way or another will continue until some happen stance destroys this world as we know it. This will result in some other form at some distant time in the future. This is some form of the "Big Bang" logic of the universe.
The purpose of this blog is not to discuss the differences of each of these viewpoints. I want to spend time today exploring the first type of belief where an organizing entity works toward some end or purpose. For those of us who call ourselves Christians, we believe that the organizing entity is God and that He is moving His creation toward a specific purpose. Mainly, to create a people who will have eternal fellowship with Him.
Just as God has a purpose for humanity, so does Satan (the fallen one mentioned in scripture many times). His overriding purpose is to destroy humanity and keep us all eternally separated from God. The Bible says that he roams the earth (his domain), seeking whom he may devour. It would seem that an enemy so cruel would be readily recognizable. However, this is not the case. Make no mistake, just as God's plan for each of our lives is very detailed, so is Satan's. Satan is the master architect of this present world. This is his domain, his stage. This is where he plays his final cards, this is his curtain call. As such, he makes the most of the resources that he has at his disposal.
A tactic of war since the beginning of time has been to blend in with the enemy. This is a very effective tactic as it is impossible to kill an enemy whom you cannot see or distinguish from your allies. This is the reason that spies and traitors, throughout history have met with such stiff punishments when caught. They are very destructive to a nation or people. There is no defense against something that you don't see coming. Name the greatest defensive weapons you can think of and I'll guarantee you that they are ineffective against an unseen foe. Terrorism is such a destructive force not because of its firepower and brute force but rather because of it's potential to remain unseen until a strike is eminent.
I became a Pastor in 1991. At that time, I was a "wet behind the ears" 23 year-old who wanted to conquer the world for God. I didn't have the "big city experience" of some large church in a urban setting but did take my task seriously as a small town pastor of a church of loving people. The world in which I began to pastor was a world that basically got its news from three sources: the TV, the newspaper, and the radio. Anything else was "hearsay" that someone heard from someone else. It wasn't a perfect world, some of the same abuses occurred then as today but good information was easier to gain and people often got their world view and moral underpinning from people that they "knew". The trusted people in the community were the Pastors, the teachers, and the civil authorities, as well as elderly people who had truly "lived" before. Many today would call this an "isolated" existence. They would be mistaken. Many of the same lessons learned by people today were learned by people who lived this type of life. Additionally, the same concerns, the same problems (though the manifestation might have been different) existed then as today. The opportunity to grow as a person existed then as it does today.
I remember studying history in college. There was a period of history called, "The Age of Enlightenment." Sounds good doesn't it. Basically, this was a time period during the 18th century in which people expanded their minds to think in new ways. The Arts and Sciences expanded greatly during this time to include things that were forbidden before. Reason became the guiding force instead of faith. This in turn fostered in an age of discovery in which many inventions and technologies developed. These periods of "evolution" are marked by many good things. New vaccines are developed, new appreciation for various forms of art developed, and many technological advances were gained that allowed for a better quality of life. In a parallel sense, destructive forces also gained a foothold. These included the advent and expansion of forms of destructive arts, music, and man's elevation to the place of God as the determining entity for future success. Various diseases, which did not exist previously also began to manifest. Humanism (man's quest to determine his own destiny) began to take a foothold in the educated world. It seems in the recent past, we, as a nation have had somewhat of another "Age of Enlightenment" as man depends more and more on his own humanistic devices to make the world a better place. With the advent of new and better gadgets, we have also seen a moral decay and lack of accountability to a determining authority and objective truth greater than ourselves. In short, as we became more enlightened as a society, we have moved further away from the truth of God.
Exposure to anything over a long period of time creates a desensitization to whatever is exposed. Even nature bears this out. When an antibiotic is used to treat a disease caused by a bacteria, over time, the bacteria develops a mechanism to "live comfortably with" the anti-biotic. The bacteria has become "immune" to the invader. As humans are exposed to various things in the world, we too develop a tolerance for them and learn to "live comfortably with" whatever those things are. If these things contain seeds of destruction, if we are not careful about our exposure, we began to live comfortably with them. Over time we become desensitized to these things and live comfortably with them. These things can be good or bad. How do we determine which is good and bad if we can "live comfortably" with both? This is where God's Word comes into play. I used to think that Pastor's made such a big deal about the Bible being the inerrant Word of God. Why is this so important to believe? Because without a belief in the "guidebook" (Bible), humanity is open to any and every type of deception. We cannot interpret the guidebook by our experience but rather must interpret our experience by the guidebook. Deception does not come at us and "announce himself" as being deception. By its very nature, deception is the act of appearing to be something that it is NOT. An example may be prudent here. If you see pictures of me now, you will clearly recognize that I am overweight. If I used Photoshop to "paste" a well-toned muscular body on to my head and my skill was great enough to make it blend in and I posted a picture of this TOMORROW, you would still recognize it as a "fake" because of the drastic change in my appearance in a very short period of time. If, however, I posted pictures daily of me working out with weights, used Photoshop OVER TIME to doctor my pictures with various stages of muscle, it would not be hard to make you believe that I have a "six pack" abdomen and am in excellent physical condition, although in reality I may still be overweight. The point is I am deceiving you "by degrees" or incrementally. I heard it said many years ago that if you place a frog in water and begin to boil the water, that the frog will stay in the water until it begins to boil and hence meet its demise. However, if you toss a frog in boiling water, it will immediately jump out due to the sudden recognition of the brevity of its situation (never tried it and it would be cruel to). This illustrates my point. Deception always happens in stages when it is deception on a large scale. As acceptance of the deception becomes the norm, it also becomes the "enlightened" or "reasonable" perspective.
The days when I pastored a church were markedly different than things are today. Not just in the various types of technology we have, but also in the perception of the people that the gospel message has been proclaimed to. Let's go back even further. After the civil war in the United States, there was a marked focus on holiness among God's people. The process of sanctification and being "set apart" was stressed from pulpits across the land. The result was an outpouring of God's power due to a people who did not isolate themselves but DEVOTED (set aside themselves) in service to God. The focus has now shifted from service to God to God serving us. I've heard it said, "Tithe and God will give you blessings." Implied in this statement is the assumption that we are giving so that God serves us! How subtle the change but how dynamic the result! It was stressed that one's life was to be devoted to God! In today's world (I'm speaking to myself also!), to a large extent you cannot tell the difference between God's people and those who do not acknowledge God.
When I talk to my youngest children, the tolerance of things that are not Godly is very scary to me. It's as if the young people of today (even the so-called "millenniums") have been exposed to so much of the world, they espouse that to be Godly is to be accepting of everything and everyone. It is important to note that a lack of acceptance does not always correlate to "judging" another. Just because I don't accept something does not mean that I am judging a person for practicing it. Deception says that it is. Deception says that to take a stand on certain issues that God says are clearly wrong are being intolerant and therefore ungodly. How far from the truth this is! Where did this subtle change take place? How did it occur?
Could it be that we have far more exposure to the things of the world than we do the things of God? This may seem obvious to many but just how drastic is this shift? Look no further than network television. Things that plots are written about today would not have even been approached 40 years ago. Our current president even gave an award recently to one of the "ground-breaking" actors who spearheaded the shift in one of these areas. Dysfunction is touted as heroic on television and in movies. Deception is often masked as diversity in our slip down this slope. The only thing that is not tolerated is the truth, particularly when truth is absolute because it comes from our creator, God. When what we tolerate in our own lives and as a society is clearly contrary to what God says in His Word, we are in DECEPTION and at the mercy of the Architect of Evil, Satan.
I Love Video Games. But I must admit that video games have also taken that gradual shift down the road to deception. They desensitize us to violence (as does TV) and they also use up valuable time that could be spent in better "learning" activities. As I write this, keep in mind that I am not only speaking to others, I am speaking to myself. I play video games. But I must admit that this medium has also been used to take us further down the path to desensitivity. The themes and fantasy world are ripe with elements of the occult and dark arts in many video games. Are we naïve enough to think that these do not have some influence on those who play them?
Social Media (which is the avenue that I am using to get this blog entry out) has also been used as a medium of deception. The benefits have been touted. It does give us contact with those who live far away and allows us to "stay connected" in some way with others with whom we have some prior connection. However, it can also be an avenue to spread subtle forms of deception.
Remember Satan often runs his network of deception along the same lines that God uses to communicate His blessings (the way some pay-by-month phone companies use the networks of Verizon and AT&T). An example of this is the subject of sex. God created sex to be a wonderful form of connection to a person that you are bound to in a relationship of commitment that we call marriage. Satan also uses those same lines of sex for all manner of perversion and immorality.
As a society, we often tout ourselves as making progress. I have even heard over the past several weeks that we are now REGRESSING from the "progress" we have made over the last 20 years. I sure hope so. The reason I hope so is because I don't think it is progress. Rather, I think it is regression into deception. We may consider ourselves an enlightened people because of our gadgets, technology, and attitudes. However, "Enlightenment" does not always equate with progress. Just ask the first century Romans who suffered the demise of a great civilization after the hand of God was removed from their empire over their deception and condition of sin. Remember, there is a great Architect in this world (Satan) and the world's sense of "progress." Let us follow the Architect (God) whose Kingdom is not of this world. We are supposed to live in this world but not follow the same blueprint of this world. We already have a blueprint (God's Word). It hasn't changed for many centuries.
I remember as a child living in Alabama that there were these beautiful red berries that grew in the woods that looked so delicious. However, at an early age, my mother and dad taught me that eating these berries would make me very sick. They looked delicious. In fact they looked even more delicious than the strawberries that we grew in our small strawberry patch. There is a lesson in these berries. Things that can hurt us are not always "ugly" and they don't always "appear" to be bad.
There are two types of people in this world (there are actually more but basically we can divide people into two groups. There are those that believe that there is an organizing entity who works in this world toward some end. They believe that things are not random but rather intricately designed by a creator who has a divine purpose. There is also the type of person in the world who believes that everything is random. This person believes that things happen per chance and that arbitrary circumstances create the world as we know it. These people believe that evolutionary changes in one way or another will continue until some happen stance destroys this world as we know it. This will result in some other form at some distant time in the future. This is some form of the "Big Bang" logic of the universe.
The purpose of this blog is not to discuss the differences of each of these viewpoints. I want to spend time today exploring the first type of belief where an organizing entity works toward some end or purpose. For those of us who call ourselves Christians, we believe that the organizing entity is God and that He is moving His creation toward a specific purpose. Mainly, to create a people who will have eternal fellowship with Him.
Just as God has a purpose for humanity, so does Satan (the fallen one mentioned in scripture many times). His overriding purpose is to destroy humanity and keep us all eternally separated from God. The Bible says that he roams the earth (his domain), seeking whom he may devour. It would seem that an enemy so cruel would be readily recognizable. However, this is not the case. Make no mistake, just as God's plan for each of our lives is very detailed, so is Satan's. Satan is the master architect of this present world. This is his domain, his stage. This is where he plays his final cards, this is his curtain call. As such, he makes the most of the resources that he has at his disposal.
A tactic of war since the beginning of time has been to blend in with the enemy. This is a very effective tactic as it is impossible to kill an enemy whom you cannot see or distinguish from your allies. This is the reason that spies and traitors, throughout history have met with such stiff punishments when caught. They are very destructive to a nation or people. There is no defense against something that you don't see coming. Name the greatest defensive weapons you can think of and I'll guarantee you that they are ineffective against an unseen foe. Terrorism is such a destructive force not because of its firepower and brute force but rather because of it's potential to remain unseen until a strike is eminent.
I became a Pastor in 1991. At that time, I was a "wet behind the ears" 23 year-old who wanted to conquer the world for God. I didn't have the "big city experience" of some large church in a urban setting but did take my task seriously as a small town pastor of a church of loving people. The world in which I began to pastor was a world that basically got its news from three sources: the TV, the newspaper, and the radio. Anything else was "hearsay" that someone heard from someone else. It wasn't a perfect world, some of the same abuses occurred then as today but good information was easier to gain and people often got their world view and moral underpinning from people that they "knew". The trusted people in the community were the Pastors, the teachers, and the civil authorities, as well as elderly people who had truly "lived" before. Many today would call this an "isolated" existence. They would be mistaken. Many of the same lessons learned by people today were learned by people who lived this type of life. Additionally, the same concerns, the same problems (though the manifestation might have been different) existed then as today. The opportunity to grow as a person existed then as it does today.
I remember studying history in college. There was a period of history called, "The Age of Enlightenment." Sounds good doesn't it. Basically, this was a time period during the 18th century in which people expanded their minds to think in new ways. The Arts and Sciences expanded greatly during this time to include things that were forbidden before. Reason became the guiding force instead of faith. This in turn fostered in an age of discovery in which many inventions and technologies developed. These periods of "evolution" are marked by many good things. New vaccines are developed, new appreciation for various forms of art developed, and many technological advances were gained that allowed for a better quality of life. In a parallel sense, destructive forces also gained a foothold. These included the advent and expansion of forms of destructive arts, music, and man's elevation to the place of God as the determining entity for future success. Various diseases, which did not exist previously also began to manifest. Humanism (man's quest to determine his own destiny) began to take a foothold in the educated world. It seems in the recent past, we, as a nation have had somewhat of another "Age of Enlightenment" as man depends more and more on his own humanistic devices to make the world a better place. With the advent of new and better gadgets, we have also seen a moral decay and lack of accountability to a determining authority and objective truth greater than ourselves. In short, as we became more enlightened as a society, we have moved further away from the truth of God.
Exposure to anything over a long period of time creates a desensitization to whatever is exposed. Even nature bears this out. When an antibiotic is used to treat a disease caused by a bacteria, over time, the bacteria develops a mechanism to "live comfortably with" the anti-biotic. The bacteria has become "immune" to the invader. As humans are exposed to various things in the world, we too develop a tolerance for them and learn to "live comfortably with" whatever those things are. If these things contain seeds of destruction, if we are not careful about our exposure, we began to live comfortably with them. Over time we become desensitized to these things and live comfortably with them. These things can be good or bad. How do we determine which is good and bad if we can "live comfortably" with both? This is where God's Word comes into play. I used to think that Pastor's made such a big deal about the Bible being the inerrant Word of God. Why is this so important to believe? Because without a belief in the "guidebook" (Bible), humanity is open to any and every type of deception. We cannot interpret the guidebook by our experience but rather must interpret our experience by the guidebook. Deception does not come at us and "announce himself" as being deception. By its very nature, deception is the act of appearing to be something that it is NOT. An example may be prudent here. If you see pictures of me now, you will clearly recognize that I am overweight. If I used Photoshop to "paste" a well-toned muscular body on to my head and my skill was great enough to make it blend in and I posted a picture of this TOMORROW, you would still recognize it as a "fake" because of the drastic change in my appearance in a very short period of time. If, however, I posted pictures daily of me working out with weights, used Photoshop OVER TIME to doctor my pictures with various stages of muscle, it would not be hard to make you believe that I have a "six pack" abdomen and am in excellent physical condition, although in reality I may still be overweight. The point is I am deceiving you "by degrees" or incrementally. I heard it said many years ago that if you place a frog in water and begin to boil the water, that the frog will stay in the water until it begins to boil and hence meet its demise. However, if you toss a frog in boiling water, it will immediately jump out due to the sudden recognition of the brevity of its situation (never tried it and it would be cruel to). This illustrates my point. Deception always happens in stages when it is deception on a large scale. As acceptance of the deception becomes the norm, it also becomes the "enlightened" or "reasonable" perspective.
The days when I pastored a church were markedly different than things are today. Not just in the various types of technology we have, but also in the perception of the people that the gospel message has been proclaimed to. Let's go back even further. After the civil war in the United States, there was a marked focus on holiness among God's people. The process of sanctification and being "set apart" was stressed from pulpits across the land. The result was an outpouring of God's power due to a people who did not isolate themselves but DEVOTED (set aside themselves) in service to God. The focus has now shifted from service to God to God serving us. I've heard it said, "Tithe and God will give you blessings." Implied in this statement is the assumption that we are giving so that God serves us! How subtle the change but how dynamic the result! It was stressed that one's life was to be devoted to God! In today's world (I'm speaking to myself also!), to a large extent you cannot tell the difference between God's people and those who do not acknowledge God.
When I talk to my youngest children, the tolerance of things that are not Godly is very scary to me. It's as if the young people of today (even the so-called "millenniums") have been exposed to so much of the world, they espouse that to be Godly is to be accepting of everything and everyone. It is important to note that a lack of acceptance does not always correlate to "judging" another. Just because I don't accept something does not mean that I am judging a person for practicing it. Deception says that it is. Deception says that to take a stand on certain issues that God says are clearly wrong are being intolerant and therefore ungodly. How far from the truth this is! Where did this subtle change take place? How did it occur?
Could it be that we have far more exposure to the things of the world than we do the things of God? This may seem obvious to many but just how drastic is this shift? Look no further than network television. Things that plots are written about today would not have even been approached 40 years ago. Our current president even gave an award recently to one of the "ground-breaking" actors who spearheaded the shift in one of these areas. Dysfunction is touted as heroic on television and in movies. Deception is often masked as diversity in our slip down this slope. The only thing that is not tolerated is the truth, particularly when truth is absolute because it comes from our creator, God. When what we tolerate in our own lives and as a society is clearly contrary to what God says in His Word, we are in DECEPTION and at the mercy of the Architect of Evil, Satan.
I Love Video Games. But I must admit that video games have also taken that gradual shift down the road to deception. They desensitize us to violence (as does TV) and they also use up valuable time that could be spent in better "learning" activities. As I write this, keep in mind that I am not only speaking to others, I am speaking to myself. I play video games. But I must admit that this medium has also been used to take us further down the path to desensitivity. The themes and fantasy world are ripe with elements of the occult and dark arts in many video games. Are we naïve enough to think that these do not have some influence on those who play them?
Social Media (which is the avenue that I am using to get this blog entry out) has also been used as a medium of deception. The benefits have been touted. It does give us contact with those who live far away and allows us to "stay connected" in some way with others with whom we have some prior connection. However, it can also be an avenue to spread subtle forms of deception.
Remember Satan often runs his network of deception along the same lines that God uses to communicate His blessings (the way some pay-by-month phone companies use the networks of Verizon and AT&T). An example of this is the subject of sex. God created sex to be a wonderful form of connection to a person that you are bound to in a relationship of commitment that we call marriage. Satan also uses those same lines of sex for all manner of perversion and immorality.
As a society, we often tout ourselves as making progress. I have even heard over the past several weeks that we are now REGRESSING from the "progress" we have made over the last 20 years. I sure hope so. The reason I hope so is because I don't think it is progress. Rather, I think it is regression into deception. We may consider ourselves an enlightened people because of our gadgets, technology, and attitudes. However, "Enlightenment" does not always equate with progress. Just ask the first century Romans who suffered the demise of a great civilization after the hand of God was removed from their empire over their deception and condition of sin. Remember, there is a great Architect in this world (Satan) and the world's sense of "progress." Let us follow the Architect (God) whose Kingdom is not of this world. We are supposed to live in this world but not follow the same blueprint of this world. We already have a blueprint (God's Word). It hasn't changed for many centuries.
Monday, November 7, 2016
Musings of a Prodigal Son - Looking at the Forest and Not the Trees
I usually try to stay out of political discussions because, quite frankly, people get upset and a discussion of these things often breeds controversy. I feel that there are some important issues to consider as we vote for the next President of the United States as well as the other elected officials that will be leading us into the future. I have titled this entry, "Looking at the Forest and Not the Trees" because looking at the trees would make most people not even want to vote! Take a longer look at the forest. How is it shaping up? I am challenging myself and each of you to look at the forest through the lens of the Word of God.
I've heard many Christians say of this election "I am just gonna sit this one out." If anyone feels this way, they should reconsider this position. Don't forget, the freedom to elect our leaders is a blessing from God. Many people died to give us that right. If followers of Christ do not vote, we leave the electing of our public officials to those who are not seeking God. Much of the gradual decline of Christian Standards in our society is the direct result of lathargic Christian enclaves that have isolated themselves from the world, thinking that by isolating from the world, we could escape its degradation.
Two important points to consider. The first is that we, as followers of Christ, should align ourselves with what God says is truth. We should always do this to the best of our ability. This includes the process of choosing our leaders. If a prospective leader takes a stand on an issue that is contrary to the Word of God, we should in no circumstances vote for that person. God's Word for the Christian is determined by the Bible. It is God's Word. It doesn't contain God's Word, it is God's Word. Truth as the world sees it may change with the prevailing majority but God's truth has never changed. It is still the same. God's truth is not based on accepted norms, it is based on God's Word spoken through the Bible. Regardless of our opinions, we should see all leaders as human and subject to sin. There is something more important than our opinion of a prospective leader. There is their stance on various issues. Their true platform.
Let me mention one example to illustrate what I am saying. The Sanctity of Life is one of the issues that God is very clear on in His Word. God has always valued life. Any life. Every life. Not just the full-term pregnancy life. Life from its inception. Life begins in the mind of God. He said to the Psalmist, "I knew all of your parts when as yet there was none of them." He said to Jeremiah the prophet, "I knew you in the womb." The value of human life and the Sin of destroying it was truth when Roe vs. Wade was made a precedent by the Supreme Court in the early 1970s. Government sanctioned abortion is still a sin today. When a candidate for office takes a stand against life, this is a clear indicator that they are not who we should be voting for.
There are other issues that God is very clear about in His Word that particular candidates are taking the opposite stance on. When a person aligns their agenda on the opposing side of God's Truth, they should not be voted for by followers of Christ. This is regardless of their experience and regardless of their personality or gender. Remember, WE ARE NOT VOTING FOR A PERSON, WE ARE VOTING FOR AN AGENDA. Many leaders both worldly and Godly are mentioned in the Bible. It is a rather interesting study to look at various Kings, Emperors, and Leaders throughout the Bible and their stands on things related to God and His Truth. Some of the most worldly leaders still allowed the Truth of God to be proclaimed and protected it as the standard by which other faith beliefs were measured (i.e. see Nebuchadnezzar in the book of Daniel).
Many people vote for who they think can help the economy, who they think will give them the best chance of getting a raise, or even who their labor party or favorite group says to vote for. Many vote along ethnic or racial lines. Many vote along party lines. Christians should always be guided by a higher standard. That standard is the Word of God and Truth as defined by God. We should align with candidates whose agenda falls most in line with God's Truth. When looked at from this perspective, the choice becomes much clearer than trying to follow the "he said, she said" and personal attacks from various candidates. Look at their stance on various issues. Measure the Platforms and Agenda's of various candidate by God's truth
This election is important for many reasons but the foremost reason seems to be the potential of appointing five (5) justices to the United States Supreme Court. These justices are appointed by the acting President. This is indeed one of the most powerful tools in the hand of any acting President due to the fact that United States Supreme Court Justices are appointed for LIFE. They shape policy for sometimes generations. As the Supreme Court goes, so often goes our country. Very few Presidents have had the opportunity to appoint as many Supreme Court Justices as the next President will have.
I've read that no matter who wins this election, God is still on His Throne and Jesus is Lord. Praise God that this is true! However, we should do everything we can to align with the truth of God if we have any hope that God will continue to bless our great nation. The responsibility lies with each of us.
By all means we should: Study. Look. Pray. Vote. We have to be very careful to "walk circumspectly (looking around), redeeming the time, for the days are evil (Ephesian 5:15-16)
I've heard many Christians say of this election "I am just gonna sit this one out." If anyone feels this way, they should reconsider this position. Don't forget, the freedom to elect our leaders is a blessing from God. Many people died to give us that right. If followers of Christ do not vote, we leave the electing of our public officials to those who are not seeking God. Much of the gradual decline of Christian Standards in our society is the direct result of lathargic Christian enclaves that have isolated themselves from the world, thinking that by isolating from the world, we could escape its degradation.
Two important points to consider. The first is that we, as followers of Christ, should align ourselves with what God says is truth. We should always do this to the best of our ability. This includes the process of choosing our leaders. If a prospective leader takes a stand on an issue that is contrary to the Word of God, we should in no circumstances vote for that person. God's Word for the Christian is determined by the Bible. It is God's Word. It doesn't contain God's Word, it is God's Word. Truth as the world sees it may change with the prevailing majority but God's truth has never changed. It is still the same. God's truth is not based on accepted norms, it is based on God's Word spoken through the Bible. Regardless of our opinions, we should see all leaders as human and subject to sin. There is something more important than our opinion of a prospective leader. There is their stance on various issues. Their true platform.
Let me mention one example to illustrate what I am saying. The Sanctity of Life is one of the issues that God is very clear on in His Word. God has always valued life. Any life. Every life. Not just the full-term pregnancy life. Life from its inception. Life begins in the mind of God. He said to the Psalmist, "I knew all of your parts when as yet there was none of them." He said to Jeremiah the prophet, "I knew you in the womb." The value of human life and the Sin of destroying it was truth when Roe vs. Wade was made a precedent by the Supreme Court in the early 1970s. Government sanctioned abortion is still a sin today. When a candidate for office takes a stand against life, this is a clear indicator that they are not who we should be voting for.
There are other issues that God is very clear about in His Word that particular candidates are taking the opposite stance on. When a person aligns their agenda on the opposing side of God's Truth, they should not be voted for by followers of Christ. This is regardless of their experience and regardless of their personality or gender. Remember, WE ARE NOT VOTING FOR A PERSON, WE ARE VOTING FOR AN AGENDA. Many leaders both worldly and Godly are mentioned in the Bible. It is a rather interesting study to look at various Kings, Emperors, and Leaders throughout the Bible and their stands on things related to God and His Truth. Some of the most worldly leaders still allowed the Truth of God to be proclaimed and protected it as the standard by which other faith beliefs were measured (i.e. see Nebuchadnezzar in the book of Daniel).
Many people vote for who they think can help the economy, who they think will give them the best chance of getting a raise, or even who their labor party or favorite group says to vote for. Many vote along ethnic or racial lines. Many vote along party lines. Christians should always be guided by a higher standard. That standard is the Word of God and Truth as defined by God. We should align with candidates whose agenda falls most in line with God's Truth. When looked at from this perspective, the choice becomes much clearer than trying to follow the "he said, she said" and personal attacks from various candidates. Look at their stance on various issues. Measure the Platforms and Agenda's of various candidate by God's truth
This election is important for many reasons but the foremost reason seems to be the potential of appointing five (5) justices to the United States Supreme Court. These justices are appointed by the acting President. This is indeed one of the most powerful tools in the hand of any acting President due to the fact that United States Supreme Court Justices are appointed for LIFE. They shape policy for sometimes generations. As the Supreme Court goes, so often goes our country. Very few Presidents have had the opportunity to appoint as many Supreme Court Justices as the next President will have.
I've read that no matter who wins this election, God is still on His Throne and Jesus is Lord. Praise God that this is true! However, we should do everything we can to align with the truth of God if we have any hope that God will continue to bless our great nation. The responsibility lies with each of us.
By all means we should: Study. Look. Pray. Vote. We have to be very careful to "walk circumspectly (looking around), redeeming the time, for the days are evil (Ephesian 5:15-16)
Monday, October 31, 2016
Musings of a Prodigal Son - Disappointing Others
Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. (Galatians 6:1 New Living Translation)
Before any of you jump in and rescue me, I want to say that I am aware that Jesus forgives me of my sins. He is not surprised by them. I accept his forgiveness and have worked over the years on forgiving myself for my short-comings and my failures in my Christian Life. Particularly, the overt and blatant ones of which I am reminded daily by seeing the consequences of those sins in the lives of others as well as myself. But on the basis of these things I would like to mention something that has been on my mind today.
I had some sobering thoughts this morning while I was driving between hospitals to see patients. I was in that no-man's land between disappointment and regret. I was thinking about disappointing someone in my past who was like a spiritual son to me. I remember it well from approximately 15 years ago. I remember that I had made a decision to divorce my first wife and this individual phoned me in tears and pleaded with me to think about what I was doing. Not out of judgement, but out of genuine concern and pain. There is a difference. This individual confronted me in the proper way mentioned in the scripture about seeing a brother in error and confronting him out of love. He was in pain because of my decision. It was not an "I would never do something like that" kind of confrontation. It was the same kind of pain that you often see in a mother's eyes when she sees her children making a decision that will cause them pain. When you can confront like that, it leaves a lasting seed for the good. At that time, I was on a path that would lead me further away from God and this person was hurting because of it. I believe the pain was for two reasons. They could see where my decisions were leading me and they were disappointed that someone they saw as strong in their faith could make a decision to turn from God. This is not disdain, it is disappointment. Many people are "disdained" by the sins of others. In my life, I have also experienced many other people who confronted to judge. That's the life of the Pharisee. Looking down on others. I remember a specific example of this when I used to attend Pastor's conferences. Sometimes there would be a pastor who "back-slid" and some of the other pastors who were on the podium would make certain remarks when introducing one of their contemporaries, "Pastor Jim (name inserted by me) has ALWAYS been true to his calling. He has never wavered (implying that there was one missing who had wavered)." You could feel the judgment in some of their remarks for the ones who were not ALWAYS true to their calling.
I remember the incident above where my friend confronted me because it makes me want to be a better man now. I remember the pain in my dear brother's voice as he talked with me. Good seed does not lay dormant forever. It will eventually sprout into a life giving plant. My dear brothers' seed from all those years ago has in the past several years began germinating within me. Although our relationship has been strained and we have not spoken or seen each other since that time, I still respect him greatly for loving me enough to hurt for me. At the time, I gave no credence to his concern. I was focused on my way, not God's way. But.....if you are not hurting for me, don't confront me.
I spent a great deal of time with this person. We rode bicycles together once a week from the town I lived in to a neighboring town, we played video games together, we talked at length together. He "knew" me. He cared about me. That is what made him hurt for me when I sinned. I am convinced that is one of the main problems with the church today. We don't know each other. We don't spend enough "real" time together getting to know the "real" person. We see the "Sunday" person but not the "Monday-Friday" person. We don't talk about the real struggles.
That is the primary reason (my opinion) that many churches based on "cell groups" (individual groups of hurting people meeting in homes at various times each week and worshipping together on Sunday Morning) are some of the fastest growing if not the only growing churches in America. There is accountability and love when you struggle together. Bonds form, pain is shared. Confrontation can only come out of love. Love only develops when you get to know real people in real pain. We need confrontation but we need it to come out of love.
If you don't love someone, don't confront them. A willingness to confront is no sign that you love someone. Don't use what God says as an excuse to tell someone they have done wrong and feel good about yourself because you have confronted them. That is not scriptural or helpful. Rather, it is very harmful. A lot of people enjoy pointing out the mistakes of others. That is not love, it is judgement. It pushes people further away from you and from God. It reminds them of how far they are from God but provides them with no means to come back to him. It's like being told that you should be in the mountains of East Tennessee but reminded that you are in the middle of the desert with no transportation. Silence and being left alone is better than that.
When Jesus confronted the "woman at the well" for her adultery, I believe he did it with sadness and love in his eyes at HER PAIN and the PAIN THAT HER CONTINUED INVOLVEMENT IN HER SIN WOULD CAUSE HER.
I need to feel the empty sinking feeling of my sin and its impact on others as well as myself. It doesn't mean I live defeated, it just means I am reminded of the pain that my sin has caused. Jacob had his limp. From time to time, I am reminded that I have mine.
Before any of you jump in and rescue me, I want to say that I am aware that Jesus forgives me of my sins. He is not surprised by them. I accept his forgiveness and have worked over the years on forgiving myself for my short-comings and my failures in my Christian Life. Particularly, the overt and blatant ones of which I am reminded daily by seeing the consequences of those sins in the lives of others as well as myself. But on the basis of these things I would like to mention something that has been on my mind today.
I had some sobering thoughts this morning while I was driving between hospitals to see patients. I was in that no-man's land between disappointment and regret. I was thinking about disappointing someone in my past who was like a spiritual son to me. I remember it well from approximately 15 years ago. I remember that I had made a decision to divorce my first wife and this individual phoned me in tears and pleaded with me to think about what I was doing. Not out of judgement, but out of genuine concern and pain. There is a difference. This individual confronted me in the proper way mentioned in the scripture about seeing a brother in error and confronting him out of love. He was in pain because of my decision. It was not an "I would never do something like that" kind of confrontation. It was the same kind of pain that you often see in a mother's eyes when she sees her children making a decision that will cause them pain. When you can confront like that, it leaves a lasting seed for the good. At that time, I was on a path that would lead me further away from God and this person was hurting because of it. I believe the pain was for two reasons. They could see where my decisions were leading me and they were disappointed that someone they saw as strong in their faith could make a decision to turn from God. This is not disdain, it is disappointment. Many people are "disdained" by the sins of others. In my life, I have also experienced many other people who confronted to judge. That's the life of the Pharisee. Looking down on others. I remember a specific example of this when I used to attend Pastor's conferences. Sometimes there would be a pastor who "back-slid" and some of the other pastors who were on the podium would make certain remarks when introducing one of their contemporaries, "Pastor Jim (name inserted by me) has ALWAYS been true to his calling. He has never wavered (implying that there was one missing who had wavered)." You could feel the judgment in some of their remarks for the ones who were not ALWAYS true to their calling.
I remember the incident above where my friend confronted me because it makes me want to be a better man now. I remember the pain in my dear brother's voice as he talked with me. Good seed does not lay dormant forever. It will eventually sprout into a life giving plant. My dear brothers' seed from all those years ago has in the past several years began germinating within me. Although our relationship has been strained and we have not spoken or seen each other since that time, I still respect him greatly for loving me enough to hurt for me. At the time, I gave no credence to his concern. I was focused on my way, not God's way. But.....if you are not hurting for me, don't confront me.
I spent a great deal of time with this person. We rode bicycles together once a week from the town I lived in to a neighboring town, we played video games together, we talked at length together. He "knew" me. He cared about me. That is what made him hurt for me when I sinned. I am convinced that is one of the main problems with the church today. We don't know each other. We don't spend enough "real" time together getting to know the "real" person. We see the "Sunday" person but not the "Monday-Friday" person. We don't talk about the real struggles.
That is the primary reason (my opinion) that many churches based on "cell groups" (individual groups of hurting people meeting in homes at various times each week and worshipping together on Sunday Morning) are some of the fastest growing if not the only growing churches in America. There is accountability and love when you struggle together. Bonds form, pain is shared. Confrontation can only come out of love. Love only develops when you get to know real people in real pain. We need confrontation but we need it to come out of love.
If you don't love someone, don't confront them. A willingness to confront is no sign that you love someone. Don't use what God says as an excuse to tell someone they have done wrong and feel good about yourself because you have confronted them. That is not scriptural or helpful. Rather, it is very harmful. A lot of people enjoy pointing out the mistakes of others. That is not love, it is judgement. It pushes people further away from you and from God. It reminds them of how far they are from God but provides them with no means to come back to him. It's like being told that you should be in the mountains of East Tennessee but reminded that you are in the middle of the desert with no transportation. Silence and being left alone is better than that.
When Jesus confronted the "woman at the well" for her adultery, I believe he did it with sadness and love in his eyes at HER PAIN and the PAIN THAT HER CONTINUED INVOLVEMENT IN HER SIN WOULD CAUSE HER.
I need to feel the empty sinking feeling of my sin and its impact on others as well as myself. It doesn't mean I live defeated, it just means I am reminded of the pain that my sin has caused. Jacob had his limp. From time to time, I am reminded that I have mine.
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Musings of a Prodigal Son - God Gave Them Over
Judges 2:10 After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. 11 Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. 12 They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused the Lord’s anger 13 because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. 14 In his anger against Israel the Lord gave them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. 15 Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.
Romans 1:18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
Today I want to address a subject that is not very popular in this day and age. It is the issue of judgment. Not our judgment. God's Judgment. I often write about the Grace of God. Grace is a marvelous thing. It holds us in the Palm of God's hand even when we turn from Him. There is another element though that cannot be ignored. Even though Jesus died for our sins, our sins still have consequences in our lives and the lives of others. I mentioned previously that it is not my business to be concerned with the specifics of anyone else's sin but to be concerned about my own and to live for Christ and love other people by being willing to share the whole truth in Love and let God deal with the sin.
There is a reason that God tells us that certain behaviors are sinful and the omission of certain behaviors are also sinful. All of us sin individually and corporately as a people. Sin is sin not because God made some arbitrary list of things that he does and does not want us to do. Sin is sin because ultimately it causes pain and separation from God. It also causes pain and separation from the God who lives within those of us who have trusted Jesus as our Savior. The consequences flow out from our lives and affect not only ourselves but those around us. Sometimes that pain and separation causes confusion, sometimes it causes sickness, sometimes it causes heartache and depression. If you name something that is bad, Sin in one form or another caused it. It is a true statement to say that there are many people who are suffering due to the sins of others. We suffer for our own sins. Ultimately, we were all separated from God by the Sin of the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. Sin is a corporate condition that we are born into. We also commit and omit things that result in personal sin in our lives. When we do, we create pain and distance between our loving God and ourselves. As a nation, when we distance ourselves from our God, we are creating pain that has and will result in consequences.
Remember, the nation of Israel is a microcosm (if you will) of the conflict in every man. When the nation (corporately) turned to God, they experienced blessing, when they turned from God, they experienced the fruits of the curse that was instituted by Satan in the Garden of Eden.
In the New Testament, when Paul is talking about the Christian life after the coming of the Holy Spirit, he talks about it being a battle and even discusses the implements of battle in the book of Ephesians (see "whole Armor of God"). Once the nation of Israel came out of the land of Egypt by the "deliverance" of God from bondage and death (Egyptian captivity), Moses led them to the promised land (to salvation) BUT it was still their responsibility to CLAIM, INHABIT, AND POSSESS the land (territory that had already been conquered). Don't forget, if you know Christ, you already have ultimate victory over sin. The land has already been conquered. But....we still have to possess it and HOLD ON TO IT. That doesn't mean that if we do not possess the land, that ULTIMATE victory is lost. ULTIMATE Victory is not lost. Jesus Christ gained the ULTIMATE VICTORY FOREVER BUT....It is difficult to live in a land that someone else possesses.
Friends, we are currently living in a land that someone else possesses. We have NEVER run all of the foreign invaders out but in times past have possessed more of the land than we do now. We have allowed our families, our cities, and ultimately our country to be overrun by foreign invaders. I'm not talking about nationalities. I'm talking about spiritual invaders. They haven't invaded all at once but have trickled in so as to be unnoticed and their presence is becoming more and more apparent.
If you are reading this blog, before you start thinking I am a "conspiracy theorist", take a look around you. You can see it if you compare certain things. Listen to the speeches of politicians (even the bad ones) from three decades ago. The bad politicians even sound good by today's standards. Listen to the sermons of some of the old preachers on YouTube. Listen to some of the old news cast from several decades ago and compare. We like to look at ourselves as "advancing" as a people but look at our condition. Of course we know more now than any generation before us. I would remind you that the Israelites knew much more by having various peoples living among them but it did not help their spiritual condition. I do want to make it clear that this has nothing to do with race or nationality. What I am speaking about is spiritual. Access to information has only succeeded in confusing us more. Our moral compass is broken. Having no common "compass" has now become our compass and we are no better for it. In many ways, there seems to be more violence now and more division now than there ever has been in our country. Knocking down the walls of racism has only seemed to build new stronger "strongholds" in their places. There are new walls, constructed by the invaders in places that there were no walls before. Becoming more tolerant of everything and everyone has made us less tolerant of each other. We have lost territory that once we held (spiritually). When God "sells us into the hands of our enemies" we look to each other in desperation to solve the problems. When we can't, we look to our government (which by the way is made up of the people) to solve the problems, when that doesn't work, we blame each other. When that doesn't work and collapse begins, when those things begin to collapse that we have always known, then and only then are we distressed enough to turn to God, if then. When things are like this, there is ONLY ONE OPTION:
"IF.....my people, which are called by MY NAME (the name of JESUS), will humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways (repent of sins both corporate and individual), then will I hear from heaven, will forgive their sin (corporately and individually) and heal (restore to victory and their possession) their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)
Romans 1:18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
Today I want to address a subject that is not very popular in this day and age. It is the issue of judgment. Not our judgment. God's Judgment. I often write about the Grace of God. Grace is a marvelous thing. It holds us in the Palm of God's hand even when we turn from Him. There is another element though that cannot be ignored. Even though Jesus died for our sins, our sins still have consequences in our lives and the lives of others. I mentioned previously that it is not my business to be concerned with the specifics of anyone else's sin but to be concerned about my own and to live for Christ and love other people by being willing to share the whole truth in Love and let God deal with the sin.
There is a reason that God tells us that certain behaviors are sinful and the omission of certain behaviors are also sinful. All of us sin individually and corporately as a people. Sin is sin not because God made some arbitrary list of things that he does and does not want us to do. Sin is sin because ultimately it causes pain and separation from God. It also causes pain and separation from the God who lives within those of us who have trusted Jesus as our Savior. The consequences flow out from our lives and affect not only ourselves but those around us. Sometimes that pain and separation causes confusion, sometimes it causes sickness, sometimes it causes heartache and depression. If you name something that is bad, Sin in one form or another caused it. It is a true statement to say that there are many people who are suffering due to the sins of others. We suffer for our own sins. Ultimately, we were all separated from God by the Sin of the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. Sin is a corporate condition that we are born into. We also commit and omit things that result in personal sin in our lives. When we do, we create pain and distance between our loving God and ourselves. As a nation, when we distance ourselves from our God, we are creating pain that has and will result in consequences.
Remember, the nation of Israel is a microcosm (if you will) of the conflict in every man. When the nation (corporately) turned to God, they experienced blessing, when they turned from God, they experienced the fruits of the curse that was instituted by Satan in the Garden of Eden.
In the New Testament, when Paul is talking about the Christian life after the coming of the Holy Spirit, he talks about it being a battle and even discusses the implements of battle in the book of Ephesians (see "whole Armor of God"). Once the nation of Israel came out of the land of Egypt by the "deliverance" of God from bondage and death (Egyptian captivity), Moses led them to the promised land (to salvation) BUT it was still their responsibility to CLAIM, INHABIT, AND POSSESS the land (territory that had already been conquered). Don't forget, if you know Christ, you already have ultimate victory over sin. The land has already been conquered. But....we still have to possess it and HOLD ON TO IT. That doesn't mean that if we do not possess the land, that ULTIMATE victory is lost. ULTIMATE Victory is not lost. Jesus Christ gained the ULTIMATE VICTORY FOREVER BUT....It is difficult to live in a land that someone else possesses.
Friends, we are currently living in a land that someone else possesses. We have NEVER run all of the foreign invaders out but in times past have possessed more of the land than we do now. We have allowed our families, our cities, and ultimately our country to be overrun by foreign invaders. I'm not talking about nationalities. I'm talking about spiritual invaders. They haven't invaded all at once but have trickled in so as to be unnoticed and their presence is becoming more and more apparent.
If you are reading this blog, before you start thinking I am a "conspiracy theorist", take a look around you. You can see it if you compare certain things. Listen to the speeches of politicians (even the bad ones) from three decades ago. The bad politicians even sound good by today's standards. Listen to the sermons of some of the old preachers on YouTube. Listen to some of the old news cast from several decades ago and compare. We like to look at ourselves as "advancing" as a people but look at our condition. Of course we know more now than any generation before us. I would remind you that the Israelites knew much more by having various peoples living among them but it did not help their spiritual condition. I do want to make it clear that this has nothing to do with race or nationality. What I am speaking about is spiritual. Access to information has only succeeded in confusing us more. Our moral compass is broken. Having no common "compass" has now become our compass and we are no better for it. In many ways, there seems to be more violence now and more division now than there ever has been in our country. Knocking down the walls of racism has only seemed to build new stronger "strongholds" in their places. There are new walls, constructed by the invaders in places that there were no walls before. Becoming more tolerant of everything and everyone has made us less tolerant of each other. We have lost territory that once we held (spiritually). When God "sells us into the hands of our enemies" we look to each other in desperation to solve the problems. When we can't, we look to our government (which by the way is made up of the people) to solve the problems, when that doesn't work, we blame each other. When that doesn't work and collapse begins, when those things begin to collapse that we have always known, then and only then are we distressed enough to turn to God, if then. When things are like this, there is ONLY ONE OPTION:
"IF.....my people, which are called by MY NAME (the name of JESUS), will humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways (repent of sins both corporate and individual), then will I hear from heaven, will forgive their sin (corporately and individually) and heal (restore to victory and their possession) their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)
Monday, October 17, 2016
Musings of a Prodigal Son - Restoration (Part 3 from much earlier post)
As I began to move back toward my primary purpose in life, my love for Michelle grew more and more each day. It was an adjustment as I became acclimated to a life of peace. When you live in chaos, it eventually becomes the "normal" for you. There is comfort in the normal. You know what to expect even if it is just the awareness to expect the unexpected. To live at peace after living in turmoil for an extended period of time takes some getting used to. Adjustments must be made.
It is ironic that Michelle and I are still getting used to living in peace. There is still sometimes the expectation of turmoil. This was due to our previous relationships being out of the will of God. He allowed us to make choices that brought with them consequences. The consequences kept our lives during that period in much turmoil. Now,with each passing day, as peace becomes the "normal", a collective sigh seems to emanate from our home. We've been together for almost 4 years now, which some of you would consider the "infancy" of a long-term relationship. Fostering a relationship that we both want to be in is our goal. I want to come home everyday to her, I want to spend vacations with her, I want to share happy moments and moments of difficulty with her. I know many people who stay in relationships long-term because they are just hanging on to make it last. Many couples are not happy but are just hanging on because they think there is some merit in just "staying together." This is no more God's will than divorcing is God's will. If people are going to stay together, they should be working on making their relationship better. The marriage relationship is supposed to be a union of two people that mirrors the relationship that Christ has with the Church. Some couples are only together because they are afraid of anything different. I've learned in my life that I do not want that type of relationship and I am convinced that God does not want that type of relationship for us. We are not the bride of Christ because we've been together so long that he doesn't want to risk being without us because he is afraid. He wants a bride who looks forward to spending time with him, wants to go places with Him, wants intimacy with Him. SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO BE WITH HIM.
It is amazing how God takes the mistakes that we choose to make and turns them to our good (he still gives us a choice). Michelle (my wife) is a blessing that I could not receive until I was ready to receive her. Had we met at a time many years ago, our differences would have posed difficulties that would have prevented us from being together. I do not mean to say that we do not have our difficulties, we do. What I am saying is that she is the grace blessing I was given after I rebelled against God (grace is unmerited and undeserved). Did I deserve her? No. But God is a God who chooses to operate in our lives with mercy and grace.
I still struggle from day to day on the plan and purpose of God in my life. I wish I could say that I do what God wants me to do each day. I do not. I wish I could say I approach each day as God wants me to. I do not. One thing I have learned from the mistakes of my past is that often when we really want to do "good" things, we have to be careful not to make them "the will of God." Often good things can "mask" themselves as God's direction for our lives because they are "good" in our eyes. Many times in my life I have spent time doing "good" things that were not the will of God. I would be amiss if I didn't mention here that I often have done "bad" things as well (some knowingly and some by omission). The point I am making here though is that often we see something "good" and assume it is from God only to find out that the good was not his will. He was looking at our "Best" while we were focused on the "good."
It is at this point that I would like to mention something that Michelle and I have discussed many times. My first marriage was a part of the true Will of God for my life. I was married to a good woman and we weathered many storms together. She stood by me in some dark times (when I was struggling with God's will for my life) and she was a great "Pastor's Wife". From hind sight, I thrust that life upon her without her input or consent. We were married in 1987, had our daughter Emily, two cats, and she had a job with friends. Over a short period of time, I told her that God had called me into the ministry and we were moving to Florida for me to attend Bible College. There was really no discussion about it, I just determined that it was God's Will and expected everyone around me to "fall in line." I know from hindsight that she resented me for that and she had a right to. We moved to Graceville, FL. on January 1, 1991. I began attending Bible College and as Youth Pastor of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in January 1991. Circumstances, mentioned earlier in another blog, propelled me to be the pastor of that church within 6 months. That's a lot for anyone to deal with. My wife went from being uprooted from a stable job, support system, and friends to being a pastors wife in a town far enough away that she had to develop a whole new support system and adjust to the rigors of being a pastor's wife. All the while, I am so busy with "the will of God" that I forgot that my family was a real part of the true "Will of God". Let me say here that the people in that church, many of whom will be reading this blog, were the greatest of people. I could not have asked for a more understanding, loving, and sincere group of people to pastor. But like any group of people, life brought with it many struggles, including deaths, crisis, and important events that vied for my attention as Pastor. My greatest mission field should have been at home. It was not. While I was busy doing good things, God's Blessing of a wonderful family was slipping through my hands. With emotional distance developing at home, with fatigue setting in from what I call "spiritual burnout", I found myself empty inside. I started "pushing" instead of "leading" the church. I started resenting my wife whom I blamed at the time for her emotional distance. I became discontent and left "the ministry" and started working as a counselor for a local mental health system. I had obtained a Master's Degree during my time as a pastor in the counseling field and began working as a substance abuse counselor. It is at this point that I began spending less and less time in "Godly Counsel" and started getting advice from many sources. Much of this advice was not bad by the worlds standards but it was not Godly Counsel. I advanced very quickly in that mental health system and became a part of their leadership team. It was during this time that God provided me with "Grace" options by putting me under one of the wisest men I have ever worked for. He was the Executive Director of the Company for which I worked and he tried to give me Godly advice. I wish I had heeded his advice. I did not. I divorced my wife, who wanted to work on our marriage, and began a path that would lead in a direction that would generate much pain in my life and the lives of others. (to be continued)
It is ironic that Michelle and I are still getting used to living in peace. There is still sometimes the expectation of turmoil. This was due to our previous relationships being out of the will of God. He allowed us to make choices that brought with them consequences. The consequences kept our lives during that period in much turmoil. Now,with each passing day, as peace becomes the "normal", a collective sigh seems to emanate from our home. We've been together for almost 4 years now, which some of you would consider the "infancy" of a long-term relationship. Fostering a relationship that we both want to be in is our goal. I want to come home everyday to her, I want to spend vacations with her, I want to share happy moments and moments of difficulty with her. I know many people who stay in relationships long-term because they are just hanging on to make it last. Many couples are not happy but are just hanging on because they think there is some merit in just "staying together." This is no more God's will than divorcing is God's will. If people are going to stay together, they should be working on making their relationship better. The marriage relationship is supposed to be a union of two people that mirrors the relationship that Christ has with the Church. Some couples are only together because they are afraid of anything different. I've learned in my life that I do not want that type of relationship and I am convinced that God does not want that type of relationship for us. We are not the bride of Christ because we've been together so long that he doesn't want to risk being without us because he is afraid. He wants a bride who looks forward to spending time with him, wants to go places with Him, wants intimacy with Him. SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO BE WITH HIM.
It is amazing how God takes the mistakes that we choose to make and turns them to our good (he still gives us a choice). Michelle (my wife) is a blessing that I could not receive until I was ready to receive her. Had we met at a time many years ago, our differences would have posed difficulties that would have prevented us from being together. I do not mean to say that we do not have our difficulties, we do. What I am saying is that she is the grace blessing I was given after I rebelled against God (grace is unmerited and undeserved). Did I deserve her? No. But God is a God who chooses to operate in our lives with mercy and grace.
I still struggle from day to day on the plan and purpose of God in my life. I wish I could say that I do what God wants me to do each day. I do not. I wish I could say I approach each day as God wants me to. I do not. One thing I have learned from the mistakes of my past is that often when we really want to do "good" things, we have to be careful not to make them "the will of God." Often good things can "mask" themselves as God's direction for our lives because they are "good" in our eyes. Many times in my life I have spent time doing "good" things that were not the will of God. I would be amiss if I didn't mention here that I often have done "bad" things as well (some knowingly and some by omission). The point I am making here though is that often we see something "good" and assume it is from God only to find out that the good was not his will. He was looking at our "Best" while we were focused on the "good."
It is at this point that I would like to mention something that Michelle and I have discussed many times. My first marriage was a part of the true Will of God for my life. I was married to a good woman and we weathered many storms together. She stood by me in some dark times (when I was struggling with God's will for my life) and she was a great "Pastor's Wife". From hind sight, I thrust that life upon her without her input or consent. We were married in 1987, had our daughter Emily, two cats, and she had a job with friends. Over a short period of time, I told her that God had called me into the ministry and we were moving to Florida for me to attend Bible College. There was really no discussion about it, I just determined that it was God's Will and expected everyone around me to "fall in line." I know from hindsight that she resented me for that and she had a right to. We moved to Graceville, FL. on January 1, 1991. I began attending Bible College and as Youth Pastor of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in January 1991. Circumstances, mentioned earlier in another blog, propelled me to be the pastor of that church within 6 months. That's a lot for anyone to deal with. My wife went from being uprooted from a stable job, support system, and friends to being a pastors wife in a town far enough away that she had to develop a whole new support system and adjust to the rigors of being a pastor's wife. All the while, I am so busy with "the will of God" that I forgot that my family was a real part of the true "Will of God". Let me say here that the people in that church, many of whom will be reading this blog, were the greatest of people. I could not have asked for a more understanding, loving, and sincere group of people to pastor. But like any group of people, life brought with it many struggles, including deaths, crisis, and important events that vied for my attention as Pastor. My greatest mission field should have been at home. It was not. While I was busy doing good things, God's Blessing of a wonderful family was slipping through my hands. With emotional distance developing at home, with fatigue setting in from what I call "spiritual burnout", I found myself empty inside. I started "pushing" instead of "leading" the church. I started resenting my wife whom I blamed at the time for her emotional distance. I became discontent and left "the ministry" and started working as a counselor for a local mental health system. I had obtained a Master's Degree during my time as a pastor in the counseling field and began working as a substance abuse counselor. It is at this point that I began spending less and less time in "Godly Counsel" and started getting advice from many sources. Much of this advice was not bad by the worlds standards but it was not Godly Counsel. I advanced very quickly in that mental health system and became a part of their leadership team. It was during this time that God provided me with "Grace" options by putting me under one of the wisest men I have ever worked for. He was the Executive Director of the Company for which I worked and he tried to give me Godly advice. I wish I had heeded his advice. I did not. I divorced my wife, who wanted to work on our marriage, and began a path that would lead in a direction that would generate much pain in my life and the lives of others. (to be continued)
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