If I were the devil I’d get pastors to build big buildings for Sunday services and teach nice things about a nice God. I’d make sure they avoided the dangerous God of the Bible. I’d get them to preach a whole lot about the patience and kindness of Yahweh and leave out His holiness and justice. I’d have them preach a one-sided message about a one-sided God instead of the full counsel of who He is.
If I were the devil I’d raise up an army of televangelists to preach a false message of "God wants you to be rich" while much of the world dies of famine and starvation. I’d get them to empty the bank accounts of bent, old widows and blue collar Joe’s to finance their Lexus-driving, $3,000 suit wearing, mansion-dwelling lifestyle of "holy" hedonism. I’d help them cloak their message of greed with a "whatever you donate to this ministry will be multiplied one hundred fold in your own bank account" giving promise.
If I were the devil I’d get evangelists to preach a gospel that sounds like the gospel but is really no gospel at all. I’d get them to make the sinner "say a prayer" whether he or she truly understands and embraces the gospel or not. I’d get them to preach anything and everything but faith alone in Christ alone for the salvation of their souls. I’d empty a great word like "repent" of its true meaning and fill it with the filthy rags of good deeds cloaked as the gospel of grace. I’d deceive evangelists into evangelizing with a self-centered gospel that focuses more on what the sinner does than on what Christ has done.
If I were the devil I’d get youth leaders to teach more devotionally and less theologically. I’d convince them that theology was not relevant to the everyday life of the average teenager. I’d challenge them to give safe talks about safe things, things that teenagers related to, enjoyed and understood. I’d encourage them to avoid complex theology like the Trinity, the inerrancy of Scripture, justification by faith and the like so that they "don’t lose" their teenagers. Instead I’d motivate youth leaders to serve McNuggets of truth, deep fried in fun and dipped in sweet sauce so that their kids don’t get bored.
If I were the devil I’d get good teenagers to do plenty of good things. I’d get them to build houses for the needy, give food to the poor and reach out to the hurting. I’d encourage them to do all of these things in the name of Jesus but without ever actually sharing the gospel message to those they serve. I’d motivate them to "hack at the leaves of evil" but leave the root of evil intact. I’d convince these teenagers that preaching the gospel was action and service alone. I’d paint a picture of Jesus that only served the poor’s physical needs and leave out his drive to fulfill their deeper, bigger, spiritual needs.
If I were the devil I’d attack the writer of these words with his own inadequacies. I’d remind him of every time he has messed up and failed. I’d show him his own hypocrisy. I’d convince him that he had no right to write such judgmental words. I’d challenge him to take the kinder, gentler course of typing safe, funny things. If that didn’t work I’d convince him that he is somehow better than the money-grubbing TV preacher, the soft-pedaling evangelist, or the fastfood youth leader.
But I’m not the devil. Satan is. And he doesn’t need any help. He is already doing a very good job at being evil. Don’t you think?
But how much greater is Christ! The Savior has already come. "It is finished." The battle was won on the cross. Satan is doomed. Because of the cross, we have victory in Christ.
So friends, we are called to repent and believe. To take up our own crosses daily and follow after Him. The call is tough, but the eternal reward is well worth the temporary pain.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Mr. Potato Head God
A few weeks ago or so, I perused an article in a Christian magazine that ticked me off. The writer of the piece spewed fightin’ words to all things evangelical. He regurgitated a barf bag full of of his frustrations with some of the core realities of God’s Word firmly held by die-hard Christians for almost 2,000 years. I had the feeling there was a lot more gurgling in his "stomach" ready to come up and out, but he held back (probably out of PR reasons…after all the slow reveal of heresy is much less shocking than a full on coming out party).
After reading his rant I started thinking about other articles, books and blogs that I have read, perused or sampled in the last few years. It seems to me that basic Christian beliefs are falling on hard times in many Christian circles today. The trend setting hip Christians (isn’t that an oxymoron?) are too cool for school, the old school of theological accountability. Many feel that they’ve earned a "get out of jail free card" when it comes to being true in their faith because of their biting intellect and bad experiences with the evangelical church.
Whatever.
As founding member of The Guild of Guys With Lower IQs Who Happen To Believe What The Bible Says Because It Says It, I live in a simpler world. If the Bible says it then I believe it. Now does that mean that I understand everything the Bible is talking about? Nope. I struggle everyday to understand it more. But there are some core truths that are impossible to dispute if you take the Word seriously. Among these are salvation by faith alone, Christ being the only way into heaven, the Trinity, the inerrancy of Scripture, the return of Christ and the deity of Jesus. By the way, these are the basic teachings that the Church has been hammering out as essentials for the last two millennia. And, in that same time span, there have been those who have sought to undermine them every step of the way.
Maybe I should come up with a Mr. Potato Head God game that we can sell in Christian bookstores all across America. Those who don’t like a certain aspect of God’s character can replace that part with another piece that suits their version of God.
If you don’t like the holiness of God (and the implications of an eternal hell and Judgment Day) you can replace the eyes of uncompromised holiness that see into every sinful heart with blind eyes that don’t see transgressions of any kind and allow everyone into God’s presence regardless of their beliefs. If you don’t like a God who is omniscient and knows everything including the future you can replace his brain (yes in my version of the game you can replace the brain) with a big pile of gush that is just as clueless about the future as we are. The strong arms of righteousness can be replaced with the skinny arms of "as long as you are sincere in whatever your beliefs I’ll let you into heaven."
You get the idea.
Did you know that Thomas Jefferson basically did the same thing? He took a pair of scissors to the Gospels and cut out every story about Jesus that seemed too good to be true. He didn’t like the miracles so he sliced them out of his Jeffersonian Version. Anything that sounded too supernatural or too judgmental hit the cutting room floor of his "have it your own way" editing room. Jefferson would have been the first buyer of my Mr. Potato Head God game if he were alive today.
What’s my point to this rant? Let’s not play games with Yahweh. Let’s accept Him on His own terms. The Bible is not a book we can take scissors to if we don’t like what it’s saying. Yahweh is not a Mr. Potato Head to be manipulated and re-manufactured to our own liking.
The Bible is the Bible. It says what it says. If we don’t like it we can choke on it. Or even better, we can repent and accept it. God is God, regardless of what we think of Him and what He teaches. And we will all stand and give account before Him someday for the way we revered and obeyed Him and His Word.
So let’s walk carefully and humbly. Let’s be careful to color within the lines of sound doctrine. Our God is an awesome God and He and His book are not to be be trifled with.
Gotta go. For some reason I’m hungry for a baked potato. Pray I don’t puke.
After reading his rant I started thinking about other articles, books and blogs that I have read, perused or sampled in the last few years. It seems to me that basic Christian beliefs are falling on hard times in many Christian circles today. The trend setting hip Christians (isn’t that an oxymoron?) are too cool for school, the old school of theological accountability. Many feel that they’ve earned a "get out of jail free card" when it comes to being true in their faith because of their biting intellect and bad experiences with the evangelical church.
Whatever.
As founding member of The Guild of Guys With Lower IQs Who Happen To Believe What The Bible Says Because It Says It, I live in a simpler world. If the Bible says it then I believe it. Now does that mean that I understand everything the Bible is talking about? Nope. I struggle everyday to understand it more. But there are some core truths that are impossible to dispute if you take the Word seriously. Among these are salvation by faith alone, Christ being the only way into heaven, the Trinity, the inerrancy of Scripture, the return of Christ and the deity of Jesus. By the way, these are the basic teachings that the Church has been hammering out as essentials for the last two millennia. And, in that same time span, there have been those who have sought to undermine them every step of the way.
Maybe I should come up with a Mr. Potato Head God game that we can sell in Christian bookstores all across America. Those who don’t like a certain aspect of God’s character can replace that part with another piece that suits their version of God.
If you don’t like the holiness of God (and the implications of an eternal hell and Judgment Day) you can replace the eyes of uncompromised holiness that see into every sinful heart with blind eyes that don’t see transgressions of any kind and allow everyone into God’s presence regardless of their beliefs. If you don’t like a God who is omniscient and knows everything including the future you can replace his brain (yes in my version of the game you can replace the brain) with a big pile of gush that is just as clueless about the future as we are. The strong arms of righteousness can be replaced with the skinny arms of "as long as you are sincere in whatever your beliefs I’ll let you into heaven."
You get the idea.
Did you know that Thomas Jefferson basically did the same thing? He took a pair of scissors to the Gospels and cut out every story about Jesus that seemed too good to be true. He didn’t like the miracles so he sliced them out of his Jeffersonian Version. Anything that sounded too supernatural or too judgmental hit the cutting room floor of his "have it your own way" editing room. Jefferson would have been the first buyer of my Mr. Potato Head God game if he were alive today.
What’s my point to this rant? Let’s not play games with Yahweh. Let’s accept Him on His own terms. The Bible is not a book we can take scissors to if we don’t like what it’s saying. Yahweh is not a Mr. Potato Head to be manipulated and re-manufactured to our own liking.
The Bible is the Bible. It says what it says. If we don’t like it we can choke on it. Or even better, we can repent and accept it. God is God, regardless of what we think of Him and what He teaches. And we will all stand and give account before Him someday for the way we revered and obeyed Him and His Word.
So let’s walk carefully and humbly. Let’s be careful to color within the lines of sound doctrine. Our God is an awesome God and He and His book are not to be be trifled with.
Gotta go. For some reason I’m hungry for a baked potato. Pray I don’t puke.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
The Forgotten Beatitude
“Blessed is the person who is not offended by me.” - Matthew 11:6
To be offended means to stumble or trip. Scripture tells us that Jesus is a rock of offense, or a rock of stumbling, to the disobedient (1 Peter 2:8). In His earthly days, Jesus was constantly offending the religious establishment. But in the above text, Jesus has someone else in mind. He’s speaking to His followers: “Blessed are you, my followers, when you are not offended by me.” The context bears this out.
John the Baptist was utterly loyal to Jesus. He walked a life of total self-denial. He gave everything up for God. And now he finds himself in a cold prison. We have no record that the Lord ever visited him there. John’s probably thinking, “Was it really worth it? I lived my whole life to pave the way for the Messiah, and now I’m in prison. The kingdom hasn’t yet come.” John is wondering and wavering; he’s tempted to stumble at his Lord. So he sends word to Jesus asking, “Are you really the one who was to come? Or should we expect another?”
Again, We have no record that the Lord ever visited him there. But He does send this answer to him via his disciples: "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” (Matthew 11:4-6)
Over the years, I’ve watched Christians take offense with the Lord. Some of them were passionate followers of Jesus in their youth, but later ended up renouncing Him. Why? Because they chose to be offended by Him. “Blessed is the person who is not offended by me.” This is the forgotten beatitude. So now I want to share a few reasons that I discovered about why Christians become offended by the Lord.
Reason 1: He demands too much. In John 16:1, Jesus tells His disciples that He’s sharing “all these things” so they won’t be offended by Him. Some of those “things” were stern warnings that they would be hated by the world and persecuted (John 15:18). Jesus made clear that following Him won’t lead to a bed of roses. Suffering and loss are involved. Unfortunately, some present a gospel that leaves these parts out. The result: Christians get offended when they realize what they’ve gotten into. But Jesus lets us know up front what following Him entails. Even in His own day, some of His followers stopped walking with Him because they regarded the cost too high (John 6:53-59).
Reason 2: He doesn’t meet our expectations. The Lord often works in ways that we don’t understand. Isaiah says that God’s ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:9). The Lord works on levels that we cannot fathom. Paul says that God works all things for our good (Romans 8:28). “Why hasn’t God answered this prayer? Why didn’t He fulfill this promise? Why did He let this happen to me? Why did He let this happen to him/her? Why is God silent when I need to hear Him most?”
These are the questions that plague the mind of the serious believer. If you’ve not yet met the God who refuses to meet all your expectations, you will. And how you react in that day will reveal whether you are worshiping Jesus Christ or Santa Claus (see John 6:26). It will show whether or not you love God more than His promises (or really, your interpretation of those promises). Jeanne Guyon once said, “I will still serve Him, even if it sends me to hell.” Job said, “Shall we receive good from the hand of the Lord and not evil?” Recall Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They had lived a life loyal to their God. And Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Worship my golden image or else you’re going to die in my fiery furnace.” Their answer is telling: “We’re not going to worship this image or serve your gods. The Lord is able to deliver us, and He will deliver us from your fiery furnace. But even if He doesn’t, we’re still not going to bow down to your false gods.” What an attitude. What a posture. What faith. “God will deliver us. But even if He doesn’t, we will still follow Him.”
Those words contain thunder and lightning for every child of God.
If I can use an illustration, we mortals are living on pages 300-400 of a 2,000 page book. Only God can see the whole book. And He’s only given us the ability to see pages 300-400. We have no capacity to understand what’s in pages 1-299 or pages 401 to 2,000. We can only speculate and assume what’s in them (hence we create all sorts of intricate theological systems to explain mysteries we don’t understand). Here’s a lesson to learn: Life always comes down to trusting in the Lord rather than trying to figure out His ways via our finite, limited understanding. Yet together, we can better discover and understand what’s in pages 300-400, and thereby learn to live more effectively within them.
Reason 3: He doesn’t show up on time. He works too slowly. He reacts too late. His deliverance takes too long. God’s clock is a lot slower than ours. We can text or email our prayer to God, and He doesn’t text or email back when we expect. In fact, sometimes we never hear back from Him at all. The screen is blank.
Sometimes we’ll pray for an important matter in our own lives or we’ll pray for someone else . . . for years. And the dial doesn’t move. Waiting on the Lord can become weary. And it can lead to offense. But God always keeps perfect time.
To sum up, here’s how NOT to be offended by the Lord:
• Remember that He demands everything, and He has promised suffering and tribulation along with blessing and eternal life. So don’t sell out for a cheap, easy gospel. Such is not the gospel of Jesus Christ. He told us what we were getting into and exhorted us to count the cost ahead of time (Luke 14:26).
• Remember that His ways are higher than ours, and He doesn’t always show us what He’s doing or why. We may not always understand what He does or allows, but He can still be trusted. This is the nature of walking by faith rather than by sight. Even when His grace isn’t sufficient, it is always sufficient.
• Remember that God is always on time, but His clock ticks differently from ours. He’s a Lord who sometimes shows up long after the hour of healing has passed and we are dead for four days. Just ask Lazarus.
• Being offended by God is a choice. You can choose to take offense at the Lord and stumble over that which you don’t understand. Or you can “trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).
To be offended means to stumble or trip. Scripture tells us that Jesus is a rock of offense, or a rock of stumbling, to the disobedient (1 Peter 2:8). In His earthly days, Jesus was constantly offending the religious establishment. But in the above text, Jesus has someone else in mind. He’s speaking to His followers: “Blessed are you, my followers, when you are not offended by me.” The context bears this out.
John the Baptist was utterly loyal to Jesus. He walked a life of total self-denial. He gave everything up for God. And now he finds himself in a cold prison. We have no record that the Lord ever visited him there. John’s probably thinking, “Was it really worth it? I lived my whole life to pave the way for the Messiah, and now I’m in prison. The kingdom hasn’t yet come.” John is wondering and wavering; he’s tempted to stumble at his Lord. So he sends word to Jesus asking, “Are you really the one who was to come? Or should we expect another?”
Again, We have no record that the Lord ever visited him there. But He does send this answer to him via his disciples: "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” (Matthew 11:4-6)
Over the years, I’ve watched Christians take offense with the Lord. Some of them were passionate followers of Jesus in their youth, but later ended up renouncing Him. Why? Because they chose to be offended by Him. “Blessed is the person who is not offended by me.” This is the forgotten beatitude. So now I want to share a few reasons that I discovered about why Christians become offended by the Lord.
Reason 1: He demands too much. In John 16:1, Jesus tells His disciples that He’s sharing “all these things” so they won’t be offended by Him. Some of those “things” were stern warnings that they would be hated by the world and persecuted (John 15:18). Jesus made clear that following Him won’t lead to a bed of roses. Suffering and loss are involved. Unfortunately, some present a gospel that leaves these parts out. The result: Christians get offended when they realize what they’ve gotten into. But Jesus lets us know up front what following Him entails. Even in His own day, some of His followers stopped walking with Him because they regarded the cost too high (John 6:53-59).
Reason 2: He doesn’t meet our expectations. The Lord often works in ways that we don’t understand. Isaiah says that God’s ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:9). The Lord works on levels that we cannot fathom. Paul says that God works all things for our good (Romans 8:28). “Why hasn’t God answered this prayer? Why didn’t He fulfill this promise? Why did He let this happen to me? Why did He let this happen to him/her? Why is God silent when I need to hear Him most?”
These are the questions that plague the mind of the serious believer. If you’ve not yet met the God who refuses to meet all your expectations, you will. And how you react in that day will reveal whether you are worshiping Jesus Christ or Santa Claus (see John 6:26). It will show whether or not you love God more than His promises (or really, your interpretation of those promises). Jeanne Guyon once said, “I will still serve Him, even if it sends me to hell.” Job said, “Shall we receive good from the hand of the Lord and not evil?” Recall Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They had lived a life loyal to their God. And Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Worship my golden image or else you’re going to die in my fiery furnace.” Their answer is telling: “We’re not going to worship this image or serve your gods. The Lord is able to deliver us, and He will deliver us from your fiery furnace. But even if He doesn’t, we’re still not going to bow down to your false gods.” What an attitude. What a posture. What faith. “God will deliver us. But even if He doesn’t, we will still follow Him.”
Those words contain thunder and lightning for every child of God.
If I can use an illustration, we mortals are living on pages 300-400 of a 2,000 page book. Only God can see the whole book. And He’s only given us the ability to see pages 300-400. We have no capacity to understand what’s in pages 1-299 or pages 401 to 2,000. We can only speculate and assume what’s in them (hence we create all sorts of intricate theological systems to explain mysteries we don’t understand). Here’s a lesson to learn: Life always comes down to trusting in the Lord rather than trying to figure out His ways via our finite, limited understanding. Yet together, we can better discover and understand what’s in pages 300-400, and thereby learn to live more effectively within them.
Reason 3: He doesn’t show up on time. He works too slowly. He reacts too late. His deliverance takes too long. God’s clock is a lot slower than ours. We can text or email our prayer to God, and He doesn’t text or email back when we expect. In fact, sometimes we never hear back from Him at all. The screen is blank.
Sometimes we’ll pray for an important matter in our own lives or we’ll pray for someone else . . . for years. And the dial doesn’t move. Waiting on the Lord can become weary. And it can lead to offense. But God always keeps perfect time.
To sum up, here’s how NOT to be offended by the Lord:
• Remember that He demands everything, and He has promised suffering and tribulation along with blessing and eternal life. So don’t sell out for a cheap, easy gospel. Such is not the gospel of Jesus Christ. He told us what we were getting into and exhorted us to count the cost ahead of time (Luke 14:26).
• Remember that His ways are higher than ours, and He doesn’t always show us what He’s doing or why. We may not always understand what He does or allows, but He can still be trusted. This is the nature of walking by faith rather than by sight. Even when His grace isn’t sufficient, it is always sufficient.
• Remember that God is always on time, but His clock ticks differently from ours. He’s a Lord who sometimes shows up long after the hour of healing has passed and we are dead for four days. Just ask Lazarus.
• Being offended by God is a choice. You can choose to take offense at the Lord and stumble over that which you don’t understand. Or you can “trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).
Sunday, November 18, 2012
God’s View of a Woman
It breaks my heart to see how women today are treated. As most of us already know, many males in our society today show women by their actions that they're just a piece of junk. That their just a piece of meat. All that matters to so many guys today is her body, her appearance, and what she can give to them sexually.You won't find too many guys today opening doors for women. Rather than being there spending time with their wives, many guys will be off playing Grand Theft Auto, drinking, or shooting pool with the bros. And how do a vast number of guys in our society define true beauty in a woman? Seductive clothing, makeup, perfect skin, an ideal figure, and so on. Numerous guys in our culture have affairs. To a number of guys today, a woman is only an object. I could go on and on but you get the point. Once again, it breaks my heart. And it makes me sick. I'm sure that many of you women feel the same.
But gals, you know what's awesome? Jesus came.
In Jesus Christ, we find God’s view of a woman. Not man’s view. Not the American view. But God’s view. Consider this. When God decided to make His entrance upon this planet, He visited a woman. He chose a woman to bring forth the Eternal Son, the Messiah—the Anointed One for whom Israel had waited thousands of years. The life of God was first placed in the womb of a woman before it got to you and to me. And God was not ashamed.
Sisters in Christ, this is your Lord’s view of a woman. Take your high place.
But that’s not all. As Jesus ministered, He ripped down all social conventions that were pitted against women. On one occasion, He rose to the defense of a woman caught in adultery. He became her attorney and saved her life. And God was not ashamed.
Jesus was noted for palling around with sinners. He supped with prostitutes and tax collectors. We are told in John Chapter 4 that He met a woman, and He did something that shocked the disciples. He talked to her in public. And He was not ashamed. Not only was she a woman, but she was a divorcee. But not only was she a divorcee, she was actively living in immorality. Yet not only was she a woman, a divorcee, an adulteress living in sin, she was worse than a Gentile. She was a Samaritan—a half-breed. (A Samaritan was a person with whom Jews were never to talk.) But Jesus talked to this divorced, adulterous, Samaritan woman in public, and He forgave her of her sins. And He was not ashamed.
Sisters, take your high place. This is God’s view of a woman.
Once Jesus was dining with a self-righteous Pharisee. And in walked a woman. But this was not just any woman. She was a woman of the streets—a prostitute. Upon seeing the Lord, she dropped down to her knees and did something unsettling.
In the presence of Pharisees, this woman unbound her hair and poured costly perfume upon His feet. This unclean woman touched Jesus Christ in public. She wept, washed His feet with her tears, and dried them with her hair.
This scandalous and improper act mortified the self-righteous Pharisees. At that moment, these religious leaders lost all respect for Jesus and doubted that He was a true prophet. But your Lord was not ashamed.
Sisters, take your high place. This is God’s view of a woman.
But that’s not all. Your Lord allowed an unclean woman to touch the hem of His garment, and He was not ashamed. In fact, He praised her for it. He also gave a Canaanite woman who was viewed as a dog in the eyes of Israel one of the highest compliments He ever gave anyone. He also healed her daughter, and He was not ashamed.
In the Lord’s last hours on this earth, He stayed in a small village called Bethany. It was there that He would spend His last days before He gave His life on Calvary. In Bethany, two women whom Jesus loved had their home: Mary and Martha. They were His friends, and they received Him. And He was not ashamed.
Sisters, take your high place. This is God’s view of a woman.
When Jesus Christ was taken to die, the Twelve fled. They checked out. All the disciples (except John) said, “See ya!” But the women stayed with Him. They didn’t leave.
They followed Him up to Calvary to do what they had been doing all along—comforting Him, taking care of Him, tending to His needs. And they watched Him undergo a bloody, gory crucifixion that lasted for hours.
To watch a man die a hideous and horrible death is something that goes against every fiber that lives inside of a woman. Yet they would not leave Him. They stayed the entire time. And He was not ashamed.
Sisters, take your high place. This is God’s view of a woman.
Following His death, it was the women who first visited His burial. Even after His death, they were still following Him. They were still taking care of Him. And when He rose again from the dead, the first faces He met—the first eyes that were laid upon Him—were the eyes of women. And it was to them that He gave the privilege of announcing His resurrection, even though their testimony wouldn’t hold up in court. And He was not ashamed.
Sisters, take your high place. This is God’s view of a woman.
But beyond all these wonderful things that the Lord did in showing us how beautiful women are in His eyes, He did something else. He chose you—a woman to depict that which He came to earth to die for—His very Bride. And He is not ashamed.
Sisters, rise to your high place. This is God’s view of a woman.
Brothers, honor your sisters in the Kingdom of God. For God honors them. When our Lord pulled Eve out of Adam, He didn’t take her out of his feet below him. Nor did He take her out from his head above him. He took her out of his side to be equal to him. There’s not much room for chivalry anymore in today’s culture, but we’re to be radically different as followers of Christ. But this again isn’t easy. We need Christ within us, changing us. In Gods world, there is no reason to romance a girl, play with her emotions, take her heart, – unless there is a clear intention that you think this may be girl that you may wish to commit to – for life. So honor them.
Sisters, you are fellow heirs in the Kingdom of God. You are honored. You are cherished. You are valuable. You are needed.
You are His friends, His followers, His daughters, yea, His own kin.
So sisters, take your high place . . . this is God’s view of you.
But gals, you know what's awesome? Jesus came.
In Jesus Christ, we find God’s view of a woman. Not man’s view. Not the American view. But God’s view. Consider this. When God decided to make His entrance upon this planet, He visited a woman. He chose a woman to bring forth the Eternal Son, the Messiah—the Anointed One for whom Israel had waited thousands of years. The life of God was first placed in the womb of a woman before it got to you and to me. And God was not ashamed.
Sisters in Christ, this is your Lord’s view of a woman. Take your high place.
But that’s not all. As Jesus ministered, He ripped down all social conventions that were pitted against women. On one occasion, He rose to the defense of a woman caught in adultery. He became her attorney and saved her life. And God was not ashamed.
Jesus was noted for palling around with sinners. He supped with prostitutes and tax collectors. We are told in John Chapter 4 that He met a woman, and He did something that shocked the disciples. He talked to her in public. And He was not ashamed. Not only was she a woman, but she was a divorcee. But not only was she a divorcee, she was actively living in immorality. Yet not only was she a woman, a divorcee, an adulteress living in sin, she was worse than a Gentile. She was a Samaritan—a half-breed. (A Samaritan was a person with whom Jews were never to talk.) But Jesus talked to this divorced, adulterous, Samaritan woman in public, and He forgave her of her sins. And He was not ashamed.
Sisters, take your high place. This is God’s view of a woman.
Once Jesus was dining with a self-righteous Pharisee. And in walked a woman. But this was not just any woman. She was a woman of the streets—a prostitute. Upon seeing the Lord, she dropped down to her knees and did something unsettling.
In the presence of Pharisees, this woman unbound her hair and poured costly perfume upon His feet. This unclean woman touched Jesus Christ in public. She wept, washed His feet with her tears, and dried them with her hair.
This scandalous and improper act mortified the self-righteous Pharisees. At that moment, these religious leaders lost all respect for Jesus and doubted that He was a true prophet. But your Lord was not ashamed.
Sisters, take your high place. This is God’s view of a woman.
But that’s not all. Your Lord allowed an unclean woman to touch the hem of His garment, and He was not ashamed. In fact, He praised her for it. He also gave a Canaanite woman who was viewed as a dog in the eyes of Israel one of the highest compliments He ever gave anyone. He also healed her daughter, and He was not ashamed.
In the Lord’s last hours on this earth, He stayed in a small village called Bethany. It was there that He would spend His last days before He gave His life on Calvary. In Bethany, two women whom Jesus loved had their home: Mary and Martha. They were His friends, and they received Him. And He was not ashamed.
Sisters, take your high place. This is God’s view of a woman.
When Jesus Christ was taken to die, the Twelve fled. They checked out. All the disciples (except John) said, “See ya!” But the women stayed with Him. They didn’t leave.
They followed Him up to Calvary to do what they had been doing all along—comforting Him, taking care of Him, tending to His needs. And they watched Him undergo a bloody, gory crucifixion that lasted for hours.
To watch a man die a hideous and horrible death is something that goes against every fiber that lives inside of a woman. Yet they would not leave Him. They stayed the entire time. And He was not ashamed.
Sisters, take your high place. This is God’s view of a woman.
Following His death, it was the women who first visited His burial. Even after His death, they were still following Him. They were still taking care of Him. And when He rose again from the dead, the first faces He met—the first eyes that were laid upon Him—were the eyes of women. And it was to them that He gave the privilege of announcing His resurrection, even though their testimony wouldn’t hold up in court. And He was not ashamed.
Sisters, take your high place. This is God’s view of a woman.
But beyond all these wonderful things that the Lord did in showing us how beautiful women are in His eyes, He did something else. He chose you—a woman to depict that which He came to earth to die for—His very Bride. And He is not ashamed.
Sisters, rise to your high place. This is God’s view of a woman.
Brothers, honor your sisters in the Kingdom of God. For God honors them. When our Lord pulled Eve out of Adam, He didn’t take her out of his feet below him. Nor did He take her out from his head above him. He took her out of his side to be equal to him. There’s not much room for chivalry anymore in today’s culture, but we’re to be radically different as followers of Christ. But this again isn’t easy. We need Christ within us, changing us. In Gods world, there is no reason to romance a girl, play with her emotions, take her heart, – unless there is a clear intention that you think this may be girl that you may wish to commit to – for life. So honor them.
Sisters, you are fellow heirs in the Kingdom of God. You are honored. You are cherished. You are valuable. You are needed.
You are His friends, His followers, His daughters, yea, His own kin.
So sisters, take your high place . . . this is God’s view of you.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Lord, Lord, Didn't We…
Matthew 7 is probably one of the scariest, if not the scariest, passages in all of Scripture. The most horrific word in this passage isn't hell. It isn't fire, everlasting, darkness, gloom, or torment. In fact, none of those words appear in this passage. The most frightening word is indeed many. Jesus says, "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?" (Matthew 7:22).
This is judgment day. This is the end. There are no second chances. This is the last peaceful breath that many will breathe before they spend eternity in hell. Put yourself there for a second. Fast-forward your life to that day. Will you sound like the many who will call out in desperation, “Lord, Lord, did I not __________ and __________ and __________ in Your name?”
How will Jesus respond to your laundry list of Christian activities–your Easter services, "tithes", Bible studies, church potlucks, and summer-camp conversions? Are you sure you’re on the right side? What evidence do you have that you know Jesus? Please understand my heart. I believe I'm asking these questions for the same reason that Jesus gives the warning. It’s the most loving thing I can do. “Many” will go to hell even though they thought they’d waltz into paradise. Jesus will say, “I never knew you; depart from me” (Matt. 7:23).
Just as this passage makes clear, your profession of faith is no proof that you’re truly in the faith. Heck, mostly everybody in this whole country professes faith in Jesus Christ. If I went out to knock on every door in my city, do you know what I would find out? That probably around 85% of people here believe themselves to be believers. With most of them probably not concerned about serving. Not giving a hoot about holiness. Not a worry about being separated from the world. And yet they claim to be Christian.
Once again, what evidence do you have that you know Jesus?
That you go to a Sunday worship service every week? That you "give 10%" regularly? That you sing loudly and jump at Christian concerts? Once again, that's a laundry list of Christian activities. Or how about this: That you prayed a sinner's prayer one time? I don't think so. The Christian faith is not a once-and-for all flu shot.
What you need to know is that salvation is by faith and faith alone in Jesus Christ. And faith alone in Jesus Christ is preceded and followed by repentance . . . a turning away from sin, a hatred for the things that God hates and a love for the things that God loves, a growing in holiness and a desire not be like the world, but to be like Christ. The evidence––the way that you can have assurance that you are genuinely a born-again Christian––is that there was not just one time in your life that you repented unto salvation, but that you continue repenting today and continue growing in repentance. That you do, as a style of life, the will of the Father. And no I'm not saying that works will save you. Our works are like filthy rags. I'm talking about the evidence of faith. Works will be that evidence. After all, as James says, faith without works is dead.
Examine yourself. Take the Word of God and what the Word of God says about a true Christian, and examine yourself in light of it. And if you fall short of the test, repent and believe. Throw yourself upon the mercy of Christ. Cry out to Him until a work is done.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Pain
Thank you Lord for pain.
Through it you draw me closer to you. By it you drive me to my knees in prayer. From it you forge in me the image of Christ.
Pain is a friend that I welcome with outstretched hands and open arms. Although he kisses me on the cheek while stabbing me in the side I am still glad to see him. Why? Because he was the closest earthly companion of my best friend Jesus. Pain was there in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus called out in utter desperation to God. But instead of giving up, giving way or giving in, Jesus took the cup that pain offered to him in the garden and drank down every last drop.
Pain was right there when the soldiers swung their whips and wielded their fists toward Jesus. He stood silently in the shadow of the cross as Jesus absorbed the punishment and pain that I so deeply deserved. Through pain Jesus bore the sin of my humanity, of all humanity, and screamed out "My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?"
Through pain’s twin brother death I have been justified. By pain’s constant presence I am being sanctified. Out of the ashes of pain and death someday I, like my best friend, will be glorified.
Without pain I’d forget to pray, to trust, to wait.
Pain is the alarm clock that awakens me to the eternal. Pain is the cold water plunge that shocks my senses and makes me run to the warm blanket of my Savior’s love. Pain is the compass that points the way to the true north of hope and heaven.
It is the bitter bread that I must eat. Although I may choke it down, its nutrients are building me stronger every day. With each hard swallow I am taking into my being the bread of life, filling up the sufferings of Christ, so that someday I can partake in his glory at the feast of the Lamb.
Although Satan wants to use pain to destroy me, he will not prevail. I refuse to allow Satan to manipulate my friend pain to distract, embitter or engulf me. No, instead I will allow my dear friend to drive me to the foot of the cross so that I can be reminded of the one who endured the ultimate pain on my behalf.
Heavenly Father, pain is the chisel in your hand that you are using to chip off the excesses of granite sin and rock hard habits that encase my frail frame. I know that your job is not done until the image of Christ appears in me. With one hand you hold the chisel of pain and with the other you wield the hammer of love. I can see the tears in your eyes with each blow. But those tears of love cover me in the midst of my suffering and give me the courage to endure and persevere. It hurts God, but with every swing, every blow and every wince I see more and more of Jesus in me.
Swing hard. Swing true. Swing on.
Through it you draw me closer to you. By it you drive me to my knees in prayer. From it you forge in me the image of Christ.
Pain is a friend that I welcome with outstretched hands and open arms. Although he kisses me on the cheek while stabbing me in the side I am still glad to see him. Why? Because he was the closest earthly companion of my best friend Jesus. Pain was there in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus called out in utter desperation to God. But instead of giving up, giving way or giving in, Jesus took the cup that pain offered to him in the garden and drank down every last drop.
Pain was right there when the soldiers swung their whips and wielded their fists toward Jesus. He stood silently in the shadow of the cross as Jesus absorbed the punishment and pain that I so deeply deserved. Through pain Jesus bore the sin of my humanity, of all humanity, and screamed out "My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?"
Through pain’s twin brother death I have been justified. By pain’s constant presence I am being sanctified. Out of the ashes of pain and death someday I, like my best friend, will be glorified.
Without pain I’d forget to pray, to trust, to wait.
Pain is the alarm clock that awakens me to the eternal. Pain is the cold water plunge that shocks my senses and makes me run to the warm blanket of my Savior’s love. Pain is the compass that points the way to the true north of hope and heaven.
It is the bitter bread that I must eat. Although I may choke it down, its nutrients are building me stronger every day. With each hard swallow I am taking into my being the bread of life, filling up the sufferings of Christ, so that someday I can partake in his glory at the feast of the Lamb.
Although Satan wants to use pain to destroy me, he will not prevail. I refuse to allow Satan to manipulate my friend pain to distract, embitter or engulf me. No, instead I will allow my dear friend to drive me to the foot of the cross so that I can be reminded of the one who endured the ultimate pain on my behalf.
Heavenly Father, pain is the chisel in your hand that you are using to chip off the excesses of granite sin and rock hard habits that encase my frail frame. I know that your job is not done until the image of Christ appears in me. With one hand you hold the chisel of pain and with the other you wield the hammer of love. I can see the tears in your eyes with each blow. But those tears of love cover me in the midst of my suffering and give me the courage to endure and persevere. It hurts God, but with every swing, every blow and every wince I see more and more of Jesus in me.
Swing hard. Swing true. Swing on.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Context is Key
Context is key when getting into the Word. The truth is that many of us Americans have bought into a materialistic, right-now mindset, and so we're tempted to pull verses out of context to fit that mindset. We need to understand that God's greatest desire is to glorify His name. Too often, we interpret God's promises in a way that is appealing to our sinful side. We often grab things out of Scripture and try to use them for our own benefit, instead of taking the necessary steps to submit to Scripture, to be humbled by it. So let's look at some of the most common verses that are taken out of context/misinterpreted.
"Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
- John 14:13
God is not a genie in a bottle. Yes, He has a good, pleasing, and perfect will. But this doesn't mean we should pray for whatever we want. We are sinful people and don't even know what's best for us, as the book of Romans says. Sometimes we pray with wrong motives. Praying random prayers that are self-centered is not God-honoring. We must seek His will when we pray.
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart."
- Jeremiah 29:11-13
Most people overlook the context of the verse because it speaks to what they want to hear for their life. This was a corporate promise given to the nation of Israel, to a generation that came out of 70 years of captivity in Babylon. We think through an Americanized filter based on our preconceived notions of what blessing is. But God's promises are spiritual promises, not promises of instant gratification. Though God does bless us in many ways, he has not promised us our best life now. This world is not our home, and we should long for a better world.
“Judge not, that you be not judged."
- Matthew 7:1
Who is speaking? Jesus. To who? The religious leaders of the day. And why? Because they were being hypocritical in their judgments. The Bible talks about us judging. It talks in James 5:19 about leading others from being astray. Spiritual discipline is required. Tough love. There is a difference between that of "judging" (Being self-righteous and ungodly) and that of loving and caring. Romans 12: 16 - 21 talks about this. Matthew 18: 15-17 talks more about this.
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."
- Romans 8:28
This verse is often used to cheer people up. This verse should cheer you up but not necessarily in the way people usually say. It's usually used to say "don't worry, everything will be fine." What this verse really means is, "don't worry, everything will be the way God wants it to be." Unfortunately, what God wants isn't always going to be something that is necessarily fine in your opinion.
"I can do all things through him who strengthens me."
- Philippians 4:13
In that passage, Paul is teaching on contentment and arguing that no matter what our situation is, we should learn to be content. The ability to be content, whatever the situation, is contingent on what Jesus gives us. Athletes love this verse. This verse doesn't necessarily mean that Jesus will give the player victory, but rather that he or she can be content either way because of God's strength in him or her. It's not about God giving you the strength to dunk the basketball as much as it is Him working in you to be content no matter what happens in the game.
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me."
- Revelation 3:20
This verse is usually used as part of the unbiblical "Sinner's Prayer." Is the King of Kings meekly standing at the door of your heart knocking and hoping that you will open up and let him in? No. Revelation 3:20 has nothing to do with “doors of hearts.” It comes at the end of Christ’s message to the seven churches (specifically here, a stinging rebuke of the church of Laodicia). The door of verse 20 is to the churches, made clear by verse 22: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” It's about Christ knocking on the door of a lukewarm church, so that He might be let in and get to be center focus again. This isn't a letter to unbelievers but believers to not be lukewarm.
"Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
- John 14:13
God is not a genie in a bottle. Yes, He has a good, pleasing, and perfect will. But this doesn't mean we should pray for whatever we want. We are sinful people and don't even know what's best for us, as the book of Romans says. Sometimes we pray with wrong motives. Praying random prayers that are self-centered is not God-honoring. We must seek His will when we pray.
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart."
- Jeremiah 29:11-13
Most people overlook the context of the verse because it speaks to what they want to hear for their life. This was a corporate promise given to the nation of Israel, to a generation that came out of 70 years of captivity in Babylon. We think through an Americanized filter based on our preconceived notions of what blessing is. But God's promises are spiritual promises, not promises of instant gratification. Though God does bless us in many ways, he has not promised us our best life now. This world is not our home, and we should long for a better world.
“Judge not, that you be not judged."
- Matthew 7:1
Who is speaking? Jesus. To who? The religious leaders of the day. And why? Because they were being hypocritical in their judgments. The Bible talks about us judging. It talks in James 5:19 about leading others from being astray. Spiritual discipline is required. Tough love. There is a difference between that of "judging" (Being self-righteous and ungodly) and that of loving and caring. Romans 12: 16 - 21 talks about this. Matthew 18: 15-17 talks more about this.
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."
- Romans 8:28
This verse is often used to cheer people up. This verse should cheer you up but not necessarily in the way people usually say. It's usually used to say "don't worry, everything will be fine." What this verse really means is, "don't worry, everything will be the way God wants it to be." Unfortunately, what God wants isn't always going to be something that is necessarily fine in your opinion.
"I can do all things through him who strengthens me."
- Philippians 4:13
In that passage, Paul is teaching on contentment and arguing that no matter what our situation is, we should learn to be content. The ability to be content, whatever the situation, is contingent on what Jesus gives us. Athletes love this verse. This verse doesn't necessarily mean that Jesus will give the player victory, but rather that he or she can be content either way because of God's strength in him or her. It's not about God giving you the strength to dunk the basketball as much as it is Him working in you to be content no matter what happens in the game.
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me."
- Revelation 3:20
This verse is usually used as part of the unbiblical "Sinner's Prayer." Is the King of Kings meekly standing at the door of your heart knocking and hoping that you will open up and let him in? No. Revelation 3:20 has nothing to do with “doors of hearts.” It comes at the end of Christ’s message to the seven churches (specifically here, a stinging rebuke of the church of Laodicia). The door of verse 20 is to the churches, made clear by verse 22: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” It's about Christ knocking on the door of a lukewarm church, so that He might be let in and get to be center focus again. This isn't a letter to unbelievers but believers to not be lukewarm.
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