A Life of Praise

Have you ever thought about just how fortunate you are? That you can actually read this post. Ha, no, not that you are reading my blog, but that you can actually read. That you have a computer to read it on and the electricity to power it actually puts you in the top, perhaps 9% of the worlds population who actually owns a computer.

We, personally, own several cars. We have running water. We have access to top medical care. We have credit. We have more than 2 weeks worth of clothes in the closet. More than a week of food on the pantry shelf. We have family who loves us and would help us in any emergency. We have friends, a church family.

And yet we take so  much of this for granted. These are mostly material things. What of the spiritual and emotional? If you are a Christian, then you believe that you have eternal life after death in heaven. That you have been forgiven your sins. That you have a Father who loves you and cares for you.

Do you find yourself living in a state of constant praise to God for what He has given you? I don't. I should, but so often I look at the things I don't have. I focus on the problems I face, not the blessings I enjoy.

The longer I live in Honduras, the more I am learning to praise God. Almost every day I wake up and have to pinch myself to see if I'm just dreaming. I am blessed to be living here in this beautiful country. We have made some wonderful friends here. I have not worked in almost a year now and we still have food on the table and for tomorrow too. It's not as though I have nothing to do. Instead, I have opportunities to help people who have no water, get water. I am blessed to be pioneering the start up of two new businesses, neither of which take a whole lot of my time. My family is healthy. We are very actively engaged in community.

I want to live a life of praise to God. Although the Bible tells us to bring cares and concerns to God, we are told overwhelmingly to praise Him...in everything. Do you want to join me in learning to live a life of praise? 

A Challenging Dilemma

In my last post I wrote about a man named Charley and his belief that God heals and has given us the power to do the same through the Name of Jesus. I asked the question, "Why would we want to serve a supernatural God and live our lives only looking for natural results?"

Would you think me really odd, if you don't already, if I told you that more and more I long to see the supernatural God I believe in at work in me and around me?

So here's another question. "If God is to show His power, wouldn't you think that it would be only when we ourselves are out of options?" Now don't get me wrong. I don't want to get sick so I can see if God will heal me.

I think of most of the recorded miracles which Jesus did. Most of them were healings, obviously things that the doctors, such as they were, could not cure. He also cast out many demons, something else men could not do on their own. And then there were the ones like when He fed 5,000 men plus the women and children. Or when the storm was so fierce His disciples, although some of them were seasoned fishermen, feared for their lives and He rebuked the storm and it calmed.

I believe that all these miracles were done when man had no other options. The problem with we Christians today is that we have too many options. Something I've noticed here in Honduras, especially among the poor. Their faith and confidence in God is far greater than mine. They often have no other option. No credit card, no social security, no retirement plan, no health insurance, maybe not even tomorrow's food. They also seem to be so thankful for things like health and food. Things we often take for granted.

Something else I've noticed. We usually only want to do the things we can accomplish in our own strength and with our own abilities. I once approached a missions organization about working with me to start an orphanage. They told me to prepare a business plan. Hey, look, I'm a business man. I do understand that before we take on something like that we do need to evaluate the cost etc. But, maybe we should have first gone to God and said, "You have told us to take care of widows and orphans, we want to do that. We are trusting you to provide the resources we need to fulfill your command."

See what I'm talking about. We want to see that we can do it before we step out and follow. We want to know that we have our supporters lined up, pledging to keep us well fed and housed before we leave for the missions field. We want to give to others as long as we know we have enough left over for ourselves. We are called to be wise, but when do we anymore allow faith and the supernatural into our lives? Instead we only look to accomplish the natural. That which we can do ourselves. Does that show faith in a supernatural God who can do anything He wants and owns the gold, the silver and the cattle on a thousand hills...as we are so fond of quoting?

I've had the coolest thing happen recently. My Spanish is mediocre at best. Several months ago, the mother of a friend began to pray that someone would come to teach her and her family about the Bible. This lady lives far up in the mountains here in Honduras. She cannot read or write, but she is a believer with a very strong faith in God. My friend asked me to go. I, because of my lack of Spanish, because I could not see myself being able to fluently teach a Bible lesson, balked, stalled and delayed. Finally, after a  month or so, the lady's mother sent word to me again. "When are you coming?" How could I say no to that. Talk about feeling inadequate and unable though....

The most amazing thing happened. No, I did not miraculously begin speaking Spanish fluently (I wish that were the case) No, instead, because I was there to teach the Bible, others who could read began to come and they began to read the Bible. And so with a few simple questions occasionally from me, they began reading, discussing and learning, mostly on their own. Yes, God is still using me there to guide them and encourage them, but the Holy Spirit is at work in a way that He wouldn't have been if I was fluent and had all the answers for them.

So back to my question. Are we afraid to see the supernatural hand of God in our lives because when we do it usually means we are up against something we can't handle on our own? When we no longer can control the outcome, let alone the circumstance.

 

Natural or Supernatural

This past Wednesday at the church which meets in our home we had a new guest. I met this man about 7 months ago shortly after we moved to Honduras. Charley is 72 years old and lives on a mountaintop overlooking the capital. It's a dangerous area with a murder or two almost every week. He lives on social security and is loved by the town people because of his obvious love for them and the Lord. He reminds me of an Old Testament prophet.

Four months ago he woke up completely paralyzed. Friends, ex drug dealers who had become followers of Jesus, carried him onto a plane and he was flown to San Antonio, TX. The doctors never gave him any medication other than pain killers because they were unable to determine what he had. They told him that there was a good chance he would never walk again.

What I am going to relate to you is a paraphrase of Charley's words, but more or less as he expressed them.

"When the doctors told me I may never be able to walk again I rejected those words as lies from Satan. God does not want his children to be sick, or lame, or diseased. I began to rebuke the illness and Satan in the Name of Jesus and to believe the Word of God to be more powerful than any spoken by doctors or the Devil himself. Three weeks later I walked out of that hospital. The doctors didn't know what to say. Yes, it was a slow process of recovery and I needed therapy, but I am completely recovered."

And he is. During our prayer time we prayed for two friends who have or had cancer. Then one of the ladies, also a new guest said her heel had been hurting a lot lately. Charley asked her to remove her sock and he and one of the young ladies prayed for her healing. Charley asked this question, "What would Jesus do if he were standing in the room at that moment and Linda's foot was painful?" I though it was a very good question and one that almost every Christian would answer the same way. "He'd heal it." Charley said to us, "Jesus gave us His power and authority to do the same thing and we're going to right now."

Why then was I slightly uncomfortable with this action? (Remember, I call myself the Honest Christian) I believe God heals....without a doubt. I believe that God has given us authority over the enemy. Why then was I just a little uncomfortable?

Here are a few reasons. I was afraid of what the others in the room might be thinking. I was afraid that Linda's foot might not be healed and God would look the fool, let alone us or Charley. I'm not completely convinced that God heals all the time and in every situation. There are a few of the reasons.

But here's my real question for you, for me. Why is it that we Christians want to claim to believe in a supernatural power whom we call God, whom we believe created us and the universe, whom we believe is capable of doing anything He wants...and has, yet...when someone has enough faith to actually believe He can and will do a miracle, we shy away? We back pedal and claim that the gift of healing or of tongues no longer exists. That God no longer reveals Himself to us in the same way He once did.

Why would we want to serve a supernatural God and live our lives only looking for natural results?
I ask the question to you. Why? 

Would You Leave?

We live in Honduras. We don't usually call ourselves missionaries for a number of reasons. I don't like the name tag, it's been misused for so long now it has lost it's relevance. It has been used by so many who are not actually missionaries that there has become a preconceived idea in peoples minds that is associated with the word, one I don't usually like to be associated with. It places people on pedestals, a very dangerous place to be. We didn't go through a missions organization with 501C3 status and all the required support raising to get here. Those are just some of the reasons we don't often refer to ourselves as missionaries.

However, it doesn't mean that we aren't missionaries, at least based on the true definition of the word. (I explain this more fully in a post I did in another blog I write.) We're around a lot of missionaries though and missionaries have their own way of talking. Special words we use, kind of like a techie or a mechanic does. Instead of using words like "gigs" or "thingamajigs" or crimpers" we use words like "calling" or "mission" or "work" to describe why we are here in another country. Personally, I've always hated Christian lingo, but sometimes it's the only way to get your point across, at least to other people in the same business.

You may not have heard this, but Honduras has the highest murder rate in the world per capita. Something like 90 people killed for every 100,000 each year. (We missionaries love to put that out there every chance we get despite the fact that most of us live behind walls with razor wire on it.) But here's the deal. Honduras really can be dangerous as are many other countries. As I write this there is a very real possibility that today there could be civil unrest. Yesterday was election day. It was a close race between two very dissimilar parties, both probably corrupt, both claiming victory.

A man whom I deeply respect, a pastor and missionary raised the question yesterday whether or not we, meaning missionaries, would run back home if things got rough here. It was a very valid question. To paraphrase his question it went kind of like this. "If you are really "called" here, if your "mission" really is the people of Honduras and you are certain that God has "called" you to this "work"....will you stay and risk your life for what you believe in and the people you serve?"

It's a good question. It is one that missions organizations should be asking their people as troubles around the world deepen. Are you there for the long haul? Will you be there when the going gets tough and the fun and adventure has worn off? When the bullets start flying? Will you stay if your support dries up?

My wife and I are in a little different situation than most missionaries are. We have never said we were called here. We are not living off of donations from people who are giving money to us for the sole purpose of sharing the Gospel in places they can't or won't go.

However, the longer we stay here, the more deeply we involve ourselves in the lives of people here, the more I can say that, yes, we are called here. Forever? Through thick and thin? Through the Good, the Bad and the Ugly? If we run out of money? I don't know the answer to these questions. But as my friend said. "The most dangerous place to be is outside the will of God."

So if God says, "Stay here," then we stay, even at personal risk to our own health and safety. We stay if we truly believe we are called. Bottom line.

Are you called?

Church, the Way it Should Be?

So in  my last post I criticized the "church" as we know it in America. I dislike the organization we have turned it into. I dislike the corporateness of it. I dislike the specatorship that it has become. I dislike the idolatry we at times participate in as we worship a building, a program or the pastor. Ok, you know where I stand on all this.

So here are my thoughts on what "church" should be.

My wife and I and our three boys recently moved to Honduras. Shortly after we arrived we started what we refer to as a fellowship group in our home. We missed having Christians around us to encourage us and with whom we could share life. This wasn't the first group we had started. Over the years we have been part of several.

This is what I realized. Real "Church" should be family. The Bible refers often to the "family of God". I don't know about you, but when my family gets together, we don't have a board meeting, or form a committee. When one of us in in need, or in the hospital, or leaving the area, we don't make a phone call and see who is next on the list to take a meal or check the deacons fund to see how much money is available in the account. No, we pitch in and help, we do whatever is needed. Why? Because we are family. Bottom line.

So back to this home group here in Honduras. Why is it different than a church service? Does it even qualify in Biblical terms as a church?

Let me answer the first question first. We meet in our house, or an other's. We share a meal together. We laugh and talk and catch up with each other. Eventually we gather around and we share our week, the ups and downs. We study the Bible. Usually the men take turns each week as we study through one of the books. This gives everyone an opportunity to grow in being able to accurately teach the Word. Then we have a short discussion time. If we feel something was presented inaccurately we talk about it, or share how this has impacted our lives. We sing, we take communion together and then we pray. We pray for each other, we praise God, we bring our needs before the throne. From start to finish we're together 3 - 4 hours and we enjoy every minute of it. It's like a family get together

Question 2. What I just described is, I believe far more Biblical than anything you'll experience in a typical church service. Why? Because it is life. It is family and it is community.

You may ask, "What about structure, bishops, pastors and elders and deacons?" Let's follow this family thing for a bit. If your father is a good father, even though you are an adult now, do you still ask him for advice. If he came to you and was concerned you were taking a wrong road, would you listen to him? Do you have older men in your life who you respect and who have insight into life and you trust them enough to desire their input on decisions? I do. That's the way I see church. It's elders who have enough living and enough God given giftedness to be able to lead the "family" through tough times. Sometimes there is someone who takes charge of an event or a need. You know, a coordinator, like who is going to bring what for dinner or whose turn it is to take Grammy to the doctor. That's ok, that's family too.

What about gifts and calling? Well, I'm a pastor. Not by education or as a job description, but by calling. A pastor, or more literally, a shepherd, is one who watches and cares for a flock. That is what shepherds do. Part of what I do in our home group is I watch out for those who are in our family. It comes naturally, it is a God given gift or calling. I don't have to work at it. It's what I do. I recently had a young person call me and ask what I thought they should do in a life situation they found themselves in. I talked it through with them, but in the end I left that decision up to them. There was no right or wrong, just two choices. The important thing is that this person knew that I cared enough about them to take the time to talk and they trusted me as a shepherd.

We add people to our family all the time. But here's the thing. We aren't trying to build up an organization. I feel absolutely no pressure to try to get people to join. I am free to tell them about Jesus without inviting them to church...although sometimes we invite them to dinner. We don't take up an offering. Wait, correction. We have taken an offering once when one of our "family" was really in need. But there's no light bill to be paid, no staff, no pastor, no rent.

For me, it works. Our time together is the highpoint of my week. It seems to be for everyone else too.

What's your opinion?

Is the Organized Church as We Know It Really It?

I started this blog hoping that Christians and non Christians would join together for serious debate about Christians and Christianity. That really didn't happen and so from time to time I write some of the thoughts I have on Christianity and we Christians. Some people think that I am radical, anti authoritarian, a rogue Christian. It makes me laugh usually, sometimes not.

My views on what I call the organized church or the church organization are one of the reasons I am seen this way. More and more I am learning just to keep my opinions to myself, but for some reason, probably a conversation with someone the other day, I woke up in the mood to write briefly about this subject.

But first...let me clarify something. I am not anti church or anti establishment. The Bible speaks clearly and often about the church and the church structure, bishops, deacons and elders etc. I firmly believe in all this, just not what we have turned it into. Not only that, but there are many very good churches out there with really good people. SO KEEP IN MIND THAT AS I WRITE I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE, BUT RATHER THE ESTABLISHMENT.

So what have we turned church into? It is so hard for me to describe what it is that no longer rings true. None of what the church does is evil, well for the most part anyway, it's just that somehow we have turned something that should be "life" into something orchestrated, contrived and manipulated and programmed.

What we are producing instead, is this thing we call "church". But, it is not spiritual or supernatural, but instead it is normal and natural. We try to get people to come to church instead of coming to Jesus. We focus on buildings and programs instead of focusing on people. So much of what the church does revolves around money, either the collection of or questioning whether there is enough. It is functioning organizationally rather than organically.

We have somehow turned the position of pastor into the position of CEO. We have made worship music in to an orchestrated event, a performance. We have turned church into a spectator sport, where we come to listen to a professional band, listen to a professional speaker and leave thinking we have met with God.

Okay, now you see why people say the things they do about me.  You may ask me this, "What do you think should be happening, what is church?"

And I'll answer that in my next post...or you can answer it between now and then. As long as your comments are appropriate, this blog is an open blog with out censorship.

Our Weapons of Warfare

"For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds." 2 Cor. 10:4 (ESV)

As I wrote in my last two post, there is a Battle. Actually, there are two battles. As believers, we have been given weapons to use in these Battles. In this post I in no way claim to do the subject justice or for this to be an exhaustive commentary. I would encourage you to study the subject further on your own.

If you have ever watched a war movie, inevitability there comes a time when the troops take count of their weapons. There's the usual assortment of rifles, knives and grenades and there are the specialty weapons like mortars, machine guns and bazookas...ones that have required additional training. These are all offensive weaponry. Then there are radios, binoculars, maps and gps units. There is body armour and helmets, camouflage and night vision scopes. These are more defensive type weapons. As believers we have been given the same type of weapons, both offensive and defensive. Let's take a look at a well known passage of scripture. Almost so well known that it has in some ways lost it's impact.

Eph 6:10-18 list a pretty good arsenal of offensive and defensive weapons.The Belt of Truth, Breastplate of Righteousness, Shoes from the Readiness of the Gospel of Peace, Shield of Faith, Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit/Word of God. Then there are the weapons of Prayer, Alertness and Perseverance. Google any reference to the above list and you'll come up with any number of sermons or commentaries on this passage of Scripture.

But, I want to look at one weapon which I have never heard taught as such, but which is definitely a weapon. The Holy Spirit recently revealed this weapon to me and it's specific purpose at a time when this was the exact weapon I needed for the Fight. I want to share this with you.

Eph 6:13, 14a reads like this. (ESV) "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore..."  Stand is mentioned twice and withstand once. During the Civil War, at the first Battle of Bull Run, General Jackson earned the name "Stonewall Jackson" because his troops stood firm "like a stonewall" against the opposing army's advance. (There are those who say this was not a compliment, but the man who uttered the words was killed immediately after speaking them and he could not clarify) Needless to say, history has chosen to memorialise this phrase as something praiseworthy. Standing like a stonewall, standing firm, immovable. It doesn't at first seem like a weapon, but anything that keeps the Enemy from advancing, from gaining ground is a weapon.

So here are some ways we can use Standing as a weapon. You "stand" on the promises of God. Has God shown you or promised you something personally that has not yet come about? Then Stand on that. Do not waiver, do not give in to the Enemy's attacks when he tries to make you doubt. Stand firm! You can Stand against Evil, Poverty, Corruption and Complacency. In the Book of Ezekiel, God looks for a man to Stand in the gap between the corruption of the land and His wrath, but there is no one to be found. Ezk 22:23-31 Don't tell me that Standing isn't a weapon...and a powerful one at that.

As with all weapons we must learn to use them skillfully. It is the same with Standing. Practice it, you won't regret it. Stand firm, like a stonewall.

The Two Great Battles: part 2

In my last post I wrote about the first of the Great Battles in which we Christians are involved. We call this Battle "spiritual warfare". Ephesians 6:12 says this, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (KJV) It doesn't get any clearer than that.

The second of the Great Battles we are engaged in is against another enemy. That enemy is the "old nature", that part of us that still struggles against the "new nature". This is more difficult to write about as there are differing theological viewpoints on this subject. I do not claim to be a theologian and I have learned not to argue with another man's personal experience. Nor do I ever want to make doctrine fit my own personal experience or lack of it. I can only say this; for me the old nature is still alive, or at least to be reckoned with. I understand that it has been nailed to the cross with Christ and that I am dead to sin. (Rom 6:6) At the very minimum this is at least true from a positional standpoint. (Rom 8:3-4)  But, I know also that sin is still present in me. And for me, this is the second Great Battle...the Battle against the Flesh.

Romans 8:12-13 say as this, "Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.  For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live." (NKJV emphasis mine) Choosing to walk in the Spirit daily, as the new creation we are in Christ, choosing to put to death the deeds of the old, corrupt nature that still has the ability and desire at times to sin - this is the Battle we are given to fight as well.

The sins and temptations we all struggle with are evident. Lust, envy, jealousy, pride, desire for power, gossip, unkindness, apathy - over all of these things, and more, we have been given the ability and the desire to overcome through our new in life in Christ. But, the struggle comes because we don't always want to walk by the Spirit. It is far easier to fall back into the old ways of the old nature. Sometimes we just grow tired of the fight. Sometimes we don't understand that the God has given us everything we need to overcome. Sometimes it seems impossible and we actually doubt that it is true. Often, this is a moment by moment battle, a daily choice. Walk in the flesh or walk in the Spirit.

As difficult as this Battle is, it can be made even more difficult when it is combined with the First Battle, the fight against the "powers and principalities". Again, there are differing views on this, so I will only speak from my own experience. Satan (and I use this term generically, because Satan is not omnipresent, but we know he has many, many demons under him) knows our weaknesses, and does all he can, as a very qualified General himself, to capitalize on those weaknesses to make us weak and ineffective. 

I have observed that, for instance, whenever I am to preach or we have something upcoming that requires a greater step of faith, that there is a greater amount of strife in our family. I am learning that Satan takes and uses our struggle against the flesh and combines it with spiritual pressures from the First Battle to intensify our own propensity fail in whatever it is that day we are struggling with. 

Satan is the great Button Pusher. He knows just how to push both us and other's to say, think and do things that will then push other's buttons. I have seen this over and over and I know it to be true. The result is that we begin to see "people" as those who we are to battle against. I have experienced this in our our family and I have experienced it in churches. Go back to the verse at the top of the page. Who is our battle against? Other people, our husbands or wives, our church family? NO...it is not against flesh and blood (people). It is against powers and principalities...and our own carnal nature.

If we can begin to recognize Satan's tactics (Eph. 6:11) in this, then we can come against him and  our carnal nature in the power and authority we have been given as part of our relationship with Christ and with the weapons He has given us.  My next post will be on some practical ways to do both.    

The Two Great Battles: part 1

This, and the next post, are written to Christians only, although they are welcome to be read by all.

Do you know that you are involved in a Great Battle? No, I mean do you really know it. Do you understand that there is a War in which, whether you like it or not, you are involved... if  and only if you belong to Jesus Christ.

I write this because there are many, many who belong to Jesus Christ who do not truly believe that this Battle, this War exists. We may say we do, but all too often our actions show otherwise. There are those who have been taught that anyone who believes in this War is "a Charismatic" or "a Pentecostal" and should be approached with caution. We are afraid to believe in the reality of this war because it might make us look radical or crazy and we wouldn't fit nicely into society and what the world calls "normal". I am afraid that there are far too many congregations whose pastors have failed to educate them to the reality of this War and who are under the false impression that Christianity is about being comfortable, blessed, prosperous, healthy and fulfilled, insulated and protected from the problems of the World. If only this were so!

No my friends, if you are a believer, a follower of Christ...yes, a Christian - then you are also a soldier of the cross. (1 Tim. 2:3, Php. 2:25) The purpose of an army, any army, is to defend it's territory and it's citizens, to attack and repel the attacks of an enemy and to set captives free.

What nation and which citizens are we to defend? God speaks clearly again and again through His Word that there is a kingdom, His Kingdom...and that we are citizens of that Kingdom. This earth, as we know it, is not our home. (2Ti. 4:18, Heb 11:16). It is to this Eternal Kingdom that we owe our allegiance.

Who is this Enemy? Without doubt it is Satan and his followers. Again, God speaks clearly over and over of The Enemy, his plans and his purposes. (Mat. 13: 25-39, 1 Pet 5:8)

Who are those held captive? Nearly half of the miracles Jesus performed, as recorded in Scripture, were the setting free of those possessed and very literally held captive by Satan. He made it abundantly clear that His entire purpose in coming was to set the earth and it's inhabitants free from the curse of sin and death. (Luk 4:17-21, Mat 8:28-33)


Why then do we so often live our lives as though this battle is not raging around us? Why do we fail to see this Battle and the consequences it has in and for our lives? We fail to see it because we do not believe! Not really. We do not see Satan and his hatred for God and for His children for what they are. Satan is pure and unadulterated evil. His only intent is to destroy those who love God, the works of God and all acts of righteousness including the redemption of sinners. Just as we cannot fully understand the love God has for us, neither can we fully understand the hatred Satan has for those who have been redeemed. History gives us glimpses into that hatred through times the Church has been severely persecuted. Israel, God's chosen nation, has also suffered Satan's attacks over the centuries. The increase in violence towards children, the constant attack on families and marriages, the incredible evil in these attempts to destroy what is precious to God should open our eyes to the reality of this Battle and Satan's hatred of God and His people.  

Fellow Soldiers, we have, through the Power of God, been given weapons to use in this Battle. They are spiritual weapons because this Battle is a spiritual battle. (2 Cor 10:4) Some of these weapons are prayer, fasting, righteousness, faith, the Name of Jesus and Scripture. How foolish and ineffective we are if we fail to recognize this Battle and to use the weapons we have been given. Furthermore, we are assured Victory through the power of our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ when we use these weapons and stand firm in the Faith.

BUT.
First, we must recognize that there is such a Battle. Second, we must discern when we are in the midst of a spiritual battle for surely we are not always engaged actively in the fight. Just as in any war there are times of rest and rejuvenation and our Commander knows when we are in need of both. Third, we must know our enemy, his plans and his tactics. Fourth, we must understand the power we have in the weapons we have been given and how to properly use them.

To those of you who are reading this...please do not misunderstand me. I am no great hero, no special ops kind of Christian (soldier). I fail miserably quite often in battle. But of this I am becoming more and more convinced. We are engaged in a Great Battle and we must wake up and become fully engaged in the fight. To this we have been called as Followers of Christ.

There is also another battle. It is equally challenging, equally difficult. In this battle too there is an enemy and weapons and consequences. My next post will be about this battle.


  

And What Shall We Say of the Humble?

Humility...Humbleness...not Prideful.

In my lifetime I have met many very successful men. Men who have accomplished great things. Men who have accumulated vast amounts of wealth and power. Intelligent, powerful, accomplished, gifted, silver tongued; are all words that could be used to describe these men.

The ones who have made the greatest impression on me are the ones who have been down to earth,  regular guys. Those who have not been overly impressed by themselves. In other words, humility was part of their character. As John Ruskin put it, "I believe the first test of a truly great man is in his humility." I couldn't agree more.

I constantly need to remind myself that God "opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." This character trait of humility is one of the most desirable qualities a Christian, or anyone for that matter, can posses. It is one which, unhappily, I often fail to exhibit.

"Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance." Saint Augustine

In A Book of Psalms,  Steven Mitchell beautifully paraphrases the 15th Psalm in this way.

"Lord, who can be trusted with power,
    And who may act in your place?
Those with a passion for justice,
    who speak the truth from their hearts;
who have let go of selfish interests
    and grown beyond their lives;
who see the wretched as their family
    and the poor as flesh and blood.
They alone are impartial
   and worthy of people's trust.
Their compassion lights up the whole earth,
   and their kindness endures forever."

I want to be that kind of man. A man who can be trusted with power, who has a passion for justice and has let go of selfish interest. From the very bottom of my heart, that's who I want to be.

Hypocrasy or Theology?

Today I posted a cartoon on my facebook page. In light of what recently happened in Newton, CT it was insensitive of me. I have apologized on fb and would take it down if I knew how to.

LET ME SAY IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS; THIS WAS NOT A COMMENT BY ME ON THE CHILDREN WHO DIED OR WHETHER OR NOT GOD SHOULD HAVE, COULD HAVE OR WOULD HAVE STOPPED IT.  It is a comment, I believe, on the current hypocrisy in America when it comes to God.

What surprised me was how the cartoon illicited some extremely intense feelings. That was the purpose of the cartoon. It was to raise a question, to make a point. That's what cartoons have always done. Hopefully they always will. As one of the fb comments read, "I just also think that the point of the cartoon is more about hypocrisy than theology" I do too. Here is the cartoon.

Okay, please keep in mind that this is NOT my statement about Newton. But why did it connect in my mind as making a statement I liked. (Usually I try to stay away from things like this on fb, but without thinking I clicked "share") Well, if you've been following this blog at all you'll see that one of the things I hate most in myself and others is the "H" word. That's right. HYPOCRISY. I hate it. I really, really do. I am not free of hypocrisy, but it doesn't keep me from hating it.

hy·poc·ri·sy

Noun: The practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform; pretense.

Folks, can I be honest with you. Christians are probably the number one offenders in this area. We who claim to honor God and to follow His precepts are the first to rip, tear and destroy each other. Apologies are almost unheard of. Reconciliation, the very thing Jesus came for, seldom pursued. Materialism, self-centeredness, all there. Shame on us!

It doesn't stop with us, the conservative right though. The liberal left is equally hypocritical. (I speak on both counts in general terms) You profess to be environmentalist and you can't stop driving your cars, turn off your power, a/c and heat and halt consumption of products which you KNOW are harmful to the environment and yet you castigate without mercy corporations and third world countries who for opposing reasons misuse, to some extent, the environment. Michael Crichton in his novel State of Fear got it right. Read it, if you dare.

But there is a growing hypocrisy in America that is becoming unbearable. It is this, we claim to be a "nation under God and in whom we trust in" but the reality is that we don't want God anywhere near us most of the time. We have taken God out of public schools. We have taken Christ out of Christmas. Now there's an hypocrisy of gargantuan proportions. You who don't want symbols of Christmas displayed on public grounds or others to use the words "Merry Christmas" and yet continue to celebrate a holiday that has God at it's origin. Huh? You want tolerance for yourselves, but won't extend it to others. For those of us who believe in Jesus, no matter how offensive you may find him, leave us alone and allow us to celebrate a holiday that is meaningful to us. It was ours first.

But I digress. I challenge you, before you get offended at the cartoon above to take some time and study history. I believe that you will find that as every great civilisation of the past has risen and fallen, it's demise has been accompanied by a deterioration of the moral standards of it's society AMONG OTHER THINGS. I do not know which comes first. I do know this, as the morals of society decline, so crime rates (including murder) rise, devaluation of life and family, of honesty and ethics decline as well. This decline becomes evident in; corrupt politicians and officers of the law, corporate greed, divorce rates, pregnancy of unwed mothers resulting in single parent homes, legalized abortion and euthanasia, etc. Does this sound familiar?

So here are two questions. Is our society in decline as evidenced by a decline in social morals? Is there hypocrisy  in America when it comes to "claiming" God when we need Him, but doing away with him when we want to live our lives different than His laws teach?

I want you to know something about me. My heart breaks when I see the pictures of those little children who died. But my heart also breaks when I see children who have lost parents due to divorce, when I see children without enough food to eat or clothes to wear. When I see children who have been abused by sexual predators. Or bullied.

We can get all up in arms about arms (gun control), but why don't we get all worked up about the things I just listed? Do we really care that much? Are we hypocrites? 

We can't change what happened last week, but you and I can get radical about changing the lives of a child who is suffering from the things I listed above.  

Your comments are welcome.

Does It Matter What We Believe?

I've been asking the question, "Does it matter how we live" in past blogs. Now I want to ask the question, "Does it matter WHAT we believe". In Christian circles "what" we believe is called "doctrine". Everyone, Christian and non-Christian alike, has doctrines that they believe in. And these doctrines do actually determine how we live our lives to some extent. Don't believe me?  Here's a doctrine I have seen on a bumper sticker that many Americans live their lives by...Christians and non Christians. "He who dies with the most toys wins!" You say, "Well that's just a joke". No, I'm afraid it isn't. It is the doctrine of materialism in it's crudest form.

Other doctrines, i.e. live and let live, do unto others as you would have them do to you...or the reverse, do unto others as they do to you.  Kill'em all, let God sort'em out, life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you'll get, the early bird gets the worm. All of these funny little sayings are actually reflections of our beliefs. Doctrines. And while no single doctrine typically orders our entire life, there is no doubt that they color our perceptions and hence, directly impact the way we think, act and react.

From a Christian perspective doctrines are either true or false. Biblical or unbiblical. It is possible for Christians to have differing views on doctrines and neither view be considered false. Take for instance eschatology which is the Biblical study of end times prophecy. There are several differing views on when and how this will happen. Why does this not make one or more of the views false? Because all of the viewpoints agree on one point. Jesus will someday return.

There is a particular doctrine that started in the Christian church about 20 years ago. It has been called the "prosperity doctrine" or the  "health and wealth gospel". I have believed for a long time that it is mostly a false doctrine and I am beginning to believe that it has done more damage to the Christian church and to individual believers than any false teaching that has come along in many years. Why?

In brief, this teaching says that God designed and wants every Christian to be healthy and prosperous.This teaching has at it's core some truth. God never intended us to be sick or poor, but...sin entered the world and with it the curse of disease, death and drudgery. Truth: God does bless, heal and prosper. False: God does not guarantee any of it this side of heaven. Truth: If we give to God and others we will be blessed. False: In doing so God is obligated to reward us in this life.

The damage. I have seen good people who can ill afford it give money to preachers and churches because they have been talked into believing that God will bless them 100 fold if they do. These are often multi million dollar ministries. I have seen people who are ill and have not been healed blame themselves for their lack of faith.

The reality: God does works miracles. He does heal. He does prosper us. I have seen both in my own life, but in order for God's promises to be true, they must be universal. I have traveled enough and seen enough to know that there are Christians around the world who live in places of deep poverty and despair. It is an insult to them and to those great men and women of the past who have suffered, bled and died for their faith when we teach this doctrine which has it's origin in our American lifestyle and world view. A lifestyle that heaps luxuries most of the world can only dream of upon us.

Instead, I believe that God has given His church the responsibility to feed and care for the poor and the sick. In so doing we show God's love to others, especially when it cost us. I have been reading an excellent book that should be required reading for all pastors and thinking Christians. It is written by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert, titled When Helping Hurts, alleviating poverty without hurting the poor...and yourself. In it they take a serious look at why the Church should be involved in poverty alleviation and why so much of what we do actually hurts those we want to help. I think the welfare system here in America would benefit by applying many of these principals to their own programs.

So does what we believe affect how we live? You bet your bottom dollar it does! Are you gonna' give your way to riches or are you going to give of you riches? Do you follow Jesus' example, he who gave up the glory and riches of heaven to be born as the poorest of the poor, in a manger, so that he could reconcile us to himself? Or do you live like a king? We live our lives based on what we believe in. And that's a fact!

Note: This very brief look at the health and wealth gospel does not do it justice. I am no theologian. Greater, more intelligent men than I have argued the validity of this doctrine. I can only tell you what I see and how I see it. It's up to you to decide.

Joy, it's what makes the difference.

Joy. In this whole discussion of "does it matter how we Christians live" the word or idea of "joy" or "joyfulness" stands out as something we are supposed to have, to posess, intrinsic to our experience as Christians. It's probably the one thing I lack most. It's probably the one thing I desire most.


John 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

These are the words of Jesus. So what does the word "joy" mean? Strong's defines joy in the Greek as: G5479
χαρά
chara
khar-ah'
From G5463; cheerfulness, that is, calm delight: - gladness, X greatly, (X be exceeding) joy (-ful, -fully, -fulness, -ous).

Cheerfulness...calm delight...gladness...exceeding gladness. Wow! Here's my problem. The stock market goes up, I'm exceedingly glad. The stock market goes down, I'm exceedingly unhappy. My children are well behaved and exhibit joy themselves, I'm joyful too. They fight and fuss, I'm upset and angry. My wife...well better not go there, but I trust you get the picture. What I'm saying is that my happiness is most often dependent on my circumstances, the weather, my satisfaction with my job, my income and the list goes on and on.

Jesus says, "No, that's not how it works." I give you my joy as part of your trust and belief in me. Let me quote from Mark Buchannan's book, Your God is too Safe again. "...true celebration is deciding purposefully to rejoice and making every effort to do so. Celebration is the practice of lifting our eyes from our preoccupation with all the work we have to do and the trouble we're in and the money we owe and the reputation we strive to keep - to lift our eyes from all that and set them on things above. It's training ourselves, in the midst of and in spite of all that might be amiss, to see heaven:..."

I love that last sentence. "Training ourselves, in the midst of and in spite of all that might be amiss, to see heaven." I think that is what I was trying to express in my last post. I couldn't quite find the words to express what I was feeling. How do you describe what might be more real than the reality we are in. How do you describe what it is we might be missing because we are focused myopically on the reality of this world? We need to train ourselves to see heaven. We need to be farsighted. That is, looking beyond the reality of this world, the reality of our circumstances, to what is even more real.

Sadly, so many of us, myself included, who profess to know Christ lack this joy. There are moments, even days were I have joy, but at some point something will come along and take that from me. Joy is not happiness. It is not denying the things that make us sad, the death of a loved one is a sad event, the loss of your job is not something to rejoice in...usually. Christian joy is this; training ourselves to see heaven. It's what makes us different.

The Honest Christian

What if.....

I recently watched a YouTube video about a man who died, but was given a second chance. There are many instances of this happening to people out there. I'm not here to debate the "doctrinal" possibilities of this happening. There are many who will scoff at this or use the Bible to disprove it. And that's okay. A lot of people didn't believe that Lazarus had died and been restored to life either. I don't know if what this man tells about really happened. He believes it did and it's his story...not mine. However, he said something that really got me thinking, especially as I had already been thinking along these lines.

He said this (more or less). "The spiritual world is far more real than this world." So here's my what if. What if this life isn't the one that's real?  What I mean is this. What if all the things we concentrate our energy on; work, careers, houses, cars, entertainment, money...all the things we see as vital to our success and happiness aren't the things that are real, that are going to matter to us for more than the few years we will spend here on earth. Instead, what if the things that matter, that are real are only the things we do that will carry over to the next life. What if the spiritual world really is far more real than this world?

We spend endless amounts of energy on the things I mention above. Maybe the right question to ask is, "What are the things that will carry into eternity?" I don't have a black and white answer for you. Many people would say the time you spend at church, helping others, praying are the things that count. There may be truth in that, but somehow I think it goes deeper than that. I'm not quite sure how to express it in words, but I can sense it in my spirit.

Each day that goes by intensifies my believe that this life is not the real life. That most of the things we focus our energy on are only distractions to what is real. They're not intrinsically evil, some are even necessary. It's more about the focus, the place of importance we assign them. The real life is spiritual, eternal. My understanding of scripture is that what we do with this life really does have an impact on the next life. Not just where we will spend it (heaven or hell), but we will be doing for all eternity. Maybe by focusing in this life on the things that matter in the next life, maybe it really is preparation for our eternal careers.

Man Shall Not Live by Bread Alone

Scripture tell us that. "...man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God". (Mat. 4:4) With that I must agree, especially as it comes from the mouth of Jesus. The thing I've been thinking about is this. How and by whom are we to be fed spiritually?

In my last post I was honest with you. I haven't been in church much lately. Some Christians have asked me this question when they learn this, "If you're not going to church, how are you being fed?" I usually respond with my own question, "If you saw someone feeding a twenty year old man, what would you think?" My guess is that you would assume that he (the one being fed) was mentally challenged or perhaps had some neuromuscular desease like MS. But, what if there was not one thing wrong with this man other than he had never been taught to feed himself or was perhaps just to lazy. If you were the type of person who spoke his or her mind I expect you would castigate him in no uncertain terms. You might even have a few choice words for the one doing the feeding. Surely you would not see this as normal behavior!

And yet there are an untold number of Believers whose only "feeding" is when they go to church on Sundays and are spoon fed by the pastor. And this is the accepted norm. There are a fewer number who each morning turn to their favorite devotional writer to be fed. And finally there are those, fewer yet, who pick up the Word and feed themselves, wrestling with scripture, allowing the Holy Spirit to do as he promised. (John 16:13)

Now, before you call me names like "heretic" or "troublemaker" or close this blog in disgust, allow me to clarify. The intent of this post is not to down play the importance of preaching or to negate the writings of men and women far more spiritual and learned than I. Both have their place and I am grateful for both. As a matter of fact,  in my blog Doing Life Different, I write of how much some of the great men of our time have impacted my life.  It is instead to challenge you, Believer, towards maturity. Learn to feed yourself. It was right and proper when you were "newborn" in the Kingdom to be fed by someone, but now put away childish things and feed yourself. Then when you have become mature you can teach others to feed themselves. It's called discipleship.

It is also a challenge to pastors. Close the laptop, open the Word. Stop getting your messages from E-Sermon and start getting them from the Spirit. If you are guilty of plagiarizing someone else's thoughts, writings or sermons in your messages, fess up and confess. Be willing to humble yourself and acknowledge that rare person who actually spent the time necessary, on his knees and in the Word, to receive the message. (Here's a great link on this subject.)

So here's the question, "Are we a nation of physical gluttons, but spiritual anorexics?"  

Meeting together

Heb 10:24 Let us be concerned for one another, to help one another to show love and to do good.
Heb 10:25 Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage one another all the more, since you see that the Day of the Lord is coming nearer.


I have for over 40 years now heard Heb. 10:25a preached from the pulpit. "Forsake ye not the assembling together..." It seems to me that I have usually heard it preached when attendance is falling off and tithes are down. Maybe I'm just being my usual cynical self here...maybe. It's just that sometimes I wish I had some "God breathed and inspired" verse of scripture that I could use on my "customers" when business is slow. "Forget not to enter my store and buy provisions for thee and thine entire extended family". Wouldn't that be sweeeet?  Especially if it produced enough guilt to actually work.
Hey, I'm writing tongue in cheek so to speak. However, I don't believe that when that sermon has been preached I usually hear vs 24 spoken on. So here would be my slant on these two verses.  "Let's be concerned for one another. Let's show love and do good. Yeah, let's do it! Oh, and by the way, don't stop hanging out together the way some of you have been doing. We miss you and it's much harder to be concerned and show love for you when you're not around, especially as we know there are some rough times ahead of us." (paraphrase by Saint Mike)

Seriously, although I haven't been in "church" much lately, I don't have anything against going and it is good to do so...but, on the other hand, I've had some really awesome get togethers with friends these past several months. Like today, lunch with a brother I haven't seen in awhile. We had some really good conversation about what God has been doing in our lives. Compared views on scripture. Caught up on the past and the future. I guess you could say we encouraged each other to do good, to keep the faith. I'm pretty sure it qualified as "meeting together". Almost positive!

What say you?

The Ethics of Jesus or the Ethics of the Pharisees

I want to build off something Mark Buchanan writes about in chapter 11 of  Your God is too Safe. He says this, "The Pharisees had an ethic of avoidance, and Jesus had an ethic of involvement...They didn't ask, "How can I make others clean?" They asked, "How can I keep from getting dirty?" ... Jesus in sharp contrast got involved"... Rather than running from evil, He ran toward the good." (end quote)

So what do you make of that? It's a question to you and to me. Do you see Christians as "avoiding evil" or as being "involved" in the process of making others clean? This question is just another in the overarching question, "Does it matter how we live our lives."

There have been times in my life where I have only been interested in avoiding evil. I admit it. Close my eyes to the hurt, to the sin, to the dirt and if I sing loud enough, pray hard enough, fast long enough maybe it will all go away. Of late, I have been moving in the opposite direction, towards involvement. If I reach out, if I love, if I listen, if I risk THEN there is the possibility of change. Jesus did this everywhere He went. Should we, His followers, do any less?

   

Is Your God too Safe?

Mark Buchanan has written a compelling book, Your God is too Safe . I highly recommend reading it. He is a wordsmith of incredible ability and talent. I don't know how many times I have read this book, but it's been often. Each time his words, his description of those who live in "borderland", this place between two countries...a no man's land, strike deep into my own spirit. In his book he accurately describes a condition that exist in many Christians, that in his mind and mine also, is very real. Borderland is a place between two countries which is claimed by no one. In his analogy of this place, which apparently does exist, Buchanan sees where so many Christians leave the old life of sin to begin a new life of faith in Christ only to be stuck between those two kingdoms. They do not wish to return to the old life, but are too afraid, unsure or divided spiritually to move ahead into the "abundant life" Scripture teaches us to expect.

In the Old Testament, the Israelites are delivered from slavery in Egypt (a picture of the unregenerate life) and are headed for the "promised land" (a picture of the new life in Christ). Because of unbelief, fear and a remaining fondness for the old life, they remain for 40 years in the desert, wandering around in circles, going nowhere, slowly dying. I think this is the present day "borderland" Buchanan writes of.

I have been there. Often I am still there. I make brief forays into the new world, only to rush back to borderland at the slightest sign of danger or discomfort. In one of my other blogs, Doing Life Different , I tell of me and my family's journey towards moving to Honduras. The unknowns, insecurities and risks sometimes overwhelm me. I want to rush back to the safety of that which I know. I don't really like it here in this bland, comfortable, undemanding American version of Christian life, but it's what I know best. For the most part it isn't the personal fear of living in Honduras, I've traveled enough over the years through Central America to be fairly comfortable with that, it's more the unknowns of the future, the demands on my faith which to be perfectly honest...are quite often lacking. I see or read of others that seem to have no doubts, no fears, no questions. I applaud them, but down deep there's always the sneaking suspicion that they're faking it. Putting on the false face we Christians wear all too often. Spewing out platitudes and cliches. And if they're not, what does that say about me, about my faith? Next question please.

Buchanan says we want a God we can control, a safe God, a God who is at our beck and call. He writes this, “God isn’t nice, He isn’t safe. God is a consuming fire. Though he cares about the sparrow, the embodiment of His care is rarely doting or pampering. God’s main business is not ensuring that you and I get parking spaces close to the mall entrance or that the bed sheets in the color we want are—miracle!—on sale this week. His main business is making you and me holy."

The God of the Bible is a God who says, "But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you." He's a God who ask you to do hard things, to be different than those who profess and confess no allegiance to Him.

I want desperately to leave borderland, I really do. I know that there is a life out there waiting to be lived to it's fullest. I've read of some of the great men and women throughout history who have lived that way. There's only one problem, things didn't always turn out so well for them. At least in this life. Read Jonathan Goforth's biography or The Heavenly Man , Brother Yun's autobiography. For that matter, read Hebrews 11:32-40. Many accomplished great things, but many also suffered death and dismemberment.

No, God is good, but He is not safe. In this whole discussion, be it one sided, the question remains, "Does it matter how we live our lives?' You bet it does.

Does It Matter?

Some one may ask the question, "Does it really matter how a Christian lives their life?" This blog is not here to argue doctrine or to debate the finer points of theology. It is here to encourage Christians to begin to think about the idea that, if we really believe what we say we believe, then yes...it really matters.

It matters if you want people to believe in Jesus. Have you ever heard the phrases, "The best sermon I ever heard was the one I saw" or "Actions speak louder than words" Ever heard that? Have you ever asked yourself why so many of your friends, families and coworkers aren't interested in hearing you or other Christians talk about Jesus? It may not be you directly that's the reason, but what Christians have become in general. There is very little difference statistically between some one who professes to be a born again Christian and some one who does not. Look at the statistics on divorce. Almost exactly the same in the church as out. It's hard to measure love, attitudes or generosity, but my experience has been that here too there is very little difference. Again, I'm speaking in general terms.

All I can say is, "WAKE UP". DO WE REALLY BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE NEED TO SEE JESUS?  Well, if we do, don't you realize that we are to be His representatives?

Churches, pastors, congregants. WAKE UP!

The Character of Jesus...the Character of a Christian

What does the Teacher have to say about how one of his followers should live their life. Oh, by the way...I don't think these are suggestions.

Luk 6:27 "But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,



Luk 6:28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.


Luk 6:29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either.


Luk 6:30 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back.


Luk 6:31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.


Luk 6:32 "If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.


Luk 6:33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.


Luk 6:34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount.


Luk 6:35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.


Luk 6:36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you. Ouch! Are you serious Jesus?

Bless and pray for those who abuse and curse you. For real?

Don't retaliate when hurt. As a matter of fact...give above and beyond when taken advantage of.

Give to EVERYONE who begs of you. Everyone?

Do to others just as you would like others to do to you. You mean make it personal, don't you Jesus>

Now here's the really big question Jesus asks. The one where He really sets the bar high for His followers. Are you ready? If we only do good to those who do good to us, what does that prove? Even those who don't believe in me do that. And again, same question different scenario. When you lend, are you only lending because you expect that it will be repaid?

Look at vs 35. Wow! What a reward for those who follow His instructions. A great reward is due us. Sons of the most high. He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful even as God is merciful. Doesn't sound optional to me, well not if you're a Christian anyway.

Okay, brave soul. How did you do on the test of Christ likeness? Maybe an even better question. Do you care? Now, here's something to think about. Just because we call ourselves "Christian" does that mean we are? Or does Jesus need to call us Christian? And how is he and others going to know if we are? I suggest that it is, in part, by how we respond to the above commands of the one whom we say is our Master. What say you?