Mike D. Stevens

Fellowship of the Broken Heart

2012-01-16T19:18:00.000-08:00

“The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart,

And saves such as have a contrite spirit.”

— Psalm 34:18

One of the wounding lessons that Peter learned was how easily the flesh can bring one down. He boldly and publicly proclaimed to the Lord that, "I will never deny You." Wow! Within a few hours he would deny the Lord three times.

Sin gets access and victory in our lives when we have too much confidence in our own "goodness." There lies the problem; we think we are good. We are not, we are the sons of Adam and good is something we have never been. We are fallen and can only be redeemed through Jesus.

Even as new creatures in Christ, we must never forget that without Christ we are a wicked race. You never hear a porn star or a murderer, or a prostitute go on and on about their sins. They are broken and ashamed because of their life before Christ. This should be the case for all of us who have been redeemed.

We need a broken heart over our past, and over the sins we commit now. The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 6:23). We have nothing to be proud about, nothing to be confident about. The Apostle Paul said there was nothing good that dwelt in Him except Christ, and Christ alone.

Maybe remembering what we have been redeemed from will cause us to have a deeper fellowship with our Lord. Much of our worship is shallow today because our thankfulness is little. We need to remind ourselves: "I was the cause for Christ's death on the cross. I was the cause for His beating. I was the cause for His humiliation. The Holy One of glory did it all for me. Without Him I can do nothing. God, may my heart be broken over my sin so that my fellowship can be rich and my life a living sacrifice."

To repress worship is to repress the irrepressible.

2011-12-22T23:05:00.000-08:00

Everyone is a worshipper. Every person has his or her God: The only difference is that some can defend what they believe with sound reasons while others do so in a vacuum. Not only individuals but nations have their gods.

I am an Indian, born and raised in India. Before I moved to the West I readily accepted the fact that during Hindu festivals the nation would be celebrating the occasion. This was understood, even though technically India is a secular democracy. But there is an underlying worldview behind the culture. Whether it was Ganesh puja or Diwali, India celebrates its festivals based in a Hindu worldview.

I am not a Hindu but I respect the Hindu's right to express the foundational ideas of the nation. The same applies to a Buddhist nation or to an Islamic nation. I am neither a Buddhist nor a Muslim. But I respect the right of those in these countries to express their faith during their festivals and am not offended by them.

I am a Christian. When I came to America decades ago, I was thrilled to see Christmas celebrated and the reason for the season so obvious: the birth of Jesus Christ. Did I assume that every American was thus a Christian? Certainly not. But I expected the charitable heart of even the dissenter to allow that which has been practiced in this country historically and traditionally to continue. But alas, it is not so. In Thailand and Indonesia Christmas carols are sung in shopping centers and Christmas trees adorn airports. But in America the anti-Christian bias of silly advertisements like Bloomingdales’ "Merry, Happy, Love, Peace" reflect ideas firmly planted in midair and proclaim no reason for the season.

Who is offended by a public celebration of Christmas? The anti-Christian secularist who lives under the illusion that values are cradled in a vacuum. Peace and love for what? What do these terms really mean? Are they self-evident? Not by any means.

America may not be a Christian nation per se, but only the Judeo-Christian worldview could have framed such a nation's ideas and values: "All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights." No other religion or secular assumption can affirm such a statement except the Judeo-Christian worldview. But today that very worldview on which our systems of government and law are based is expelled from the marketplace.

Democracies that are unhinged from all sacred moorings ultimately sink under the brute weight of conflicting egos. Freedom is destroyed not just by its retraction, but more often by its abuse.

Is it not odd that whenever it has power, liberalism is anything but liberal, both in the area of religion and politics? We now have something called “spirituality” because people don't like the word “religion.” What does spirituality mean? It means you may believe anything you wish to believe but regarding ultimate things, "No absolutes, please." The relativism and spirituality with which our society lives have one thing in common: they are both sophisticated ways of self-worship.

It is not accidental that even as Christian values have been jettisoned, the world is economically and morally on the verge of bankruptcy. Oh, but Jesus' name still surfaces in the West. Maybe more often than any other name. Why? Because profanity still reigns. Oh yes, and God still figures in our philosophy: even when “Mother Earth” quakes and thousands die, we still blame “Father God.” The banishment of Christmas may be the anti-theists’ great longing. But they still want the gifts of Christmas—love, joy, peace and reason. Malcolm Muggeridge once opined that we have educated ourselves into imbecility.

What are we celebrating at Christmas? What is the message of Christmas? It is the birth of the One who promised peace, joy and love. Try as we will, we cannot realize such values without acknowledging the point of reference for these absolutes: the very person of God and his gift to us of a changed heart and will. That message needs to be heard around our world that is reeling with problems and rife with hate. For we have proven we are not fit to be God.

G.K. Chesterton was right: "The problem with Christianity is not that it has been tried and found wanting, but that it has been found difficult and left untried."

Some years ago, I walked into the Forbidden City in Beijing. It was a cold and grey January. I paused as I saw deep inside its walls a shop with the banner still fluttering, “Merry Christmas.” That which was happily displayed in the Forbidden City is now all but forbidden in our cities. A Chinese professor once remarked to me, “You Christians need to thank God for Communism, because we left the souls of our people empty, making room for the gospel.”

Maybe someday we will thank the rabid secularists as well, when Merry Christmas will no longer be forbidden in our cities. Exhausted and disappointed in self-worship, we may turn to God again and hear his story afresh.

Ravi explores these issues in greater depth in his forthcoming book, Why Jesus? available January 25, 2012.

God bless you dear friends.

Costly Grace

2011-11-08T19:51:00.000-08:00

Dietrich Bonhoeffer spoke of "Cheap Grace," referring to the gospel that was being preached in Germany when Hitler came to power. Bonhoeffer didn't believe Hitler could have done what he did if the church was preaching "costly grace." Costly grace has something to do with the yoke of Christ, and if we are not wearing Christ's yoke we are wearing another's. Costly grace, the yoke of Christ, is the right one and is easy and light according to the word of Christ.

Bonhoeffer described cheap grace as grace sold on the market like cheapjacks' wares. William Booth accurately predicted one hundred years ago: "The chief danger of the 20th century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and Heaven without Hell."¹

^{Our 21st century pulpits regularly offer the blue light special on God's grace. (If you don't remember the blue light special, you are under forty. That's Ok. The message still holds. The blue light special is the really cheap deal of the moment.) The costly life of picking up our cross and following Jesus is gone. Worship now is about us; our songs are about us, our sermons are about us, our worship is about us. Sunday services are tailored for the lost but God is in effect asked to wait outside lest seekers be offended with the truth of Christ. We wield the same plastic sword that holocause-era German preachers wielded so as not to offend Hitler or the lukewarm pew dwellers. In the end, their cheap grace cost them their freedom and placed Hitler as sovereign over the church, and the western church (that's us in America) is in the process of repeating history in its effort not to offend.}

^{So what is the "costly grace" which Bonhoeffer lived and preached? Costly grace costs you something. Costly grace compels the sell of all one has to buy the Pearl of Great Price. It's a grace that calls us to follow Jesus and to know that the road he takes us down is not always "safe." It's not always a road that leads to success in the world's eyes. As Susan in The Chronicles of Narnia asked, "Is He quite safe?"... "Safe?" said Beaver..."Who said anything about safe? Of course He isn't safe. But He's good. He is the King, I tell you."}

Costly grace is dangerous to selfishness, dreams, songs, and worship. Costly grace means that by following Jesus one must deny oneself, pick up his cross and follow Jesus. In contrast, cheap grace creates a false Jesus which is the idol that suits our lifestyle, and allows us to still be in the world and of the world.

Costly grace does not offer a safe God, but a good God. Bonhoeffer followed Jesus to the gallows at thirty-nine years of age declaring, "It's not the end but the beginning."

Cheap grace is revealed in much of what we hear in the cool gospel of today. It knows no theology, no demands, and no Jesus.

Bonhoeffer said, "What has cost God much cannot be cheap for us...Grace is costly because it compels a man to submit to the yoke of Christ and follow Him; it is grace because Jesus says: 'My yoke is easy and My burden is light.'"

If the Church doesn't put on the yoke of Christ, she will wear another's yoke and the burden will be unbearable. It's not too late to wake up and right the wrong.

A Christless Pentecost, a warning, by David Wilkerson & Frank Bartleman

2011-10-05T14:44:00.000-07:00

A Christ-less Pentecost

2011-09-01T10:04:00.000-07:00

What In The End Matters Most? By R.T. Kendall

Morning devotion

2011-08-19T20:58:00.000-07:00

Hell is a Real Place

2011-08-09T11:47:00.000-07:00

The Letter

2011-07-14T21:37:00.000-07:00

I have been preaching on Hell. I read once where William Buckley was asked, "Why do you capitalize the word Hell?" He responded, "Because it is a real place." Hell is a real place yet many try to put this place out of their minds. Preachers have even kept it out of their sermons.

Rob Bell's highly controversial book, Love Wins, effectively eliminates hell as a possible destination, but to his credit, it has stirred up the subject of Hell and engaged conversation about this very real place.

I'm preaching on Hell because I believe the believers have need of hearing it and I hope to stir us up to be more active in sharing our faith. Hell is a real place and real people are going there everyday.

My studies on Hell are the hardest I've done emotionally. There is nothing positive about Hell, nothing uplifting, yet Jesus spoke a lot about Hell in order to warn His listeners. This season of study has driven me to pray more for my friends, neighbors, and loved ones. I have spoken to many of them in the past with little visible results. But, my heart hurts for them because I know Hell is real and I am deeply concerned for their eternity. I woke up the other morning around 6:00 am, and God gave me the idea to write letters to the people I want to talk to. As a result of this early morning wake up call, I have started my letter campaign and I am believing God to use my letters to speak to my friends and loved ones.

Like my preaching on Hell, the intent is not to come across as an angry preacher with threatenings of Hell, but to show loving concern for a friend or a relative by simply asking them the question concerning their life after death. The letter shares with them what the scripture says about salvation and the fruit that follows. Many say they believe in God, but there is no fruit, no evidence, in their life of a relationship born out of salvation.

What if every person who is a follower of Jesus took the time to write the letter and send it to five people in their lives? What if one million people sent out the letter to five people? What if your letter, anointed by the Holy Spirit, changed the destiny of your friend or loved one?

I have been visited by the Holy Spirit and stirred to do something. I pray that a million Christians will be stirred by the Holy Spirit to join me. The letter can make a difference, the Letter God has given us still makes a difference in my life after thirty-six years of knowing Him. It convicts me, comforts me, and guides me. Let's write the letter.

The Blessing

2011-07-01T15:50:00.001-07:00

The Blessing

Seasons

2011-06-30T19:31:00.000-07:00

My family and I recently returned from a preaching engagement in New Orleans. This is a yearly trip for us and we usually go early to join friends in Lockport, LA. for a crawfish boil and fellowship--the kind of fellowship that is simply a sample of heaven with people that you just love being with. When we visit, the center of conversation is always Jesus, and this particular day we talked about the seasons of God. Have you noticed that we have winter, spring, summer, and fall, and that God also has seasons for our lives. We need to recognize God's seasons for our lives and flow with them. You don't plant in the heat of summer; you plant in the spring. Harvest comes later in the summer. Winter is for rest and restoration, and fall is a season of transition. If you are fighting a battle that you can't win, it may be that you are fighting the season. Wait on God, experience His presence, and hear His voice. Find out what season you are in and live according to God's timing in your life. Praise God, He is as near in winter as He is in summer. Seasons change, but He never does.

Is There Anything Wrong With Rob Bell’s Gospel?

2011-05-18T15:18:00.000-07:00

Is There Anything Wrong With Rob Bell’s Gospel?

A Call to Anguish 2 by David Wilkerson

2011-05-01T17:43:00.000-07:00

A Call to Anguish 2

A Call to Anguish pt1 by David Wilkerson

2011-04-29T10:26:00.000-07:00

A Call To Anguish Pt. 1 by David Wilkerson

David Wilkerson, A Living Legend

2011-04-28T12:02:00.000-07:00

In 1983 I met David Wilkerson in his office at Lindale, Texas. A loving and kind acquaintance, he encouraged me in my ministry as a young preacher. A few years later, after one of Bro. Dave's services a few of my friends were teasing me about being skinny. Bro. Dave heard them, walked right over to us, looked us in the eyes, and then directed a comment to me: "Stay just like you are." I've tried to heed that advice.

Those two encounters were the only audiences I enjoyed with this spiritual giant. Few men have shaped the spiritual landscape as has David Wilkerson. He was a living legend in his nearly eighty years of life and his legacy will live on along with the likes of Edwards, Wesley, Finney, Booth and the other heroes of our faith.

Bro. Dave was a mouth piece for God and a number of his prophecies have yet to be fulfilled. I wait, drawing near to God, and staying full of the Spirit so that day doesn't find me sleeping. Bro. Dave warned us that the world faces some tough times ahead, and God is trying to get our attention. Will we listen?

Now Bro. Dave is cheering us on with the great cloud of witnesses. Let us all finish our race as strongly as this one whom I saw as a modern day prophet, Bro. David Wilkerson. To God be the glory for a mission accomplished.

For Family and Friends: A MAN OF GOD WENT HOME TODAY!

2011-04-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

For Family and Friends: A MAN OF GOD WENT HOME TODAY!: "On Wednesday afternoon, April 27, Carol and I received word by phone that our longtime friend David Wilkerson had been killed in an automobi..."

The Dark Night of the Soul

2011-03-28T21:07:00.000-07:00

“Who among you fears the Lord? Who obeys the voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his God. Look, all you who kindle a fire, who encircle yourselves with sparks; walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks you have kindled - this you shall have from My hand: you shall lie down in torment.” (Is. 50:10-11 NKJV)

This darkness Isaiah spoke of has nothing to do with the world.

This happens only to people who are walking with God and who love God.

It happens to people who are not messing around with sin and who are not ignorant.

There is a darkness that can come to men and women of God that has nothing to do with sin,

nothing to do with lack of wisdom,

and nothing whatsoever to do with the devil.

And the tragedy is, when this darkness comes upon certain people of God,

they don’t understand what it is and it nearly wipes them out.

Everyone who has set his heart on serving God

will have this darkness come at some point.

You wake up one day to find all spiritual feelings gone.

You pray and nothing seems to happen.

You read your Bible, and you understand the words -but there is no light.

You search your heart and find nothing to match what you are going through.

You rebuke the devil, you ask others for prayer,

you go to hear your favorite Christian speaker - and nothing happens.

No counsel seems to help. There are no answers.

St. John of the Cross called it “the dark night of the soul.”

Tozer called it “the ministry of the night,”

and Spurgeon preached about “the child of light walking in darkness.”

Each writer dealt with this differently, but the experience is common.

It is not darkness of wrong or guilt or demonic oppression.

It is not sin. It is instead an inexplicable sense of loss and uncertainty.

It is above all a withdrawn sense of the presence of God.

What do you do when you are going through

“The dark night of the soul?”

You keep going in the same direction you were going

when the darkness came.

What did God say to you before you went into the darkness?

What was your call when the voice of God was clear? Then do it still.

Keep on walking.

Nothing has changed on the path except your perception of it.

Do your duty nevertheless, and keep walking even when the lights go out.

Let him who has no light trust in the name of the Lord.

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower

the righteous runs into it and is safe” (Prov. 18:10)

“...Those who know Your name will put their trust in You.” (Ps. 9:10)

His name is descriptive of what He is - and He is.

He is the uncreated, unchanging, unshakable God.

He is what He always is, and He has not changed in the darkness.

He is not missing because you cannot see Him.

God is committed in everlasting covenant to you.

He is faithful and will remain faithful —

He’s the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8)

You’re to get on your knees and say:

“O God, I don’t feel You. I don’t hear You.

But You’re there nevertheless because Your Word doesn’t change. Amen.”

Here is something else you can do:

In this time of darkness, feed on God’s faithfulness.

Remember what His character is like.

When you can’t see the way, open the Book and read again what He is like.

Recall what God has already done.

Others before you have walked in the darkness.

They, too, have found that faith is not a feeling;

it is a trust when there is no evidence to support it.

Isaiah 50 contains a solemn warning:

You cannot take matters into your own hands!

If God does not bring you light, you must not make your own.

But some have tried to do just that.

“If God is not going to speak,” they say in anger,

“then I am going ahead anyway: If He won’t show me the light,

I will make my own.”

What you have then is an extremely brief and temporary light.

It cannot last and will only leave you blinded.

Don’t make the foolish and futile mistake of lighting your own fire.

If God has put you into the darkness, let it do its work in your soul.

He got you in - and you can trust Him to take you out.

If you light your own little match and then go and do your own thing,

you are repeating the fall in the garden.

Walk in what God as already given you to do

and remain faithful until the light comes.

The Purpose Of Darkness

You might be wondering, “Why is God doing this to me?

How long will it last?

How come when I talk to Him He doesn’t answer?

Why am I not getting any revelation in my life?”

This is the test that will save your life.

Fly by your instruments.

And those lessons are basically:

Will you hold onto the truth He’s given you

whether you feel He’s there or not?

You say, “Of course I will!” But how about with no sense of His presence?

Some of you have convictions that God has written and locked into your heart.

You think these are so strong, so unshakable that you will never, ever doubt them.

Then the darkness comes and you start asking questions.

Are these convictions really true or not?

What you will find out is whether you really do believe them.

The darkness will test your convictions.

And when the darkness lifts from your life you trust God.

Light At The End Of The Tunnel

Darkness comes to reveal our need of God and God alone.

Don’t fret over your helplessness and your emptiness -

they will be riches to you.

There is light at the end of the tunnel.

Holding The Hand Of God

God is the One who dwells in thick darkness (Deut. 5:22).

The darkness and the light are alike to Him (Ps. 139:12).

There are riches that can be found only in such darkness,

for there He will show you things about Himself

and about yourself that you will never learn any other way.

Remember, you will find wonderful things in that darkness!

You will hear the voice of God at the end of the tunnel saying,

“Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord.”

“I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year,

‘Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.’

And he replied ‘Go into the darkness and put your hand

Into the hand of God

that shall be to you better than light

And safer than a known way!’

So I went forth and finding the Hand of God trod gladly

Into the night.” (God Knows by Minnie Haskins)

Feed On God's Faithfulness

2011-03-15T12:13:00.000-07:00

I turned on the television to hear the day's news: a devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Just a few weeks ago there was a deadly earthquake in New Zealand. Chaos and revolution continue in the Middle East. Here at home we're suffering floods on the east coast, financial melt downs, foreclosures, and unemployment. Add to this list your own personal headlines and it could appear that the whole world is falling apart and no one knows how to fix it. Even with powerful technology and the considerations of our greatest minds, solutions are far from being found.

How do we live in these times of unrest? Will the chaos inundate our lives? Maybe for you, it already has.

Psalm 37 is a great place to start. You can read it for yourself. Here's the paraphrase:

Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

Feed on God's faithfulness, meditate on all that God has done for you and all that He has promised. We as believers have hope. Hope is a continuous expectation of God's goodness in your life.

We have a good God and it is His will to bless and take care of His children, even in death.

Secondly, delight yourself in the Lord. Take pleasure in God, let Him be your delight. The song that we sing is Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace...

Third, commit your way to the Lord. Put your future into God's hands, and let Him be in charge of the course of your life. If you expect God to bless you and to cause all things to work together for good, you have to trust Him on the mountains and in the valleys of life. Once and for all commit your way to Christ.

Rest in the Lord, and do not fret! Fretting is worry and worry says I can't trust or depend on God for this one. Worry is another form of doubt, which leads to fear, and fear leads to unbelief.

Unbelief in God’s faithfulness is sin.

In Psalm 37:25 David testified of God’s faithfulness, “I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.”

Feed on God's faithfulness, trust in His goodness, and rest in His love.

Prayer

2011-01-22T21:48:00.002-08:00

"There is no power like that of prevailing prayer...

"There is no power like that of prevailing prayer, of Abraham pleading for Sodom, Jacob wrestling in the stillness of the night, Moses standing in the breach, Hannah intoxicated with sorrow, David heartbroken with remorse and grief, Jesus in sweat of blood. Add to this list from the records of the church your personal observation and experience, and always there is the cost of passion unto blood. Such prayer prevails. It turns ordinary mortals into men of power. It brings power. It brings fire. It brings rain. It brings life. It brings God."

Samuel Chadwick

Overcoming Sin

2011-01-18T14:53:00.000-08:00

In the 2010 Winter Olympics, Holland's Sven Kramer was as certain a gold medalist in the 10,000 meter race as any contestant in any event at the games. The world-record holder had been on his way to an Olympic record with eight laps to skate, holding a steadily expanding lead of more than six seconds over Lee Seung-Hoon of South Korea. That's when Kramer's coach, Gerard Kemkers, called out "inner lane!" Kramer sailed over the finish believing he had won his second gold of the Games. "Maybe this was my best 10K ever," he would later say. "Every stroke was 100 percent." It was left to his coach to go up to Kramer and tell him he had been disqualified for crossing over into the wrong lane.

These guys lost in a sporting event and the sting of being disqualified was disappointing to say the least.

One doesn’t want to “finish” in the game of life only to find he has been disqualified.

I want to finish strong for my Lord. I don’t just want to make it to heaven. I want to finish strong and hear my Savior say, “well done."

The Apostle Paul told us what he did, "I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified." (1Corinthians 9:27)

One of the ways I have found to bring the body into submission is through prayer and fasting. Fasting and prayer is about the spiritual being stronger than the physical. If you are fighting a sin or habit, prayer and fasting can enable you to overcome through the power of the Holy Spirit.

You can live without your sin, temptation, or whatever you want to call it, but you can't go without food and water. Pick one day a week and fast that day, drink only water and give yourself to prayer when you would be eating. If because of a medical condition you have to eat, I challenge you to abstain from the television and give that time to God in prayer and the study of His word. The flesh doesn't do too well in the presence of God. This might take months, but I believe you will bring your flesh into submission and your testimony for Christ will not be disqualified.

Jesus said, "When I come again will I find faith (faithfulness) on the earth?" Give yourself to the Holy Spirit through a life style of prayer and fasting and you will remain faithful till He comes.

Tom DeWeese -- Green Invasion of Christian Churches

2010-11-17T09:17:00.000-08:00

Tom DeWeese -- Green Invasion of Christian Churches

Thankful To Be An American

2010-11-11T08:29:00.000-08:00

I have found myself in prayer thanking God for allowing me to be born in America. I am an American, not by choice but by birth. God in His sovereignty placed me in the greatest country on earth. I am humbled and at the same time challenged not to squander the blessing that has been given to me.

I have traveled to many places in the world from Europe to Asia and without sounding insensitive, compared to other parts of the world, America has no poor. We have food banks, shelters, housing, food stamps, and the list goes on. We do more for the poor of this nation and the world abroad than any single nation and many combined. From hunger to Aids, America has heard the cries and answered with money, food, medicine, and compassion.

We have fought for freedom not only for our own, but for the world. Freedom by nature allows abuses, yet it is the single most important thing to peace. A free Democratic society is the last one to rush to war. But this freedom is not free. Freedom has cost blood, sweat, and tears. In modern time America's superpower has secured freedom for millions who would otherwise still be under tyrannical rule.

What separates America and makes her in my opinion exceptional? The foundation of the Christian faith that has guided our conscience and made us who we are. America is not perfect, our capitalism is not perfect, our churches are not perfect, our government is not perfect, our soldiers are not perfect, but we are the best this world has and the American soldier is God's gift to the world for freedom. Jesus is God's gift to the world for salvation. One is temporary; the other eternal.

God bless America and bring us back to our first love, and God bless the American soldier and bring him or her back to us. Thank you for your service.

Whitney Houston sings the National Anthem -- Star Spangled Banner

2010-11-11T08:26:00.000-08:00

"The Seeker-Sensitive Movement: Your Thoughts Al and R.C..."

2010-11-09T20:42:00.000-08:00

Joni Eareckson Tada on Something Greater than Healing

2010-10-28T12:56:00.000-07:00

Now facing breast cancer and chronic pain, the author, speaker, and advocate talks about the blessings of suffering.
Interview by Sarah Pulliam Bailey October 8, 2010

Joni Eareckson Tada might be mistaken for a modern-day Job. The disabilities advocate was severely paralyzed in a diving accident at age 17. For the past ten years, she has endured chronic pain. Now, at age 60, she confronts breast cancer. Sounding upbeat and confident after surgery, she spoke with Christianity Today about her latest book, A Place of Healing: Wrestling with the Mysteries of Suffering, Pain, and God's Sovereignty (David C. Cook), where she outlines her theology of suffering.

How has your perspective on suffering and healing changed since your breast cancer diagnosis?

Thankfully, it hasn't changed at all. You examine Scripture again and follow every passage regarding healing. I did that with my quadriplegia, and I did that again 10 years ago, when I embarked on a whole new life of chronic pain. Just a month ago, getting diagnosed with breast cancer, I looked at those same Scriptures, and God's words do not change.

Even though it seems like a lot is being piled on, I keep thinking about 1 Peter 2:21: "To these hardships you were called because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his steps." Those steps most often lead Christians not to miraculous, divine interventions but directly into the fellowship of suffering. In a way, I've been drawn closer to the Savior, even with this breast cancer. There are things about his character that I wasn't seeing a year ago or even six months ago. That tells me that I'm still growing and being transformed. First Peter 2:21 is a good rule of thumb for any Christian struggling to understand God's purposes in hardship.

Can you elaborate on new ways you think about God's character?

In John 14, Jesus says, "Anyone who has faith in me will do … even greater things than these." We tend to think Jesus was talking about miracles, as if Jesus were saying, "Hey guys, look at these miracles! One day, you'll do many more miracles than me!"

The thing that Jesus was doing wasn't necessarily the miracles. He was giving the gospel; he was advancing his kingdom; he was reclaiming the earth as rightfully his. When Jesus gave that promise, he was saying, "I'm giving you a job to do, my Father and I want the gospel to go forth, and I promise you'll have everything you need to get that job done, and you'll do an even better job than me." Jesus ministered for three years, and at the end, he had a handful of disciples who half-believed in him. After Jesus went to heaven and the Holy Spirit came down—my goodness, Peter preaches one sermon and thousands believe. That's the greater thing that God wants us to do.

That's what I have been seeing this past month. Every x-ray technician, every nurse, every doctor's secretary, every clinician, every person I meet in nuclear medicine and at the MRI—it's amazing how many opportunities I've been given to see people hungry and thirsty for Christ. I knew that was true before, but there seems to be something special that is accompanying this diagnosis. I'm just so amazed by people asking me, "How can you approach this breast cancer with such confidence in a God who allows it?" And I'm being given the chance to answer.

The greater thing is not the miracle; it's the advancement of the gospel, it's the giving of the kingdom, reclaiming what is rightfully Christ's.

You have hinted at a classic question: How can a good God allow such suffering in the world? How does your latest book, on God's sovereignty, address that?

When people ask that question—even I struggle with that question—we aren't accepting the fact that this earth is wired to be difficult. The rule of thumb is that we experience much suffering because we live in a fallen world, and it is groaning under the weight of a heavy curse. If God being good means he has to get rid of sin, it means he would have to get rid of sinners. God is a God of great generosity and great mercy, so he is keeping the execution of suffering. He's not closing the curtain on suffering until there is more time to gather more people into the fold of Christ's fellowship.

That answer suits me, and I think it would suit others if they stop and think: Suffering is connected to sin; if God were to get rid of suffering, he'd have to get rid of sin, and then he'd have to get rid of sinners—and God is too merciful to do that.

Is it different when the cause of suffering is natural? For instance, you might not have control over getting breast cancer. Do you cope differently from someone who has something done to her by another person?

Certainly I could have controlled this one; I should have gotten a mammogram five years ago. I have no one to blame but myself. I can't point the finger at secondhand smoke in restaurants. I should've gotten a mammogram, and I did not. I failed to do it, and I regret that. (If I were to tell your female readers anything, I'd say, "Get a mammogram.")

Whether hardship is brought on by our own negligence or through the direct assault of the hand of a wicked person, or our own ignorance and misinformed decisions, or our lack of awareness or misdoings, or some catastrophe of nature—these things fall under the purview of God's overarching decree. A close look at the New Testament shows that God's sovereignty extends over all these things. God permits all sorts of things that he doesn't approve of. He doesn't approve of my spinal-cord injury or my cancer, but in his sovereign decree he has allowed them. I don't care if you use permit, allow, or ordained; it's all the same thing. Ultimately it goes back to God being in charge. I don't think there is a real difference.

The greater thing Jesus promises we can do is not the miracle, but the advancement of the gospel, reclaiming what is rightfully his.

Suffering is hardship and heartache. It's one package. Yes, God could have prevented it. He could prevent a thief from breaking in and stealing, he could prevent a wicked man with a gun from firing it, and he could have prevented my cancer. He could have put in my heart: Go get a mammogram. If he chooses to allow these things to occur, it doesn't mean he's any less caring or compassionate. His will, purpose, and sovereign design may be a bit more ob-scure and enigmatic on this side of eternity.

When you discovered you had breast cancer, was your reaction different from all your previous experiences of suffering?

I don't fall apart emotionally. There's a lump. Wow, okay, let's get this taken care of. I broke my neck. Yikes. What is this going to mean? Okay, let's buckle down and move forward. I'm the kind of person who cannot allow those emotions to go down the grim path of despair. It's too deep of a miry pit. I'd rather face life head-on and with full force and take things as they come, learn from those things, and move forward.

How should we respond to someone who is suffering?

It's important to follow injunctions from God's Word: Go to the elders, be anointed with oil, and confess sin. If you feel you need to go to a special prayer service, by all means attend it. Have a pastor anoint you with oil and lay hands on you. After you do, you have to keep on living. That's what happened to me when I was first injured. I confessed sin and was anointed with oil. Do I sit around for my hands and feet to get the message? I have to live in the meantime. If you feel led to, pray and seek healing, but keep living while you're looking for the healing.

Even if the focus is on living, shouldn't Christians prepare themselves for further suffering and death?

None of us, in our culture of comfort, know how to prepare ourselves for dying, but that's what we should do every day. Every single day, we die a thousand deaths. We don't just walk through the valley of the shadow of death when we get a medical report or when we survive a stroke. We go through the valley of the shadow of death every time we say no to our selfish desires. When we say yes to the grace of God, we are learning how to die.

This past weekend, I was singing hymns with friends. One of my favorites is "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah," but the words in the hymnal we were using had been changed. They took out the verse on death: (singing) "Death of death and hell's destruction, land me safe on Canaan's side." They exchanged the wonderfully rich, pithy, deep, hard words with something vague like, "Help me through until the other side." They extricated those words about death and hell's destruction. Why do that? We need to learn how to die every day. Suffering does that. It prepares us. Every time we go to sleep, it's a rehearsal of the day when our eyes will ultimately close and we wake up on the side of eternity.

What teachings of Jesus especially help you understand suffering?

There's the portion of Scripture in Matthew 18 where Jesus says, "If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off. If your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out." Here Jesus, the one who delighted in healing hands that could not work, restoring feet that could not walk, giving sight to eyes that could not see—here he is, saying cut off your hand, gouge out your eyes, if these things are causing you to sin. Jesus underscores his priority that yes, the physical body counts, but it does not trump the health of the soul.

When people ask about healing, I'm less interested in the physical and more interested in healing in my heart. Pray that I get rid of my lazy attitude about God's Word and prayer, of brute pride—set me free from self-centeredness. Those are more important, because Jesus thought they were more important.

"This article first appeared in (insert date) issue of Christianity Today. Used by permission of Christianity Today International, Carol Stream, IL 60188.

Go to ChristianBibleStudies.com for "Something Greater Than Healing," a Bible study based on this article.

Soldier of the Cross

2010-10-04T14:33:00.000-07:00

The oft quoted A.W. Tozer once stated, "The man with a cross no longer controls his destiny; he lost control when he picked up his cross. That cross immediately became to him an all-absorbing interest, an overwhelming interference. No matter what he may desire to do, there is but one thing he can do; that is, move on toward the place of crucifixion.

Jesus demonstrated this in the Garden of Gethsemane when He prayed "not my will but Thy will be done." Jesus lived a crucified life all the way to Calvary's cross. Jesus was a man constantly on the offensive, not the passive man that many of our paintings portray. He was focused on one thing, the cross. The cross was the ultimate destruction over the works of the devil.

Jesus reigns victorious, but you must know that the battle rages here on earth between heavens seed and hells breed. Christ is in us and we are in Christ. Therefore, His aggression toward Satan must be expressed through us. We no longer control our destiny if we have picked up the cross. Jesus sounded a blast that shook the caverns of hell when He said, "not My will but Thy will be done."

Does the church today express the hostility that God put between the devil and Christ? Do I? If not, then we plead: "God fill me with Your Spirit and make me a soldier of the cross. Move me closer to a crucified life." Amen.

Christianity, The Only Hope for Our World

2010-09-13T10:33:00.000-07:00

Christianity, The Only Hope for Our World

Kristin's Questions

2010-09-03T11:13:00.000-07:00

My daughter is seven years old and is already quite a theologian. She always seems to save her questions for right before bed which also makes her a great strategist. Her most recent question to me was, "Daddy, what would have happened if Adam and Eve had eaten of the tree of life first?"

Wow! In all my thirty-four years of ministry, that question had never been asked. My wife sitting at the end of the bed quickly responded, "perhaps they never would have had a desire for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil."

Another wow! Mom is becoming quite the theologian also.

When Jesus asked a woman for a drink of water, it led into a deep conversation that resulted in Jesus saying to the woman, "Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."

If we will drink of the wells of God on a daily basis, we will not desire the things of this world. As the old song goes,

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace."

Thanks, Kristin, for a great "God thought," of the day.

What is the Truth About Islam?

2010-08-30T12:18:00.001-07:00

The actions of Muslims around the world do not match our news media and Government's reporting that Islam is a peaceful religion.

Has Islam been hijacked or are the militants truly living out the commands that the Koran teaches?

Americans need to know and it is up to the "moderate" Muslims Imams to tell us what they are teaching and do they really believe what they teach.

You can hear more from my sermon that I preached last Sunday.

What is the Truth About Islam?

A Christian's Response to Anne Rice

2010-08-11T10:44:00.000-07:00

The author Anne Rice, best known for her vampire novels, made waves last week when she declared on her Facebook page that she had "quit being a Christian." Twelve years after her return to Catholicism, Rice said she still believed in God, but that, "In the name of Christ, I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control. I refuse to be anti-Democrat. I refuse to be anti-secular humanism. I refuse to be anti-science. I refuse to be anti-life."

While I sympathize with Mrs. Rice's dilemma, I believe her thoughts are misguided concerning the teachings of Jesus. To bring her complaints into a nutshell, she has a problem with the high standard of morality that the Church embraces and teaches.

I am not anti-homosexual. I am against homosexuality. I am against much of the philosophy of feminism but love the feminist. I am not anti-birth control but opposed to the promotion of sex outside of wedlock via easy access to contraceptives at most any age. My point is that as a Christian I hate the sin but love the sinner. I am not sinless, yet still I hate sin. When Mrs. Rice said that she was not "anti-secular humanism," she presented herself with a huge dilemma. Secular humanism is a philosophical system that looks to human beings rather than gods to solve their problems. Simply another term for atheism. (Please see definitions at http://www.secularhumanism.org/.)

I believe Mrs. Rice's dilemma stands upon a misunderstanding of love. When Jesus said, “Love your neighbour as you love yourself," one may use that as an argument that Jesus would have accepted, for example, homosexuals--as they are. This argument also appeals to the popular parables such as the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son showing that God loves all manner of people and accepts them just as they are. Therefore, we are commanded to do likewise.

Yes, Jesus taught His followers to love everyone in spite of ethnic, cultural, social, and economic differences. He even taught to love the sinner, His own life being exemplary of this principle. Jesus accepted and respected identity differences. He had dinner with sinners. He did not approve of immoral lifestyles. Association does not imply approval. Jesus changed people, both spiritually and morally. Look at Zacchaeus, the corrupt tax collector; the story of the Samaritan woman with five husbands, and the story of the woman caught in adultery. It is evident that Jesus concluded in these cases for the sinner to, “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

"In the name of Christ, I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control. I refuse to be anti-Democrat. I refuse to be anti-secular humanism. I refuse to be anti-science. I refuse to be anti-life." To imply that being a real Christian evidences acceptance of her aforementioned "anti-s," is simply an error. Matthew 22:29, "You do err, not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God." There will always be people who hold to a form of religion but deny its power, people who are always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (I Timothy 3)

Implying that because of his love, Jesus accepts that which is declared an abomination in His own word is also an error. The Bible thoroughly condemns homosexuality, yet Jesus loves the homosexual. To equate Jesus' love with acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle is an error. Further, Jesus endorsed the rigorous Jewish moral code of His day and even went beyond it, contending that sin is not just in the act but also in the thought: “Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Anyone who reads the Gospels will see that Jesus, in addition to love, also spoke of sin, judgement, condemnation and hell. It's all part of the story of God's redemption of mankind. Love isn't the only component, and that fact just makes the story so much richer. It builds the foundation upon which the great sacrifice of Christ was made. Without an understanding of the whole, the part seems much less valuable. Jesus needed to show us not only the love of God but the holiness of God. Love without holiness degenerates into cultural inconsistencies. Love without moral standards is self-gratification.

A misguided view of "unconditional love," is the argument that many use who want to both have Jesus and have (fit into) this world at the same time. The example of the prodigal coming home and the father welcoming him with open arms is often used to support this argument. What is not mentioned by the progressive preachers is that the son came to his right mind (repented), and went back to his father with a changed heart and attitude.

God loves us, yes, despite the condition in which we are and despite the many wrongs that we do. But God forgives us only after we repent (change our mind, turn around and head the other way) and accept his provision for redemption through the cross of Calvary.

I am sad for Mrs. Rice's choice. I write as a Protestant not a Catholic, but I believe we would agree that Christianity is exclusive because it is truth. Truth is both exclusive and controversial, and this leads us to the culture war we are in. People don't want anyone telling them what they can and cannot do, yet Christ retains the authority to do so. Those who do not agree morally with Christ, do not agree with Him at all. His love does not release us from obedience to His stated will, approaches and views. If we agree with Him, we agree with all He speaks. It isn't possible to refuse to be anti-secular humanist and to do so in the name of Christ.

Mrs. Rice may indeed have some legitimate concerns over the behavior of some "Christians," but misguided messengers do not negate the scriptures.

There are "fences" put up by scripture which provide us with boundaries. Ravi Zacharias quotes G. K. Chesterton in his book, Recapturing the Wonder, saying that G.K. Chesterton once quipped that before you remove any fence, you should ask why it was put there in the first place. Ravi goes on to say, "You see, every boundary set by God points to something worth protecting, and if you are to protect the wonder of existence, God's instruction book is the place to turn. Anyone who thinks he or she can place the boundaries arbitrarily will either destroy the enchantment of life or else wear him or herself into exhaustion. God's commands are there to protect what life is truly about, not the other way around."

I hope Anne sees the wonder of God's fences and returns to the fellowship of the believers. We all have to think through the question of whether we are in the faith or not. It's just not possible to be a believer and disagree with the moral standard that Christ himself lived and preached.

Equal Time For the Unborn

2010-06-18T05:24:00.000-07:00

I want to be very clear from the get go that the Gulf Coast need our prayers. The oil spill has to be stopped and our leaders need to get God involved for wisdom on what to do. So far this administration hasn't shown much interest in the Lord.

I have many friends in Louisiana having lived there for eighteen years. I preach in the New Orleans area yearly and have for over twenty years. I said all that so those who read this post will understand that the gulf coast region need our prayers and attention.

With that said, I turn to the real subject of this post, Abortion. Night after night on my t.v. screen I have seen images from the gulf of oil floating onto our shores, pelicans covered in oil, and fish floating on top of the water. News commentators talking about how immoral the whole oil spill is. As I have sat and watched, I have felt anger over the hypocrisy of the media. Why want they air on a nightly basis for two months what it looks like when a baby is aborted.

Nearly 4000 babies a day are being killed in America alone that's over a million babies a year. Talk about immoral, and this is done in broad daylight and politicians fight in congress to make it happen. "Gov. Charlie Crist vetoed a Republican-backed bill that would have required women seeking a first-trimester abortion to pay for an ultrasound exam and, with few exceptions, view the image or have it described to them by their doctor.

Crist, a former Republican who is running for the U.S. Senate as an independent, said in his veto message that requirement would put an "inappropriate burden" on women seeking abortions and violate their privacy rights."

Put an "inappropriate burden" on women! What about the unborn baby? Aren't their rights being violated? No, the reason he doesn't want an ultrasound is most women couldn't kill an innocent baby when they see it. We want to go to the gulf and save the birds and fish and forget about the human life in the womb. Has this country lost its mind? Have we no real moral compass? Has our pulpits fell silent on this issue? Has the church exchanged the life of the unborn for global warming?

It is politically correct to jump on the global warming band wagon with little proof, yet we kill the babies that we can visibly see except we refuse to look at them so our conscience will not be pricked. This moral disaster has been going on since 1972 with over 40,000,000 babies dead.

Am I a little angry? Yes I am. If we would show the images of the unborn and the images of abortion itself, abortion would be wiped out from American culture. That word would simply be a bad scar from our past. God cannot and will not bless a nation, any nation that murders the innocent.

Yes, do something in the gulf, but at the same time witness the immorality and cruelty being done to the unborn and do something about this too.

They Sit Comfortable Among Us

2010-06-07T13:52:00.000-07:00

A certain pastor who has admitted to being with a male prostitute has started a new church. He says, "This isn't just any church...If you are straight, gay, or bi, I want to walk through the Scriptures with you. If you are black, white, Hispanic, native American, or a confusing combination, you are welcome here. Those working to overcome their sex or drug addictions, (this church) is for you.
If you have a friend or family member who struggles, (this church) is for you.
Adulterers, Ex-cons. Everyone is welcome.
IT'S A CHURCH FOR EVERYONE ..."

This is neither scriptual or healthy for the body of Christ. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians chapter 5, "I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you, something so evil that even the pagans don't do it. I am told that you have a man in your church who is living in sin with his father's wife. And you are so proud of yourselves! Why aren't you mourning in sorrow and shame? And why haven't you removed this man from your fellowship?"

In another church here in America they have as their wall of fame, pictures of members who have gotten tattoos along with the pastor and other staff members. The purpose is so people will feel comfortable in "church."

One pastor said, "God's ideal is for marriage to be between one man and one woman." He went on to say at the news conference that God has other ideals also, "God's ideal is for people not to be fat."

Now, there is a huge difference between homosexuality and obesity. In Leviticus 18 and 20, God calls homosexuality an abomination, or wicked. In the first chapter of Romans, Paul called it, "vile affections," disgraceful and shameful.

We must get back to the true meaning of church. The church is not a building, it is a people. The people of God. Our meeting together is to celebrate Jesus and the new life He has given to us. The church is a congregation of believers meeting together to study God's word and conform to His image. The "church," is not a meeting place for unbelievers.

Jesus said to go and preach the gospel, not advertise to get people to come and hear at your church. Seeker friendly was orginally intended to go into the world with the message of Christ to the lost. Today it means to rearrange the "church" so everyone who comes will feel comfortable.

I guess this includes the thief, the rapist, the child molester for children's church, etc.

No! A hundred times no. The church is a place for individuals whose lives have been changed by the power of Jesus Christ. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17

We are to go to church to grow together as believers and then we go into the world with the love of Jesus and the truth of God's word and tell what Jesus has done to deliver man from his sin.

By the way sin is sin, not a crisis. A crisis can be a home that has burned, an unstable or crucial time when the outcome doesn't look good.

I know to some I may seem a little harsh, but the weak termonology of todays church is life threatening to the sinner. Eternity is at stake. The truth needs to be "LOUD!"

I love those that are living without Christ, those that are flaunting their sin in the face of society. I want them to know Jesus. There is nothing quite like seeing a sinner come to Christ and experience His forgiveness and to witness a changed life.

I wish all people knew Christ, but I cannot change God's standard for entering heaven. There is a hell and Jesus died to keep people from there. But they must come to Christ on His terms, through repentance. That means to stop and go the other direction. There is no other way and everyone must know this. People living in a sinful lifestyle should not feel comfortable in our churches. This comfortable setting can only be created by preaching a carnal gospel and not "the gospel."

Thirsty, Hungry ... Florida Outpouring

2010-05-25T14:42:00.000-07:00

Prayer for the Preachers

2010-05-05T21:15:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is The National Day of Prayer. America needs the wind of God to blow on her embers that once burned bright and clean. America needs to hear a "thus saith the Lord." I believe America is in the state she is in because of a lack of preaching under the unction of the Holy Ghost.

I have been asked to pray tomorrow for the Church at our local city's National Day of Prayer service. In praying for the church, we will address her greatest need which is preachers whom the Spirit of God has arrested and filled with fire.

In preparation of my time of prayer during The National Day of Prayer service in our city, I've compiled and written the following which is influenced by other men of God who have blessed and challenged my life, including Leonard Ravenhill who was my primary resource. I hope you'll join me in praying:

"Eternal Father,

"In the majesty of Your glory, look down in mercy upon the preachers.

As they fall before You in prayer, be pleased to fall upon them in power!

As they enter their seclusion as preachers,

may they emerge from it as prophets.

"According to Your promise, give them a new heart.

According to Your Holy Word, put a new spirit within them.

Anoint their eyes with holy eye salve

that they may see what they have not seen.

Unstop their ears that they may hear your voice in a way

You could not previously speak to them.

Touch their lips with a live coal

from the altar of eternity that they may step back into time

like men who have tasted the powers of the world to come.

"In these days of Noah-like society,

when the earth again is corrupt before You

and when violence has become a way of life,

and sexual immorality a sport;

when iniquity is legislated

and unborn babes are mutilated in the womb;

in this dread hour, challenging You to judge us,

"grant these preachers a compassion and passion,

motivated by the love of Your Son, for doomed humanity.

"As we see that the law of the day is lawlessness,

the faith of the days is faithlessness,

the philosophy of the day is hopelessness,

the evident condition of the church is powerlessness.

"In this unprecedented state of moral anarchy

and spiritual debility,

Let these preachers not dare to see the faces of men again

until they are renewed in the Holy Ghost.

"If these men are not the men to shake the nation

before The King comes,

then in mercy find such men to shake the earth and hell,

and fill heaven with praise

that He has seen of the travail of His soul to His satisfaction." 1

That Your church will be triumphant,

Triumphant over sin, self, and Satan.

Triumphant in faith and faithfulness.

Triumphant in prayer and purity.

I pray that the church will march on

A powerful army of the meek

God’s chosen people,

Who cannot be bought, flattered, murdered or stilled.

A church whose hearts

Will burn when You speak

And when the scriptures are opened.

I pray for power from on high

To march through the ages

This Church Your Church triumphant… alive and well.

These things I ask in the name of

and for the glory of Your only begotten Son,

the only Savior of men,

Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

1 Leonard Ravenhill, Revival God's Way

Starting April 11th

2010-04-05T22:03:00.000-07:00

Behold the Lamb of God

2010-03-29T11:56:00.000-07:00

Palm Sunday, Jesus presenting Himself to be examined.
"Behold the Lamb of God"

Sunday's Sermon

2010-03-21T18:25:00.001-07:00

"Watch and Pray"

Sunday's Sermon "Conated"

2010-03-17T22:35:00.000-07:00

"Conated"

Tonya's Newest Blog

2010-03-17T21:17:00.000-07:00

A Godly Woman in a Man's World: Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Liberty

Reality Check: Don’t Forget Your Persecuted Brothers

2010-03-17T12:29:00.000-07:00

Reality Check: Don’t Forget Your Persecuted Brothers
Tuesday, 16 March 2010 10:50 AM EDT J. Lee Grady Newsletters - Fire In My Bones

Last week many of our brothers and sisters lost their lives for Christ. How should we respond to the cry of the martyrs?

Last week while millions of Americans crammed into theaters to see Alice in Wonderland in 3-D, many Christians in other parts of the world were attacked, raped or killed for the cause of the gospel.

This past weekend I received an urgent message from my friend Christopher Alam, a U.S.-based evangelist, who was writing from Southeast Asia to inform me of a terrible atrocity in Myanmar.

He told me that a Burmese husband and wife who have been planting churches in rural areas were brutally assaulted by local military forces. The wife was raped by a gang of Buddhist men who were upset because locals had converted to Christianity and destroyed their Buddhist idols.
Said Alam: "Monks at the local Buddhist monastery reported the Christians to the local military authorities. The military and some Buddhist thugs then attacked the Christians, beat them up, destroyed their property and threw them out of the town. These believers were forced to flee to the jungles, where they are right now." About 100 people from 20 families are now without shelter.

The tragedy in Myanmar occurred just days before Muslims in northern Nigeria went on a rampage on March 7 and killed an estimated 500 Christians with machetes and other crude weapons. Christian leaders in the area told The New York Times that the militants were chanting "Allah is great" as they broke into houses, sliced up women and children with knives and burned down houses.

The newspaper said Nigerian police in the city of Jos had arrested 200 people in connection with the killings, and they confiscated 14 machetes, 26 bows, arrows, 3 axes, 4 spears and 44 guns. They also reported that at least one of the attackers admitted being a member of the al-Qaida terrorist network.

Just four days after the Nigerian massacre, six Pakistanis who worked for the World Vision organization in Pakistan were shot and killed by Islamic militants in the city of Oghi, north of Islamabad. A spokesman for the charity said about 15 gunmen arrived at the Oghi office on March 10. They dragged the aid workers, four men and two women, one-by-one into a room and shot them at point-blank range.

What should our response be to grim reports like these? Typically we feel helpless. After all, Myanmar, Nigeria and Pakistan are on the other side of the world. It seems easier to just forget the pain since we are so far away.

But actually God calls us to stand in spiritual solidarity with our persecuted brethren. When the children of Israel were about to enter the Promised Land, Joshua gave a clear directive to the tribes of Gad, Reuben and Mannaseh who were already settled on the east side of the Jordan. These people had their territory; they could have just excused themselves from the battles ahead.

But Joshua told them: "You shall cross before your brothers in battle array, all you valiant warriors, and shall help them until the Lord gives your brothers rest, as He gives you, and they also possess the land which the Lord your God is giving them" (Joshua 1:14-15, NASB). The people of Gad, Reuben and Manasseh were not allowed to enjoy their peace and freedom until their brothers had possessed their territories.

In the same way, we do not have permission to kick back and relax just because it's easy to be a Christian in the United States. As long as our brothers and sisters are dying for Christ in other nations, we cannot take off our armor or live in a fantasy world of prosperity and instant blessing. We have these practical obligations:

1. Pray for the persecuted church. I encourage American believers to adopt at least one country in prayer. You may sense a particular burden for a nation where Christians suffer. (The Lord has placed Iran on my heart and I gather information and news reports about it so I can intercede intelligently.)

2. Give to persecuted believers. Many missionary organizations are working today in sensitive countries to plant churches, provide literature and train leaders. Ask the Lord which ministries you should support. Open Doors (opendoorsusa.org) and Voice of the Martyrs (persecution.com) are two excellent organizations that serve the suffering church. Visit their Web sites to sign up for updates and to fund strategic projects.

3. Visit your suffering brethren. Brother Andrew, founder of Open Doors, told me that the most important thing he could do for persecuted believers is to spend time with them and encourage them. They need to know we care. While travel into sensitive areas is not always advisable (and you should seek plenty of pastoral counsel before going), it is possible for us to visit many of the places where the church is under attack.
We live in a time when God is shattering our American fantasy world and jolting us back into reality. Let's stay sober. Please don't turn a deaf ear to the cries of our brothers and sisters who are on the front lines.

J. Lee Grady was editor of Charisma for 11 years and is now serving as contributing editor. You can find him on Twitter at leegrady. His latest book, The Holy Spirit Is Not for Sale, is now in stores. Read more: http://charismamag.com/index.php/fire-in-my-bones/26523-reality-check-dont-forget-your-persecuted-brothers#readmore#ixzz0iSooaDEk

No-Kill Law

2010-03-12T19:00:00.000-08:00

Austin City Council Thursday approved a plan that will begin to turn the Town Lake Animal Center (TLAC) into a no-kill shelter. It gives the Town Lake Animal Center two years to ensure that 90 percent of the animals at the shelter leave the shelter alive.

When my wife was approached to support No Kill Austin, she said to the lady that what she would really like to see is a no kill law on unborn babies. With shock, the young woman looked awkwardly at my wife and hurried away in disgust.

What's wrong with this picture? We are a nation that puts more value on animals than on human life; We've lost all common sense and moral fortitude.

The No-Kill Austin article quoted one of the advocates as saying, “We should not be so behind in the nation we should be leading the nation in no-kill. We have so many animals that can get homes and we have the homes available -- there absolutely are.” Why are the pet lovers so quick to offer the adoption alternative when they shun such an alternative when it comes to the "human species?"

A quick perusal of the Companion Animal Protection Act (http://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/pdf/CAPA.pdf) begs the thought, "I wish such passionate protection extended to animals would be extended to people in the womb." Last year, shelter officials say they euthanized 32 percent of the more than 2,200 animals at TLAC. Comparatively, in 1994 the state of Texas alone killed 89,185 babies through abortion. (http://www.abortionfacts.com/Statistics/out_of_state_94.asp) An uproar and concerted effort on behalf of approximately 704 animals, yet not a word from these folks over the 89,185 slain children.

So, to state it succinctly: I love animals. I don't believe in cruelty to animals. But where are the liberals when it comes to the unborn babies? Total abortions in America for 1994 were 1,267,415. Yet one of the major debates over the health care bill is government funded abortions. Those politicians who want to fund abortions are the same ones who fight for the life of a dog.

God help us....

Awaken Our Pulpits

2010-03-04T18:32:00.000-08:00

Somebody once asked at a Pastor's conference, "If the Holy Spirit was taken into heaven, would your church know that He was gone?" That statement is more relevant today than at any other time in my thirty-five years of Christian life.

Our church services are scripted "to the T," and the Bible has become a self-help book to attain the American dream. Our focus in the American church is on us, not Him. Yet, Jesus said, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."

Salvation is not getting someone to reach their dreams through the Bible. Salvation is giving up my life in exchange for the life that Christ has for me.

If our pulpits don't start preaching the Lordship of Christ and the crucified life, this will be the last Christian generation.

God-- send a spiritual awakening into our pulpits. Start with me.

Lessons From the Eagle

2010-02-20T12:08:00.000-08:00

Eagles are different all over the world, but the American bald eagle is impressive in flight and can reach speeds of about 75 miles per hour. The fastest creature in the air, their strength of sight is stunning. At 10,000 feet, an eagle can see a rabbit blink. That eagle can drop from the sky at over 120 miles an hour, straight down, and pop that rabbit before the rabbit knows what hit him.

What we call the "first heaven" begins at sea level and ends up somewhere between 10 and 15 thousand feet. The eagle is the only creature that has the ability to ascend and soar up into the "second heaven." The next "heaven" is what is called the "third heaven," and is the place Paul was referring to when he said, "I was caught up into the third heaven." The reason no creatures can go up that high is that they would die from the cold and the lack of oxygen. The air is so thin up there, you cannot breathe. But God equips the eagle. God made the eagle in such a way that the feathers that cover its body and enable it to endure the coldness of the second heaven.

However, the only time you find the eagle in the second heaven is during a time of storm. During lightening and thunder most animals hide, but the eagle does not. It just soars above the storm.

It's the only creature that has the ability to look directly at the sun. No other creature has this ability. Nature tells us that when a condor attacks an eagle, the eagle does not fight with him. All that he does is, instead of getting down and hiding, the eagle puts his eye on the sun and launches. As those condors are following, the eagle never stays and fights; it puts his eye on the sun and begins with all his might to fly towards the sun. Soon, with his eyes directly on the sun, the condors that are following him become blinded by the rays of the sun and fall away. If you are being attacked, you also should aim toward the "Son," running to the Lord. If we put our eye on the Son of the Living God, and begin to soar that way, our enemies will fall off like the condor.

The eagle chooses to build a nest in extremely high places. Beneath its nest is a special place with high craggy rocks that ooze oil and have water nearby. These are rocks that have survived avalanches and snowstorms. Usually the rock is in the shade of a tree, and on that rock the eagle builds a miniature nest and lines it with fur. After her baby bird hatches and grows a bit, she purposely knocks him out of the nest onto the rock. He walks around on the rock where his home is.
　
At 40 to 60 years old, an eagle's beak begins to grow calcium on it. And for some reason, as calcium begins to grow on the beak, the beak becomes so swollen and so sore that he cannot eat. He has absolutely no desire for food. The eagles' beak is so infected that he has no ability to eat anymore. As days go by, storms come, and instead of flying as he used to do, he becomes weak from not eating, and begins to hide under the rocks and to go back. He isn't willing to fight the storms anymore. Sound familiar? Because of his ill state he regresses and comes to a pitiful state. There finally comes a point when the eagle tries to climb the rocks, and when the storms and lightening come, it begins to hide like the low creatures. His mate, watching him, finally flies off. She will bring back a rabbit, or squirrel or something of the like, rip it open with her talons and lay it at the sore beak of her mate. Sometimes, that male eagle will put his aching beak over into the blood of that animal and begin to drink from it, drawing some strength from it. However, if this happens, it will never again fly to the top of the cliff and be the eagle he was before. For the rest of his life, he will stay along the low lines, will never really hunt again, but be willing to let others feed him. His spirit will have been broken.

But another eagle would do this: When he smells the blood, before he ever partakes of it, he smells what his mate has brought him and a spirit of remembrance comes upon that eagle. He remembers what he once was...Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God. They have bowed down and fallen; But we have risen and stand upright (Ps.20:7-8).

The eagle will turn his face from that slain animal, and he'll push himself upon his legs and he will make his way back to the rock that oozes oil.

For 30-40 days that eagle will crawl on his back up the side of that mount and make his way to that rock. When he reaches the rock, he takes that swollen beak and reaches behind himself and begins to pluck his feathers out of his wings. When he finishes one wing, he will pluck the feathers from the other wing. Then he plucks every feather from his chest. When finished, he's standing there naked. Visible are the scars of old battles where condors have caught him at times. He stands there with his pride completely gone. He'll take those razor sharp talons and beat them against that rock until he breaks them off. The last thing he does is take that swollen beak and beat it against that rock until he has beaten that beak off.

The Indians have lived a lifetime watching this take place. The eagle will stand there and divest himself of his pride and all of his glory. He gets rid of everything he ever trusted. He gets rid of it all. The eagle will stand there a number of days and then will walk over to that waterfall. He will immerse himself in that water and will let the water wash over him.　
　
(Titus 3:4-7) But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

After a time, the eagle comes out and then he'll go where there is honey. There he will lay down and put his broken beak in the honey and eat. The eagle grows stronger. For days, he'll stay on that rock.

After about 30 days something begins to happen, and on the 40th day, a phenomenon of nature occurs. Little feathers begin to grow back on that eagle. He will again be clothed, replacing the feathers he plucked out. The beak and the claws return in power and strength. His beak is totally renewed. He used to get oil from the rock, but after the 35th day, another miracle occurs. Little bags of oil begin to form under the wings of that eagle that were never there before. He takes his beak and begins to dip it in the oil under his wings and he begins to apply it to his feathers. On the 40th day, because of a biological clock, the eagle walks to the edge of the rock and looks directly into the rays of the sun. Little tears begin to roll out of his magnificent eyes. Reports say that the eagle will put his eyes directly on the sun and out of his mouth will come a song, or a sound that they have never heard the eagle make before, and never makes again. It's a new song unto the Lord. That eagle then will launch itself off that rock and will fly as far as the ones who watch can see. He flies out of sight, because when he is renewed and his youth is renewed "like an eagle", he can fly higher than he has ever flown before. He can fly faster than he has ever flown.

Do you want to fly like an eagle?

Then ask the Lord to give you a spirit of remembrance. Pray to remember your first love. Strip yourself of all pride and self reliance. Bring yourself bare before Christ,and He will renew your strength like the eagle's. (Psalm 103)

All of those enemies that have bound you and made you serve them as they mocked your weakness will begin to tremble as the strength of the Most High God comes upon you. You will destroy more of them in that moment because now the power of Christ is in you and upon you!

You will sing a new song: Rev. 5:9-14 And they sang a new song, saying:

"You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals;

For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood

Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,

And have made us kings and priests to our God;

And we shall reign on the earth."

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice:

"Worthy is the Lamb who was slain

To receive power and riches and wisdom,

And strength and honor and glory and blessing!"

And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:

"Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne,

And to the Lamb, forever and ever!"

Then the four living creatures said, "Amen!"

And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.

(Source on Bald Eagles, Sharing Kingdom Life)

Timeless Truth

2010-02-01T18:54:00.000-08:00

In 2009, a Barna poll revealed that Americans are more interested in faith and spirituality than they are in Christianity.

Barna said, “Americans typically draw from a broad treasury of moral, spiritual and ethical sources of thought to concoct a uniquely personal brand of faith. Feeling freed from the boundaries established by the Christian faith, and immersed in a postmodern society which revels in participation, personal expression, satisfying relationships, and authentic experiences, we become our own unchallenged spiritual authorities, defining truth and reality as we see fit.

“What they’ve done is they have put together a whole series of beliefs and a series of religious practices and a series of relationships and connections–all of that that makes sense to them and helps them to feel good about themselves,” Barna said.

“Ultimately, in a culture where people are busy, distracted, confused and trying to keep it all together, there is less loyalty to a faith brand than to self. The purpose of faith, for most Americans, is not so much to discover truth or to relate to a loving, praiseworthy deity as it is to become happy, successful, comfortable and secure."

Can security come without discovered truth?

Living in the land of make-believe is great for children. When we leave the stage of childhood into adolescent, truth becomes the quest. Wonder is the life of a child, truth becomes the drive of adolescents, relationships for young adults, and security for seniors.

A world view void of truth could be described by Francis Schaeffer as "one that has its feet planted firmly in midair."

Our culture has replaced reason with feelings, truth has been abandoned for the tolerance of self-government. Without absolute truth the Bible loses its relevance.

The end result will be the loss of wonder, the destruction of relationships, and the torment of insecurity.

This Sunday at ResLife we will continue a new series which I have called, "Timeless Truth," bringing the Church back to a real foundation.

Our service time is 10:30 am. These messages can also be heard through our online sermons at http://www.reslifeaustin.org/.

"Like it Never Even Happened"

2010-01-13T21:06:00.000-08:00

The church I pastor was flooded as a result of the recent freeze in Austin, Texas. The entire interior of our church, close to 8000 square feet was under water. The moment restoration began, the church was stripped down on the inside. Carpet has been pulled out, drywall torn out, and plumbing inspected or repaired in every room of the church. When the interior is completely dried, it will be sprayed for mold, and then the restoration will begin. Sounds like my conversion...

The old was discarded and replaced by the new. Our church will look the same on the outside, but the inside will be completely new. Jesus doesn't try to patch one up with the old, He makes all things new.

The clearing out of everything was a lot of work, but I didn't lift a finger. I simply gave the restoration team the permission to do it. I know that in time with the skills of the carpenters, plumbers, and painters the church will be better than it was before. All paid for by the insurance company.

I will take some literary liberty here and say that Jesus has paid for the damages, the Holy Spirit is doing the restoration, and God the Father oversees it. They are three distinct persons; yet, they are all the one God. Each has a will, can speak, can love, etc., and these are demonstrations of personhood. They are in absolute perfect harmony consisting of one substance. They are co-eternal, co-equal, and co-powerful. If any one of the three were removed, there would be no God.

I can't do anything to restore myself, I give God permission to come in and remove the old and restore. He's the Master Builder, I simply put myself into His hands and His care and when He's through, as the promotional statement of our restoration company says, It's "like it never even happened!"

Revisiting the Prayer of Jabez pt.1

2010-01-05T22:13:00.000-08:00

Revisiting the Prayer of Jabez

The Blessing

2010-01-01T22:25:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since my last blog. I got undisciplined but I'm coming back around. We always seem to start afresh at the beginning of a new year. I don't have a New Years resolution, I make a daily resolution to walk with the Lord and ask Him to empower me to bring Him glory.

I am starting a series at church called, Revisiting the Prayer of Jabez. This Sunday is on the blessing. God's blessing is not something we have, God's blessing has us. The blessing of God protects us, empowers us and enriches us. I want to diligently seek God's blessing, God's approval.

The blessing is more than just our needs met, it is meeting the needs of others. God's will is that we have more than enough so we can impart the goodness of God on our world. A social gospel without changed lives is a travesty. We bless people with a loud declaration of Jesus' call to Himself. The goodness of God leads men to repentance. Men must be told to turn to Jesus for poverty of spirit. The spirit is poor and hopeless until it is made alive in Christ. Let us take to the world the greatest need they have, the need for Jesus and His purchase of salvation.

The Glory of the Cross

2009-11-16T13:36:00.000-08:00

The church in America has become a stranger to the ways of God. We glory in the power and wisdom of man and God seems to have no place in the church. The bible tells us not to put confidence in the flesh, let us glory in the cross.

Here's Sunday's sermon, "The Glory of the Cross."

Rock of Ages

2009-11-15T19:07:00.000-08:00

From Paul Tripp's recent book, A Shelter in the Time of Storm: Meditations on God and Trouble, will give answers to your questions about the meaning of life.

Based on Psalm 27:5–”He will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock”–he writes:

We all look for it. We all refuse to live without it. We all think we’ve found it, but it can only really be found in one place. What is it that I’m talking about? Well, here it is: all human beings are on a search somehow someway to find that solid rock on which to stand. That one thing that they can bank on. That one thing that will keep them upright when the storms of life are raging. That one thing that will remain firm for the duration. That one thing that will give them security when nothing else does.

No human being enjoys feeling that he is living in the sinking sand of unpredictability, disappointment, and danger with no rock to reach for and stand on…We long for our lives to make sense. We long to have meaning and purpose, and we long to have lasting stability.

The problem is that the longer we live, the more we know that there is little around us in this fallen world that’s truly stable. I have a wonderful marriage to a lady who in many ways is my hero, but our marriage is still marred by our sin, and this reality still introduces pain and unpredictability into a relationship we have been working on for thirty-seven years! You may think your job is a source of stability, but a bit of a turn in the global economy could have you out on the street in a relatively short period of time. It may seem that your material possessions are permanent, but every physical thing that exists is in a state of decay, and even in its greatest longevity it doesn’t have the ability to quiet your heart.

So here is the dilemma of your humanity: you are clearly not in control of the details or destiny of your life, yet as a rational, purposeful, emotional being, you cry for a deep and abiding sense of well-being. In your quest, what you are actually discovering is that you were hardwired to be connected to Another. You weren’t hardwired to walk the pathway of life all by yourself. You weren’t hardwired to be independently okay. You weren’t hardwired to produce in yourself a system of experiences, relationships, and conclusions that would give you rest. You were designed to find your “solid rock” only in a dependent, loving, worshipful relationship with Another. In this way, every human being is on a quest for God; the problem is we don’t know that, and in our quest for stability, we attempt to stand on an endless catalog of God-replacements that end up sinking with us.

In fact, our inability to find security for ourselves is so profound that we’d never find on our own the One who is to be our rock; no, he must find us. The language of Psalm 27 is quite precise here: “He will lift me high upon a rock.” It doesn’t say, “I will find the rock and I will climb up on it.”

Here is the hope for every weary traveler whose feet are tired of the slippery instability of mud of a fallen world. Your weariness is a signpost. It’s meant to cause you to cry out for help. It’s meant to cause you to quit looking for your stability horizontally and begin to cry out for it vertically. It’s meant to put an end to your belief that situations, people, locations, possessions, positions, or answers will satisfy the longing of your heart. Your weariness is meant to drive you to God. He is the Rock for which you are longing. He is the one who alone is able to give to you the sense that all is well. And as you abandon your hope in the mirage rocks of this fallen world and begin to hunger for the true Rock, he will reach out and place you on solid ground.

There is a Rock to be found. There is an inner rest to be experienced that’s deeper than conceptual understanding, human love, personal success, and the accumulation of possessions. There is a rock that will give you rest even when all of those things have been taken away. That rock is Christ, and you were hardwired to find what you are seeking in him. In his grace, he won’t play hide-and-seek with you. In your weakness and weariness, cry out to him. He will find you, and he will be your Rock.

On Christ the solid rock I stand,
all other ground is sinking sand.

Bring Back the King

2009-11-06T20:13:00.000-08:00

In II Samuel 19, David’s army had just killed Absalom and returned to the house of the king. David’s army was waiting at the gate to see him, yet all of Israel had fled to their own tents.

This was a great opportunity for David to go in and take back Jerusalem. But, David didn’t lift a finger. He didn’t come in triumph or crush his enemies. His return to sovereignty would be decided by the voluntary submission of his kinsmen and by their loving obedience to his will.

David shows this in II Samuel 19:11 - 12 "You are my brethren, you are my bone and my flesh. Why then are you the last to bring back the king?"

David refused to come back as king until His people desired Him to come back. He wanted the elders of Judah to appoint him to his rightful place.

The tribe of Judah was where the kingship was. "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people (Gen. 49:10). The word "Shiloh" refers to the Messiah, the peace-maker.

The whole world is in turmoil, the nations of the world are in disputes and are confused. The desperate need of the world is peace, healing, rest, freedom, deliverance and justice, but none of these will come through a man, an earthly king or leader. The world is crying out for such a leader, but God Himself is the only one that can attend the cries of the world.

God is waiting for the church, His people, to bring back the King into their midst. And we have added to the pain and confusion of the world by letting the King live outside of the city. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. (Jn. 1:11) We have watched as Jesus has been kicked out of our schools, our government, the public square and now in many of our churches, He is also hard to find.

In many ways, the Church has driven Christ the King out. We've replaced Him with marvelous programs, with ungodly dissension, false worship, the teachings of man and narcissism.

The church must stop what a friend of mine called "narcissistic worship." We must set their gaze back on the King. We must desire once again to see the King and bring Him back into our midst.

2 Samuel 19:14-15 "So he swayed the hearts of all the men of Judah, just as the heart of one man, so that they sent this word to the king: 'Return, you and all your servants!' Then the king returned and came to the Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to escort the king across the Jordan."

As King Jesus looks down today, I don't want Him to say, “why are you the last to bring back the King?

Help me bring the King back into our midst in the church. I do not want to be the last to bring back the King!

Why is God a Jealous God?

2009-10-29T20:41:00.000-07:00

The word "jealous" in Websters dictionary is defined as "intolerant of rivalry or unfaithfulness;...vigilant in guarding a possession."

If you love someone and that person doesn't return your love, you would feel pain because you would have lost something, that is, you would have lost the love that you wish was returned to you. Yet, God loves us and when we reject Him, He is pained because He knows we have lost something. God has lost nothing. When one rejects God, he has lost everything.

God is perfect and finds love and meaning within Himself. We are not perfect, and we have to find love and meaning outside of ourselves. The ultimate love that man longs for is God. God is the one that brings meaning.

G.K. Chesterton said, "God is like the sun. You can't look at it, but without it you can't look at anything else."

Our God is a jealous God; He wills the best for us, and in His perfect wisdom He knows that He alone is best for us. He knows the life you will live on earth and the hell that awaits the unrepentent sinner. God knows we need Him. He offers Himself to us.

When it comes to our heavenly Father, Father does know best.

Friends of God Part 2

2009-10-21T20:46:00.000-07:00

I was at a church years ago named Victory Outreach pastored by Sonny Arguinzoni. It was a sunny Sunday morning under a tent with over five thousand people. There was something different about this service than many others I had been a part of. Most everyone I looked at was crying as they sang with hands lifted to heaven. Not just a few, but almost everyone had tears rolling down their cheeks. I found out later why. Most of these folks remembered what it was like to live without Christ. They had one prayer, "Lord let me live one day feeling normal. No withdrawals, no cramps, no shakes, and no fear. Give me one day of real life and let me feel the sun on my body and enjoy it in peace.

This prayer is unfamiliar to many folks in our churches today. These redeemed souls I witnessed that sunny morning in California were desperate for God. That's it, friends of God are desperate people.

There's a sense of desperation in the friends of God. Desperate people pray desperate prayers. Desperate people have no back-ups, no aces in the hole. They find themselves alone and their only hope is God. Desperation will keep you on your knees crying out to God until you know you have the victory. It is a life and death prayer. Desperate people wrestle with God like Jacob and say, "I won't let You go until You bless me."

In this desperation they find that God is near, that God is real, and that He is willing to reveal Himself to those who diligently seek Him. God is not all that you need until He is all that you have.

Oh the blessedness of possessing nothing but Christ.
’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!

I want to be desperate for God and I pray for grace to trust Him more. That kind of intimacy with God comes to the desperate and dependent.

Friends of God Part 1

2009-10-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

God has been dealing with me concerning prayer. People who develop a life of prayer are people who long for God. They long for God's presence. Moses in Exodus 33:15 said to the Lord, "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here."

"The Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend" (Exodus 33:11).
Moses spent many lonely nights in the wilderness tending sheep. The scriptures mentions Abraham and Moses as friends of God and David as a man after God's own heart. All three of these men lived a wilderness kind of life.

Men that are friends of God are lonely people because average Christians don't understand someone that is consumed with God. These believers who live with holy fire in their belly are a nuisance. They live closer to heaven than they do earth. They are not the first chosen by men, the most popular, best looking, or polished.

These heavenly minded saints have gone through the dark night of the soul and returned from the mountain with the glory of God. The light of God in them exposes the darkness in those around them. So like Moses they have to pitch their tent outside the camp. Others watch them from afar as they enter in with the glory cloud above their dwelling.

These hungry souls are willing to die to see the face of God. Prayer kills the flesh so we can mount up on the wings of the Spirit and be carried to the Rock of Ages, there to be hidden so we can see the glory of God pass by.

Those who are willing to die to selfish ambition and the things of this world and live a life of prayer will soon become a friend of God.

Deep Calleth to Deep

2009-09-24T09:34:00.000-07:00

Steve Bell is a friend of mine whom I met on a ministry trip to the Philippines. Steve sang, and I preached. He is an accomplished musician, songwriter, and singer. Steve brings through music what many in the church have lost: the ability to think. His video below inspired this blog.

For many believers in the west, life is so comfortable that we don't recognize we are void of the need for Jesus. And so, we don't recognize the desperate need others have for Him, needs both spiritual and physical. I'm sure you've heard it said that we are His hands. The Apostle Paul wrote in Acts, "...in Him we live, and move and have our being."

It is an injustice not to feed and clothe the poor, especially when we have so much to give. Yet, I believe it is a greater injustice to feed and clothe the poor without serving them Jesus. Jesus is the One who placed value on human life and its preservation.

True Christianity causes a person to walk daily with our Lord, love our neighbors as ourselves, and demonstrate the love and care of Jesus.

We need to step back a bit and ask ourselves a question. Do we really need "all" the brick and mortar at the expense of missions, orphans and widows? God doesn't place value in a building; Jesus didn't die on a cross for a building. Jesus died because He valued mankind. He came to seek and save the lost and as He did this, He fed them when He found them hungry. But, His objective was redemption and the saving of men's souls.

Enjoy the video "Deep Calleth to Deep."

The Need for Spiritual Fathers

2009-09-17T10:36:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I had the joy of taking my wife and children to see my youth pastor, John Glover. John became my youth pastor in 1975. I'm 51 now; John is around 70. He is my spiritual father. I have had some great mentors in my life and still do, including John. I am a Pentecostal preacher, and John is a Baptist minister. We talk about once a month. As I sat watching my children with this man of God, I was so thankful to the Lord for putting such Godly men in my life.

There are many ways in which we grow in the Lord and stand on solid ground. It goes without saying that prayer and studying the Bible is a must. We also need fellowship with other believers, and many young Christians today are missing a "father in the Lord." Everyone needs spiritual mentors, relationships from which accountability flows. They can speak into our lives and even bring loving correction. If you don't have this person in your life, find one. The older men are to teach the younger men, and the older women are to teach the younger women.

There are several men in my life right now that inspire me and mentor me, but it all started with my spiritual father, John Glover. God only knows how much I am indebted to him. Thank you Jesus for such a blessing, and thank you John for investing in me.

Our Message is an Ultimatum

2009-09-09T14:27:00.000-07:00

We who preach the gospel must not think of ourselves as public relations agents sent to establish good will between Christ and the world. We must not imagine ourselves commissioned to make Christ acceptable to big business, the press, the world of sports or modern education. We are not diplomats but prophets, and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum.
A. W. Tozer

Through the Eyes of Jesus

2009-09-01T11:11:00.000-07:00

What a great time my family and I had recently with Winkie Pratney, his wife Faye, and son William. Winkie has been a friend and mentor to me for over 15 yrs. In the Spirit-filled circles, Winkie has influenced more youth pastors, and now pastors, than anyone I know. He also is one of the foremost experts in the world on revival.

Winkie died nearly two years ago while in South Korea. I asked him if he saw heaven. He said he wasn't dead long enough to see heaven, but he saw the world through the eyes of Jesus. When he died he looked around for Jesus, and after he looked behind himself, he turned around and realized he was seeing the world through the eyes of Jesus. It wasn't his own eyes but the eyes of Jesus. Jesus was inside of him. This reminds me of the scripture, "...Christ in you the hope of glory." If you are a believer, He is within you!

Already a powerful soul winner and revivalist, Winkie has a fresh passion and fire for the things of God. He is 68 yrs. old and has the fire and passion of a new born believer coupled with the wisdom of an Apostle. I left our visit with a fresh hunger for God, His presence, and His purpose.

If you want a fresh hunger for God, fellowship with someone who has more of the fire of God than you do. Before long you will see the world through the eyes of Jesus. You will see life through the eyes of Jesus. You will see your problems through the eyes of Jesus. You will see your future through the eyes of Jesus. My future looks good. Thanks be to God!

All In

2009-08-20T08:06:00.000-07:00

When I turn on the nightly news and hear about the condition of our nation and world, I have to remind myself that I live under the promises of God. It is too easy to be sucked in to the hopelessness of this world and the world system. But, through Christ and His finished work on Calvary, I live in His plans for my life.

You are created for Him and His purposes, and your life is not your own. God has marked you to live for His glory. His blessings in your life are for the purpose of glorifying His holy name.

Many live their lives for their own glory, their own pleasure, for the praises of man. But the praises of man are without worth when compared to the approval of God. To strive for the approval of the world, or to be satisfied by it, is a life lived in vain. Solomon lived his life with riches and pleasures and later defined it as vanity, valueless and empty.

St Augustine said it well at the start of his well known work, Confessions:

"God, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you."

Have you lost your way? Are you pursuing the things of this world instead of the things of God? It has been said that when the church has too much to lose, we lose our passion and power. Do we have too much to lose by serving the Lord Jesus and honoring His name publicly?

Though our nation is restless, the church of Jesus Christ should be walking in a peace that passes all understanding. We find our hope in the Lord and a life lived for His glory is not in vain, but carries a value that this world cannot know. I'm all in.

Apostasy, Antichrist, and Exhortations

2009-07-31T12:47:00.000-07:00

Many people are talking about the end times, the rapture, and the Antichrist. I want to give some guidelines and information for believers to live by, so no one will be deceived.

Our primary goal, of course, is not to be deceived by false prophecy or fraudulent messages. In 2 Thessolonians, the apostle cautions the Thessalonians that they should not be deceived about the time of Christ’s coming, and so be shaken in mind or troubled. Errors in the mind tend greatly to weaken our faith, and cause us trouble; Those weak in faith and of troubled minds are easily deceived, and are easily taken by seduction. The apostle would not have them be deceived: "Let no man deceive you by any means." (2 Thessolonians 2:3) The enemy lies in wait to deceive, and he has many ways of deceiving; we have reason therefore to be cautious and stand upon our guard. Some deceivers will pretend new revelations, others misinterpret scripture, and others will be guilty of gross forgeries; but we must be careful that no man deceive us by any means.

The Lord has given us signposts:
Before The Day of the Lord, there will be a great apostasy.

This means that there will be a renunciation of a religious faith and an abandonment of previous loyalty. A look at the following statistics tells us that we are indeed seeing the signposts:

1. A 2006 study indicates that over eighty percent of today's teens attend church for a period of at least two months during their teenage years. The bad news is that only one out of four of those churched youth are still spiritually engaged by age twenty-nine; that is, they are still actively attending church, reading the Bible, or praying. In comparison, roughly twice as many adults in their forties are spiritually engaged.

An earlier study looked at the beliefs of teens involved in evangelical churches. Over two-thirds of these young people believe:
• that there is no absolute moral truth.
• that Christianity is about showing bad people how to live better.
• that there is no way to tell which religion is true.
• that Jesus is not the Son of the one true God.
And, over half believe that Jesus did not rise from the dead.

Is it any wonder that these young people readily abandon their Christian involvement when confronted with a hostile culture? They have abandoned previous loyalty to Christ, or perhaps more specifically, those who have led them have abandoned THEIR previous loyalty and haven't effectively passed on the truth about the subject of moral truth, the deity of Christ or His sonship.

2. The Antichrist will be revealed. What is the "Antichrist?" The Antichrist is the one who will substitute himself for the Christ. Antichrist means substitute. The Antichrist will oppose and exalt himself above all that is called God, or is worshipped. He will be cunning, speaking highly of Jesus as a good person and prophet. He may not appear against Jesus. He simply wants to take the place of Christ. His lust is to be worshiped. Acting as a god, he sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. As God was in the temple of old, and worshipped there, and is in and with his church now, so the antichrist here mentioned is the usurper of God’s authority in the Christian church.

Think this not to be far fetched. Did you know that the bishops of Rome, have been given the most blasphemous titles such as Dominus Deus noster papa—Our Lord God the pope; Deus alter in terrâ—Another God on earth; Idem est dominium Dei et papae—The dominion of God and the pope is the same?

So, what is holding back the Antichrist? What is that which holds him back and keeps him in check? Some scholars believe this is the Church, while others the Holy Spirit. I tend to lean with the interpretation that the power that has restrained the man of sin from his full and final development, is the moral and conservative influence of political states: the fabric of human
government as a coercive power.

In the end, however, the Antichrist will be consumed and the ones who reject the Lord will be damned. “Then they will be condemned for not believing the truth and for enjoying the evil they do.” (Thess. 2:12 NLT)

So, Paul exhorts us by saying, “With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on everything we taught you both in person and by letter.” In other words, don’t be afraid. God is in control and He loves you. He will take care of you. Your eternity is already taken care of. Don’t spend all your time trying to learn who the Antichrist is or when
the rapture will take place. Spend your time finding out who Jesus is and what His plans and purposes are for you. Live your life in Him, through Him, and for Him.

2009-07-25T20:43:00.000-07:00

Pray for rain in Texas. This is my girls "in" Lake Travis. As we strolled down the lake, I told them some people look this way spiritually. Those who delight themselves in the Lord are like trees planted by the rivers of water. Jesus said let everyone who is thirsty come to Him and He would fill them, until rivers of living water flows out of their belly. Come on drink from the Lord today and pray for rain in Texas.

A Place Called Heaven

2009-07-21T22:24:00.000-07:00

A Pastor's seventeen year old son here in the Austin area was killed in a car accident last week. I was told that this same Pastor's dad was killed in a boating accident the week before. I have only met this Pastor once, yet my heart and prayers have reached out to God on behalf of this family.

The one thing I keep thanking God for is heaven. Nothing I say could ease the pain from this family. I can feel pain, shed some tears and still not know what they are going through. Life always deals with death, and death is the gateway to eternity.

I believe there is a place called heaven. Randy Alcorn wrote a book entitled, “Heaven,” thus the inspiration for this article.

Heaven is a place: In Lk. 23:43, Jesus told the thief on the cross, "…today you will be with Me in Paradise." Heaven is a place that Jesus called paradise.

I’ve traveled many places in this world. My wife and I have created perfect cities on earth. Places without crime. Friendly streets and beautiful country sides. We have taken parts of Paris, London and New York our favorite cities. The landscape of Scotland and Wales. The sunsets of Texas, the beaches of Florida, the shores of Lake Geneva and the food of Italy. This is my definition of paradise.

Heaven is beyond description. I know there are books about heaven and are good reads. But heaven is indescribable. Little boy flying his kite: So far in the sky it couldn’t be seen. A man asked him "how do you know the kite's there? To which the little boy responds, “I can feel its tug.” When you know someone in heaven that is dear to you, You will feel heaven's tug.

E.M. Bounds said, “heaven ought to draw and engage us. Heaven ought to so fill our hearts and hands, our conversations, our character, and our features, that all would see that we are foreigners, strangers to this world. The very atmosphere of this world should be chilling to us and noxious, its suns eclipsed and its companionship dull and insipid. Heaven is our native land and home to us, and death to us is not the dying hour, but the birth hour!”

Heaven is God‘s people: Heb. 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us.”

“C.S. Lewis felt strongly that people are not born with desires
unless satisfaction for those desires exists. “Finding a desire that no experience in this world can satisfy, suggests that the most probable explanation is that people were made for a different world. All the things people seek after, were never intended to satisfy the desire for the far-off country, and more likely they were meant to arouse it, and to suggest the idea of heaven. People, most certainly, will continue to search for the object of their desire, and will perhaps continue to feel incomplete if they don’t acknowledge it as a desire for God.”

The sunset is God’s signature. The clouds are His footprints. The gentle breeze is His Spirit. All of these capture our attention and surprise with joy, and the more so when there is someone to share it with. Even then you cannot manufacture that moment. The invention of the camera and now the cell phone camera, catches the moment but it cannot capture the feeling. All the success of this world, is worthless if there isn’t someone to live life with. When you have someone in heaven, heaven becomes reality. Heaven becomes more than a passing thought.

Your not going to go to heaven and spend eternity on a cloud. You are not going to become an angel. You will not be bored. Heaven is a real place, with real people, and a real God.

To quote C.S. Lewis again, “Heaven is the real thing of which earth is an imperfect copy... the great essentials of happiness are something to do, something to love, and something to hope
for..."

Heaven is a person: It’s about a loving God that moved heaven and earth so you could live with Him forever. Our motivation for heaven is really not about a husband, a wife, a son or daughter,
a mom, a dad, a brother or sister. Our longing for heaven is a longing for God. God’s purpose for us is seen in these wonderful relationships on earth. We only know this love because God is love.
“Hoping for heaven, a continual looking forward to the eternal world, is not a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do. Therefore, you and I need to take time to ask ourselves the question, what gives joy and happiness? Hopefully you will realize its connection to God.”

Heaven is not a given. Heaven is God’s place. heaven is God’s people. Heaven is God’s person. The only way you get there is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Not a passing relationship when you were 12. But a heavenly love affair that captures your imagination everyday.

The sunset is about Jesus, the snow caps are about Jesus. The ocean’s waves and the calm lakes are about Jesus. The marriage, the children, the family, it’s all about Jesus.

All of these are God‘s ideas and He created them from His imagination. He created them for eternity. Eternity awaits all of us. This departed son and father awaits this pastor. The story will end well, nothing is lost, because there is a place called heaven.

A Salvation Without A Lord

2009-07-01T08:43:00.000-07:00

"You are a disciple, a learner, a follower of the Christ, whether or not you follow close up. You are a servant of the eternal God, whether you serve well or poorly. You are a soldier in the army of the Lord Jesus Christ, whether you are in the front lines or AWOL. If I know who I am, and if I know who God is, then my so-called rights in life have been subjugated to the Person of God in Jesus Christ-Christos. He is the Lord of my life. And whatever and whenever, I have no cause to bargain with Him or put up an argument. If you and I are purchased possessions of God, Then all that has our names on it belongs to that same God." - Charles Stanley

What a powerful statement. What words that needs to be heard in churches and conferences all over America. As we approach the 4th of July, we see a people in America that want freedom without responsibility. This attitude has also carried over to the Church, we want a Savior without a Lord.

I hear a lot of people talking about Jesus as their Savior but few saying Jesus is their Lord. In our “Christian” culture today we have a lack of dedication and commitment to Christ. Jesus has become an object to our pursuit of happiness.

Can Jesus be Savior but not Lord? I don’t think so. Nowhere in the Bible is this taught, but you can see throughout scripture the teaching of a crucified life. "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20) "When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." (Mark 8:34)

A Christian is one who has been purchased of God; Through this purchase Jesus becomes Savior and Lord. There is no division between the two. For the follower of Jesus, there is no secular and sacred, all is sacred for the purchased one. In Christ we live, and move, and have our being. Life is lived constantly in the audience of One.

When we do something wrong or our light begins to dim, the Holy Spirit will convict us and lead us back to the narrow way and our lights will again shine so that all men can see…. And glorify our Father who is in heaven.

Finish Strong

2009-06-01T19:35:00.000-07:00

“Never give in, never give in, never; never; never; never - in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense” - Winston Churchill

Never give up. Watch this video > Finish Strong.

A Passion For Jesus

2009-05-19T19:10:00.000-07:00

Once, when Winston Churchill was on holiday with friends in the south of France, he came into their house on a chilly evening, sat down by the fireplace, and stared silently into the flames. Resin-filled pine logs were crackling, hissing, and spitting as they burned. Suddenly his familar voice growled, "I know why logs spit. I know what it is to be consumed."

There are many things people are consumed with. It may be money, fame, ambition or drugs; Some have noble passions. Being consumed can be either detrimental or heroic.

King David's passion was expressed in Psalm 42, "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God."

Many people believe in God, but it is another thing to have a burning desire to abandon the love of this world to know Christ.

If there is no hunger for God, there will be no manifestation of God. He waits on us to want Him. Paul said, "... in Him we live and move and have our being." Moses was consumed at the burning bush. The fire in the bush was transferred into the heart of the Prince of Egypt. From this first encounter, Moses refused to live outside of the presence of God. God, I want to be consumed with Jesus.

The Devil's Tool

2009-05-04T21:11:00.000-07:00

The devil, according to legend, once advertised his tools for sale at public auction. When the prospective buyers assembled, there was one oddly shaped tool which was labeled, “Not for sale.” Asked to explain why this was, the devil answered, “I can spare my other tools, but I cannot spare this one. It is the most useful implement that I have. It is called discouragement, and with it I can work my way into hearts otherwise inaccessible. When I get this tool into a man’s heart, the way is open to plant anything there I may desire.

Discouragement has been the cause of many casualties in life. It is the demonic hemorrhaging of hope that if not stopped leads to death, a self inflicted death of vision, the individual, or even a nation. In 2004, suicide was the eleventh leading cause of death in the U.S., accounting for 32,439 deaths.1

The beginning stages of discouragement focus your attention on what you don't have instead of what you do. To combat that, we should focus on the mountain mover instead of the mountain, for focusing on the mountain mover gives place to God, just as focusing on the maganitude of the mountain would give place to the enemy.

What happens when you give place to the enemy? Seeds are planted in your mind and the thoughts produced from those seeds bear words. Proverbs 18:21 takes us to the next step as we see the power of our words: "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit." The enemy will pound and pressure you with seeds of fear, doubt, and unbelief echoing in your mind, methodically luring you, his prey, into detente (compromise), both in thought and subsequent action.

If thoughts become words, and words sow discouragement, then discouragement gives birth to fear, fear leads to detente, detente makes way for desertion, and desertion leads, finally, to death.

If the enemy or your circumstances can distance you from Jesus, then he has put you in a place of "divide and conquer." The farther away from Christ, the closer to the enemy you are, and this will compromise your victory.

"Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the leaders and the people and said to them, 'Don't be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your friends, your families, and your homes!'" (Nehemiah 4:14 NLT). While he was in captivity, Jeremiah fought discouragement and encouraged himself saying, "Your words are what sustain me. They bring me great joy and are my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty" (Jeremiah 15:16 NLT).

Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Feed on Christ's faithfulness and remember He who has the power to cause all things to work together for your good. The name of Jesus will take the Devil's tool and destroy his work against you.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS)

A Quiet Heart

2009-04-28T20:45:00.000-07:00

"As a young man, Augustine was restless and without direction. He pursued a long and painful search for truth that he hoped would provide him with rest. In the drama of his conversion at the age of 33, he felt his innermost heart lovingly spoken to by the Word of God, and wrote: 'the words of your Scripture knocked at the door of my heart.'

"Augustine's anguish suddenly left him, and he now found direction in humility, as though an arrow from God had transfixed his heart. [Augustine said,] 'You have pierced our hearts with the arrow of your love, and our minds were pierced with the arrows of your words.' Indeed his heart seemed to burst into flame with love for God. 'Your gift sets us afire and we are borne upward; we catch this flame and up we go. In our hearts we climb those upward paths, singing the songs of ascent. By your fire, your beneficent fire, we are inflamed.' (Conf 13,9.)"1

Jesus is after our hearts. He wants the believer to have a quiet heart. Even in the midst of bad news and pressures of life, we are to have quiet hearts, and the only way to do this is with a heart ablazed with the love of God.

We have to be still and know that He is God; that He loves us; that He is involved in our life. The Lord told us in Jn. 14:1, "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me." Ask God the Holy Spirit to ignite your heart with His love and to give you assurance of Christ's presence in every situation.

O soul, are you weary and troubled?

No light in the darkness you see?

There’s light for a look at the Savior,

And life more abundant and free!
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace.
Through death into life everlasting He passed,

and we follow Him there;

O’er us sin no more hath dominion—

For more than conquerors we are!
His Word shall not fail you—He promised;

Believe Him, and all will be well:

Then go to a world that is dying,

His perfect salvation to tell!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace.

(Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus Helen H. Lemmel)
1http://www.augustinians.org.au/tradition/spirit.html

Ask For The Old Paths

2009-04-20T19:49:00.000-07:00

Thus says the LORD: "Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it' (Jer. 6:16).

I am looking for those who are asking for the old paths mentioned in Jeremiah 6:16, but both America and the Church are walking down a path they have never seen before. There is a new path being forged. In the midst of a financial melt down, our nation is changing quickly. From the White House to "God's House," we are witnessing monumental problems, and the answer we are meeting is a quick fix but not an appropriate one.

Before our eyes we are seeing America transform from a capitalist society to a socialist one. And the church -- The church has exchanged the cross for the crowd. America's leaders have forgotten what America is, and the church has forgotten who Jesus is. Both are trying to reinvent themselves. And the two have forgotten the old paths.

Our churches and our nation need to stop and ask for the old paths. Quick fixes reveal their weaknesses in time. Modern culture has a tendency to look at the old and write it off as out of touch. Not every old way is to be revered, but the old ways of the Ancient of Days deserves to be found and followed. America's leaders are sacrificing the paths that made America great and are now working to conform America to the ways of nations that once were, and some still remain, lesser than we. On the church front, emerging young leaders have buried the cross and the only path to heaven in exchange for, you guessed it, power and acceptance.

Our beloved nation and the American church -- Both have lost the old paths, and if they do not slow down, stop, and ask for the old paths, will both find themselves bankrupt. America faces, of course, financial deficits, and the Church faces spiritual ones. America could recover years later through elections. The church's losses are to a greater extent sobering because the souls that are lost are lost for eternity without recovery.

Stay Out of 'The Shack' by Chuck Colson

2009-04-13T22:49:00.000-07:00

When the prophet Isaiah and the apostle John caught glimpses of God, they were overcome with despair at their own unworthiness in the light of His glory. The same could be said of Daniel or Paul, or any number of figures from Scripture.

But when the protagonist of a new book called The Shack is introduced to the Father of heaven, he is greeted by a "large, beaming, African-American woman" who goes by the name of Papa.

If you have not heard about The Shack, there is a good chance you will soon. A novel self-published by William P. Young, the book has gained quite a following in Christian circles. It is still among the top ten sellers at Amazon.com. And when it receives a glowing endorsement from a scholar whom I respect, like Eugene Peterson, it is not a phenomenon that discerning Christians can ignore.

The story is about a man named Mack, who is struggling in the aftermath of the brutal murder of his young daughter. One day he finds a note in his mailbox-apparently from God. God wants Mack to meet Him at "the shack," the place where his daughter was killed.

When he arrives, the shack and the winter scene around it transform, Narnia-like, into a mystical mountain paradise, perhaps meant to be heaven itself. Now dwelling in the shack are three mysterious figures-the African-American woman, a Middle Eastern workman, and an Asian girl-who reveal themselves as God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The rest of the book is basically a discussion between Mack and the three persons of the Trinity. While the discussion is mostly on the deep topics of creation, the fall, freedom, and forgiveness, too often the author slips in silly lines that, frankly, seem ridiculous in the mouth of the Godhead. Jesus, looking at Papa, says, "Isn't she great?" At one point, Papa warns Mack that eating too many of the greens in front of him will "give him the trots." And when Jesus spills batter on the floor and on Papa, Jesus then washes Her-or is it His?-feet. Papa coos, "Oh, that feels sooooo good." Ugh.

Okay, it is only an allegory. But like Pilgrim's Progress, allegories contain deep truths. That is my problem. It is the author's low view of Scripture. For example, Mack is tied to a tree by his drunken, abusive father, who "beats Mack with a belt and Bible verses." The author reflects derisively in another spot that "nobody wanted God in a box, just in a book. Especially an expensive one bound in leather with gilt edges, or was that 'guilt' edges."

The Bible, it seems, is just one among many equally valid ways in which God reveals Himself. And, we are told, the Bible is not about rules and principles; it is about relationship. Sadly, the author fails to show that the relationship with God must be built on the truth of who He really is, not on our reaction to a sunset or a painting.

That is not to say The Shack is without merit. The centrality of Christ and God's breathtaking, costly love come through loud and clear. But these truths are available everywhere in Scripture, everywhere in Christian literature. You do not have to visit The Shack to find them.

As Papa warns Mack, God is not who Mack expects He is. But He is also not what our creative imaginations make Him to be, either.

He Is, after all, Who He Is.

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Copyright © 2008 Prison Fellowship, used with permission. Chuck Colson’s daily BreakPoint commentary airs each weekday on more than one thousand outlets with an estimated listening audience of one million people. BreakPoint provides a Christian perspective on today’s news and trends via radio, interactive media, and print.

Redeeming The Time

2009-04-06T13:51:00.000-07:00

Walk circumspectly, or, as the word signifies, accurately, exactly, in the right way, frequently consulting our compass. Not as fools, who walk carelessly, and who have no understanding of their duty or their day, nor of the worth of their souls, and through neglect, fall into sin, and destroy themselves; but as wise, as persons taught of God and endued with wisdom from above. Cautious walking is the effect of true wisdom, but the contrary is the effect of wickedness.

It follows, redeeming the time (Eph.5: 16), literally, buying the opportunity. It is a metaphor taken from merchants and traders who diligently observe and improve the seasons for merchandise and trade.

People fail or succeed by how they redeem the time. Christians must be good managers of their time and take care to improve it to the best of purposes,
(a) by watching against temptations,
(b) by doing good while it is in the power of their hands,
(c) and by filling it up with proper activity.

They should make the best use they can of the present seasons of grace. God's grace is sufficient, but we must be faithful in trusting His grace. If we are not faithful to God with our time then how can we truly be faithful in trusting Him with our times?

We cannot claim to be spirit-filled while living a life of sin. The baptism in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues are insulted by a believer who lives a life contrary to the word of God all the while claiming to be Spirit filled. Speaking in tongues does not make holiness; Walking in the Spirit and yielding to the Spirit do.

As Christians we must honor the Holy Spirit with our time, working to purchase back time that has been squandered. The Holy Spirit will assist in this, but you must be the aggressor. When you are right with God, your time is redeemed, and no weapon formed against you shall prosper!

34th Anniversary

2009-03-31T21:25:00.000-07:00

Today marks my thirty-forth year of knowing my Lord. Thirty-four years ago today as a fifteen year old boy, I made Jesus Christ the Lord of my life. My family didn't think it would last. My friends didn't like my new life, and the church kids didn't like me witnessing at school.

Seemed like all the odds were against me, but the Jesus factor doesn't play the odds. I was serious about Jesus and He was serious about me. By His power I'm still here, He's still Lord, my changed life has lasted, and many of those friends and most of my family are now Christians.

God is good and if the Lord tarries, I want my next thirty-four years to be stronger and more fruitful. Glory to God, great things He has done.

Secular Mindset Invades the Church

2009-03-27T13:29:00.000-07:00

I was reading an interview with Ravi Zacharias done by Enrichment journal. Here ia an excerpt from that interview concerning a secular mindset that has invaded the church.

The question: A secular mindset seems to have invaded the church. What has been the result of this for the church?

Zacharias: A secular mindset is manifested in some forms — not all forms — of the emergent church. This is a dangerous phenomenon, and some of its protagonists undervalue its end results. When you think that every generation tends to move away from the previous one, some forms of the emergent church today are flirting with the extinction of the gospel, at the heart of which is the cross of Jesus Christ.
Two things have happened in the secular mindset. First, secular-minded people do not take the church seriously because the church is not answering their questions. Second, those within the church are timid and unable to sustain the supernatural side of their beliefs in a highly naturalistic world.
What remains, then, in this kind of religious belief system is a spirituality that does not need to defend itself because it is purely a private thing that does not moralize or pontificate for anyone else. It becomes a feel-good, be-quiet, and get-a-better-state-of-mind-at-the-end-of-the-day religion. Moral absolutes? One revelation from God who has moral boundaries for us? No, that becomes untenable. So the church, when it did not respond to the secular mindset and did not prepare its own people, became secularized. In the end, it became spirituality without truth, and experience without objective reference.
The average church member today is unprepared and ill-equipped to face the attacks that are coming at us full-force. We are leaving our young men and women who are attending universities as lambs led to the slaughter. We have fought symptoms, like the issues of the Second World War. We were shooting at rubber dummies while the real attack was taking place elsewhere. Read the entire article here.

What is Postmodern Christianity?

2009-03-23T22:54:00.000-07:00

There is no more urgent question right now than, “What is a Christian?” Several new terms have come into definition in our post-modern Christian world, and one of them is the term “post-modern” itself. What does post-modern mean? The following, taken from gotquestions.org, clearly explains:

“Post-modern Christianity is just as difficult to lock down in a concise definition as post-modernism itself. What started in the 1950’s in architecture as a reaction to modernist thought and style was soon adopted by the art and literary world in the 1970’s and 1980’s. The Church didn’t really feel this effect until the 1990’s. This reaction was a dissolution of “cold, hard fact” in favor of “warm, fuzzy subjectivity.” Think of anything considered post-modern, then stick Christianity into that context and you have a glimpse of what post-modern Christianity is.

“Post-modern Christianity falls into line with basic post-modernist thinking. It is about experience over reason, subjectivity over objectivity, spirituality over religion, images over words, outward over inward. Are these things good? Sure. Are these things bad? Sure. It all depends on how far from biblical Truth each reaction against modernity takes one’s faith. This, of course, is up to each believer. However, when groups form together under such thinking, theology and doctrine tends to lean more towards liberalism.

“For example, because experience is valued more highly than reason, truth becomes relative. This opens up all kinds of problems, as this lessens the standard that the Bible contains absolute truth, and even disqualifies biblical truth as being absolute in many cases. If the Bible is not our source for absolute truth, and personal experience is allowed to define and interpret what truth actually is, a saving faith in Jesus Christ is rendered meaningless.”

Post-modernism, then is a redefinition of truth, church, the church’s mission, and the essence of who God is. Within this new way of thinking and approaching Christ and the Word of God, is a group termed the emergent church movement.

It has been said that, “the effect of the emergent Church movement’s presence in the body of Christ is equivalent to both an autoimmune disease (such as multiple sclerosis, in which the body attacks itself with harmful consequences) and an immune-compromising disease (such as AIDS, in which the body lowers its defenses to external pathogens).

How is this so? The emerging church movement acts like an autoimmune disease by stripping Christian terminology of its biblical meanings, and it acts like an immune-compromising disease by disarming the body’s defenses against foreign invasion. The result is that this movement represents a deadly influence within the Church which requires a decisive response from those who recognize it as such.

In Post-modern Christian philosophy, how can the answers matter when the questions are wrong from the start? The new emergent church leaders stress that traditional Christianity doesn’t “work” because there are still wars, starvation, poor people, global warming, the homeless, and ostentatious prosperity. But the real problem is that, as G.K. Chesterton stated, “Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.”

We now “do church” on Sundays. The Bible is no longer THE word of God, it contains words ABOUT God that provide guidelines for “humankind” to “do life” and “live in unity.” The emergent church gives us a new faith that is more about picking up a cause than picking up the cross.

Yet, Christianity is not a teaching. It is not a moral code, a political party, or even a religious system. Christianity is about a person, the person of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Post-modern thinking asks us to redefine what we mean by salvation. The new birth experience is minimalized, in favor of doing good works, thereby presumably evidencing salvation. Yet the core difference is the inward recreation of human character. (2 Cor. 5:17), which yields a holy life. The Lord Jesus Christ was the theme of the early church. He is the theme in the gospels. Jesus is the theme in Acts. He is the theme in the Epistles. He is the theme in Revelation.

Jesus, however, is not the theme in popular church today. You may often hear preachers today saying that even if you don’t embrace Jesus, His teachings will help you and make this world a better place. They say what we need is to apply His teaching, but NO, that is not what we need; we need Him. We need a thriving, burning, passionate relationship with Jesus. Paul said in Philippians. 3:10, “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.”

The way to salvation is not Christ’s teaching. It is through Jesus Christ, Himself. Jesus said to His disciples, “You shall be witnesses unto Me…” (Acts 1:8)

As Paul preached on Mars Hill, certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,” because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection.

The Lord Jesus, however, cannot be separated from His teachings. They go together. You cannot showcase Jesus’ teachings while putting Jesus in the basement. What we are hearing more and more now is that it really doesn’t matter if you follow Jesus, Buddha, or Mohammed, as long as your spiritual journey is about “god” and helping your fellow man.

The chasm between traditional Christian thought and the new emergent church mindset is greater than the Grand Canyon. Post-modern church thinking can be elusive in its error, but one salient point reminds us: JESUS is the difference. JESUS is what matters most. We are witnesses unto JESUS. To understand Christianity, open your Bible & read it! Read the books of Moses, the prophets, the Psalms; they all point to Jesus. They all point to the sinful state of man and the only way of escape from a deserved spot in hell. Although hell was made for the devil and his angels, it is where we choose to go if we despise the only sacrifice for our sin and the only way to God.

“Every one of us is born in sin. We are born under the wrath of God. We do not know Him, and we are evil by nature. Our greatest need is to be reconciled to God, to have our sins forgiven, to know God as our Father, to be blessed by Him and to start as a child of God. And Jesus came in order that men and women might know this.

This is His message, not that we improve the world but that you and I be redeemed. In effect Jesus said to His disciples, ‘I’m going to send you out to preach, and I want you to tell the people that repentance and remission of sins is only possible in My name. Preach it among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. I do not care what color, class, or creed people are. The human race is one; humanity is one in sin, one under the wrath of God, one in its destiny in hell. And there is only one Savior. Tell them about Me, be witnesses to me.’”1

We don’t need an emerging post-modern “church” to tell us that what we “feel” is truth. Truth is already revealed in the inerrant Word of God, and that Word tells us there is only one way, and that is to accept the sacrifice and Lordship of Jesus Christ. All who have done so testify to the same experience of a new birth inside, a change of heart and life, and a desire to lead others to Jesus Christ. All else is peripheral. The Lordship of Christ is the litmus test of truth. The question we all must answer is, “Do I know who Jesus Christ is, and am I going to yield myself to His Lordship?”