An Incentive To Live The Good Life

"The heart has reasons the mind knows not of."  --Blaise Pascal
[No nation has been able to maintain] "a moral life without the aid of religion."   --Will Durant, humanist and historian.  
"God must exist for ethics to be possible."  --Immanuel Kant
"If God does not exist, all things are permissible."  --Fydor Dostoevsky
"For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command:  'Love your neighbor as yourself'"  (Gal. 5:14, NIV).  
"...The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love"  (Gal. 5:6, NIV, emphasis mine).  
DEFINITIONS:  RELIGION IS KNOWLEDGE OF A CREED; CHRISTIANITY KNOWLEDGE OF A PERSON

Some philosophers reduce moral living to living the good life (however they define it!), but this is impossible without getting one's thinking straightened out and beginning to think clearly to do it.  The path to enlightenment is not an easy one (Jesus said the truth would set us free) and once we've found it we want to share as contagious believers--you'll want to pass it on!  Our goal in life must not be our own happiness, but to unselfishly seek the happiness of others and to glorify God. The goal is spiritual and moral goodness which will have fruit, not to be on a blind pursuit of happiness which can have no anchor or moral compass but have the problem of excess or abuse.   Man always seems to do what is right in his own eyes,  but the Lord sees the heart and considers motive. (Cf. Prov. 16:2; cf. 21:2)  Happiness can be seen as the fruit of moral and right living as the byproduct not aim.   We all ought to live beyond reproach in order to have maximum influence and impact with our lives--to make a difference!

Ethics, then, is about the good life.  But goodness without God is evil because it's a sham.  Many have pondered, "How shall we then live?"  I'm not just talking about being a goody-goody or do-gooder but living a fulfilling life that counts.  If you just want to be a good person, any religion will do! Everyone has a religion or faith, and to some, they reduce Christianity to a code of conduct or ethics or make it simplistic like "My religion is the Golden Rule." We must not reduce Christianity to the universal fatherhood of God and the universal brotherhood of man--it's simply knowing God and then making Him known, which brings Him glory and will be rewarded.  According to John Stott, Christianity is Christ, all else is peripheral or circumference.   But the valued spiritual life is about a relationship, salvation being the restoration of it, not just studying Him academically.   We don't study or read the Bible to increase our knowledge but to change our lives.

We soon discover that there's a moral center to the universe--God!   And that without Him life makes no sense!  Without God in the picture there's no basis of absolute right and wrong and character doesn't count--it's all relative.  But we all are convicted of the moral and divine order of the universe; that's why we see justice, love, fair play, courage, integrity, etc.).  But we all have the same weakness as far as morals go:  we tend to justify ourselves and hope we don't get caught or no one will know our flaws or faults.  We are a moon with a dark side no one sees!  Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde!  Being a Christian isn't about rules or a list of dos and don'ts but dedication and commitment to Christ, who said, "Follow Me!"  Even Plato realized that to know how to live in reality, we must know what God is really like.   We experience God and grow in the knowledge of Him as we put it to use and apply what we know:  "Now that you know these things, blessed are you if you do them."  (Cf. John 13:17).

Now a good person learns to live according to faith, not feeling, which can be as variable as a weather vane in a storm.  There's no walking around on cloud nine or on some spiritual, perpetual high either.  He doesn't necessarily feel on top of things all the times, or even in control, but keeps the faith--he does 't go by feelings.  He doesn't know all the answers or what's going sometimes but knows the Answerer and the One in control.   He learns to know right leads to thinking right, which leads to doing right and finally feeling right.   The good life is the byproduct of being focused and living on purpose to glorify God and never for oneself.  The only truly happy people, according to Albert Schweitzer, are those who've learned to serve.  We never know how bad we are until we've tried to be good, and we cannot be good without realizing how bad we are!            Soli Deo Gloria!

Domesticating The Biblical Evangel

Many preachers today are into watering down or contextualizing the gospel message, even glossing over sin, while they preach to make it seem less strident and more palatable to the seeker.  Jesus made it appear well-nigh impossible and even discouraged the faint in heart and those who wouldn't count the cost of laying down their lives for Him. When the evangelist preaches that all we need to do is simply believe, or agreeing without obedience or lordship, he is guilty of disseminating a false gospel or what are termed by Dietrich Bonhoeffer as "cheap grace."  (NB:  Salvation is free but not cheap! This is also known as "easy-believism" because it denies the necessity of making a lordship commitment to enter into a permanent relationship with God in salvation and reconciliation.  Its logical conclusion is that there can be "carnal Christians" who haven't fully surrendered to Christ's lordship and ownership of their lives as a new type or class of Christian.

This is where we must distinguish but not separate law and gospel in our preaching and evangelizing.  Law is what we must do: gospel is what God has done (the done deal!).  We must get them lost first!  We must preach sin to get them convicted of sin--for they may not see any need for salvation or believe they're righteous already.  We must not dumb down the gospel to those would-be disciples who admire or respect Jesus but don't worship Him. Why?  Because false assurance that one is saved is more of a problem than lack of assurance among sincere believers with weak faith.  Those who see no need of Christ are worse off than those seeking Him and realize their sinfulness.   What does lordship entail but obedience to the gospel and following on to know the Lord and walk with Him in fellowship producing fruit? And so the bad news of condemnation due to sin is the first word.  Sin is not a killjoy word to be avoided, even though it seems like a thankless and unwelcome task to preach it.

Then we welcome the grace of God to set the sinner free and restore his relationship with God (reconciliation). The bad news is our condition as totally depraved and that we are not good enough to need to be saved, but bad enough to be saved (knowing that no one is too bad to be saved though).  However, there's a catch-22:  we must realize how bad we are to be saved, and to realize how bad we are, we must try to be good! It's like not realizing how addicted one is to cigarettes until one tries to stop.  The good news is what God has done for us: solving the sin question with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.  We must become grace-oriented to have any assurance because merit is the antithesis of grace and there is no place for merit in God's economy.

Faith is not seen as a work of man for then he'd be worthy but as a miracle work of kindling it as wrought in God ("This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent," cf. John 6:29).  When we are grace-oriented in our salvation it affects our whole outlook on our relationship or walk with God.

Does It Seem Like A Lost Cause?

"You start by standing up for what you believe, then you go out there and fight for it!" --Sen. Elizabeth Warren
"... Our God will fight for us" (Neh. 4:20, ESV).
"'Do not be afraid of them.  Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes" (Neh. 4:14, ESV). 

St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine, is the supposed patron saint, or champion, of lost causes in the Roman Catholic Church.  Everyone must have a go-to person for aid in time of need when the chips are down and one needs to grin and bear it. Not that we face life like fate with a stiff upper lip, but with faith in Providence.  We are to keep on praying and not to give up despite the circumstances because discouragement is actually a sin.   This is where the church body comes in:  We comfort those with the comfort we have received (cf. 2 Cor. 4:4) and be there for them just like the Holy Spirit is with us (i.e., He is called the Paraclete or "One called alongside").

When we get focused on the here and now instead of the heavenly vision it can seem hopeless at times; however, we're never in a no-win situation with God as our Pilot!  That's how we get depressed:  not correctly interpreting time by worrying about the future and regretting the past--two great time wasters.    But we are to live in light of eternity though and each day one at a time, not being remiss or slack in our duty, but trusting in Providence to meet all our needs and to guide us in God's will.  When we live for something bigger than ourselves, our whole perspective on life changes and is an inspiration to others.

God wants us to engage in spiritual warfare against spiritual wickedness using the armor of Christ.  We fight Satan's territory in protesting injustice, standing up for righteousness, and being appalled by sin in any form.  We are literally marching as to war, singing "Onward, Christian Soldiers!" on Sunday and must not go AWOL the next day!   Our victory is sure because the battle is the Lord's and we are fighting from victory, not for a victory--Christ already won and our battles are but a win-win in the name of Christ.  All victory comes from God and He must get the glory or credit not us.

We will be rewarded for our battles in the kingdom of God or what may be a hardship tour of duty with the Lord at the helm.  It is always our duty to fight with all we have, i.e., our whole being, but to pray also with all our being.  You could say we work as if it depends on us, but pray as if it depends on God.  We must be honored to be God's standard bearers or the ones carrying the Lord's flag into battle for Him. The flag we bear is the one for the kingdom of heaven and we must be reassured God will fight for us as we maintain our allegiance to Him. We march to victory in Christ's name and claim the beachhead in His name, taking Satan's turf away from him.  Yes, we engage in the enemy-occupied territory and must be prepared to meet the enemy in his domain on his terms.  We only can have the right attitude in fighting if we are oriented towards serving, obeying, and trusting the Lord.  We are not here to usher in the Millennial Kingdom in a visible sense like establishing a utopia, and don't see the government as a means to advance the agenda of God, but in being a light in a dark place, a city on a hill.

What this is to us in the application is that we are proud to serve in God's kingdom and to represent Jesus to the world in their need.  We must always be ready to stand up for Jesus, to fly our Christian colors, and to be God's ambassadors in the world at large.  We should never be afraid to stand alone or to suffer for the Name, which is an honor!   Jesus is our standard bearer, who will never be a casualty, carrying the flag on ahead of us into battle with pride and we must believe that He will always be there in Spirit representing our assured victory. What is our flag but our symbol of bravery and courage in the name of Christ and it represents all we fight for:  our ideals and dreams in Christ.  It should be our inspiration to bravery and victory as it will forever wave and never cease to fly to the glory of God. Never cease to fly our Christian colors! 

In sum, the positive thinker sees opportunity in any difficulty and believes there are no hopeless situations, only those who've given up hope.     Soli Deo Gloria!

God Works In Mysterious Ways

"God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will." (Heb. 2:4, NIV).
"Do you know the laws of the universe?   Can you use them to regulate the earth?" (Job 38:33, NLT).
"So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands"  (Psalm 78:7, NLT).  
"For you are great and perform wonderful deeds.  You alone are God" (Psa. 86:10, NLT).
"Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not:  the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me"  (John 10:25, KJV). 
"If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not" (John 10:37, KJV).  

NOTE:  IT IS SAID THAT WHEN THINGS GO BAD, BELIEVERS SAY, "GOD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS," AND WHEN THINGS GO GOOD, GOD IS BLESSING THEM.  MAN GIVES HIMSELF GLORY FOR HIS SUCCESS BUT BLAMES GOD FOR HIS FAILURES (CF. PROV. 19:3).

"God works in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform," according to William Cowper's hymn (cf. Isa. 45:15, NLT).  Even in the days of Job's trials, he says, "He does great things too marvelous to understand.  He performs countless miracles."  (9:10, NLT).  Note he said "countless miracles."  Was Job naive or did he actually witness miracles?  Even in the days of Moses, the magicians recognized the "finger of God" at work.  The people of the Bible cannot be portrayed as naive, credulous, ignorant, or superstitious.  They knew when God was performing a miracle because they were observers of nature and recognized God at work.  For instance, when the blind man was healed, they said no one had ever healed a man born blind!

If God's miracles were everyday events, we'd call them "regulars." All events are caused by God, the Causa Prima or primary mover of all creation--He is the so-called First Cause, and  the existence of motion itself proves there is a God, because one has to wonder when did the first act of motion happen, since the law of inertia says that a body at rest tends to stay at rest---it doesn't happen by itself but must be set in motion! 

Jesus didn't want to be known primarily as a miracle or wonder-worker but came to be our Savior.  His miracles were but signs to illustrate a teaching point about His Deity or out of compassion, not for show or personal gain, prestige, or money. He never did a biggie miracle to convince the unwilling, nor miracles on-demand or special request.  That's because miracles only produce the desire for more miracles and miracles don't produce faith, faith produces miracles!  Proof of this is when Jesus said in John 12:37, NIV,  that "Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him." Note they "would not" not "could not!"  The psalmist Asaph said in Psalm 78:32, NIV, that: "In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; in spite of his wonders, they did not believe."

And so God causes everything (we are the secondary agents) and miracles are but unusual events caused by God.  Have you ever wondered how an immaterial thing such as a thought can affect material things such as a muscle?  What causes our motion?  If you want to see a miracle, look in the mirror or behold a sunset! Scientists will tell you that miracles are against the laws of nature, but if there are laws, there must be a Lawmaker who can override His own law!  By definition, God is not bound by His own laws of nature!  Science then cannot forbid miracles, for God is not tangible, visible, or audible and you cannot repeat, measure, observe, or put Him in a test tube or have laboratory conditions to study--He's outside the province of scientific endeavor.      Soli Deo Gloria!

The Man On A Mission Extraordinaire

Jesus came to save sinners and set them free from themselves, God's wrath, their enslavement to Satan, and sin.  His message only has something to say to those who are lost, sick, and unrighteous and see their need for a Physician to heal them.  Sin is a virus that must be healed and we cannot approach God while affected--He must cleanse us or He will have no part of us.  He saves us despite ourselves and our own efforts, for there is no pre-salvation work we can achieve or preparation we can make to qualify for grace--that's why it's grace and not merit-based.  In fact, the only qualification for salvation is to realize our need and bankruptcy in God's tribune.  Jesus is on a rescue mission and meets us in our deepest need--the effects of sin.

Sin is both alienating and enslaving, it estranges and separates us from others and God.  Jesus is the Great Reconciler and has done something about the sin question on the cross by shedding blood.  Yes, He owns us because He purchased us with His very own blood was shed voluntarily on our behalf.  Our greatest need was to be forgiven and made righteous, both accomplished at the cross.  We are forgiven for our sins (what we've done or called being justified) and delivered from what we are (sanctification or from our sin nature).  The cross is a great rescue operation!    "If our greatest problem had been ignorance God would've sent an educator, or if it had been technology, He would've sent a scientist, but our greatest need was the restoration of our relationship with Him" (source unknown). 

That's what salvation is: the healing of our relationship with God and getting back into fellowship with Him, for sin precludes and prevents that.  We were in no position to save ourselves or salvage our souls, in fact, we needed divine intervention to meet our needs and do for us what we couldn't do for ourselves.  Jesus raised the bar on love and sacrifice, giving His all for us and pouring out His compassion on the cross when He was suffering the most--the ultimate sacrifice.

He thought of us to the very end and would rather die than live without us!  His love is unconditional and sacrificial and cost something!  We can give without loving, but we cannot love without giving!  In the final analysis, Jesus knew what His mission was--to do the Father's will and be subordinate to it in all things (that was His mission statement or motto of life--to do God's will!), which would bring about the salvation of His sheep, by laying down His life, for whom He shed His blood and poured out His very life.    Soli Deo Gloria!

Is There A Social Gospel?

"They asked only that we remember the poor, which  I made every effort to do" (Gal. 2:10, HCSB). 
"... 'He defended the cause of the poor and the needy, and so all went well.  Is that not what it means to know me?' declares the LORD"  (Jer. 22:16, NIV).  
"The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern" (Prov. 29:7, NIV).

Jesus brought the good news to the poor, but He met them where they were at in their need.  For instance, he never sent a crowd of listeners away hungry.  But the primary purpose was to focus on the gospel message and make it relevant.  There is no social gospel, which is a misnomer; however, we have another commission--the Social Commission, which hasn't been rescinded, to practice what we preach and to care for each other in the family and our community as good neighbors so our testimony will not be jeopardized as a church body.  Jesus said we would be known by our fruits and we must all practice practical, sacrificial love to our neighbors, especially to the family of faith.

But we want to keep the main thing the main thing (the Great Commission), but also realize our call to turn stones into bread.  And we must not end there; being known primarily as do-gooders; even Jesus didn't want to be known as a miracle worker and didn't do any for show, but only out of compassion and to illustrate a point in His teaching, especially His Deity.  The church must not despise the poor or down and out, but show mercy (this is a spiritual gift) and reach out to the people who are down on their luck.  Some people feel used and manipulated and are taken advantage of even by the church.   We must not stereotype them as lazy or having made bad choices, but be gracious with the attitude:  "There but for the grace of God, go I"--the words of George Whitefield.  It could happen to you!  Anyone could need someone to help them get back on their feet someday.

Sympathy would help the church to put themselves in the shoes of the destitute, the homeless, and the needy or ill.  Why do you think we have high crime rates, but due to social injustice?  Part of the problem is systemic; namely, our education and economic safety net.  This means some have the cards stacked against them from the get-go.  Poverty can happen to anyone because God says He's the One who makes one rich and another poor.  You even hear of lottery winners declaring bankruptcy.  Sometimes all it takes to begin the cycle of poverty is an unexpected car repair, an extended sickness, drug abuse (illicit or prescription), alcoholism, mental illness (treated or not), hospitalization, divorce (one's fault or not) or long periods of unemployment (voluntary or not).

 Many people in our country live paycheck to paycheck believe it or not.   Loss of a vehicle can limit one's opportunities, but Christians don't believe in equal outcome, redistribution of wealth, or complete equity of income, but in fairness which demands equal opportunity and social justice for the all under the law.  God hates the exploitation of workers (cf. Mal. 3:5) and of the rich taking advantage of the poor in their vulnerabilities.

Social nets and programs don't always fill in the gap or meet all the needs--there are manifold ways and reasons for poverty.  Many people rely on family, but what if you've had to burn bridges?  Certain personal problems such as depression and PTSD are becoming more prevalent and these people are becoming stigmatized, which is detrimental and counterproductive to the society's "general welfare."  Depression itself is a highly debilitating illness and many don't understand what it can do to a person and these people often commit suicide before getting help and don't know how to seek help or send out warning signs and their cry for help is ignored or unnoticed.

People can be victims of circumstance like a flood, tornado, fire, etc., and have no control over them--this can happen to anyone and they will find their need for the Red Cross or Salvation Army.  People may ask, "Where's God?"  But the real question should be, "Where's the church?"  It has been said that many philanthropists do the work of God because they don't feel God is doing it--touche!

People need to believe they have hope and can overcome their situation (when a man has nothing to lose he is capable of nearly anything) and find their way out of the cycle of poverty (the Bible doesn't teach that poverty is necessarily due to laziness or is one's' own fault); often success stories and motivation speakers can inspire and give hope, but the gospel is the good news they need to hear and take to the bank. One can never understand the value of an education for getting ahead in our technical age and some have been left behind and are still living in the last century!

People can get victory over their problems with Christ as their champion, hero, Lord and Savior, but they must want to be healed and helped, putting God first in their lives at the helm ("Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you" --Matt. 6:33). Christians must remember the words of Mother Teresa, canonized by Rome and 1979 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, saying:  Christ has no feet to go for Him but ours; no hands to lend a helping hand but ours; no eyes to see problems but ours; no ears to listen to others but ours; no voice to speak for Him but ours; no mind to solve the problems with but ours!  We have an eternal debt to provide for the needy and to work for the betterment of society (cf. Jer. 29:7)

They must never give up because there's always hope and no one is beyond the grace of God.  I am a great believer that government is neither the source nor the solution of all our problems and don't believe we need a government program for everything--government is not the means of salvation nor of achieving utopia.  We are not here to usher in the kingdom of God nor advance His kingdom by our efforts--it's not of this world!  They say an Englishman is a self-made man who worships his creator!   I do not believe in self-help (we all owe a debt to our community) or in becoming a self-made man (there is none!), but in learning to walk by faith and to give God the glory following His will--that's why we're here (cf. Isa. 43:7).  The worldly-savvy will tell you that "God helps those who help themselves"; however, God "gives more grace" to the humble (cf. James 4:6).

Most people just need a second chance and are willing to go the extra mile if required--they aren't afraid of work, they just haven't found something they're suited for or what they can enjoy or is gainful employment--everyone has a gift and we shouldn't sell anyone short and just think they are fit only for being slaves or common laborers like Aristotle thought of the mass of men--it's a sin to underestimate or shame men and refuse to give them their warranted dignity and self-worth, just as much to honor a fool or promote a scoundrel.

Christians don't believe in castes, karma, classes, discrimination, or prejudice of any kind (cf. Gal. 3:28), but that every believer is a child of God and capable of doing God's will to glorify Him.  We believe in the dignity of man and sanctity of life and that man is in God's image, not an animal to be treated without rights conferred by God.   Christians don't believe in rugged individualism nor in communism but in being a member of a family, a community, and a body of Christ.  Each of these three institutions ordained by God (family, government, church) have their own sphere of sovereignty and responsibility over us.

When a person gets saved and finds the Lord their whole life can be turned around and he can start over with the God of a second chance and fulfill God's best for his life.  It's never too late to get on board with God and to be commissioned by Him in His work and will.  No one is beyond hope in God's eyes!  There's a reason why the Beatitude pronounces blessings on the poor in spirit.  They have the right mindset!  Getting saved implies more than pie in the sky and spiritual hope, but also the redemption of one's life for God's will!  It's never too late to get with the program and look redeemed as a witness to the world and contribute something to it!

CAVEAT:  We must be careful not to endorse "prosperity theology" or that God promises financial gain for our spirituality, supposing godliness is a means to financial gain (cf. 1 Tim. 6:6).  God does promise to reward us by making us prosperous in doing His will (cf. Heb. 13:21) and this is different to different people (cf. Josh. 1:8; Psalm 1:2; Jer. 17: 8).  We have no guarantee of achieving the so-called American Dream, for example, but we will be blessed in doing God's will and He will supply all we need to do it out of His provision (cf. Phil. 4:19).   It is God who gives us the power to get rich, but the evil can also prosper--it's no sign of God's blessing or countenance of our lives.  He teaches us the way we should go!  (cf. Deut. 8:17-18; Isa. 48:17).

Soli Deo Gloria!

The Church's Designated Role ...

"What then is the conclusion, brothers?  Whenever you come together, each one has a psalm, a teaching, a revelation, another language, or an interpretation.   All things must be done for edification."  (1 Cor. 14:26, HCSB).  
"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayers" (Acts 2:42, HCSB). 

Everyone is welcome to come as they are; however, not expecting to stay that way--no perfect people need to apply!  

The church, as one of three divine institutions (along with family and government), has what's called sphere sovereignty or authority in its rightful domain which shouldn't be usurped by other institutions (role reversal or switching).   Operating in its place, the church has the authority to salvage the soul through the preaching of the gospel; however, Christians have not sanitized the self or society but aim to save and salvage them respectively.  The church must not concede everything away and let secularism win by default or neglect.  "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph," according to Edmund Burke, "is for good men to do nothing!"  We have an inherent, intrinsic duty as the children of God to render unto Caesar our civic duty in whatever capacity we can (cf. Mark 12:17).  That's why Jesus called us salt and light in the lost world (cf. Matt. 5:13-14) that lies under the dominion and authority of Satan (cf. 1 John 5:19).

But if the salt loses it's preserving element or saltiness, the society will suffer consequently.  That's why we must beware lest heresy and false teachers creep in (cf. Jude v. 4) and manipulate the church in the wrong direction, and even by their charisma (which can lead to a personality cult). We must acknowledge the church being the stabilizer and anchor, or moral fiber and conscience of society and a positive influence for good in the face and presence of evil.  We all have a part and this is our mission to the world, sometimes referred to as the so-called "social commission," which has not been rescinded.  Anything less is defined as a dysfunctional church.

The church has multiple ministries (prophetic, sacramental, disciplinary, and pastoral) to be completed in Christ by the application of the power of the Spirit at work in the believers.  All the various gifts are exercised only in the living church and to the benefit of the body, chosen severally as the Spirit wills (cf. 1 Cor. 12:18), to His divine purpose. In short, "mission" is to the lost, ministry to the saved.  We must edify or build each other up and be faithful to complete the ministry given us.  Jesus didn't definitively say how many members would comprise a church but did declare that, wherever two or three are gathered in His name, that He is present.  The church basically is present when the gifts of the Spirit function as a unit or whole, giving members the opportunity to grow in their faith, being equipped to spread the Word and edify others.  We all have a roll and are part of the "family" and should be committed and dedicated in that sense. We have a place to belong, grow, and become what we are meant to be.

This is what a church service should be.  It is imperative we attend church (cf. Heb. 10:25) to achieve spiritual checkups and take spiritual inventory, lest we drift away by becoming rogue believers, lone wolves, or Lone Ranger Christians.  Some would call the singing portion the worship, but it's all worship to God because it's dedicated to serving God in various capacities.  Giving is worship, heeding the sermon or message is too; however, we don't just go to church to listen to preaching.  It must be sound in doctrine and in spirit (cf. John 4:24).  The main focus should be to equip the saints for the great completion of the Great Commission, which is not a suggestion, but a mandate. There is no "one-size-fits-all" for worship and we all have different tastes, traditions, customs, maturities, and backgrounds that determine our choices. It's vital that all believers realize their gift (cf. 1 Cor. 12:1) and place in the kingdom of God manifest in the church.  The ultimate purpose is for the flock to attain maturity (Eph. 4:13) in Christ and have a foundation to "rightly divide the Word of God" (cf. 2 Tim. 2:15, KJV) and not to be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine (cf. Eph. 4: 14).  Christians are learners or disciples and must realize that this is a perpetual state and we never "arrive" (cf. Phil. 3:12) when we know it all and can rest on our laurels (cf. Phil. 3:14).

And so the function of the local church is five-fold summarized in the two greatest commandments, and the Great Commission:  We love God with all our heart (worship); we love our neighbor (social and gospel mission to the lost and needy--not just "turning stones into bread," or do-goodery); we make disciples (evangelism to lost, even in church); baptize (fellowship, sharing, friendship, service, and family orientation), and teach (preaching of the Word, ministry of gifts, "discipling," mentoring, or edifying).  That's why some say that the "great Christian is one who has a great commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission," according to Rick Warren.

We all are given the opportunity to serve God and our fellow man and are put on earth and in the church to make a contribution!  The church has a designated purpose and a place and opportunity for everyone to serve.  There ought to be a place for everyone to grow!  We can now see that the purpose of the church is to be conduits of grace by demonstrating faith through love in action, not just preaching it.  Caveat:  The church is to be semper reformanda, or always reforming, and never is without error or corners the market on truth.    Soli Deo Gloria! 





 

What Spirit Do You Have?

"We know that we are the children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one" (1 John 5:19, NIV).  
"... And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ" (Rom. 8:9, NIV).  
"So the preaching about God flourished, the number of disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith" (Acts 6:7, HCSB).

The world is possessed with the spirit that works in the sons of disobedience (cf. Eph. 2:2) and the spirit of error.  They don't know the truth to set them free (cf. John 8:32), which God perchance may grant them (cf. 2 Tim. 2:25).  There is the spirit of the world that we possessed before salvation and followed according to the course of Satan and his minions and authorities. We are set free from his power and he cannot touch us (1 John 5:18), for we are more than conquerors.  Satan is a liar and the father of liars (cf. John 8:44), and all men are born liars (cf Psa. 116:11) and follow suit.  There is only one true God who cannot lie (cf. Titus 1:2).

Christians possess two natures:  the old man and the new man after Christ's image.  The one we feed the most assumes the most authority over our lives; there are no carnal believers by nature, but believers can become temporarily carnal and struggle in the flesh. The two spirits are not like the yin/yang of Eastern philosophy, but evil is only a perversion and deprivation of the good.  There is no such thing as pure evil because it is a parasite on the good and the deception is that it may contain an element of truth, just enough to inoculate one from the real thing and make him immune to the truth. We must always be vigilant to exercise the authority, being watchful in the same, that we have in Christ's name to tread on the enemy and claim our victory in Christ.  We need not live in defeat or even become defeatists.  "The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God..." (Rom. 8:7, NIV).

It is paramount that we periodically test the spirit within us to see whether Christ is present or not, especially during the Lord's Supper. "Everyone should examine themselves..." (cf. 1 Cor. 11:28, NIV).  We must always be on the watch for false teachers, a false gospel, a false Christ, and a false spirit (cf. 2 Cor. 11:4) because Satan seeks whom he may devour (cf. 1 Pet. 5:7) and we must test the spirits and contend for the faith (cf. Jude v. 3), lest heresy creeps in and corrupt the fellowship. The caveat we ought to heed is that Satan uses our vocabulary, but his own dictionary!  He preaches another Jesus, another gospel, another spirit. But those who know their God shall be strong and resist him (cf. Dan. 11:32).

Even Christians can become taken in by or buy into the wrong worldview and the philosophies of the devil:  winner take all; God helps those who help themselves; look out for number one; each man for himself; survival of the fittest; the law of the jungle; tit for tat; do unto them as they do unto you; being good without God, and even being moral and religious without religion or God as the moral center of the universe.  There are many crutches the world resorts to atheism as an excuse for sin; cynicism such as getting even, not mad; escapism, such as tripping out on drugs, escaping reality, and getting high; supernaturalism, such as dabbling in the occult; and humanism, or believing in self-help, that man can solve his own problems, and pop psychology; or believing in man-made rules and theories that contradict God and dethrone Him while exalting man, and making a name for himself.

We must always put these pseudo-philosophies into perspective and realize that the Bible is the only crutch that is truly reliable and will not fail us. NB: The point should be made that everyone has a crutch, whether they admit it or not just like everyone worships something or someone because that is what we are hard-wired for (worship) and it's only natural.

True spirituality is the only answer to our problems and we must know the Answerer via the Scriptures and spiritual sanctification. We must start with God to solve our problems, not start with man and try to escape God or deny Him.  The Bible is the only true and final authority that we can rely on and believe in without contradicting God's nature and being true to human nature.  And the way to become cognizant of the forces of evil is to "gird up the loins of [our] mind", know the Word (Ignorance isn't bliss!), have a foundation in sound doctrine ("Knowledge is power!" according to Sir Francis Bacon cf. Prov. 25:4), and beware lest we fall into temptation, for Satan "seeks whom he may devour" (cf. 1 Pet. 5:7) like a roaring lion--no one is immune!

We can overcome the forces of darkness and transform the culture, turning the world upside down like the first believers did to Rome with the right Spirit indwelling us; however, we must become renewed in the spirit of our minds not conforming to the course of this world. For thinking right and doing right can be distinguished, but not separated--they must go hand in hand! Some people just need to get their thinking straightened out.  We must long to do the right thing, not the expedient thing or pragmatic alternative.  We are happy serving others!

Finally, there's a way to confirm our calling and election and that we possess Jesus ("He who has the Son has life," 1 John 5:12):  by the Word of God coupled with the testimony of the Spirit ("The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the sons of God," cf. Rom. 8:16).        Soli Deo Gloria!

God Our Provision

"But he gives us more grace..." (James 4:6, NIV).
"... Freely you have received, freely give" (Matt. 10:8, NIV).
"But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:19, NKJV).    
"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life..." (2 Pet. 1:3, NIV).
"Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart" (Psa. 37:4, NKJV). 
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you" (Matt. 6:33, HCSB). 
"One's wealth consists not in the abundance of his possessions, but in the fewness of his wants." --source unknown, quoted by Billy Graham  

One of the so-called Jehovah texts is in Gen. 22:8, which calls God "Jehovah-Jireh" or "the LORD will provide [your need]" literally from the Hebrew and could be interpreted as "the Lord will see to it."  We all have been blessed with the provision of God to be thankful for and this is an example of true gratefulness--expectation of God's blessing and confidence that He will provide all our needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus (cf. Phil. 4:19).  We are to believe God for the impossible and not underestimate His blessings on our behalf.  There is no most-favored status (cf. Rom. 2:11; Acts 10:34) we can reach but God levels the playing field and we all can come to Him expecting God's best.  Only when we realize God's blessing and become grateful are we able to spread the spirit and the word, being a blessing to others (cf. Zech. 8: 13) like the song goes:  "Once you've experienced it, you'll want to pass it on!"  Being thankful, giving praise, and bowed down to His glory is the way to enter His presence (cf. Psa. 100:4) --it's not how big our faith is, but how big our God is that matters!

The father of modern missions, William Carey, delivered the famous sermon, "Expect Great Things from God; Attempt Great Things for God," is pertinent and we must venture out in faith, leaving our comfort zone, to be tested in our faith, which is more precious than silver or gold that are tested by fire!  The crucible of the cross is what we bear for Christ.  We are to be assured that if we are doing God's will, God will ensure adequacy to do it (may He "equip you with everything good for doing his will," per Heb. 13:21, NIV ).  It's vital to be in the safest place we can be--God's will!

St. Theresa set out to build a monastery and only had twelve pence to her name!  They believed she was a woman of God but no one had the faith to believe she could do that with only these limited resources.  She claimed quite the contrary that she and God could do it!   With God, we all share an abundance of resources and should live as if there is no limit to what we can accomplish for God, as long as it's God's will.  He will call us to do the impossible and it's our duty to believe in the impossible from the God of miracles.  "Is anything too hard for the LORD?" (Cf. Gen. 18:24, NIV) or "Nothing is too hard for you" (cf. Jer. 32:17, ESV).  It is only a matter of Christian faith to believe "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," (cf. Phil. 4:13).

We may see obstacles but God sees the big picture and from the vantage point of eternity, not one day at a time as we do.  When the chips are down we are to trust all the more and realize that it's a test of faith to see if we are willing to walk with Christ through thick and thin and let the chips fall where they may! We all must be tested, provision-wise, to see where our faith is:  Even Habakkuk (cf. 3:18) came to the realization after his crops failed that all he really needed was God and everything else is a bonus.  He was able to thank God for knowing that God was still his Provider even in the lean times (cf. Isa. 45:7).  If we cannot trust God in the small matters, what about the great ones?  He who is faithful in little will be faithful in much, for of whom much is given, much is required (cf. Luke 12:48).  Sometimes we all must come to the end of ourselves or suffer loss to realize that with God we will survive any trial--"If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Cf. Rom. 8:31).  Knowing the meaning and purpose gives us the motive and the attitude to praise God and not to be discouraged or downcast.

We can have faith and should keep the faith that God will see to it that we are taken care of and that we can do His will. But God is good to all in some ways, that's His nature; however, He is good to some in all ways too.  We are to believe God for miracles and "feed the poor" but not to be known as do-gooders who just "turn stones into bread." Even Jesus didn't want to be known just as a miracle worker or do-gooder, but only performed miracles to illustrate His Deity and to teach a lesson or to show compassion to those in need.  We are to keep the main thing the main thing:  The Great Commission.  We can move mountains by our faith if it's in the right object--God: with God-confidence and God-esteem.

God has indeed promised to meet all our needs to glorify His name but not necessarily our felt needs or things we think we need.  God knows what we need better than we do ourselves and in the end result: we will someday realize that God had the best in mind for us and that His Plan A is for our own good.  And so we must get over the notion that lacking no good thing is the same as having everything or thinking that God is holding back--this leads to the false doctrine of prosperity theology! NB:  The Lord's prayer makes it plain that we are not to get ahead of ourselves and worry about the needs of the future, but live one day at a time in light of eternity, and ask for the daily provision or "our daily bread" (cf. Matt. 6:11).

We must confess that everything we possess is the blessing of God, even our work (cf. Eccl. 3:13); for what do we have that we didn't receive? (Cf. 1 Cor. 4:7). However, on occasion, we have not because we ask not (cf. James 4:2) and we must keep in mind the promise of Jesus that if we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all these things will be added unto us (cf. Matt. 6:33)--that means God as our first priority in His will for our lives. In God's economy, emptying comes before filling, poverty comes before riches and God cannot pour out His blessings into hands already full!  Most of all, He desires us to learn to be content with what we have--the poorest are those who think they are rich and need nothing, not realizing their need of God.

Finally, to wrap things up and see God in the equation, one of the last words of Jesus on the cross was to John that he behold his mother and to Mary to behold her son:  This means Jesus was concerned about the welfare of his mother to the very end and provided for her indirectly through John.  This is also the message of Jesus to us, viz.,  His name has no definitive predicate:  When He says I AM .... we can fill in the blank for whatever we need God to be, He is:  I AM that I AM that I AM that I AM that ... ad infinitum, i.e., He is the eternal IS-ing or being, not an eternal IS-ness or state of being.  In view of God's unlimited resources, we ought to put our requests into proper perspective.    Soli Deo Gloria!

In The Beginning...

Note that the Bible doesn't start out "once upon a time."  But we have to commence somewhere!  In the beginning what? That's the million dollar question!  My premise is that God is the genesis of everything that exists and He's the reason for everything, truly being above and beyond.   Athanasius said that "the only system of thought that Christ will fit into is the one where He is the starting point."  This makes sense because the humanist wants to begin with man as the measure of all things and explain everything from there, even explain away God--dethroning Him, exalting man, giving him the glory and robbing God of just worship.

The Bible begins with the phrase "In the beginning God" for a reason:  This is not just a way to begin the Bible or story of man, God and man's relationship with God, but the beginning of all logic and sense as we can know it.  The opening verse shows God taking the initiative in reaching out to man in creation, revelation, and salvation.  God has stepped into the time-space continuum and entered history on our behalf to rescue us!

You have to begin somewhere.  Imagine if there was no beginning!   What if everything was eternal and had always existed--scientists have disproved this, but wouldn't everything be perfect by now?  They say that matter cannot be destroyed or created but only transferred to other forms.  Someday scientists claim there will be a "heat death" of the cosmos when all usable energy is depleted., proving a beginning to the cosmos.   But the Bible says that God created everything out of nothing, ex nihilo in Latin. Humanists want to explain away God and remove Him from life's equation and they don't see Him and His place in the big picture--glory to man in the highest as man makes a name for himself and gives himself all the credit.

Time by definition is the corollary of space and matter and is relative, and if matter and space didn't exist, neither would time.  Time actually had a beginning at the Big Bang because that's when the cosmos began.  God pulled the trigger and started it all into motion and therefore is outside the time-space continuum.  He had no beginning and is, therefore, eternal and cannot have a cause, for He is not the effect of anyone or anything and needs no one for His existence, therefore being self-existent.  There are only three possibilities for the beginning scenario:  In the beginning God; in the beginning matter/energy; in the beginning nothing!  Matter in its natural state is chaotic and without form and must be organized, just as the Bible says:  "the earth was without form and void...."  We must have an intelligent input to get to organized life as we see it today--for we observe intelligence!

Don't jump to the conclusion that everything had a genesis; we cannot say that everything had a beginning because then there would be a time when there was nothing and the axiom goes:  ex nihilo, nihil fit in Latin or out of nothing, nothing comes!  We could have nothing today if everything had a beginning!  And so we conclude that God is that being that had no beginning and started the motion as the initiator.

The issue is whether mind precedes matter or matter precedes or is superior to mind.  The reason is that the logical order is thinker, thought, action, object or creation.  Matter or energy cannot create or organize itself for it is disorganized and needs the missing ingredient of intelligence to develop life and complexities.  How can matter/energy/quanta be self-conscious on its own?  Whence life forms?  What we see today is highly complex forms of matter which would've required an intelligent design or Designer or Intelligent Input. This is referred to as the argument from design.  Thought requires a thinker!  That's where the Bible comes in:  In the beginning, was the Word (Logos or expressed thought in Greek).   Mind did, therefore, precede matter and not vice versa!

Now God has revealed Himself in general revelation so that everyone is without excuse to know of His existence.  The Bible is not unhistorical, unscientific, irrational, unbelievable, incomprehensible, or unverifiable.  If you dehistoricize it you destroy and discredit, for it's the only Scripture-based in fact, truth, and history and has never been disproved in any way.   The resurrection, for instance, is a historical fact, and is the most attested fact in antiquity by various and multiple proofs:  Luke said many infallible proofs.  The point is that the Bible invites you to discover it for yourself and test to see if the Lord is good on your own.  The proof of the pudding is in the eating!   I don't have to prove the Bible, it proves itself, the skeptic can prove it by reading it with an open mind and willing spirit.

We don't commit intellectual suicide to believe in God's explanation of the beginning.  It's actually the inception of all coherent, rational thought.  In the final analysis, where you begin determines where you'll end up; taking God out of the equation only leads to chaos because cosmos minus logos or logic equals chaos or confusion!     Soli Deo Gloria!