Grounded in Biblical Ethics

Posted on Apr 8, 2020 in General | 446

Grounded in Biblical Ethics
 
The word “ethics” is a word that most of us know but may find hard to define. Simply speaking, ethics refers to the system of moral rules that we live and operate by. These rules are grounded in our belief about truth and the source of truth in our lives. For example, if a person believes the Bible to be the true Word of God, then they will allow that truth to shape the “ethics” or “rules” by which they operate in life. This will become clearer as we go along.
 
In our ongoing discussion surrounding the Great Commission I feel it is noteworthy to think about how these guiding ethics play a pivotal role in our mission to make disciples for Jesus. Now please understand I am not advocating that one’s ethical system be downgraded to a few simple points. Certainly, the conversation about ethics should be much more detailed. But there are a few points that Scripture emphasizes that enable us to live a type of life that promotes discipleship.
 
One of my favorite theologians is an old Free Will Baptist theologian by the name of Leroy Forlines. In his book Biblical Ethics Forlines highlights what he calls the four basic values (or ethical foundations) of the Christian life. He provides a very detailed explanation of these, but I will produce a more simplified and “devotional” version of these below and only speak of them in the context of our mission to make disciples. Also, I will only be analyzing three of the four that he mentions. These three basic ethical values are holiness, love, and wisdom.
 
Holiness
Holiness, in simple terms, means to be “set apart.” In Scripture, holiness involves separation from sin, conformity to righteousness, and dedication to God. But holiness is more than morality; holiness implies a personal relationship with God. This personal relationship is one where he is Lord and the believer is the servant. Holiness also embraces both godliness (reverential living before God) and righteousness (conformity to God’s moral standard). So being holy is something we cannot do without God. He is the one that sets us apart for himself. But at the same time holiness is something we engage in by choosing, as saved people, to conform our lives to God’s moral standards. A good passage of Scripture that explains this is 1 Peter 2:9-21 which states: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.”  
 
Notice in that passage that the Apostle Peter describes holiness as being set apart by God. But he also explains that because we have been set apart, we have the ability to choose holiness as a lifestyle so that the world will see the transforming power of Christ in us. He mentions things like our “conduct” among lost people, being honorable and treating others in a respectable way, obeying the law and the authorities in our lives, loving the church (other Christians), living according to the fear of the Lord, etc. Salvation should introduce godliness and righteousness into our lives in a way that transforms who we are. This progressive transformation will be noticed by others around us and serves as a form of testimony to the power of God’s saving grace.
 
When it comes to fulfilling the Great Commission, holiness is an essential component. If we as believers are not living a transformed life that reflects the power of God and the attributes of Christ, then how can the message we preach be received by an unbeliever as a message of truth and integrity? If you claim to be a Christian, yet are known as either a gossip, slanderer, boastful, arrogant, sexually immoral, hateful, or lying person, then you actually damage the church, your testimony, and the cause of Christ. This is why our lives should continually reflect progressive change. Such a life demonstrates that the power of God is continually changing who we are.
 
Love
It doesn’t take much reasoning to understand why love is an essential ethic of the Great Commission. In Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus taught that the greatest commandments were to (1) love God with all your heart, soul, and mind; and (2) love your neighbor as yourself. To love God more than anything, anyone, or yourself will be the greatest challenge of all. I believe genuine love for God is demonstrated in Jesus’ call to be his disciple. Jesus asserts, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). Genuine love is demonstrated more so when Jesus states, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple…So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26-27, 33). Love for God is demonstrated through obedience—especially when that obedience requires great sacrifice. When we make choices to obey Jesus, even though such choices may cause us pain, sacrifice, persecution, etc. we are demonstrating that we love God more than those things we risk losing.
 
But we are also commanded to love other people. We should continually work at loving other people with the same type of love the Jesus has demonstrated to us. As Christians we all know that we should be “Christ-like” thus, we should love like Christ loved. When it comes to the Great Commission, the ethic of love plays an essential role. First, it is one of the reasons why we “go” and “make disciples” (Matthew 28:19, 20). Having a love for lost people should be one of the motivating factors in why we seek to share the gospel with others. But secondly, love is the attitude for how we go and make disciples. Our love for others should translate into how we treat them and relate to them. We should continually work at showing ways to love others. Something the church has not always done a good job with is demonstrating love to the community without expecting anything in return. Have you ever known a person who went out of their way to be kind to you or love you, only to realize that the reason behind it was because they wanted something in return? Their reasons for “demonstrating love” were selfishly motivated. Unfortunately, the church has a tendency to do the same thing. Churches will do something positive to reach out to the community, but the primary reason behind it is so they can grow their numbers. But where is this found in Christ’s teaching? Where in the book of Acts do you see local churches loving others so they will numerically benefit? Well, you don’t see such things in the New Testament. We should continually, as individual Christians and a local church, seek out ways we can show love to our neighbors and community simply because Jesus has commanded us to. Of course, Jesus’ reason for commanding such things is ultimately so the unbelieving world will get a taste of God’s love. How will the world ever know God’s love if it is not demonstrated to them through his redeemed church?
 
But love is not always easy. In fact, Jesus makes a very uncultured and radical statement in Luke 6:27-28 when he declares, “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” Spend time reflecting on each of those phrases. No, seriously re-read that verse and reflect on each phrase. In every way a person could hurt us we are commanded to respond with love. The power to do this is found in the same power of God that redeems our soul. I believe one of the greatest tests of genuine faith is found right here. Does the person who claims they are of Christ, truly exhibit an attitude of Christ-like love toward their brothers and sisters in Christ, their enemies, and their neighbors? Is the person one who truly strives to forgive those who do them wrong? We as Christ’s church should endeavor to live out the love, mercy and grace that has been granted to us.
 
Wisdom
Forlines states, “Wisdom is the source of good, sound, judgement. Wisdom is sanctified common sense. Wisdom weighs matters carefully in the light of eternal values. Doctrinal, moral, and spiritual truth is translated into practical truth for real life situations. Wisdom does not live in a dream world. It does not spend its energies conceiving idealistic answers on how to cope with the situations of life. It finds answers that are workable in a world filled with harsh reality” (43-44). What Forlines is expounding on has to do with how we make choices. Wisdom is when we take biblical truth and allow it to shape how we make decisions.
 
But what does wisdom have to do with the Great Commission? Well, if wisdom is defined as allowing biblical truth to inform our practical decision making, then it logically follows that living with biblical wisdom is when we don’t just study the Scripture, we obey it. The Scriptures teach us that we should “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19, 20). Therefore, biblical wisdom is when we make life choices that correspond to this biblical conviction to go make disciples. Think about decisions such as career paths, jobs, how we spend our money (and what we often times go into debt for), how we utilize our time, who we choose to be best friends with, our hobbies, our commitments, etc. Now what if we strived to make all of these decisions within the context of this question: “What choice will help me be a better disciple for Jesus?” Or to even put it more pointedly: “What choice will help me do better at making disciples for Jesus?” Maybe instead of buying expensive homes and cars we should spend our money on ministries, charities, helping the poor, and showing love to our neighbors. Maybe instead of wasting so much time on television, games, and other multimedia venues, we should choose instead to invest our time studying God’s truth, praying, making disciples, reaching out to our brothers and sisters in Christ so we might be an encouragement to them, etc. What if the church stopped being so self-focused and started making every decision in light of the Great Commission? How much of a difference could we make in our own community? Maybe it’s time that God’s people stopped focusing on themselves, spending God’s money on themselves, and wasting God’s time on themselves. Biblical wisdom is when we allow the truths of Scripture to inform how we make decisions concerning all these things. Our goal should be to glorify God in all things by seeking to fulfill the Great Commission.
 
Concluding Thoughts
Holiness, love, and biblical wisdom are the guiding ethics of the Great Commission. These are also the guiding values which Scripture and the Holy Spirit produce in the life of a humble servant of Christ. Do these things define you? Are you engaging Scripture enough to allow its influence to mold the totality of who you are? We must continue to be discipleship-minded people. It is God’s will for our lives to bring him glory by being disciples who make disciples. My prayer is that you will be a disciple who brings God glory in all things.
 

God Bless!


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“I Am With You Always, To The End of The Age”

Posted on Mar 31, 2020 in General | 2071

“I Am With You Always, To The End of The Age”
 
The current events of our time have led me to think about many passages in Scripture that reference the end of time. I have always lamented preachers who take every bad event and start prophesying that the end is near. Much like Chicken Little cried out “the sky is falling!” so these fundamentalist preachers often cry out “The end is upon us!” or “The church will be raptured soon!” Although I believe we should all anticipate the Lord’s return, I have often thought that some Christians spend way too much time focusing upon the bad or negative events of our time and trying to predict the return of Lord. Instead, I believe we should follow the exhortation of Jesus on this matter when he responded to the disciples who asked a similar question: “He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:7, 8). Jesus’ final instructions to his disciples were to not focus on the times and events of the earth and be captive to them. Jesus wanted his disciples to simply trust the Lord with these matters and focus their attention on being his church in the midst of these events. The statement “being the church” is a very loaded statement that is packed full of implications. But the most concise conclusion is this: to be the church is to glorify God by fulfilling his Great Commission mandate. Being a disciple who makes disciples is what it means to “be the church” or to “be a Christian.”
 

A Blessed Promise

Acts 1:8 is Luke’s version of Matthew 28:19, 20. There is a phrase that Matthew records where Jesus promises to be with his disciples “to the end of the age.” This statement is one of the most precious promises of the Lord. If we will commit to following Jesus Christ by being a disciple who lives for the purpose of making disciples, then Jesus promises to empower us (Matthew 28:18; Acts 1:8a) to complete his mission. His presence will never leave us (Matthew 28:20b) no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in.
 

The Need for This Promise

Jesus gave us this blessed promise because he knew we would need it. Jesus spends a great deal of time in Matthew 13 and 24 informing the disciples that as time passes things will get more difficult for the church. Both natural evil and moral evil will abound, and the church will find it increasingly difficult to be a disciple of Christ. Jesus asserts, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:5-14). Jesus has warned us that tribulation in a variety of forms will come upon us. But in the midst of our suffering we are called to carry out the mission of verse 14: to proclaim the gospel of Christ’s kingdom throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations. This is why at the end of the book when Jesus reiterates his command in Matthew 28, he ends by saying “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Jesus has promised that his power and presence will be with the church until he returns and consummates his kingdom.
 
Jesus has promised to give us the means to carry out his will. These texts remind us that we cannot conquer the obstacles to discipleship on our own. We must remember that it’s God’s kingdom that is being proclaimed. God is working to bring everything in history to a point of final redemption when he will return in all his glory to destroy his enemies, establish a true and final justice, and usher in the eternal era of his glorious kingdom where we, along with the saints of old, will live forever. This will all be done in God’s timing. Our responsibility as Christians is to be his vessel that proclaims his gospel so that many will be saved. The obstacles are great, and we need the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome them. These texts remind us that when we surrender to the will of God he will work through our trials and suffering to spread the gospel and the boundaries of this spiritual kingdom, of which we are citizens.
 
There are many other passages of Scripture that go along with Christ’s exhortations in Matthew. Read these texts carefully. The Apostle Paul declares in Philippians 3:7-11 “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” Because Paul considered it such a privilege to be owned by Christ, he went on to declare “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained. Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved” (Philippians 3:12-4:1). What an awesome outlook on life this Apostle had!
 
But it’s not just peace in our circumstances that God offers. He also promises divine wisdom for facing all our circumstances as long we stay on mission. The Apostle James writes, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (James 1:2-8). When we go to God and ask for wisdom as we seek to obey the Great Commission, he has promised to give it abundantly. There are many obstacles to discipleship and Christian living, but God has promised divine wisdom. The God who is omniscient (all-knowing) has promised us the knowledge and wisdom we need to remain faithful to his will and continue forward in making disciples. Walking by faith is walking with an expectation that God will provide what we need to remain faithful.
 
Again, what a blessing we have as the adopted children of God! These passages, written decades after the events of Matthew 28 and Acts 1, are proof that God is faithful to his promise that he will be with his church to the end of the age. Brothers and sisters, God is faithful to you. Stay on mission for him.
 
Blessings!
 
 

The following link leads to a past sermon that compliments this article: https://www.ahoskiechurch.com/sermons-2/

Simply click on the link and select the sermon entitled: “To the End of The Age”

 


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Molded by Truth

Posted on Mar 22, 2020 in General | 452

Molded by Truth
 
It’s truly amazing how much things can change in such a short amount of time. The concept of “time” has been something I tend to think about quite frequently these days. Later this year I will be 27 years old. In my 27 years I have watched the world, specifically the country I live in, change in dramatic ways. I’m sure those of you reading this article who may be two or three times my age may laugh at my meditations on this issue. Many of those who will read this article will be able to reflect on even greater change that has occurred over the decades. But nothing in my experience has changed the entire world in such a short amount of time as the COVID-19 pandemic this year. So much global change has occurred that has impacted every person that lives in a first-world country. But I think something that has become of true concern is the way in which many Christians have reacted to this crisis. There is a usual sense of fear and panic that has spread throughout the world, and the church has not been left unaffected.
 
Now don’t get me wrong, I applaud much of what I have seen from churches over the past few weeks. Many churches have made great efforts in changing their worship times, limiting the amount of times they come together, and many have worked hard to live stream their services. Churches have not been rebellious against the requests of our government officials and many have tried to find some kind of balance that allows them to worship weekly yet still do their part in limiting the potential spread of COVID-19. Nevertheless, there is something that Christians need to pay careful attention to. It has to do with how our culture’s worldview is being shaped.
 
A person’s worldview is their system of beliefs that interprets reality and provides a framework for how one lives his or her life. This worldview is grounded in certain beliefs (i.e., the existence or non-existence of a personal God, moral absolutes, the definition of truth, etc.). Every human being, whether they are conscious of it or not, have beliefs about these things. Over time these beliefs can change, depending on what influences are at work telling the person what is “true” and what is “false.” For example, a disciple of Christ believes that the Bible is the inerrant and infallible Word of God. Consequently, that disciple lives a Christ-like lifestyle. Why? Because their belief about what is true leads to certain decisions and actions that reflect that belief. The Bible, being the Word of God, is the source of truth that a believer should build his or her life upon. Non-believers trust in other sources of “truth” that consequently lead them to other forms of lifestyle choices.
 
Let me provide a very specific example that illustrates the previous paragraph. A person who is truly saved and believes the Bible to be the Word of God will have a different opinion on sexual ethics than a person who is not saved and does not believe the Bible to be the Word of God (truth). A true Bible-believing Christian cannot hold to the view that pre-marital sex is morally acceptable. This is because a person who believes the Bible to be true, must consequently believe what the Bible says about sex (being only for the marriage covenant), to be true (true, meaning that it is true in all circumstances within the bounds of God’s creation). However, a person who rejects the Bible as being the source of God’s truth may have a different opinion about pre-marital sex since their moral beliefs are molded by a different source (i.e., pop culture, self, another religion, etc.). I say all of this to demonstrate that what a person believes is the source of truth determines what they believe is true (their worldview); what a person believes is true influences the choices they make and the life they live.
 
Now back to the main point of this article. I am growing increasingly wary of how the people in our culture (i.e., Western Europe and America) are being shaped by the media. People are allowing different media outlets to literally shape what they believe is true. Unfortunately, journalism in our country has become so politicized in the last decade that the various news media outlets could care less about the real truth, they only show a twisted version of truth. The result is that these different news media outlets show entirely different pictures of the world. For example, MSNBC will condemn and demonize everything the President of the United States says or does. He’s just an evil racist and bigot who has no moral center. Fox News will herald Trump as humanity’s latest and greatest savior who can do no wrong! Well, both of these cannot be true at the same time. Either one is right while the other is wrong, or, they both are wrong. But the people of our culture are no longer asking the questions necessary to discover the truth. We have allowed the media to control our information and mold what we believe and how we feel about particular events and particular people. This leads to sharply contrasting worldviews that are controlled by the media. The faithful viewers of MSNBC will begin to see the world the way MSNBC wants them to see it. The faithful viewers of Fox will see the world the way Fox wants them to see it.
 
This reveals to us the power of media. As a culture, we have allowed media to integrate itself into our lives and feed us particular views about morality, truth, religion, sex, marriage, ethics, philosophy, education, etc. Now, before I go further, I want to say something positive about media. Media is not evil. Media is a tool that has been created to transmit information. The problem is (1) how media is being used to transmit twisted versions of what is true; and (2) the fact that we have come to a place where people allow media to be their primary source truth. Whether its news media outlets, modern television sitcoms or the latest blockbuster movies, we Americans have allowed these cultural mediums to mold our basic beliefs about the world and influence what we believe is true.
 
There is no better illustration for what I am saying than the reaction of people to COVID-19. The media is intentionally instilling panic into people. Now, let me say this, I believe COVID-19 should be taken seriously. I believe people should limit their contact with others, I believe people who are elderly or have compromised immune systems should stay home as much as possible. However, this is only a small part of what the media is saying. The media wants you to panic about food shortages and toilet paper shortages. The media wants to you to worry and fear about the collapse of the global economy and the American markets. All of these issues are cause for minor concern, but the media is so powerful that it can get a person to live in fear and anxiety. Once anything or anyone can get a person to that point, they become the master of that person. The media has become the master of so many people’s minds, emotions, fears, daily routines, etc.
 
The intense fear and panic that has overtaken the American cultural scene reveals how powerful media has become. It can get people to believe whatever it wants. The worldview of our culture is being molded in an unhealthy way. But what I find most concerning is the power that media has had in the lives of many Christians. Christian people who are supposed to be trusting God are living in fear about something they cannot control. Now I may get ousted by modern American Baptists for saying this, but here it goes: Fox news should not be your daily dose of knowledge and truth. In fact, if you’re one of those Christians who find themselves staring into that television for multiple hours a day watching Fox, it’s probably time to turn it off for at least a week. You are a disciple of Jesus Christ and you need to guard what you allow into your mind and what mediums you allow to influence you. The apostle Paul stated in Philippians 4:8-9 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” These things that Paul said to fill our minds with come from the Word of God. In fact, each of those words/phrases represents an aspect of God’s character that he has revealed about himself through the pages of Scripture. Paul says to “think on these things.” These things must be what influence and shape our view of the world and reality. There are many Christian people out there that need to take a sabbatical from media —by media I mean Fox News, social media, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, okay you get the point. But you don’t just need to take a break from these things, you need to replace all that time with prayer and Bible study. If you can take every minute of the day that you spend engaging media and replace it with time in the Word or in private prayer time and meditation with God, how much stronger would your focus upon the Lord be? How much would your faith and devotion to God grow? I dare say you would even notice a difference within a week.
 
If you take that passage in Philippians I just quoted and look at the verses that also precede it you will read the following: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:4-9). Are you rejoicing in your current situation? Or, have you been robbed of that joy from the fear and control that media has asserted over you? Paul is saying that the path to peace and joy is found in the presence of God. Will you run to him continually in prayer, not to pray about selfish needs or desires, but just to praise Him? Will you take your eyes off the circumstances that are wreaking havoc upon our world and simply turn your eyes to the revelation of God in the Scriptures? Will you commit to filling your mind with God’s truth and meditating on how you can serve him more?
 
There are many other passages of Scripture that speak to this. Colossians 3:2 asserts, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” 2 Timothy 1:7 states, “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” Proverbs 9:10 avers, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” 1 Timothy 3:14-17 reminds us to “continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” Scripture should be our source of truth which molds how we view the world, including our current circumstances. Prayer is a gift that God has given which enables us to intimately open our minds and hearts to him. I exhort you, brothers and sisters in Christ, to guard what you allow to influence you mind and heart. As King Solomon declared, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him [God], and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5, 6).
 
Let the promise which God the Father gave to his servant Joshua ring true for you today: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:8, 9). The Spirit of the Lord will never forsake his people. Let us move on from this present day of trouble and be reminded that we are the servants of the Most High. He has called us to a mission to proclaim the coming of his Kingdom; and, he has promised to be with us “to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
 
God Bless!

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Reclaiming Culture for The Glory of God

Posted on Mar 20, 2020 in General | 549

Reclaiming Culture for The Glory of God
 

Introduction

The relationship between Christianity and culture has been presented in various ways over the centuries. An individual’s philosophy concerning this relationship impacts major aspects of their faith. These aspects include, but are not limited to, evangelism, discipleship, participation in the arts and sciences, the role of education, and the style of worship in church, etc. Also, how a Christian fulfills the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 will be impacted by one’s philosophy of cultural engagement. In Matthew 28:19 Jesus says to “Go.” The other accounts of this command, such as the one in Acts 1:8, echo a similar message. Christians take these passages and understand that there is a relationship the church should have with the culture. But the major question that arises concerns the nature of this relationship. What kind of relationship is it? Also, how does one’s theology (how a Christian views God and his attributes) impact this relationship?
 

Defining Terms

Before looking at the various proposed models of Christianity’s relationship to culture it is necessary to define the following terms/phrases: world, culture, and spirit of the age. These terms/phrases are used in a variety of ways and, consequently, require explanation for their usage in this article. “World” is often used in two different ways. This term can refer to the world at large, that is to say, a broad general reference to all people of the globe. This is the meaning in John 3:16 when Jesus declares “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…” An alternative way to use this word is to refer to a system of evil or Satan’s system of sin that opposes God. This is how the word is used throughout the entire New Testament book of 1 John. The former of these explanations (the world at large) is more proper for this discussion since the phrase “spirit of the age” is also used. The spirit of the age is utilized here to refer to the general consensus about what the people of the world consider truth to be and the result of living out those beliefs. The word culture has been defined in numerous ways by people from various worldviews. A general way to define it is as the environment that humankind builds upon the creation of God. This is comprised of human language, art, music, customs, values, beliefs, and ideas. Genesis 1:28 states “And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” Many Christian scholars take the phrase “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” as a command to go and make culture. Adam and Eve were not to just to build upon the creation and subdue it but were also to formulate civilization to the glory of God.
 

Three Possible Relationships

But since sin has come into the world and brought corruption, what is Christianity’s relationship to the world supposed to look like? J. Gresham Machen proposes three options: (1) Christianity is subordinate to culture; (2) Christianity seeks to destroy culture; and (3) Christianity is to consecrate culture. The first option is incompatible with biblical Christianity because it does away with objective norms. If Christianity becomes a social construct, then its truth claims will vary depending upon what culture it is a part of. This quickly devolves into theological relativism and strips the Bible of its authority. The special revelation of God in the Scriptures cannot be objective truth if the meaning of Christian truth is determined by cultural norms. The church becomes driven by the spirit of the age instead of the objective truth of God’s revelation. This position also strips objective meaning from aspects of creation and the human person. Christianity is unable to provide objective meaning to the human person, gender, sexuality, moral concepts, ethics, etc. when Scripture’s authority is disregarded. This position is very similar to the modern-day United Methodists who emphasize a type of “social gospel.” They do well in carrying out gospel ethics by helping the sick and feeding the poor, but they fail to emphasize the need for personal salvation from sin. More contemporary groups such as Jesus Culture, Elevation Church, Hillsong Church, and Bethel Church also have a similar view. These churches fail to understand that the gospel is not just about loving others and serving them, but about leading people into a personal faith in Jesus Christ so they can be miraculously transformed through the redemptive power of Christ. Most theologians who hold to such beliefs today are often considered liberal in their theological claims.
 
Machen’s second option is one where Christianity seeks to destroy culture. This is often the view that became known in the second half of the twentieth century as Fundamentalism. The culture is considered evil and so unredeemable that it should be completely avoided by Christianity. In a sense, Christianity has its own culture that has nothing to do with the cultures of the world. Machen illustrates that this position believes Christians should have nothing to do with high culture, such as the arts and sciences. This position is the extreme opposite of the first one. The consequences of such a position severely limit the church’s ability to evangelize or make disciples. As Albert M. Wolters asserts in Creation Regained the only thing considered sacred by these Christians is the church itself. The weakness of this position is that it fails to address the Cultural Mandate, resulting in the absence of truth in the various cultural sectors. This will naturally lead to the furthering of sin’s corruption of the culture and a more wicked spirit of the age. The advocates of this position may claim that a withdrawal of the church from the world’s culture results in a more sanctified church. But this argument fails due to the fact that the church is not only disobeying the Cultural Mandate in Genesis 1:28 but is also crippling its ability to fulfill the Great Commission. Many Christians who fell into this way of thinking tend to believe that being a Christian is about living a life of radical separation, not just from cultural trends, but from anything in the world as well. Many of the Christians have demonized things like going to the movies, women wearing pants, women wearing jewelry, Christians wanting to be artists, scientists, etc. These Christians have been taught to think that the only sacred vocations in life are pastors or missionaries. But this is a non-biblical way of thinking. These Christians fail to realize that following Christ is impossible when one withdraws from the culture. Jesus said to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow him. But this makes absolutely no sense if it is not within the context of going and engaging the whole world and the various cultures around us.
 
The final position Machen offers is for Christianity to consecrate culture. “Consecrate” means to sanctify or redeem. Machen champions the third option as being the most biblical, and he is correct. Christianity should not be subjected to cultural trends and norms, nor should it seek to destroy the arts and sciences. Instead, Machen avers that Christianity should seek to cultivate culture and consecrate the different cultural sectors to the service of God. Wolters agrees with this position by using the language of “structure” and “direction.” He states that although sin has “misdirected” or twisted the original “structure” of creation, Christianity should seek to engage creation and culture and “untwist” or “redirect” them to the glory and service of God. Paul echoes this sentiment in 1 Corinthians 10:31 when he asserts that “whether you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do all for the glory of God.” In a sense Christianity should seek to reclaim culture from the misdirection and corruption of sin. Reclaiming culture is not done by destroying it, but by influencing it with the truth.
 
Some strengths of this position appear obvious. The church is able to fulfill the Great Commission and evangelize when it is engaging people. Christians are able to fulfill the Cultural Mandate when they are engaging every sector of culture. This position allows Christianity to both create culture and influence culture with biblically grounded principles. The result of this leads to human flourishing because people’s lives are being influence by truth.
 
But theology plays an imperative role in this as well. A.W. Tozer once stated in The Knowledge of the Holy that “what comes to your mind when you think about God is the most important thing about you.” Tozer’s point is that how a person views God influences their entire worldview. Machen champions that Christians should consecrate culture, but this can only be done when Christians have a proper view of God. This begins with understanding his nature and attributes. God’s attributes are often characterized in two ways: communicable and incommunicable. The former refers to those attributes which human beings can experience and attain, at least in a finite way: love, wisdom, knowledge, etc. Incommunicable attributes refer to those attributes which God alone can have: eternality, infinity, sovereignty, omniscience, omnipotent, omnipresence, etc. These attributes are also connected to one another (i.e., God’s love is infinite and eternal). These are aspects of his nature. Christians can consecrate culture by loving their neighbor and also by producing art that emphasizes beauty. Christians can participate in sciences by operating from a worldview of truth that views nature as the creation of the omnipotent and omniscient God. A Christian can be a psychologist who is able not just to love people with the love of God who are dealing with depression, but also treat them with the sense of value that being made in God’s image affords them. This is possible because the Christian operates from God’s knowledge and wisdom. Educators are capable of making disciples not just by teaching the truth of the gospel, but by teaching every subject area from a biblical worldview. Educators who passionately teach and interact with their students within a biblical worldview framework are sowing the seeds of truth that will contribute to human flourishing in the next generation. This indicates why discipleship is imperative and why it is essential that the church not allow its convictions to be determined by the spirit of the age, but instead by the Word of God.
 

Conclusion

Machen’s third option for engaging culture is the most biblical. Christianity cannot abstain from culture nor should it try to destroy the culture around it. Christianity is founded upon the historical biblical claims of God’s revelation. Christians should seek to reclaim culture by living as a part of it with a biblical worldview. However, Christians should also never forget that they are called to fulfill the Great Commission. The more souls that are led to faith in Christ the more influence Christianity will have in consecrating the culture for the glory of God and the service of his kingdom.


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The Problem of Evil

Posted on Feb 25, 2020 in General | 464

The Problem of Evil
 
For the past several years I have grown as an academic seeking to eventually become a philosopher and theologian. In all of my studies there is one subject that has particularly captured my attention. This subject captures my attention not only as an academic, but as a person who has fallen victim many times to the never-ending onslaught of corruption, pain, and suffering that pierces through all mental and emotional barriers I may try to hide behind. The problem I am referring to is the problem of evil. Christian philosophers call it the “problem” of evil because evil is perhaps the hardest thing to truly reconcile with a biblical worldview of God. This has been the case for centuries. But the reason I am writing this blog post is not to discuss any logical or philosophical issue; I am writing this post because of the personal “problem” of evil that we all face.
 
Although I have only been trying to figure out this thing called “life” now for 26 years, I look back and marvel at how evil has wreaked havoc in my short life. I have learned much about evil through my vast exposure to historical readings, current events, etc. But nothing has taught me more about evil than evil itself. Evil impacts us in a variety of ways. From a biblical worldview we learn that evil is the reason for everything from discomfort to pain and suffering to death. The power and cunning nature of evil in this world is something that is so hard for me to fathom. In one moment, I find myself the victim of evil as I experience excruciating pain whether it be spiritual pain, emotional pain, physical pain, mental pain, or all of the above; however, while I find myself doing battle with evil’s unending onslaught of torture, I then find myself acting as evil’s agent. Perhaps, even being the cause of pain and suffering in the life of another. Evil uses me to do its bidding and then punishes me with guilt and suffering of my own. This conundrum I sometimes find myself in is overwhelming. The more I seek to control the evil in my life the more I find it is more cunning than I. The more I run from its pain and suffering the more I realize that it is rooted deep within my own heart and mind. The more I try and ignore it the more evil uses other people or the circumstances surrounding me to attack me. Evil in this world is relentless.
 
The Bible teaches us that there are three kinds of evil in the world: natural evil, moral evil, and supernatural evil. I want to look at each of these independently:
 
Natural Evil
 
This is when evil causes pain and suffering in our lives by utilizing natural processes that are usually out of our control. There is great pain that comes through natural evil. I have been acquainted with people who have either personally suffered, died, or had loved ones who died because of the natural evil in this life. There have been people killed or permanently disabled because of the injuries they sustained in violent storms or earthquakes. Many people have suffered with debilitating diseases. Others have been robbed of their sanity because of extreme mental illness. One consistent thing about evil, is that it plays no favorites and has no compassion. I think of small children who will never know the beauties and joys of life because they will eventually die of cancer at the age of 6 in St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. The continual incursion of natural evil into our personal lives brings pain and suffering of all kinds. Natural evil is usually blunt, confrontational, and straightforward. But its attacks can bring a lifetime of turmoil and fear.
 
Moral Evil
 
This form of evil is very personal, and it is the form of evil that we are all most familiar with. Moral evil is evil that is carried out by another “moral” agent. You and I are moral agents and, unfortunately, evil has corrupted our minds, our hearts, and our wills. Moral evil brings a new level of pain to our lives. This is because it is carried out by another person, often times a person that we know and have a relationship with. Of course, there are more impersonal forms of moral evil that we regularly hear about. Turn on the television and you will hear of mass shootings and terrorist attacks. Hitler and Stalin murdered millions without remorse. The September 11th terrorists carried out the murder of thousands all in name of a false god named Allah, who supposedly sees humanity as his slaves. These examples may upset us and sadden us, but they are not always as personal. But more times than not, moral evil comes from those people we know, and even those we love. The sinful choices of free moral persons have caused the destruction of marriages and families, caused strife and divisions, caused murders and suicides, broken hearts, split churches and have in many cases instilled a spirit of distrust, pain, and cynicism within a person’s heart for the rest of his or her life. I can look back in my own life and still feel the pain caused by those who betrayed my trust or injured me in some way. This type of pain hurts worse than most because it comes from other people. People make conscious choices that seem to be designed to satisfy their own ego, lust, or selfishness; but all of this is gained at the expense of other people’s emotions, heart, and love.
 
But this is not all. There are times in my life when I have wanted to cease my fight against evil. There have been times when I was left in total despair and wanted to just give up. Oh, not because of the pain and suffering that evil caused me through the lives of others, but because of the frightful realization that the very evil I grew to hate in the lives of others is in my own heart and soul. You see, I realized long ago that when I would be hurt by a person, a lust for revenge and an attitude of disdain would rise up within my heart. My mind, being driven by these emotions would only think in a narrow way. I would only think of that person in an evil light. I would define the person by their crime against me. My pride and selfishness were intensified because of the pain I experienced. Often times moral evil will hurt us and then use us to hurt another. But even then, evil is not done with us. The guilt that sets in after we realize how we have been used of evil brings a sense of worthlessness and depression to our emotions. The Bible tells us that guilt is woven into the nature of human beings because of sin. All people experience guilt. The two primary existential consequences of sin are death and guilt. This guilt is powerful, because even though evil is grounded into the depths of my soul and heart I cannot escape the fact that it cannot make me do anything. Every time I am used by evil to do its bidding, it is because I have chosen to allow it.
 
Moral evil is insidious, pervasive, invasive, and relentless. At times the pain and/or guilt that comes from its attacks seem unbearable. They leave us with little recourse, wisdom, or knowledge about how to respond. Either we don’t know how to respond to the pain when we are the victim, or we don’t know how to deal with the guilt when we find we are the problem. There are times I feel like the Psalmist in Psalm 88:3-6 who cries out “For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Hell. I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am a man who has no strength, like one set loose among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, like those whom you remember no more, for they are cut off from your hand. You have put me in the depths of the pit, in the regions dark and deep.”
 
Supernatural Evil
 
This is the final form of evil. It is also the one that is darker than any other and one that is the most difficult for us to comprehend. Supernatural evil refers to that evil that is perpetrated by Satan and his demonic forces. Many passages of Scripture reference this type of evil as the evil that governs over the other two. Paul states in Ephesians 6:11-12 “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” The Apostle Peter describes Satan as “a roaring lion, walking about, seeking whom he may devour.” In Revelation 12, Satan is described as the great red dragon who makes war against the saints of God. Spiritual warfare is real. Satan is going to attack you if you serve Christ. Every time you try and live for Christ, obey him more, love him more, live peaceably with others, serve his church, live a sanctified life, or trust in the blessings and Word of God, I promise he will attack you. Even after preaching about such things with confidence I find myself his target.
 
Satan will attack us in a variety of ways. Like in the Garden of Eden Satan may, with subtleness, tempt you with moral evil. He may appeal to you in a way that pleases your flesh. He wants you to sin against your God, and then he himself will torment you with guilt and accusations stronger than your conscience ever could. At other times, Satan will bring a direct confrontation. He stirs up strife and trouble either in your life or in lives of those you love. He will bring the fiery darts of emotional pain, depression, anxiety, hopelessness, despair, anger, vengeance, pride, selfishness, and unbelief. He will try and attack the very faith you have in God. His goal is to destroy you and any confidence you have in God, his goodness, and his trustworthiness. Satan and his forces of darkness are real actors who are the enemies of God. As Satan’s time grows shorter, he will only intensify his attacks upon God’s people. He seeks to cripple the church by attacking its leaders and those who walk closely with God.
 
This form of evil is so painful because Satan has the ability to put thoughts into our minds which will torment us. He will use the elements of the earth to entice us so he might get a chance to destroy us. He attacks us on so many different levels and from so many different approaches. Perhaps the reason why this form of evil is so personal is because Satan studies us. He knows who we are, and he knows what we fear. He uses this knowledge to customize his attacks. He will try to blind you from reality by continuing to distract you with the problems you face. He wants you to focus upon him and his trouble so much that the problem makes God seem like a distant echo. His goal is not merely the destruction of your peace, but of your soul.
 
The Solution to Evil
 
The solution to our “problem” of evil is found in Christ alone. This may sound cliché, and unfortunately, it is treated as such at times. Sometimes I find myself so overcome by guilt, sorrow, mental distraction, emotional confusion, and spiritual torment that I fail to put my trust in Christ. The great irony of my spiritual life is this: I trust Christ with the salvation of my soul and life after death but fail so often to trust him with the minor problems of this life. I believe he’ll take me to Heaven when I cross the chilling waters of death yet fail to trust him with the evil inclinations of my mind and the guilt of my heart. There are times I would swear I am a spiritual schizophrenic!
 
Christ is the solution to all the evil of my life. Now, what I am about to say may make you stop and think for a minute. But consider the following logic: evil can only exist because “good” exists. We know something is evil because we know that its opposite is good. Evil is understood by comparison. Consider light and darkness. We understand what darkness is because we know what light is. Evil and good work the same way. This means that for all the dark depths of evil, there is a “good.” In fact, there is a greater goodness because God is good, and he is infinite in his attributes, including goodness. Why is this important? Because it reminds me that no matter my sin, my pain and suffering, my mental frailties, emotional turmoil, and spiritual waywardness, my God’s infinite goodness, love, mercy, and grace surpass them all. The New Testament teaches us that if we trust in Jesus, then we are identified with him. God the Father does not see my wickedness when he looks at me. All he sees is the righteousness of Christ the Son which I am now identified with. As we are reminded in Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” This brings joy for me because I know that my own wickedness has been paid for. But also, because even the moral evil in other’s lives is redeemable. No amount of moral evil can stand against the redeeming work of Jesus Christ.
 
But it is not just moral evil that is doomed for defeat. Natural evil is temporary. All the pain and suffering that exists in this world will one day be gone! The Bible teaches us that there is a cosmic redemption that God is working to accomplish. He will one day consummate his kingdom and redeem all creation from the corruption of sin. The very end of the biblical narrative reveals the glories of this coming day (Revelation 21-22).
 
But finally, and most importantly, the devil has lost the war. He is defeated and his time is short. Revelation 12 and Revelation 20 emphasize the promise that Satan has been defeated and he will one day pay for all his crimes. He may torment you and I now, but the Lord will see to it that he will pay for every bit of evil that he dishes out toward us now. For all eternity, Satan will experience the wrath of Almighty God. The suffering and pain you and I currently experience will be handed back to Satan while we are standing, with no more tears, before the Lamb of Glory.
 
Evil is a part of my life, but I can sing the song of the redeemed. I don’t know what the readers of this blog post may be currently encountering. Perhaps you find yourself feeling crippled against the onslaught of attacks that evil has brought you. But take a step back and remember something: this is God’s world and his reality. You are a part of his good creation and he made you in his image for the purpose of bringing him glory through an intimate relationship with him. The evil of this world is bigger and more powerful than you will ever be. In fact, the evil of this world may be stronger than your faith. But it is not anywhere close to power of the infinite God. God has promised us grace for the battle. God has provided us with the ordinary means of grace: The Bible, prayer, the church, etc. He gave us these because he uses them as the means by-which he exercises grace. We are not alone and helpless in this world. Through this post I have made myself vulnerable by exposing my own battle with evil. But it is my hope that perhaps this exposure will demonstrate to someone else that they are not alone.
 
God bless you all!
 
 

The following link will go the “sermons” page of Ahoskie Church. Select the sermon titled “The Obstacles to Discipleship: Obstacle 2 – Spiritual Warfare” to hear a sermon about this topic.

https://www.ahoskiechurch.com/sermons-2/


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He Is There and He Has Spoken

Posted on Aug 13, 2019 in General | 396

8/13/19
 
One of my favorite Christian apologists is Francis Schaeffer. Many years ago he wrote a book called The God Who is There and another book called He Is There And He Is Not Silent. One of Schaeffer’s points in these books is that the greatest presupposition we Christians have in life is that there is an eternal, self-sufficient, and personal God who is there and that this God has spoken. What this means is that every single thing in reality belongs to God. God has a purpose and plan for everything in creation. Yet, because of sin we have a tendency to live and act as if there is no God or at least that he has not spoken concerning everything in our lives.
 
If God is there and he has spoken through his Word (the Bible), then you and I should use the Bible as our framework for how we interpret reality, truth, and the world around us. Think of the Bible as the lenses by which you and I can see clearly what the truth about the world, morality, God, us, etc. is. Nothing stands by itself outside of God’s reality. This means that everything is created by God and everything has a unique purpose and identity he has specifically designed for it to have. Sin influences humans to rebel. Instead of submitting to God’s plan human beings reject it and seek to be a god themselves. One of the greatest temptations of life will be selfishness. We simply want what we want. In fact, sometimes we pretend that the rules of reality are different. We set the parameters for God’s obedience. We begin our statements of belief (or the justification for our choices and actions) with phrases such as: “Well I believe…” or “In my opinion…” or “The way I see it…” Many times, we act as if we are the authority and that how we interpret or understand truth or reality is the way it is. But if you are truly saved then you have supposedly confessed Jesus Christ as Lord (Romans 10:9). This means that he alone should be Lord of your life. The title “Lord” in the New Testament means “master; overseer; owner.” Salvation is, in part, admitting and accepting the truth that Jesus Christ is Lord over reality and creation. It is also submitting to him and allowing him to be Lord over all areas of your life.
 
If the greatest presupposition we can have is that “God is there and he has spoken,” then what he has said should be what we submit our lives to. The Bible is God’s spoken Word to humanity. This means that the Bible has authority to speak into every situation we encounter. In fact, every decision we make whether it is about our finances, career, job, education, family, friends, church, etc. we must submit it all to the authority of God and his Word. Although the Bible may not speak directly to every situation you encounter it does provide a basis for how we live our lives despite the circumstances around us. Far too often Christian people allow their circumstances to dictate their lives.
 
As Christians we need to daily remind ourselves that God is there, and he has spoken. He has not revealed a book of religious jargon that we should learn to recite on Sunday or in times of spiritual worship. God has entered into human history and given us a real message in real human language that speaks to us where we are. He is not obscure or difficult to find and it does not take a religious or irrational experience in order to know him. As believers we are to submit to Christ as Lord and let him reign in our lives. We must learn to walk by faith and trust in his Word that he has revealed. Because God is infinite you will know him completely no matter how much Bible you may learn or memorize; but rest assured, that you can never know God apart from knowing what he has spoken.
 

Have a great week! God bless!


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Abba! Father!

Posted on Jul 29, 2019 in General | 400

July 29, 2019
 
Galatians 4:4-7 states, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”
 
I absolutely love this passage of Scripture. Last week in our Behold Your Godstudies there was a brief discussion over the incarnation of Christ (God becoming a man in the person of Christ). The incarnation of Jesus Christ is one of the most fundamental doctrines of Christianity. In fact, without it there is no Christianity. Entire books have been written concerning the implications of the incarnation; however, I want to briefly focus on just one of these implications this week: the adoption as children of God. The Apostle Paul tells us in the above passage that because Jesus Christ became a human being, and as such suffered and died, those who are redeemed are God’s children. This reflects the personal aspect of our relationship with Christ.
 
The Christian’s relationship to Jesus is often viewed as a King’s relationship to his servant, and rightfully so. Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! He is the sovereign creator of the universe. He reigns over his kingdom and he is worthy of all glory, honor, and praise! He is the redeemer who is holy, righteous, all-knowing, all-powerful, all-wise, omnipresent, immutable, and infinite in all things. He is the one and only true God. We should never have a diminished view of God. The implications of a diminished view of God will lead to a life of selfishness, disobedience, and apathy. But there is another aspect to our relationship with God. Although all of the above is true, God desires a personal and intimate relationship with those whom he has redeemed. This relationship is clearly illustrated in Galatians 4:4-7 as a relationship between a father and his children.
 
God has not only paid for your sins (redeemed you), but he has also elevated you to the status of an adopted child. If you are truly saved, then you are a real and authentic child of the King of Kings. Your identity is found in this relationship. God is your father now. But the Apostle Paul wants us to understand that God is not just holding the position of “Father.” He says that we can cry out “Abba! Father!” In the original Greek language this exclamation means “Oh, Daddy!” It is a personal phrase that a small child would use to refer to his or her father. It means that God desires to be intimately involved in your life. He wants to be your loving “daddy.” Because of this relationship God has sent the Holy Spirit to dwell with you. God is a father who loves you and will never forsake you. When you’re hurting in life or you’re feeling confused God is a father that has all wisdom and a Spirit that comforts. His truth and his Spirit have the power to heal the deepest wounds if we will trust him to do so.
 
But as a father he also leads and disciplines his children. Hebrews 12:5-11 states: And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the ones he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it (NIV). This passage of Scripture details the nature of how God disciplines the children he loves. He pushes us toward holiness. The fact that God disciplines us is an assurance of our salvation. God does not discipline those who are not his children. This discipline also reminds us that God loves us enough to continue to mold our lives after the image of Christ. Despite our struggles with sin he reaches into our lives, adopts us as his sons and daughters, and then begins to sanctify us. So, this discipline should not be viewed as a king who punishes a disobedient servant, but as a father who disciplines the child he loves. This form of discipline leads to a love and respect for our Heavenly Father.
 
There is one final note I would like to make. Experiencing such a relationship requires trust on your part. Many people have been hurt by others and as a result they have a hard time trusting God as a person. They believe the Bible and trust that what God says is true, but they have so many psychological “walls” around them that they deprive themselves of an intimate relationship with God. If such a person is truly saved, then God will not cease to work at breaking down these barriers in a person’s life. They will probably feel like they are living in heartache and hardship at times because of God’s discipline and the individual will probably fight God in the process. But to experience God intimately one must trust him. You must let God into every area of your life and trust that the change he brings is better than what you can be on your own. The more you resist God (live in unbelief) the more damage you do to your faith and your soul.
 
I implore you to trust God. Trust that he is not only the sovereign Lord, but also a daddy who loves you and wants to transform you into a person of holiness. Accept his discipline and allow him to mold you into a person who reflects his glory and honor. He loves you, and if you’re truly saved, he redeemed you. He has reached down into your depraved life and raised you up to be his adopted son or daughter. Praise God for his great love! Praise him from whom all blessings flow!
 

Have a great week! God Bless!


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The Place of Scripture

Posted on Jul 15, 2019 in General | 445

July 15, 2019
 
Over the past week I have been spending much time considering the place that God’s Word has in the lives of believers. Any evangelical Christian would claim that they believe the Bible to be the Word of God; however, I wonder how many of us truly believe that. Why do some Christians neglect the study of the Word of God? Why do they call themselves Christians, yet have no deep desire to seek the face of God through the Scriptures? I submit that it all has to do with one’s perception of God.
 
As A.W. Tozer once said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” What place does God have in your life? I believe that many Christians consider God to be more iconic and distant than personal and intimate. Certainly, God is sovereign and transcendent, but he has immanently and intimately offered himself to be known. He has revealed himself specifically through the person of Jesus Christ and through the Bible. But if this is true why would people who call themselves Christians ignore Bible study? Again, I believe this all has to do with our perception of God. I believe that Christians ignore God’s Word because in their hearts they do not truly view him as God and Lord. He is something other than what the Bible reveals him to be. Many people have a concept of God that they worship, but if they are honest with themselves, they do not truly know the God of the Bible. The Bible is not very important to them because knowing God is not that important. Some Christians only open their Bible’s when they want to feel comforted or when they’re scared. They treat God like he is their servant and they expect him to meet their needs and give them a good life. Their prayers are like those who James addresses in James 4:2-4 when he states, “You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” These people only prayed when they needed God to satisfy their selfish desires. Their view of God was a diminished one. They did not view him in his rightful place as the sovereign Lord whom they should submit their lives to.
 
The reason people do not engage the Word of God is because they do not consider God to be infinite, omnipotent, or intimate. If people don’t see God as infinite they may eventually reach a place where they think they know enough about God to get by. Why bother with studying the Bible if they have all the “important stuff”? These people fail to realize that God is infinite and cannot be fully known. Those who fail to see God as omnipotent may believe that he does not have the power to sustain them in life’s circumstances. This leads to a struggle in trusting God. Finally, others do not see God as intimate. They see God at a distance and fail to recognize his desire to be intimately involved in our lives. Without faithful study of the Word a person will never experience true spiritual intimacy with God.
 
A wrong view of God also leads to a wrong view of the Bible. People approach the Bible as if it is a book a rules or religious principles. But the Bible is a grand meta-narrative of God revealing himself. The Bible is not about us, it is about God. When we study the Bible with the attitude “What is in it for me?” or “How can the Bible help me today?” we have a misconception of Scripture. Eventually, many of these people give up Bible study because when they study it they don’t “feel” any different. They expect some life-altering truth to just grip them but then most of time they don’t get what they expected. This is because the Bible is not about them, it is about God. God is infinite in all things and he has revealed himself to us through the pages of Scripture so that we may know him. Without being faithful to the Bible there will be no intimate fellowship with God. You cannot know God by simply knowing facts about him. You cannot know God through any other means except through his revelation (the Bible). Your relationship with the Scriptures will mirror your relationship with Christ. He loves you and he wants you to know him and his love, but you have to consider him worthy enough of your heart’s desire. You must pursue him through his revelation if he is to reveal himself to you. Commit yourself to knowing him more today!
 

Have a good week. God Bless!


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Seeking The Face of God

Posted on Jun 24, 2019 in General | 431

In Psalm 27:8 the psalmist writes “When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ My heart said to You, ‘Your face, LORD, I will seek.’” Many times in Scripture the Lord commands us to either “seek his face,” pursue after knowledge of him, or follow him. The psalmist is giving us a picture of his response to the Lord. It reveals that the psalmist had an innate desire to submit himself to the call of God to pursue after him. One of the greatest temptations for the believer is to treat Christianity selfishly. What I mean here is that it can be easy for us to love or follow God because of the benefits it brings (e.g., escape from eternal Hell, strength in times of sorrow, power over evil, wisdom in times of need, etc.). Certainly, all these things are given to us by way of blessings when we are in union with Christ, but the psalmist isn’t focused on any of those earthly things. He is more concerned with knowing God as a person.
 
Here is an interesting question for the church: if we took away the pews, the nice facilities, the air conditioning/heating, the music, etc. would God’s Word still be enough for you to willfully gather together and worship? For the individual I would ask: if God took away your job, money, financial security, family, friends, home, car, possessions, etc. would God and his Word be enough for you? Could you still be satisfied with God? The verse above reveals that God wants us to desire him above all else. This is not just mere knowledge about God. God is a person and we are designed in his image for the purpose of being able to relate to him and know him.
 
There are two common mistakes people make when they try to know God more. The first mistake is to treat God like he is a doctrine instead of a person. Yes, we should study what the Bible says about God (that’s called theology). But this theology should tell us about the person. God is a person, like you are a person. He wants you to know him and pursue him (“seek his face”) on a relational level. He is not an object to be prized or used, he is a holy person who thinks, feels, values, and chooses. He is awesome and mighty, yet he is personal and intimate. The second common mistake is to treat God subjectively. What I mean here is that people create an image of who they think God should be and then they pursue after or worship that false idea of God. This is detrimental to one’s relationship with the true God. A quote from our devotional this week states, “In a race, running fast is a bad idea if you’re headed in the wrong direction.” Having an improper view of God will lead to drastic consequences in your sanctification, obedience, commitments, etc.
 
Finally, your view of God can be hindered by what I will call a cluttered heart. I will not address the sin issue in this particular blog post, but needless to say, living in unrepentant sin will also hinder your view of God. But by a cluttered heart I mean things that we love and invest our time and life into that become a distraction to our thinking about and pursuing after God. We all have fears, concerns, obligations, responsibilities, loves, goals, etc. that we set our hearts upon and we invest our daily time into. But how much of your daily time do you spend in fellowship with God? I think the struggle for most Christians is to not simply relegate God to a half-hour time frame each day. We have a tendency to give God a small amount of time a day, but then treat the rest of day is if it belongs to us. But fellowship with an omnipresent God means that we have communion with him throughout our day. Your daily life should submit to your relationship with God, not the other way around.
 
I encourage you to seek after God. He has invited you to know him and have fellowship with him. If you find God is boring or unappealing you might try changing your perspective on who God is because the true and living God is anything but boring and dull. Seek his face and know him. As Jesus promised, “Seek and you will find, ask and it shall be given to you, knock and it shall be opened to you.” God has not hidden himself; he wants to be found and known.
 

Have a blessed week!


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Pure Worship

Posted on Jun 17, 2019 in General | 449

John 4 contains one of the most famous accounts in the gospels—Jesus’ confrontation with the Samaritan woman at the well. One of the issues that stands out to me is Jesus’ brief discussion of worship in verses 23 and 24: But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.The woman asked Jesus about the physical place of worship. The Samaritans and the Jews had been feuding for years regarding the proper place to worship. Jesus sets the record straight by demonstrating that worship of God is not restricted to a place. This has significant consequences for how we understand worship.
 
Jesus asserts that the physical location of worship is irrelevant. Worship is not restricted to a temple, synagogue, church building, alter, closet, etc. Even today some people believe that by being in one of these places they are somehow “closer” to God or that their worship is more genuine. But Jesus states that those who worship him must do so in “spirit.” Worship is a matter of our being, not our location. Now as a side note, I am not stating that getting alone in a quiet place with God each day is wrong. In fact, I strongly encourage people to find a place each day that will be free of distractions where they can focus their mind and heart upon the Lord. But this in no way should make us believe that physical location promotes or inhibits worship of God. The only thing that restricts a believer’s attempted worship is their own sin and heart.
 
This being said, what exactly does Jesus say about worship? He says we must worship God in spirit and in truth. Jesus explains that God is a Spirit, therefore we must worship him in spirit. By spirit, Jesus means our soul which is in reference to our entire being. Jesus is referencing the total person here: the mind, heart, and will. Worship of God is not seated in the realm of emotion, nor is it relegated to a mere mental exercise. Worship involves my rational mind, the emotions and values of my heart, and my conscience decision making. When I worship God my mind in engaged. My mind is focused upon God, not myself. As a Pastor I am often approached by people asking if I could recommend a devotional study or something similar. The problem with most of today’s Christian literature is that it does not magnify the greatness of God in the mind. Most Christian literature today is nearly identical to secular self-help books with a Bible verse thrown in. God has called us to worship him and this begins with the mind as we focus upon who he is. The only way this can be accomplished is when we engage the Scriptures.
 
Our hearts are also involved. The heart is the seat of emotion and the place of value. You and I place a certain level of value on everything and everyone in our lives. This level of value influences our relationship with that person or thing. So how much do you value God? Too many Christians view God as the tool to get them out of Hell but fail to view him as a person. When we fail to place God at the center of our hearts, as the one of highest value, we cannot worship him properly. For if anything else holds a higher value than God you will give worship to something else other than God. Where does God rank in your life. Is God the one who determines the course of your life? Or are you driven by loves, passions, desires, and goals that side-step God’s will?
 
The will brings both the mind and heart together. What we know and what we value informs our decision-making. God did not design you like a robot. He did not preprogram you to worship him at his command. Instead, God made you a person, like himself. He wants you to know him and desire him so that you will make the free and conscious choice to choose to worship him. How many times do you choose to put things before God? How many times do you choose to neglect God’s Word and time in prayer? Maybe you struggle with surrendering time to God. If so, these choices are because of the other desires within your heart that war for significance over God. At times, this stems from not truly knowing the God of the Bible. Some people think they know God, but really all they understand is a figment or image of God that has been given to them.
 
We must worship God with our whole person (our spirit). But Jesus also says we must worship him in truth. This means our worship must be properly informed. Unless we have accurate knowledge of the God we worship, we cannot worship in truth. Those who wish to worship biblically must worship God as he is revealed in Scripture. Unbiblical views of God must be rejected. Many Christians choose their church, their participation at church, amount of time with God, engagement of the Scriptures, standards of morality, the way they dress, etc. based solely upon their feelings and preferences. It is becoming increasingly rare for people to actually want to demonstrate God’s holiness, purity, and majesty in every area of their lives. In large part, this is because people simply don’t know the God of the Bible. Jesus is telling the Samaritan woman that worship of God is impossible if it is misinformed. This is why it is imperative for Christians to know their God personally. To know about him, and to know him.
 
God’s Word should influence everything in our lives. Christians need to start allowing Scripture to shape how we see the world and how we live our lives. But more importantly, the Bible should be the agent we allow to guide our worship. Churches should sing songs that are rooted in Scripture and magnify the person and attributes of God. Sermons should be rooted in biblical theology. Ministry should demonstrate the practice of our theological beliefs. Individually, Christians should seek to live by faithful and loving obedience unto God. For as Romans 12:1, 2 states: I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Let your life be defined by your worship of God. Get to know the God who loves you and choose today to allow his truth to guide you into worship of him.
 

God bless!


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Becoming the Sheep

Posted on Jun 3, 2019 in General | 416

When speaking about human desire the ancient church father Augustine stated:
 
“Though is it always better to do right than wrong, one is not oneself right in doing what is right unless one delights in the right one chooses. A wolf may do the right thing (from a sheep’s perspective) when, frightened by the barks of dogs and shouts of shepherds, it leaves the sheep in peace. But it remains a wolf with a wolfish appetite. What the wolf needs (from the sheep’s perspective) is to become a sheep. So, too, with us. Fear of burning in Hell may drive us to do the right – and better that than sinning. But we are only the people we ought to be when our actions are driven by love for the good, and we loathe sin no less than the flames of [Hell].”
 
You might have to read that quote a couple of times to understand what Augustine’s saying, so I encourage you to do so. Every time I read this quote, I am reminded of how many times I hear people talk about doing right because they don’t want to go to Hell. But as Augustine demonstrates, the fear of Hell is not a life-changing reason to obey God. Just as the wolf may do what is right (from the sheep’s perspective) when he runs away from the shepherd, he is still a wolf. The truth of the matter is that the fear of Hell will not change the nature of a person. True, Hell is a punishment that any sane human being would want to avoid, but Augustine is asserting that fear of Hell will actually not change the heart of person. That fear may change the behavior of a person, but it does not transform who they are.
 
Too many Christians view the goal of salvation as getting out of Hell. They have the attitude that they will only do what is necessary to go to Heaven, but nothing extra. These people typically do not make good servants for the Kingdom. In a way, they have failed to recognize that the purpose of salvation is to be reconciled to God. Sin separated humankind from God; however, because of God’s great love for us he sent his only Son to die a sinner’s death in our place (John 3:16; Romans 5:8). This reconciliation affects our entire being (including our desires). A person who is truly saved (who has been reconciled to God) has been completely transformed. This transformation is not mere outward conformity to a few Christian ideals, but is instead a radical transformation of me as an individual (Romans 12:1, 2). Part of this transformation occurs at the moment of salvation, but much of this transformation is an ongoing process carried out by the Holy Spirit.
 
As a pastor, there are days when my heart is heavy for certain people who claim to be Christians yet have no desire to sacrifice for Christ. I grow concerned for them because I am forced to wonder about the state of their salvation. Sometimes I can see the inward turmoil they face as they themselves wrestle with the thoughts of doubt and feelings of regret. But the way to conquer this is by trusting, sacrificing, and obeying. If God is going to transform who I am then I must be willing to sacrifice who I am (Romans 12:1, 2). So, the question you must ask yourself is “Have I been transformed by Christ?” I am not asking whether you have adopted parts of the Christian lifestyle. What I am asking is have you actually become the sheep? If you have, then it will reflect in the desires of your heart. You will desire God, his Word, and his church. You will have the desire to love, trust, and obey the Lord (even if it requires sacrifice). I am not saying that you will always be perfect in this. Certainly we all have selfish moments and make choices to disobey our Lord. But we should be ever-changing to be more like Christ.
 
True salvation is about being reconciled to God. This means that God is working in my life to cleanse the sin and selfishness that try and dominate my heart. I am so thankful for his marvelous grace that freed me from the bonds of sin and death. That grace is still present in my life today as he continues to work on me and change who I am, how I think, what I believe, and what I desire. Although I don’t fully comprehend why he loves me so, I will trust him with my heart and my desires. I have peace knowing that he works in me for my benefit.
 

God Bless!


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Fulfilling the Great Commandment – Part 2

Posted on May 20, 2019 in General | 379

Last week we explored the first of the two great commandments of Jesus Christ – to love God above everything else. This week we analyze the second commandment – to love our neighbor as ourselves. These commandments can be found in Matthew 22:37-39. The first thing to note is the logical necessity these two commandments share. They are logically dependent upon each other. In other words, you cannot obey one without obeying the other. In fact, 1 John 4:20 asserts, “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen” (ESV). So, if a person holds bitterness in his or her heart or has an unforgiving spirit it is impossible for that person to love God first. If a person refuses to forgive another person, it reveals that they do not love God enough to obey His command to forgive. There is a logical order: God first, others second, but both are required for each one to be fulfilled.
 
But how does the Bible teach us to love others? We have already discussed the area of forgiveness. But this is an area that is imperative to a Christian’s spiritual integrity and their witness. Colossians 3:12-14 states, “Put on then…compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (ESV). Love makes godly relationships and the church possible. We are commanded to love others to the point of forgiving them for their wrong doing toward us. It is highly possible that you may have people in this life who will hurt you deeply, even Christian people. It is imperative that we live in obedience to God and reflect His compassion and love even toward those who do not return that love.
 
To further this point, Jesus said in Matthew 5:44 “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (KJV). Think about each phrase of that verse. (1) Love your enemies—those who hate you and afflict you. (2) Bless them that curse you. In other words, do not gossip, slander, or use your words in any unloving way toward those who use their words to harm you. (3) Do good to them that hate you. We are commanded to lovingly carry out acts of kindness to those who hate us. (4) Pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you. Prayer not only moves the hand of God in the life of the person you are praying for, but prayer also helps you to retain a loving spirit and disposition toward those whom you find it difficult to love.
 
But obeying the second Great Commandment goes far beyond forgiving others. The verses from Colossians 3 that I quoted above come from a text that is talking about God’s will concerning the relationships of the church. If you are saved then God has commanded you to intentionally make yourself a part of a church community (i.e., a local church). This means that you and I are commanded to be more than just attendees at a worship service. We are brothers and sisters in Christ who are bound together by the love of God which is reflected in our lives toward one another. Some people may take issue with what I’ve said, but this is the teaching of the New Testament. It amazes me how in almost every church there are supposedly Christian people who, although they attend church, are not really part of the church. They never build relationships with those in the church and they never really becoming part of the local church family. The reasoning for this may be anything from trust issues to apathy, but the reasoning is irrelevant. Jesus has commanded us to be bound together by love, trust, peace, and forgiveness. If you have trouble with this, then it is God you should turn to. He took your sin upon himself and redeemed your soul. But in saving you He also made you a member of the church. It is impossible to live in obedience to God apart from following the two Great Commandments, and you cannot obey these commandments by socially, emotionally, or physically removing yourself from the fellowship of God’s people (the church).
 
As a final note, by making the choice to love others we are making the choice to be sanctified by the Holy Spirit of God. We cannot naturally love others as God has commanded us. But when we strive to obey the Lord in this matter He will work to sanctify (make holy) our hearts. In essence, the Lord will teach you how to love, but you have to be willing to open your heart up to other believers and allow the Lord to work. Many will retreat from this difficult task, but to do so is to live in disobedience to both commands. Last week I mentioned that the etymology of the word “love” is always a verb in the Greek language, not a noun. This means that God is not commanding us to have something (i.e., a feeling or emotion), but instead is calling us to action. True love is completely self-less and focused outward. In Scripture the concept of love is not a single action. Love is always presented as requiring two separate, but simultaneous actions: sacrifice and commitment. Love usually, even if in a small way, requires that I sacrifice something (i.e., desires, time, money, priority, self-interests, needs, etc.) for the sake of being able to commit myself to fulfilling these things for someone else.
 

How can you obey the two Great Commandments this week? How can you demonstrate your love for God and others? My challenge to you is to demonstrate this love to someone in your life who is usually “unlovable.” Jesus said in Luke 6:32-33 “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same” (ESV). Or maybe you need to work on building godly relationships with those in your church and seek to truly become a part of the family that God has placed you in. These commands are not as easy to obey as some may think. But with God’s grace you can allow these commands from God to become an integral part of your life. God loves you and wants to teach you how to love others. This is fundamental for the Christian and for the Kingdom of God.  

Have a great week!

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Fulfilling the Great Commandment

Posted on May 13, 2019 in General | 384

One of the most foundational concepts of the gospel is the concept of love. Almost every believer can quote the great commandment of Jesus Christ: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind…you shall love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37, 39 ESV). Loving God and loving others are two of the most essential fruits of being Christian. What I mean by this is that once a person is truly saved one of the first things the Holy Spirit begins to do is teach that person how to truly love. The object of the Christian’s love is two-fold: God and others. This means that true believers will continually learn and change to give up more of their own desires for the sake of demonstrating their love for Christ and others.
 
The etymology of the word “love” is always a verb in the Greek language, not a noun. This means that God is not commanding us to have something (i.e., a feeling or emotion), but instead is calling us to action. True love is completely self-less and focused outward. In Scripture the concept of love is not a single action. Love is always presented as requiring two separate, but simultaneous actions: sacrifice and commitment. Love usually, even if in a small way, requires that I sacrifice something (i.e., desires, time, money, priority, self-interests, needs, etc.) for the sake of being able to commit myself to fulfilling these things for someone else.
 
To love God more than anything or anyone then, means every person, priority, object and project in our lives must be subjected to our obedience to the will of God and the commands of Christ. After all, Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). In Scripture God proclaims himself to be a jealous God, meaning he will not settle for anything less than all of your love. He wants to be the greatest desire of your heart. He wants to be the object of your greatest love. In fact, this is what you and I were designed for, but because our hearts are corrupted by sin, we tend to love the objects and people in this world more than God. You may still love God, but the battle is not usually about loving God, it’s about loving God at the expense of other things. Remember the following: If you are going to love God as he has commanded, then you will have to surrender your heart’s desires to make it happen.
 
Let’s think about some practical examples of this. Loving God with my whole heart means that I will have to surrender part of my day to communion with him. Scripture is adamant that in order to walk with God one must daily immerse themselves in the study of Scripture and spend adequate time in prayer. Scripture and prayer are the essential elements of worship and therefore, are the primary means by which God works in your life. Loving God means that you will have to stop trying to fit this time into the leftovers of your daily schedule and instead will have to sacrifice something daily. Most of us probably burn hours a week scrolling through Facebook, Pinterest, etc., but only a few minutes a week engaging the Word of God. In fact, many believers are guilty of only opening their Bible’s when they’re at church. They have no intimate relationship with the Word of God.
 
Another practical example, and probably the most painful, is giving up things and relationships for sake of Christ. Hebrews 12:1 commands us to “…lay aside every weight…” It commands this in the context of getting rid of those things that prevent us from serving Christ with all of our being. You will discover that there are things in your life that are not healthy for your relationship with God. Some of these things are sin, but many of them are not. It may be time to delete the Facebook or Pinterest app, sacrifice entertainment mediums such as television, video games, sacrifice sleep by getting up earlier, etc. and then invest more time and more of your heart to be a better servant of the Lord. Maybe you need to spend more time in the Word, or maybe you need to spend more time investing in the relationship with your spouse or children. It could be you need to do a better job of serving God through your church or engaging in evangelistic efforts. But this will only happen when you choose to endure the pain of sacrifice and commit your way unto the Lord.
 
As a final word of exhortation, what I have proposed above is straight from the Bible (i.e., God himself). For the believer this is not negotiable. The greatest command is to love God will ALL of your heart, ALL your soul (being), and ALL your mind. The peace and rest that are found in Christ will only come to you when you commit to loving God above everything and everyone else. It has been my observation that people who have a displaced love for God are usually more miserable and insecure. I believe this to be because they cannot protect and control the objects of their greatest love. For example, if a parent loves their child more than God himself, then that parent must bear the responsibility of controlling every situation to secure the life, health, and prosperity of the child and then make the child be exactly how the parent needs them to be. But since this is impossible, and since the parent cannot control life’s situations, they consistently live in fear and insecurity. If the parent would learn to love and trust God (who is all-knowing, all-powerful, all-wise, and all-good) then they themselves would be able to accept the peace that God offers. This application can be made to a variety of situations. The point is that for us to be able to experience the joys of love in our earthly relationships, we must put them in their proper place—in subjection to our love for God and our obedience to him.
 

Next week we will look at the second half of the great commandment—to love our neighbor as ourselves. Have a great week and God bless!


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Delighting in The Lord

Posted on May 6, 2019 in General | 402

Psalm 37:3-5 states, Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.
 
There are some wonderful promises the Word of God gives here. In verse 3, we are encouraged to trust in the Lord and befriend faithfulness (live by faith). Almost every person who calls them self a Christian will claim that they trust in the Lord. But I’ve noticed there are many believers who fail to understand the nature of “trust.” Allowing my life to be defined by a faith or trust in God means that I am trusting that God’s will for my life is better than fulfilling the desires of my own heart. More on this in a moment.
 
Verse 4 exhorts us to delight…in the Lord. To many people treat prayer, Scripture reading, and church attendance as a religious exercise. As a result, they view these things more as a chore than a delight.  The reason so many people cannot delight in the Lord is because they have allowed their lives to be filled with things that draw away their attention and love. But it is imperative to remember that you cannot trust the Lord without regularly communing with him through his Word and prayer. We must want God enough that we are willing to sacrifice time, energy, sleep, hobbies, etc. for fellowship with him. If we will learn to delight in the Lord, he has promised to give us the desires of our hearts. This is because our desire will be him! The Lord is promising that if you will desire and pursue after his truth and his fellowship, then he will give you those things.
 
I am concerned for the souls of many who profess to be Christian yet never seem to delight in God. How can one know and love God and yet have no desire to spend time with him? Too many Christians rob themselves of the joys and blessings that come from knowing God intimately by replacing fellowship with God with the business of their day. Such actions come from a heart that does not delight in God.
 
The desires of a Christian’s heart will be revealed in their commitments to God. Do we commit ourselves to God on God’s terms? Or do we try and decide for ourselves what the Christian life should be? Verse 5 instructs, commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. Are you committed to knowing, trusting, and obeying the Lord? Jesus has already told you what his will for your life is: to be a disciple (Luke 14:25-27, 33) and make disciples (Matthew 28:19, 20). This is the heartbeat of the Christian life. How are you obeying the will of God in your life? Is this even a desire of your heart? To desire God is to desire his will. This desire will lead to obedience and you will see the Lord working in your life to advance his kingdom upon the earth.
 

It is a wonderful blessing to live in the will of God and be able to delight in him. What is God to you? Is he the desire of your heart, or is he simply a religious idea? Do you desire to serve God, or has your heart of desire been robbed by the carnal things of life? I encourage you to seek after a heart for God and learn to delight in him. Commit your way to the Lord and trust him. If you will do this, then I can assure you that he will bring a sense of fulfillment and joy to your life as he works through you to advance his kingdom mission.  

God Bless!

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Searching For Wisdom

Posted on Apr 29, 2019 in General | 382

James 2:2-8 states, count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways (ESV).
 
I find peace in life because of this passage of Scripture. Do you ever find yourself at a point in life when you just don’t know what to do? Sometimes life deals us a situation where we feel like we have no good options. Other times we find ourselves dealing with problems or sufferings that we can’t resolve. If you’re like me, then you’re always trying to resolve your problems as quickly and efficiently as humanly possible. However, there are moments when no amount of human wisdom seems to be adequate enough to give us peace about a solution. In this passage of Scripture, James connects with his readers in verse two by highlighting the “trials of various kinds” that we all experience. James provides us with some very helpful insights about dealing with things that trouble us.
 
  1. You can have joy in the midst of the trial. If you’re a disciple of Jesus Christ, the reason you can have joy during the trials of life is because God providentially uses these trials to strengthen your faith. Notice how James states, “the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” Although the trial may, for a time, cause you stress, anxiety, or even fear, you can find peace in the person and work of God. He has promised to not let your trials, pain, and suffering be in vain. He can use these things to strengthen your faith in him. James encourages his readers to find joy in this promise.
 
  1. God Uses Trials to Sanctify Us. Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives to change us to become more holy. Notice how the text reads “and let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” You can find joy in knowing that God is working in your life, even through the difficulties and struggles, to mold you into the person he desires you to be—a person who can reflect his majesty and glory.
 
  1. God Provides Divine Wisdom. When dealing with these trials, our natural way of resolving the issues is to seek for a natural solution that is rooted in human wisdom. Depending on the situation, some people reach out to friends, parents, close relatives, or even Google to help find wisdom that will provide clarity to their struggle. While all of these avenues can provide a plethora of human wisdom, many times these same avenues will fail. However, God has promised that if his children will simply trust in him and ask for his divine wisdom, then he will provide it. He is the omniscient (all-knowing) God, but despite our belief in this fact we may still struggle with trusting God to give us his wisdom. The reason this is difficult is because many times God gives us wisdom not so we can solve our problem independently of him, but so he can work in our lives to sanctify us and strengthen our faith. We go to God asking for wisdom because we want the knowledge to solve our own problems. God on the other hand wants us to trust in his solution as he desires to work through our trials in a way that will glorify himself through our sanctification. God has promised to give his wisdom “generously,” but only if we ask “in faith.” This faith is a trust in God’s wisdom that requires us to be patient and allows him to work in our lives.
 
I don’t know what you may be struggling with today, but I do know the omniscient and omnipotent God who loves you despite the struggles of life you encounter. A failure to trust in the wisdom of God will only lead to a life that is like “a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” If you don’t learn to trust in God and wait patiently for his wisdom, then you will be controlled by the circumstances and people of your life. You will feel like a wave of the sea that is tossed around uncontrollably by the winds of life. Perhaps it’s time to begin spending more time in prayer than in conversation with others as we seek wisdom for our trials and struggles. How much time you spend in quality prayer about your situation will reveal to you how much faith/trust you really have in God as you pursue after wisdom.
 
The trial you face is important to God. Trust in him and pursue his wisdom so that you can have joy knowing God is in control.
 

God Bless!


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Grieving For One Another

Posted on Apr 15, 2019 in General | 368

As I sit here it’s currently 2 a.m. on a Monday morning. It’s one of those sleepless nights where my mind will not stop. Perhaps you can relate. I have these nights from time to time; although I must admit that the last couple of weeks have had more than a fair share of sleepless nights. My sleepless nights are always for the same reason—people. As a pastor my heart’s desire is to help people find God’s will for their lives. Over the years I have discovered the joy of being used by God to minister to others in a way that helps them discover God’s will in the various situations of their lives. But although this task God has called me to has its moments of joy, it also brings nights like this one. My heart grieves for those Christians who live in apathy and give no indication that they care about God’s will, their church, or living to glorify God. If some people were to read this they would probably say, “who cares how others live their lives” or “their spiritual life is not my problem.” But as a Christian I cannot have this mindset. As a disciple of Christ, I have fallen in love with my brothers and sisters of the faith. When I see people who claim to be Christians yet they refuse to forsake everything for our Lord, or I see people who drag themselves to church on Sunday morning but are not living as true disciples of Jesus Christ, my heart is deeply grieved. I grieve because someone I love is living outside the will of our Heavenly Father.
 
If you are a believer and have no idea what I’m talking about (a.k.a. you’ve never grieved for the soul of another), then you are not obeying the Lord’s Great Commission to make disciples (Matthew 28:19, 20). Making disciples requires you to love others. It is a sad tragedy that many Christians will live out their lives upon this earth and never experience the joy and divine blessings that come from being used by God to influence others to follow Christ and discover his will. This is not something you can do on your own terms. Jesus said, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple…So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26-27, 33). Have you come to a place where you truly grieve for your wayward brothers and sisters in Christ? Do you grieve for the lost souls of this world? If not, then I dare say you will never obey Christ’s command to make disciples.
 
How does one come to a place where they do love others so much that they grieve over a concern for their soul?
 
  • Pray for Them. I don’t mean a short, quick, and thoughtless prayer. I encourage you to spend many hours a week praying for people. If you truly believe that God’s Word is true and that He answers prayers, then one of the greatest ways to practice love is to regularly pray for others. Prayer not only reaches the throne room of God, it also changes your heart and causes you to grow in your love for others.
 
  • Show Them Kindness. I don’t mean to just be nice to them. You need to intentionally go out of your way to show them kindness. Offer them the chance to feel the love of God through you. Even if they reject it, do not ever stop showing them love through kindness.
 
  • Confront Them. This is absolutely the hardest thing I have to do. When a person claims to be a Christian, yet they are not living in the will of God, they need to be confronted. Part of making disciples is being a church member that loves his/her brothers and sisters enough to confront them about their sin or their apathy. The only way to defeat the fear of confronting others is to love them more than yourself. Believe me, I know it’s not easy. But I am also aware that it’s better to confront a brother or sister in Christ, than it is to let them fall into a lifestyle of sin.
 

Who is it in your life that needs you to care about their soul? It could be your spouse, child, grandchild, mother, father, brother, sister, fellow church member, co-worker, etc. Will you love them enough to pray for them and confront them? Will you obey the Lord’s command to be a disciple-maker? I must warn you that loving someone this much will cause you grief. Often times you find yourself facing a situation where you don’t want to admit that those you love are not living in the will of God. But even as I sit here grieving for those I love, I find peace knowing God is using this grief in my life to push me to be the disciple-maker he has called me to be. I also find peace in knowing that my Lord, Jesus Christ, will empower me to obey him if I will simply trust in him.


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For Me to Live is Christ

Posted on Apr 8, 2019 in General | 378

In Philippians 1:21 the Apostle Paul writes, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” After his conversion to Christ, Paul would live his life for one purpose—to glorify God by living in obedience to him. Paul writes to the church at Philippi to teach them about the joy salvation brings to those who are truly saved. Paul could speak to this issue because he knew what it was like to discover freedom from the law of sin and enter into the bliss of divine relationship with the Heavenly Father. Paul sought to bring everything in his life captive to the will and glory of God. He demonstrated how his life was defined by Christ by surrendering everything from personal comfort and ambition to his very life for the cause of Christ.
 
As a pastor I encounter all sorts of people. There are certainly those who I know that are completely sold out for Christ. These people are the greatest blessings to me as I see their desire to live for Christ. Their passion to please him is an awesome thing to behold! However, there are also those Christians who are trying to live between two worlds. What I mean is that they try at times to please God and do the right things, but they also refuse to sacrifice the things of this world that are important to them. Although things like careers, jobs, educational pursuits, hobbies, children, and family are important aspects of our lives we must learn to surrender these things to the will of God. Some people I know are so consumed with “climbing the latter” in their careers that they have no room for God. With other people it is an obsession with a particular hobby or entertainment that pulls their heart away from Christ. These people call themselves Christians yet ironically, they live in disobedience to the Great Commandment—to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. They allow their lives to be defined by the things of this world instead of Christ.
 
The Apostle Paul didn’t look for “gain” in this life. He said, “to die is gain.” He was willing to wait for his eternal reward in Heaven. As Christians we should continually strive to allow our lives to be defined by Christ. I encourage you to meditate on your life for a moment. Are you truly surrendered to the cause of Christ? Have you given him everything? Have you decided that “to live is Christ”? If many of us are honest with ourselves I believe we will be forced to admit that we struggle with giving everything to God and following him with a heart fully dedicated to his will. Some people struggle because they love something or someone else more than God, which enables that person or thing to drive their lives instead of God. Other people struggle with fear and anxiety. They are simply afraid to surrender everything to God because it requires them to surrender control and certainty and learn to be patient upon the Lord.
 
When I am faced with these sins in my life, I must remind myself of the gospel of Christ. He gave everything for me so I could gain faith in him. Everything in my life must be brought into submission to the will of God for me. Every decision from whether or not to sleep in on Sunday morning instead of going to Sunday School to choosing a place to live and a job to hold should be made with the intent of obeying God’s will and bringing him glory. For it is in a life that is surrendered to God that a person can find true joy. I encourage you to live for Christ. Make him your heart’s desire so you can say with integrity, “For me to live is Christ, but to die is gain.”
 

Have a great week!


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The Pursuit of God

Posted on Apr 1, 2019 in General | 365

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” This quote from A. W. Tozer has been a favorite of mine for years. Most people today, especially those of my own generation, fail to meditate upon the God the Bible. Our intellectual apathy has crippled us in our spiritual pursuits of God and has unfortunately led to a shallow view of the Almighty. We need to pursue after a proper view of God. When I read the Psalms, I find an incredible personalized experience with the Lord. The psalmists always seem to have a personal, yet reverent, relationship with God. It was as if they were able to peer beyond this world and see the majestic God. This view of God produced a reverent fear of the Almighty which led these men of God to trust him with a faith so powerful that not even a lifetime of persecution, agony, or depression could stop them from worshiping their Lord.

Psalm 8:1-4– O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?
 
Psalm 19:1-4, 14– The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world…Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
 
These biblical writers had a reverence for the Almighty that led to obedient lives, fully dedicated unto God and His will. Do you have a reverent view of God? As Tozer states, “…the gravest question before the church is always God Himself, and the most [significant] fact about any man is not what he at a given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like.” Essentially, what you conceive God to be like will determine everything about you.
 
This is why it is imperative that we allow God to speak for Himself about who He is. Don’t settle with only being God’s acquaintance. Instead, vigorously pursue after God through frequent and deep study of His Word. Pursue after God until you stand in awe and wonder of His glory. They say life is a journey. Well, if that be true, then let the journey be the pursuit of the Most High! Allow your focus upon the Lord to determine the course of your life. He loves you beyond measure and His Spirit will guide you down this path if you will make Him your heart’s desire.
 
Have a blessed week!

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Because He Lives

Posted on Mar 25, 2019 in General | 381

One of my favorite songs is “Because He Lives (Amen).” The song proclaims:
 
I believe in the Son I believe in the risen One I believe I overcome By the power of His blood
 
I was dead in the grave I was covered in sin and shame I heard mercy call my name He rolled the stone away
 
Amen, Amen I’m alive, I’m alive Because He lives Amen, Amen Let my song join the one that never ends
 
Because He lives I can face tomorrow Because He lives Every fear is gone I know He holds my life my future in His hands
 
What a tremendous proclamation the redeemed children of God can make! What a privilege it is to be able to trust in the God of righteousness and love. As the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:1 – “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” Jesus Christ has forgiven me of all my sin, and I have reason to rejoice!
 
If you are a child of God, you are free from the bonds of shame and allowed to enter into the will of God. You and I have a powerful Heavenly Father who cares deeply for us. Because He lives, we can face tomorrow. In fact, we can face today, this week, this year, and forever more because our Lord and Savior demonstrated His love for us by taking our sins away and bearing our cross for us.
 
Jesus has proved that He is willing to go to great lengths for you. This means that whatever crisis, pain, suffering, torment, failures, heartache, stress, anxiety or depression you may endure, He understands you and what you are feeling. Because of Christ, you are now worthy to walk the road before you which is called “God’s will.” He desires for you to know Him and He has given you the privilege of being a part of His mission of advancing His glorious kingdom to the ends of the earth.
 
So, as you go about your week always remember that God is with you and He loves you. Because He lives you can face tomorrow! Because He lives every fear is gone! He holds your life and your future in His hands!
 

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LwBqG7uXbY


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Welcome

Posted on Mar 24, 2019 in General | 410

Hello, my name is Josh Butler. I am the pastor of Ahoskie Church. As a full time pastor it is my desire to encourage and edify Christians as they endeavor to fulfill God’s will in their lives. I love the church–the people of God. No other people or institution the earth has ever known is more beautiful yet diverse than the redeemed church of Jesus Christ! 
 
It is my desire to use this format to further my passion to encourage and edify believers. Each Monday I will post something that will hopefully be of use to you as you continue on this walk with God. These post may vary from being devotional thoughts, as I engage certain Bible passages, or they may be discussions over current events that the church is currently facing. Nevertheless, I hope and pray this resource will be of use to you as you journey through this life, living by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
 
God Bless!

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