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Archive for the ‘Commentaries’ Category

The Great Omission

Posted in Commentaries, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on August 21, 2024| Leave a Comment »

I have often sensed that Western Christianity’s consistent failure in the area of discipleship is rooted in the fact that there are so few actual “disciples” of the person of Jesus Christ within the movement.  This isn’t to say that folks aren’t “Believers” (i.e. in the man, Jesus or His teachings), or that they do not take their faith seriously, it’s just that our westernized sensibilities aren’t particularly compatible with the concept of completely surrendering our lives to anything outside of ourselves.

While we understand that the original disciples sacrificed everything to follow Jesus, we reason that our particular brand of religious practice is an acceptable substitute.  After all, we’ve made a “decision for Christ,” we’ve been baptized, we regularly attend, we give offerings (maybe even tithe), we do our daily devotions, we partake of sacraments, we study our bibles, we go to worship concerts, we wear religious t-shirts, we apply religious bumper stickers to our SUVs, and we’re “not ashamed” to let folks know that we are Christians.  Some even speak in tongues, prophesy, and see miracles happen.  But none of that necessarily equates to the discipleship that Jesus describes.

He said that whoever wants to be His disciple must deny themselves, taking up their cross daily, and following Him (Luke 9:23).  Denying ourselves looks like forfeiting the “way that seems right” to us (Prov.14:12) in favor of the way that is exceedingly, abundantly more than we could ask for or imagine (Eph.3:20).  It’s not trying to gain our lives, but yielding our lives to Him and His purposes (Matt.16:25).  It’s doing nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, and esteeming others above ourselves (Phil.2:3).  It’s taking every thought captive, and making it obedient to Christ (2Cor.10:5) and loving the way He loves (John 13:34).

It’s refusing to be conformed to the pattern of this world and allowing our minds to be renewed (Rom.12:2), so that His character would be manifest in us (Gal.5:22-23).  Ultimately, it’s being transformed into the image of Christ (2Cor.3:18), so that His light would shine upon the darkest corners of His creation.

The decision to surrender our lives (i.e. take up our cross) and “follow” Jesus is not a one-time thing, it’s an everyday process (Luke 9:23), and a journey that lasts a lifetime (Phil.1:6), which is completely at odds with our cultural and religious paradigms.  We prefer to think of ourselves as, “saved, sanctified, and going heaven,” which implies that the work has already been completed, and we’re just waiting for the bus to take us to the mansion He’s prepared for us.

Our version of discipleship generally consists of inviting people to come to our church, or to outreach events, yet our friends, neighbors and/or co-workers may not see any tangible evidence of our supposed passion for Christ as they walk along side of us on a daily basis.  This is the anti-thesis of what Jesus described.

If the western church has any hope of fulfilling “The Great Commission (Matt.28:19),” we must first go back and become true disciples ourselves.  Jesus taught that unless a seed falls to the ground and dies, it remains a single seed (John 12:24).  Without taking that step we aren’t likely to accomplish much more than the promotion of “Christian” values, the perpetuation of “Christian” culture, and/or the preservation of the “church” industry.

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The Pursuit of Happiness

Posted in Commentaries, Social / Political, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 7, 2024| 2 Comments »

As the grandson of immigrants, I was raised with a deep reverence for the United States of America, and all the opportunities it has afforded our family.  Collectively, our patriotism has at times bordered on fanatical, with nearly unquestioned loyalty towards the high ideals we were taught.  As a young man, I served my country, just as my father did before me, knowing that it might cost me my life. It was a price I was more than willing to pay, and something that I do not regret.

For most of my life, I considered my allegiance to God and to my country as being essentially synonymous, but as I grew closer to the Lord, I found Him challenging that notion.  At first, it was in a broad sense, but in recent years it has become far more acute.  Though I remain grateful for this country, and the liberty it has provided, my perspective has been significantly altered as to the place it should hold in my heart.  I offer this essay for those who may find themselves on a similar journey.

Growing up, the words Jefferson penned in the Declaration of Independence were held in the highest esteem, “We hold these truths to be sacred & undeniable; that all men are created equal & independent, that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent & inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, & liberty, & the pursuit of happiness.”  It wasn’t until the Lord challenged me to read those words with spiritual eyes that I began to see an issue.  Much like Superman’s pledge to fight for truth, justice and the American way, I started to recognize that God is only committed to two out of the three.

Interestingly, Jefferson’s allusions toward pursuing “happiness” were derived from the writings of other founding fathers, like John Locke (e.g. “Essay Concerning Human Understanding”), and George Mason (e.g. Virginia Declaration of Rights).  Indeed, these words were far too reasonable to raise an eyebrow or an objection, and from a strictly human perspective they are completely rationale.  It is not until you look at them through the lens of scripture that you recognize there may be a problem.

In the truest sense, God has given us the unalienable right to pursue our own happiness.  By placing the forbidden tree within the garden, and not erecting an impenetrable wall around it, He made it our decision.  On the one hand we could dwell within the garden, completely dependent on Him for all things, or on the other hand, we could be “like God (Gen.3:5)”, and decide for ourselves what is good, and what is evil. It is ultimately the choice between being separated unto God (i.e. holiness), or being separated from God (i.e. sin).  One could even say that Adam and Eve’s decision was mankind’s original declaration of independence. 

John Kennedy said that, “The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie, deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive and unrealistic.”  J.I. Packer noted that a half-truth masquerading as the whole truth can often become a complete untruth. And Isa Blagden observed that, “If a lie is only printed often enough, it becomes a quasi-truth, and if such a truth is repeated often enough, it becomes an article of belief, a dogma, and men will die for it.”  I believe that all these ideas are relevant in understanding the arc of how “The Pursuit of Happiness” has largely become America’s spiritual undoing.

Another important distinctive is the difference between joy and happiness.  In my formative years, I would have considered joy to simply be the high end of the happiness scale.  Thus, if I liked something, it made me “happy”, but if it made me really, really happy, it qualified as “joyous”.  But, after coming to know the Lord in a more substantive way, I’ve come to realize that these words are actually describing two very different experiences. 

Happiness is largely just a positive feeling that one gets from external stimuli (e.g. smelling grandma’s famous pie baking, cuddling a puppy, winning the race…), and it tends to be both circumstantial and fleeting.  While the joy that God offers (i.e. “the joy of the Lord” – Nehemiah 8:10) comes from His Spirit (1Thes.1:6), and rises up from within our being.  It is both substantial and profound.  For those who have experienced the latter, there is really no comparison between the two.

I would submit that the stubborn belief that we know what will make us “happy” is a by-product of the forbidden fruit, which is ultimately rooted in the idea that we know what is “good” (i.e. good for us).  But just as Jesus told the rich young ruler (Luke 18:19), there is really only One who can define what is “good”.  Proverbs (14:12) says that there is a way that seems right to a man, but that it leads to death.  And Henry David Thoreau observed that most men “lead lives of quiet desperation,” which would seem to affirm the idea that we are not well-equipped to identify what might actually make us “happy”.

Jesus taught that those who try to gain their life will eventually lose it, and that it is only those who are willing to lay down their life (for Him) who ultimately discover it (Matt.16:25).  Scripture tells us that if we pursue Him and His purposes, He will work all things to our good (Rom.8:28) and that all we need will be added unto us (Matt.6:33).  And the Lord makes it clear that no servant can serve “two masters” (Matt.6:24).  Those who are called by His name must choose whether their pursuit will be of Him (Matt.22:37) or of their own “happiness”.

Western Christianity has largely replaced the concept of self-sacrifice (i.e. dying to self) with self-actualization (i.e. empowerment, fulfillment, blessing, calling, gifts…).  This revised version of the gospel allows one to live their best life here on earth, and then ascend to the heavenly mansion that has most certainly been set aside for them. 

But Jesus said that anyone who is not willing to take up their cross and follow Him (i.e. to lay down their lives and serve God’s purposes) is not worthy of Him (Matt.10:38).  In order to qualify as a “Follower” one must be willing to allow someone else to take the lead, and then base their responses on that leader’s cues, which precludes being guided by what has the greatest potential to lead to happiness. 

The popular rationale is that because God loves us, He surely wants us to be happy, and that happiness is just part of the blessing package Jesus died to give us.  Indeed, the scripture does speak of an inexpressible joy (1Peter 1:8), but as previously mentioned, this is a gift that comes from Him, and through His Spirit.  It is a by-product of a life surrendered to Him, and a heart that comes in concert with His.  If our pursuit is of happiness, God’s role is reduced to that of a power tool, that is simply used to get us what we really want.

Evidence of this mindset within “the church” can be found in the often discussed, and generally accepted idea of being angry with God, which at its core is a ridiculous notion.  In order to be angry with God, one must assume a position of superior knowledge, greater compassion or a more developed sense of justice than He.  But if the role we’ve assigned Him in our lives is that of a blessing dispenser, we will naturally feel cheated when He doesn’t deliver.  Like putting our quarters in the vending machine, we pound against the glass when the desired treat doesn’t fall as we anticipated.

I would submit that many “Christians” in America hold the words of documents like the Declaration of the Independence and the U.S. Constitution in similar regard to those of the scripture.  But despite their virtuous sounding language, they are not promoting the same message.  The pursuit of happiness keeps self at the center of our attention while scripture encourages us to esteem others above ourselves (Phil.2:3).  It keeps us focused on our circumstances, and how we feel about them, which is contrary to the numerous admonitions to focus on eternal things (2 Cor.4:18, Phil.4:8, Heb.12:2).   And most importantly, it replaces God as the object of our pursuit (Exod.20:3).

After years of believing that my love for God and country were wholly compatible, I can now hear the Lord declaring, “Choose this day whom you will serve!”  Shall we act upon what is seen and perishing, or shall we be moved by what is unseen and eternal (2Cor.4:18)?  Will our hearts allegiance be to our flag or to His cross?  Shall we seek His face (2 Chron.7:14) or simply look for His hand to work on our behalf?  Will our citizenship be invested in our beloved nation, or in the Kingdom of God (which is not of this world – John18:36)?  Shall we submit ourselves to the leadership that comes from above, or will we continue to clamor for an earthly king? 

Is America committed to blessing God to the same degree we are asking God to bless America?  Is our hope rooted in God’s goodness and sovereignty, or are we depending upon our “Godly heritage” and our democratic process?  Is the person of God the true object of our desire, or has He become a means to some other end (e.g. the American Dream)?

I am not advocating against loyalty and/or appreciation for our nation, or against participation within the democratic process, but we must recognize that these are temporal props within an eternal story.  They cannot compete for our allegiance to God and His sacred purposes. A house divided against itself cannot stand (Matt.12:25, Mark 3:25, Luke 11:17).

After a lifetime of assuming the inherent virtue of our way of life, I have been compelled to view my homeland through the lens of eternity.  While we like to think of ourselves as a bastion of freedom, the truth is far less flattering.  We are actually the most medicated, addicted, anxious, depressed, suicidal and incarcerated society on the planet. 

Our relative prosperity has not brought us joy, or peace, but it has resulted in a spiritual lethargy, and complacency in our relationship with God.  We, who are called by His name, are deeply divided, and distracted by all manner of disputable matters.  And despite all this, we remain convinced that God somehow wants to preserve things the way that they are.

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Christian Mysticism

Posted in Commentaries, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 30, 2024| 3 Comments »

Because God is Spirit (John 4:24), and He dwells in the heavenly realm, there is an inescapable element of mystery in our relationship with Him.  Paul addresses this throughout the New Testament, as he speaks to the Colossians about the mystery of Christ (Col.2:2), to the Ephesians about the mystery of God’s will (Eph.1:9), and to the Corinthians about uttering mysteries while praying by the Spirit of God (1Cor.14:2)

Ultimately, he concludes that at our best, we know “in part”, we prophesy “in part”, and we see as through a glass darkly (1Cor.13:9-12).  This is why faith remains an essential facet of our relationship with a God that we can know personally (Heb.11:6), and why we need to become “as little children” in order to experience the Kingdom of heaven (Matt.18.3).

There are strains of Christianity that essentially live in denial of this mysterious aspect of our relationship with the Lord.  Generally, they exalt the knowledge of scripture, and practical application of biblical principle as a substitute for genuine interaction with a living (i.e. supernatural) God.  But Jesus Himself addressed this tactic when He said, “You study the scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life… yet you refuse to come to me (John 5:39-40).”

On the other end of the spectrum, are those who readily embrace the spiritual dynamic, yet drive it toward a strange form of mysticism, where magical words and incantations are deployed to unlock the power of God.  Intricate schemes of symbolism and numerology are often applied to uncover clues to the presumably subliminal messages that the Lord is sending us, as though He speaks in code. 

In this enchanted realm, the right words/actions have the power to unlock the treasure troves of heaven, while the wrong ones can unwittingly unleash a curse upon the land.  Like a fantasy-based video game, only those who’ve attained a certain level can enter the designated rooms, and know to look under the vase for the key that opens the door to the staircase that gets one to the next level… 

Novices can only standby, and watch these gifted ones (e.g. subscribe to their YouTube channel, or Podcast) negotiate the ethereal obstacle course, while trusting in their interpretation of what it all means.  In such spheres, mere men can be knighted with swords, coronated with crowns, and even become objects of worship.

More than simply misleading the brethren, this aesthetic absolutely distorts the image of God.  Instead of a benevolent Father, who knows how to speak to and guide each one of His children, it presents the image of a tricky Uncle who’s playing parlor games with his young nieces / nephews; and who values cleverness above sincerity.  It also tends to make the enemy of our souls seem more powerful than he truly is.

Indeed, social media platforms are filled with Christian Mystics, offering spiritual interpretations of both natural (e.g. eclipses, blood moons, earthquakes…), and current (e.g. elections, stock market changes, military conflicts…) events.  These are often accompanied by tales of third heaven experiences, angelic visitations and bold predictions about the future (which rarely prove to be accurate). 

All of these things serve to take our eyes off the One who is the Author of life (Heb.12:2), and fill our ears with the voices of those who prophesy illusions (Isa.30:10).  If we fail to discern this shift in focus, accessing God’s power (ostensibly to do the work of the Kingdom) can become the object of our pursuit, instead of the One who is the source of that power. 

Within this paradigm, prayers can become centered on moving God’s hand instead of moving His heart, and His role can be reduced to that of an Amazon delivery man, whose job is to bring us the desires of our hearts.

Between these extremes are those who are willing to embrace the supernatural elements of a relationship with the Divine, while never straying far from the simplicity of following Christ.  A people who trust in their Father’s ability to speak plainly to His children, and whose mission is to obediently serve His purposes.   Like bond servants, they lay down their lives that they might partake of the life He died to give them, and a peace that surpasses reason is their reward.

With a large percentage of adults in America identifying themselves as “spiritual” it becomes imperative to discern (1Cor.2:13) what spirit (e.g. the spirit of the age, the human spirit, the Holy Spirit?) we are tapping into.  Scripture tells us that what the flesh desires is contrary to the Spirit of God, and that what His Spirit desires is contrary to the flesh (Gal.5:17).  Thus, endeavors which attempt to use spiritual authority as a means of carnal gain are fraught with peril.

The God who chose to come off the throne of heaven in order to reveal Himself to His creation, and who tore the veil that separated His presence from His people is not hiding Himself or the treasures of heaven from His children.  He promises that if we seek Him, we will find Him, and that if we’ll knock, the door will be opened to us (Matt.7:7).  He is neither camouflaging the path, nor is He speaking in riddles.  But He does desire to be the end that we are seeking, and not the means by which we pursue some other end.

These things are not mystical, they are heavenly, and they are not magical, they are divine.

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The Parable of the Taco

Posted in Commentaries, tagged , , , , , , on May 21, 2024| Leave a Comment »

I’m sure there are some people who consider me to be somewhat of a cracked pot, and this little piece may solidify that impression; but what can you really do about that?  In the second half of my life I’ve come to see God in just about everything and so it’s not really surprising that I obtained this insight while ordering food at Taco Bell.  Now, some might want to argue whether God actually speaks to people at fast food establishments, but as for me and my house, we say that He does.

I’m old enough to remember when a “taco” automatically meant a hard shelled, corn tortilla.  Back then there were no options, and that was OK because they tasted great.  The one problem was that when you bit into the shell it often crumbled and made a mess.  Then some savvy marketer came up with idea of the soft shell taco (served on a soft flour tortilla).  My initial impulse was to nominate that person for the Noble Prize, but after tasting this revised design, I wasn’t as impressed as I thought I’d be.  To my taste buds, there is a big difference between a crunchy corn tortilla (which tastes like a big corn chip) and a flour tortilla (which evokes soggy paper).  None the less, my desire to avoid the mess kept me eating the soggy paper version for years.

One day, as I pondered my order, I had to admit to myself that I really wanted the corn tortilla, but again I considered the mess.  Right at that moment I felt like the Lord said something akin to, “The Kingdom of God is like a taco”.  I understand that sounds sacrilegious, but that’s what I heard.  He went on to show me that sometimes to get what you really want, you’ve got to be willing to put up with some mess; and if you’re not willing to do that, you’ll likely have to settle for some poor substitute.

So how does this apply to our lives besides ordering food at Taco Bell?  Well, I actually think that it ties in pretty strongly.  In our western culture we like things to be comfortable, convenient and quick; and this way of thinking dramatically affects every aspect of our being, including our walk of faith.  This mentality tends to keep us pretty close to the surface of most things, as getting too deep tends to slow us down and potentially complicates things. 

We tend to like our religion to be unobtrusive and somewhat predictable, as this is comfortable and keeps us freed up for our other pursuits (e.g. family, career, hobbies…).  It’s good to go to the “House of Lord” every week, to see our friends, to hear an uplifting message, to possibly serve someone (e.g. as an Usher, or a Sunday school Teacher…) and maybe even to throw a little money in the collection plate.  It makes us feel good about ourselves and to know that our children are being taught good things; but is this really what the Lord intended for His people?  When I read the word of God, this doesn’t even slightly resemble the role that Christ seemed to ordain for the church.

God’s word is filled with His principles for living, but man has a tendency to boil those principles down into a system of rules and regulations.  Often in this process the heart of the principle gets boiled right out of it.  Jesus corrected the Pharisees on this when they challenged the fact that He was healing on the Sabbath.  He told them that the Sabbath was created for man and not the other way around. 

In the same way systematic theology seeks to create an accurate picture of God based on what we understand, even though the word tells us that He is beyond what we can understand.  It tells us that we know in part, that we see through a glass dimly, to lean not on our own understanding and that He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly more than we could imagine.   Yet we still endeavor to draw conclusions about who He is based on earthly systems of thought. 

Our systems of thought and rules are often meant to bring us comfort that we have fulfilled the requirements of heaven and that our eternity is secure.  They are neat, predictable and easily measured.  That’s the way we like it.  The problem is that they’re really just a poor substitute for the high calling of God.

God has not called us to be staid administrators of His righteousness, but to speak life to a dying world.  He has not called us to some academic study of ancient texts and artifacts, but to a robust and dynamic relationship with a “Living” God.  He has not left us to our own resources, but has put at our disposal the resources of heaven.  When Jesus ascended into heaven, God did not become the great “I Was”, He is still the great “I Am”. 

He was serious when He said to love your neighbor as yourself.  He was serious when He said that husbands should love their wives like Christ loved the church.  He was serious when He said that friendship with the world is enmity with God.  He was serious when He said, greater things than this you will do because I go to my Father.  We’ve developed all sorts of doctrines to excuse ourselves from those callings, but the Word hasn’t changed. 

Sure, it’s messy and unpredictable, but isn’t that what faith is, believing in things we haven’t seen and that we don’t necessarily understand; isn’t it going places that we’ve never been and reaching beyond our level of comfort.  Too much of the church today reminds me of the disciples before Pentecost, arguing about who is the greatest amongst them, confused about the things that Jesus said were going to happen, and hiding from the world around them. 

God knew that they would wind up there, so He told them to wait until He sent them power from on high.  To the naked eye the day of Pentecost must have seemed a mess; people thought the Apostles were drunk; there was all that speaking in different languages; everything that was happening defied human explanation, and yet, thousands came to the Lord that day. 

It seems to me that if God is calling us to live by His Holy Spirit and that what is pleasing to the Spirit is not pleasing to the flesh, than we’re likely to find many of the things He calls us to unattractive in the natural (i.e. messy & uncomfortable).  If we really want to see the scripture lived out, we’re going to have to allow our flesh to be crucified and to press on.  If we insist on everything being sanitized and aesthetically pleasing, we will likely have to settle for a shallow life of religious routine. 

The great heroes of the faith were people who seemed unafraid of what people might think, who threw off the shackles of conventional wisdom and took God at His word.  The Bible says that without faith it is impossible to please God.  I’ve spent too much of my life bound to what others might think, trying to use my intellect to come up with answers that are beyond my understanding and standing by as the kingdom of darkness swallowed up the things I care about. 

I cannot settle for the substitute; I want to see His Kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Anyone who has witnessed (or experienced) a birth knows that discomfort and blood are an integral part of the process.  If we want to see new life in us, our marriages, our families, our communities, our nation, it will take both.  Indeed, the Kingdom of God is like a taco.

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Thermodynamics

Posted in Commentaries, Word Pictures, tagged , , , , , on May 16, 2024| Leave a Comment »

One of the most unexpected elements of my adult life has been my career path.  When I graduated from high school my interests were firmly rooted in the arts (e.g. art, music, poetry…).  If you’d have told me then that I would spend almost the next 25 years working in nuclear related industry, I would’ve laughed; but isn’t that how life goes? 

One of the first things I had to study in nuclear power was the characteristics of heat (i.e. thermodynamics).  This is because a nuclear reaction generates a tremendous amount of heat and our ability to use that energy depends greatly on our ability to properly manage the heat.  Since we know that God is reflected in His creation, I believe that there are some Kingdom principles that can be derived from looking at how heat tends to move from one thing to another.

The first thing that is necessary for there to be a transfer of heat is a difference in temperature between two objects (or substances).  When that occurs, the energy will flow from the object at the higher temperature (i.e. energy) to the one with the lower temperature.  The larger that difference in temperature is, the greater the rate of transfer will be. 

Another significant factor is the position of one object relative to the other.  If there is a gap between them than the heat must travel through the air to get from one to the other, which greatly diminishes the amount of energy that actually makes it to the second object.  On the other hand, if the objects are touching each other, the transfer of heat is maximized (e.g. a metal pot on an electric burner).

I believe that these principles demonstrate how God means for the lives of His people to touch those who are in the world.  The first requirement is that our lives be visibly different from those living for the world.  Unless people see something better in our lives, we’ll be of little influence in them wanting to change theirs. 

When we live like the world, our spiritual temperature is the same (or similar) to theirs and so little or nothing will pass from one to the other.  In these cases, our words have no impact. 

If we hope to affect our surroundings we must stay connected to our power source.  The minute a heater loses its energy source, the air around it begins to carry away any residual energy, causing it to rapidly cool down; and so it is with Gods people. 

Another significant issue is our proximity to those whom we hope to affect.  If we hope to reach a dying world, we’re going to have to find a way to connect with its people.  While our prayers will definitely prepare the soil, at some point we’ll need to spend time in the garden if we ever hope to see a harvest. 

I believe that many people in the church hide from the world because in the past, when we have engaged the world, it impacted us more than we impacted it.  The energy always flows from hot to cold, so before we can engage the world, we need to be more passionate for our God than we are, or the world is, for sin.

The Lord said that we are to be salt and light to world, which means that as a child of God we ought to be flavoring and illuminating every situation we encounter.  He says that we are the aroma of Christ, so there ought to be something tangibly different when we walk in a room and our scent ought to linger even after we leave. 

The Lord said that He would eventually spew the “lukewarm” from His mouth and I believe those days are upon us.  He has placed the ultimate power source within us, in the form of His Holy Spirit.  If we will live by that Spirit, we have the ability to change the spiritual temperature of every situation that we come into.  If we’ll come along side our lost neighbors, friends, family members and even strangers, the power of Gods love will affect them, whether they understand it or not. 

As the world becomes a colder and darker place, God has already made a provision.  It is time for the children of God to plug into their source and to become what God has called us to be.

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Guard Your Heart

Posted in Commentaries, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 15, 2024| Leave a Comment »

The scripture says that God doesn’t look at us the way we look at each other, He looks at the heart of a man (1Sam.16:7),” and it speaks of Him going to and fro about the earth, looking for hearts that are truly His (2Chron.16.9).  Jeremiah warned of the deceitfulness of the heart (Jer.17:9), while Proverbs admonishes, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it (Prov.4:23).”  In light of these strong words, it would seem worthwhile to explore what “guarding” our hearts might entail.

The Prophet Isaiah told the people that to prepare the way of the Lord, we must make straight pathways, raising up the valleys and bringing the mountains low (Isa.40:3-5).  This speaks of the steadiness that is born out of a singular reference point, and stands in stark contrast to the often-manic cycle between mountain top and wilderness experiences that seems so prevalent within westernized religion.

Proverbs expands on the concept, telling us to keep our eyes fixed on the Lord, and our feet upon the straight path (4:24-27), which supports the Hebrew writer’s assertion that we need to “Fix our eyes on Jesus,” who is the pioneer and perfecter of our faith (Heb.12:2).  It also tells us that when we trust in the Lord, instead of leaning on our own understanding, and submit to Him in all our ways, He makes our paths straight (Prov.3:5-6).

The Apostle Paul gives much practical advice on this topic throughout the epistles, like telling us to take every thought captive, and make it obedient to Christ (2Cor.10:5).  This concept is in direct opposition to the cultural expectation of having an “open mind”, which allows any thought unencumbered and equal access to the core of our being.

He further directs that every pretense and argument that sets itself up against the knowledge of God should be demolished, which would most certainly be viewed as intolerance within today’s society.

He advises that we take our eyes off “what is seen” because it is temporary and perishing (2Cor. 4:18), and that we ought to focus on what is true, noble, righteous, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy… instead (Phil. 4:8). 

Paul goes so far as to say that if we would refuse to embrace our anxiety, and simply approach the Lord in prayer for every situation, the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, would guard our hearts and minds (Phil. 4:6-7).

These scriptures are not obscure or abstract.  Indeed, many of them are printed on bumper stickers, refrigerator magnets, and t-shirts.  But there is little evidence to support that many of these principles have taken root.

Indeed, American Christianity seems to be absolutely enthralled by current events (i.e. what is seen), full of ideas about what needs to happen (i.e. leaning on our own understanding), and brimming with anxiety about the future.  False prophets and prophecies prosper, as people grasp for anything that feels like hope (i.e. not trusting the Lord).

This lack of peace points to the unguarded state of our hearts, yet to suggest abandoning this tact would likely result in being branded as, “too heavenly minded to be any earthly good”.  But for the man whose mind is stayed upon the Lord, and whose heart trusts in Him, “perfect peace” awaits (Isa.26:3).

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it (Prov.4:23)”

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Computer Literate

Posted in Commentaries, tagged , , , , , , , , on May 8, 2024| Leave a Comment »

I’ve heard numerous sermons on the various names of God (e.g. El Shaddai, Adonai, Immanuel, Jehovah…), and I sense that the motivation for such teachings isn’t just to make us aware that the Bible refers to God in various ways, but to bring us to an understanding that each of these names reveals an aspect of who God is and the role He means to play in our lives. 

He not only came to save us from an eternity in hell, He also came to be “Jehovah-Jireh”, the Lord who provides for us, and “Jehovah-Rophi”, the Lord who heals us and “Jehovah-Shalom”, the Lord who is our peace… 

These messages challenge us to ponder whether our relationship with the Lord encompasses these various facets of His being, and as I’ve examined my own walk, it hasn’t been hard to find areas where my experience has been very limited.  To answer the question of how well we “know God”, I thought of an analogy that might help in arriving at a worthwhile conclusion.

When I was in Junior High, my mother talked my brother and me into taking typing class.  She said that this would be valuable later in life, though I’m not sure that either of us was convinced of that.  As with so many other things we were told back then, this proved to be wise guidance. 

When personal computers emerged I wasn’t quick to jump on the bandwagon, but eventually I was introduced to them at work.  For the first couple of years I only used them for word processing and I was satisfied with that (I liked that it allowed me to correct my mistakes before printing a page).  Even then computers were capable of a great deal more than simple word processing, but that was the only experience that I had at the time.  If you had asked me, do you know computers, I would have said, “Yes I use them at work”. 

Today, I rely on the computer a lot more, with e-mail, the internet, digital pictures, music…, so you could again ask, “Do you know computers” and again, I would reply, “sure I know computers”. 

But have I really even begun to scratch the surface of what a computer is capable of?  I may know more than I used to, but if I’m honest that knowledge is still pretty superficial and pedestrian.

As is my understanding of computers, so is my knowledge of God.  “Do I know Him?”  Sure, I know Him as my Savior and Lord, I sense His presence in my day-to-day, I hear Him in my prayers…  The question is have I accessed Him as my peace, as my provision, as my healer…? 

The life and death of Jesus Christ was meant to afford me much more than a great “after-life”; He paid the price for the abundant life today (i.e. here on earth).  I’m convinced that if I really knew those aspects of God, my life would look a lot different. 

There have been whole doctrines developed to suggest that God doesn’t work that way anymore, but Gods word says that He is the same yesterday, today and forever.  If He was the God who heals 2000 years ago, He is that same God today; if He was the God of recompenses 2000 years ago, He is that same God today; if He was the God who provides 2000 years ago, He is that same God today. 

Maybe the reason that the church in America doesn’t bear much resemblance to the “glorious bride” of Christ described in scripture is because we haven’t come to “know” our God in the way that we need to. 

Like with my computer, I have only accessed Him as my situation has dictated and I’ve not yet begun to tap into the true potential of this relationship.  That understanding makes me yearn to know Him more.

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Send the Fire

Posted in Commentaries, tagged , , , , , , , on May 6, 2024| Leave a Comment »

The Bible says that for everything there is a season and it certainly seems that all of life progresses in a seasonal pattern.  Our Christian walk is no different.  Early on we progress through seasons of understanding, in which we realize that God is real, that we are forgiven, that God is good, that we’ve been placed on this earth for a purpose, that Jesus paid it all…  If we continue down that path we eventually come into seasons of transformation. 

These revelations are not normally as easy to receive and this process digs much deeper into our being.  Gods stated purpose to transform us into the image of Christ takes on profound new dimensions.  Like He did with the rich young ruler, Jesus seems to identify the very thing that we don’t think that we can give.  These seasons reveal a lot about the level of commitment and trust that we have in our relationship with the Lord. 

As I have been walking through these seasons, I’ve come to see that the only thing that hinders the move of God in my life is me; sure there is an enemy and he’s always got something to say, but he can only work with what I give him.  These revelations inevitably lead me to cry out for God to change my heart, because as much as I want to change, I can’t do it without Him.  It seems that the prerequisite for my transformation to His character traits is the surrender of mine.

One of Gods sharpest tools within our transformation process is other people.  Indeed God is defined by His love of people and our relationship to them often becomes the measuring stick of our progress.  Our natural selfishness hinders us in this area, but even more profound is our fear of getting hurt.  Most of us know that opening ourselves and our lives up to others can lead to heartbreak and there is a very natural tendency to try to protect ourselves from that; but I’ve come to believe that God intends for our hearts to be broken. 

It seems that the only way to avoid heart break is to avoid truly loving.  We do this by keeping our relationships very superficial and non-committal; but God won’t let us remain comfortable at that distance.  He sent His only Son, knowing that He would be rejected, abused and ultimately crucified; He’s not hesitant to send us there as well.  He doesn’t expect us to trust them with our hearts, He expects us to trust Him. 

The scripture points us to this, as the beatitudes include blessings for those who mourn, who are poor in spirit and who are persecuted for righteousness sake; David tells us that the sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite heart and Jesus is described as a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.  We may want to try to interpret these things away, but they all point to the fact that if we love as He loves, our hearts will be broken.  Our attempts to avoid this heart break will inevitably hinder our transformation into His image.

As we endeavor to open ourselves to the various aspects of the transformation process, we quickly come to the understanding that we are powerless in this struggle without the aid of the Holy Spirit.  While this is a good and necessary revelation, our pursuit of this power can easily get us off track again.  We can come to see the power of the Holy Spirit as a way to avoid this process instead of as the way to go through it. 

I’m reminded of the story of Elijah and the widow in Sidon; in this story we see that there is a great famine in the land and God sends His Prophet to a poor widow for food.  She is down to her last portion of oil and flour, intending to make one final meal to share with her son, when Elijah comes to her.  He tells her to make him a meal first and promises that her oil and flour will not run out until the famine ends.  She is obedient and indeed her supply of flour and oil is supernaturally maintained.  I believe that many of us want to identify with Elijah in this story, but I believe that before we can play the role of Elijah, we must first play the role of the widow.  Indeed Elijah himself had just spent years in the desert, being obedient to Gods instructions and relying on the ravens to bring him food.  If Jesus himself had to walk through the steps of faithful and humbling obedience, these steps must also be essential for us.

As we pray for the power of the Holy Spirit, we often cry out, “send the fire”, which speaks of the holy fire of God.  John the Baptist spoke of this when he baptized with water, telling all who would hear him that the One who would follow would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire.  This fire certainly represents the power of God, but more specifically it speaks of purification. 

On the day of Pentecost, it was with tongues of fire that the believers received the power from on high.   While it is certainly not wrong to pray for this, I wonder if we really comprehend what we’re asking for.  Do we think that the fire is coming to burn up our enemies and our troubles; do we believe that the fire is just going to burn up the stuff we don’t want and not touch the rest?  The fire of God is a consuming fire and it doesn’t come for them, it comes for us.  It comes to burn up our pride and our dignity; our comfort and our reputation; and most assuredly it comes for our stuff (i.e. all the stuff we’ve crammed our lives with, that is of no eternal value).  The fire burns up the chaff, which is everything that is unfruitful in our lives. 

We need that, but is that what we really want?  I think that we might be surprised to find out that many of the things that we’ve considered a blessing from God would actually be counted as a hindrance by Him.  Will we be praising Him when the fire comes for our big screened TV or our designer clothes or our position in the community or any other thing that distracts us from the things He’s called us to?  It seems that we want to be close enough to the fire to stay warm, but that as soon as the heat gets a little intense, we tend to back up. 

In looking at Pentecost, we tend to focus on the great power and authority that the Apostles emerged from the Upper Room with, but ignore the fact that this sealed them forever as outcasts, in a culture that was openly hostile to just about every aspect of their message.  While they accomplished incredible things for the kingdom of God, their lives here on earth didn’t become easier, their enemies didn’t go away and none of their endings would met the worlds’ criteria for “happily ever after”.  Is this really what we’re praying for?

The fruit of a season of transformation is that you emerge changed.  If we simply wish to warm ourselves with the fire of God, we may accumulate some exhilarating experiences, but we’ll never truly be free or fulfill Gods’ purposes for us.  Our flesh may enjoy that, but our spirit will remain unfulfilled. 

God means to align our hearts with His, so that His priorities will be our priorities.   While we may be disturbed by what’s going on in the world, He is appalled; and while we may be burdened, He is heart broken.  We need the fire to come and burn away all the weeds and debris that have choked off our growth.  If we truly want to be transformed, we cannot keep running away from every fiery trial and rebuke every struggle. 

It was for the eternal glory that Jesus “endured” the cross, “despising” its’ shame.  Even though He despised it, He endured the process because He wanted the Fathers will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.  This must become our motivation too.  If our motivation is simply to be comfortable or prosperous or powerful or glorified… nothing but ashes will be produced by the fire. 

When the fire comes, it’s going to get very hot and it’s going to burn some things that we think that we need.  It won’t be pleasing to our flesh, but it will be energizing to our spirits.  It will burn away the things that have bound us to this world and we will be truly free to glorify our Father in heaven.  It will produce a Bride who will be glorious to her Bridegroom.  So I pray, “send the fire Lord”.  “Send the fire!” 

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The Reality of Eternity

Posted in Commentaries, tagged , , , , , , on May 1, 2024| Leave a Comment »

As I focus on eternal things, there is a growing sense within me of the stark contrast between the shadowy images of this life, and the sharp clarity of the next.  Despite mankind’s (and the church’s) best efforts to find (or create) the “middle ground” here on earth, there is still no middle ground in heaven.  There is a jarring reality to eternity that we can’t really comprehend, but on the day that we face it, there will be no escaping its preeminence and permanence. 

Today we have the luxury of rationalization, but on that day only the truth will prevail.  As the Kingdom of God approaches, the illusion of the middle ground is being destroyed.  It is the fulfillment of the God’s promise to spew the lukewarm from His mouth.  This morning I felt like the Lord gave me a picture of what it means to be lukewarm; He said that it is when you resemble “Him” enough to remind the enemy of his hatred for “The Father”, but not enough to remind “The Father” of “The Son”. 

This caused me to recall something He told me years ago, which is that we’ve tried to use His grace like a stolen credit card; illegitimately attempting to obtain things that haven’t been accounted to us.  As I was worshipping this morning I was reminded of the fact that one day the books will be opened, the accounts will be balanced and the reality of who we really are will become apparent.  The song I was listening to said it this way:

Where will we turn when our world falls apart

And all of the treasures we’ve stored in our barns

Can’t buy the Kingdom of God

And who will we praise when we’ve praised all our lives

Men who build kingdoms and men who build things

Heaven does not know their names

What will we fear when all that remains is God on the throne

With a child in His arms and love in His eyes

And the sound of His hearts cry

(From the song “Poverty” by Jason Upton)

The Apostle Paul said, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”  Throughout the epistles he exhorts us to do the same.  It’s likely that none of us want to think of ourselves as being childish, or as inhabiting the middle ground, but I sense the Lord challenging us to allow Him to reveal the “childish things” that we still need to put away.  To uncover those instances where we’ve become callous and numb to other people’s pain, or those circumstances that we’ve unwittingly become slaves to, or those things that we’re coveting and maybe even making into idols. 

He wants to show us those places where we’re straddling the fence, where self-pity, jealousy, and bitterness dwell.  And to expose the imaginings that have replaced the genuine prophetic vision He means to give us. On the appointed day, each of us will wake up from the dream of this life, and step into the reality of eternity.

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3 Biblical Concepts Vanishing from Western Christianity

Posted in Commentaries, tagged , , , , , , , , , on April 3, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Covetous:

As with all sin, covetous short-circuits Gods plan to give us abundant life.  He wants us to find the extravagant provision (e.g. peace, joy, rest, hope, strength…) that He’s made for us, while the enemy of our souls seeks to keep us connected to a temporal sense of lack.  Since we don’t covet what we already have, the act of coveting keeps us focused on what we don’t have.  Pursuit of those things generally blinds us to the blessings we already possess and drives us toward vain attempts to gain our lives. 

    It’s the enemy’s treadmill to have us waste the precious time and resources that we’ve been given chasing some elusive promise of fulfillment.  In those instances when we are successful in attaining the coveted object, we most often find that it is not nearly as satisfying as we’d hoped.  In those times the enemy generally begins to dangle “the next big thing” in front of us and soon we’re off and running again.  This picture is in stark contrast to the scripture. 

    The book of Hebrews tells us to keep our lives free of covetousness and to be content with whatever we have (Heb.13:5).  Paul also testified that he’d learned to be contented in all situations (Phil.4:11).  This is the same freedom the Lord intends for us.  We’re told that if we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, all of the other things will be added to us, and we are warned that our attempts to gain our life will ultimately cause us to lose it. 

    As with so many other things, we in the church are often more conformed to the culture than to the word of God.  Sadly, the consumer mentality is rampant in the church and covetousness is a sin that is openly committed without repentance. 

    In Charismatic/Pentecostal circles, leaders often invite people to covet the gifts, and callings of those who appear to be more “anointed” than themselves, and those who preach the prosperity gospel encourage people to covet the lifestyles of those who appear to be more “blessed” than they are.  We may rationalize it as being “goal oriented” or the pursuit of the “American Dream”, but it is covetous in its truest form, and it keeps us from walking in the fullness Christ died to give us.

    Dying to Self:

    Western Christianity has largely replaced the concept of self-sacrifice (i.e. dying to self, esteeming others above ourselves, sharing in Christ’s suffering…) with self-actualization (i.e. empowerment, fulfillment, blessing, calling, gifts…).  This revised version of the gospel allows one to live their best life here on earth, and then ascend to their heavenly mansion.

    But I would submit that becoming “the best version of yourself” is not necessarily the same as becoming the person you were created to be.  The latter requires the involvement of the Creator. 

    Dying to self is a moment by moment proposition (1 Cor. 15:36).  There is no level of sanctification, anointing, or calling that exempts us from the need to surrender our lives, and submit our wills on a daily basis (Luke 14:27).  Without an ongoing commitment to partake of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4), we are bound to fall to our human nature (Prov. 14:12).

    Ultimately, we cannot hope to ‘make disciples (Matt.28:19)” unless we are disciples, and we cannot be disciples unless we are willing to deny ourselves and take up our cross “daily” (Luke 9:23).

    Imaginations:

    Though dreams and visions are referenced throughout the scripture, the most often cited application in the modern context seems to center on Proverbs 29:18 (Where there is no vision, the people perish…) and Joel 2:28 (your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions…).  Both tend to be used as proof texts for the idea that God gives certain people (most commonly in leadership positions) visions of and for the future, which subordinates should gather around, and support.  While there may be a thread of truth in all that, the scope and magnitude to which it is promoted is at the very least exaggerated, and at times patently deceptive.

    The vision spoken of in Proverbs 29 is a present tense revelation from God, and this passage (verse 18) is simply pointing out that in the absence of such divine guidance, people will revert to what is right in their own eyes, which ultimately leads to death (Prov.14:12). 

    Too often, the “vision” presented by church leadership amounts to detailed plans, strategies and goals for the future, which almost always center on the building of their ministry.  Ostensibly, God will be gloried in that process.

    Visionary leaders can build strong organizations, beautiful facilities, and lasting legacies, but unless people are growing closer to the Lord, and are being transformed into His image, the Kingdom of God is not significantly impacted. Frequently, the followers of this type of leader are simply transformed into their image.

    In my own experience, I have found that the God who exists outside of time, who tells me not to worry about tomorrow, and who knows the end from the beginning, is not fretting about the future, or His ability to preserve me in the midst of adversity.  And that the God who offers us daily bread, and to be a lamp unto our feet, is not prone to give long term plans and strategies that would allow me to go very far without His direct interaction.  Indeed, man’s obsession with knowing and controlling the future is rooted in fear, and that spirit does not come from Him.

    What generally goes unspoken are the scriptures numerous warnings of how our pride and imaginations can lead us into deception.  Zechariah spoke of idols that speak deceitfully, diviners who see visions that lie, and tell dreams that are false (Zech.10.2).  Obadiah warned of how pride can cause deception of the heart (Obad.1:3).  Isaiah spoke of those who “prophesy illusions” (Isa.30:10).  Jeremiah warned of the delusions our minds can conjure (Jer.14:14), while Ezekiel spoke of those who prophesy out of their imagination (Eze.13:2).

    Given the scriptures emphasis on these, and many other warnings, it would seem vital to discern between dreams and visions which are birthed from the Spirit of God, and those which come from the fertile imagination of their host.  While imagination is a reflection of God’s creativity, it is also subject to the folly of our fallen nature, and is frequently a useful tool in the hands of our enemy.

    The people of Babel imagined that building a tower that reached the heavens would bring them fame (Gen.11).  Sarai devised a strategy to fulfill God’s promise to Abram (Gen.16).  Peter had a plan to protect Jesus (John 18:10-11).  And Saul imagined that he was serving God’s purposes by orchestrating the persecution of Christ’s followers (Acts 9).  Ultimately, they all found themselves in opposition to God’s will.

    On a more practical level, convincing folks to “serve the vision” generally has the effect of taking their eyes off the One who is the Author and Finisher of their faith, and the only One who has the words of life.  If the vision is truly birthed in the Spirit, He will guide them to their role within it.  Instead of teaching followers of Christ to “serve the vision”, we need to be teaching them to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, and that His sheep know His voice, they listen and they follow.

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