Expert Witnesses

“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 1:8

Yesterday I attended a local high school Mock Trial competition. Mock trial pits two schools against each other to try a hypothetical court case, and each team is rated on their ability to present their case as either the prosecution or the defense. Team members are cast as lawyers, defendants, and witnesses. They are scored on their knowledge of the case, how they articulate the facts and how their ability to follow proper procedure. The actual case is just a back drop and the verdict is not rendered and a winner is not declared based on the evidence.

My son is a member of his school’s Mock Trial team and he performs as an expert witness. His characters are medical experts tasked with communicating key facts to support the case. This activity requires a huge time commitment and hours of study, memorization and painstaking practice. It is very impressive to watch, as he and his teammates performed admirably. The caliber of their coaching and their dedicated preparation was obvious in how they carried themselves and how they presented their case.

As believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ we have the same key task to perform; we are commanded (Matthew 28:19-20) to be expert witnesses and share the Good News of salvation. We are admonished to “study to show ourselves” (2 Timothy 2:15), and we are expected to be “ready to give an answer” (1 Peter 3:15), and to “diligently seek” (Hebrews 11:6) after wisdom and knowledge from God’s Word. To be recognized as an expert witness you have to establish first your knowledge on a topic or subject, but you also have to have your credibility confirmed. The only way we can do both is to be in God’s Word, know God’s Word and apply it.

After one of their rounds in the competition the presiding judge commended them for at least showing up, and that they were winners for just doing that. He said that in life just showing up was half the battle. But he went on to say that one of the key things he hoped that they walked away with for the future is that wisdom and knowledge was at it’s best when it was put into application. This is no different than our walk with Christ; by showing up or accepting Christ as our Savior we are winners because we have God’s pardon, but what we do from that point on and how we apply the grace in which we stand is how we glorify God.

We are called to be witnesses; not of ourselves but of our new Master. We are witnesses and we are not Judge, Jury or the Prosecution. Jesus plays a dual role; His life and how He perfectly kept God’s law reveals our guilt and our inability to meet God’s standard. In that sense he is the prosecuting attorney. But through His sacrificial and atoning work on the Cross He provides a way of escape for the penalty of the law. If we place our faith in Christ’s perfect sacrifice He intercedes on our behalf (Hebrews 7:25) and through His blood we are justified and declared righteous. In this He is our defense attorney and He never loses a case!

What is our level of commitment and how much study and preparation do we put forth to be expert witnesses for Jesus Christ? Earlier I mentioned the coaching and training that was poured into the team. As parents are we devoting our time, energy and example to train our children to love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul and their mind? Are we being expert witnesses to what the Lord has done in our lives AND sharing the Gospel in our Jerusalem and Judea? We devote time, energy and resources to what we love, to what is important to us and what we derive satisfaction from. We have been bought with a price and we have much to declare and to share.

“I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” ~ I Corinthians 1:4-9

Conduct unbecoming

“So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” ~ 1 Peter 2:1-3

If you Google the term “Biblical Separation” one of the web sites that provides a definition is gotquestions.org. The definition provided is; “Biblical separation is the recognition that God has called believers out of the world and into a personal and corporate purity in the midst of sinful cultures. Biblical separation is usually considered in two areas: personal and ecclesiastical.” The personal tends to be related to conduct that does not match up with our preferences, standards or personal applications of scripture. The ecclesiastical in most (but not all) comes down to areas of theology and/or the nebulous term of “ worship practices”. Separation or disassociation with other Christians is practiced in varying degrees and in varying ways depending less on an objective standard, but more on how we were raised, where we received our education or what leader our Christian camp is associated with.

In my local Christian subculture the idea of separation over personal preferences and standards seems to be more pronounced than where I grew up. The topic of personal standards within Christian circles can at times get very heated. This is unfortunate as I personally believe we spend too much time and energy on things that are not doctrinal distinctives, or we argue among ourselves on things that don’t bring glory to the Gospel.

I grew up attending either an Independent Baptist Church or ones affiliated with the GARBC which is the northeastern version of conservative fundamentalism. While I grew up in conservative circles I must admit that when I attended college 27 years ago I did not know that things like hair length, mixed swimming, dating women of other races, Bible translations, watching girls athletics, face cards, shorts on women and men in public, stockings, skirts versus slacks, kulats for girls athletics, holding hands or public affection with my girl friend, collared shirts, jeans in church or going to the movies all had a direct correlation to your spiritually. Imagine my surprise when I learned that my parents, SS teachers, Pastors and other influential spiritual leaders had led me astray, and that people five states and 600 miles away could discern standing with God by a simple list of do’s and don’ts. Please notice my tongue firmly planted in my cheek when I say this.

Let me clearly state that I am a firm believer in standards and that the Gospel should change the way we live. We are called to be separated from our old sinful way of life and live a life to honor and glorify God. But a Christian’s life should be marked by being set apart for the Gospel, because we have been bought with a price, (1 Cor 6:20). If we spend any time reading the epistles we see that this is not a new phenomenon, and the Apostle Paul addressed these issues of strife and division over preferences in Rome (see Romans 14:1-15:1), Corinth, Ephesus, Colosse and Galatia. There is nothing new under the sun…

What I find perplexing is where the battle lines are drawn and what is seemingly ignored by believers who claim that the whole Bible is good for doctrine, reproof and correction. The norm tends to be that we shun, disassociate or separate company from other Christians over music preferences, clothing standards, entertainment choices or our interpretation of worldliness. But in the same breath we do not do the same over the sins of intolerance, bigotry, bitterness, fits of anger, slander and resentment. When was the last time we parted company from those exhibiting self righteousness, hateful or unloving actions, attitudes and speech, a refusal to accountable church membership, not loving our spouses like God commands, divisiveness, pride, selfishness, gossip, abuse of prescription drugs, dishonest or defrauding business practices, unforgiveness, and idolatry of job, money, a Bible translation, holiness standards, etc.? Most, if not all of these things are listed as not acceptable for Spirit-controlled or Spirit-filled believers to practice or to tolerate, yet they seem to be less important to root out of our lives and those in conservative circles than other sins. Jerry Bridges describes these all as “conduct unbecoming of a saint.”

In his book “Respectable Sins” Bridges devotes a chapter to Judgmentalism and he states; “The sin of judgmentalism is one of the most subtle of our “respectable” sins because it is often practice under the guise of being zealous for what is right. It’s obvious that within our conservative evangelical circles there are myriads of opinions on everything from theology to conduct to lifestyle and politics. Not only are there multiple opinions but usually we assume our opinion is correct. That’s where our trouble with judgmentalism beings. We equate our opinions with truth.”

Bridges goes on in the chapter to say; “Reverence for God…is not a matter of dress; it’s a matter of the heart.” He mentions that while certain standards may reflect a casual attitude toward God, he rightly acknowledges his (and my) lack of omniscience and the fact that we cannot discern this simply by conformity to a set of human standards. Bridges states; “It’s easy for us to condemn…obvious sins while virtually ignoring our own sins of gossip, pride, envy, bitterness, lust, or even our lack of those gracious qualities that Paul calls the fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23)” All I can say is OUCH!

I know I am guilty of this sin more times than I care to admit and I hide my “…judgmentalism under the cloak of Christian convictions.” I need to keep my eyes focused on Christ and work out my own salvation. I need to leave judgment to the only wise and righteous Judge and daily thank Him for His mercy and grace to me. I need to daily remind myself of what Jesus states in John 8:7; “"Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone..” We need to recognize that ALL sin is cosmic treason and ALL sin is a rebellion against God and His authority. We don’t get to pick and chose which ones are more or less heinous in God’s eyes.

“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.” ~ 1 Peter 2:9-11

Contending or Contentious

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” ~ Ephesians 4:29

On a recent flight I picked up one of those in flight magazines to kill some time and I came upon an article by Bob Sprankle titled “The Internet is Forever…Sort of” and he has some interesting comments.

“We are constantly telling our students to be careful what they post online because “nothing ever goes away on the Internet.” That photo of them at that keg party posted on Facebook could come back to haunt them later when they try to get into a college or apply for a job. Theoretically, this is definitely true. We have created a “collective” memory on the Internet. A photo can be copied—an endless number of times—and might never go away. For all intents and purposes, it’s permanent.”

Sprankle went on to share how a site called Déjà News made it easy to search archives of Usenet posts, and how Google later acquired Déjà News and other archives. By doing so Google made these sites available in its search engine so posts created as far back as 1981 could be accessed. Sprankle states; “Quite simply, many early users had not thought about their posts having such longevity, and there was an outcry of loss of privacy and control upon the realization that the content could now be “owned” and available through a search engine.”

This article alone should serve as a cautionary tale to us all about being wary about what we post or what we are “known” for. While I could probably devote an entire entry on our collective lack of discernment about posts on social networking pages, I actually have a more pointed plea to my fellow Christians. There is a far more troubling “search engine” that we many times fail to be cognizant of and that is how we are perceived or what message we convey to those who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Is our communication or Internet “talk” good for building up and giving grace to those who hear or see?

Just this last summer some dear Christian friends were making the tough decision about where to send their child to school and what grade they should enroll her in. All of a sudden the flood gates of self righteousness and slander were opened and this individual who was "Contentious for the faith" decided their social networking page was going to be his bully pulpit to decry the ills of the public school system. Motives were questioned and heart attitudes were lambasted repeatedly. We are all so quick to judge even when we don’t know the facts, and we equate our opinions with truth. I was encouraged that my fellow church members posted replies to show their loving, caring and kind understanding support to parents faced with a difficult decision. This did not dissuade the poster who twisted scripture to fit his personal preference and standard.

Besides forgetting every verse in the Bible warning against strife, causing division, pride and self-righteousness this individual also clearly forgot that social networks are public forums, and that not all connections have been transformed by the Gospel and have the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide them. This couple had unsaved family and friends who were literally blown away by the lack of love, respect and uplifting discourse. It didn’t matter than a half dozen or more fellow Christians were supportive; the one that stuck out like a sore thumb was the contentious believer.

I have sadly had similar experiences with well meaning Christians who have tried to hijack my social networking page to lambaste individuals, (that I have been witnessing to), about their political or social positions, or just have shown an unloving stridency in their comments. We all need to be on our guard within Christian circles to not fall prey to group think; “…a pattern of thought characterized by self-deception, forced manufacture of consent, and conformity to group values and ethics.” While our morals and values have been (or should be) formed by God’s Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit we need to remember that not everyone agrees with us. Is what we are saying, posting or blogging about framing the Gospel in the best possible light? The only group think we should be guilty of is a Philippians 2:1-18 type of testimony to the world.

When I started this post I referenced Ephesians 4:29, and in the book “Respectable Sins” the author (Jerry Bridges) states; “Corrupting talk is not limited to profanity or obscene speech. It includes all various types of negative speech…Note Paul’s absolute prohibition. No corrupting talk. None whatsoever. This means no gossip, no sarcasm, no critical speech, no harsh words. All of these sinful words that tend to tear down another person must be put out of our speech. Think about what the church of Jesus Christ would look like if we sought to apply Paul’s words.” Bridges goes on to state; “The questions we should ask ourselves about these kinds of comments are Is it kind? and Is it needful? By the latter, I mean does it really need to be said?”

The world is watching you and I closer than we know. Like me, you might not be guilty of outward sin and rebellion that is easy for all to see. If I am honest with myself I am crafty and I tolerate “Respectable Sins” and they do more harm to the cause of Christ than I may ever know. We all need to stop and think before we are the stumbling block that gives the offense to the Gospel.

“I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.” ~ 1 Corinthians 1:10

Shock and awe

"I believe that Christ died for me because it is incredible; I believe that He rose from the dead because it is impossible." ~ A.W. Tozer "The Knowledge of the Holy"

The term “shock and awe” was coined in 1996 by two military strategists from the National Defense University of the United States. They defined it as; "to affect the will, perception, and understanding of the adversary to fit or respond to our strategic policy ends through imposing a regime of Shock and Awe." They went on to further define it as; “"impose this overwhelming level of Shock and Awe against an adversary on an immediate or sufficiently timely basis to paralyze its will to carry on . . . [to] seize control of the environment and paralyze or so overload an adversary's perceptions and understanding of events that the enemy would be incapable of resistance at the tactical and strategic levels."

While this policy has been used very effectively by the US Military establishment I would like to point out that this has been used more effectively on a spiritual level; in the New Testament of the Bible. The four gospels and the Pauline epistles are filled with real life stories that shocked the perceptions and understanding of the religious establishment and in some cases seized control of the environment and overloaded perceptions and understanding of events and rendered those who came in contact with it incapable of resistance. The Gospel was and is shocking and for someone transformed by it’s power it should drive us to a daily humility and be awe inspiring!

Recently our Pastor preached on the incarnation and birth of Jesus Christ from Matthew 1 and he pointed out some of the shocking statements in the narrative. At this time in history there were certain groups who were viewed with suspicion and disdain; shepherds, magi and women. Shepherds and women were not allowed to testify in a Jewish court and magi would have been lumped in the category of Gentiles (non-Jews) and sorcerers. These were not the heralds we have would picked, not the way to grab an audience’s attention and not who the “religious” would identify with as a source of credibility for the Messiah. (Check out Tyndale's NT Commentary on Matthew by R.T. France...)

Yet when we think about it the entire Bible and specifically the New Testament is filled with story after story of this type of role reversal and startling visuals.

• Jesus called 12 ordinary men to be His disciples, none that the world would have considered great, scholarly or worthy of such a high calling.
• Dining with Zaccheus the social outcast and tax extortionist ally of the Romans.
• The Prodigal Son where a son disrespects his father, cannot wait for him to die and demands his inheritance, wastes it on sinful pleasure and yet is welcomed back with open arms by an undignified father who ran to meet him.
• The Good Samaritan that tells of an enemy of “the righteous” from a mixed heritage and heretical background knows more about love and compassion than the religious and law abiding. (Gordon Fee states that in our society today it would be like telling a fundamentalist that a gay activist or atheist knows more about love than us…)
• Jesus mingling with those considered ceremonially unclean and being labeled “friend of sinners.”
• Jesus speaking to the woman at the well or not joining in to stone the woman caught in adultery.
• And the ultimate; the shocking and humble death on the Cross of a Messiah that was supposed to conquer and kill the enemies of the righteousness.

This is just a short list and it doesn’t even touch on the fact that God used the chief persecutor of the early church as the one who was shocked on the road to Damascus. Paul was so paralyzed and overloaded by mercy and grace that it caused him to serve the rest of his life in wonder and awe as the “chief of sinners.”

In our day to day existence do we forget the shock and awe of the Gospel? The Gospel can stand on its own merit without knowing any of the cultural background or how shocking many of the actions and statements that Jesus Christ made would have been to a 1st Century reader. We don’t need to know the historical or cultural underpinnings of the Bible to have it affect our will or seize control of us but as we grow in our understanding of grace it cannot help but strengthen our faith and draw us closer to God.

“For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” ~ 1 Corinthians 1:17-25

What is your creed? Part 3

The Apostles Creed is probably one of the oldest recited creeds, dating back to the 1st Century (about 140 AD). The legend was that the creed took shape at the dictation of the Twelve Apostles, each of whom contributed a special article. Thus, Peter, it was alleged, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, commenced, “I believe in God the Father Almighty”; Andrew (or according to others, John) continued, “And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord”; James the elder went on, “Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,” etc. This legend is not older than the 5th or 6th centuries. This is purely legend and cannot be substantiated through scripture.

Singer and songwriter Rich Mullins put the Apostles Creed to music and it is one of my favorites.

Creed by Rich Mullins

I believe in God the Father almighty
Maker of Heaven and Maker of Earth
And in Jesus Christ
His only begotten Son, our Lord
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit
Born of the virgin Mary
Suffered under Pontius Pilate
He was crucified and dead and buried

CHORUS:
And I believe what I believe
Is what makes me what I am
I did not make it, no it is making me
It is the very truth of God and not
The invention of any man

I believe that He who suffered
Was crucified, buried, and dead
He descended into hell and
On the third day, rose again
He ascended into Heaven where
He sits at God's mighty right hand
I believe that He's returning to
Judge the quick and the dead
Of the sons of men

CHORUS:

I believe in God the Father almighty
Maker of Heaven and Maker of Earth
And in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son,
Our Lord
I believe in the Holy Spirit
One Holy Church, the communion of Saints
The forgiveness of sin
I believe in the resurrection
I believe in a life that never ends

I believe it, I believe
I believe it, I believe
I believe it, I believe it

I graduated from a non-denominational Christian University and before chapel each day we would recite the University Creed. In coming freshman were required to memorize it and also write it word perfect as part of orientation class. It is very similar to the Apostles Creed;

"I believe in the inspiration of the Bible (both the Old and the New Testaments); the creation of man by the direct act of God; the incarnation and virgin birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; His identification as the Son of God; His vicarious atonement for the sins of mankind by the shedding of His blood on the cross; the resurrection of His body from the tomb; His power to save men from sin; the new birth through the regeneration by the Holy Spirit; and the gift of eternal life by the grace of God."

I mentioned in my previous post that this can be and was initially inspirational but as time went on I was struck by the robotic or mechanical nature in which we recited it. In his song Rich Mullins states; “…I did not make it, no it is making me…” meaning that our Creed, what we believe should change or conform us to the image of the one we claim to believe in. Is your Creed “making you”? Is it making you and I echo the words of the Apostle Paul in Galatians 2:20 or is it just business as usual?

“Go put your creed into your deed, Nor speak with double tongue.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

2 Peter 1:16 “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.”

What is your creed? Part 2

“A son should inherit his father's money - not his religion; he may be too lazy to build upon a new fortune but never too slow to catch up with a new creed.” ~ Anonymous

“My creed is that; Happiness is the only good. The place to be happy is here. The time to be happy is now. The way to be happy is to make others so.” ~ Robert Green Ingersoll

Yesterday I commented on creeds or core sets of beliefs that form our basis for life and through which we filter the world. Just as a reminder; Creed comes from the Latin word credo to believe, trust, entrust; akin to Old Irish "cretid" or he believes. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines it as; “a brief authoritative formula of religious belief and a set of fundamental beliefs; also: a guiding principle”

Is our creed negotiable or flexible based our circumstances, financial situation or who we are around? Do you have a certain “moral flexibility” that allows you to blend in like a chameleon with both Christians and non-Christians?

The first quote about children should not inherit their parents “religion” apparently was the case of Robert Green Ingersoll. Ingersoll was an orator and American statesman noted for his broad range of cultural topics and his defense of atheism and agnosticism during the mid to late 1800’s. According to his bio on Wikipedia his creed or outlook on religion was formed at a very young age;

“His father, John Ingersoll, was an abolitionist-leaning Presbyterian preacher, whose radical views forced his family to move frequently. For a period of time, Rev. John Ingersoll filled the pulpit for American revivalist Charles G. Finney while Finney was on a tour of Europe. The elder Ingersoll's liberal views were a source of constant trouble between him and his parishioners. They…several times made him the defendant in church trials. His ministerial career was, in fact, substantially brought to a close by a church trial which occurred while he was pastor of the Congregational Church at Madison, Ohio, and at which his third wife appeared as prosecutor. Upon this occasion he was charged with prevarication and unministerial conduct. The Madison trial occurred when young Robert was nine years old, and it was the…treatment his father received which made him the enemy, first of Calvinism, and later of Christianity in its other forms."

It would appear that John Ingersoll’s creed was based more on his social and political activism than on his ministerial calling. The fact that his third wife was his prosecutor only adds to the incongruity of the story. The end result was that his son Robert became an avowed agnostic who boldly pronounced that happiness and not placing faith in God is the only good.

My children were required to memorize catechisms at their Christian school from kindergarten up to 6th grade. The name of this class section has now been changed to Bible Truths I guess to avoid any confusion with ritual memorization associated with the Catholic church. A catechism is defined as; “oral instruction, a manual for catechizing; specifically: a summary of religious doctrine often in the form of questions and answers, a set of formal questions put as a test: something resembling a catechism especially in being a rote response or formulaic statement.”

I asked my teenage children one morning if they remembered any of the catechisms from their elementary days. Sadly they could remember only one or two. One said that they remembered more geography, (states, capitols and country names) than catechisms. Another stated that teachers told them to memorize them and recite them for more than just a grade but didn’t really take the time to explain them. The other said that for a child between the ages of 5 and 12 they were difficult to understand because they were in Old English, and that his teachers never took the time to explain or define words like justification, sanctification, propitiation and other Biblical terms. I am not using this as a forum to criticize the teachers because as a parent I am more than culpable (Deut 6:5-7) for not explaining these terms to them and allowing them to mechanically memorize something that they clearly didn’t understand or appreciate. The question for each of us is do we understand these terms and can we articulate what they are or how they are achieved?

Wikipedia states; “The purpose of a creed is to act as a yardstick of correct belief. The creeds of Christianity have been drawn up at times of conflict about doctrine: acceptance or rejection of a creed served to distinguish believers and deniers of a particular doctrine or set of doctrines. For that reason a creed was called in Greek…meant half of a broken object which, when placed together with the other half, verified the bearer's identity.” As an example the Nicene Creed which was written in 325 AD was to address the Arian controversy that questioned the divinity of Jesus Christ and contradicted the doctrine of the trinity.

Ravi Zacharias has stated that there comes a point in time in every child’s life where "just because I say so" needs to give way to thoughtful discussion and rational explanation. “Because I say so” works in the formative years and around the dinner table, but when a teen or young adult is asked for an explanation of why they have a conviction, preference or standard by peers or the unsaved “because I say so” (or that is what my parents, church or educational institution says) is not a going to be compelling or convincing to anyone. Parents need to be grounded enough in their convictions and know why they believe what they believe or why they have a standard to be able to verbalize it. How are we aiding and developing our children's spiritual discernment if we prescribe standards and preferences without the coupling of a reasoned answer based on clear, solid and defensible biblical truth?

“Some that will hold a creed unto martyrdom will not hold the truth against a sneering laugh.” ~ Austin O’Malley

What is your creed? Part 1

“There lives more faith in honest doubt, believe me, than in half the creeds.” ~ Alfred Lord Tennyson

“Whatever our creed, we feel that no good deed can by any possibility go unrewarded, no evil deed unpunished.” ~ Orison Swett Marden

“I Believe” -- Anonymous

* I believe that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

* I believe that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

* I believe that true friendship continues to grow even over the longest distances. The same goes for true love.

* I believe that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

* I believe that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

* I believe that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

* I believe that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

* I believe that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

* I believe that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take it's place.

* I believe that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

* I believe that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

* I believe that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

* I believe that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.

* I believe that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

* I believe that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want him or her to doesn't mean they don't love you with all he or she has.

* I believe that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

* I believe that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

* I believe that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

* I believe that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

* I believe that you shouldn't be eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

* I believe that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

* I believe that your life can be changed, in a matter of hours, by people who don't even know you.

* I believe that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

* I believe that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

* I believe that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.


Last summer I read this posted on the wall of a sandwich shop in Watertown, WI while eating my lunch. The most ironic thing is that while I was reading this the PA system was blaring “Sympathy for the Devil” by the Rolling Stones. I would be surprised if most would not agree with the sentiments of the words expressed, but I couldn’t stop thinking about them later that evening and thought that they fell a little short of being truly deep, meaningful or of lasting value.

We all believe in something. The word “creed” comes from the Latin word credo and means to believe, to trust, a set of fundamental beliefs or guiding principles. At my alma mater we would recite “The Creed” before each chapel service. At first it was inspiring and encouraging to hear 5,000 people in unison expressing their verbal commitment to a shared belief. But as time went on it became rote and robotic and even I felt like they were just words that I needed to get out of the way before we could get on with my day.

I believe there are two key questions we need to ask ourselves; first is there a God? It is the ultimate and unavoidable question because how you answer that question determines your fundamental beliefs and becomes the guiding principle for how you live your life. You may try to deny it but everyone makes a choice on this question either consciously or unconsciously.

Once you have answered that question you move on to the second life changing question. If there is a God what does He expect of me? Our view of God and the answer to that question again forms the guiding principles on how we chose to live our lives. If we have gone as far as accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior what then? Have we spent any time pursuing God to better grasp His nature?

Malachi 3:6a “For I am the LORD, I change not…”

So what do you believe? What is your Creed?

Earn your voice.

"And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all." ~ Mark 10:44

"...those that would lead must first learn to serve." ~ Leroy Eims "The Lost Art of Disciple Making"


♫You and me we use so very many clumsy words.
The noise of what we often say is not worth being heard.
When the Father’s Wisdom wanted to communicate His love,
He spoke it in one final perfect Word.

He spoke the Incarnation and then so was born the Son.
His final word was Jesus, He needed no other one.
Spoke flesh and blood so He could bleed and make a way Divine.
And so was born the baby who would die to make it mine.♫

We all want to have a positive impact or influence on those we come in contact with. Sometimes our desire for influence is motivated out of love and wanting the best for others, but sadly many times that desire is not rooted in a spirit motivated to lovingly correct, but more concerned about flaunting our self righteousness and exercising our “authority”. We think that because we are armed with biblical truth or a personal application of God’s Word that we should be heard. Not just heard but we want our pronouncements to bring about the change we believe that other individual or individuals need to follow right that very minute.

What we fail to recognize is that while we all wholeheartedly agree that God’s Word will not return void and that the Gospel should change everything; many times we have not earned the right or the credibility to confront other followers of Jesus Christ.

Last year our Pastor challenged those in positions of church leadership to earn our voice. He reminded those holding the office of deacon did not automatically bestow upon you authority or credibility. Typically those that hold the office have to meet the criteria spelled out in scripture before most Gospel believing churches would allow them to serve. But the key thing to keep in mind is that the word deacon in the Greek means “to serve” and in the New Testament church they were tasked with taking on the service of the church and to literally “wait tables” to free up the Apostles and Pastors to study and preach.

How do we, you and I, earn our voice? There are many facets to this and it varies from person to person. The men and women that I have come to respect; those who have earned their voice with me are fellow believers (and Pastors) who have invested personally in me. Not just by sharing with me sound doctrine and teaching, but those who have taken the time to pour themselves into me. This has come either by spending one-on-one time with me and helping me through my struggles, listening to me when I have a besetting sin and not quick to judge but showing me Christ-like compassion and patience. They were “soft” when the situation called for it, but direct and frank to admonish me when I needed to be called out for a wrong action, attitude or motive. There was a balance…call it the Velvet Hammer…gently thumping me when I needed it but thumping me none the less.

Earning our voice came also come from faithfulness; faithfulness that is marked by remembering others in prayer, as well as faithfulness in service to the church and your fellow believers. If you are not consistent in your testimony, consistent in your church attendance, (week in and week out), how do you expect to earn your voice? Have you shown yourself available, open, vulnerable and honest about your struggles or do you simply think it is your place to point out to others where they are “spiritually lacking.” If you and I want to reach your fellow believers or the lost world we must first show them we have a loving concern for them. Otherwise we are just sounding brass and tinkling cymbals.

We also need in our minds redefine what a “friend” is; “…one attached to another by affection or esteem; one that is not hostile; a favored companion.” We all have many acquaintances or people we know in our daily life, but we have few true friends. Why do we act so surprised when we question someone’s personal standards and they react negatively? Maybe we have not earned our voice and lack credibility to speak at all.

One final thought; make it a point to seek out other believers that DON’T always agree with you on everything. If all we do is surround ourselves with people that think and act the same way as we do how will we ever know if we are spiritually in a ditch and just guilty of group think versus having this mind in us like Christ Jesus…

Having the title of "leader" or thinking yourself to be wise does not automatically grant you "street cred". “Love and respect do not automatically accompany a position of leadership. They must be earned.”

Proverbs 27:6 “Faithful [are] the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy [are] deceitful.”

Are you being served?

The glory of the gospel is that when the church is absolutely different from the world, she invariably attracts it. ~ David Martyn Lloyd-Jones

It seems that all too often we approach church like we approach dining at a restaurant. What is on the menu; e.g. what programs or outlets for “fellowship” does it offer? What level of service does it provide; e.g. do people make ME feel welcome or do they go out of their way to make MY experience satisfactory? Am I satisfied with the service and are the “portions” too much (preaching is too long), or insufficient for my tastes? If my needs have not been met do I complain to the manager (Pastor) or take my business elsewhere (change churches).

Sadly we seem to expect church to cater to our self-centeredness and selfish desires to be stroked, entertained, coddled and served. We hear people comment that the other members are not friendly to them, there is not enough “fellowship”, nobody reaches out to them or nobody talks to them. Since when did church become a place for our needs alone to be met? Why are we so focused on others serving us and not reciprocating?

Our Savior came to serve us, (read John 13) but in return He expects us to serve others and ultimately serve Him in the process. Fellowship, encouragement, prayer, love and edification are supposed to be mutually beneficial and not a one way street.

Part of the problem it seems is that we have a warped definition of fellowship. To be sure one of the benefits and outcomes of true fellowship in the Gospel is the union and bond we have in Christ. This unity leads us to love and enjoy the company of like minded saints. I personally relish the opportunity to get together with other Christians and enjoy a meal, share a laugh and just bask in their companionship. But that is NOT what true Christian fellowship is or how it should be defined.

If you look up the passages in the New Testament where the word fellowship is used, (Act 2:42, 2 Corinthians 8:4, Philippians 1:2-5 and 1 John 1:3, 6-7) you will see that the believers did not get together in the fellowship hall and have a dish to pass dinner. In Acts 2 it states that they; “…continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread and in prayer.” The Greek word for fellowship is defined as; “the close associations between persons emphasizing what is common between them; by extension: participation, sharing, contribution, gifts, which is the outcome of such close relationships.” It is above all a deep sharing and partnership in doctrine, prayer and love because of the Gospel.

We have reduced fellowship into a coffee clutch, sports activities, entertainment and game night. Too be sure these are not bad things and I am all in favor of Christians enjoying one anothers company. But true fellowship in the Gospel means that you will discuss God’s Word, what the Lord is doing in your life, what the Bible has taught you this week or what truth from the preaching of God’s Word encouraged you, (or maybe even stepped on your toes...) If our “fellowship” has no spiritual dimension or aspect to it then we are hard pressed to classify it as continuing steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine and in prayer.

As a side note; when you ask for prayer do you in turn ask your fellow believer if he or she has any requests you can pray for? When you tell someone that you will pray for them do you actually follow through and pray, and then ask them at a later date if the Lord has answered that prayer? Again, fellowshipping in the Gospel means we show our love for the Father by showing our love for the saints.

Finally, the next time you start to think of your church like a restaurant; get up out of your seat and find someone lonelier than you, shyer than you or weaker than you. Extend yourself to others and you won’t be the one being served but you will be serving others and more than likely bless in the processes. For true fellowship in the Gospel take the initiative and talk with others about what the Lord is doing in your life.

♫We've been blessed to be a blessing
We've been loved to give His love
Made it mighty
So we can fulfill His call
We've been blessed to be a blessing
With enough to give enough
For the greatest in His kingdom
Is the servant of us all♫

Why do the Religious rage

I cringe sometimes when I read or hear what we Christians say or how we view those who have not accepted Christ. Truth be told I am more times than I care to admit included with those who have a wrong view. I see or hear those that we have been commanded to share the Gospel with called many names or their moral failures turned into a joking matter. We call them many names including idolaters, pagans, heathens, baby killers, fornicators, adulterers and any other description of sin we can think of. Without a doubt God cannot tolerate sin and He hates sin, but He is also not willing that any should perish and showed and continues to show them great mercy, patience, long suffering and grace.

Next time you want to witness to an unsaved co-worker or neighbor why not try walking up to them and start the conversation with this ice breaker; “Hello Mr. Whoremonger, I want to tell you about faith in Jesus Christ.” How far do you think that conversation will go and how interested will that individual be in what you have to say? I am using hyperbole here but the point I am trying to make is that do we by our self-righteous attitudes, conversations and arrogance give off the impression that we are morally superior because of our faith in Christ?

When we read through the Gospels we see that Jesus reserved his most cutting remarks and righteous indignation for the religious leaders and those who claimed to be righteous based on their empty religion. Look at His interaction with the woman caught in adultery, the woman at the well, Zaccheus and the thief on the cross. Not a word of castigation or denouncement is uttered, but supreme love and compassion is shown to those who are social outcasts.

What about the Apostle Paul? Didn’t he rail against the world in his epistles? He listed off many of the sins I mentioned earlier but he reminded us; “…and such were some of you.” It is also important to keep in mind that these were letters to CHURCHES or bodies of believers. This should serve as a reminder to us that even though we may have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior we still have the capacity to commit the very sins we wring our hands and wag our tongues about. Do we forget that we set up idols of our jobs, praise of men, personal holiness standards, knowledge or even Christian service? Do we remember that we are warned that committing the sin in our mind is the same as actually committing the act? Do we lack humility and forget the gift of mercy and grace that we have been granted?

We need to approach the lost with humility and recognize that we have achieved nothing on our own. We daily rely on the Holy Spirit and the grace in which we stand to keep us from making idols, thinking impure thoughts, lying or hate. The unsaved world is not the enemy they are the mission field. Having a wrong view and approach of those apart from Christ is antithetical to the Gospel.

Having compassion for the lost and dying world is what brought about Christ’s death on the Cross. God is not willing that any should perish…are we hoping they will and get what we think they deserve?

In his book “The Jesus You Can’t Ignore” John MacArthur states; “Jesus way of dealing with sinners was normally marked by such extreme tenderness that he earned a derisive moniker from His critics: Friend of Sinners (Matthew 11:19). When He encountered even the grossest of moral lepers (ranging from a woman living in adultery in John 4:7-29 to a man infested with a whole legion of demons in Luke 8:27-39), Jesus always ministered to them with remarkable benevolence—without delivering any scolding lectures or sharp rebukes.”

If there is therefore no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus consider this; those apart from Christ and alienated from God are already under God’s condemnation and wrath. What makes us think we need to pile on and that OUR condemnation is either justified or of any eternal value? Maybe we would do well to pray for them and care for their souls rather than condemn.

Marked by Joy

The growth of Christianity in the 1st Century was remarkable. The early church was shockingly different from the rest of society in how they lived, their love for one another, and how they cared for the downtrodden or outcasts of society. Everything I have seen or read about this era leaves me with the distinct impression there was very little to feel a sense of peace, hope or joy about. Most of the early churches were made up of slaves or people ostracized for their faith, by their families and former subculture.

Yet despite the conditions of death, disease, high taxation, and fear of government persecution the early church was marked by joy. This joy was fully rooted in the knowledge of their new condition, new acceptance, new master, new status and new standing with God through Jesus Christ. They had the knowledge that in God’s economy that they were free from bondage to sin, no longer doomed to eternal suffering, and no longer strangers or aliens to God. But now they were partakers of a glorious hope; joint heirs with Christ and heavenly sons and daughters.

The Greek word most frequently used for joy in the New Testament is CHARA which means cheerfulness, calm, delight, gladness, great (or exceeding) rejoicing or happiness. So if this is the mark of a believer and we share with them the same standing with God why are we often so unhappy? Why do we see so many joyless believers in the body of Christ?

In his song “Know You in the Now” singer/songwriter Michael Card sings; “Could You tell me why, Was if for this you came and died, A once a week observance when we coldly mouth your words…” Do we sing songs like “There is Joy in Serving Jesus” or “The Joy of the Lord is My Strength” through clenched teeth? Is the joy of our salvation evident in our daily interaction with both our fellow believers and those who have not accepted Christ? Is our lack of calm, happiness or cheerfulness written all over our faces when we face adversity or challenging circumstances?

There is a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance so please don’t misunderstand what I am trying to say. I am not advocating that believers should just screw on a happy face or mask our pain just to keep up appearances. There is real pain and suffering in this world and some experience it in a higher degree than others so I am not trying to minimize that in the least. But can we echo the Psalmist in Psalm 30:5 and despite our sadness recognize that joy comes in the morning because of who God is and what He has done for us. He has solved the greatest dilemma we will ever have to deal with in the person and work of His Son, Jesus Christ.

There is a distinct difference between real sorrow and grief and a lack of joy because of discontentment or discouragement with God’s will and God’s sovereign plan. I think this quote captures the idea far better than I can articulate it:

“Discouragement is dissatisfaction with the past, distaste for the present, and distrust of the future. It is ingratitude for the blessings of yesterday, indifference to the opportunities of today, and insecurity regarding strength for tomorrow. It is unawareness of the presence of beauty, unconcern for the needs of our fellowman, and unbelief in the promises of old. It is impatience with time, immaturity of thought, and impoliteness to God.” -- Dr. William A Ward

If we are called to have this mind in us which was in Christ Jesus…who for the joy…endured the cross and despised the shame, why shouldn’t our lives be marked by joy. The Bible Expositor’s Commentary states this about Hebrews 12:2; “Jesus went to the Cross because of the joy it would bring. He looked right through the Cross to the coming joy, the joy of bringing salvation to those He loves.”

Joy is infectious and it draws the world to Christ like a moth to a flame. If they see those who have allegedly changed by the Gospel walking around dispirited, grouchy, grumpy and joyless more times than they ought why would they want what we have? Joylessness is already their current condition so why would they want more of the same? If your life in Christ is not marked by joy, maybe you should ask yourself why not? In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead and we are complete in Him, (Col 2:9-10), what more can we ask for that He has not already given…

"But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you." ~ Psalm 5:11

The Debt I Owe

“What we do in life echoes in eternity.” ~ Maximus Decimus Meridius

I am indebted to a woman I have never met. Before you jump to any conclusions please let me explain. Her name is Ethel Slate and it was through her persistence and testimony that my father and my grandparents came to hear the Gospel.

We probably all have played with dominoes as children. We carefully line them in a row, sometimes in an elaborate design or maybe just a straight line. Then when the moment is just right (or before the dog or a sibling knocks them over) we hit the first one and watch them tip over one-by-one and see the end result. Ethel Slate is the first domino that started bringing many trophies of grace to the Lord.

My father was born in Waverly, NY in 1937. He was the oldest son of a family of four children. My grandfather Bill was not a Christian and neither was his wife Thelma. In the 20’s my grandparents were quite trendy and would dress up to go out dancing and to party. After they got married my Grandfather bought a farm in Catatonk, NY. During that time you did not have tractors and all of the modern convenience that you have on a dairy farm today. You plowed with horses, milked by hand, and pitched hay onto the wagons with a pitch fork. There were no days off and you worked seven days a week because cows cannot milk themselves.

The farm next door to my grandparents place was owned by the Slate family. The mother’s name was Ethel Slate. She was a Christian lady, the mother of three children and married to an unsaved man. In 1948 she started inviting my father, uncle and two aunts to go to church and vacation Bible School. In March of 1949 when my father was 12 years old an Evangelist named James Calhoun from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago came to town to hold a revival meeting for one week. He preached about how that the only way to go to heaven was to acknowledge that you are a sinner, and that there is nothing you can do to make yourself acceptable to God. He told them that they only way to heaven was to place your faith in Jesus Christ as your savior and to accept the gift of salvation that is graciously offered through Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross for the sins of the entire world. He told them about the three year ministry of Jesus Christ and how His brief life on this earth echoes in eternity. I am thankful to say that on March 14, 1949 that my father and grandmother went forward to be saved and two days later my Grandfather went forward to accept Christ as his Savior.

All of my aunts and uncles and their children eventually accepted Christ as their Savior and on November 11, 1982 so did I.

I have never met Ethel Slate, but I know that one day I will meet her in heaven and I can thank her. Because of her testimony and the grace of God four generations of my family are going to heaven. Ethel was a faithful Christian who was bold in her witness despite her own challenges within her own personal life. Ethel Slate had three children and only one of them was a Christian. Her husband’s name was Harley and he did not get saved until much later in life when one of his grand daughters was hit by a car in Candor, NY.

I am indebted to Ethel Slate, but I owe an even greater debt that I cannot repay to Jesus Christ. “O to grace how great a debtor, daily I’m constrained to be. Let thy goodness like a fetter bind my wandering heart to thee.”

Do you ever think back to the time you accepted Christ and thank God for the church, pastor or individual that was "ready to give an answer"? Their faithfulness will echo in eternity to the glory of God. Will the life we lead or the boldness we have echo in eternity?

Grace, ‘Tis a Charming Sound

"If your preaching of the gospel of God's free grace in Jesus Christ does not provoke the charge from some of antinomianism, you're not preaching the gospel of the free grace of God in Jesus Christ." ~ David Martyn Lloyd-Jones

How can we not love the word grace? It is probably next to love the greatest word in any language. We throw it around haphazardly with nary a thought. If you look it up in the Merriam-Webster dictionary it means “unmerited divine assistance.” Let that wash over you and meditate on that thought…we often in our daily life forget the unmerited nature of the great forgiveness we have been given. We talk it high and lofty platitudes about it but are so quick to not love others as Christ loves us, or extend them unmerited grace or human assistance when they have had a moment of weakness or fallen short of the mark.

The divine assistance is something we all so greatly need, but also sadly forget is granted to us minute-by-minute each and every day.

Love is the hand and grace is the glove and they fit together beautifully. Please forgive my poor pun but to borrow from Johnny Cochrane; when it comes to the grace, the glove fits and God will acquit! The love of God and the merciful grace we have been extended acquits us and we are declared righteous through the blood of Christ. How can that NOT make us be filled with joy and gratitude on a daily basis?

I love the acrostic for G.R.A.C.E. that I was taught; God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense. Why is Amazing Grace such a popular and powerful song even to those who have not accepted Christ as Savior? We ALL go through life longing for grace to be extended to us, all the while subconsciously knowing in a truly honest moment that we do not deserve it. I embrace this truth but forget to extend grace to the lost and dying world or to look for evidence of grace in my fellow believers.

To be honest I don’t think I can truly appreciate the grace that has been extended to me. In my minds eye I cannot grasp how great is my sin and how totally repugnant to God I am apart from Christ. The Apostle Paul captures it beautifully when he calls himself chief of sinners. It was not a boast or an attempt of false humility; Paul was being completely honest with God and with himself when he acknowledged that in God’s eyes we are ALL the chief of sinners and we have ALL been forgiven for so, so much. I think C.J. Mahaney captures the attitude of Paul when he wrote; "Those who know true joy in the midst of suffering are those who recognize that, in this life, our suffering is never as great or as serious as our sin."

When I was younger my obedience and following of rules was driven by guilt, fear, the expectation of my parents and religious subculture and a begrudging feeling of obligation. I didn’t do it out of any sense or acknowledgement of the mercy and grace that had been granted to me. I had the opportunity to be discipled through the book of Galatians for a year and it was like I had heard the Gospel all over again, but this time through the leading of the Holy Spirit I was diligently seeking rather than going through the motions. It was like I rediscovered grace for the first time and that realization became my Magnificent Obsession…to thank God through my obedience because of grace and not because of guilt, fear or obligation. I am still a work in progress but I LOVE grace and I LOVE the Gospel. I need unmerited divine assistance to just make it through each day.

On a daily basis we need to preach the Gospel to ourselves and let the knowledge of God’s grace wash over us like a flood. Let grace be your motivation to obey, to pursue holiness, to love your wife as Christ loved the church, to put up with that annoying co-worker, pray for that fellow Christian who is all truth but no love, and to show compassion to the graceless world. Let grace do it’s perfect work in you, and me…

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

Call your bluff

There is a line in the song "Stay Strong" that goes; "Your in the moment now when all that you have been blessed with is not enough, here's where the ground gets loose, here's where the devils call your bluff. Stay strong You are not lost Come on and fix your eyes ahead There's a new dawn to light our day, our day You've gotta stay strong You and I run For the prize that lies ahead We've come too far to lose our way, our way."

When I was very young I grew up in a predominately Catholic neighborhood. All of my friends but one were practicing Catholics and I was the lone Baptist. (As a side note I thought we Protestants got a raw deal...when my Catholic friends had their First Communion they had a party and got gifts...we got bupkis) :-) Anyhow...I used to tell my buddies all the time that I was not afraid to die because I had accepted Jesus and I knew I would go to heaven when I died. I must have said it to them all too frequently and with an arrogant attitude because one day my bluff was called. I was crossing the street and not paying much attention and nearly go hit by a car. The shock and fear at my near death experience was written all over my face for all to see. My friend Peter piped up and said; Hey, Mitch I though you weren't scared to die?!?

While I am not advocating playing in traffic I think we as believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ need to be cautious to not approach those who have not accepted Christ with a nonchalant or arrogant demeanor. The Devil and those who do not know Christ as their Savior are looking for kinks in our spiritual armor and they are watching us very closely to see how we will react to both the good and bad experiences of life. Is our faith established and firmly rooted or our our roots at surface level. Are we like the hardwood tree with our roots sunk deep into a deep relationship with God or are we like a pine tree with roots in the red clay? A big wind of tragedy, suffering or disappointment comes are way and we are blown over and our roots are exposed.

The Lord saw fit to call my bluff some years ago and the perfect storm hit me and I crumbled. My casual Christianity didn't help me stay strong and I knew there was no going back to the status quo.

I am so encouraged by my fellow believers who have gone through the trials of life and have testimonies that shine. I pray that when the devil calls my bluff that I will stay strong. Each and every one of us will eventually face that watershed moment in our faith. Will you and I be firmly rooted and able to withstand the storm?


Jeremiah 17:7-8
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

Mow your lawn

Recently I had lunch with two good friends and the subject of local high school football came up. We have a mutual acquaintance who coaches a high school team in an affluent school district. Try as he may, the coach diligently works to inspire the players to excel, to give their total effort and to work hard to improve. But sadly this high school coach acknowledges that despite all of his encouragement and cajoling of his players the motivation just does not exist as compared to players from a less pampered upbringing. The coach said with some resignation; “…I can’t expect much from kids who don’t even mow their own lawn.”

As we age we all tend to sound like our parents before us and shake our heads at the next generation. But it does seem that we are raising a generation of kids that are not challenged academically, not asked to work, not held accountable for their actions and expect things to just get handed to them. College professors have commented to me that their students approach them with statements of unfairness in their expectations, that they are too demanding and that they are entitled to a college degree without working for it.

But before we get too judgmental on the younger generation we need to ask ourselves what type of example we are setting for them especially when it comes to spiritual matters. Is that how we approach our spiritual life sometimes; we don’t mow our own lawn? We come to church each Sunday and sleepily watch as the Pastor presents the Gospel, we listen mindlessly to the choir sing or to the special music, or half listen as the Sunday school teacher toils to keep us awake and focused. How disheartening it must be for a Pastor to look out over the congregation and see us nodding off, looking at our watches, day dreaming, scanning the audience or with an expressionless look of boredom.

After we leave the church grounds do we stop to admire or consider “the lawn” that the Pastor has just mowed for us? Or do we walk right by into our daily life and never give it a second thought? Just like the beauty of a fresh cut lawn and the smell of grass clippings we should savor the experience and breathe in God’s Word. Otherwise what is the point?

It must come as little surprise to Pastors when they see people struggle in their Christian walk. We fail to own our faith, know what we believe, (or WHY we believe it), how we got the Canon of scripture, or think that doctrine and theology are reserved for Pastors to understand. Do we say in our inaction; “Thanks Pastor for mowing the yard…see you next week” or “Next time can you mow it like this” or “Hey you missed a spot…”

When we make our children memorize 2 Timothy 2:15 why don’t we take it to heart as well; “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

The next generation will take things only as seriously as the example we set. Own your faith…mow your own lawn!

Bring them Peace

Leonard Ravenhill wrote in Why Revival Tarries (p.32):

"Charlie Peace was a criminal. Laws of God or man curbed him not. Finally the law caught up with him, and he was condemned to death. On the fatal morning in Armley Jail, Leeds, England, he was taken on the death-walk. Before him went the prison chaplain, routinely and sleepily reading some Bible verses. The criminal touched the preacher and asked what he was reading. "The Consolations of Religion," was the reply. Charlie Peace was shocked at the way he professionally read about hell. Could a man be so unmoved under the very shadow of the scaffold as to lead a fellow-human there and yet, dry-eyed, read of a pit that has no bottom into which this fellow must fall? Could this preacher believe the words that there is an eternal fire that never consumes its victims, and yet slide over the phrase without a tremor? Is a man human at all who can say with no tears, "You will be eternally dying and yet never know the relief that death brings"? All this was too much for Charlie Peace. So he preached. Listen to his on-the-eve-of-hell sermon:

"Sir," addressing the preacher, "if I believed what you and the church of God say that you believe, even if England were covered with broken glass from coast to coast, I would walk over it, if need be, on hands and knees and think it worthwhile living, just to save one soul from an eternal hell like that!"

When I first read this excerpt from Ravenhill’s classic I was truly rebuked. For so long my life was marked by an uneasiness about sharing my faith, especially with unsaved family members, co-workers or neighbors. It is actually easy to share the Gospel with people in planes or who you don’t know. You likely will only see them for 2 or 3 hours at the most and don’t have to worry about if they think you are weird or a fanatic. Ah, but family and those close to you are a completely different story. The know your shortcomings, inconsistencies and history. But none of these reason absolve us from sharing the Gospel with any and all who are in need of the free gift of grace. Mark 8:38 has no loop holes and no exceptions.

Today I am filled with mixed emotions; this afternoon is my Uncle Walter’s funeral and while I mourn his loss I can rejoice because he is today in heaven listening to the angels sing “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” The Lord granted me the supreme gift and highest honor of sharing the Gospel with my Uncle and I just stood by and watched in awe as God pursued and drew my Uncle to Himself and the Holy Spirit convicted him of his need of a Savior.

If you have a loved one or close and dear friend don’t let time pass without sharing what Christ has done for you and how He has changed your life. The most sobering thought to me is that what if someone I know or a family member catches my eye at the Judgment Seat of Christ and looks at me with the painful realization that I could have told them about Christ. Praise the Lord that I will not have to face that withering glance when I see my Uncle Walt. I look forward to seeing him again some day in Heaven. Today I don’t say goodbye but simply “so long for now…”

Walter Lee Ott
Born: September 24, 1940
Died: February 10, 2010


For more on Charlie Peace visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Peace

Born: May 14, 1832
Died: February 24, 1879

Do I Know You? Part 2

Yesterday I touched on the Last Supper and how Jesus informed His disciples that one of them would betray him. To continue on that thought; what is more remarkable to me is that the disciples didn’t instantly suspect Judas. But apparently they missed the warning signs just like we miss them in our own life. The name “Judas” has become synonymous with betrayal and deceit and corruption and greediness and carnality. From what little we now know on this side of history, we presume that Judas was the quintessential, self-serving used-car salesman and as easy to pick out of a crowd as they are in their plaid suit coats and loud ties. But the reaction of the disciples tells a different story–-each of them considered themselves as capable of such treachery as Judas. There is no evidence anywhere in scripture that Judas was singled out by the disciples as the culprit. He was just another disciple – learning, growing, impetuous, trying, failing, fumbling, fickle, weak… just like all the rest. It can reasonably be assumed from Matthew 17 that all the disciples must have been given power to do miracles. If Judas had been excluded, doubts and questions would have flooded the minds of the remaining disciples, especially Peter. I can just hear him asking, “Lord, what’s the deal with Judas? Why can’t he do any of this miracle stuff? Is there maybe something fishy going on with him?” Isn’t it amazing that those who walked with Jesus and would later comprise the foundation of the Church (Eph. 2:20) were unable to differentiate between the true worshipers of God and those who were wolves in sheep’s clothing?

How quick are we to identify what we perceive to be the Judases in our circles? When betrayal and deceit are the sermon topics, do we bow in humble acknowledgment of the Jeremiah 17:9ness of our own hearts or do we immediately begin pointing and asking, “Is it him? Is it her? Is it them? Where are they Lord, I’ll take care of ‘em for you!”

I recognize that Judas was part of God’s divine plan and his betrayal was prophesied in the Old Testament. I would assume however that Judas had a natural devotion to Jesus, but that devotion was likely motivated out of the personal benefit. Maybe Judas thought he could cash in on when Jesus is named the Messiah and over threw Roman rule. Something analogous to supporting a candidate during the primaries so you can get a seat in his cabinet or a lucrative post. Oswald Chamber’s states; “…Natural devotion may be enough to attract us to Jesus, to make us feel His irresistible charm, but it will never make us disciples. Natural devotion will deny Jesus, always falling short of what it means to truly follow Him."

For those who have been predestined from before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4) to be conformed to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29), who have been called and justified (Rom. 8:30), who have been given the down payment of their inheritance (Eph.1:13-14) in the Spirit to empower them and the Word to equip them, who have heard the sayings of Jesus and done them (Matt. 7:24), who have experienced the transforming promise that He who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:6), to these awaits the warm welcome of Him who became sin (though he Himself never sinned) for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (II Cor. 5:21). He says, Welcome! I have always known you and I set my affection on you (Eph. 1:4-6). I have pursued you and drawn you to myself, and made you alive so you could respond (Eph. 2:1-2). While the weakness of your flesh made you groan along with the rest of the sin-cursed creation (Rom. 8:22-23), my love eventually won you over. Now you are eternally set free from the curse, both your spirit and your body (Rev. 21:4, 22:3). Now enter into my joy, full and overflowing (I Pet. 1:7-9).

I know you!

Note: This post is based on a devotional originally prepared and presented on 12/08/05 by my friend Rudy Estelle who graciously allowed me to reprint it. His original post can be found on euchatastrophe.com

Do I Know You? Part 1

Matthew 7:21 Not every one that says to me, “Lord, Lord”, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

This is one of the scariest verses in all of scripture – especially when it is interpreted with no special regard for the whole of scripture. These words were spoken to the multitudes (including the disciples) by Jesus in His “Sermon on the Mount.” Warnings about false prophets precede this verse and of course, Christ frequently had biting words for the scribes and Pharisees, (the religious leaders of the day). So these sorts of people tend to be the ones we think of when we read this verse. But look at how those closest to Jesus interpreted these chilling words.

In Luke 22:21 Jesus and the disciples are gathered at the last supper and He says, “…the hand of him that will betray me is with me on the table.” In other words, “One of you who has been calling me Lord, Lord for the last three years is going to betray Me tonight.” Their reaction deserves some reflection, “…they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing.” Now that’s not so hard to believe in itself, though we might expect that they would more readily tend to suspect someone outside their group. But Mark records that they even began to look to themselves as suspects. “And they began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it I? And another said, Is it I?” ( Mark14:19). This is remarkable in at least two respects:

First, it’s remarkable that the disciples apparently recognized within themselves the capacity for betrayal. Though they still had over-inflated opinions of there own importance, (Luke 22:24…, which of us will be greatest in your kingdom?), there was sufficient awareness of their own hearts’ condition that they would look within and see the capacity for such appalling self-deceit. While we may loathe Judas and any who take up his mantle, how honest are we in our self-assessment? We believe we have studied to show ourselves approved and done all these good works in His Name, yet when Jesus quietly, piercingly tells us that there are betrayers in our midst, do we honestly look WITHIN and tremble as we acknowledge that potential? Is our first response to flee to Jesus and plead His blood or, like the Pharisees, do we broaden our phylacteries (i.e. trot out our “religious” acts or piety) and widen our hems and thank God that we are not like the publicans and sinners, who obviously are the betrayers?

Or are we like some “Cosmic Hall Monitor” who list off in our head that it must be this one or that one rather than hear the prophet Nathan’s words ringing in our ears in 2 Samuel 12 ”thou are the man…” When we rest on our “religious” laurels and fail to remember that at any given moment we have the capability and capacity to betray God in our actions or inaction we have forgotten that scores of saints like David, Moses and Peter who far more righteous than any of us will ever be, yet in moments of weakness buckled. We can all be thankful for their examples that even though they failed God they were still vessels for His use.

Note: This post is based on a devotional originally prepared and presented on 12/08/05 by my friend Rudy Estelle who graciously allowed me to reprint it. His original post can be found on euchatastrophe.com

Rubber Dummies

Background; prior to the D-Day assault at Normandy, Allied bombing attacks were twice as high at Calais and on the day of the invasion Rubber Dummy paratroopers were dropped to confuse and distract the German forces so they would think twice before committing troops to a given area. The Germans were convinced that Calais was where the real invasion was going to take place even when they saw with their own eyes the Allied Armada steaming towards Normandy.

Recently I was listening to the podcast of “Let My People Think” with apologist Ravi Zacharias in which he shared lessons learned from the allied invasion at Normandy during World War II. One of the tactics the allies used was to drop, ahead of their advance on a particular town, a large number of rubber dummies in parachutes, rigged with explosives and firecrackers. The German defenders would often spend most of their ammunition on this ruse, shooting at rubber dummies while remaining completely unaware that the real enemy was yet to attack.

The analogy he used was that many times followers of the Gospel of Christ are like the German’s and rather than focus on the real issues like glorifying God or sharing the Gospel, we get caught up wasting our time and focus. What is our rubber dummy within the body of Christ are wasting all our attention on or “shooting all our ammo” at? Are we consumed with political activism or social causes? Are we trying to legislate morality on people who do not have the benefit of the Holy Spirit? Are we cloistering ourselves away from the world in all avenues of our life rather than being salt and light? Is it a particular Bible translation? Is it hair length, dress codes, form of worship or church traditions? Is it affiliations, associations or things that are not doctrinal distinctives but personal preferences? I am not insinuating these are bad things, and setting ourselves apart as a people consecrated to God is not wrong, but are we wasting our ammunition on internal bickering rather than focusing on true worship and what brings honor and glory to God?

The next time you get yourself spoiling for a fight take a step back and ask yourself; is this a rubber dummy or is this something foundational and non-negotiable in defense of the Gospel? Am I wasting my ammunition of time, money, attention and God-given talent on a rubber dummy while the enemy is sneaking in the backdoor while my focus is elsewhere?

I Peter 5:6-8

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour

Strange bedfellows

I have been thinking about politics lately, not really out of an overwhelming desire or because I find it so riveting. The exact opposite is true; I find politics mildly amusing but for the most part it ranks in the same category as watching figure skating or ice dancing. It is something to be endured and if possible ignored and avoided at all costs. Don’t get me wrong, I attempt to be politically knowledgeable and try to keep up on what legislation is up before Congress and how it will affect my pocket book. Other than that I really don’t find it interesting. My wife on the other hand is a political junkie. She watches enough cable news programs and listens to enough talk radio for the both of us. She is fascinated with it and can spend hours on blogs and political web sites and clicks on the links to the various editorials and political pundits and soaks in the news like a sponge.

I log onto Facebook and my senses are assaulted with invitations to this group and that group bemoaning the current administration; or status updates questioning the legitimacy of this policy or that and frequent updates on how many days to the next election. What puzzles me is this; if we as followers of Christ and people transformed by the Gospel believe that God is sovereign, and that He sets up and takes down authorities and that we have no fear of the government because nothing can pluck us out of God’s hand, why do we expend so much time, energy, money, angst and grey matter on politics? Before you go all postal on me please hear me out.

If on any given day or week we were to log the amount of time we spend watching, listening, reading, blogging or pondering the political landscape and in that same time span calculated the amount of time we spend praying, reading our Bible, sharing the Gospel or listening to preaching what would the results be? Would we be able to document that our time focusing on God exceeds the time we spend on something like politics?

We tell our children in our churches and chapels that they need to “redeem the time” or that they should not waste their time watching TV, playing video games or involved in activities that honor and glorify God. But how do we spend our time? What is the thing that is foremost in our thoughts? Will God commend us when we stand in His presence for the time we spend being politically active? I don’t know…

Here are some quotes to ponder;

“We can’t protect or expand the cause of Christ by human political and social activism, no matter how great or sincere the efforts.” ~ John MacArthur

“There is certainly no prohibition on believers being directly involved in government as civil servants, as some notable examples in the Old and New Testaments illustrate…The issue again is one of priority. The greatest temporal good we can accomplish through political involvement cannot compare to what the Lord can accomplish through us in the eternal work of His kingdom.” ~ John MacArthur
“A politicized faith not only blurs our priorities, but weakens our loyalties. Our primary citizenship is not on earth but in heaven. ... Though few evangelicals would deny this truth in theory, the language of our spiritual citizenship frequently gets wrapped in the red, white and blue. Rather than acting as resident aliens of a heavenly kingdom, too often we sound [and act] like resident apologists for a Christian America. ... Unless we reject the false reliance on the illusion of Christian America, evangelicalism will continue to distort the gospel and thwart a genuine biblical identity.....American evangelicalism is now covered by layers and layers of historically shaped attitudes that obscure our original biblical core.” ~ John Seel

Do our politics serve as a way to frame the Gospel? Would our comments, posts and strident rhetoric repel or attract the lost to the Gospel? I am not espousing a head in the sand position or complete ambivalence to politics and I commend those called by God to serve. But have we supplanted God in our affections and subconsciously become like the world in placing our hope and trust in political action, a party platform and a specific candidate to right the wrongs and bring America back? The only One powerful and sovereign enough for that must sit on His throne and laugh.

The only point I am trying to make is that there needs to be a balance and maybe we should all do a self evaluation of where we invest our time, energy and emotional capital.

One small step...

I decided to write a blog for some reason I cannot fathom. The minute you think you have something worthy to say many people will chime in and tell you otherwise. I think it is more than anything a mental outlet of sorts; and I have often thought I sound much more intelligent on the printed page rather than in person. Maybe this is another one of my delusions of grandeur and this blog will just serve as confirmation of what most people already think of me, but so be it. I titled it “Idyllic Ramblings” I guess for the reason that the definition of “idyll” according to Merriam-Webster is “..a simple descriptive work in poetry or prose that deals with rustic life or pastoral scenes or suggests a mood of peace and contentment.” So far so good…I think the words “simple” and “a mood of peace and contentment” are fairly good descriptions of my personality. The definition of “idyllic” is “…pleasing or picturesque in natural simplicity.” The pleasing part is I guess mainly to me since it will probably bring me more joy than the unfortunate souls that may stumble across it. The word rambling is probably more apropos for anything I would write on my blog since it is defined as “…to move aimlessly from place to place” and “…to talk or write in a desultory or long-winded wandering fashion”. If you stay tuned to my blog I will promise that I will move aimlessly from subject to subject and my wife and children can readily attest to the fact that I am verbose in both speech and in my written word. Brevity is not something I have been blessed with, but still waters run deep.

I will likely write about various topics that I find of interest or even those that I find totally disinteresting and downright tedious. My only request is that you not take me too seriously as my tongue is typically planted firmly in my cheek, and also keep in mind that if I ask a rhetorical question or ask you to ponder a spiritual truth it is probably because the Lord has convicted me of being guilty of the very thing which I am rambling on about. So the journey begins…