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Our Walk With Christ Requires Perseverance

2008-06-28T08:22:00.000-04:00

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12:1)

There are times in my Christian walk when I wonder why I ever became a Christian. Salvation may have been free, but living the Christian life has cost me dearly. I've lost good friends, dropped some old habits, and stood up to speak against lifestyles to which I was once fiercely loyal and with which I saw nothing wrong. I've always understood how someone would question how a man could change so much because I look in the mirror and ask myself the same question.

Please don't confuse my frustration with anger. What I'm feeling has nothing to do with anger. I am frustrated because I realize how tough it is to live the Christian life. Indeed, Jesus made a supreme sacrifice so I could enjoy the fruits of Christian living. But, his call on my life also requires that I endure hardship along with fruit. And sometimes, I just want to throw my hands up in the air and say, "Lay off God, I've had about all that I can take."

My faith has already taught me that it's much easier to live the life of a sinner than that of a Christian. The first thing I noticed when I became a Christian was that just about everyone else, including Christians, didn't think that I should make the same mistakes as they made. When I got saved I was told, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". (Romans 3:23) But after I got saved, it seems Christians often criticize me for making some of the same mistakes that I've seen them make. To what kind of family do I now belong?

I guess the hardest thing I've had to do as a Christian is look my friends in the eye and take an action that I consider to be right even when it may not appear to be in their best interest. In fact, I probably need to start telling them that what I like most about our Christian faith is the peace I have when I know I've done the right thing instead of the popular thing. And if they decide that our friendship cannot weather my decision to hold fast to my Christian principles, then I'm not sure I should ever have called them a friend anyway. Perhaps they expected something from friendship that is wrong to ever ask a friend to give.

The truth is that none of us is a perfect Christian, including me. In fact, living a Christian life forces us to learn how to develop a faith that will enjoy the good times and persevere when things go awry. We are no different from Christ, so we, too, are expected to face trials in life. And just like Jesus, someone may misunderstand or disagree with our actions.

Our walk with Christ will always require perseverance. It's part of the process of becoming more like him. That why James says, "Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:4). It's God's way of telling us that we haven't arrived yet. In other words, there are some things that can only be learned from hard living. And God loves us enough to make sure those opportunities come our way, too.

Christian Conflict: God Empowers Us To Act Like Him

2008-06-21T18:52:00.000-04:00

“Just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do." (I Peter 1:15)

Several years ago, I was involved in settlement negotiations over some litigation that had been working its way through the courts for a lengthy period of time. I realized as I sat through an afternoon of discussions that the very principles, which originally prompted the lawsuit, had somehow gotten lost among all of those lawyers. While they argued over legal fees, the real issues about which we were supposed to be fighting no longer seemed to enjoy the priority that they deserved. In frustration, I told the judge that the case should be settled on the basis of what was best for the clients and not the lawyers. Indeed, the whole thing had taken a life of its own.

I thought about my life as a Christian and wondered if the lesson that I had brought from this experience could have any application in my own Christian walk. After all, Paul tells us in II Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come." In other words, I have a choice to substitute godly qualities for human qualities. As a Christian, I have an opportunity to show that my devotion to the real issues never comes second.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:15 that Christians should always seek to handle their disputes privately. "If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone." His charge to us is not an option. He commands us to "go".

Can you think of an occasion in your own Christian experience when you failed to live up to that command? I can and I can tell you that while the Christian will ultimately forgive it and sometimes forget it, the unbeliever never will. Just think, others may not come to know Christ because of our failure to show that as Christians we choose to resolve our differences through Christian love. "Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind." (I Peter 2: 1)

Paul warns us that using the legal system to resolve disputes between believers can often take a life of its own. He encourages us to seek other remedies and urges us to re-think our Christian conduct when differences between Christians occur. "When any of you has a grievance against another, do you dare take it to court before the unrighteous..." (I Corinthians 6:1). In other words, while our legal system will solve our disputes, the judge and jury may not be Christians and may not be sensitive to Christian values. "I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to decide between one believer and another, but a believer goes to court against a believer--and before an unbeliever at that?" (I Corinthians 6:5-6)

There's nothing Satan loves to see more than two Christians fighting with each other. It helps him to convince the unbeliever, who often watches Christians go at each other from the sidelines, to focus on the problems of the church rather than its purpose.

Do you remember when Peter turned his back on Jesus? He promised Christ one night that he would never deny Him. But Jesus told Peter that he would deny Him not once but three times that very night.

Peter never lived up to his promise. However, he realized like all of us that putting Christian principles to work doesn't come overnight. In fact, he later wrote about it. "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness, and to goodness, knowledge, and to knowledge, self control; and to self control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (II Peter 1:5-8)

Like Peter, we need to learn that the power to change doesn't come from within us. It comes from God.

God Is Faithful Through The Storms Of Life

2008-06-14T07:13:00.000-04:00

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” (Psalms 37:74)

We live in a world that teaches us that we are at the center of whatever success or failure we experience. You know the old saying, "There’s nothing you can’t accomplish, if you put your mind to it."

That all sounds real good, but it’s not true. Actually, it’s a form of humanism and we are peppered with it every day. So it’s no wonder we often face problems in our own lives with the notion that we can find the solutions.

We believe that we do not need any help, even God’s. Yet, when we realize that our problems are larger than our ability to handle them, it’s then that we turn to God. Unfortunately, it’s often too late for him to repair the damage that has been done.

The Bible is full of stories about men and women who thought they had all the answers, only to find out that they could not save themselves from what life brought their way. It’s the very foundation upon which the Plan of Salvation is built. God’s hope is that all of us will eventually realize that we can never save ourselves from our own pride and folly.

True salvation can only come if we realize that we are born to sin, will continue to sin and will never be able to solve the problems that come from a sinful nature. That’s why Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life." (John 14:6) In other words, all Christians ultimately understand that most problems, in and of themselves, have no real solutions. The real peace and joy comes not from life, but from the relationship we have with God, who loves us in spite of ourselves.

As Christians, we have to place our trust not in what we know, but in what we believe. That’s why the Bible describes faith as "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1) Indeed, the Apostle Paul was right. "We live by faith, not by sight." (2 Corinthians 5:7)

I don’t have to read the Bible to understand about the faithless. I simply need to look at my own life. It seems I spend far too much time trying to see God rather than learning to feel his presence and understand that he has always been there to help me, if I would just ask.

There’s a lady in my hometown who is like a mother to me. She lost almost everything she owned in Hurricane Floyd. There she sat in her apartment, unaware that floodwaters were inching towards her front door. By the time she finally noticed, water was filling the apartment and no one was in sight.

"The only thing I could think to do," she told me, "was to get a flashlight and keep shining it out the window. But no one was around. I just prayed that God would save my life."

She had no other choice but to wait on God’s amazing grace. But I’ve known her all my life and I’ve watched God save her time and time again from all the travails that life has brought her way. The difference between her and most of us in this world is that she never intended to rely on anyone but God in the first place.

So there my friend stood in her flooded apartment standing in water that was almost up to her neck. Most of us would have given up on God by now, but not her. God brought someone her way and saved her just in the nick of time.

When the first Sunday that followed Hurricane Floyd came around, she wasn’t feeling sorry for herself. She had nothing but rags to wear to church that morning. "If all I had to wear was my petticoat, I was going to church to praise him for saving my life. He isn’t looking at what I’m wearing anyway. God looks at the heart."

I don’t’ know whether there’s a hurricane in your life or not, but I know the one who made it. Ask him to save you and wait on him, even if the water is almost up to your neck. Remember what Jesus said, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:8)

The Real Blessings Of Life Come Through Faith

2008-06-09T11:15:00.000-04:00

"By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward." (Hebrews 11:24-26)

Hardly a day goes by that we don’t receive some kind of sweepstakes offer in the mail. Invariably the offer promises that I am the “lucky winner of one of one of several prizes”. Becoming a little cynical, I no longer complete the entry forms or buy their magazines to heighten my chances of winning. Experience has taught me that no matter how good their promises sound, they are simply not true.

The Christian world is really no different. Some preachers promise God’s blessings as confidently as these mailings promise a free gift. Just like the sweepstakes’ spin masters, they tell us that if we follow the instructions, success is assured. They would have us believe that if we are obedient and loyal to God’s Word, then his blessings will flow.

The main problem with today’s “prosperity gospel” is that Scripture doesn’t support it. In fact, it doesn’t matter whether you read the Old Testament or the New Testament, the verdict is the same: A problem-free life is not promised for the Christian. That’s why the psalmist said, “I know, O Lord, that your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness you have afflicted me.” (Psalms 119:75)

When our Lord presented himself as Israel’s Messiah, the Jew of his day thought about God’s blessings primarily in terms of the here and now. They counted their blessings, and their curses, in physical or material terms. God’s blessings were weighed by works and not by grace. They taught that the Jew who prospered was righteous while the Jew who suffered was a sinner.

Jesus turned their teachings upside down. It was the poor, hungry, and sorrowful who were “blessed”. Conversely, it was the rich, well fed, and happy who were cursed. He even warned them, “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.” (Luke 6:24-25)

Unfortunately, many Christians today view God’s blessings the same way the Jew of Jesus’ day viewed them. When affliction and adversity come into our lives, very few of us pray for God’s grace or ask him for the wisdom, patience, and endurance to persevere. Instead, most of us ask God to take away the pain or remove the circumstance.

C.H. Spurgeon once remarked, “When we suffer, we do not ask God for the mind of Christ, or the ministry of the Holy Spirit, we ask God to bless us by giving us a life free from the pain and sorrow we are currently experiencing. And in doing so, we actually miss the blessing God has for us in affliction.”

Asaph noticed in Psalm 73 that the wicked seem to prosper while the righteous suffer. The truth is the suffering of some Christians should be no more troublesome to us than the success of some Christians because neither God’s blessings, nor his wrath, will be fully manifested in this life. Only in eternity will the full blessings of God be poured out on his children. It is also in eternity where the sinner will see God’s wrath. That’s why the writer of Hebrews said, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

Believing In God Is Not Enough

2008-05-31T08:12:00.000-04:00

“Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.” (1 John 5:10)

A friend was recently lamenting to me that many of our churches hardly ever mention Jesus in their services anymore. “A lot of church members believe all you have to do to go to heaven is die.”

Sadly, he’s right. In fact, a recently released survey by the Barna Research Group provides some surprising, if not shocking, insights about what Americans think when it comes to religion. While four out of every ten Americans call themselves born-again Christians, some of their beliefs don’t quite line up with Scripture. For example, only one-third (32%) of all Americans claim they have an obligation to share their faith with those who believe differently; slightly more than a quarter (27%) believe Satan is real; and seven out of every ten believe that good works will get you into heaven.

Christians have watered down the Gospel so much that while we believe in God, some of us don’t believe God. At least that’s what the Barna Group found. Less than half of all adults (41%) believe the Bible is totally accurate and only forty percent (40%) believes that Jesus lived a sinless life during His thirty-plus years on earth.

The irony is there couldn’t be a better time to straighten out some of these misunderstandings. Americans are preoccupied with the future. Many are taking second looks at their lives, wondering if their priorities are in the right order. Interesting, isn’t it? In spite of what we’re going through the Bible reminds us that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

Perhaps what we really need to do is start over, go back to ground zero, and ask ourselves if we were saved to begin with. Do you remember asking God to forgive you for your sins? Did you ever ask Him to come live in your heart? If you didn’t you’re not saved, and you can play church ‘til the cows come home, but when your time’s up, your not going to get a ticket to heaven just because you were a nice person.

Salvation is easy, as long as we place our pride aside and admit we can’t control what’s going on in our lives. Given what’s going on in our country right now, that’s pretty easy to see. So if you believe in God, you need to believe Him, too. After all, it was God Himself, in the Person of Jesus Christ who said, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” (John 3:3)

If the very thought of not being born again frightens you, do something about it right now. Before you put this newspaper down, repeat this prayer:

“Dear God, I want to be sure that I have a tomorrow. I want to be free from the worry and anxiety that is troubling our country. I want to feel peace that transcends all understanding. I know I have failed you, and I am grateful that you hung all the wrongs I’ve committed or ever will commit around the neck of your Son so that I may have eternal life. Please forgive me. Come into my life, and fill me with the joy of knowing that I can call myself your child.”

If you prayed that prayer and really meant what you said, you no longer have to worry about heaven. It’s no longer just a hope, it’s now a promise, one of many about which you’re going to learn, none of which will ever be broken. Welcome to the family!

The Righteous Are in Need of a Savior, Too!

2008-05-26T20:36:00.000-04:00

“Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.” (Genesis 6:9)

Several years ago, my wife and I took a trip to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Lancaster County is widely known as “Amish Country”, but we found something much more memorable.

Right there among the Amish, nestled in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is the Millennium Theatre, a 2,100-seat state-of-the-art facility presenting Christian drama at its best. We’ve never seen anything like it. It was amazing.

The Millennium Theatre produces musical presentations about Bible heroes; and like the Apostle Paul, they, too, are not ashamed of the Gospel. We saw “Noah” and were absolutely amazed by the Hollywood-like use of technology. There we were sitting in the middle of the Ark, surrounded by animals of every species. Lions and tigers and bears, Oh My!

But it wasn’t the technology that we will remember most. Sure, technology enhanced the story, but it was the story that we most enjoyed; and while it was sprinkled with some events that the Bible does not record, it very accurately told the story of Noah, one of only a few men that the Bible says was a righteous man. Noah trusted God and spent over a hundred years building an Ark to avoid the death and destruction that a sinful world had brought upon itself.

The play doesn’t cover very much of what happened after the flood, but Scripture records that Noah planted a vineyard and later became drunken from wine he had made. Truth be told, the Bible says that Noah was naked and drunk, both to the embarrassment of his sons.

Tell me, why would the Bible record such a story so late in the life of Noah, especially since God had declared him righteous in His own sight? My wife says that Noah underestimated the process of fermentation in his new world. “Maybe wine wasn’t that strong before the Flood.”

Maybe so, but that’s something we won’t know on this side of Heaven. I believe, however, there’s another reason why Noah got “naked drunk”. For one thing, he was human, not divine. It was an outward and visible sign that Adamic sin was still with us.

But there’s a greater reason why I believe the Bible records this disappointing event in the life of such a righteous man. Noah’s indiscretion is a reminder that even the most righteous of us still need a savior. Indeed, it’s not our works that will get us into Heaven, which is why the Bible says, “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.” (Romans 3:20)

What will get us into Heaven? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

If you would like to visit the Millennium Theatre, or its sister facility, Living Waters, you can find out more about them on the Internet. Just direct your browser to www.bibleonstage.com.

Frequently Asked Questions About Heaven

2008-05-17T08:11:00.001-04:00

“And He carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.” (Revelation 21:10)

It’s not Magic Kingdom. It’s a real place - a home. And while John the Revelator does his very best to describe it, the truth is Heaven is beyond description. Our language simply doesn’t have the words to describe it.

The songwriters often refer to it as a “city foursquare,” which comes right out of scripture. Indeed, the Bible says Heaven stretches 1500 miles in every direction. Did you know that if you allowed 50% of its area for its golden streets, there would still be enough room for 9 quadrillion rooms 30 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 30 feet high? Jesus promised that he would go and prepare a place for us. Boy did He ever live up to that!

It may be hard to describe Heaven, but there are more than a few verses that answer some of the most frequently asked questions about Heaven. I thought you might enjoy what the Bible has to say to some of the questions we all ask from time to time.

1. Will we cry in Heaven? We’re often told that there are no tears in Heaven, but Revelation 21:4 says, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” I certainly don’t want to split hairs over it, but if there are not tears in Heaven, there are sure some at Heaven.

2. Okay, maybe there be a tear or two shed when we arrive, but will there be pain and sorrow? Absolutely not! The Bible says without reservation, “There shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)

3. Will people in Heaven watch over us here on Earth? I think so. If they’re not watching, how can “there be more joy over sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:7)

4. Will my family and friends who are already there recognize me? Of course they will. In fact, the Apostle Paul said at 1 Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I am also known.”

5. Will time exist in Heaven? Sure it will. Revelation 8:1 says, “When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” But you know what? Squire Parsons, who wrote “Sweet Beulah Land”, was right all long. Time won’t matter any more.

6. Is there marriage in Heaven? No. The Bible is clear: “For in the resurrection, they neither marry nor are given in marriage.” (Matthew 22:30)

7. Will we have real bodies? You bet we will. Paul put it this way. “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to himself.” (Philippians 3:20-21)

8. Will we really have our own place? That’s a promise that came directly out of the mouth of Jesus. “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:2)

There’s much more in the Bible about Heaven. Open it and read about Heaven. You’ll enjoy the promises.

Why Doesn’t God Part The Red Sea For Me?

2008-05-10T08:03:00.001-04:00

“He sighed deeply and said, ‘Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it’." (Mark 8:12)

When I was in graduate school, I took a course in organization theory. In the early weeks of the semester, I realized that I did not have so much as a clue as to what that course was about. The readings made no sense and the lectures were even more confusing.

I finally worked up the courage to go see my professor. I was embarrassed to admit that I was lost, but I decided to just come out with it. “Don’t worry”, he said, “you’re right where we want you.”

I am going through a similar experience now in my Christian walk. In my effort to deepen my walk with the Lord, I have become more than a little confused by some things that the Lord has allowed to happen in my life. Somehow I think the Lord, much like that college professor, has me right where He wants me, too.

A lot of Christians, including me, would like for the Lord to be more demonstrable with both His presence and His will for our lives. However, if you are waiting for the Lord to come down and tell you what to do, the way he told Moses and the Israelites, it’s probably not going to happen.

Philip Yancey points out in his book, Disappointment with God, that crystal-clear clarity from God does not promote spiritual growth. “It may…get a mob of just-freed slaves across a hostile desert, but it does not seem to encourage spiritual development. In fact, for the Israelites it nearly eliminated the need for faith at all; clear guidance sucked away freedom, making every choice a matter of obedience rather than faith.”

The Old Testament is full of stories that support Yancey’s claim. Exodus 32 records that when Moses descended from Mount Sinai with two tablets containing the Ten Commandments, the very people to whom God had revealed himself were dancing like heathens around a golden calf. “When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain.” (Exodus 32:19)

God didn’t play hide-and-seek with the Israelites. He parted the Red Sea, gave them water from a rock, and filled their stomachs each day with manna from heaven. Why he even put a cloud over their tabernacle and moved the cloud when he wanted them to pack up their tents and move. In spite of all the signs and wonders, the Israelites did not praise the Lord and invite his presence. Instead, they openly rebelled and feared the loving God that had delivered them from bondage. Indeed, as Yancey puts it, “God’s visible presence did nothing to improve lasting faith.”

As much as I want God to be more audible, I also know that my faith will go nowhere if I allow him to make the choices for me. You see God wants us to focus on him and not on his signs and wonders. He wants us to trust him, even when we can’t reach out and touch him. The Bible says it another way, “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” (Psalms 62:8)

Great Commission Is Not Just For The Church

2008-05-04T18:36:00.000-04:00

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:18)

Southern Gospel songwriter Phil Cross tells a great story about growing up in a small northwestern Georgia town. One of his neighbors, a pastor as I recall, had a small AM radio transmitter in his home. Every morning, he would awaken early, turn the transmitter on and deliver his sunrise sermon to his listeners. “Hello world,” he would always begin. Cross later reflected on that memory. “He was lucky if someone two blocks away could pick him up. But, he did his part in his world to spread the Gospel as only he knew how.”

We should be so faithful. The above verse, referred to in many circles as The Great Commission, commands believers to spread the Gospel. Yet, very few of us, I regret to say, are doing it. The truth is we have relegated evangelism to either the church or the televangelist.

Jesus did not command the church to evangelize. He told his disciples to “Go.” It wasn’t a request. It was a command. In other words, these are marching orders given to those of us who consider ourselves soldiers for the Cross. If we’re Spirit-led and Spirit-abiding, we must be willing to do our part for the cause of Christ.

Obviously, our church must be willing to do its part in helping to train all of us in how to go about the business of spreading the Gospel, but don’t rely on the church to do the work for you. The real fruitful work comes from rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty. Here are three reminders for those of you who don’t feel that you measure up to the task:

1. Keep your perspective: We may never have the ability to reach an audience the size of a Billy Graham Crusade, but we can have just as much influence in helping to change a life. Christians are not saved by the thousands; they are saved one at a time. The soul that is liberated at a Billy Graham Crusade is no more important to God than the soul that is saved in your living room.

2. Don’t underestimate God: When the whole question of salvation came up with His disciples, Jesus told them, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” (Mark 10:27) We need to remember this verse when we experience feelings of inadequacy. The truth is God is the one in the saving business. We’re just stagehands.

3. Stay in your world: The best place to win others to Christ is right where you are - your own neighborhood, church, or workplace. These people know you. If you’re serious about Jesus, they have already noticed that something is different about you. As Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

When it comes to soul winning, we tend to overemphasize ability and underemphasize availability. The first step in the decision to help others find Christ is realizing that all God really wants from us is our willingness. As the Bible says, “But now, O Lord, you are our father. We are the clay; and you our potter; and all we are the work of your hand”. (Isaiah 64:8)

Jesus Offered Hope To The Woman At The Well

2008-04-26T14:48:00.000-04:00

“Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst...The water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14)

Our mission as Christians is to win others to Christ. But the tricky part about soul winning is that it is more of an art than a science. In other words, how we go about it can make all the difference in the world. For example, the easy thing to do is to point out to our children or friends the consequences of sinful living. How many times have we heard something like this said: “Don’t you realize that if you don’t change your ways, you’re going to end up in hell?”

No Christian will argue the point that true repentance is a must to stay out of hell. The problem is we need to let the Spirit condemn. Our mission is to point out the hope that can be found in knowing Christ.

Jesus modeled such a response for us in the story of the Samaritan woman that He once met at a well. You remember the story. It’s told in John 4. This woman appeared at a well just outside of the town in which she lived. Jesus knew who she was; how she had been living her life; he even knew she was currently living with a man to whom she was not married. He could have unloaded on her. After all, He was the Son of God. He had the opportunity to set the record straight about where she was headed if she continued to live the life she was living.

But notice in the story that there was no condemnation from the Lord - just concern. For starters, He simply approached her at the well and said, “Give me a drink.” The woman was surprised. She knew Jesus was Jewish and that Jews would have nothing to do with Samaritans. “How is it that you, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (John 4:7,9)

What an icebreaker! It makes me wonder how many times we might be willing to reach out to those who would also be surprised that we stopped to even speak to them. In this case, the very fact that Jesus even spoke to her gave her pause to listen to what He had to say. He had her full attention.

Rather than succumb to the opportunity to use what He believed to condemn someone for how they were living, Jesus shows us that offering hope to the lost is the better choice. “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again,” He told the woman, “but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst…The water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:13-14)

Imagine that! Instead of pointing out that her lifestyle would lead to eternal death, Jesus opted to talk to her about how to achieve eternal life. He offered hope, not condemnation; life rather than death.

My pastor offered a great analogy the other day that helps make my point. If you try to grab an old bone from a dog, he will likely growl and snap at you. But if you throw him a beef steak, he’ll leave that bone and go for it every time.

If you want to win more souls, rethink your message. Lost people are searching for the answers that are troubling them in life. Just like the dog with that old bone, they don’t always realize that there is a better way to live. That’s what the Prophet Isaiah meant when he said, “You are wearied in the length of your way; Yet you did not say, ‘There is no hope’.” (Isaiah 57:10)

Lust Always Leads To Sin

2008-04-19T21:10:00.000-04:00

“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” (James 1:14)

Have you ever noticed what we often do to explain sin in our lives? Many of us tend to blame it on someone else. Think about it. From the beginning of time, we have looked for an excuse for our sin. Adam, when he committed his first sin, blamed it on Eve. “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” he told God. (Genesis 3:12) Not much has changed over the last 6,000 years. In the 1960’s, for example, comedian Flip Wilson gave the whole country an Adam-like excuse for sin when his character, Geraldine Jones, said of her wrongdoing, “The devil made me do it.”

Wilson may have been right in that the devil is ultimately the father of all sin, but we must keep in mind that we are born to sin; and it’s been that way ever since Adam took that first bite of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Apostle Paul pointed this truth out in his letter to the Church at Rome. “But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.” (Romans 7:23, NLT) Paul understood that the root cause of sin comes from deep within, not from the devil himself.

In most instances, what causes us to sin is lust. Over the years, we have really abused the word. It frequently is used to describe someone’s uncontrollable sexual craving, usually for someone outside of marriage, lust actually is much more generic in scope and includes any obsessive or intense desire. There are those who lust for power, a new car, a bigger home - the list is endless. The truth is lust is the major reason why we sin. In fact, Jesus’ own half-brother, James, said, “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” (James 1:14)

The devil will seize the opportunity to bring temptation your way, to “entice” you to sin, but it’s not the devil that makes you do it. In most cases, it’s a choice we make, and blaming it on someone or something else will not bring an end to it.

Obviously we will never eliminate our sinful nature, but there are a couple of things we can do to cut down on it.

First and foremost, we must take the thought captive. In most cases, we know when we’re about to sin. If we’re saved, the Holy Spirit, which lives inside us, rejects sin and convicts us about it when the first thought of it enters our mind. We must learn to recognize what’s going on and do something immediately. The Apostle Paul put it this way: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-6) Taking the thought captive means we must seize the thought and deal with it responsibly rather than allowing the devil to use it to tempt us into sin.
We also need to limit the opportunity to sin. If you’re prone to drink, stay out of bars. That’s the advice God gave Adam - Stay away from the tree!

Finally, don’t ever forget that no matter how hard you try, you will slip and fall. The great thing is there is a loving God standing by ready to forgive you but you have to ask him. That’s what John meant when he said, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

Good News Is All About The Resurrection

2008-04-12T05:31:00.001-04:00

"See my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted." (Isaiah 52:13)

Michelangelo once turned to a fellow artist and said with frustration in his voice, "Why do you keep filling gallery after gallery with endless pictures on the one theme of Christ in weakness, Christ on the cross, and most of all, Christ hanging dead?" he asked. "Why do you concentrate on the passing episode as if it were the last work, as if the curtain dropped down there on disaster and defeat? That dreadful scene lasted only a few hours. But to the unending eternity Christ is alive; Christ rules and reigns and triumphs."

Michelangelo was right. Even though the cross is vitally important because of the redemption that Jesus accomplished for us there, Christians should not emphasize His death to the exclusion of His resurrection. Yet, we tend to focus on what Jesus did for us on the cross rather than the promise we enjoy from His resurrection.

Jesus once said, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die." (John 11:25-26) The central tenet of our Christian faith this is not just whether we believe that Jesus died for us on the cross. We must also believe that He arose from the dead. The Bible says it this way: "He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." (Romans 4:25)

The Apostle Paul believed in resurrection before he met Jesus on the Damascus Road. He was a Pharisee, a member of the same order that convinced Pontius Pilate to crucify Jesus, and Pharisees believed in resurrection. But the Paul we have come to know in the New Testament was more than a former Pharisee. He was an Apostle, one of just a handful of men who had seen Jesus after the resurrection and were sent to preach the "good news".

Paul said, "But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins." (1 Corinthians 15:12-17)
When we ask Christ to come live in our hearts, we are given the promise of resurrection. In other words, we are no longer dead to sin, but have the promise of eternal life.

Winston Churchill understood the importance of resurrection. He arranged his own funeral. There were stately hymns sung in St. Paul’s Cathedral along with an impressive liturgy. But at the end of the service, Churchill broke with tradition. When they said the benediction, a bugler high in the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral on one side played Taps, the universal signal that the day is over. There was a long pause and then a bugler on the other side played Reveille, the military wake-up call. It was Churchill’s way of communicating that while we say "Good Night" here, it’s "Good Morning" in heaven.

Winston Churchill knew the real meaning of Easter. “When a man steps out of his own grave, He is anything that he says He is, and He can do anything that he says He can do. The resurrection is not only good news, it’s the best news imaginable.”

Denominations Can Build Walls That Divide Us

2008-04-06T17:51:00.000-04:00

“He is the Head of the body made up of his people - that is, his Church - which he began.” (TLB, Colossians 1:18)

A group of pastors from the community in which I live organizes two community-wide prayer services each year. They don’t all come from any one denomination. Ironically, denominations don’t seem to separate them as much as they seem to distance their members from other denominations. These are men of God - Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Charismatics, Pentecostals, all of whom realize that a belief in Christ should unite us, not divide us.

Sadly, their efforts go unrecognized. Just recently, for example, their first prayer service for this year had fewer than 150 people present. It was held in Baptist church where very few of the host pastor’s members chose to attend.

At the end of the service, the host pastor spoke and confessed that he joined this group of pastors not only because he believes in the power of prayer but to also set an example for his own members. “I probably don’t believe 75% of what some of these other pastors believe,” he told the audience. “But how can I challenge my members to stretch their faith if I’m not willing to stretch mine?”

His words struck a chord with me. As a young man, I frequented lots of different churches in my search for truth. Today, as a born-again Christian writer, I’ve spoken to just about every mainline denomination that exists. Like that young Baptist pastor, I may not have believed the same doctrine they believed, but I was saved the same way they were saved and will end up in heaven, just like them. As I have said many times before, God is not interested in style. It’s substance that counts.

I have a friend who recounts a story in a grocery line one day. She was speaking to a lady behind her and it wasn’t long before they were talking about the churches they attend. The woman asked my friend if she really believed in some of the beliefs that her church practiced. “Of course I do,” she said. “Why shouldn’t I? You can find everything we believe in the Bible.”

Abraham Lincoln certainly agreed with my friend’s statement. When Lincoln was president, he attended a Presbyterian church in Washington, but he wasn’t a member. In fact, Lincoln never joined a church. He believed denominations often frustrated our main charge as Christians, which is to bring others to a saving knowledge of Jesus. In the only public document where he ever gave any personal testimony about his religious views, he said simply, “That I am not a member of any Christian church is true; but I have never denied the truth of the Scripture.”

None of the churches to which we belong denies the truth of the Scripture. But the walls our churches build to fortify biblical truths often separate us so much that we can’t even figure out a way to assemble and pray together. What a shame. There’s so much left for the Church to do.

We exercise our bodies to stay in shape, to help us run the race that’s set before us. We must also exercise our faith by looking not so much as who we are, but what we are. God doesn’t see us as man sees us. So the Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, or Pentecostal in us is not what matters to Him. What really matters is can He see Jesus in us?

God’s Saving Grace Often Brings Wave Of Shame

2008-03-31T19:04:00.002-04:00

“When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, ‘Surely he was the Son of God!’ ” (Matthew 27:54)

When you stop and think about it, there is a wonderful salvation story here because that Roman Centurion was the first man to believe that Jesus died on the Cross to save him. I am sure he felt the shame that many of us felt when our eyes were first opened to the sin that had so dominated our lives. I think that’s what John Newton, who penned the song, Amazing Grace, meant when he wrote:

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

I believe the Apostle Paul experienced a sense of shame after he came to a saving knowledge of Jesus on the Damascus Road. In fact, the Bible records that shortly after Paul was saved, he spent three years in the desert. There’s no doubt in mind that he, too, experienced the wave of shame that Christians who are saved later in life often feel. I think that’s why he once said, “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12-14)

What we’re really talking about here is the tremendous guilt that can come from experiencing God’s grace. We realize that we don’t deserve the salvation that came so freely. The Bible says that God’s forgiveness is complete. Our sins are totally forgotten. Yet, many of us still seem to be unable to let go of the guilt and shame that come from the realization of what we have done.

Forgiveness isn’t complete until we forgive ourselves. I made that statement in my Sunday School class recently when a recently saved brother asked, “How do you do that?”.

It was a great question and I realized as I looked into his eyes that they were now open to sin. His past was beginning to haunt him as it had once haunted me, and so many of us who came to know Jesus later in life.

I believe the answer lies in another spiritual truth, which is that there’s another force at work in our lives, too. Satan often masquerades as light, but the truth is all that confusion that comes with salvation is an attack from the devil himself. He didn’t have to work so hard before we came to know the Lord. But now he’s working overtime to win us back to sin. It’s Satan that is hanging all that guilt and shame around our necks.

The very heart of the gospel is the supreme truth that God accepts us with no conditions when we put our trust in the atoning sacrifice of His incarnate Son. Although we are helplessly sinful, God in grace forgives us completely. It’s by His infinite grace that we are saved; not by moral character, works of righteousness, commandment-keeping, or churchgoing. When we do nothing else but accept God’s total pardon, we receive the guarantee of eternal life.

The Apostle Paul’s advice is so simple, yet so difficult to follow. The road ahead will not be easy. Indeed, we will strain, but must press on. However, the journey will be much easier if we would just trust in God’s forgiveness and forget what we have left behind. At the end of the day, that’s what faith is all about - trusting what we cannot see.

A Dying Man’s Last Words: Something to Think About

2008-03-22T08:22:00.000-04:00

“Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: Jesus of Nazareth, The King of the Jews.” (John 19:19)

Courts have long acknowledged that there is no greater truth than the last words of a dying man. They are rarely second-guessed by judges or juries.

When Jesus was hanging on the cross, it took nearly six hours for him to die. During that time, he made seven statements. I find it interesting that the number seven in the Bible is associated with perfection, completeness. God - in the Person of Jesus - had just seven things to say before he died for our sins. Indeed, the plan of redemption was perfect.

So what did Jesus say? Well his first three statements showed us how unselfish he was. There he hung, literally fighting for his life, and the first thing he thought about was others. First, he forgave his executioners. “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) Second, he assured the thief that he would see him in Paradise. “Today, you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43) Finally, he committed his mother to the care of his good friend John. “He said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold your son!’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother!’” (John 19:26-27)

Then Jesus turns to God and plainly asks, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46) This was an honest question. Because God’s redemptive plan was at work, God turned his back on Jesus. It was the moment of Jesus’ separation from God – something all of us will face if we don’t know Jesus as our Lord and personal savior. Jesus was hanging on the cross for our sins, and our Holy God will not tolerate sin. Jesus knew that God was no longer watching over him as he lived out the final moments of his life.

Jesus fifth statement has long been a source of confusion. “I thirst,” he said. (John 19:38) If a dying man’s last words are some of the most important, why would God waste his breath to utter, “I thirst”? The best answer I have ever heard came not from a theologian but an elderly Christian who sits in my Sunday School class every Sunday. “He died a sinner and did not have access to the river of life,” he told our class. I thought about that statement and remembered something Jesus once said: “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst…the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14)

Well the last two statements that Jesus made from the cross that fateful day were declarations that God’s redemptive plan was accomplished. “It is finished,” he said. (John 19:30) Then showing the world that God in the Person of Jesus was in full control, he did not just die. He decided the moment that death would come and committed his spirit in the hands of God. “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46)

Enjoy Easter Sunday. Jesus died to save us from our own sins, and he rose from the grave three days later so that we could have eternal life. It was a perfect plan that can be summed up in one verse: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

What's So Good About Good Friday?

2008-03-15T08:38:00.001-04:00

“When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished’. With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” (John 19:30)

Next Friday is Good Friday. Have you ever thought about the irony of that name? We call it, “Good” Friday, even though it commemorates the darkest day in history. In fact, the Bible records that when Jesus died, “darkness came over the whole land”. (Luke 23:44) I guess that’s God’s reminder to us all about what sin does in our world. It separates us from God’s light.

The irony of what happened that Friday is that God can create goodness from the darkest of circumstances. Let’s face it, it was wrong to put an innocent man to death. Yet, I’m so glad God let Jesus hang on that Cross because as Paul said, “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them”. (2 Corinthians 5:19) God’s redemptive plan was at work that day. Jesus offered his righteousness to us in exchange for our sins. That’s why we call it Good Friday.

There are other things that happened that day for which Christians should also be grateful.

It’s particularly important to note that while Pontius Pilate sentenced Jesus to death in order to save his own hide, he knew that Jesus was God. “As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him,” he told the Pharisees, who were asking that Jesus be put to death for claiming that he was God. (John 19:6) And get this: After Jesus died, one of centurions who had been guarding him said “Surely he was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54) That Roman Centurion, as far as I can tell, was the first gentile that came to a saving knowledge of Jesus. God didn’t waste a moment in putting his plan into action.

Have you ever noticed what Jesus said to his mother and John just before he died? “When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Dear woman, here is your son,’ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother’.” (John 19:26-27)

The timing of that remark was no accident. Jesus was communicating an important Christian quality to which we all should pay close attention. Obviously, we should never overlook our responsibility to our families even when the circumstances are frightening. Christianity has no room for selfishness. However, because we are Christians, we are, therefore, family, and God expects us to care for one another. Jesus had just told his disciples the night before, “A new command I give you. Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35) I’m glad I serve a God who doesn’t just talk about Christian character, but shows a great example of it at a most unexpected time.

Finally, the Bible never talks about what was behind the Cross. All the events that day took place in front of the Cross. Remember, Isaiah told us, “Our righteous acts are like filthy rags…and like the wind, our sins sweep us away.” (Isaiah 64:6) In other words, when we come to Cross, we can’t bring anything of value with us. What’s important is that God allows us to stand in front of it, where the ground is level.

There are a lot of lessons taught in the Good Friday story, but it has only one message: Jesus died on the Cross to save us from our own sins. Just like John the Baptist said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)

Evangelical Christians Should Respect The Rights Of Others To Make Choices About How They Apply Their Faith

2008-03-08T06:22:00.000-05:00

“Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.” (Acts 8:35)

Each year, I receive a couple of invitations from the graduate program in Public Administration Program at the University of North Carolina to lecture about the daily life of professional local government manager. These students are provided with considerable background information about me. Some even “Google” me. Consequently, all of them know that I am devout Christian who writes about my Christian faith by posting devotions on my website and in religion columns in three newspapers. They have also read some newspaper accounts where my beliefs about Jesus, creation, homosexuality, abortion – just to mention a few - have been challenged in Durham.

Needless to say, they are interested in how I strike a balance between what I believe and how I behave when I am on duty as the CEO of a county government with 1,900 employees, a $750 million budget, and located in a diverse community with many different beliefs.

Last week, I lectured to second-year graduate students who are about to embark on their careers in public administration. One student asked me how I felt about other faiths and their rights to exercise it in the workplace consistent with federal law.

“I respect their right to make their own choice about what they believe,” I stated. “I don’t agree with them, and I worry about where they will end up when they die, but I have no right to insist that I be allowed to practice my faith in the workplace and not be willing to permit others to do the same.”

“Would you be willing to make accommodations for them?” another student asked.

“Yes,” I responded, “As long as federal law does not prohibit it.”

I have reflected on that exchange in terms of how those who describe themselves as evangelical Christians might feel about my answers. I have long considered myself an evangelical Christian and still do; however, many evangelicals would likely not agree with my point of view.

I don’t disagree with all of the views expressed by mainline evangelicals either and I don’t think all of them would disagree with my responses to the student’s questions. My point is we need to be very careful with the labels we use. Evangelicals are painted with a very broad brush, and there is room in the movement for opposing points of view. If not, the movement will likely fade in our country as many young Christians do not embrace the “in your face” evangelical that is often associated with the movement.

We are called to evangelize, or spread the Gospel. Jesus did it, and at Matthew 28:19-20 said to all of us, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.”

The bottom line is we are to make the Gospel known to others. I, for one, happen to believe that making the Gospel known has more to do with my actions than it does with my words. In my case, I was drawn to Christianity by what I saw in my wife - how she lived out her life. I still believe our greatest chance to win others to Christ is to show them how much Jesus has transformed us.

The evangelical movement has room for everyone. To those who lead it, be careful painting the movement in a narrow-minded way. Otherwise, there might not be room for the next Billy Graham.

Doing What’s Right When No One Is Looking

2008-03-01T10:11:00.001-05:00

“Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.” (1 Corinthians 4:2)

Several years ago, former University of Oklahoma football great, and then Congressman J.C. Watts, stood on the platform at the Republican National Convention and said something about integrity that I will never forget. Watts defined integrity as “doing what’s right when no one is looking.”

This is the one time of the year when our integrity will be at its greatest risk. Why? Because it’s income tax season! While we may not want to admit it, many of us are tempted to cheat; to overstate what we gave to our church and other important charities, or to understate our income, just to name a few. If we’re really savvy, we can go on the Internet and find websites that will tell us just how far we can push the envelope. In other words, how much we can cheat with a minimal risk of getting caught.

Just this week, I experienced the temptation to cheat. I realized after speaking with my accountant that what I thought was a tax deduction was not a legitimate deduction. Obviously, I could claim the deduction with a very low likelihood that I would ever be audited. The difference was about $1,500, which is no small matter in the Ruffin home.

I decided to go for it, to claim the deduction and take my chances. However, no sooner than I had made up my mind, conviction flew all over me. I knew immediately that the Holy Spirit was giving me a reality check. As much as I wanted to take that deduction, I couldn’t do it. It just wouldn’t be right.

We hear the expression all the time about how God is faithful, and indeed He is faithful. Yet, we sometimes fail to realize that we, too, are expected to be faithful to God. After all, if souls are to be won to Christ, it will happen largely by what others see us do and say. Someone is always looking.

God let me know the very next day how much He agreed with my decision. My daughter had an insurance claim to report and I called the agent to inquire about my policy. Before we hung up, she said, “By the way, I’ve got some good news.” She then told me that my semi-annual costs for my automobile policy was going to drop several hundred dollars. “That’s a blessing from God,” I told her.

Does God really bless us when we prove ourselves to be faithful? You better believe He does! In fact, Deuteronomy 28:1-2 says, “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God.”

I don’t get up every day expecting blessings from God, but I am thankful for each and every one that comes along. I know my life is blessed, not so much from what I do, but rather from what He did for me.

Late Night Exchange With Jesus Changed Nicodemus

2008-02-23T08:21:00.000-05:00

“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God’.” (John 3:3)

He appeared three times in the Bible. The first, of course, was that fateful night when under the cloak of darkness, he heard that he must be born again to go to heaven. I believe that exchange with Jesus changed his life forever. I believe it because at the end of our Savior’s life, it was Nicodemus who accompanied Joseph of Arimathea and attended to His burial, bringing along “a mixture of myrrh and aloes.” (John 19:39) Clearly, Jesus was more than his friend. Why else would he risk his life to see to it that Jesus had a fitting burial?

The qualities we saw in Nicodemus that night are qualities that we as Christians see all the time in unbelievers. First, he was obviously afraid to be seen associating with Jesus. He had too much to risk for anyone to think that he could believe in a man that made the claims that Jesus made. How many unbelievers refuse to come to Jesus out of fear of what the world will think of them? Fortunately, Nicodemus did come to Jesus and it was more than simple curiosity. He knew that something was different about Jesus, something Godly, which is why he said, “We know that you are a teacher come from God for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” (John 3:2)

Nicodemus knew that Jesus had been sent by God, but he had no idea why because he was blind, spiritually blind. Just after Jesus told him that one must be born again to go to heaven, Nicodemus said to Jesus, “How can these things be?” (John 3:9) While we need to be willing to testify about that in which we believe, we should never lose sight of the fact that unbelievers are blind to kingdom principles, and like Nicodemus, do not understand the language that Christians sometime use.

Finally, Nicodemus was too smart to accept at face value what Jesus had just told him. He saw life through earthly eyes and used his worldly brain to sort things out. “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” he asked Jesus. (John 3:4) His questions are not unlike the questions we hear unbelievers ask today. The Gospel is hard to understand, especially hard as the unbeliever gets older and wiser and tries to intellectualize spiritual principles. It is a major reason why only fifteen percent of the salvation decisions made today are made by adults.

We know that night changed Nicodemus’ life, but we don’t know when he decided to accept Christ for whom he said he was. I believe Nicodemus continued to stand on the sidelines and watch Jesus as he traveled through the region, teaching and performing miracles. But between that night and the late afternoon that he showed up with Joseph of Arimathea to claim the body of Jesus, Nicodemus ultimately made the decision that all of us must make if we want to see heaven: To forsake what the world says and step out in faith, believing that which we cannot see. Jesus said it this way: “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8:36)

Sometimes Questions Offer Best Opportunity to Penetrate Doubt

2008-02-16T08:07:00.000-05:00

“‘Good teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ ‘Why do you call me good?’ Jesus answered.” (Mark 10:17-18)

Several years ago, I stumbled across a great book while surfing the Internet by the title “Questioning Evangelism.” It is a good read and provides a practical framework for winning souls to Christ.

People seem to forget the Great Commission – to proclaim the Gospel to the world - but that’s our challenge from the Lord. Why? So others can understand what words like joy, peace, grace, and mercy really mean!

The author, Randy Newman, points out the skeptic in the world today is not very different from the skeptic that watched and listened to Jesus. “Isn’t it uncanny,” he wrote in Christianity Today, “how often our Lord answered a question with a question?”

He’s right. When religious leaders asked Jesus if it was right to pay taxes, He asked them whose portrait was on the coin. (Matthew 22:17-20) And when Pharisees were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked Him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” Jesus’ responded with a question. “If any of you has a sheep, and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you no take hold of it and lift it out?” (Matthew 12:9-12)

Newman’s observation is that Jesus modeled an extremely effective way to witness to the skeptics in this world, then and now. I agree. Think about it. The answer to a question is rarely what the skeptic out there is really looking for. “Instead of my answer moving him closer to salvation,” Newman confesses, “it pushed him further away. Rather than engaging his mind or urging him to consider an alternative perspective, my answer gave him ammunition for future attacks against the gospel. So, I’ve started answering questions with questions and have gotten far better results.”

Newnan’s technique is exactly how I believe Jesus responded to similar situations in the Bible. Jesus understood how questions often force us to face up to the assumptions behind our questions.

Newman emphasizes that answering a question with a question has a distinct advantage over answering a question with an answer. “It takes the pressure off…the one being asked, and puts the pressure on the one doing the asking. This is important,” he says, “because as long as we’re on the defensive, the questioners are not really wrestling with the issues. They’re just watching us squirm.”

Interesting concept, don’t you agree? I certainly like it because it creates an opportunity for Christians to confront skeptics in an inoffensive way. Questions ignore their doubt and force them to face the real reason behind their question. Frankly, it can diffuse the hostility and create an opportunity for a constructive discussion about why we believe what we believe.

I highly recommend the book, but more importantly, I highly recommend putting Newman’s idea to work. It’s an old world way to respond to new age thinking!

How To Know If We Are Spiritually Drifting

2008-02-10T07:41:00.000-05:00

“We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” (Hebrews 2:1)
How do we know if we’re spiritually drifting? The Bible certainly acknowledges that it can happen, but what are the early warning signs that we are moving away from God?

Maybe today’s column doesn’t apply to you. How about your spouse, your friend, your child? Were they once closer to the Lord than they now appear? Before you turn the page, see if you recognize warnings in the life of someone you love.

Drifting away from God is something that happens slowly. It’s an unconscious process, often unrecognizable until it looks as if it’s too late to repair the damage. I’ll get back to that thought later, but first let’s look at the early warnings that our walk with God is beginning to move in the wrong direction.

First and foremost, if our faith has weakened, then we’re not studying the Word of God. The Apostle Paul told the church at Rome that “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17) In other words, we can’t understand God’s will for our lives if we don’t read the plan He has laid out for us. One of the early signals that we’re moving away from God is a diminishing desire to study His Word.

Another symptom often associated with drifting is a diminishing desire to be around God’s people. I have taught for years that church attendance is important for any Christian. It insures that we get the encouragement and support we need. The truth is the right kind of fellowship strengthens us, just as much as the wrong kind of fellowship leads to sin (destroys us). In fact, that truth is repeated throughout the Bible. Ecclesiastes says it this way: “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)

One of our main charges as Christians is to share the Good News. Baptists frequently refer to this command from Christ as the Great Commission. When we get to the point that we are unable, unwilling, or ashamed to witness to others about the life-saving, life-changing power of Jesus Christ, we are clearly moving in the wrong direction.

Finally, if we find ourselves increasingly thrilled over the things of this world, we are beginning to drift. Think about what the Apostle John said in 1 John 2:15-17: “Do not live the world or the things in the world. In anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all this is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

Listen. I’m not saying that God doesn’t expect us to enjoy the blessings that come our way. The distinction is when we begin to worship and yearn for the blessings rather than worship and yearn for His presence in our lives.

There are remedies against drifting. In fact, routine bible study and church attendance will yield great results. The hard part is seeing the world and all its trappings as they really are. Lust, an unhealthy desire for things in this world, can do more to kill a relationship with Jesus as anything I know. Paul told us if we “walk in the spirit…You shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16) Peter said it even more strongly “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.” (1 Peter 2:11)

Interesting isn’t it? The Bible tells us how to discern if we’re drifting, then gives us good advice as to how to avoid it. The unshakable hope we have, however, is we can never drift out the reach of God. His love for us has no limits.

The Lord Is A Strong Tower

2008-02-02T10:30:00.000-05:00

“And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.” (Romans 1:6, NIV)

When I was an eighth grader, I fell in love with a ninth grader. She was my first love, and understandably the most beautiful girl I thought I had ever seen. She also came from a wealthy family, something to which I was not accustomed since I grew up in a lower middle class working family.

Back then, boys like me weren’t supposed to be with girls like her. Yet somehow, we really hit it off. She never looked down at me, and I never looked up at her. It was a really great relationship, one that I continue to treasure.

In my hometown, the school we attended was a junior high school, which housed grades seven through nine. After the ninth grade, students moved on to senior high school. Most schools systems have long since abandoned the junior and senior high school concept, but it’s important here because the end of her ninth grade year meant that she would move on, while I remained to finish my ninth grade year.

That year was heaven, but the inevitability of it all caught up with us. The school year was over and she was a soon-to-be tenth grader. On the last day of school, she broke up with me. I was devastated. In fact, I vividly remember one of my favorite teachers holding me as I cried my eyes out, promising me that all that pain I was experiencing would not last. She will never know how much her consolation helped me get through that day.

I went through the summer of my eighth grade year wondering if I would ever belong to anyone again. My self-worth was shattered by that experience. I look back now, older and wiser, wondering how I got over it so quickly. I certainly bounced back much more quickly that I would today.

God gives teenagers an added measure of resilience to cope with all the setbacks that adolescence seems to bring with it. I saw it in my own teenage experiences and I’ve noticed in the lives of my children.

I never thought I would ever experience again the deep sense of brokenness that I felt on that warm June day over forty years ago. But I did! The next time, however, I didn’t have the resilience to help me deal with it I knew I had to get down on to my knees and ask God to help me.

“Lord,” I prayed, “I know I have said this before, but if you could help me out one more time, I promise I won’t let you down again.”
The truth is that I’ve let Him down time and time again since I said that prayer. He knew that I would all along. Yet He still answered my prayer and delivered me from my crisis.

The one thing I haven’t done this time around is turn my back on Him. I finally learned that having the Lord to lean on in is better than a boatload of resilience. I depend on Him now for both my strength and hope. I guess that what Solomon meant when he said, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” (Proverbs 18:10)

Whatever Happened to Jane Roe?

2008-01-26T08:34:00.000-05:00

“‘Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the Lord’.” (Leviticus 18:21)

This week (and fifty million abortions later) marked the thirty-fifth anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe V. Wade.

You’ve probably never heard of Norma McCorvey, but you know who she is.

Norma McCorvey was America’s poster child for abortion. In fact, even though you may have never heard her name, you’ve most likely have heard about the landmark Supreme Court Case, Roe v. Wade. Interestingly, while it was Norma McCorvey who became the Jane Roe in a Texas case that challenged that state’s right to prohibit abortions, she never had abortion, before or since.

McCorvey had no idea that she would become a national icon for abortion rights. The truth is the real Jane Roe was an embarrassment to those who were looking for a better pedigree to tout their cause. McCorvey, in her book, Roe v. McCorvey, said it this way: “I could out-cuss the most crass of men and women; I could out-drink many of the Dallas taverns’ regulars; and I was known for my hot temper. When pro-lifers called me a murderer, I called them worse. When people held up signs of fetuses, I spit in their face.”

McCorvey once told a reporter that abortion was her life. “This issue is the only thing I live for. I live, eat, breathe, think everything about abortion.”

But God had plans for Norma McCorvey, plans that would allow McCorvey to put her zeal for abortion to work for the Lord. It all began when the pro-life group, Operation Rescue, located right next door to McCorvey’s abortion clinic. Flip Benham, the brash and bold leader of Operation Rescue, often engaged in friendly banter with Norma, an after effect of the occasional clashes that sharing almost common quarters seemed to invite. “What you need to do is go to a good Beach Boys concert,” Norma once quipped. “Miss Norma,” Benham answered, "I haven’t been to a Beach Boys concert since 1976.”

“The seemingly innocuous response shook me to the core,” remembers McCorvey. “All at once, Flip became human. Before, I had thought of Flip as a man who did nothing but yell at abortion clinics and read his Bible. The thought that he was a real person—a guy who had once even gone to a Beach Boys concert—never occurred to me. Now that it had, I saw him in a new light.”

“I continued teasing,” she said. “Come on, Flip, I didn’t know you were ever a sinner.” “Miss Norma,” he replied, “I’m a great big sinner saved by a great big God.”

Ultimately, McCorvey reveals that it was a seven year-old little girl, the almost victim of an abortion, that won McCorvey’s heart to the Lord.

The Lord also used that seven year-old little girl to convince McCorvey to pursue her life-long interest in abortion - in a different way. “Abortion was no longer an abstract right,” McCorvey boldly declared. “It had a face now, in a little girl named Emily.”

Listen to what McCorvey said about abortion after her conversion: “I felt crushed…Abortion wasn’t about ‘products of conception’. It wasn’t about ‘missed periods’. It was about children being killed in their mother’s wombs. All those years I was wrong. Signing that affidavit, I was wrong. Working in an abortion clinic, I was wrong. No more of this first trimester, second trimester, third trimester stuff. Abortion—at any point—was wrong. It was so clear. Painfully clear.”

Anyone who is genuinely saved can remember the day the blinders came off; and we, too, can attest to the change God can make in sinners like Norma McCorvey because He made the same change in us.

McCorvey speaks nationwide now about the change Jesus has made in her life. She even has her own website, http://www.leaderu.com/norma/. “I'm one hundred percent sold out to Jesus and one hundred percent pro-life," she likes to say. "No exceptions. No compromise."

The Bible says it this way: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

It Means Just What It Says!

2008-01-19T08:35:00.000-05:00

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)

Many of you know that I work in a political arena so I am used to the name-calling that is often associated with my profession. As a Christian, particularly an evangelical Christian, I have also been subjected to a lot of labels over the years – fanatic, bible-toting believer, zealot, religious right, homophobe – the list is growing. This is familiar territory for higher profile Christians like me even though I don’t subscribe to some of the beliefs that other members who are often associated with these names espouse.

There’s a name I heard recently that is somewhat new to me – biblical literalist. From a world view, a biblical literalist, someone who believes the Bible word for word, is an unenlightened, narrow-minded imbecile who has yet to accept what is being taught in most of our seminaries today – namely that the Bible should not be taken literally. This point of view has been widely propagated and is exactly why we see so many doctrinal changes in our churches. It is also partly responsible for the proliferation of new translations of the Bible, so be careful in what translation you select to read.

Even though I do not like to be associated with some of the groups in which I am placed by those who like to lump evangelical Christians together so they can discredit them, I do take great pride that I am now being labeled a biblical literalist.

No academic will ever convince me that John 3:16 no longer means what it says. In fact, the Bible teaches that false prophets and teachers will be with us until the end of time. Ironically, it was Peter, the disciple who denied Jesus three times, who warned us of such people:

“For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:16-21)

Southern Gospel songwriter Rodney Griffin was so stirred by those who twist and refute Scripture that he wrote a hit song about it. Enjoy the words and hold on to it truth:

When I was a child I was taught how the Bible was God’s infallible word
That He had inspired every line that was written so His voice could be heard
But now folks are saying there’s a new way of thinking, the Bible is not clear
Well friend if you’re needing some interpretation, listen and I’ll bend your ear

Whosoever means whosoever, live forever means we’re never going to die
Forsake us never means that He will never leave us.
Reign forever means He’ll always be the king who rules on high.
No never means our sins are not remembered
A living savior means that He’s no longer dead.
The father changes never, the Bible will forever mean just what it says

I know I’m not the smartest of people you’ve been privileged to meet
I tend to think this life is as simple as we make it out to be
That the faith of a child and the love of savior will open heaven’s gate
And that God in his goodness gave a simple Gospel
He even wrote it down that way.

Prodigal Son Received Unconditional Forgiveness

2008-01-12T08:18:00.000-05:00

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry’.” (Luke 15:22-23)

The Parable of the Prodigal Son: It is arguably the most “sermonized” parable in the Bible. But all of the sermons I’ve heard only concentrate on the prodigal son. Very rarely does an American pastor focus on the father of that prodigal son.

I got the idea for this column from a songwriter, which is a little ironic, because a lot of Christian songwriters get the ideas for their songs from sermons. I’ve always believed that the Holy Spirit can speak to us with many different voices.

Parables were used by Jesus to teach. Spiritual truths, then and now, are particularly difficult to understand because we live in a lost and dying world. Jesus used parables to teach a spiritual truth from an everyday situation that the average person in His days on earth would understand. If He were living among us today, the examples would be different, although the spiritual truth is eternal.

In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, one of the two sons had left the family, seeking to live life as he wanted to live it. He hit rock bottom, literally coming to his senses in a pig pen. “I will arise and go to my father and will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you’.” (Luke 15:18)

If we look for it, we can learn something about parenting from the Lord Himself. I certainly hadn’t noticed it before, but the father’s reaction to his son’s return teaches us two very important practices that would go a long way in helping to heal broken relationships with our children and grandchildren.

First and foremost, when the son returned, the father didn’t wait for the son to apologize. He ran to greet him. It was only after the hugs and kisses that the son was finally able to utter an apology. As parents, we need to meet our children halfway when they return rather than allow our pride to convince us to wait for them to make the first move.

Secondly, nowhere in the parable does the father speak a condemning word. There is no “I told you so” or “I hope you’ve finally learned your lesson.” Instead, this father offered unconditional forgiveness. Notice the words that Jesus uses here to describe the reaction of the father: compassion, music and dancing, merry, and glad. Indeed, there is a lesson here for all of us.

The spiritual truth here is important. Compassion can best be learned from brokenness. The other son could not understand the father’s reaction to his brother’s return. He had not experienced his father’s pain. “It was right that we should make merry and be glad,” the father told the other son, “for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.” (Luke 15:32)

We often wonder why we suffer as we do. I think I know one of the answers. Perhaps some of it is meant to teach us to love as we should.