The Hardest Part of Faith is the Last Half-Hour

Some 'experts' are warning that the American economy is not going to get better; that we may be facing the worst financial disaster of our country’s short life. If so, it is possible the faith of many Christians will be put to a test unlike any they have ever known.

Early in his reign as Israel’s first king, Saul faced a test of faith—not unlike those of every believer—a critical moment when he was forced to decide whether to act in faith and wait on God, or take matters into his own hands (1 Samuel 13). Saul had been instructed to wait 7 days for Samuel’s arrival before going to war. When Samuel was late (was it a half hour?) Saul grew impatient; he did not wait. Overcome by fear—he took control.

It is easy to judge Saul. We think: I would never have done that! But there are subtle ways we too take control. We do more analyzing than praying. We talk to advisers rather than speaking with God. We are obsessed with negative thoughts—“I don't see how I can ever repay this debt; I don't know how I can keep my job"—all rooted in unbelief as overt as Saul’s. If Saul had waited a little longer, he would have seen God’s provision and protection. How will you handle your test of faith in the last half hour?

People Who Attend a “Youniversity” are Trying to be Better

People go to college to be better educated, get better jobs, have better homes, and enjoy a better life. But is that what God wants for us, a “better” life? The word “better” can result in awful theology, whose core premise is this: “if you just try harder, you can be a better Christian.” “Better” is ‘code’ for self-improvement—which stands in opposition to the gospel of grace and mercy. (And, by the way, the word “TRY” never shows up in the New Testament!)

“Better” is Youniversity’s core value, as seen in such course offerings as: “This is Your Day,” “The Life You’ve Always Wanted,” “Your Best Life Now,” and “Become a Better You.” But the Youniversity offers nothing on the supremacy of Christ. You won’t find any classes on: “Dying with Christ,” “Christ in You; the Hope of Glory;” or “It is no longer I who live but Christ.” To learn these, you will have to drop out of the Youniversity and enroll in the School of Christ, where classes are not about you, but Christ.

Think about this: Jesus didn’t come to make bad people good. He didn’t come to make good people better. He came to make dead people alive.

Sparrows?

When you are in a public place surrounded by thousands of persons, aren’t you awestruck that God is thinking about and paying attention to every person there? And then you realize there are 6 ½ billion people in the world, not to mention the billions who have ever lived—and you are blown away.

Jesus said, “Aren't two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's consent” (Matthew 10:29). Sparrows are among the least important creatures on earth. Thus the image of God’s attention to a sparrow is pretty astonishing.

In the banality of our daily routines, it is pretty easy to forget God’s steady presence. And we find ourselves living as though God is not paying any attention. When I was in Belize, I had such a strong sense of having been “sent” there that every moment had meaning to it. I knew God was Present and involved—with great attention to detail. Now, at home, back to my routine, I find I am less so.

“Many, O LORD my God, are...Your thoughts toward us. There is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, they would be too numerous to count” (Psalm 40:5). In other words, God is always thinking about me! Maybe someone besides me needs to be reminded of this today.

"Someone You Don't Know" wants to be friends with you on Facebook

Not a week goes by that I don’t get one of these ‘friend’ requests. There’s even a new word born out of this phenomenon: It’s called “friending”—meaning that connecting is only a click away! Through social connectivity, it is possible to have many acquaintances, but not one person with whom you are truly intimate. This 21st century 'friendship' paradigm should prompt us to examine what the Bible says.

Following are a few statements I took off an Internet site in which people offered their definition of a friend: 1) someone we care about and is ready to help us during times of distress; 2) a person with whom we share most of our thoughts; 3) someone we can always count upon our during an emergency. (One of my favorites was this one: a friend is someone who helps you move!) While all these statements contain truth, there is something missing: a friend is committed to helping you become a better person.

Solomon says: The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend. (Proverbs 27:9, 17) A friend who is willing to tell you the “truth”—speaking the truth in love—is one who ‘makes’ you better. These are not ‘easy’ relationships. They are often messy and inconvenient. Don’t get so caught up in ‘friending’ you forget the meaning of true friendship. And I am quite sure you won't find it on Facebook.

Will I Ever Learn to Speak Spanish?

I am investing a lot of time trying to learn Spanish. But it seems I am only getting information. My head is filled with enough words and verb conjugations to sink the Spanish armada. But there is a Grand Canyon sized gap between the alphabet soup in my head and coherent sentences. I feel like I have not ‘learned’ anything yet. All this information hasn't become knowledge. Spanish is not ‘real’ for me.

Paul spoke of this phenomenon on one occasion, describing people who were “always learning but never coming to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim. 3:7), distinguishing between ‘learning’ and ‘knowing.’ Since there are many Scriptures admonishing us to grow in knowledge (2 Peter 3:18), we must answer the question: how does learning become ‘real’ knowledge? I think it’s the same way we learn a language. By reading, studying, memorizing, and practicing, Spanish will become real to me. And as I think it and speak it, I will become fluent. You could say I will be a new me—something different from what I was before.

Applying this principle to the Bible, it is also apparent that our learning turns into knowledge when it becomes ‘real’ or ‘true’ for us. As we read, study, meditate, and practice what we are learning, it becomes ‘real knowledge.’ And we become something different from what we were before. And we become fluent in speaking "truth." Is there a disparity between your learning and your knowing?

Is there Power in Positive Thinking?

On Joel Osteen's web site, he declares: “Your words affect your future. Speaking God's Word over your life can help you to live the life of victory that God has in store for you.” Many motivational teachers today (secular and spiritual) claim there are universal spiritual “laws” that any person can use that will affect their world—the most well-used of these laws is the “law of attraction,” or the “power of positive thinking.”

The law of attraction says you create your life through your words and thoughts. Erroneously, the “law of attraction” is often called “faith.” Wrong! Faith is not the power of the mind to affect one’s destiny. Faith is not speaking positive words. Faith is ‘belief’ in Jesus Christ’s work of redemption on our behalf. It is an assurance in Christ’s Words, believing His Words, keeping His words. And not without love—Jesus said “if a man love me, he will keep my words” (John 14:23). John said people who have faith will “love God, and keep his commandments” (1 John 5:2).

When Jesus said to the woman with an issue of blood that her faith had made her whole, He did not commend her for her positive confession but for her faith in Jesus—believing He was the source of healing! It wasn't saying the ‘right’ words, but believing in the Living Word that made her whole. (Mark. 5:25-34)

“I did not think before I acted”

If Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack had observed the biblical admonition to “be slow to speak” (James 1:19), he could have avoided a humiliating event this week when, failing to get all the facts, wrongfully fired a mid-level Agriculture Department official for racial discrimination. The next day he was held accountable for his words—as he was forced to apologize to the wronged official, the American people, and the President himself. His only excuse: “I did not think before I acted.”

I reject his excuse! It’s impossible to act without having first ‘thought.’ The problem was not un-thinking, but wrong thinking. And worse, wrong thinking that resulted in hurtful words.

Thoughts, as long as they stay in your head, are not nearly as harmful as words. But when those thoughts take the form of words they become harmful. Jesus said “every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the Day of Judgment; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Mat. 12:36-37) I think we can infer from Jesus’ warning that there is a difference between thoughts and words.

Perhaps this helps us to understand Paul’s instruction to take “all thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ.” If we did that we could avoid sinful thoughts becoming hurtful words! Folowing the James formula, we ought to be quick to listen [to our thoughts] and slow to speak [them].

Who DefinesYou?

I was talking with a friend the other day about the problems caused by other people’s expectations of us. This becomes problematic when we allow their expectations to define us. But this should not be so; we are not defined by others’ desires, needs, expectations or opinions.

Several years ago, there was a significant turn in the discussion on gay marriage. Evangelical Christians had been opposing gay marriage on moral grounds. But when the advocates for gay marriage succeeded in re-defining the issue as a matter of civil rights, I knew the battle was lost. The same thing has happened with abortion—it has been defined as a ‘rights’ issue rather than a moral issue. How you define something determines how you will respond to it.

In the last few decades, enemies of the gospel have attempted to re-label the evangelical church as a bunch of self-righteous hate-mongers trying to impose their moral standards on everyone else, e.g., Jerry Falwell’s “Moral Majority.” Since then, “Seeker-sensitive” churches have tried re-define the evangelical church as more open, loving, and less political. Time will tell if this effort to re-define ourselves will work.

But speaking more personally, each one of us is lives in a world that tries to define us: parents, children, relatives, friends, co-workers. The question of “who am I?” is too vast for a blog posting. So let me just say this: self-definition is not arbitrary. Our identity is anchored in who we are “in Christ” and who Christ is “in us.” Paul's identity was Christ-centered: it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me (Gal. 2:20). How you define yourself determines what kind of life you live. Does Christ define you?

When the War Goes On Too Long

The war in Afghanistan is now the longest-running war in the history of our country. Yes, longer than WW II or Vietnam. And though Obama has set a departure date, there is really no evidence the Taliban will ever be defeated. And because of that, there have been 'talks' of finding a compromise with the Taliban and attempting to build a consensus government.

The spiritual parallel is palpable. We live in hostile territory—a war zone. Day by day the devil is making war on the saints. And if we are to live in Christ’s victory, we must have a warfare mentality. It is never easy to “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Tim. 1:18; 6:12).

But not unlike Obama’s Afghanistan strategy, you will be tempted to consider a less combative approach—to compromise with the enemy, even settling for peaceful cohabitation. Be careful; this is what the world will tell you: "Don’t’ make waves with your unsaved relatives, or neighbors and co-workers in the world. Don’t be overly concerned about your sins—after all, they are nothing compared to what worldly people do; and don’t worry about Satan and demons—if you don’t bother them, they won’t bother you."

Don’t be fooled. If you want to experience the life of Christ, you must have a warfare mentality and lifestyle. You can never ‘make peace’ with an enemy that is out to destroy you. And by the way, we do know how this war ends! We win! In the meantime “do not grow weary in well doing” (Gal. 6:9).

You Don't Have to Live with Email Regret

Email regret occurs when you click "send" but wish you hadn't. In an angry impulse you fire off a hot email to your boss, colleague, friend, mother-in-law…well, you get the picture! And you can't un-send your message—it’s the 21st century version of “you can’t un-ring a bell.”

While it’s true there are no do-over’s in this life, it is not hopeless. Every one of your mistakes (sometimes referred to as sin) activates the ‘send’ button of God’s grace. “Where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more” (Ro. 5:20)—as though an oceanic measure of God’s grace was being stored up so you will have “…grace to help in time of need.” (Heb. 4:16)

And how exactly does God’s grace effect your regretful un-do-over’s? Well, it doesn’t ‘un-ring the bell’ or ‘turn back the clock.’ But God’s grace effectively overwrites our mistakes: re-sending them to accomplish His purposes (Ro. 8:28). And this overwriting grace is so effective that you might think it was better that you made the mistake (even though it isn't!) There is no logical explanation for this phenomenon. It is simply grace. However, I must add one thing to the mix. The certainty of God’s grace is inexplicably connected to your responsible participation (sometimes referred to as repentance.)

What Language Does the Holy Spirit Speak?

Of course, we know the Holy Spirit is not limited to mortal linguistics. His language is from above—the language of heaven. He speaks in a way no one will understand unless they have been born from above. [No, this is not going to be about ‘tongues.’]

Paul said: “We speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit's words to explain spiritual truths. But people who aren't Christians can't understand these truths from God's Spirit… only those who have the Spirit can understand what the Spirit means” (1 Cor. 2:13-14 NLT).

Paul is saying the language of the Spirit transcends the words of men. Altha and I experienced this first hand right in our hotel room in San Ignacio—we saw the Holy Spirit transcend a language barrier. Our hotel maid Rosa, a cheerful Christian woman, was delighted to find we were fellow Christians—and especially that we were ministers of the gospel. On our last day there, Rosa asked us to pray for her. (Keep in mind that Rosa does not speak or understand English.)

We asked our friends Anastacio and Blanch to translate her prayer requests for us; and then asked Rosa if she wanted them to translate as we prayed. She quickly answered ‘no, God only speaks one language.’ As we prayed (in English), the Lord spoke to Rosa, and ministered emotional healing. Without understanding a word, Rosa wept with joy as she received a special touch of grace. What a great demonstration of the language of the Spirit—we prayed in English, but the language of God’s love touched Rosa’s heart.

Do You Have a Winning Strategy?

This week two of the Senate’s leading foreign policy experts have publicly expressed doubts about the U.S./NATO strategy to win the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan. I'm just surprised it has taken so long for someone to admit it. As I’ve said before (See “A House Divided,” March 1, 2010) the war in Afghanistan is more about changing thousands of years of culture than defeating the Taliban and al Qaeda. Without considering those influences, we do not have a winning strategy.

As born-again disciples of Christ, it is incumbent upon each of us to have a winning strategy if we are win the war against the world, our flesh, and Satan. But too many seem oblivious to the dangers around them. Not considering the world's influences, nor how their flesh responds to those influences (Gal. 5:17-21). And even fewer are aware of Satan’s strategies to blind them to these influences (2 Cor. 4:4). And not only that, they are woefully ignorant of the weapons available to them both defensively and offensively (Ephesians 6:11). The result: living in a culture of defeat.

Paul’s strategy for victory was thus stated (Ephesians 4:22-24): you must put off the ‘old self’ before you can put on the ‘new self.’ Just as the NATO alliance will never win the war in Afghanistan without a radical change of beliefs, neither will we. We must have a winning strategy “so that Satan will not outsmart us... [and we must be] familiar with his evil schemes” (2 Cor. 2:11 NLT).

Impersonal Resident or Your Own Personal President?

How would you like to have a personal therapist who would live in your home and help you heal from past hurts, assist you in mediating conflicts between you and your wife and kids, interpret life for you in a positive way, and encourage you to greater things every day? (Good luck finding a therapist who would want the job!)

Well, you do, in fact, have a resident counselor—He is the Holy Spirit. However, unlike a resident counselor who would only be there to advise you, the Holy Spirit is there to rule you!

Jesus made a radical statement when He pronounced that the Holy Spirit would come “upon” (Acts 1:8) you and be “in” you (John 14:17). Many believers have never truly experienced this very personal “in” and “upon” relationship with the Person called Holy Spirit. To them He is more of an advisor on the outside rather than a Person on the inside. Though the Holy Spirit is resident in each one of us, how many really want Him to be president!?

Why You Need Both Rice and Beans

One of the alarming things we saw in Belize was the isolation of American missionaries and segregation of local churches. But to be fair, it is not so different from the U.S. I've come to believe that evangelicals worldwide are so afraid of false unity—ecumenicalism, unversalism—they have isolated themselves to the point of ruin, having become as competitive and territorial as the world around them.

When Jesus sent the disciples out on their first short missionary journey, he sent them two by two (not to get group hotel rates) but for mutual support and encouragement. Like Jesus, Paul exhorted believers to solidarity—calling them to like-mindedness and purpose: in a word, “koinonia.” (Philippians 2:1-2)

There is a simple, but profound lesson that we can learn from rice and beans—the staple of many impoverished countries, where a daily diet of meat is beyond their means (see July 8 blog post). Rice is rich in starch, and is an excellent source of energy; it also has iron, vitamin B and protein. Beans are protein-rich, full of iron and critical minerals. While each one affords tolerable nutrition, the two in tandem make a perfect protein not available in either ingredient alone.

As Christians, some of us are like rice; and some of us are like beans. If you are rice, you need beans. And if you are beans, you need rice. The Church will not fulfill its obligation to overpower the gates of hell and set the captives free (Matt. 16:18; Luke 4:18) until it is living the phenomenon of rice and beans.

Do We Really 'Get' Him?

Last week I began taking a Spanish course. I am highly motivated because I am tired of not being able to communicate with the Spanish speaking people of Belize. More importantly, I want to understand them: I want them to know I really “get” them!

How do you think Jesus felt when the Disciples and His friends failed, repeatedly, to understand Him? And who could forget Martha? Even though she believed Jesus was the Messiah, she failed to understand the depth of His authority and power, saying, (when Jesus told her ‘your brother shall rise again’),"Oh, yes, on resurrection day he will arise but what good is that now?!" (John 11:24, slightly paraphrased by me) In his humanity, it must have troubled Christ to have his closest friends fail to "get" Him. "Don't you know who I am yet?" the Lord seemed to say. "I not only have life: I am life; I am the resurrection" (John 11:25).

Matthew tells about Jesus’ encounter with a Roman Centurion who asked Jesus to heal his son—saying “I am a man of authority, so I know you too have authority and you have the power to do it” (Matt. 8:9-10). How fascinating! Jesus was delighted to find someone who believed Him, who "got" Him. I think it brings great joy to our Lord when we demonstrate by our actions that we really do "get" Him.

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Colossians 1:9

The Taxi Driver and the Mennonites

On our third day in Belize, we decided to take a short bus ride to a Trade/Bible School. While waiting for the bus, a taxi driver (Rolando) offered to drive us there for less money than it would cost to take the bus. We jumped at his offer. Two minutes into the 5 mile drive, we asked if he was a Christian (Belizeans are open about spiritual things). His answer—blatantly honest—was “Yes, but only half a Christian.” As you would guess, we quickly reminded him Jesus required 100% from His followers.

Rolando divulged that he had drifted away from Jesus after being hurt by the misconduct of a Christian leader. We hardly had to say a word after that, as Rolando confessed his shortcomings and admitted to changes he needed to make to be right with Jesus. By the end of our ride he was proclaiming we had been sent by God to reveal his “half-heartedness.”

Upon our return to San Ignacio, we saw a ‘traditional’ Mennonite man and woman sitting quietly under the shade of a tree, in their buggy, while resting their horses. [The traditional Mennonites are like our Amish; they are a small but very influential part of the Belize population.] Respecting their privacy, we cautiously approached, and told them we were Christians too. Then we were led to share the “Dying to Live Abundant Life” materials—then gave them copies of our books. They gave us their address with a standing invitation to visit any time—truly a divine encounter! While I do not agree with their biblical interpretation of separation, I have to say I do respect their whole-hearted devotion.

As I thought about these two encounters, I saw God's object lesson. Whether a half-hearted taxi driver or a whole-hearted Mennonite, our prayer should be: “Search me, O God, and KNOW MY HEART; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life” (Ps. 139:23-24 NLT).

Rice and Beans

No matter what you’re having for dinner in Belize, one thing is sure: it will always come with rice and beans. As common as that sounds, there is nothing typical about Belizean rice and beans—cooked as differently and individually from chef to chef as you can imagine. Thus, the phrase “rice and beans” is used (kindly, not sarcastically) to describe the diverse population of Belize.

Perhaps because they are so aware that their differences can carry the poison of disunity, the evangelical churches in San Ignacio have established a group called “Churches United.” By divine appointment, God opened a door for Altha and I to meet with the president of this group last Wednesday night.

As we shared the “Dying to Live Abundant Life” materials with him, we could see he was quickened. He could see that the teaching of the cross could not only unify but strengthen the pastors. We believe the Lord has called us ‘for such a time as this’ to teach sound doctrine and the panoramic view of the Christian walk as presented in “Unless a Grain of Wheat: Treasures of Truth.” Without these foundational truths, how will these pastors stand against the satanic forces and break down the demonic strongholds in Belize?

Now, moving forward, there are two important things to report. First, we have commissioned a local couple—Anastacio and Blanch Bol—to be our “missionaries-in-training” from Well of Life Ministries. They will be our extension ‘in-country.’ For the next 3 months, they will be studying & preparing to help train young men and women, and further equip resident pastors and their wives. Second, in furthering our own unity in ministry, Altha & I are changing the name of our conference teaching to “Come Up Higher: Dying to Live the Abundant Life,” joining Atlha’s book “Come Up Higher” (being translated into Spanish) with my book “Are You Dying to Life the Abundant Life?” In our complimentary gifting and emphases, dare I say (affectionately) that Altha and I are modeling the principle of ‘rice and beans?’

The Pastors' Graveyard

Yesterday I spoke of the true meaning of “understanding the will of the Lord.” Today let me tell you what we came to understand by the end of our 7 day fact-finding mission in Belize.

We learned that 80% of the pastors have no training in teaching the Bible nor in pastoring. And those that do have training received it in Guatemala—there is no pastor training or equipping in the San Ignacio area. We learned that being a pastor (or a missionary) in Belize is ‘life-threatening.’ Many missionaries, not prepared for the Satanic strongholds they encounter, leave after their first year in ministry.

This is what they encounter: the Garifuna—descendants of African slaves—are nominally Catholic, but hold to their traditional beliefs and practices, such as the dugu ritual, through which they honor their dead ancestors; the Mayans hold fast to strongholds of superstition and sorcery. And finally, the Creoles (the dominant ethnic group of African/British descent), practice obeah, a form of witchcraft.

Considering what these evangelical pastors are up against, it is no surprise that evangelicals there refer to their country as the “pastors’ graveyard.” Given all of the aforementioned, can you see the tremendous need for pastors to be trained to teach sound doctrine, as well as a thorough understanding of the life-changing truths, i.e., "Unless a Grain of Wheat:Treasures of Truth"? Tomorrow I will tell you how God is raising up pastors to bring about spiritual renewal and how Altha and I are understanding the Lord's will for us in Belize.

Back from Belize with Greater Understanding

Trying to understand can be hard work! Many times Jesus confronted His listeners with the words: “don’t you understand?” (Mat. 16:11; Mark 4:13), with the implied Why don't you? Later, in his letter to the Ephesians, Paul provokes them: “Do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (5:17)

A literal translation of the Greek word “understand” is “put together,” or “gather.” Last week in Belize Altha and I were doing just that: “understanding the will of the Lord” for us in that country. Daily, we were actively engaged in gathering information. From a taxi driver to a Mennonite pastor, from a medical doctor to a remote missionary, from the jungle mountains to the beach, we gathered information, gaining knowledge about the Belizeans’ religious practices, spiritual condition, and the state of the evangelical churches—all to “understand” the will of the Lord for us in Belize.

I’ve gained a new appreciation for how foolish it is not to do the work of “understanding.” Prior to this, I think I was like many people who say ‘well, some day perhaps we’ll understand,’ as though there was nothing I could do but “wait and see.” But we need look no further than the life of Jesus: He was up every day long before everyone else to pray, meditate, and listen, actively seeking to understand His father’s will for the day ahead. May we all be thus actively engaged in understanding the will of the Lord.