Birth Control and Orange Juice

You know you are living in extraordinary times when school soda vending machines are out, but condom dispensers are in. Putting nutrition labels on frozen pizzas may express appropriate concern for our youth, but what does it say when the same government provides birth control, morning-after pills, and abortions to them? Do those come with warnings too?

Of course the issue isn't nutrition or sex.  It's moral ambiguity, the post-modern version of “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25).  Isaiah told of a future time when standards and behavioral attitudes would be reversed, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, who substitute bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Is. 5:20).

When Jesus spoke of the days of judgment, His disciples asked “when shall these things be, and what shall be the sign of your coming?” Jesus said it would be a time of great deception (Mat. 24:4).  One might argue that human beings have always blurred the lines between right and wrong. But we are not seeing lines blurred; we are seeing them erased. Jesus’ return must be really close.

What's Everyone Looking At?

The recent slaughter of women and children by pro-Syrian government forces has captured world attention. Even the suggestion that Greece will leave the European Union, default on its loans, and produce an economic freefall has everyone anxiously eyeing the stock market. Worried atomic energy monitors are taking a hard look at Iran. And here at home, Americans are fretfully looking for a leader.

During one particularly hard time in Israel, Isaiah rebuked them: “Do not anxiously look around” (41:10). Jesus said the days before the Rapture would be anxious ones—just like now. And people are certainly looking around anxiously. “When all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near” (Luke 21:28). Unlike the earth dwellers who are anxiously looking around, we should be expectantly looking up.

Somewhat paradoxically, even though Jesus said no one knows the day or hour of His return, He told us to be looking for it. “For you know quite well that the day of the Lord's return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night...[but] you must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come in the clouds when least expected” (Matt. 24:30, 43). The world is a mess! We can either look around anxiously or look up expectantly.

Living Memorials

A “living memorial”—is it an oxymoron?  After all, a ‘memorial’ service honors the dead, memorializing the departed. A few people who’ve lived extraordinary lives are deemed important enough to be memorialized in perpetuity by having cities or schools named after them, or even by monument. Today, we remember our citizen soldiers, who by unwanted circumstance, sacrificed their lives for freedom, their only monument a headstone.  But headstones and statues are as dead as the people they represent.

For the first 12 years of my life, my family attended a church called “Memorial Baptist.” Looking back now, I think there was irony in its name—it was kind of a dead church. What a shame. Jesus is the Head of the Church; it is His Body.  And He is not the 'Head of the dead.'  If anything, that little Baptist church should have been called the “Living Memorial Baptist”—a witnesses to the transforming power of His life, death, resurrection and ascension.

Ultimately, that is what a memorial is—a witness to someone’s life. And of course Jesus’ Church is that witness, made up of individual living memorials or witnesses—members who died to this world, but are alive in Christ. Paul called us to be “living sacrifices” (Rom. 12:1)—daily dying to self that we might show the world who Christ is. What a good day this is to remind ourselves that we are, in fact, living memorials to show "life" to a dying world.

Do You Love Me?

Yesterday, I wrote that the joy of pleasing God, and feeling His pleasure, can be hindered if we live by do's and don'ts. Rule keeping just puts you in bondage. What's needed is to be so in love with Jesus we wouldn’t think of displeasing Him. Isn’t this what Jesus said? “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:21) In other words, the more we love Him, the easier it is to obey Him.

If we are struggling to be obedient in some area of our lives, we don’t need to double-down our efforts. We need to reassess our intimacy with Jesus. Obedience is the ‘natural’ consequence of love. “This is love for God: to obey his commands. And [then] His commands are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:3)

Peter’s relationship with Jesus illustrates this proper order: love followed by obedience. Peter, who was the staunchest warrior among the disciples, declared his loyalty—he would never abandon Jesus. And then, he did (John 18). And not simply running away as the others had, but stridently disavowing Jesus—3 times! So it should not miss our attention that when Jesus and Peter had their next private encounter, Jesus did not tell Peter to try harder. No, Jesus simply looked him in the eyes, and said, “Peter, do you love me?”

Feeling God’s Pleasure

If you’ve seen the film Chariots of Fire, you know that Eric Liddell was the Scottish missionary who won a gold medal in the 1924 Olympics. But for Eric, running wasn't about winning competitions. It was how he connected to God. “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.”

It seems to me that “feeling God’s pleasure” is the end product of “pleasing God” (Eph. 5:8: 1 Thess. 4:1). But we can inadvertently put so much emphasis on ‘doing’ things to please Him we miss out on the joy that Eric had discovered. Certainly Jesus wants us to be “doers of the Word” (James 1:22). But motivated by love, and to know the same love with which God loved Him (John 17:26). 

Twice, our Heavenly Father was so moved with love for Jesus that He broke through the heavens, speaking right out of eternity, “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.”  Just think how different our lives would be if we could live continually knowing, and yes, even feeling, God’s pleasure.

"The Church of What’s Happening Now”

As the star of a successful variety show 40 years ago, Flip Wilson created a recurring skit playing the character Reverend Leroy, minister of the “Church of What's Happening Now!” His church, although otherwise quite unsanctified, was aptly named as an expression of relevancy for the 70’s generation.

Today, in the spirit of relevance, churches design services to be less assaulting to un-churched persons—lighting, music style, and technology meld together for a sensory experience. Dan Kimball of the Vintage Church says, “While the seeker-friendly era was successful in bringing a generation of baby-boomers to Jesus, that time is past. Now we need to find new methods that will reach this new generation."

The new churches keep things chill, friendly, entertaining, avoiding anything that would scare people away. But will "The Church of What's Happening Now" be one that keeps His word, honors His name, and stands up for sound doctrine without compromise? Certainly, the goal of each new generation is to communicate the Gospel in a way that can be understood by theirs. The challenge ahead for them is in refusing to compromise with the culture, that is, making changes while still making disciples.

Are You Prepared?

Though 87% of Americans believe they’ll go to heaven, few are planning and preparing for it. If it is normal for people to plan for the future, shouldn't it be normal for Christians to plan for heaven?

‘What does that mean?’ Well, Jesus said “I’m going to prepare a place for you.” But there are two sides to that! Throughout the NT letters, we are told that life on earth is preparation for eternity, and only “those who endure will reign with Him” (2 Tim 2:12). Though all who are saved will go to heaven, what kind of place we will occupy is yet to be determined, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad… on that day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done, and will show if a person's work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames” (2 Cor. 5:10; 1 Cor. 3:13-15).

Though we say we believe this, our actions often suggest otherwise. We spend our entire lives making plans: we plan for our college education, plan our career, plan our marriage and family. Then we hire financial planners, in preparation for retirement and death. Some people even plan their own funerals. But what about your heavenly plans? Are you prepared?

“Distracted walking may cost you”

Enlightened Christians will perceive the double meaning of the above title from an article in USA Today. Many States have laws against texting and talking while driving; but now States are making it illegal to text and talk while walking. Some are issuing fines for careless walking. More proactively, the state of Delaware posts warning signs near crosswalks, “Look Up: Drivers aren’t always looking out for you.”

In Scripture, walking is a metaphor for the Christian life. From the first pages, God and Adam walk together in Eden. Thereafter, walking depicts the choice of right over wrong, God over self. With that backdrop, Paul says “be careful how you walk” (Eph 5:15), the word “careful” meaning cautiously, guardedly. Interestingly, the Greek word is "akribos" from which we get our English word “acrobat”—one who walks a straight and narrow line or tight rope.

There are many distractions to make us stumble or fall. The prevention is not unlike Delaware's: Look up! In Biblical language, “Lift up your eyes” (Is. 51:6); “Fix your eyes on Jesus” (Heb. 12:2); “Do not anxiously look about you” (Is. 41:10). And most importantly, be careful when you are walking in the dark. Jesus said, “Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going” (John 12:35). So, Paul says: “At one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (Eph. 5:8).

Hope against Hope

Last week, pollsters said 43% of Americans have little hope the economy will improve any time soon. Today, a poll in USA Today says two-thirds of Americans are hopeful the economy will improve within the next year. What does this tell us? First, not to trust in polls, and second, “hope” is subjective.

The Bible says “deferred hope makes the heart sick” (Prov. 13:12). Hardly unique to our generation, hopelessness has characterized humanity since Adam and Eve hoped for the better things Satan promised! Hoping in anything but God (banks, stock market, government, or people) promises disappointment.

God calls us to a hope founded on His integrity, promising “a hope that does not disappoint.” Listen to this translation of Romans 5:3-5, from “The Message.” We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

Obama Invokes the Golden Rule

Last week, the President invoked the Golden Rule to justify his endorsement of gay marriage, implying 1) it was the “Christian” thing to do, and 2) it is what Jesus would do! The phrase “Golden Rule” is not in the Bible, but the principle is: “Therefore, however you want people to treat you, so treat them” (Matt. 7:12).

Certainly Jesus never intended the Golden Rule to be the litmus test for right behavior—and certainly not as a license to sin. And He certainly would not have approved gay marriage. How can we know this? Because Jesus defined marriage for us in Matthew 19:4-5: “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and the two shall become one flesh?’”

Parsing scripture to gain moral ground is nothing new. People have been splicing and dicing God's Word for their own purposes ever since the Serpent first did it to Eve. (Centuries later, he tried the same strategy (Luke 4) on Jesus.) The Body of Christ has never been in greater need of those who can “accurately handle the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).

Obama's position on gay marriage has evolved

Yesterday President Obama announced his support of gay marriage. His position had been evolving for several years. To “evolve” means to develop gradually or to adapt. And “adaptation” is key to Darwin’s theory of evolution (or natural selection) where only the strong survive! We knew Obama believed in natural evolution; now we know he believes in moral evolution. And so do a majority of Americans.

Like every ‘successful’ politician, Obama knows he must adapt to the majority’s changing values. If his presidency was going to survive, Obama would have to evolve and adapt. And now that over 50% of the country has evolved to accept same-sex marriage, it was not only safe but expedient to announce his evolution.

Likewise, there are many in the Church who fear that if they do not adapt to the evolving standards, they will not survive. And so, as the Church in America finds itself in an increasingly secular world that rejects moral absolutes, many are evolving and adapting. But for those who believe in God's unchangeable standards, evolution is not an option. God says "I am the LORD, and I do not change” (Mal. 3:6).

Will the Real Gospel Please Stand up

“To Tell the Truth” was a 1950’s game show in which 3 contestants claim to be the same person—2 of whom, of course, are impostors. A panel of celebrities asked questions to determine who was telling the truth. After making their guesses, the emcee would say “will the real [Joe Smith] please stand up.”

The Apostle Paul warned of imposters who would come in to the church preaching a “different Gospel” (2 Cor. 11:4). One such imposter, for example, is the “Therapeutic” gospel, which promises personal fulfillment and self actualization. Or, another of today’s imposters is the “Liberation” gospel which claims that Jesus meant to liberate the masses from unjust economic, political, or social conditions. And then there are “Prosperity” and “Dominion” gospels, focusing followers on the things of earth and the interests of men.

Jesus warned that many would be taken in by the imposters in the end times: “On judgment day many will say to me, 'Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.'  But I will reply, 'I never knew you.'”(Mat 7:22-23).  Can we discern the imposters or will we be surprised when the real gospel stands up!

Coffee, Doughnuts, and Worship

More churches these days are offering worshippers coffee and doughnuts as they enter the service. At the risk of sounding like a curmudgeon, I remember when no one would have thought of eating and drinking in a church service. The ‘sanctuary’ was considered a ‘set-apart’ place/time to focus on God.   “There is an appointed time for everything” (Ecc. 3:1), and Sunday morning was a time for feeding the soul.

Before you accuse me of 20th century fundamental legalism, please hear my heart on this. I’m not talking about meaningless rules; nor would I want to restrict anyone’s freedom. No, I am speaking of the loss of something: the loss of un-distractedness, of undivided attention in our corporate gatherings.

While I understand our churches' objectives to be less culturally disparate, I fail to see how coffee and doughnuts add value to the worship experience. Paul was not discouraging Sunday morning coffee and doughnuts when he spoke these words, but listen to them as though he were. “I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord” (1 Cor. 7:35). Of course the real issue is not coffee and doughnuts, but how each of us is undivided in devotion to the Lord—and not just on Sunday morning!

Whatever happened to Silence?

I mentioned last week that Altha and I had visited a Greek Orthodox Monastery. The quiet and solitude was a stark contrast to 21st century noise-filled lifestyles. So accustomed to the non-stop sounds of TV, radio, iPods and cell phones, people find no place for silence.  Moreover, there is the the mental “noise” of social networking, emailing, texting and tweeting.

When was the last time you heard silence?—the sound of nothing, being alone with your thoughts. Part of the purpose of a daily “quiet time” is to quiet your mind of distractions and open your spirit to hear from the Lord. In the late 1950’s A.W. Tozer wrote: “God is having a difficult time getting through to us because we are a fast-paced generation. We seem to have no time for contemplation. We have no time to answer God when He calls.” I wonder what Tozer would think about today’s digitally distracted generation?

To be “well-connected” used to mean that someone was connected by blood or close acquaintance with people of wealth and influence. Now it means you have a lot of apps on your iPhone. I think “well-connected” is an accurate way to describe someone who hears from God every day. But our digital connections are making it more difficult than ever to be still, and know God (Ps. 46:11).

Has the 21st Century Church become a Den of Thieves?

Last Sunday, 41,000 fans packed Nationals Stadium in Washington, D.C., to hear a message of hope from Joel Osteen.  Tickets were an average of $20 apiece.  Then I received an email from Joel Osteen’s ministry advertising 80% off on all DVDs and books. Joel is not alone. He is part of marketplace mentality—a characteristic of modern church ministries—a 20th century phenomenon made possible by new technologies that allowed easy duplication of tapes (now CDs and DVDs) and booklets.

Now it is not uncommon to have guest Bible teachers come in to our churches and set up their mobile market stands in the foyer. But I don't hear anyone asking this question: “Have we turned the church into a market place?”—what Jesus called “a den of thieves”? (Matt. 21:13)

Jude warns that in the end times, there will be false teachers who “for pay, have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam.” Balaam's error was using his gift for monetary gain. Paul also warned of teachers who were seeking to make a profit from their ministry (Titus 1:11). I am by no means implying that everyone who sells a CD is a potential wolf in sheep's clothing.  But when our prophets are making big profits, and when shepherds are getting rich off the sheep, we have to ask: is this yet another sign of the times?

No One Likes Austerity

Last weekend the Spanish took to the streets to protest government austerity measures. Citizen reaction to austerity laws in Greece and Italy earlier this year was the same. In corporate context, austerity means cutting expenses and reducing services. No one likes austerity.

The word “austere” means to be without comforts or luxuries, connoting self-denial, self-discipline, asceticism. This week, the word “austere” took on new meaning when Altha and I visited a Greek Orthodox Monastery in the Sonora Desert. As soon as we arrived, we knew we had entered a set-apart place. We were handed a brochure which said: “Due to the sanctity of this Holy place we kindly ask that you respect the quiet and solitude of the Monastery while on the grounds.” We spoke with a young monk (from Seattle) who explained the monastic lifestyle as one refraining from worldly comforts and pleasures, so that without distractions, they might practice Christian disciplines and meditations to bring them closer to Christ.

Your first reaction may be to dismiss the ascetic lifestyle as aberrant and extreme, but single-minded devotion to Jesus is not something reserved for desert dwellers. Jesus’ life on earth and that of all who followed Him was austere. Jesus demanded singular commitment from His disciples. By leaving their nets and boats—their most valued things in life—they demonstrated the heart disposition Jesus was looking for. Why then, do we suppose, 20 centuries later, that following Jesus demands any less of us?

Walls

The Israeli army is building a wall to run along part of its border with Lebanon.  Already having one on the Palestinian border, they will soon have one on their border with Egypt. Given the changing political climate, it is no wonder.

Throughout history, walls have been used to defend cities from potential aggressors. In the Bible, walls were the places of battle—the only thing that stood between a city and its enemies.  Walls are therefore used metaphorically of security and safety (Isa. 26:1; 60:18).  In America, we don't have walls around our cities, but we have walls around our homes, and walls on our borders. The walls of our houses are strong, thick, and insulated to keep things in (privacy) and keep things out (noise, heat, cold, unwanted people).

It seems to me that Israel’s actions might be used to remind The Church (the New Israel) that it must build strong walls to keep in solid doctrine and keep out worldly influence. As the last days get closer, there will be tremendous pressure for all peoples to let down their walls and move toward unity and acceptance.  Christ followers will be pressured to accept religious pluralism.  Metaphorically speaking, we ought to make sure we are building solid walls of truth to keep out the doctrines of demons and protects us, corporately and individually, against the fiery darts of Satan.