April Fools for Christ

I googled April Fools' Day, wondering if I could find some hidden insights. Wikipedia says its practices include, among other things, sending someone on a ‘fool's errand,’ that is, trying to get people to believe ridiculous things. You can imagine this description caught my attention. According to Paul, “the preaching of the cross is foolishness [ridiculous to believe in] to those who are perishing” (1 Cor. 1:18). 

Paul was not afraid of appearing foolish. When he said, “We are fools for Christ, but you are wise” (1 Cor. 4:10), he was scorning the Corinthians for priding themselves on their astute and eloquent preaching. (They were too smart to go on a ‘fool's errand!’)

I think April 1 should serve as a reminder to all cross-bearing believers that we are called to be “Fools for Christ.” And what better maxim for the day than Jim Elliot’s truly astute and eloquent declaration: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

Church for Atheists

Nearly 6 % of Americans are atheists or agnostics. But, they still want to go to church! A year ago, two British atheists were inspired to start a church “without the God bit.” Their so-called “Sunday Assembly,” provides like-minded unbelievers with a community and a message to “live better, help often, wonder more.” The budding movement is growing, now with 35 chapters around the world, many in the U.S.

Of course those of us who are ‘believers’ can see the contradiction of an Atheist Church. The meaning of “church” is the “called out ones,” referring collectively to Christians, the body of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23). Yet, you can hardly fault the atheists; over the years, the word “church” has come to mean a building.

Not unlike many Christians, however, the atheists have confused “going to church” with “The Church.” In 1957, the founder of the “home church” movement in England, Canon Southcott, said, “We don’t go to church; we are the church.” Not unlike the atheists, unfortunately, many Christians need to stop thinking of the Church as a building or a service. Nor as an organization, but a living organism.

Weather Warning: A Cold Front is Moving In

There is a cold front moving in to the North East, and Nor'easters are being warned to get read for a snowy Thanksgiving. Did you know that Jesus warned of a cold front in the last days: the love of many will grow cold (Matt. 24:12)? The last letter written to the churches in Revelation 3 is Laodicea, characterized as a lukewarm church.  Today, the number of passionate believers in Jesus is decreasing while lukewarm-ness accelerates to near apostasy.

Do you know that the Bible prophecies a strong delusion (2 Thess. 2:11), like a freezing wind, will numb out everyone (including lukewarm believers) in the last days. And then, when the Holy Spirit is removed from the earth, this freeze will move in and make everyone so cold they no longer feel the love of God. Is this why Jude says, Keep yourselves in the love of God (Jude 21), and Paul, Be on fire with the Spirit (Rom. 12:11)? When you see this cold front moving in, watch your heart. Don't be left out in the cold!

Are We Seeing the Apostasy? Take Heed, lest You Fall!

Are we seeing the start of the great apostasy, the falling away (from faith) that Paul predicted would occur in the end times (2 Thess. 2:3)?  Just look around at the increasing rejection of Biblical standards and the consequent decline of morality. The disparity between what people consider right and wrong is a grand canyon. We may not yet know its full impact on the church. But we know it is increasing. Is this why Paul warned, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12)?

Jesus rebuked the religious leaders of His day for not “discerning the times” (Matt. 16:13). While only God knows when all these things will transpire, it behooves us to be watching over our hearts to assure we are not among the fallers. Nor should we be surprised to find that we are being slowly outnumbered by what-I-call “unbelieving” believers. Jesus warned that there would be a time when many “false messiahs and prophets will deceive, if possible, even the elect,” followed by the words: “Take heed” (Mark 13:21-22). Indeed, let us.

‘Born-agains’ that say "Whatever!"

Young American believers, according to a Probe Ministries survey, are moving away from a biblically-centered worldview. Specifically, only one in three believe Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. His survey also reveals that “born-agains,” as he calls them, have decreased by 22% since 1976. And, only 1 in 5 report they are wholeheartedly practicing their faith. Pretty alarming!?

But what is most disturbing is the suggestion that the two-thirds who do not believe Jesus is the only way are really born again. In Acts 16, Paul says to be born again one must “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.” Perhaps some did at first, but allowed this “whatever-culture” to lead them away from the truth. If so, they are dangerously deceived, but (I believe) born again. However, the “born-agains” who never confessed Jesus as “the way, the truth, and the life” are not. Rather, they under the spell of an ambivalent culture that says, “Whatever!”

What does Jesus want for Christmas?

Since writing about the war on Christmas last week, I've been thinking that there is also a war that goes on in the hearts of believers at this time of year: the battle between flesh and spirit (Gal. 5:17) which is antagonized by consumemrism, in the battle  of “worshopping” vs. worshipping.

The birth day of Jesus began with worship, a host of angels singing to the shepherds in the fields, “Glory to God in the highest.”  And after the shepherds had seen Jesus, the Bible says they “went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen” (Luke 2:20). And then later, wise men arrived from their thousand-mile journey, saying, “We have come to worship Him" (Matt. 2:2).

How ironic it is that since Christmas day falls on a Sunday this year, many churches are deciding whether to shorten, if not cancel, their “worship” services. As important as that may be, I think there is a larger issue we ought not to lose sight of. Whether at church or home, will we have a spirit of worship? Whether or not you choose to attend church on Christmas morning, may I suggest that before opening your presents, you pause and thank God for sending the greatest gift of all, “a savior who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). Of all the gifts the wise men brought to Jesus, the most precious one was the gift of worship. “Come, let us worship and bow down… and thank God for his indescribable gift!” (Ps. 95:6; 2 Cor. 9:15)

Overcoming Unbelief

The disciples spent three years in the presence of Jesus: God in the flesh. They sat under His teaching and lived with Him daily—studying His perfection. And yet, even though they had come to believe that He was the Christ, on their last night together, they ran into a wall of fear and unbelief.

All of us who believe in Jesus have what-I-call “pockets” of unbelief! In fact, it is one of Satan’s primary strategies to keep our pockets full of unbelief—“Satan, the god of this evil world, has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, so they are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News” (2 Cor. 4:4a). Satan wants to keep "believers" from fully believing!

When Jesus encountered a boy possessed by a spirit, the boy’s father asked Jesus “Do something if you can." Noting the father’s doubt, Jesus said “What do you mean, `If I can'? Anything is possible if a person believes." And the father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief” (Mark 9:22-24 NLT). And here is the real problem we “believers” deal with. We do believe but, still, we have doubts—pockets of unbelief. In these areas of unbelief we should pray “Lord, help me in my unbelief.” Though the Ephesian Christians were already great believers, still Paul prayed for God to open their eyes (unblind them) and to give them revelation in order to believe, even more, in the incredible greatness of God’s power (1:19).

Obama Answers Question on Why He’s a Christian

Yesterday, at a ‘backyard conversation’ meeting in Albuquerque, when Obama was asked why he’s a Christian, He replied: “it was because the precepts of Jesus Christ spoke to me in terms of the kind of life that I would want to lead—being my brother's and sister's keeper, treating others as they would treat me. And I think also understanding that, you know, that Jesus Christ dying for my sins spoke to the humility we all have to have as human beings—that we're sinful and we're flawed and we make mistakes, and that we achieve salvation through the grace of God."

While there seems to be nothing terribly 'personal' in his answer, that is not what struck me. No, as I thought about his answer, I realized that Jesus never called people to become Christians! The designation “Christian” was first used by the church in Antioch, many years after Christ’s death and resurrection. And did you know that the word “Christian” is used only three times in the New Testament?

Jesus called men and women to be His disciples. Now I do realize that the words “Christian” and “disciple” are used interchangeably. But I think the difficulty in determining whether someone is a Christian or not will be resolved as we look at Jesus’ requirements for His disciples, realizing that if someone is not a disciple, he is not a Christian! Look at Jesus' definition of a disciple, and decide for yourself whether Obama (or you, for that matter) matches up.

If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. Likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple (Luke 14:26-27, 33). Seems there's a whole lot more to being a Christian than Obama (or some of us) realizes!

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