Resistance, Russia, and the Devil

Warned about possible sanctions if they do anything to escalate Ukraine’s internal conflict, what did Russia do? They flew jets into Ukraine's airspace and aligned themselves with rebel Russian Ukrainians over control of the rebel-held town of Slavyansk—whose outcome could determine if Russia takes control of the whole of eastern Ukraine.  

Should it surprise anyone that after invading Crimea with almost no resistance from the U.S. or Europe, Russia is pushing the boundaries (quite literally), changing geopolitics for decades, even centuries.

Not to infer that Putin is the devil, the word “resistance” brought to mind a spiritual truth—we have to resist our enemies. If you “resist the devil, he will flee from you” (4:7). Imagine that! We have the power to put the devil to flight! And not unlike what is going on in Russia and Ukraine, if we do not resist him (giving him the advantage), the personal outcome will be disastrous. “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will stand firm (Eph. 6:13).

Do You Complain about your Work Out?

Each day when I check in at 24-hour Fitness, the staff will say “Enjoy your workout!” And I laugh to myself because if I thought of it as work, I wouldn't enjoy it; and I'm sure you would hear me complaining about having to go to the gym!

Complaining about one's ‘work’ is universal: 70% of Americans say they feel so unfulfilled, they hate their jobs. Solomon said, “I hated [my work] because everything done here under the sun is meaningless—like chasing the wind” (Eccl. 2:17). But then added, “There is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work; it is the gift of God” (Eccl. 3:13, 12, 22). If we could see our work as divinely purposed, I'm sure it would cut down on the complaining!

Solomon also said, “Without a vision, people perish,” roughly translated, “when we can’t see with God’s eyes, we fall apart.” Jesus saw His work through God’s eyes: “I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do” (John 17:4). Paul completed his work with the same satisfaction: “I have fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7-8). And wouldn't we all like to say we finished our “workout” (Phil 2:12)—without complaining (Phil 2:14)!

If you speak the truth, you will be hated

When Kirk Cameron (Growing Pains, Fireproof), a conservative evangelical Christian, was a guest on Piers Morgan’s show last month, he was asked about his views on homosexuality. Not surprisingly, Cameron said it is unnatural and detrimental to the foundations of civilization, alluding to gay marriage. His comments were immediately condemned by GLAAD as hate speech.

Hate speech is defined as any communication disparaging a person/group on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, nationality, or religion. In an increasingly secular (amoral) world, our biblical morals are becoming more offensive.  Thankfully, however, saying offensive things is protected by the First Amendment, unless the words are considered defamation, in which case, hate speech becomes a hate crime (a felony). And therein lies the danger: in a culture that is hostile to the Bible, expressing our biblical beliefs may some day become a hate crime.

Albert Mohler says, “Without a doubt, many Christians manage to be offensive for reasons other than the offense of the gospel. This is to our shame. Nevertheless, there is no way for a Christian to avoid offending those offended by Jesus Christ and His cross (1 Cor. 1:23). The truth claims of Christianity, by their very particularity and exclusivity, are inherently offensive.” (Culture Shift) To Mohler's remarks, I would add this: whatever we may say, we must always be sure we are “speaking the truth in love.” (Eph. 4:15).

There is no such thing as a “Sin Meter”

This last Sunday many churches commemorated “Sanctity of Life Month” by speaking out against abortion. Shockingly, since 1973, over 30% of U.S. women of child bearing age have had an abortion. Even more disturbing, the rate of abortions for self-identified Christians is nearly the same. So while this is a political and moral issue, it is also a very painful person issue for many women (and men).

I wonder how many women stayed home from church on Sanctity of Life Sunday, yet unable to shed feelings of shame & guilt.  Sadly, some sins carry a stigma—abortion being one. And though we all know there is no such thing as a “sin meter,” certain sins seem to be singled out as worse. Another example of this is homosexuality.  During the AIDS epidemic, some preachers publicly declared that AIDS was God’s judgment against homosexuals. While there is no doubt that certain sins have more severe consequences, the result of drawing attention to a particular sin is that we appear to be "sin discriminators."

When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, rebuking "fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, thieves, covetous people, drunkards, revilers, and swindlers"  (1 Cor. 6:10.), later adding "quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly behavior" (2 Cor. 12:20), he equalized all sinners.  And in a tone of hope and love, declared, “Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 6:11).

You Can’t Make Me Like You!

The upsurge in violence since the U.S. military left Iraq reminds me that our coerced peace was like a mother who says to her fighting children: “Tell each other you’re sorry and make up.” Of course forcing the Shiite and Sunni Muslims to reconcile after centuries of hatred was not realistic.  And as soon as the “adults” were gone, the Shiite Prime Minister accused his Sunni Vice President of treason and ordered him arrested.  The sectarian violence that followed resulted in 60 deaths throughout Baghdad.

If forcing someone to love you is a contradiction, how can God command us to “love one another?” Isn’t that coercion? Well it would be, if it were beyond our ability to do so. But when Christ takes up residence in our hearts, we become lovers by way of our new nature, "the Holy Spirit filling our hearts with His love" (Ro. 5:5). This is what sets us apart from the world. For born again believers, the command to love one another is not the "have to" of external compulsion but the "want to" of internal desire.

It occurs to me that perhaps we are not so different from our fellow citizens across the globe.  In light of worsening division between the secular culture and conservative Christians, we could be facing our own version of Sunni-Shiite hostility before long, in which case we need not only to love one another, we need to love our enemies.

If your life was a movie, would it be worth watching?

While my employment with the Federal government may have been my occupation for 25 years, it was never my avocation. So, on the very first day I was eligible to retire (my 60th birthday), I did. Some well-intentioned friends tried to disuade me—“the economy is not doing well,” they reminded me, “and if you stay a few more years, you will have a bigger pension.” But I was convinced there was a better use of my waning years.  I knew God was re-writing the Script.

I thought of the dramatic, action-filled life of David, who died full of years, confident he had done everything God called him to do—a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22). I thought of the suffering and triumph of Paul, who in his last years, said “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful” (2 Tim 4:6 NLT).

Every day of our lives on earth, God has a plan, a script.  Though I am currently investing my time in the lives of my students, I know it is not the final Script.  No doubt there are many new adventures ahead of me. May I remind us all that as we look at the life choices ahead of us that we remember the Jesus is not only the author but the finisher of our life of faith (Heb. 12:2)?  He has already written the Script.  But one day, time will run out, and your life will "flash" before your eyes.  Will it be worth watching?

"I wish I were dead!"

Of course, “I wish I were dead” is a horrible thing we say to ourselves during times of hopeless despair! But the Bible says before we can live as overcomers, we need a revelation of our death with Christ—that we are dead to sin and Satan’s power. In other words, we don’t have to wish it; we are dead!

When we were born the first time, Paul says we were born “dead IN our sins” (Eph. 2:1). Paradoxically, when we were born “again,” we were born “dead TO sin” (Ro. 6:4, 11). It is ‘out of’ our death that we begin a new life. If we don’t know that, Satan will have an advantage.

A Spirit-infused revelation of this truth is essential! We cannot fight our "giants," or pull down strongholds unless we have a revelation of life “in Christ.” No matter what your emotions say, or how guilty or condemned you feel, you must know, without doubt, that Satan and sin have no power over you.

When we were born again, God didn’t change “us”—He put “us” to death. And He didn’t just give us a new identity. He gave us a new address. It’s like the FBI’s “witness protection program”—they give you a new identity and move you to a new city where your enemy cannot find you. For all practical purposes, the person you used to be is dead. Ray Stedman said: “It is a new self-image that delivers us. When we begin to think of ourselves as God thinks of us, we will find we have the power to say “No” to sin.

You are Engaged in a Lifelong Battle Against Unbelief!

Though many years of biblical counseling, I have affirmed my conviction that biblical “truth” is essential to change. But the problem has always been how to help the counselee believe that biblical truth is relevant and experiential. This is true for all Christians: we experience a “gap” between what we KNOW and what we EXPERIENCE. Psychologists have a word for this gap—they call is “cognitive dissonance.”

For example, Jesus promised He would give us ‘rest’ for our weary souls (Matthew 11:28). But I know that most Christians see this as a nice “saying” but are unable to experience the reality of this truth in day-to-day experience. What is the answer to this dilemma—this gap between what I know and what I experience?

You must be actively engaged in this battle for truth and the accompanying battle against unbelief!

Every truth you receive, by faith, will take you into a conflict with the “un-beliefs” in your head. Paul employs “battle” language in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, exhorting you to “take captive” wrong thoughts that keep you from experiencing God’s truth, treating them like prisoners who must now obey Christ.

While God’s truth is absolutely true, it remains irrelevant to us until we have engaged in the battle to make it applicable to our lives. Do you KNOW and have you EXPERIENCED what Jesus said: “you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32)?

Maybe you’re not fighting hard enough!