Should We Fight the Future?

For better or for worse, time leaves its tangible mark on every aspect of society, and we can stop time from passing no more than we can stop the rain from falling. It’s going to happen whether we want it to or not. But just because the rain brings a flood doesn’t mean we have to be swept away by it. And just because we can’t stop the future from becoming the present doesn’t mean we have to fall prey to a culture that is eating itself away from within with each passing decade.

 America is not exempt from the ravages of time. From a purely Christian perspective, this country is not getting better. One would have to willfully shut his eyes and plug his ears to reality in order to say or believe otherwise. We are not better morally or spiritually as a society today than we were fifty years ago, fifteen years ago, or even five years ago. We are worse. This simply cannot be denied. Pro-homosexual and anti-marriage sitcoms such as “The New Normal” and “Happily Divorced” are being aired and applauded today on prime time television. These programs evolved as a result and product of a morally declining culture. They could not find an accepting audience five years ago, but today these programs and others like them are not only accepted but embraced and protected by a society with a not-so-superficial belief that this kind of low living is ok.

 I more than halfway expect our society to erode with time. After all, which nation, in all of history, hasn’t? But, because we are in the hi-tech age, our society is crumbling at an exponential rate. And as alarming as it is that our moral fabric is quickly unraveling, it is even more disheartening that our spiritual foundation is also crumbling at break-neck speed. If time has eroded the moral fabric of our country, then why be so foolish as to think that we, as a nation, have evolved spiritually rather than devolved? Since when did time become prejudiced?

 I am aware that many Christians (even some I consider good friends) will call me an antiquated dinosaur who is stuck in the past. But that’s only because they have already fallen prey to the deception of post-modern Christianity. What does that term even mean? I might not know what it means, but I know what it describes. It describes a generation who has turned their back on fundamental Christianity. I did not say “fundamentalism” because not all “fundamentalism” can be said to be fundamental Christianity either. I’m talking about a generation that has embraced a worldly and carnal philosophy regarding church, sin, salvation, worship, God, holiness, the Word of God, preaching, evangelism, discipleship, personal and ecclesiastical separation, etc. “Church” as we know it, or at least have known it in the not so distant past is rapidly becoming extinct. I truly believe this is what the Word of God calls “the falling away”, in other words, apostate Christianity. I am seeing not only friends and acquaintances, but also family and fellow pastors embracing this deceptive post-modern Christian philosophy with reckless abandon!

 Do we really think that having a “dress-down-come-as-you-are” attitude toward church attendance means we have evolved spiritually or that we have finally figured God out?  Are we so arrogant as to believe that we have finally been able to get holiness right, and that the church fathers over the past two thousand years didn’t have a clue? Have we reached the pinnacle of enlightenment regarding church growth because we’ve figured out how to achieve record breaking crowds through secular marketing of the church? C’mon, do we honestly, for one second, truly believe that God is pleased with our Hollywood-type productions, laser and light shows, smoke rolling off the stage, pyro-technics display and rock concerts that we pretentiously call worship on Sunday morning? Are we that stupid?! Do pastors today truly believe in their heart that by stroking the self-esteem of their congregants with nothing but positive motivational messages, they are doing them a service?  Have preachers lost sight altogether of the fact that only a proper, biblical view of sin, self and God can produce a truly righteous and Godly people?  How can we prepare a people for heaven if they don’t have a biblical knowledge of the holiness of a sovereign God? How can we as preachers truly call a person a disciple if they are not progressively growing in sanctification and in the image of Christ, but rather are going to Billy Bob’s or some other dance hall and drinking establishment on Saturday night? Have we preachers become so concerned with our salaries and the bottom line that we fear to address the known sins of the big tithers? Has God become that small and man that big?

 I don’t know if we can effectively fight the future given that the future seems to become the present and then speeds off into history quicker than we can take it all in. But this I know; we do not have to isolate ourselves from the world in order to live a life of purity, godliness and holiness. But we do need to insulate ourselves from it. We are not to embrace carnal means and adopt unholy measures to secure membership in our churches. The salvation of the lost depends upon the sanctification of the saved. I personally do not believe God left the ministry of the gospel to us without parameters. He has given us His Word, and if we will read it and heed it, we will find the only kind of success that matters. May God grant us the good sense to wake up!

Pastor Who?

1 Cor. 3:1-7

And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.² I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.³ For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?⁴ For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?⁵ Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?⁶ I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

Paul begins this chapter by rebuking the Corinthian Christians for being so carnal. There were divisions and envying and strife among them because they were elevating men rather than Christ. They were arguing as to which man was more spiritual, or more important, or had greater significance or influence among the rest. I imagine they were doing this in hopes of exalting their own self-proclaimed importance.

It is a travesty to elevate men to a level of godhood, believing one man has all the answers and setting not only ourselves up for a fall but also that man who we are enthroning. It is unfair to all involved because this kind of thinking does not allow for anyone to make mistakes. It also does not allow anyone else to have a differing opinion. The sooner we realize that only God is perfect and without error, the sooner we can avoid divisions in the body. There is enough opposition on the outside trying to destroy the church without us on the inside giving them an easy target.

There is nothing wrong with admiring godly characteristics of certain men of God or applauding their dedication to His call. But we must always remember, according to the Scripture, that without God or Christ, these and all men are nothing! So, the next time we are tempted to sing the praises of some preacher for the results of a Spirit-filled, biblical, New Testament ministry, whether on the West Coast or the East Coast, sing praise God to God instead, because Paul planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.

There is No Such Thing as Debt Free Christianity

I enjoy listening to Dave Ramsey as much as the next guy, and, per his advice, I have tried to apply as many of the biblical principles regarding debt-free living into my life as possible, but there is still one debt I, as a Christian, will never pay in full. It’s not because I don’t want to pay this debt. Indeed, I would love nothing more at the end of my life than to be able to say, “I’ve run the race, I’ve finished my course, I’ve kept the faith.” But I read in the book of  Romans about a debt that I will never get paid in full because I can’t stop this world from populating itself. As long as people are in this world and without Jesus Christ, I, as a born-again child of God, am indebted to them. I owe it to my fellow human being to share with him the gospel of Jesus Christ. I possess the knowledge of how he can miss Hell and make Heaven. If I do not share that knowledge, then I am of all men most rank.

The Apostle Paul said in Romans 1:14-16

“I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

Many of us are on a fast track to be debt-free within a certain period of time. Many have made material and monetary sacrifices so that they are not chained to a lender. But how many sacrifices have we made to be debt free spiritually? As the physical debt is always in the front of our conscience, so also should the spiritual debt weigh heavily upon our soul. Brethren, let us look around. Are we ignoring our spiritual debt? Just as a monetary debt grows exponentially if ignored, so also does our spiritual debt compound as the population increases. Many lost souls are plunging into an eternal hell because we are shrugging of our Christian responsibility to share the soul saving, life changing gospel with them. I’m sure glad someone paid his debt to me 28 years ago!

As we go about our tasks this week or this month, I encourage you to join me in the challenge to be consciously aware of our heavenly debt. Let’s carry gospel tracts and ask God to help us be sensitive to the Spirit’s promptings as we cross the paths of those to whom we are indebted. May God bless you richly as you serve him is my prayer.

Sorry, But I’m Not Apologizing For Not Apologizing

Being able to say “I’m sorry” in sincerity is necessary to maintain a healthy relationship. Usually, the only reason one won’t apologize is simply foolish pride. No one likes to admit they are wrong, and saying “I’m sorry” typically implies that. Sometimes we need to say “I’m sorry” when we are right because our only motive was to prove we were right while not taking into consideration that declaring our “rightness” would hurt someone else.  I don’t tender this advice because it overflows out of my vast stores of wisdom, but rather because I’ve been married for nearly 22 years and have raised 4 children and have been afforded many opportunities to say “I’m sorry”. And though there may be some lingering feelings of regret tucked away because of some stupid thing I did or said during those 22 years, there are also some things I don’t regret one iota. There are some things I did in my life that, given an opportunity to do all over, I wouldn’t change a thing. If my kids don’t’ understand it till their fifty or whether the liberal news media or the world sardonically labels it politically, socially, or even religiously incorrect, there are a few things I will absolutely not apologize for.

I do not apologize for raising my children in a conservative Christian home (as if there is such a thing as a liberal Christian home; an oxymoron). I do not apologize for trying my best to insulate them from the vicious, evil influences of a wicked and corrupt world. I don’t apologize for desiring them to be wise regarding godliness and simple concerning sin.

I do not apologize for home schooling and sending them to a private Christian school. I do not apologize for keeping their minds from being polluted by the filth and wickedness that takes place in public schools. I do not apologize for attempting to keep them from receiving a distorted, warped, humanistic world view through text books written by and, for the most part, taught by atheists.

I do not apologize for disciplining my children by spanking them with a belt or switch while they were growing up. I do not apologize for instilling in them the character trait that they must take responsibility for their actions and that there are consequences for good choices and bad choices alike. It’s not my problem that you prefer my results but don’t have the guts to adopt my methods, which actually are the Bible’s methods.

I do not apologize for choosing their friends for them as they grew up. I do not apologize for not letting them “hang out” with non-Christian acquaintances. I do not apologize for allowing them to have any friend they choose to come over to our house where I could monitor and even select the evening’s activities. I do not apologize for not allowing them to “sleep over” at a worldly or carnal Christian family’s home. I do not apologize for not wanting them to be subjected to a home where there might be alcohol, tobacco, profanity or worse being used in front of them.

I do not apologize for not allowing them to date through high school. I do not apologize for not allowing them to give a piece of their heart away several times to several different people before they actually get to the marriage altar. I do not apologize for not allowing them to practice how to divorce by breaking up several times throughout their teenage years.

I do not apologize for having them in church every time the doors were opened. I do not apologize for believing they needed to be educated in the word of God on a weekly or even daily basis to counter the garbage they inadvertently receive from the limited exposure to the world they do encounter. I do not apologize for sending them to youth camps and youth conferences every year where they would interact with thousands of other Christian kids from all over the country who lived the same way they did.

I do not apologize for sending them to Christian colleges where, in spite of a lack of accreditation, literally tens of thousands of other young men and women have graduated with a diploma in liberal arts or Bible degrees and have gone on to succeed in life with a promising and successful career or ministry.

But most of all, I do not apologize for constantly trying to bring them to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. For I realize this is absolutely the most important and loving thing I could ever do for them. All these other things that I have written above served only to bring them to that point, but ultimately, they have to make that decision on their own.

I will have to stand before God one day and give an account of the family He entrusted to my care. I have not been a perfect dad or husband, but I hope that when I stand before the Lord on that day, He will review the things I did and did not apologize for and say to me, “Well done”.

What is “The evil day”?

The apostle says to put on the whole armor of God so we may stand in the evil day. What is “the evil day”? Is it just one day? Is it a 24 hour period or is it indicative of a particular period of time such as, “We live in such an evil day.”? I believe the latter is probably true. The devil doesn’t make an appointment to test, tempt, or try the Christian. As soon as the Holy Spirit takes up residence in the heart and begins to manufacture Christ in the life of a believer, the devil begins his assault. The world and the devil don’t care about religion or “churchianity”, but there is a fierce intimidation to both of them when the Spirit is given free course in a heart and life. The world takes offense at a true, God fearing, Spirit filled believer living out true righteousness by way of a holy and consecrated lifestyle. This is why we are to daily put on the whole armor of God as described in chapter six. So suit up my brothers and sisters. Every day is a day of battle for the sincere believer who is trying to live out his Christianity. Every day is “the evil day.”

American Christian or Christian American?

With all the upheaval and unrest in the middle east in the name of religion, it’s no wonder the lost see God or religion as the road block to “peace”. True biblical New Testament Christianity does not promote or practice the barbarous beheading or savage killing of those in disagreement with its beliefs. Jesus knew the world at large would not accept his message of salvation, simply because it meant they would have to concur that they were sinners in need of a Savior. It meant they would have to acknowledge that they are accountable to a supreme being. Most people simply don’t want to accept this. However, Christ told his followers to pray for those who persecute, bless those who curse, do good to those who do evil, not to pay vengeance for vengeance. God said, “I will repay.”

These days it is hard for us American Christians to disconnect ourselves from our prejudices in order to be the Christians the Word of God calls us to be. These prejudices are deeply rooted in American pride and have found new fodder through the ridiculous two party political system we have set up in our country. If we would practice Christianity, we would realize there is no place for those prejudices to exist. The apostle Paul said in Romans 10:1, “Brethren, my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved.” Israel hated Paul and his Christ. They constantly were trying to kill him and yet he could pray for their salvation, and witness to them at every opportunity.

The solution to the Islamic problem in America is for Christians to actually live out their Christianity. Muslim people need Jesus Christ to bring revolution to their heart. True biblical Christianity will make the difference in the lives of individuals and in the society of any nation when its truths and values are adopted and practiced.

Some Thoughts From My Travels

The church is given over to her own devices. If the Holy Spirit were allowed to do His work of convicting of sin, righteousness and judgment to come, I am convinced that before very long He would be unwelcome in our churches and among the people of God. Today, the church relies upon pulpit personality, personal talent, promotions, and the power of the flesh to accomplish its goals. We’ve left off real praying. I don’t mean the calm listing of requests and the courteous giving of proper thanks, but honest, broken-hearted, burdened, fervent prayer that finds utterance difficult! Why do we insist on leaving God out of the equation? If this is the work of God, why don’t we avail ourselves to the resources he makes available to us so that we might experience real spiritual results? Why are we content to shortchange ourselves and settle for what we can accomplish in the flesh without God? The power of God is real and it’s free for the claiming. Not unlike the rest of Christianity, this too is a paradox.  The power of God is free but comes at a great cost. The cost is time. The cost is a repentant heart and a broken spirit over our own sin. The cost is putting away our own carnality and worldliness. The cost is to loosen the stakes to the world and its sinful pleasures while setting our sights on eternity and our affections on spiritual things. The cost is tears. The cost is importunity. The cost is a true and honest desire and hunger for God himself. The cost is a burden for lost souls. The cost is to be a consistent and verbal witness for Christ. The cost is to preach the word of God regardless of the repercussions. The cost is to deal with the obvious sin in the church. The cost is to stop trying so desperately hard to be liked in our communities and concern ourselves more with preaching the truth even if it means being disliked! The cost is preaching more than comfortable truth. It’s a high price to pay, but if we are going to have the hand of God on our lives and on our churches, we must give Him conduits through which to flow. We must give him holy vessels to use as dispensers of his Holy Word. In a word, we must daily bear the cross of Christ.