Category Archives: spiritual

Telling Your Story

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Why do we struggle with evangelism?

Notice I said “we.”

I was raised in a church where I was taught that I needed to share the gospel, and grew up with almost constant guilt over my negligence. Perhaps you’ve also felt or still feel the same way.

Just a quick reminder from last week’s visit on The Front Porch Swing: Jesus left one specific command for His disciples: “Make disciples.”  Jesus’ game plan hasn’t changed; we make disciples by sharing the good news about Jesus and by baptizing those who choose to follow Him, teaching them to obey all Jesus commanded.

So I ask again, why is it so difficult? Why am I silent when I ought to speak? If I lived in North Korea or Saudi Arabia or Pakistan, I would have reason to be cautious. But living in America I have no legitimate reason for remaining silent.

Is it fear of rejection? Is it because “people may not like me anymore”? Perhaps, but when you think about it, that’s a pretty anemic excuse. That’s especially true if I believe that those who reject Jesus face an eternal separation from Him in hell. What kind of friend would I be if I failed to warn my neighbor that his house is on fire? I would wake him out of his slumber anyway I could.

Another reason (excuse) I have fallen back on is that I may not know what to say. I may not have all the answers to their questions. So rather than risk sounding stupid, I act stupidly by remaining silent.

Frankly, I believe we have tended to make evangelism far more cerebral than necessary. Over the four plus centuries of serving local churches, I have offered evangelism training. We have brought professional trainers to teach evangelism techniques. Within weeks, however, after the excitement of the evangelism training nothing has really changed.

Every freshman student at Moody was required to take a Personal Evangelism class. We had to memorize scores of biblical verses. I passed the class with an A, but I wasn’t an A student in personal evangelism. Sure, I handed out Christian literature on the city buses and the el trains. I preached “at” intoxicated men in Chicago’s Rescue Missions. Quite candidly, I was more comfortable preaching at these captive men, sitting through another sermon about hellfire so they could finally enjoy a hot meal and a warm place to sleep.

If you still struggle with sharing your faith with friends and neighbors, I offer a few insights:

  • Be familiar with the gospel story. Know what it is and what it is not. The gospel means good news. It’s good news about Jesus Christ—who He was and is, and what He has done for us. He is God in a human body living the perfect life we have tried always failed to live. He voluntarily died in our place—paying the death sentence we deserve. He was buried and raised from the dead, demonstrating that He truly was God and that His death satisfied the righteous demands of the holy God. (There is one more item in the gospel story that I want to save till our conclusion.)
  • Be familiar with a few key verses to support the above truths. Write the location of these verses in the fly-leaf of your Bible (or in the “notes” app on your smartphone) to alleviate fear of forgetting them. Choose verses that explain our need for salvation because we are sinners. The consequence of our sin is that we are spiritually dead and separated from the holy God. Consider Romans 3:10, 23. Be prepared with verses demonstrating that Christ has paid our debt and offers forgiveness and justification by grace through faith—not though working harder or a merit system. Consider Romans 5:8 and 6:23 as well as Ephesians 2: 8-9 to help make this point. Maybe some other key verses will come to mind. John 3:16 and John 5:24 have been used to move hearts down through the centuries.
  • Create or adapt your strategy for sharing the key points of the gospel. Over the years there have been several specific plans for sharing the gospel message. I introduce three:
    • I am most comfortable with the “Romans Road” because the verses are part of the context in Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome. He writes to present a systematic, biblical understanding of the gospel; beginning with man’s lost condition in Romans 1-3. Christ’s death and resurrection on our behalf means we can be justified (pronounced righteous in God’s sight) through faith. If you have never heard of the Romans Road approach to sharing the gospel, ask your pastor or look it up on the Internet.
    • CRU (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ) developed the “Four Spiritual Laws” as a way to share the gospel on college campuses.
    • More recently, “The Bridge” approach is so simple that one can share it on a napkin over a cup of coffee at Starbucks.
  • Finally—and perhaps most importantly—tell your personal story. Share why you are excited to be a follower of Jesus. Share how He has made a difference in your life. Has He delivered you out a life of crime like a man who now calls me Pops? Perhaps your life has been quite tranquil so you feel like you have no amazing conversion story. That’s okay. Tell what it is you love about Jesus. Tell why you decided to follow Him. Has Jesus brought peace to a convicted worrier? Has he brought joy to a baptized sourpuss? Just share your story.

How did a small group of early Christ-followers turn the world upside down while experiencing persecution? They told their stories about meeting the resurrected Jesus.

Peter and John boldly defended themselves for healing a man crippled from birth. Arrested by religious leaders for the crime of healing the man “in the name of Jesus of Nazareth,” they were incarcerated overnight and put on trial the next morning. Peter and John answered their accusers by sharing that Jesus, having been crucified and rising again, had healed the lame man through them. Listen to Peter’s boldness, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

Contemplate those words. “No other name under heaven….”

Note Peter’s conviction that apart from Jesus Christ, every person is hopelessly and forever condemned. Believing that simple statement ought to provide motivation to evangelize. After threatening Peter and John to speak no more about Jesus, they responded, “…we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).

Peter and John had a story. A story so grand and life-changing they would gladly lose their lives rather than remain silent.

If you are a Christ-follower, He has given you a story. He has given you purpose and hope. So why not share your story? Perhaps God will use your story to naturally turn the conversation into an opportunity for sharing the good news about Jesus.

Oh yes, I promised one more truth that is part of the gospel. We agree that the good news about Jesus dying for our sins and rising from the dead. But the gospel doesn’t stop with Jesus walking around Jerusalem in His glorified body. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. No more exalted place can even be imagined. Jesus also sent the Holy Spirit to empower people like you and me so that we can also boldly share the good news like Peter and John and Paul.

Speaking of Paul, Wow! Consider his story about meeting the resurrected Christ. Knocked off his mount and fearing for his life. Blind three days. Then through the power of the Holy Spirit Paul could see once more—and much, much better than ever.  No matter what they threw at him or hammered against him—whether stones or wooden rods or whips or the threat of beheading in a Roman dungeon, Paul always responded by telling his story about meeting and being transformed by Jesus.

So can I. So can you.

 

What am I reading? I am still reading The Essential Jonathan Edwards but for a respite from Edwards I have also begun reading  The Storm-Tossed Family  by Russell Moore.

The Silence for the Lambs

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No, that’s not a typo.

It’s a play on the title of a very intense movie starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins. But I wanted to grab your attention, because our topic today is truly a matter of life and death.

I write, first of all, as a confession that my voice on behalf of those without a voice has become very passive. Almost a half century has passed since Roe vs. Wade opened the door for legalized abortion in America. Back in the 70s and 80s, the issue of abortion was front burner in the Christian media and in many churches. Every January on the anniversary of that Supreme Court decision (at least in Christian periodicals), the issue of abortion is still revisited. Otherwise, with the exception of a few protests near Planned Parenthood facilities, there is little discussion about abortion in Evangelical churches.

In some cases, this silence may reflect surrender to a perceived lost cause, but I fear that more often it is a desire to be politically correct—or simple acquiescence to a corrupt status quo. One thing seems certain: the issue isn’t going away, and may very well have arrived at a tipping point.

First, the positive news: The number of reported abortions in America has been dropping consistently since 1996 when 1,225,937 abortions were reported. Today there are almost 25 percent fewer abortions being reported. I believe this significant drop is to the credit of those who have consistently and carefully stood in the gap defending those who have no voice. Pregnancy Resource Centers and the use of ultrasound have helped turn the tide by changing public awareness to the fact that fetus in the womb is not simply a mass of tissue. Everybody agrees that something alive will die in every abortion. And I would say someone, not “something.”

Even with a more conservative lineup in the current Supreme Court, we are witnessing a surge in efforts to preserve or even advance a woman’s “right to choose” if and when to abort. The line dividing those who recognize the life of the unborn as human, deserving protection, and those who display little or no concern for the innocent is becoming wider than ever before.

On January 22, 2019 (the 46th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade) New York State passed the Reproductive Health Act, allowing for late-term abortions, in specially defined situations, even up to the child’s birth. There are discrepancies over the details of what the law permits. It seems the national debate is now entirely about a woman’s right to choose to end a life. Where, I ask, is the debate over an innocent child’s right to live?

Regretfully (no, rather shamefully) Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Catholic, not only endorsed the bill but celebrated its passage by directing One World Trade Center to be lit in pink the day the bill passed!

Meanwhile, illustrating the chasm over abortion, conservative States such as Louisiana have passed laws severely restricting abortion only to have the laws struck down.  The volume and the vitriolic spirit of the debate over a woman’s right to abort will only increase. Many are shouting at each other; few are listening. Even fewer are speaking compassionately for the unborn.

We don’t need people screaming at each other while angrily waving signs. We don’t need divisive words like “murder” to win the debate. It is, after all, a simple question of justice. Everybody should want justice for the vulnerable, whether they have a voice or not. We value those like Martin Luther King Jr. who cried out against the injustice of segregation, even losing his life in the struggle. We write books and make movies of men like William Wilberforce who fought for justice on behalf of men and women trapped in the chains of slavery.

The dispute over abortion should not be a debate between liberal and conservative, or Christian and secularist. It really shouldn’t be a struggle between Democrat and Republican—but here I tread lightly because one party has made abortion part of its platform.  Abortion is a struggle between justice and injustice.

The challenge today is this: Who is crying out for justice on behalf of the innocent? Why this silence for the lambs in many of our churches?

I regret my silence. While it’s true that I no longer serve on the board of our local Pregnancy Resource Center, and no longer have a Sunday morning platform, I can still write and speak out in defense of the defenseless.

Let’s stop shouting at each other over the abortion crevasse. Perhaps our voices will be stronger and more effective when we gently but firmly pursue justice for those without a voice. Let us speak with integrity, compassion, and courage while offering support for the woman struggling with an unwanted pregnancy. Let every local church, like Foundry Church in Bend, have an adoption ministry that supports families seeking to adopt a child.

The truth is, no child is unwanted. Let’s volunteer to support efforts to place foster children in Christian homes. While seeking justice for the unborn, let’s continue to offer God’s grace and mercy for men and women who struggle with residual guilt and pain from an abortion.

It’s time to break out of our passivity, demonstrating through our deeds and words that we believe all human life bears God’s image. In place of silence, let’s use our voices to speak on behalf of the innocent, the silent lambs among us.

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.

Before you were born I set you apart.”

(Jeremiah 1:5, nlt)

Have you considered ordering a copy or two of my book, God in His Own Image? It is available as pre-published through several sources including Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I have been advised that it is advantageous for an author when books are ordered prior to actual publication. I would appreciate your support in this way. Thank you.

What I am reading: The Essential Jonathan Edwards

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Is “Christian” an Adjective or a Noun?

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“Christian is the greatest of all nouns—and the lamest of all adjectives.”

The quote is from the March, 2018 edition of Christianity Today. The article, “How Larry Norman Became the Elvis Presley of Christian Rock,” was written by Gregory Alan Thornbury, chancellor of The King’s College and a vice president at the New York Academy of Art. Thornbury is the author of Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?

Larry Norman experienced severe criticism when he began to compose and perform songs with Christian lyrics and a rock ’n’ roll beat. Thornbury wrote, “Norman’s music inspired a generation of Jesus freaks, but he never shook the suspicion of being a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” Thornbuy describes Norman’s attitude: “Christian is the greatest of all nouns—and the lamest of all adjectives”.

Let’s dissect the quote, “Christian is the greatest of all nouns—and the lamest of all adjectives.”

“Christian,” a label planted by critics, was intended as a word of derision and contempt. It quickly became, however, a tag to be worn proudly. Within a few centuries authentic Christ-followers, who dared to swim against the current of popular opinion, helped transform culture and dismantle pagan institutions. The godly response of Christians facing persecution became Christianity’s greatest apologetic.

Western civilization has been transformed by authentic Christians daring to expose injustice, even if it meant their own deaths. They helped put an end to endemic cultural sins like human trafficking, economic inequities and infanticide (at least prior to 1973 and today in New York State). Christians also supported reforms such as free education to help the poor and vulnerable break free from social, economic chains. Christians have been at the forefront in establishing hospitals, colleges, relief agencies and recovery ministries.

How about an imaginary game for just a moment? Imagine what the world be like if Christ and His followers had never lived? (Remember George Bailey and It’s a Wonderful Life?) Would women today enjoy the rights once withheld from them? Would children still be working ten-hour-days in sweat shops in America? Would blacks and other minorities still be considered one-half a person? Would slave ships still carry unwilling workers, bound by shackles, across the Atlantic if it were not for Christians like William Wilberforce?

Yes, the world is a much better and safer place (in spite of all the remaining injustices) because Christians have made a difference.

Now, let’s consider the second part of the quotation: “Christian is the lamest of all adjectives.” What happens when we add the word “Christian” as an adjective to modify another word? For example: “Christian political action group” or “The Christian Right” or a “Christian televangelist?”

Much harm as been done in the political and social arenas under the name Christian. We need look no further than the rush of European (Christian) nations to colonize Africa in the last part of the nineteenth Century.

Christian missionaries had brought light to the “Dark Continent,” as it was then called, by sharing the gospel as well as medical and educational assistance. The primary motive of European nations, however, was to exploit Africa and Africans. These nations were considered “Christian” because they weren’t Muslim or Hindu. Some European nations had also adopted a State Church, blurring the line between the noun “Christian” and the adjective.

The article in Christianity Today included this pertinent observation about Larry Norman’s concern over abusing the word Christian for personal profit or fame: “… the worst fate of all was simply to ‘make money off of Jesus.’” Candidly, I often have similar thoughts when I visit a “Christian” bookstore. It seems to me that the book section keeps shrinking while the gift and gadget section grows. I wonder if adding a Scripture passage to a picture frame makes it “Christian” art? Does placing John 3:16 or a religious slogan on a candy bar wrapper makes it Kosher? I am serious; such things exist.

I admit that in my more carnal moments I have toyed with upsetting the tables laden with “holy hardware.” Jesus is not into making a profit but making disciples.

I write the next sentences aware I may receive push-back. Have we made “Christian” music into big business? Have we made “Christian” artists into celebrities? I am not questioning the motives of the artists. God knows. I understand that an artist—a “Christian” composer or performer—deserves remuneration. God did say that an ox deserves to eat from the grain it helped thresh. Even so, I question whether the adjective “Christian” belongs beside the noun celebrity. People naturally celebrate their favorite musician, athlete or actress. That’s what makes them a celebrity. As a Christ-follower, however, I have but one person to worship and to celebrate.

When “Christian” authors or preachers or performers fall—as we humans so frequently do—more than their personal reputation is damaged. Their families also suffer, as does the word “Christian.” When “Christian” ministries enter into lawsuits with each other or are charged with moral or fiscal failure, the secular press takes note.

What is the message being sent when professing “Christians” (and there I struggle to even use the term) protest at the memorial services of soldiers while holding signs and screaming, “God hates America” or “God hates fags.” Watching a public television show, I was shocked to see “Christians” protesting during the memorial service of Fred Rogers, a Presbyterian minister and founder of the children’s’ television show “Mr. Rogers”

I prefer to use the title “Christ-follower.” It’s not an adjective but a noun describing a person. Christ-follower may not be a verb, but it is an action word. Jesus didn’t say, “Adopt My name.” He said, “Follow Me.” Or, to say it another way, “Adopt My values.” That includes loving our enemies. Having the attitude of a foot washer. Taking up the cross daily, willing if necessary to die for Jesus.

Mahatma Ghandi reportedly said, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

Living the noun Christian is demanding.

Let’s also strive to make the adjective desirable again.

 

What am I reading: 

I have finished Francis Chan’s, Letters to the Church.  This book challenged me to reflect on how I should use my retirement years. I believe every pastor and church leader needs to be challenged by this book if there is to be any hope for revival in the American Church.

I also include Extreme Devotion as part of my daily reading to be reminded of persecuted Christians. This book is an international bestseller published by The Voice of the Martyrs.

One Man’s Wake-up Call

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A friend, who has worked at different levels of government in Washington D.C. and has held significant jobs in major American tech companies including Microsoft, gave me a book about artificial intelligence. He recently accepted a job to help coordinate Google’s artificial intelligence program.

Kai-Fu Lee, the author of AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley and the New World Order, is recognized as a leader throughout the tech world. Here are a few of his accomplishments: Chairman and CEO of Sinovation Ventures—a leading technology savvy investment firm focusing on the development of the next generation of Chinese high-tech companies. He was also president of Google China and has held executive positions at Microsoft, SGI and Apple. He has been featured on Good Morning America and in the Wall street Journal.

Lee writes with extreme intelligence about the field of artificial intelligence.

To be honest, as I read the book I found myself in very unfamiliar territory. It felt almost like culture shock or being immersed in a foreign language. Little by little, however, I began to learn the language of artificial intelligence. I soon found myself enamored with, but also concerned about, the stunning advances being made in the world of AI.

Imagine being driven to the supermarket in a self-driven car and greeted by a shopping cart that recognizes your face or thumb print. The cart, very familiar with your shopping habits, slowly drives itself around the store stopping to remind you that you are low on milk and out of eggs in your fridge. Science fiction? Perhaps not; it is already being envisioned by some Chinese inventors.

Imagine a machine evaluating your medical history and your present symptoms and correctly diagnosing the problem and prescribing the best treatment in just a few minutes. The AI machine is more accurate than any human physician.

Today, in some Chinese cities, the government can identify drivers and pedestrians by facial recognition though thousands of cameras strategically placed around the city. Pastors of underground house churches can now be identified wherever they go, so there are few opportunities to secretly meet with their congregations.

Kai-Fu Lee estimates that within 10 to 20 years we will be technically capable of automating 40 to 50 percent of jobs in the United States. Frightening? Yes! He states that while new jobs will also be created by AI, the resulting unemployment numbers could easily hit 30 percent.

While studying in America, Lee claims he practiced Christianity. However, there is nothing in his book suggesting Lee is a practicing follower of Christ. That is why, after 174 pages, I was surprised by Lee’s personal confession in chapter seven. A man who admits to being driven by his desire for power and prestige in the world of high tech reveals a dent in his armor. He admits that he even treated his wife and family as “another algorithm.” He struggled to give them just enough attention to keep them from complaining, and admits being obsessed with his work.

Then, in his own words, “… things came to a grinding halt.” He was diagnosed with stage IV lymphoma in 2013. “In an instant, my world of mental algorithms and personal achievement came crashing down…. I was filled with fear for my future and with a deep, soul-aching regret over the way I had lived my life.”

He continues, “In effect, mesmerized by my quest to create machines that thought like people, I had turned into a person that thought like a machine.”

From this point on, Lee writes as a man filled with compassion. He realized that all his great accomplishments and all the wealth he had accumulated no longer mattered.

Contemplate these words on page 190: “… I had stood on the absolute frontier of human knowledge about artificial intelligence, but I had never been further from a genuine understanding of other human beings or myself. That kind of understanding couldn’t be coaxed out of a cleverly constructed algorithm. Rather, it required an unflinching look into the mirror of death and an embrace of that which separated me from the machines that I had built: the possibility of love.”

Lee’s cancer is apparently in remission, and His life has made a 180. People, not prestige or machines with unbelievable intelligence, are what is important to him now.

After his diagnosis with stage IV Lymphoma, Lee made a change on what he had envisioned to be engraved on his tombstone. No longer would it read about his great accomplishments in artificial intelligence. Rather it would be about being a person who was loved and loving.

In an earlier blog post, I mentioned the book, Living Life Backwards, a book based on Ecclesiastes and challenging the reader to live in the present while focusing on their death.

So today on the Front Porch, let us learn the lesson that Kai-Fu Lee learned. As Solomon warned in Ecclesiastes 12, we don’t want to face our exit into the next world with deep regrets about how we have lived our lives in this one. Let us choose to live life fully, but prepare for the inevitable appointment with death and the encounter with our Creator.

In other words, let’s live more like Jesus.

I believe Jesus lived every moment of His life with the end game—the cross—in view. He often responded to threats and praise by stating His hour had not come. Then, on the eve of His crucifixion, Jesus replied to Gentile seekers, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.  Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him” (John 12:23-26 esv).

Kai-Fu Lee had a wakeup call he will never forget. It wasn’t pleasant, but it gave him the the precious opportunity to carve out new life priorities, before it was too late.

We have that opportunity, too. Beginning right now.

 

What I am reading: Letters to The Church by Francis Chan

Is the Bride Ready?

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A friend recently asked me how many funerals and memorial services I have officiated after more than 45 years of pastoral ministry.

“Many,” I replied. Then I surprised my friend by adding, “But I really prefer memorial services to weddings.”

“Why?” he asked.

I went on to explain that people usually come to memorial services with a deep sense of need. They’re ready to hear eternal truths. In the presence of death, some are ready to make changes in life. People ought to be just as aware of their need for God at a wedding, but mostly they’re just distracted. They’re curious about what the bride will be wearing when she comes down the aisle.

Of course everything is well rehearsed, and meant to run like clockwork.  In premarital counseling I tell couples (somewhat jokingly) that the ceremony is hers to plan. The groom just needs to show up and do as he’s told.

I have never officiated a wedding when we had to wait for the groom. He usually walks in with me. But there have been several weddings where everyone waited patiently for the bride to appear. The dressing room for the bride, I suspect, can be a whirlwind of activity. Her hair must be just right, the veil securely in place, and the train firmly attached. The list of preparations goes on and on, because her entrance is what everyone anticipates. At the first sight of the bride or the first rustle of her beautiful gown, everyone stands.

With these things in mind, I want to turn our attention on the Front Porch to a far more significant subject than a wedding ceremony: the return of our Lord Jesus Christ to earth.

Prophecy about the second coming or return of Jesus has periodically been a front-burner topic among Evangelical believers. In the 1960s and 70s, the second coming was a hot topic, driven by books and prophetic conferences. Hal Lindsey’s 1973 book, The Late Great Planet Earth, was popular and influential, selling over 28 million copies by 1990.

As a new and very young pastor I was caught up in the prophetic current of the day. I could draw all the “right” lines on the prophetic charts and defend the pre-millennial and pre-tribulational view. I was so convinced of the imminent return of Christ that one of my articles, published in The Shoppers Compass, a paper distributed to every home in Morrow County, was titled, “The Sound of The Seventies—a Trumpet.” Obviously, this was a reference to the trumpet announcing Jesus’ return.

Books about the end times still sell well, as authors and TV preachers continue to beat the prophetic drum. Some of those teachers and preachers have gone off the rails, however, by attempting to set a firm calendar date for the Lord’s return.

It will never work. Jesus said it wouldn’t.

I still believe Christ will literally return to earth to rule and to mete out judgment, because that is clearly taught in Scripture. Jesus promised to return. After His resurrection, while His followers watched Him ascend into heaven, they heard the angel ask why they were standing there, mouths agape, gazing up into the clouds. Then the angel promised that this “same Jesus” would return someday in the same manner—visibly and bodily.

So we wait and watch. Like a congregation craning their necks, waiting for the beautiful bride to appear and to approach her groom, true believers are to be watching for our Lord’s return to receive His bride, the church. He could appear any moment. We call that imminent. It could be today or tomorrow or any day. We don’t know and can’t predict just when He will appear. But we can be assured that He will come as He promised.

Questions fly: Will He precede or follow the great Tribulation—or maybe come in the midst?

Two things are certain: Those prophecy prognosticators with their opposing views can’t all be correct, and may all be wrong. Second, we can be certain it will happen just as God Has promised and planned all along.

Would I still compose and publish that article about the sounds of the 70s? Certainly not with the confidence and audacity I had as a very young pastor trained and deeply engrained as I was in one particular prophetic school of thought. Back then I was convinced (or so I thought) that Jesus would return momentarily and a time of great tribulation would shake the world and every civilization to the core. Since then, men who once wrote books “proving” a pre-tribulation rapture of the church are now writing books suggesting Jesus will return in the middle of the tribulation period. I wonder, did God change His schedule? Of course not! Absurd!

Long ago, I surrendered my bold confidence that I had all the lines on my prophecy chart drawn correctly. I still believe Jesus is coming again. I still believe it could happen any day or moment. But these days when I am asked by a prophetic enthusiast about my position, I respond differently.

First, I try to point out that every prophetic utterance in Scripture is either preceded or followed by a “therefore.” For example, Jesus challenged His disciples to watch and pray when they saw world-shattering events taking place. We are admonished not to be anxious but confident and prepared like the “wise virgins” in the parable in Matthew 25. In other words, don’t get lulled into sleep while waiting. And don’t follow the logic of the critics in 2 Peter 3:3-4 who confidently mock something like, “Where is His coming? Nothing has changed; nothing will. His return ain’t gonna happen!” Jesus, having affirmed that “heaven and earth may pass away, but my words will not pass away,” warned against falling into the same deception as the generation preceding Noah’s flood.

Then I consider John’s warning: “But we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure” (1 John 3:3-4, esv)

So where do I stand on the questions about Jesus’ return? I do have my opinions about the time and circumstances, but mostly I just hold onto the confidence that He will return, because He said He would. My job isn’t to know all the details, my job is to be prepared for His coming.

What I truly believe about Jesus’ return will be evident in my daily life—in my choices and actions. In other words, don’t ask me to tell you what I believe about the return of Jesus, rather watch me. See if I truly anticipate His imminent return or am simply spouting the party line.

I wonder…. If we who claim to believe in Jesus would put our actions where our mouths are, how might the contemporary Church be transformed? Would it affect our preaching? Would it impact the way we share our resources with the hungry and with our persecuted brothers and sisters around the globe? Would it influence my choice about how many of my material possessions are necessary or even justified? Would we lay aside our denominational prejudices? Would the divorce rate and sexual failures within the church drop if we believed Jesus might return today? Would pastors be hesitant to preach about hell if they really believed Jesus might return before the message concluded?

Granted, those are some tough questions. But they are also necessary if we want to speak with integrity when we talk about our hope in the imminent return of Jesus.

Is the bride ready—if her Bridegroom returned today? What’s the state of our preparation or anticipation?

That’s the question.

Our lives will reveal what we really believe about our Lord’s return.

“Everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.”

 

What I am reading: 2 Samuel

AI Superpowers China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order by Lai-Fu Lee

Letters to The Church, Francis Chan

Who Said Theology is Boring?

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When old men sit on the front porch or on a park bench, they reminisce by repeating the same old stories over and over. So pardon me, an old man, if I repeat myself from time to time. Did I ever tell you I love to read books? Often I will be winding my way through more than one book at a time. Perhaps one is too heavy so I take a break to enjoy something lighter.

I discover some, if not most, of my best ideas for a sermon or this blog come from a book. When I do uncover such an insight, I give the author credit where credit is due. For example, A. W. Tozer, a self-taught theologian, has written several books about a heavy subject matter but in a easy to read manner. Every Christian ought to have a few of Tozer’s works* in their personal library such as The Knowledge of The Holy or The Pursuit of God.

To that list I add a small book that I recently discovered. It’s titled, Jesus: The Life and Ministry of God the Son. This book, a collection of insights from Tozer, may be the clearest and most readable theology about Jesus Christ. The chapters are short in length but long in practical insights. Moody Publishers released the book in 2017. Tozer ministered in the early to mid 20th Century, but his words still resonate with everybody who has a passion to know and love God.

If you are one of those persons who assume theology is boring, I believe this book just might change your mind. To help whet your appetite I share a few insights from the book, giving credit to Tozer and the God who saved him and equipped him to become a prophet in our generation.

In chapter five, “The Mystery of the Incarnation,” the author unwrapped insights that tweaked my curiosity and made me stop to cogitate before pushing onward through nine pages of scattered nuggets rich with truth. He wrote, “The living God did not degrade Himself by this condescension. He did not in any sense make Himself to be less than God…. Instead of God degrading Himself when He became man, by the act of incarnation He elevated mankind to Himself.” (p. 50)

Tozer continues, “Then, too, there is another thing that we can know for sure about the acts of God—and that is that God can never back out of His bargain. This union of man with God is effected into perpetuity!”(p. 51) Jesus, the God-Man can never, observes Tozer, “de-incarnate Himself.”

This concept filters through the rest of the book, emphasizing that everything Jesus did while living here on earth and everything He is doing today as the exalted One at the right hand of the Father was done and is being done as the God-Man.  When Jesus calmed the storm or healed the leper, He was one of us, but filled and empowered through the Holy Spirit. When He cried “I thirst” and “My God, My God, Why have You forsaken Me,” Jesus was one of us.

On page 113, Tozer quotes 1 Timothy 2:5-6, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” (emphasis mine). Tozer continues, “This should be counted as a great victory for the Christian believer in our day, Jesus is a Man and He is enthroned at God’s right hand. That is significant!”

Emphasizing the importance of truth or doctrine Tozer writes, “If we would know the power of truth we must emphasize it. Creedal truth is coal lying inert in the depths of the earth waiting release. Dig it out, shovel it into the combustion chamber of some huge engine, and the mighty energy that lay asleep for centuries will create light and heat that can cause the machinery of a great factory to surge into productive action. The theory of coal never turned a wheel nor warmed a hearth. Power must be released to be made effective.” (p. 114-115)

Yes, Tozer was writing prior to coal falling into environmental disfavor. But his point is clear. Theology, treated as theory, is merely ink on paper. Put it into action in your life, however, and let there be light!

So here is my challenge for 2019: Dig deeply into God’s Word and apply its truths in your life. Develop a reading plan. Add a few books filled with meat and potatoes as comfort food for the troubled heart and as energy for the weary soul.

Let me also encourage you to share here on the Front Porch what you are reading and  have found helpful. Perhaps we can encourage one another as we wade through the swamps and trials—as well as the mountain peaks and wide vistas—of the new year.

Perhaps, you will even consider reading God in His Own Image: Loving God for Who He Is not What We Would Like Him to be. Moody Publishers will release the book June 2019. My wife, who is rarely ever wrong, knows the author and recommends the book.

*A. W. Tozer wrote over 25 books. The Holy Spirit used a street preacher in Akron, Ohio to bring Tozer, as a teenager, to faith. The rest is His story.

What I am Reading:

Letters to The Church, Francis Chan

AI Superpowers China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order, Kai-Fu Lee

To Love, Honor and Cherish

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Never have I witnessed a more demonstrative, physical display of affection in public. It was so obvious that I found it distracting. Often I was almost oblivious to the wonderful musical performance taking place on stage.

I usually release a weekly post on The Front Porch Swing, but the display of affection has resulted in this “bonus” blog today.

He, the infatuated man, proudly escorted his loved one to their seat with a broad smile as if they were the only persons in the packed auditorium (sanctuary in this venue) of First Assembly of God Church in Fortmyers, Florida. He made certain his lover was comfortable before standing behind and in front of her combing her hair that had been disheveled by the brisk wind outside. He bowed low before her hugging her and kissing her with same proud smile on his face. She had his complete, undivided attention as they waited for the concert to begin.

Throughout the concert he seldom turned his eyes away from her. He would lean into her, holding her face between his hands, while singing the lyrics of the song being performed by The Martins, a Christian musical group. If the audience was invited to stand for a particular song, he would step in front of his lover and grab her body in full, frontal embrace while singing enthusiastically to her.

Sadly, it often seemed his lover was almost oblivious to his attention. Occasionally she would look at him and weakly, almost imperceptibly, respond. But, during a set of songs focusing on God’s faithfulness in the midst of trials, Bill removed his glasses and buried his face in his hands. Everything about his body language screamed sadness and weariness; it was as if he was grieving the lack of her response to his affection.

Finally, she turned to look at her lover as if she understood his emotions and the pure fatigue of unremitted affection.

I struggled trying to sing the lyrics to the hymn Amazing Grace as I empathized with him.

Throwing aside all my natural inhibitions, I approached the couple as soon as the final song was concluded and the applause had abated. I introduced myself; he responded saying his name was Bill. He introduced me to his lover, Patti. I commended Bill for his unselfish devotion to Patti.

Bill proudly responded that they will have been married 54 years this coming March and then added that Patti has had a serious of strokes over the past years. Then he reached down to speak softly to he as he prepared to push her wheelchair back out of the sanctuary of First Assembly with the same broad smile and obvious pride over Patti that he had displayed upon entering two hours previously.

Now there is a man of his word – a man of integrity. Almost 54 years ago he stood before God and witnesses promising to “love, honor and cherish” Patti through times of “sickness and health till death.”

I ask God for grace, should it be our lot in life, to follow Bill’s example, by loving and cherishing Mary with the same unselfish devotion.

Bill was also a reminder that Jesus loves His bride with unselfish devotion. He loves you and me no matter how broken or disheveled we may become. When I can’t respond, Jesus understands. When I am so weary, Jesus is there to give strength untill death unites me with Him forever.

 

What I am reading:

Reflections on the Psalms, C. S. Lewis

AI Superpowers China, Silicon Valley and The New World Order, Kai-Fu Lee

Does God Grade on The Curve?

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Last week, in the classic Peanuts comic strip reruns, Linus and Charlie Brown are deeply involved in a theological question. Linus asks Charlie if God will grade us on a percentage or a curve after we die. Charlie responds with confidence, “On a curve naturally.” Linus questions Charlie’s confidence to which the latter responds, “I’m always sure about things that are a matter of opinion.”

Charlie Brown’s response reflects the opinion of many people today. I emphasize the word opinion because that is exactly what it is whenever people try to figure out God on their own terms. It usually ends up in the same place: We imagine Him to be like us and think like us.

We have been created in God’s image, and we try to return the favor by creating God in our image. None of us, however, not even the greatest minds, can accurately describe God. Unless God reveals Himself to us, we will fail to understand Him. Note that I use the personal pronoun “Him” with a capital H. That is because I believe God has introduced Himself to us in the Bible. God is a Person, not an influence or part of the creation. He is transcendent, which is another way of saying He is out of this world. He is unique and beyond human comprehension. Yet He is also personal. He loves us and became one of us in the person of Jesus Christ.

But let’s return for a moment to Linus’ honest question about God grading on a curve. Like Charlie Brown, many people prefer that kind of God. They don’t want a God who is righteous—always doing everything by the book and never bending the rules. In their estimation, that kind of God would be too harsh to be good.

The point of today’s visit on the Front Porch Swing boils down to this: How can God be good if He condemns a person to Hell? To be good, some believe God must grade on the curve. He should look at our good intentions, rather than our words or deeds. He should (if He is really good) realize how difficult it is to never do the wrong thing or always do the right thing. Like an elderly benevolent professor, God should grade us on the curve. Perhaps that is what you believe as well. But let’s think about that.

Would an earthly judge be considered good if they ignored the very laws they had sworn to uphold? Would they be a good judge if they excused a convicted murderer, just because he had also done good things in the community—maybe donating to local charities or volunteering at the public library? If a judge rendered sentences based on the reasoning that a person’s good deeds justified or excused an act of pre-meditated murder, would you respect that judge? Would they be a “just” judge if they put a murderer back on the streets? Of course not! We want the judge to carry out justice, to punish the convicted felon, not to release him just because he had also done good things.

So why would we expect anything less from God? If He is the supreme judge and righteous (always doing what is right), shouldn’t He apply the Law consistently? To expect God to bend the rules and grade on the curve is to make Him unrighteous and unholy. He would not be good. He would be evil.

I illustrate with an extreme example. Would God be good if He judged Hitler based his supposed positive motivations? Hitler wanted to raise Germany out of the depressive results of the Treaty of Versailles following World War I. His nation had been so utterly broken by the terms of that treaty that it seemed she would never rise again. Hitler’s methods and his motivations were clearly evil. Hitler’s hellish attempt to destroy the entire Jewish race and to create a united Europe under the authority of Germany was incalculably evil—and probably satanic. But what about his “good intentions” to rebuild his broken nation?

Should God judge Hitler on the curve and give him less than the F he deserves? Of course not! That wouldn’t be fair or just.

So why should God judge me any less fairly? I too am a law breaker—even though I have never robbed, raped, or murdered. But have I hated and lusted? I certainly have. Have I lied to save my own skin? Guilty as charged. According to the Book, I am guilty. I am a sinner deserving separation from God both here-and-now and for eternity. That is what the Law requires. God, the judge, will not grade me on the curve for the bad things I haven’t done or for the good things I have done. Serving as a pastor for over 45 years won’t earn one point on the final exam. I deserve a failing grade. I deserve death and separation from God forever. I deserve Hell, just like Hitler.

So if God never grades on the curve and if everybody is a sinner, a lawbreaker deserving death and hell, how can I ever hope to enter heaven? One thing is certain; Peter won’t be standing there jangling his keys and asking me what I have done to deserve entrance. There won’t be a cosmic scale there to see if my good deeds outweigh bad behavior. I deserve to hear the righteous Judge say, “He is guilty. Send him away where he deserves to live forever in hell.”

Okay, that sounds harsh. Even in my ears. But that’s also the way it is. I didn’t write the book nor can I adjust the Law to suit my fancy. But I can appeal to God’s mercy and grace. I can admit my guilt and repent or turn away from trying to stack up brownie points. I can and have placed my faith and complete confidence in the fact Jesus died in my place and paid my debt in full. The sentence against me has been served; the Law has been satisfied. The Judge can remain just and righteous when He pronounces me innocent of all charges against me and goes a step further by pronouncing me as righteous as His Son who paid my debt.

That is the doctrine of justification by grace through faith. That is biblical truth.

Here’s the bottom line: God cannot be good or remain good by ignoring or bending the rules. But He was good and perfectly righteous when He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to cancel the debt that I owe by serving the entire death sentence in my place. Now that is the most amazing good deed possible!

Sorry, Charlie Brown, God doesn’t grade on the curve, and really, I’m glad about that. Why? Because He can only be good if He is also just. He can only remain just if He enforces the Law faithfully and fairly. And somehow, in the wonder of His mercy, He has found a way for this failing student to pass the test and enter into His heaven.

That’s Reality with a capital “R.”

That’s also Grace with a capital “G.”

 

 

 

 

Rhinestones or Diamonds?

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If offered a diamond or a rhinestone as a gift, who would opt for a rhinestone?

Yes, both reflect light. Both are used in jewelry.

So why do we value one over the other?

In the book, God in His Own Image, I write about God’s grace and mercy. His grace is beyond amazing and His mercy immense. Everyone can fall in love with a God like that. Many of our traditional hymns and contemporary praise songs are focused on God’s mercy or grace.

We love to praise God for His softer attributes such as love, grace and mercy. In the process, however, I wonder if we have lost proper reverence for God? He is also holy and just, and will not excuse willful disobedience when we fail to do what we what He has commanded or choose to do what He has forbidden. Either way, it is called sin.

God commands us to love one another—even our enemies. He clearly directs us to pursue justice for the weak and vulnerable among us. Jesus summarized the commandments as loving God and loving other people. Loving is doing the right or proper thing.

We are also commanded to worship only God and to treat His name with respect. Idolatry is forbidden. We are commanded to speak truth (never lie), respect property (never steal), respect life (never murder) and honor marriage (no adultery).

Not one of us has kept all the commandments. Not one person, except Jesus, has never lied, envied, or spoken evil about another person. The apostle Paul summed it up neatly with the words, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” We have missed the mark and have also broken the rules. Each one of us is guilty; we are condemned because there are consequences for our actions. Paul wrote, “For the wages of sin is death.” That sounds pretty severe, doesn’t it?

Those are the rules. I didn’t write them or make them up. God did. He is the judge determining the sentence. He is just and righteous; He will not bend the rules. He is not a doting grandfather saying, “Boys will be boys” and excusing our actions. Even so, I wonder if we have treated God like that doting grandpa by thinking or saying, “God is too good, too loving and too kind to punish.”

A pastor who worries about offending sensitive ears may not come right out and verbally describe God as a kindly, soft-hearted grandfather. But if that same pastor never speaks about God’s holiness and judgment and refuses to teach about hell, doesn’t it amount to the same thing?

The attributes of the living God are not products in a supermarket. We really can’t pick or choose our favorite attributes about God to the neglect of others.

To do so is to create God in our image.

To do so is to worship an idol.

In Romans 11:22 Paul writes, “Note then the kindness and severity of God.” Did you catch that? God is both kind (gentle and loving) and severe. We hear so little about God’s severity today. Hell has essentially been deleted from our vocabulary. Have we created a “safe” god we can manage or “buddy up to”?

Yes, let’s continue to sing about and talk about God’s indescribable love. Let us sing about His incomparable grace. His grace is as amazing as John Newton described it in his wonderful hymn, Amazing Grace. Newton, who once dealt with human trafficking of African slaves, admitted in his own words that he was once “blind,” but by the grace of God gained his sight. He was once lost, but then miraculously found and rescued.

Newton never lost the wonder of God’s grace and mercy; nor should we. Let us sing and boast about God’s grace. But the very words grace and mercy have no meaning if God is not also holy and severe. If God does not judge sin, I don’t need His mercy. Because God is holy and just, I deserve death and hell and desperately need His mercy. Praise God for His mercy that spared me from His wrath and justice. Praise God for His grace that lifted me from the pit and canceled my debt and made me His child forever!

I love and praise God for His severity revealed in His righteous wrath, because it is God’s holiness and justice and righteousness that make His grace so amazing! His severity makes His kindness precious. His holiness and justice are like black velvet upon which His mercy and grace sparkle like diamonds in His light.

When we focus on God grace and mercy while neglecting His holiness and righteousness, we have made those indescribably precious attributes into cheap rhinestones, not the unimaginably costly diamonds they truly are.

Today we are offered nothing less than the unspeakable gift of God’s grace. Grace purchased with the most precious substance in the universe: the blood of Jesus Christ, freely given to save, redeem and restore us.

Never, never settle for a cheap substitute.

When The Patriarch Falls

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On a recent early morning climb, my friend Troll and I had just reached the summit of Bessie Butte, a 500-foot cinder cone near Bend. The view from the top can be majestic, but on this morning something was different. It seems an old friend had fallen. A tall, familiar Ponderosa Pine lay at our feet—undoubtedly succumbing to a ferocious windstorm three days earlier.

Our venerable old pine had been the tallest of a half dozen trees that had survived a fire almost two decades ago. The tree stood proudly for years until it was struck by lightning. From that point on, it began to die, becoming just a skeleton of what it had once been.

Even so, it stood taller than its peers… until it finally bowed to the wind.

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I am standing by the Fallen Patriarch with the sunrise igniting everything.

I felt sadness as we walked around it. Roots, long dead, were exposed in the recently churned soil. The old patriarch of Bessie Butte that had survived storms and fire and lightning blasts had fallen at last. For me it was a time of reflection about my own life.

Reading through the books of Deuteronomy and Joshua, I was impressed with how both books wrap up with an old patriarch challenging the next generation to finish strong. In fact, the entire book of Deuteronomy consists of Moses’ last words to the new generation of Israelites who had survived the 40 years of wandering.

In the pages of this fifth book of the Bible, Moses rehearses the exodus from Egypt, the amazing Red Sea crossing, the manna gathered fresh each morning and the military victories on the east side of the Jordan. After highlighting these acts of God’s faithfulness and power, Moses challenges the people to renew their covenant with God. Blessings would flow if they obeyed the covenant, but disobedience and a retreat to idolatry would result in severe discipline, even to the point of being exiled from the land.

Moses, the patriarch and oldest survivor, challenges the nation to choose life, before handing the baton to Joshua.

After the people renewed their commitment to God, with heaven and earth as witnesses, God called Moses to the summit of Mount Nebo where he would view the Promised Land from a distance. There on the summit, the old patriarch, weathered by 120 years, fell to the inevitable forces of time, just like that old Ponderosa on Bessie Butte.

The book of Joshua records the conquest and settlement of the Promised Land. The book closes with Joshua, nearing 110 years of age, calling the nation together to rehearse the miraculous ways the Lord had led them out of Egypt and through the wilderness. Joshua challenged them to put away all idols and renew the covenant they had made with God back in Moab. Hear Joshua’s final challenge to the nation:

“Choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15, NASB)

The people renewed the covenant with, and Joshua recorded it in the book of the Law and raised up a stone as a witness to their commitment to serve only Yahweh. Joshua 24: 31, reveals the impact or legacy one person can have on succeeding generations.

“And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua and of the elders who survived Joshua, and had known all the deeds of the Lord which He had done for Israel.” (NASB)

I wish that story ended like a classic Disney movie, “And they all lived happily ever after.” But, it doesn’t. The baton was dropped during the hand off to the next generation as described in Judges 2:7-10.

7 And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who survived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of the Lord which He had done for Israel. 8 Then Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of one hundred and ten. 9 And they buried him in the territory of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 10 And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel. (NASB)

Legacy has always been important. Our lives are like a relay race with one generation passing the baton to the next. That hand off is the most critical part of the race.

Abraham had passed the baton to Isaac. Isaac to Jacob. Jacob to his 12 sons. Generations later, Moses passed the baton to Joshua who passed it to the new generation now living in the Promised Land.

Finally, Jesus passed the baton to His disciples. Paul charged Timothy to equip faithful men who would in turn equip other men. We, as Christ-followers today, must pass baton to the next generation. How are we doing?

Surveys of professing Christians in America reveal a general to severe ignorance of basic biblical truths. I can’t help but wonder…in our efforts to be politically correct, are we failing to pass the baton to the next generation? Have we taught our youth to study the Word and to apply it? Do they know what it means to be a Christ-follower? For that matter, do their parents understand?

I was reminded by the skeleton of that old Ponderosa that someday, perhaps soon, I will take my last breath. People may gather to remember my life and share anecdotes. The question will be, “What was his legacy? To whom did he pass the baton?”

Yes, this may seem a bit morbid for a blog post, but it is the fact of life! Someday, like that old Ponderosa, each of us will succumb to the forces of time. In the words of a song, “May those who follow after find us faithful.” Will they discover evidence of our faith in the things we leave behind?

Today, on Bessie Butte, scores of young Ponderosa pines are struggling to survive. Perhaps the day will come when old Bessie will again be reforested. I won’t be here, but if I was able to talk to trees, I would remind these saplings that once upon a time, a giant ancestor stood proudly on the summit daring the wind to blow harder.

Syd Brestel on Pastor resources

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