Christian Living Today

One more piece of ‘proof’ our country has lost its Christian nation status. According to Roy Alden Atwood, PhD, president of New Saint Andrews College in Moscow, Idaho, “. . .thanks to the new “Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008,” colleges which accept federal financial aid (and 99 percent do) will soon have to meet a host of new government-dictated social and ideological goals (many fundamentally contrary to the mission and beliefs of Christian institutions). The feds have taken the slack out of their financial strings and financial ‘aid’ suddenly looks a lot like ‘control’.”

What does this mean? It means that except for giving lip-service to the concerns of many Christian colleges who accept financial aid - by adding a line to the new law which required regional accreditors to ‘respect’ the college’s religious mission (something which, by the way, is completely undefined and without penalty for non-compliance), the new law has no built-in protections to allow Christian colleges to continue to teach the principles of the Christian religion without losing access to Federal Financial Aid.

Thus Christianity is heading toward another crossroad. Will we choose money or God? One can hope our Christian colleges will maintain or even raise their biblical standards in face of this latest attack. However, if they do not, what does this mean for you, for your children, and for your grandchildren? One thing is certain - if this continues in the direction it appears to be headed, we will soon find out ‘who’ the real Christian colleges are.

Maybe we find ourselves in this position because we have taken too lightly Paul’s admonition in 2 Cor 6:14-18 - “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty.”"

One thing is certain - all of us need to re-examine where our loyalties lie. Are we willing to take a hit where it hurts the most - our pocketbook? Are we willing to break from government aid and government handouts - be they in social services, small business grants, stimulus packages, or federal aid? Or, will we justify our ‘yoking together’ under the classification “everybody does it”?

The church in America is dying. We are terminal.

“The people who walk away from churches likely haven’t pondered Christian theology and rejected it; they simply haven’t been exposed to theology in the first place.” (Tony Woodlief in his article “Practical Atheism” published in the April 25, 2009 article of World Magazine)

Do not get me wrong. Christ’s kingdom is NOT in jeopardy. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the church is growing by leaps and bounds in many other countries. But, Americans, for the most part, are ‘Christian’ in name only.

According pollsters, Americans claiming to be Christians has dropped from 86 percent in 1990 to 75 percent today. While this drop should certainly concern us, this is not where the real problem lies. A Barna Research Group study reveals the real problem: only about 10 percent of American ‘Christians’ hold to a Christian worldview. In other words, only 7.5 percent of Americans believe absolute truth exists, that Christ was sinless, and other basic Christian doctrines.

The problem, my friend, starts with you and me. What are we committed to? What is most important to us? Why do you go to church? Is it to learn, to be challenged, to be convicted? Or, are you only interested in having your ears tickled, getting your emotional ‘feel-good’ kick for the week, or socializing with your friends?

For more than a decade many American churches have focused on a ‘seeker-friendly’ message. They have done their best to build a friendship with the world which disregards the warning in James 4:4 “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

The problem is two-fold. Our pews are filled with people who want to hear only what they want to hear. Our pulpits are filled with leaders who are more than willing to oblige. Furthermore, the tentacles of this invasive mindset have reached into our more fundamental churches.

While these churches may not have taken the ‘seeker-friendly’ route, many are evidencing the effects of a lukewarm Christian culture. While Christians may be filling the pews, many are nominal at best. They have no depth. They remain babes in Christ - partly due to their own lack of desire, partly due to their pastor.

The greatest responsibility for our pathetic American Christianity falls upon our church leadership. We have men (and women, God help us) in the pulpit who, week after week, fail to capture their listeners’ hearts and minds with the GOSPEL.

Frustrated by the glassy-eyed stares in the pews, they continue to serve up watered-down milk meal after meal. As John Piper said in his sermon on Psalm 51, “If you only read things after which you said, “Duh”, you’d stop reading in a hurry because you already know, you already feel the way you should. But if you start bumping into things that seem weird and strange, then you better live there. You just better camp their until your brain and your heart get shaped by the strange things.”

While Pastor Piper is addressing our personal Bible study (which, for many ‘Christians’ is pathetic to non-existent), the same applies to the preaching coming from our pulpits. As Tony Woodlief in his article “Practical Atheism” (published in the April 25, 2009, issue of World Magazine) said, “The Christian church grew when its leaders stressed biblical study and fervent prayer, each of which was considered, in the early church, a means of knowing God. The modern feel-good church, meanwhile, de-emphasizes both in favor of ‘messages’ that are ‘relevant to my life.’ . . Eliminate the theologies of Word and prayer, and all you have left is a competition to see who can provide the best circus.”

Your church may not offer a three-ring circus. However pulpits in many circus-less churches are filled by preachers who either pander to ‘relevant to my life’ messages or they just fail to ever go any deeper than the surface.

In both cases, the minister is guilty of failing to lead his flock into deeper understanding, a more committed walk, and closer relationship with God. Many pastors may allude to ‘how much this passage has to teach us’, or lament ‘the lack of time to delve into this deeply’. I say, “Posh!”

Do you want to get past the glassy eyed stares? The superficial Christianity? Do you want to see your body grow in love for God and one another? Do you want to see your people gain depth, gain insight, gain commitment? Feed the flock!

My prayer is that more pastors would apply the warning in Ezekiel 34:2-5 to themselves. “”Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD to the shepherds: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; . . . they were scattered because there was no shepherd; . . .”

I know this problem is not localized. There are Christians in the pews across our land frustrated because they are going nowhere - and their pastor is leading them nowhere. We need men who will step up to the plate. Men like John MacArthur and John Piper and Al Mohler and Albert Martin (and a meager few more) who will dig deeply into the Word, refusing to skim the surface, committed to bringing the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth to their pulpits - as God would help them.

Christian, pray for your pastor! Encourage him to dig, to feed deeply. Tell him you want to grow - you want him to help you grow! Furthermore, do NOT rely upon your pastor. While pastors and teachers will be judged by a tougher standard (James 3:1), each Christian is commanded to ‘make your calling and election sure’ (2 Pet 2:10); to ‘work out your own salvation with fear and trembling’ (Phil 2:12); to ‘be diligent to present yourself approved to God’ (2 Tim 2:15); to ‘seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness’ (Mt 6:33). These commands are clear. The responsibility is ours.

Dear brother or sister: Dig! Pray! Meditate! Seek! God will reward your efforts with growth - with or without your minister’s help.

“Something is wrong with my garden,” Jenny’s troubled blue eyes met the green ones of her friend Karen across her coffee cup. “I can’t figure it out.”

“What do you mean?” Karen frowned.

“I have a few shoots of corn, one scrawny tomato plant, half a dozen bean plants and a few squash. I planted hundreds of seeds. I just can’t figure it out!”

“There has to be a reason. Think about it. What have you done? What are you doing?” Karen asked.

“I dug a nice seed bed, planted my seeds, gave them a little fertilizer and some water. I can’t think of anything else I should have done.” Karen moaned.

“Huh, sounds right. What do your plants look like?”

“Green and brown.”

“Green and brown? Brown doesn’t make sense. Does it look like something has been snacking on them?”

“No. They’re just turning brown and going all droopy - well, except for the weeds. They look great!”

“Weeds,” Karen exclaimed. “Are you pulling the weeds?”

“I did, but it seems they just keep coming back. I thought I’d let them get bigger and then tackle them all at once.”

“Jenny, I know this is your first garden, but surely someone told you a garden takes time and effort.”

“Sure, but I didn’t think it’d be so much work. Every time I water the weeds grow. Every time I pull the weeds some others take their place. So, I have this plan. I’ll only water my garden once a week. Then the weeds won’t grow so fast. Then maybe it won’t take soooo much time!”

Karen starred at her friend amazed. “I’m can’t believe your garden is growing anything. If you’re going to call that ‘taking care of it’, you might as well quit. You’re only going to end up with weeds in the end, anyway!”

The gardeners among us cringe. No ‘serious’ gardener would treat their plot with such contempt. We all know the time and effort and energy a good garden requires. However, few of us apply this to our Christian walk. We may spend hours nurturing our plants, applying just the right amount of fertilizer, keeping the soil moist but not wet with proper watering, and diligently attacking any weeds which dare to invade our garden plot. Yet, do we expend even a fraction of the effort caring for our eternal souls?

Guard your heart

be diligent to make your calling and election sure

meditate

walk

ponder

pray

“Hypocrisy in one age is generally succeeded by Atheism in another.” Joseph Addison

“While the vast majority of Americans claim to be Christian. . .a good many of us don’t seem capable of explaining what that means. . .It shouldn’t surprise us if Christians who can’t articulate what they believe have children and grandchildren who don’t even bother to try. . .What we are in danger of — in our country, in our churches, in ourselves — is practical atheism. This is not a considered embrace of godlessness. It is instead the slow slide into lives where God is irrelevant. . .Practical atheism isn’t limited to people who abandon church; it extends to all we who drift from Christ, even as we dutifully attend Sunday services. It’s in the brief morning prayer that eventually becomes no prayer at all. It’s in the way we emulate men rather than the God-man. It’s in the way we brood, as if the things that vex us don’t pass through the hands of a loving God.” (Tony Woodlief - “Practical Atheism” - World Magazine April 25, 2009)

Patrick grabbed his helmet, jumped on his new bike, and with a wave to his mom, he headed down the street to Donny’s house. “Donny, look!” he yelled as he turned in his friend’s driveway. “I got a new bike for my birthday. Isn’t it the coolest thing you’ve ever seen?”

Sounds a bit childish, doesn’t it? But, I suspect that is exactly how we sound when we whine to God about the little challenges (trivial trials) we face every day. In fact, I am ashamed to say that some days if someone were to give me a block of cheese, I would have a full meal!

I don’t know about you, but I can sound far too much like Patrick. For several days, maybe weeks, I’m up. I’m happy. The daily challenges just seem to roll right over me. Then, one day, something happens - a scratch, some mud, a flat tire - and all of a sudden I find myself disgruntled with life, unhappy about everything.

Like Patrick, I forget how nice my ‘new bike’ is, how beautiful the weather, how good it feels to have the wind in my face and a friend at my side, and how lucky I am to be able to get out of bed and ‘ride’ that bike. I go from focusing on my blessings to whining about the inconveniences or ‘bumps in the road’.

Does this happen to you? When it does we need to take a good, hard look at the underlying issues behind our attitude. We are complaining! Wow! Do we really realize how seriously God takes a complaining attitude? I fear not - otherwise 23 would work much, much harder to destroy it before it gets a foothold.

Consider what God did to the Israelites when they murmured in the wilderness. He killed them! That is what Paul is referring to in 1 Cor 10:10-12 “nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”

Barnes says of these verses: “The ground of their murmuring was, that they had been disappointed. . .” Isn’t that what this kind of attitude is all about? Nothing is really wrong. Things just did not go as we wanted or took a turn which was not in our plans.

And, lest we are tempted to take murmuring (even when no one else hears it) lightly, thinking it is not really that bad, it behooves us to look at the other sins listed right alongside complaining in this passage. Paul lists: lusting, idolatry, sexual immorality, tempted God. WOW! That is a nasty list. Complaining is listed in there? Yes!

What, then, should be our response when our day gets scratched, bumped, bruised, or just takes a turn we didn’t plan for? We can start with calling a spade a space. Once we are being honest about our attitude, we need to remind ourselves of the big perspective. Then, when our hearts get a handle on the big perspective, we need to move right into thankfulness and worship.

Where does complaining originate? Discontentment! We need to put on Paul’s attitude in Phillipians 4:11-13. “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Barnes points out a key issue. He says, “Paul says that he had “learned” this. Probably, by nature, he had a mind as prone to impatience as others, but he had been in circumstances fitted to produce a different state of feeling.” (emphasis mine).

How do children learn to read? By practicing blending the letter sounds over and over and over and over. This is important. We did not learn to read overnight or even in a few days. We are not going to conquer a murmuring attitude overnight either. This is a battle. No, this is WAR! We MUST take our hearts to task on this. We must not belittle this. We must not call it anything less than what it is - sin!

Once we admit how sinful our attitude is, we need to head to the cross for the ‘right’ perspective. God has given His children the greatest gift of all: salvation. As Romans 8:31-32 reminds us, He will freely give us all the things we need: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”

With this in mind, we need to move into an attitude of thankfulness: It would do us well to remember our many blessings. Compared to many, many others, we are riding ‘a new bike’. Few Christians (if any) in America are not blessed beyond measure. Even when hard providence comes our way, we have it so much better than Christians in other lands, other places. Thus we need to: Count our blessings. We need to: Name them one by one. We need to: Remind ourselves of everything with which God has blessed us!

We will know if our hearts have really taken hold of our blessings, if we begin to worship. We cannot worship God with a sour heart. Thus as we remind ourselves of our blessings, we need to move into an attitude of worship. The Psalms. Great hymns of the faith. Meaty worship choruses. Each of these are powerful tools to fight against discontent.

Finally, we need to remember this is a battle - this is a process - this is something we learn. Thus, if we fight our way back up, only to sink again, what do we do? Start over again. Talk to ourselves! Remind ourselves of the truth. Let us learn to say with the Psalmist: “. . .my heart was grieved, And I was vexed in my mind. I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You. Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel, And afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. . .it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, That I may declare all Your works.” (Ps 73: 21-28)

Christian History Magazine has always ranked as one of my favorite periodicals. I have especially enjoyed the articles on famous men and women or specific time periods in our Christian past. However, regardless of my desire, I often find it hard to get around to reading magazines. They often collect dust on my bedside table waiting to make it to the ‘top of the stack’. Christian Audio has a great solution: downloadable readings of some of Christian History’s best. Martin Luther. The Middle Ages. C.S. Lewis. J.R.R. Tolkein. And more. Not only is this a great opportunity to ‘catch up’ on your history, the price is quite reasonable. Check out Christian Audio’s site for more information.

One positive result from the economic downturn we are facing in the US right now is the resulting questions. Not only are people starting to really look at ‘where’ they spend their money, or redefining ‘need’, or re-evaluating ‘who’ they can really trust, but some Christians are even starting to look at where they are storing their treasure. Most modern-day Christians rarely think about this kind of stuff. Not only do we not think about the material questions, even more importantly we do not think about the spiritual questions. Ryan Freeman has written an interesting and revealing blog post about one man’s attempt to view his priorities properly.

No Christian who takes their walk seriously, who has access to the Internet or news media, and who pays even the slightest attention to what these sources are reporting would deny American is gaining speed on its slippery slope into rank ungodliness. Thus it comes as no surprise to read the latest development which the new administration is pushing forward on stem cell research. Al Mohler shares some thoughts, concerns and comments in a recent blog post.

It seems there is a growing discontent among church attendees. We have spent the last decade and more making our churches ‘seeker-friendly’. As a result we have developed some very nice social clubs. At our club it is still legal to ‘talk’ about God, to use the word ‘Christ’ in a non-swearing format, and to hang the Ten Commandments on our wall. However strong biblical teaching, for the most part, has gone by the wayside. In fact, even more tradition, fundamental churches who ‘think’ they are preaching the truth do little more than skim the surface - serving watered down ‘milk’ at every meal. With this in mind I particularly appreciate Josh Harris’ highlight of John Piper’s comments and Martin Luther’s extremely pertinent quote in his April 7^th blog post.
Second class citizens? Is that what Paul called women? Is that what God intended when He made women ‘equal’ in access but did not allow them to usurp authority over men? Or, was this His gracious design - for our good and His glory? Not according to a recent USA Today religion opinion article. Here author Mary Zeiss Stange besmirches the Roman Catholic, SBC, and Mormon churches for their censor of women in leadership. She closes with these remarks: “It is a truth so familiar as to have become cliché: Women are the driving force behind organized religion. They fill the pews, they bring their children into the fold. The Pew data help make sense of these facts. But the same data highlight the cruel irony that in far too many religious contexts in this country, women remain second-class citizens.” (http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2009/03/do-women-have-a.html#more)

Social networking sites are the new rage. Maybe not so new, but certainly they continue to grow in popularity. More and more people are ‘connecting’ on places like Facebook and Twitter and MySpace.

While social sites can have at least one good benefit (which we discussed in another post), they can have numerous negative ones. Some are obvious. Some maybe not so obvious.

More and more Christians are waking to the problems of such sites. What is the answer? For some it might be disconnecting from all social sites. For others, strictly limiting their time or contacts may be the answer. One thing is for sure - all Christians need to carefully evaluate their use and the time they are committing.

Some of the more obvious issues are:

 ”Meeting people” on social sites
 Kids and social sites
 It is all about me
 It is a major time waster

While these are fairly self-explanatory, to avoid potential misunderstandings, I will attempt to delineate what I mean by these four injunctions.

First: One of the first things I learned about Facebook was, ‘the more friends you have the more popular you are’. Call me naive. It honestly never crossed my mind until another Facebook friend said, “You already have more friends than I do!”

My initial reaction was, “So?” My friend went on to explain this meant I was more popular. I quickly clarified my associations were wide-spread and thus, I did not think thia applied. However, our brief conversation stuck with me.

If life is a popularity contest, many godly men and women have failed miserably! Furthermore, there is real danger in using numbers as our standard. Anyone who has television access has heard stories of children sucked into deadly situations by some ‘new friend’.

Second: Most social sites offer our children the opportunity to ‘keep in touch’ with friends. However, in addition to the danger of meeting harmful new friends, many parents know a gathering of youth can degenerate into a flock of fools. Thus many Christian parents have either banned their children from such sites or set strict ground rules.

The potential pitfalls behoove us to make at least one basic requirement - Dad or Mom (or both) are one of their ‘friends’. This, of course, demands we closely follow what our children are sharing with one another, the turns their conversations are taking, and the associations they are developing.

Third: Maybe it is just me, but I have a major problem with the ‘its all about me’ mentality which permeates these sites. Twitter. Facebook. MySpace. LinkedIn. An integral part of each are ‘status updates’. Each one focuses on what? A mini-snapshot of you. I am. . . enjoying, working, relaxing, reading, going to, coming back from, and so forth. I have yet to read, “I am convicted, repenting, praying, seeking God’s face, ashamed, humiliated. . .”

You get the picture. We talk about our success. Our conquests. Our fun. But, we do not talk about what really matters. Besides, nowhere in Scripture are we encouraged to focus upon ourselves. Yet, numerous verses remind us to consider others above ourselves. Not one social networking site works from this principle.

Four: My final concern about social networking sites is they can easily waste our time. Scripture tells us to work diligently, yet how many times have my thoughts been interrupted by a pesky thought. “I wonder who is on Facebook? I wonder what is going on in MySpace? I wonder if John responded to my message on LinkedIn? I wonder what Mary has posted on Twitter?”

Lest you think I am pushing beyond reality, consider this example:

 ”I couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking as he pulled out his iPhone and took advantage of a new Facebook application — right in the middle of the sermon.
 ”It was then that I realized the narcissistic machine that is Facebook.
 ”Shifting uncomfortably in my chair, I found myself desiring to do the same. I shuddered. . .” (Tim Sweetman from his article “Facebook Faceoff”)

Of course it isn’t just the desire to check someone’s status. Games. Looking for more ‘friends’. Even looking at someone else’s photo albums can turn from an innocent pastime to a dangerous time waster.

Social networking sites are not evil, in and of themselves. However, because they pose some very real dangers, we are wise to set standards upon which we can judge our time spent on these sites.

One: Do I spend as much time seeking to develop my relationship with my God as I do seeking to expand my relationship with my friends?

Two: Are my priorities right? Where do I head, first thing in the morning - to my Bible or to my Facebook page?

Three: What are my goals? Where is my focus? “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self–control, to self–control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.” (2 Peter 1:5-7)

It behooves us to remember we will be called upon to give an account (1 Peter 4:5).

One of the nicest compliments I’ve received in a long while came from an unbelieving friend. The origin (an unbeliever) made the compliment more meaningful. This friend told us about folks he planned to meet for lunch. Then he invited us to come along. “He’s a bit eccentric. She’s just a nice lady. You’d enjoy them. You get along with everybody.”

The comment really did not sink in until a little later. Then I had to laugh to myself. Me getting along with everybody? Me the person who just a few short years ago avoided strangers, crowds, and any situation which would put me into the position of carrying on a conversation with someone I did not know fairly well.

I shook my head in amazement and humility. God has certainly done some work in my life, in this area, in the last few years. Work I knew was occurring, but work I had not really thought about. As I pondered this heart change, Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 came to mind. “For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.”

Some of us are naturally friendly and outgoing. Some of us get along much better with strangers than with those who know us well. Some of us are uncomfortable around anyone we do not know well.

God has wired us to be different. This is part of our individuality. However, the principle in Paul’s words is important to remember, regardless of how we are wired. Here are some questions to ponder:

If you are naturally friendly and outgoing, are you using your friendly nature and your ability to make people feel comfortable in a way that honors God? Are you seeking to bring people to the foot of the cross where, if God grant them grace, they will find salvation?

Being friendly and outgoing is an asset. You intuitively make people comfortable around you. However, it is far to easy to hide behind a superficial friendliness which cares little for the souls of those we call our ‘friends’.

If you get along better with strangers than with those you know well are you using this comfort with strangers as a witnessing tool? Have you ever put it to work in street evangelism? Are you seeking to win the lost?

And have you thought about why you do not enjoy being with family? While many of us have been ‘blessed’ with at least one difficult family member, God has not given us leave to forsake them either. We have obligations to family which we do not have to strangers. Furthermore, if our family members are unsaved, our zeal for their salvation should be greater still - because they are family. Thus, are you seeking to rebuild and restore (or build and create) those difficult relationships in your life so you can have a positive impact on those God has put in your family?

If you are uncomfortable around people you do not know well, are you seeking to get past your own self-absorbed view and put God’s honor and glory first? These are harsh words, but I am speaking to myself, too.

I always assumed I was just shy. And, on a certain level, I am not a people person. However, God did not put me here, save me from my sin, and make me His child to put my light under a bushel.

For years I assumed my life was ‘light’ enough. While the way I live is extremely important (people will not believe a word I say if my life does not live up to my words), the impact of my words, my friendship, my openness to hurting, hungry, seeking people is even more powerful. For our use of this, my friend, God will hold us accountable.

Take this unsaved friend who I mentioned above. This man is NOT someone I would have sought for a friend in the past. He is not easy to get to know (he has few people skills). He believes strongly in almost everything which is contrary to what I believe. Furthermore, he speaks strongly against many things I believe - to the point of slamming Christianity in my presence, at my home, knowing I am a Christian.

YET, God opened the door for us to share the Gospel with him recently. Not just a short talk but a five hour discussion about faith and life and sin and many other things. Were it not for the change God has wrought in my heart, a change which helped me set aside my pride and reach out to people who I don’t feel comfortable with, this conversation would never have occurred.

I challenge you to prayerfully consider this: Is your pride really worth someone else’s soul? Whether you are outgoing or timid, whether you get along well with strangers or they leave you tongue-tied - are you working to be ‘all things to all people’ (regardless of how you feel) that God may use you to win those He calls?

God grant us both the grace to be vessels in His hands to His honor and glory!

Someone once said, “Life happens.” Of course this phrase has been twisted to more colorful extremes, but the point remains. We journey through life thinking we are conquerors, the masters of our own fate, and then something happens which proves we are anything but!

It is human nature to assume certain things. When we are young, we assume we are indestructible, then a friend is snatched away, or sickness strikes, or something occur which completely changes the picture.

Perhaps however, we make it further down life’s road. Our friends begin to marry. We picture ourselves happily married with little ones, a pretty house, and a perfect mate. Then the picture changes. We do not find the perfect mate. We learn we can never have children. Our finances or our health or something else is not how we had dreamed it would be.

Of course this continues through life. We picture our children healthy, happy, and grown. We imagine growing old together. We imagine their mates and the pitter-patter of our grandchildren’s feet. Then an accident, an illness, childish rebellion, death, or something else changes the picture dramatically.

How are we to view these hard providences? Are they really hard providences? Maybe they are just chance happenings? Maybe bad karma?

First, we need to realize God does not define ‘bad’ the way we do. In fact, Scripture reminds us more than once what we define as ‘bad’ things are really ‘good’ things in disguise. Oh how well our Father can disguise the good!

Second, we need to remember nothing happens by chance. While we can (and do) play the ‘if only’ game - if only I hadn’t. . . if only they weren’t. . .if only she (or he) wouldn’t have. . . ‘If only’ can drive us into depression. It can rob us of our joy. It can lead us by the nose down a guilt-riddled trail. It is sin! There is no ‘if only’ because God makes no mistakes.

Third, we need to remember Who is in control. Life is not a closely matched battle between God and Satan. While evil exists in this world, it can only touch our lives when God gives the okay (remember Job and Joseph).

Fourth, we must remember God’s nature. While our trials are hard, they serve a purpose. Ultimately every trial we face is conforming us into His image, is teaching us how to really love others, is loosening our hold on this world, is teaching our hearts to long for our real home, is making us hate sin, and more.

May God work in our hearts so we can say with Paul, “. . .Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Cor 12:9). May we embrace our trials as powerful tools to recreate us in Christ’s image. May we rest in our Father’s care, knowing He has every trial, every trouble, every ‘hard providence’ in His control.

May we be empowered to face our trials as Paul, “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;” (2 Cor 4:8-10, 17)

God grant us the grace to get our minds around these truths, to embrace them with our hearts, and to cling to them with persevering hope. “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:” (1 Peter 1:7)

Our culture has lead us down a thistle-strewn path telling us how rose-like these thorns smell. Worse yet, we have bought the lie. Think about this:

Where is your focus? How often do you think about heaven? Hell? Eternal rewards? Put it this way: What expends the bulk of your time? What percentage of your time is spent on Bible reading? On prayer? On meditating on and studying God’s word? Jesus could not have made it more clear. He said, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Mt 6:21)

Gal. 6:7-8 put it this way. “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”

Leon Morris comments on this passage, “Paul is reminding the Galatians that they should get their priorities right and give time and energy to that which concerns ultimate issues, and not merely passing things of here and now.”

Satan does not come to us boldly, telling us to put down our Bibles and turn our backs (mentally and physically) on God. Instead he brings things into our lives which seem good. And, in and of themselves, they are not sin. But, if something good becomes more important to us than our relationship with God, that good thing becomes a bad thing which (and will, if left alone) lead us straight to hell.

We buy into our culture’s logic, fully committing ourselves to the wrong path. We are told we can live however we want. Truth is objective. God is whoever we want him (or her) to be. While we may not give full accent to these lies, we nonetheless allow their underlying premise to effect our lives.

Terry L. Johnson put it this way, “If one might identify ‘the big lie’ of all the lies of our popular culture, it is that one can sin with impunity, that there are no consequences for sin. . .life is painless. Sin has no downside. . .If you have an itch, scratch it. If you have a desire, fulfill it. But listen to what God says: Do not be deceived. He is not mocked. We will reap what we sow.”

John Stott worded it like this. “Sow a thought, reap an act. Sow an act, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny.”

What destiny are you building?

I fear we have spent so much of our lives thinking we will get to heaven if we give God a few minutes on Sunday, an occasional prayer before we eat, and a verse or Psalm or chapter here and there. And, if we attend Sunday evening and Wednesday night services, well, we figure we’re putting some mighty big jewels in our crown.

We are such fools. Do we really think this is storing up treasure in heaven? If we put as much effort into our jobs or our family or our friends, would we have a job? What would our family look like? Would we have any friends?

So often we excuse our lethargy as the tiredness which comes from fulfilling our responsibilities. After all, we reason, I’m not a pastor. That isn’t my calling. If I stay at home and read my Bible I won’t have a job. If I don’t have a job, I can’t eat. And, if I don’t eat, I die. Thus I must work at my job.

You are right!

Furthermore, God gave me the responsibility to provide for and care for my children. If I don’t provide for them I am worse than an unbeliever. I’m sure the Bible says that.

It does.

Besides that, everyone needs friends. That’s how you get along in this world - we all have to work together. After all, friends always love you. Real friends are there for you in the hard times. However, good friendships take time and work.

True. But, I would remind each of us, even a good thing becomes bad if it takes God’s place - the primary seat of affection in our lives. The primary purpose and drive and motivator in our decisions and actions.

So, while these other things are good - and required - they are not excuses we can hold up to God to justify our failure to tend to the things that really matter. God will bless our efforts if we honor Him first. Thus even our work will be better, our family happier, our friendships deeper, if He has the foremost place of priority in our lives.

“Holiness is a harvest. Growth in grace depends on what one sows. . .How can we become Christ-like if we don’t feed on the Bread of Life?” (Terry Johnson)

We come to the final chapter in William Wilberforce’s classic work, “Real Christianity”. As we would expect, Wilberforce’s final chapter focuses on his premise: “What does real Christianity look like?” To answer this question he focuses once again on real versus false Christianity and gives his readers some valuable directives to help them avoid the false and cultivate the real.

He begins with some practical ways for Christians to avoid self-deception. He warns us to beware. We have a natural tendency to think too highly of ourselves! Furthermore, our human nature often works against us, clouding our moral sights and blunting our moral sensitivities.

I don’t know about you, but Wilberforce struck a weak spot of mine when he warned of our tendency to think only of our recent sins and overlook our previous ones. Once we are forgiven, our sins are gone. However, it is far to easy to avoid hearty self-examination, confessing only the things which are fresh in our memory. This is a pitfall we must strive to avoid.

Love has been a primary checkpoint on Wilberforce’s list. Thus it comes as no surprise he returns to this important aspect as he wraps up his treatise. He says, “True charity is wakeful, fervent, full of concern, full of good offices, not so easily satisfied, not so ready to believe that everything is going well as a matter of course. Rather, it is jealous of mischief, likely to suspect danger, and prompt to extend relief. That wretched quality by which the sacred name of charity is now so generally and so falsely usurped is none other than indifference.”

Our author warns us not to make false estimates of our religion or our moral character. To not confuse our assent to religious and moral truths with a hearty belief and approval. To avoid associating certain vices and good qualities with a particular period of life thus thinking we have reformed instead of just matured. And, he warns us that relinquishing a vice does not equate with obtaining victory over it.

In addition to making a broad and clearly delineated call for repentance, Wilberforce also offers a challenge to unbelievers. He says, “Unbelief is not so much the result of a studious and controversial age as it is one of moral decline.”

He then issues a call for action to believers. He says, “You need to be active and useful. So let your precious time not be wasted ‘in shapeless idleness.’ This is an admonition that in our day persons of real piety even need. Never be satisfied with your present attainments, but ‘forgetting the things which are behind’ labor still to ‘press forward’ (Phil 4:13) with undiminished energy and to run the race that is set before you without weariness or intermission.”

He closes with a plea to Christians to be true to their calling because the state of the times demands it. Christians are, he contends, the most important members of society. As such there is a desperate need for Christians to live their faith in a faithless or declining society. They need to feed their zeal and maintain a singleness of purpose. They must be consistent in their behavior and persevering in their efforts. And, they need to realize their godly manners will recommend their profession, silence the scorners, and promote Christ’s cause.

His parting words contain a clarion call to prayer we would do well to heed - especially as things stand in our nation. “Let [real Christians] pray continually for their country at this time of national difficulty. We bear the marks only too plainly of a declining empire. Who can say how intercession before the Governor of the universe may avert for a while our ruin. It may appear before the eyes of the world foolishness for real Christians so to pray, yet we believe from Scripture that God will be disposed to favor the nation to which His servants belong.”

Thus Wilberforce ends his book as he begins - with a call for real Christians to act like real Christians - that their lives might impact the world around them for the cause of Christ.