christianity

Don’t Be Misguided

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The guy on the podcast I was listening to said that the world is watching to see if a believer’s conduct lines up with their confession of faith. And we know that’s true. There are watchers of people of faith. Who knows if they’re intentionally or unintentionally watching anyone who calls themselves a believer, but some notice when a Christian is in or out of line with what they say they believe. But we also have to know that God himself knows all about us. All the good and the bad and the ugly. He knows it all. He sees it all.

Justin Martyr, a Christian apologist from AD155 said that it is for us Christians to offer to all the opportunity of inspecting our life and teachings. That means we can’t rely on our own understanding, but we must trust in the Lord. We aren’t reliable when left to our own devices. We’re easily swayed by the ideas and opinions of others who seem confident in their own beliefs. We can be easily misguided if we’re not careful of who we’re following or listening to. Whether it’s the pastor of the latest megachurch. Or the best selling author. Or the most downloaded podcaster. Or the slickest politician. Or the newest spiritual fad. We can’t just trust every word we hear from those we listen to. We must do our own study and research. And most importantly, we must study to show ourselves approved when it comes to living out our faith.

Oh sure. Others will be watching to see how we live out our faith. But our Heavenly Father is watching always and forever. We can’t escape his eye or his knowledge of our ways. So, more importantly than doing the “right thing” for others to see, we must most importantly do the “biblical thing” as God directs us. And in order for us to know the biblical thing to do, we must read the Bible. We must study God’s word so we know exactly what God requires of us.

I recently read that, as believers, we shouldn’t have to ask God to guide us because He is automatically guiding those who have put their faith in him. But we must know the truths that he has put in place for his followers. We must be prepared to act on the trust we say we have in Him when push comes to shove. We can’t depend on our own understanding, our own interpretation of right and wrong, when we’re in the fire. We can be wishy washy. Untrustworthy. Unless our complete trust is in God, we may lean on our own misguided ideas.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6

The question is. Do we really trust Jesus? As believers, do we put our entire trust in Him for every aspect of our lives? If not, what are we holding onto for our own personal purposes? What part of our lives do we trust ourselves with more than we trust God? Are our ways higher than God’s ways? The Bible would say definitely not. So, why do we think we know better than God?

For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9

We’ve heard the famous saying “come as you are” when we come to Jesus. We’re told we don’t have to pretty up our behavior. We can come to Him asking for forgiveness with all the ugliness and awfulness of our lives in tow. But does Jesus really say that in the Bible? Actually, there’s no Bible verse that says those specific words, but Jesus does accept us as we are when we come to him in genuine repentance. We don’t have to change before we seek his forgiveness. But the thing is. We can’t stay as we are. We must change after we have asked him to forgive our sins. If we say that Jesus is Lord of our lives, then we must live as if what we said was true. We must live in accordance with our repentance and confession of faith. Otherwise, we are lying not only to ourselves but to the world and to God himself.

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. Luke 9:23

So. If we say Jesus is Lord of our lives, then we have to trust Him. Oh. It’s a daily dying to ourselves and laying down our faith in ourselves. We must daily hand over our own desires and leanings to Jesus Christ. We must allow our will to be bent to line up with the teachings of our Savior. We aren’t better than Him. As ones who say we have bowed our wills to Him, we must then bow daily to His will. We must honor him not only with our lips, but also with our hearts and actions. How can we say we follow our Lord and Savior if we neglect His teachings and corrections? How can we say we’re His followers if we continually disobey and dishonor Him? Who do we think we are?

And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote. Isaiah 29:13

The Representative

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Some people say that being good is good enough. Yet the Bible tells us that we’re only evil all the time.  Evil doesn’t come from God. It comes from the evil one, Satan himself. So regardless of how good and kind and nice we may be, if we aren’t living in step with God we’re walking in step with Satan. It’s that simple. The truth is hard to swallow. We don’t want to believe that we’re inherently bad.

The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. Genesis 6:5

Satan masquerades as an angel of light, so his advances in the life of one who isn’t living for God may be enjoyable. It may be full of good things. Satan makes life without God appear attractive, because he wants your soul. Satan has no love for anyone, so he will fool even the kindest, most gracious person into believing they can live a fulfilling life without God.

Even Christians have a longing for more. We know deep down that our deepest longings won’t be satisfied this side of heaven. So we long for eternity with Christ. That will be the ultimate fulfillment of every longing we’ve ever had. But unrepentant nonbelievers who are attempting to fulfill their longings on this earth in any way possible without God are sadly marching straight into an eternity in hell. 

When God created us, he said his creation was good. When we are living against God’s will, we are God’s goodness distorted. Original sin is born and bred in each of us. There’s no way out of it. God didn’t intend for those made in his image to fall into sin, but Adam and Eve’s sin can’t be reversed. And it has impacted the lives of everyone born since then. The intent to sin is a part of our human nature.

While watching a tv show recently, I heard one of the characters say “We can do a whole lot of good by breaking one little rule.” It got me thinking. We can justify wrong behavior anytime we want. But does that make it right? In this made-for-tv situation, the act of breaking a rule would save someone’s life. So in the medical drama, the doctors broke the rule and saved the life of one who would have died. But does that make it right? Are we ever justified in breaking the rule or law in order to do good? Some would say yes. Others might say no. That’s an in-depth discussion for another day.

The thing is. Without God, our natural bent is toward evil. That doesn’t mean we’re all capable of murder or some other horrible crime in our current state of mind, but if we give in one temptation at a time, who knows the level we are capable of stooping to and calling it justified. We are selfish, self-centered people when we choose to live without God.

Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. Ephesians 2:1-2

Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too. Romans 1:28-32

The apostle Paul tells us that as believers we are representing Christ. So if we aren’t believers, we’re representatives of Satan. There is good news! We can change sides and start representing Christ. It’s a simple matter, but it’s an act of self sacrifice and obedience to Christ. The dividends are out of this world, though.

And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. Colossians 3:17

Those who haven’t chosen to represent Christ can do so today. Confess your sins and ask for God’s forgiveness. He will wipe your slate clean and will never remember your sins. You are a new child of God, and you represent Jesus Christ your Savior. Do it today while there is still time. Eternity is just around the corner.

Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” Ephesians 5:10-14

Be Careful About What Offends You

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The Bible is the Word of God. It’s God’s message of love, hope, salvation and justice to everyone. God speaks truth in his word. God’s plan is perfect, so when Adam and Eve hit a bump in the road and disobeyed him, he had a solution for their sin. When they ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, God provided a plan of forgiveness. And it wasn’t just a plan to save Adam and Eve; it was a plan for the salvation for all mankind. But ever since then, mankind has been on a collision course with eternity. And each of us needs to fully surrender to God’s free gift of forgiveness and salvation for our sin.

We can read in God’s word about his plan of salvation. We can hear it preached in church. We can see how salvation has changed people’s lives. We have the choice to accept or refuse this gift God is offering to each of us. God doesn’t make us choose to live according to his will. He gives us a choice. We make the decision.

The thing is. God’s word is the same for everyone who reads or hears it. Some people are convicted by hearing about their sinfulness and repent. They choose to become a follower of Christ. Others are highly offended and turn against God. They live in opposition to his commands. But his commands don’t change. God is always constant, and he doesn’t show favoritism.

On a recent podcast, the speaker shared that the same fire that melts wax hardens clay. The same wind that sways the oak tree will uproot the weak. And it’s the same with God’s word, which doesn’t change. The difference is in the hearer.

This podcaster encouraged his listeners not to harden their hearts, but to turn from their sinful ways and follow God. The only one we must fear is God. And that fear isn’t the same as being frightened in the dark. It’s the fact that we respect God’s authority and obey him. The fear of God causes us to bow to his commandments and leading. Our fear of God means we don’t act beyond what he allows. We must have a reverence for God and stand in awe of his power and wrath.

For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed. You must fear the Lord your God and worship him and cling to him. Your oaths must be in his name alone. He alone is your God, the only one who is worthy of your praise. Deuteronomy 10:17, 20-21

In his death on the cross, Jesus represents submission to God, not submission to the authority of man. He represents absolute truth, so when we read the word of God we see our own sinfulness. And we have the choice to be convicted or offended. Sure. The truth hurts. But it also heals if we accept the forgiveness of our Lord and Savior.

Perhaps it has to do with the fact that people no longer fear God. We live for ourselves alone and assume we are our own authority. But the fear of God needs to be seriously considered and practiced. Living in the fear of God doesn’t mean we’re quaking in our boots at the mention of his name. But it does mean that we respect and acknowledge our limits, and we don’t cross the boundaries of Scripture. We must realize that God is God and we are not him. His authority is supreme over anything and everything else.

We see the fear of God lived out in the Bible. When the Hebrew midwives disobeyed Pharaoh’s orders to kill all the newborn baby boys, they refused. They had more fear of God than they did of the king. They knew that if they murdered all those babies, they would stand in judgment before God. They knew they couldn’t cross that line. They stood firmly in their faith in God, and God gave them families of their own in honor of their obedience.

You can read the story of the Hebrew midwives in Exodus 1.

In another Bible story, Daniel’s three friends refused to bow in worship to the king. When the king gave them a second chance, they again refused. They said that if God wanted to save them, he would. If he didn’t want to save their lives, then he wouldn’t. And as a result of their refusal to worship the king, they were thrown in to a fiery furnace. And God chose to honor their obedience and saved their lives.

You can read the story of Daniel’s friends in Daniel 3.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6

Does He Really Get Us?

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It looks like we have yet another conflict in the Christian world this week. If you watched the big football game last Sunday, you probably saw the commercials that have been causing controversy in the Christian community. Some Christians love the idea that “He Gets Us”, and others are as appalled by it as they are by “The Chosen”. There are always two sides to the story. Two viewpoints. Two arguments. And people who claim to love and follow the same Jesus are all up in arms because their neighbor, co-worker or family member doesn’t agree with them. 

Apparently, the aim of the ad campaign that was launched around the same time last year was to help rescue Jesus’ reputation. It seems that those who follow him have dirtied his name so much that those who don’t follow him want to help clean up his image. Because, after all, aren’t they the experts in the life and intentions of Jesus? Doesn’t it seem that the nonbelievers know exactly how believers should live and make sure to tell us when we’re getting it wrong. And apparently, the campaign needs to be continued this year so more damage control of the name of Jesus can take place. Shame on us Christians, some would say. But also. Shame on those who don’t call Jesus Lord of their life for trying to tell those who do how to be a Christian.

Some people claim the ads are done in good taste and have good intent. Others call the ads a mockery of faith. The question at hand is: Does Jesus really get us? In the ads, we see ordinary, every day people washing the feet of a lesbian, a gay man, and a woman at an abortion clinic. Would Jesus wash their feet? The first question we have to ask is why did Jesus wash his disciples feet in the first place? Was it a practice others followed, or was this just a one-time act of servanthood by Jesus?

Jesus washed the feet of his disciples because they were dirty. When walking in sandals on dirt roads, feet get dirty. It’s pretty simple. And it was typically the job of a servant to wash the dirty feet of travelers. But in this case, there was no servant. So Jesus lowered himself to do the dirty task. It was humbling for all, to say the least. Not only did he wash the feet of the eleven who ate with him, but he also washed the feet of the one he knew would betray him later that night. And he did it anyway. And with his example, he was asking his followers to be willing to serve others in any way that would honor and glorify God. Even if it was a dirty job typically performed by the lowest of people.

You can read the full story of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples in John 13:1-20.

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. Romans 3:23-24

Yes. It’s even documented that Jesus ate with sinners. He forgave the woman caught in adultery. He healed the sick and the lame. He loved the sinners as much as he loved those who made the decision to follow him. The difference between the sinners and the followers is that the followers gave up their sinful past and followed the ways of Jesus. They didn’t expect Jesus to follow and approve their old, sinful ways. They were made new by the forgiveness of their sins, and they no longer had the desire to stay in their sinful habits. Sinners haven’t given up anything to Jesus. They’re still wallowing in their sin.

The ad is right when it says that Jesus didn’t teach hate. That part is true. And he did wash the feet of his disciples the night before he was crucified. Just once. Just once in the Bible did Jesus ever wash anyone’s feet. And that night was the last night he would spend with those twelve chosen men. Jesus’ act of servanthood was a view of what was to come later that night and the next day when he laid down his life for the sins of all mankind. His death allowed our slate of sins to be wiped clean, not by foot washing but by the blood that Jesus shed on the cross. 

It didn’t make Jesus any more human or any more godly when he washed the dirty feet of the twelve. The act was a conscious effort to serve those who would go on to serve others in Jesus’ name. And, of course, we as believers must imitate Christ. He is our example. We can serve sinners in a multitude of ways without ever washing their feet, because honestly, most people don’t go around washing others’ feet. Some people may need shoes on their feet. Others may need food or clothing or a warm place to sleep. We just have to make sure that our methods of serving those who need Christ don’t enable the person to continue in their sin. Our acts of kindness mustn’t condone ungodly behavior. We must act to share the gospel message of salvation, and at times it’s through serving the basic needs of lost and hurting souls.

Supposedly, someone in the know said that he’s aware these commercials are incomplete in their messaging of the gospel of Christ. He says they’re meant to be used as conversation starters. And by all means. Let’s start the conversation.  And, let’s assume the creators of these commercials had the purest of intentions in telling these stories. But someone in the conversation needs to know biblical truth and speak it accurately. A false gospel isn’t worth sharing. It’s just false.

One other thing. Since when did it become about Jesus getting us? He knows us intimately even if we don’t return the favor. We should be getting him. He’s already paid the price for our sins. Now, we must repent of those sins and live forgiven. We should ask Jesus to save us. Not just to get us.

Wise Men Still Seek Him

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They were philosophers. Or astronomers. Or were they astrologers? Perhaps they were magicians. All we really know is that a group of men saw an unusual star one night and started an investigation into its meaning. The brilliance of it was unbelievable, and they had to know more. This star has been called an extraordinary celestial event. And the men have been called Magi.

The wise men studied the stars. When they saw a new star, they searched the Scriptures to find the meaning of it. Why were the Scriptures the place they turned to find the answer, one might ask. They were most likely educated men of their day. But what did their education consist of? How did they gain wisdom? Sure. Some might call these men pagan astrologers. But would men who didn’t believe in a deity travel many, many miles to worship a Messiah who had been promised many, many years earlier? It’s doubtful. And God condemned astrology many times in Scripture. So, would he seek out pagans to find his chosen Son? What we know is that God works in mysterious ways his wonders to perform.

These men commonly known as “wise” set out on a journey to follow the star. They believed it would lead them to the One promised in Scripture many years earlier. Funny thing is. No one else seemed to have noticed the star. No other group of wise men was traveling to an unknown destination to worship the promised Savior of the world. Nowhere else in history is it recorded that groups of travelers were following the star to find a new king. They were on their own.

This group of astronomers went out of their way to find the star. They traveled a far distance without hesitation. There were huge sacrifices. No one knows if they left families behind to trek across the globe. No one knows if they were truly equipped for the journey. No one knows how far they traveled or how long the trek took. And, apparently, they didn’t ask anyone’s permission. They just set out on the trip of a lifetime. Only hope. And a promise.

The star was one of a kind. It actually led these travelers to the sight they were seeking. Oh. They knew who and what they were looking for. But they stopped and asked for directions. The problem is. They asked the wrong person. Little did this small band of travelers know that the One they were seeking was not of the royal bloodline. His bloodline was eternal. And he would prove to be unwelcome and unwanted by those in authority.

For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. 2 Timothy 4:3-4

Those who believed in the promised Messiah assumed that his throne would be a human, physical one. So, of course, these men sought out the highest position possible, King Herod, to ask where to find the new king. It didn’t go over so well. Suddenly, Herod felt threatened, because he had never heard that someone greater than he was in the area. And it was a baby they were looking for. According to King Herod, the only natural thing to do was kill all boys age two and under. That should solve the problem.

But these wise men lived up to their name. God warned them not to tell Herod where they found the child. And after their visit with the promised babe, they left town taking another route. They duped the king. Such wise men! Before they left town, though, they offered precious gifts for the young boy. Gold. Frankincense. Myrrh. Only the best and most useful gifts were offered to the King of kings.

Foolish men think they don’t need God.   Wise men know they have a void, and they surrender to the only One who can fill their deepest longings. In him, they find deep fulfillment. Since he set eternity in our hearts, we’re only complete in him. It should only take common sense to realize that simple truth, but apparently over time, hearts and minds can become hardened to the truth.

If we look around us today, it’s hard to find wise men. Or women. We’ve been choosing unwisely for so long, we don’t understand true wisdom. We can easily fall prey to deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. We follow hypocrites and liars, and we turn away from the true faith. We follow influential people who lead us astray. We consider nothing sacred. 

Wise people want to live a godly life knowing they may suffer persecution as did their Savior. Wise people are humble and listen to advice. They also use their words with restraint and practice patience. They’re even tempered and hold their tongues. And wise men still seek the Savior of the world.

Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them. Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you. Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment. If you prize wisdom, she will make you great. Embrace her, and she will honor you. She will place a lovely wreath on your head; she will present you with a beautiful crown. Proverbs 4:5-9

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5 

Sustainable Faith

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We hear a lot about sustainability these days. We’re told we need to green up our environment. We need to drive electric cars. We need to remove gas stoves from our homes. We must quit eating meat and start eating crickets. We must drive shorter distances. We must lower the number of cows on this earth, because of their gas emissions. We are now being told that we can be replaced with artificial intelligence. It makes a person wonder if humanity is sustainable on an earth that was created by God, but is being overrun by those pretending to be God.

Oh. It’s not the first time people of this earth have been hoodwinked into doing something that sounds good at face value. But then once the changes are being made, we realize that it wasn’t such a good idea, after all. The plan isn’t really sustainable. Someone was playing mind games with us and we got tricked into a false ideology. I’m sure all of us have fallen prey to some type of conspiracy theory at one time in our lives.

But we don’t have to be suckers when it comes to what’s going on around us. We need to keep our eyes open, our ears alert and our hearts guarded. We can fall prey to temptations and ideas that sound good, but are downright deceitful. How often do we make decisions or act under the pressure of soundless ideologies? Ideologies that haven’t been vetted. They’ve just been thrown at us, and we’re expected to bow to them without asking any questions. Shame on us if we don’t dig in and investigate the idea and the instigator of the idea.

Is your faith strong enough to sustain any threat or temptation? Do your actions defile your relationship with God?

When we take a new job, we’re saying that we’ll show up and do our best every day to get the work done. But this week, my coworker didn’t live up to his end of the bargain. He was a no call, no show for several days. He’s now unemployed.

When we call ourselves followers of Christ, we say that we’re following his commands. How can we follow his commands if we don’t know them? If we don’t read and study the Bible, how will we learn to live biblically? Are we committed to our relationship with God or not?

How do we sustain our faith if we’ve never built a solid foundation? How do we build a solid foundation? I’ll say this until I’m blue in the face. If we’re not reading the Word of God daily, we are not building a solid foundation. We can read books about the Bible. We can read devotional books. We can listen to sermons and podcasts. We can attend a Bible study. But we need to read the Bible for ourselves. We need to dig deep and learn God’s Word. That is how we build a sustainable faith. One that can stand against any hard knocks this life throws at us. If we don’t know God’s Word, we are settling for less than the best for ourselves.

Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written on it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. Joshua 1:8

Before Moses died, he appointed Joshua to replace him as the leader of the nation of Israel. And God confirmed that Joshua would be successful as the leader if he obeyed God’s instructions. One of the instructions that God gave Joshua was to study the Book of Instruction that he had given to Moses. He told Joshua to study it continually and meditate on it day and night. Joshua did just that, and he was successful in leading the nation of Israel to victory in taking the land of Canaan, as God promised to them.

There was another man in the Bible. His name was Balaam, and he was a wicked Midianite prophet. Israel was conquering nations on their way to Canaan, which caused fear among the surrounding countries. Balak, the Moabite king who feared Israel, trusted Balaam and asked him to curse the Israelites. Through a series of events that included a talking donkey, God instructed Balaam to say only the words that God gave him to say. And so, Balaam proclaimed blessings on Israel and curses on Moab, angering Balak.

Unfortunately, that isn’t the end of the story.

Later, Balaam went back to Balak and told him how to launch a counterattack on the nation of Israel in a more subtle, inoffensive way. He counseled Balak to send Moabite women into Israel’s camp to seduce the men and introduce them to Baal worship. They began to eat meat offered to idols. This was far worse than any curses Balaam spoke against Balak. He showed Balak how to trip up God’s chosen people. And some of the men of Israel went along with it. What man doesn’t like a pretty girl who pays attention to them and offers them free food? How can that be wrong?

God’s people today get tripped up by false teachers and seemingly innocent ideas that look far more appealing than sacrifice and obedience to God looks. Sin will be presented to us as something pretty, convenient and comfortable. It won’t be a physical, knock down drag out fight. It could be an activity or event that makes you feel accepted by your peers and friends. It could be a new acquaintance who puts you on the edge of uncomfortable, but you let them influence you, anyway. After all. Who wants to appear to be a goody two shoes? Beware of who influences your thoughts, desires and actions. Are those you trust the most in life influencing you in a godly way? Or are they influencing you to move farther from your life as a follower of Christ? Oh. It may be subtle at first. Until one day, you wake up and notice your life is unrecognizable. You no longer desire the things of God. Are you living for the One True God or a false god? Can you tell the difference between godly advice and ungodly influence? Beware. Lest you fall for something that causes you to fall into sin.

You can find the story of Balaam and Balak in Numbers 22:1-25:15, Joshua 13:22 and Revelation 2:14.

But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin. Revelation 2:14