What he knows now

Christopher Hitchens died yesterday. He was a vocal atheist, taking on icons like Mother Theresa, debating religious leaders, and unflinching in his denouncements of religious faith as toxic superstition. His 2007 book was simply titled, "God Is Not Great." Hitchens objected to belief in God as destructive to individual freedom. He was a brilliant man in many ways. Believing as I do in the eternal nature of life, I wonder what kind of essay he would write if he could send one last submission to Vanity Fair? He is wiser now realizing the truth that "Only fools say in their hearts, "There is no God." (Psalm 14:1, NLT)

I do not celebrate his death and hope that those who felt the lash of his words will not. There is nothing to like about contemplating a person entering a hopeless eternity, separated from God, light, and life forever by unbelief! It is a horror too terrible for me to contemplate for very long. Those who wish hell on any person obviously do not understand what it is! The caricatures that are created around the doctrine obscure the awesome realities. Jesus spoke of hell often. He told this story, one that I understand as illustrative of the suffering and alienation of those whose faithlessness leads them there.

"There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man's table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. "Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and his soul went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side. "The rich man shouted, 'Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.'

"But Abraham said to him, 'Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.' "Then the rich man said, 'Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father's home. For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don't end up in this place of torment.'

"But Abraham said, 'Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.' "The rich man replied, 'No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.' "But Abraham said, 'If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets, they won't listen even if someone rises from the dead.' " (Luke 16:19-31, NLT)

God takes no delight in 'sending people to Hell' a phrase often used and very wrong. God's desire is the restoration of His relationship to everyone. Christmas is the story of the extent to which He went to bring us back to Himself. But, what Hitchens and many others do not understand, He gives us the freedom to choose our own destruction. Far from taking our freedom, He gives us the power of life and death. Those who find themselves in Hell will have chosen to ignore His grace and goodness too long.

Here's the word from the Word that gives me hope. It is not my goodness that assures me of an eternal home, but His grace which I receive by faith.
"We were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved.
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.  

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:1-10, NIV)

Hallelujah, what a Savior!

I earnestly hope that somehow Hitchens chose to receive His grace before he entered into eternity.

Walking by Fate?

Yesterday, I was looking over some notes I had made some 14 months ago about dreams I had for the ministries of the church which I serve a pastor. As I prayed for guidance and the direction of the Spirit back then, I made note of some of my impressions. Reading through them last night was faith-building. Much of what was on that list has come into being at the church, not because I forced them into being, but because we walked in daily obedience. God used that moment to remind me that He knows the future. We walk in faith.  I remember a time years ago, when I was ‘certain’ that I belonged on the staff of a church in a state far away. They were interested in me and offered a position I really felt I could fill. As we started to take steps to relocate, uneasiness grew in me. I even became physically sick! Finally, I gave up my dream and said, “yes,” to obedience.  About six months later, that church fell into a terrible time as a result of leadership failure. The Lord spared me from being drawn into that mess. I do not believe in fate, but I am assured that when I keep step with the Spirit, He always leads ‘in paths of righteousness.’  The Word tells us that "If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand." (Psalm 37:23-24, NIV) Beware of trusting your own instincts and wisdom.   Peter loved Jesus and when he heard Him talking about going to the Cross, he "took him aside and began to rebuke him." (Mark 8:32, NIV) Peter’s ‘wisdom’ could not accept that Jesus would die the death on a Roman cross, suffering in agony, and still be in the will of God!  What purpose could such a thing serve?   But the Cross was the plan of God!  Peter's good intentions earned him a strong correction. "Turning and seeing his disciples wavering, wondering what to believe, Jesus confronted Peter. "Peter, get out of my way! Satan, get lost! You have no idea how God works."  (Mark 8:33, The Message)  I hope never to hear that from my Lord. Disciples need a heart that obeys without argument. We need not be paralyzed by a fear of walking out of the will of God!  He's a big God who is perfectly capable of guiding and keeping us. However, stubbornness or a failure to listen carefully will cause us to wander from the path He has planned.  Our word from the Word is taken out of Psalm 37.  "Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes." (Psalm 37:1-7, NIV) ________________ Father, I thank you for the promise that You will always guide us. I am often tempted to walk by fate! Teach me to walk by faith! Open my eyes to the possibilities that exist in Your purpose, And keep me from seeing only the ‘obvious.’ My greatest joy is to do what You want me to do, to be where You desire me to be. Make the way plain, Lord, and gently, yet firmly, keep me in the center of Your plan where there is great joy, wonderful peace, and blessings for this life and eternity. In Jesus' Name, I ask this today. Amen

Weakened through compromise?

This CoffeeBreak starts ugly. The US government estimates that around 20,000 young women and girls are brought into our country every year to be used by men for sex! Authorities estimate that about 100,000 juveniles are involved in prostitution in the United States right now! Craigslist (an online classified ad service) is a prime site for selling sex. Men haul young girls around the country from one airport hotel to another, from one truck stop parking lot to another, selling them for sex with 12-20 men a day. And my question is - where is the Church?

A tragic fact is that many Christians are incapable of raising their voice because they are participants in the darkness, consumers of pornography, leading double lives. In public they appear upright and God-fearing, but their computer screen is often full of sexually explicit images and their minds are corrupt by fantasies about sexual adventures. Some are silenced by guilt, others are no longer even able to see the evil in what is being done, robbed of discernment because their minds are twisted by sin’s deceit. Where there is compromise, there is weakness.

Integrity gives strength. Refusing sin, battling temptation with the power of the Spirit and conviction, allows us to speak up. Many years ago, before the internet brought pornography to our living rooms, a merchant of sex set up shop in the town where I was serving as a young pastor on a church staff. I had no qualms about taking issue with the establishment, even in public. I had no fear of being exposed as a hypocrite, no need to accommodate my own sins and failures, with muted messages of protest. I was able to call the videos and magazines for what they were - destructive and enslaving, filthy and abusive - because I had integrity, was faithful to my wife in thought and deed, and enjoyed the freedom provided by holiness. I was not a slave to sin, but a servant empowered by my relationship with Christ.

Holiness is abandoned by many Christians leaving them weak, double-minded, and without discernment. Some think that the cool disciples can do anything because they know the grace of Christ Jesus removes the penalty of their sin. To commit to a holy life that "abstains from all appearance of evil" (1 Thessalonians 5:22, KJV) is considered by some as a sign of spiritual immaturity or as an expression of legalistic religiosity. After all, it is reasoned, are we not free in Christ from the rules about food, drink and sex? From the rules of men? Yes! Free to indulge our every desire? No! This ancient error has crept into lives of disciples from the beginning.

In the first chapters of his letter to the Romans, Paul celebrates the amazing grace of Christ that removes the penalties of sin. His voice reaches a crescendo as he preaches "For if by the one man’s offense death reigned ... much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:17, NKJV) In other words, Adam brought death to us all. Christ brings life!  "Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more." (Romans 5:20, NKJV) That's the wonder of God's grace. The worst are not beyond its reach.  

But, some reason that if grace flourished in the presence of sin to conquer it, then the logical response would be to ‘sin all the more!’ Right?

The Scripture refutes that as the inspired Paul goes on to write: "Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?" (Romans 6:1-2, NLT) "When he (Jesus) died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus." (Romans 6:10-11, NLT)

Holiness that comes from a close walk with God where even secret sin is challenged and conquered by the Cross lends great strength of conviction. It allows us to love those who are slaves of greed or lust without fear or loathing. Holiness centered in Christ gives a beauty and wholeness to life. Here’s the word from the Word. Let this be a personal call this day. "Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame." (1 Corinthians 15:34, KJV)

__________

Take time to be holy

Speak oft with thy Lord

Abide in Him always

And feed on His Word

Make friends with God's children

Help those who are weak

Forgetting in nothing

His Blessing to seek

Take time to be holy

The world rushes on

Spend much time in secret

With Jesus alone

By looking to Jesus

Like Him thou shalt be

Thy friends in thy conduct

His Likeness shall see

Take Time To Be Holy

© Public Domain

George Coles Stebbins | William Dunn Longstaff

What do you buy for Dad?

A recurrent Christmas puzzler for kids is how to get a gift for Dad. Dad generally has far more resources and supplies what he needs for himself. So, should buy him another shirt, a gadget for his car just to get him a gift?  Eventually we figure out that what Dad wants is our love and that cannot be bought at the shopping mall.  Those handmade cards made by 5 year-old girls who labor for hours to get it ‘just right’ are priceless. A few years ago, Sean presented me with a beautiful book of memories he had made. It ranks high on the list of memorable gifts in my life! I hate to admit it, but I know that there are dysfunctional Dads who teach their children conditional love by demanding ‘bribes’ in return for favor. The only word for that is tragic.

When you bring a gift to your heavenly Father is it offered from a heart filled with love or with the hope of gaining His favor? 
Do you think He wants you to bribe Him, or do you believe He cares for you and receives your gifts with delight?

Take a look at this Scripture.
"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!

“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?”  

“Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?”

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen." (Romans 11:33-36, NIV)

Does that make you catch your breath, give you a solid foundation to trust Him for all things of your life? Mark Galli rightly observes that when we make God too small or misunderstand the depth of His love, we turn religion into something we do for God. But, when we accept the God revealed by the Bible we turn that upside down. “You start making religion about what God has done and is doing. You then wait around for Him to do something.” (Chaos and Grace, Baker, 2011)  If we allow ourselves to think that we can make things happen, that we can prove our worth to the Lord, that we can provoke His blessings; in a very short time we will lose the joy of faith and fall under the slavery of rule-keeping. We abandon the Gospel of Grace in Christ and return to the legalism of the Law.

Loving God is actually more difficult than working at ‘god’ stuff! Religion is something we can do on our own. A love relationship requires pursuit of the Holy One and is two-sided. He may make us wait, without explaining Himself, other than the reminder that His wisdom is beyond our comprehension.  Let’s not make the mistake of thinking we can buy His love. Let’s not allow ourselves to enter the delusion that we have done something for Him that will make Him reciprocate. Instead, let’s love extravagantly. That is what He desires from us.

Here’s a word from the Word. May it wrap you in grace, lift the load of religion, and release the joy of the Spirit. "Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession." (James 1:17-18, NLT)

"Toxic Charity?"

“Toxic Charity” – what an idea! Robert Lupton, a man with four decades of experience in urban ministry, wrote a book that challenges our ideas of giving.  “Our self-centeredness contributes to the problem. We evaluate our giving,” Lupton argues, "by the rewards we receive through service, rather than the benefits received by the served."  He asks us to think about the way we minister to the poor.  Are we focused on feeling good or bringing about the best result for the person in need? The answer is not as simple as we might think. A hand-out, whether from government or a church ministry, can steal a person’s dignity and perpetuate a cycle of dependency. (http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/november/review-toxic-charity.html)

In Acts 3, we read the story of Peter and John going to the Temple to pray. On their way they passed a man “crippled from birth” who sat everyday at the gate begging. He asked for a coin to buy his dinner. Peter’s response to the man is a well-known text. “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” (Acts 3:6, NIV) Because they had no money, they had to pause to pray and God used their pennilessness to re-direct them from mere charity to miraculous intervention! This man now had an opportunity for a whole new life. We don’t know what happened to him, but I would guess he became part of the new church community, a place that could support him as he discovered a life with dignity and purpose.

Could it be that the wealth of the American church robs us of our true spiritual ministry and power? 

Is our ultra-productive, bottom-line focus on results keeping us from ‘inefficient’ love for others?

Think of modern healing ministry. A quick prayer, full of fire and faith, is offered up for the person who is suffering. Yet the word tells us "Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." (James 5:14-16, NIV) James contextualizes healing in the person’s life and choices. A moment of ministry may bring some relief, but it takes time, wisdom, and the love of the Spirit working through us to bring about restoration of the purpose of God in a person’s life. Our aim in ministry must be to touch the whole person. We are often content to treat symptoms. Why, because ministering wholeness is much more difficult, time-consuming, and costly than offering up a prayer or giving a donation.

It’s so much easier to throw our money at a need than it is to give our time or invest our lives. By way of example, think of this. Christians give $millions to pro-life causes here in America each year. They pay for centers that counsel those who find themselves considering abortion. That’s all good, but would we consider opening our homes to a young woman whose pregnancy has alienated her from family or boyfriend? Yes, I know how disrupting that can be! Bev and I have extended hospitality to many people over the years. It’s not easy to do. Having someone in your home is much more costly that giving a monthly donation to a ministry!

This Christmas, will you give the best gifts?

Will you just give to feel good about your charity or will you give to meet the deepest need of another?

Here’s a word from the Word that describes how God gave. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16, NIV)

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