Teach Me O God

I learned a valuable lesson recently regarding the blessings of God. Many times in the past I have experienced great inner joy by being obedient to God’s will. Recently, however, I experienced something completely different based on my not being obedient to God.

Every year our congregation hosts what is known as Mission Sunday. There are months of build up for this very special Sunday dedicated to highlighting the ministries being supported by the congregation and the many individuals dedicating their life to the mission field. The focus is on the great work these selfless brothers and sisters perform in the service to Jesus. Equally important is the special contribution made that day which will continue to fund these missions for the upcoming year.

Prior to the day of Mission Sunday, the Shepherds usually set a goal for the contribution and communicate that goal to the brethren. The year before last the goal was set and as it turned out, we fell quite a bit short of hitting it. Because of that, our ability to fund some missions suffered. Although our falling short of the goal was disappointing, I personally felt the inner joy that comes from being obedient to God.

This year, as the day for Mission Sunday was far off the Shepherds set a goal that was lower than the one we set the year before. Perhaps it was just too much for a congregation that contributes regularly to many other needs? I decided in my heart an amount to give. As the date came nearer both myself and my wife were involved in very busy periods regarding our jobs as well as personal commitments. Travel was frequent during this time and sure enough our personal schedule had us out of town and unable to attend church on Mission Sunday. Still, I kept thinking to myself that I need to drop off my check before that Sunday. I kept thinking it, but never did it. Then I thought that I would call or email in a pledge. I never did that either. While I was away that weekend I kept thinking about how I failed to get my contribution in before I left and about how my lack of placing importance on Mission Sunday could possibly contribute to yet another year of falling short of the goal. I thought, for sure when we get back I will bring my check to the Shepherds. I didn’t.

The Sunday after, when we had returned and I had not yet made any contribution or even communicated a pledge to contribute, came a lesson from on high. I’ll never forget it. Our congregational goal for this year’s mission Sunday was $75,000. As the associate Minister went before the congregation to report what God had done through us, I felt disappointed in my lack of caring and expected to hear how we came so close to the goal, but just didn’t make it. Was I shocked when I heard that not only had the congregation exceeded the goal, but the goal was exceeded by an amount that could only be accounted for by saying “…but with God, all things are possible”. Over $115,000 was given that Sunday.

The lesson I learned WASN’T that the success of exceeding the goal was up to me. That was a lesson showing me how self centered I am, but not the real lesson.

Here is the lesson. Because of my lack of placing a priority on what I knew was something God wanted me to do I DID NOT AND COULD NOT SHARE IN THE JOY OF GOD’S VICTORY! I WAS NOT A PART OF THAT JOY. I WAS ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN!! This was far worse than any feelings of guilt or disappointment. I missed out on the joy that comes from being obedient to God. I’ve felt that joy before and now I was experiencing the polar opposite of that feeling. The joy I am speaking of is unlike any feeling you’ve ever had. It’s a joy that is felt in your inner most being and its absence was excruciating.

There are often appeals for contributions for many worthy needs and for some the Spirit tells me to give and for some He does not. This past Mission Sunday the Spirit clearly put on my heart that I should give. I didn’t do it and the feeling of not being able to share in the joy of the Lord is one I will never forget and one I never want to feel again.

The Windmills of Your Mind

I came across Proverbs 9:6 the other day. It reads "Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the ways of understanding."

Ted Turner once said that Christianity is religion for losers. Secular scholars say that the Bible is a book of myths and stories created by ancient people to help explain their world, but it is obsolete in the post-modern world. Now, I marvel at the advance of science over the years. From medicine to technology, the lives of some of the poorest people in America today far exceeds the comfort, convenience and quality of kings that lived just 200 years ago. Yet still, with all the great minds in the world, we continue to hear that science has "proven" that God does not exist. Science has solved it all and fulfills all our needs and the idea of a God is an illogical psychological dependency for weak minded people.

But God (I love that statement! ....but God..sorry, I got side tracked). But, God says that in His reality all of our super human thinking that brings us all of these great discoveries in fact points to His existence! Any idea or logic that we come up with that we use to try an kill God's existence He calls "simple ways" and we should leave them lest we die. Isn't that what He's told us right from the beginning? If we eat that fruit we will surely die and the wages of sin is death.

I think it's great that God loves us so much he gave us His Word. Our prideful ideas are simply deadly. But, walking in the ways of God is brilliant!

Do You Know?

Above all, what does God want the Christian to do and not do?

True Truth

No, I don’t have a stuttering problem. I’m talking about objective truth.

What is truth? From a real sense, truth equals reality. That which is true is real and that which is real is true. There is a relationship between the two. My belief in God, no matter how strong, cannot conjure up a god that is not there. And, no matter how much someone is convinced that there is no God cannot destroy a God that is.

From a biblical sense truth is personal. Jesus didn’t say, “I tell the truth”, he said, “I am the truth.” Jesus said that when Pontius Pilate asked Jesus what is truth. Jesus is the only one who has always told the truth and has never lied.

The Missing Link

As you may or may not know Katie Couric took over the position of anchoring the NBC Nightly News. Along with the new anchor, NBC began a free speech segment where ordinary folks can deliver commentary during the broadcast. With the recent tragic incident involving the shooting of children in a small Amish school house, NBC invited Brian Rohrbough to delive that nights commentary. Mr. Rohrbough, whose son was killed in the Colombine high school shootings, had this to say:

"I am saddened and shaken by the shooting at an Amish school today and last week's school murders. When my son Dan was murdered on the sidewalk at Columbine High School on April 20th, 1999, I hoped that would be the last school shooting. Since that day, I tried to answer the question why did this happen? This country is in a moral free fall. For over two generations, the public school system has taught in a moral vacuum, expelling God from the school and from the government, replacing Him with evolution, where the strong kill the weak without moral consequences. And life has no inherent value. We teach there are no absolutes, no right or wrong. And I assure you, the murder of innocent children is always wrong, including by abortion. Abortion has diminished the value of children. Suicide has become an acceptable action and has further emboldened these criminals. And we are seeing an epidemic increase in murder/suicide attacks on our children."

For me, the teaching of evolution in public schools has fostered an environment that leads many students to believe that there is little or no meaning to life. As Mr. Rohrbough plainly understands, evolutionary indoctrination declares that we are only animals in the struggle for survival. This has created a mindset in many of our young people that life lacks purpose. Yet, otherwise intelligent people can not see the link between this teaching and the ever increasing violence in our country which is steadily devouring younger and younger victims.

As time goes on, I believe this will only get worse. Yes, God can bring about revival in our country if it is His will and Christians should pray for the current state of affairs to be reversed. But, I honestly think this country will continue to decline steadily toward an ever greater state of immorality and that immorality will be looked upon as having nothing wrong with it.

State of the Art

I was driving home from work the other day listening to a local radio station whose format is Christian talk. The station aired a commercial promoting an event at a local church. A nationally known speaker would be appearing at this event and something the announcer said caught my ear. The announcer invited listeners to come and hear this dynamic speaker at "our state of the art church". I thought, state of the art church?

Now, I understand what he meant. He was not only promoting the speaker, but was also promoting the venue. I'm sure it has great acoustics, top of the line audio/visual systems and professional lighting that rivals some of the fanciest theaters and music halls. He was speaking of the church building, not the Church. Today's visible church should be no more "state of the art" than the church of the first century. To me, the Church is state of the art when it preaches the truth of the Gospel from it's pulpit, in it's classrooms and through the lives of it's members as they do the will of the Father outside the four walls of the building. For the Christian, the Gospel is our art.

Lord, Lord.

In Matthew 7:15-23 Jesus tells us to watch out for false prophets and He says we can tell them by their fruit. Something we should all watch out for. But what I really find terrifying is what he tells us next. In the last half of this passage Jesus gives us a glimpse into the Day of Judgment and what He says cuts me to the very sole. He says that on that day not everyone who says to Him “Lord, Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven.

I’ve read this passage many times before and it finally dawned on me that those who are addressing Him aren’t just saying “Lord”, but are addressing Him as “Lord. Lord.” It’s as if they are stuttering His name, because they are in shock over the fact that not only doesn’t He know them, but He tells them to depart from Him. They so shocked that they repeat His name as if to say “Lord. It’s me! Lord, you know me!

I took some time to look throughout scripture to note other places when a persons name is repeated. I probably missed a few, but here are some:

1. Just before Abraham is about to sacrifice Isaac The Angel of The Lord calls out to him “Abraham! Abraham! (Ge 22:11)
2. When Jacob is afraid to go to Egypt and God reassures him saying He’ll be with him He calls to him "Jacob. Jacob." (Ge 46:1-3).
3. When God calls out to Moses from the burning bush, he says “Moses! Moses!” (Ex3:3-5)
4. When God calls out to Samuel while he is sleeping he calls "Samuel, Samuel". (1Sa 3:10)
5. When King David finds out that his son Absalom, who had rebelled against him, is dead he laments “My son! My son! Absalom, my son.” (2Sa 18:33)
6. Elisha upon seeing the chariot of fire cries “My Father! My Father! The chariots of Israel!” (2Ki 2:12)
7. When Martha is all uptight because her sister isn’t helping her, Jesus says “Martha, Martha…” (Luke 10:41)
8. Knowing that Peter would say in front of everyone that he would die for Jesus, Christ says “Simon, Simon. Satan will have you and sift you like wheat…” (Luke 22:31)
9. As Jesus is looking at the city on the hill, he laments “Jerusalem. Jerusalem". (Matthew 23:37)
10. As Christ hangs on the cross he cries out “My God, My God” (Matthew 27:46)
11. Christ stops Saul of Tarsus in his tracks on the road to Damascus and he calls out to him “Saul. Saul. Why do you persecute me?” (Acts 26:14)


My point in all of this is that when I find names repeated in the bible it indicates a deeply intimate relationship. So I have to say that those who come to Jesus saying “Lord. Lord.” Not only know Jesus by His title “Lord”, but also seem to think they know Him intimately. The false prophets he tells us to avoid and the people coming to Him saying “Lord, Lord” are members of the congregation! Do you see why this terrifies me?

Thinking it through I believe that true justification comes from sustained faith and trust in Christ alone and not placing out trust solely in one moment in time where we carried out some simple “act” be it reciting the sinners prayer or even, dare I say, in baptism alone. If I place my trust in my baptism and don’t place my trust in Jesus and strive every day to obey him, then I will never bear fruit. Yes, publicly accepting Christ as your Lord and Savior and being baptized for the remission of sins is necessary, but it can’t end there. If it does end there, then I think you have displayed just enough faith to send you to hell for all eternity.

A Tree and Its Fruit

Please read the following scripture and meditate especially on the second paragraph. As I have said before, it is for me the most terrifying scripture in the bible. Why do I find it so terrifying especially if I consider myself a member of the Lord's church? It has to do with genuine faith.

Matthew 7:15-23

"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

Merely in the Flesh

Jeremiah 9:25 "The days are coming", declares the LORD, "when I will punish all who are circumcised merely in the flesh"

God tells us that circumcision of the body (outward) is useless without circumcision of the heart (inward). For ancient Israel, circumcision was a sign of both repentance and faith. Some, like Abraham, received the sign after trusting God. Others, like Issaac, were cut before confessing faith. Likewise, believers on this side of the cross have signs that indicate a decision to believe and follow Christ has been made. For some it is the very point at which you make the confession, whether spoken out loud or by silently saying a "sinners prayer", that conversion occurs. Others point to baptism as the moment of conversion. I am sure there are any number of other opinions as to exactly when salvation occurs.

Now in my sixth year after first placing my trust in Christ, I have wondered about the person who professes faith, is baptized, attends church on a regular basis and for all intents and purposes "does" Christianity just fine from an outward perspective. Yet, internally, no change has occurred. There is no hunger for the Word, no fear for the one who can throw him into hell, no desire to tithe and in whom is found every desire for the world. To some, faith is wrapped up in their own checklist of good works. I know Christianity isn't a checklist. For some when they say they've become a Christian it means they've stopped drinkning, stopped swearing, etc. Rather, true conversion is signified by an immediate inward change that manifests itself by the fruit of the spirit. No, I am not saying that one must become sinless, but that is contrasted by the person whose lifestyle is one thing when they are around "church folk" and something completely different around non-church folk. My point is this; regardless of timing, these signs bring no lasting benefits unless the recipient is inwardly converted.

I raise this topic as a lead in for the next posting I am working on. Read Matthew 7:15-23. It is, for me, the most terrifying scripture in the entire Bible.

The Opening

I chose the title for this blog to be "A Shattered Image" because of how aware I am that, as an image bearer of God, I am a fallen man and have shattered that image. My hope is to post ideas, life observations and to discuss the things of God and bring to mind that faith is so much more than just a simple profession. I do not believe that salvation comes from something as simple as an alter call, a one time reciting of a simple prayer or any other simple outward act. I absolutely think conversion includes those things, but unless my faith is genuine, unless my faith bears fruit, then my faith is dead. And a dead faith is the same as no faith at all.

I have to admit that I began this blog as the result of the death of a close colleague of mine. His death was completely sudden and as a Christian sister reminded me, death seems to put everything in perspective. I know I will die one day and I understand that it could be at any moment, yet because of my faith in Christ I do not fear death. Still, when death strikes so close and so unexpectedly it really got me thinking about my faith. Not that my faith is waivering, rather I am thinking more along the lines of the fruit that it bears and just how important that is.

God willing, in the coming days, weeks and months, we can engage in meaningful discussions and strip away the fog that our enemy clouds our eyes with and shed some light to truly understand what the Gospel is really all about.