GT—Volume 13 Issue 3
Everyone Is A Theologian
Any honest search for God is never in vain, because He has left His fingerprints all over the world. He has revealed Himself in thought, word and deed.
When I was a teen, I read a great deal of Science Fiction. It imbued in me the faith that mankind, given time, could accomplish anything. As I matured into college age, I morphed that concept into the theology that mankind eventually would become perfect and therefore become god.
I was very proud of my reasoning. When I propounded this concept among a group of others, one wise fellow said, “You know, by definition, perfection has always been perfect. It has never been imperfect.” That simple truth collapsed my theology like the house of cards it was.
Since that time, I have been a theist (I believed in God); a Deist (God created the world, but he has pretty much left us on our own to work it out).
Finally, for the last half century I have discovered and lived (as much as my fickle heart can) Christian Theology (God is a Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He is actively involved in the world and in peoples’ lives in particular. Jesus is the God/man who died for my sins and those who will believe in Him. All people are sinners, which means the reality of Heaven and Hell is of serious concern. Faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior is the sine qua non. Without that faith, it is impossible to please God.)
It is abundantly clear that all people throughout the world who have some conception of God are theologians. Muslims, Jews and Christians are monotheists (believe in one God). The Christians and Jews believe in the same God. Muslims do not.
Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Shintoism are all polytheistic religions, i.e. they have multiple gods.
Primitive religions are animistic. They have the theology that there are powers in everything, e.g. the sun, moon, trees, earth, and wind. They seek to respect everything, lest they offend the spirits who in vindictiveness would curse them. 
Are Atheists Theologians?
Likely they would claim they are not; however, “atheist” in Ancient Greek ἄθεος (atheos) means “without gods”. To be without gods implies that there are gods to be without. Thus they have a theology that there are no gods. Apparently, an atheist has studied all religions and all history and can find no credible evidence of any god. Thus their theology, their study of God is that he does not exist. Many of them are quite evangelical, requiring everyone else to protect them from any contact with proof of His existence.
Thus, it is my assessment that, as everyone else, atheists have a concept of God that they have studied and rejected. Yes, they, too, are theologians.
Living Out Our Theology
There is academic theology and there is practical theology. Academic theology is what people say they believe in, e.g. “I believe that God is a God of love. He is a good God who cares for his people.”
OR, I believe Allah’s will is the governing force of my life, “Insha Allah (Insya Allah) “ ماهر زين – إن شاء الله”, i.e. “if God wills, it will happen.”
I was flying Pakistani Airlines from Lahore, Pakistan to New Delhi, India. As we approached the airport the pilot spoke over the intercom, “We will land in New Delhi, Insha Allah.” Irreverently, it occurred to me that if Allah did not will us to land, we might be flying around forever.
Various teachers and scholars and preachers have defined Christian academic theology over the centuries. Because Christianity had so many streams that express their understanding of the message of God differently, there have been uncounted theologies written. Scholars examine the various tenets of the faith and write a lengthy exposition of each. True Christian theology includes:
- the reality of Jesus the God/man who did live and did die and did raise from the dead; and who is mankind’s only Redeemer
- the truth that God is a Trinity of three persons, and yet one
- the fact that man is a sinner and is incapable of reaching God’s righteous heaven
- the actuality of Hell as the doom of un-redeemed sinners
- the verity of Jesus’ redemption from Hell and eternal life in Heaven for all who submit to His love
Practical theology is demonstrated in the way people live. Anyone who claims to be a Jew, but does not live by the Laws of Moses and the ordinances of Judaism is practically an agnostic. Sabbath breaking, eating pork are two evidences that while they may have Jewish ancestry, they are not in fact Jews,
People who call themselves “Christians”, but do not believe the above tenants are not Christian in reality. Those who practice homosexuality, choose abortions as birth control, who cheat at business or at cards are giving evidence against themselves of their lack of faith.
People who style themselves Muslim, but who do not fast during Ramadan, who go to X-rated movies, who consume alcoholic beverages are unfaithful to their religion.
Because the majority of Americans profess to be Protestant Christians, I will concentrate on this branch of Christendom.
A ready smile indicates that Jesus has transformed one’s heart.
We show our practical theology when we are cheerful in our demeanor. A ready smile indicates that Jesus has transformed one’s heart. A mark of a believer is generosity in meeting a neighbor’s need, whether it be praying for them, offering physical help or offering money in a crisis.
Another mark of a believer is forgiveness. Whether the offender is repentant, asks forgiveness or not, the practicing Christian forgives the offense.
One of the remarks that unbelievers said about Christians, “Behold how they love one another.” The heart that is open to God’s love manifests love.
The Value of Theology
Theology is the study of God. There is one, true God. He has revealed Himself to mankind. He chose one man (family) to be the bearers of the truth that God exists and that He is intimately involved in the lives of people on a daily basis. He is unapproachable in His glory and holiness, but he has come to minister, to serve mankind on a constant basis.
“Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness.” (Romans 4:3)
Belief in God is the foundation of having Him a part of one’s life. One can study about God in the Bible, in theological textbooks, in the lives of believers. With an open mind, one can not only find God, but also learn a great deal about Him. Because He is infinitely superior, our finite minds cannot comprehend the majesty of God. We can, however, encounter Him.
Study can reveal much about God, but there will always be a barrier to true knowledge. Just as there is a limit to what you can know about a person by reading her biography, or even his autobiography. If however, you move next door to a famous person and begin to converse, invite him or her into your home and be invited into hers or his, a relationship develops and you learn the “inside story”. You get to know the real person.
It works that way with God. The relationship is all-important.
It astounds me when I begin to ponder that the Creator of the universe, the perfectly holy One, the Almighty God, chooses to become involved in an intimate way in the lives of men and women of every character. He gets involved with our messy lives. He accepts out foulness and still loves us.
Once in a relationship with God, all that we study about God begins to make sense. He corrects all our concepts, until we have a heart for God. We find His character far greater than we believed. His revelation of Himself reveals His magnificent aspects.
Consider that the perfectly righteous God desires, and eagerly works to have a relationship with individuals that are venal, are liars and cheats, are arrogant and stupid. He cares deeply for the cast-offs of society: the disabled, the souse, the thief, the prostitute, the degraded humans of the world.
He, in the person of the Holy Spirit, is active in the world, taking care of people. It is He who inspires inventors, whether they believe in Him or not, to devise ways to tap ground water to bring water to parched lands. He had leads people to devise improved methods of farming, so that the same land will produce far more than it did 100 years ago.
Working in the hearts of believers the Holy Spirit manifests Love, Joy and Peace, as well as the other Fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23
Working in the hearts of believers the Holy Spirit manifests Love, Joy and Peace, as well as the other Fruit of the Spirit.
Today, millions of Americans are pursuing happiness in the hope of finding lasting Joy. It eludes them because they do not go for the gold. God provided Joy as a free gift of the Holy Spirit. We do not have to strive for it, we have to surrender for it.
The Astounding Truth of God
Theology teaches us that God was not content to sit outside the physical world and take pot shots at His creation—mankind. He is not a Monday Morning Quarterback: “You should have done this instead of that. You should have done it this way.” He, Almighty God, limited Himself and was born a man-child. He grew up over 30 years before He entered into His teaching ministry. God, Himself, became a man to share our limited life. He lived, got hungry and thirsty. He got dirty and had to bathe. He had friends and enemies. He shared all of life. And. wonder of wonders, He shared our death; real death. Yes, brain dead. God, omnipotent, hung on the cross and actually died there.
In our society we sanitize death. Most people die in clean sheets at a hospital, separated from family and home. However, in Jesus’ day death was a part of life. Old folks died at home in the midst of family. The women of the family tended the corpse. They knew what death was and what a dead body was. They knew, from handling His body, that Jesus was certainly dead. Jesus the God/man died in truth that fateful day.
When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished.” And bowing His head, He yielded up His spirit. (John 19:30)
One of His Last Words was “It is finished!” He was not talking about His life, although that was true. He was not talking about the pain and suffering of the Cross, although that was true. He was talking about the reason He came to be born a man.
Theology teaches us that there was a greater purpose for God to become a man than to experience what it was like to live a moment in eternity, to live with pain and suffering, to live with love for friends, to live in the joys and triumphs of life.
He came with a far greater purpose; He had a cosmic-sized purpose. Jesus came to provide the only way for individual people to be able to live forever in the Presence of Almighty God, in the Presence of Love Unspeakable, in Joy beyond our wildest dreams, and in utter Peace with never a threat of not enough, never a threat of harm, never a threat of rejection. Jesus’ work of the cross was to bring about the reconciliation of individual men, women and children with the Holy, righteous God. Jesus made the way for individuals to enter into God’s Presence, where before their sin barred them.
Theology teaches us that the sacrificial system established by God through Moses was a precursor of Jesus sacrifice on the cross. God taught the Children of Israel in their wilderness wanderings that to atone for sin required an innocent victim’s blood and life. Theology teaches us that Jesus was that perfect, innocent victim who became the complete oblation and sacrifice, who satisfied God’s offended righteousness, allowing us to be forgiven under the blood of Jesus.
Theology teaches us that Jesus is our Lord and Savior. But he humbled Himself to serve our need of forgiveness. God Almighty, out of love for us, provides for all our physical needs.
Theology teaches us that we are in a training ground. All that occurs in our lives can be lessons to teach us. They can be tests to prove what we have learned.
Theology teaches us that we are in a war; that there is a real, alive enemy shooting at us. He sends spies to tempt us to turn our backs on God. He uses propaganda to say that God is not real, or a distant, uncaring God. He sends his army to cause us physical, emotional and mental harm. God does not leave us without defense. We have weapons to use that will defeat his overtures, attacks and insinuations.
Theology of Almighty God
Theology, rightly taught, reveals to us the truths of God. The Apostle Paul was a foremost enemy of God. He did not think he was. He thought He was protecting Judaism from heretics. In his zeal he was instrumental in both the arrest and slaying of uncounted numbers of believers. He was zealous for God, but his theology was all wrong.
He was raised to believe the Law of God would save him and all Jews. Paul was taught that Gentiles, and even unobservant Jews, were ultimately lost and without hope of redemption, because they were not slaves to the LAW. His theology was all wrong.
When Jesus came preaching that God was a God of love and forgiveness, Paul was furious. He was convinced that because Jesus was not a punctilious practitioner of the LAW, he was a heretic and worthy of being eradicated. To rid Judaism of Jesus would prevent Jews from being drawn away from the LAW.
Jesus is active in the world taking care of people.
The risen Jesus took from Paul wrong theology and gave him a new birth under true, right, and blessed theology. Then the Holy Spirit sent Paul into solitude for years to teach him the truths of God. He transformed Paul’s theology of the LAW into the theology of grace—love and forgiveness.
With correct theology, Paul became the foremost proponent of the truths that God wanted our generation (and all others) to learn.
We learn about sin in the first few chapters of Romans. We learn about the ministry of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians. We learn about freedom from the Law in Galatians. In Ephesians, we learn about the weapons of our warfare. Each of Paul’s thirteen letters have theological teachings, without which Christianity would be hollow.
Numerous theologians in the last 150 years have sought to write a theology, but have fallen into the trap of writing an exegesis; that is writing their own prejudices into their expositions of Scripture. Much to their pleasure, they discover that their “Christian Theology” is really “Liberation Theology” or “Feminist Theology” or “God is Dead” Theology or “Environmental Theology”.
Because God is Sovereign and we are His creation, we must come to God with empty hands to learn from the Holy Spirit what truth is.
Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16).
The purpose of Theology is to discover the truth about God. In the pages of the Bible are uncounted kernels of truth that when planted in our hearts grow us up in our knowledge of God. As we live out those truths, we find ourselves walking hand in hand with Christ along the narrow path to God. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit with one accord desire that we learn the truths of God. They desire that we have a firm theological foundation so when the winds of controversy and alternative doctrines assail our spirits, we will know the truth and the truth will set us free.
Knowledge without experience is barren. God calls us not to just know Him, but also to live out that knowledge in the real world. This means encountering both believers and unbelievers in the confidence that we have the truth. This is not arrogance, but a humble confidence that Jesus is real and that the Holy Spirit is leading us in the truths of God. In those encounters we build up believers as they build us up. In addition, we inform unbelievers of the truths they need for life.
Questions Demanding Answers
This is a recurring feature. I pose a question in one issue. You have the opportunity to send me answers. I publish the best ones in the next issue. Please cite Biblical authority, and keep you answer within 250 words.
QUESTION: Why doesn’t God give another chance to the people in Hell?
ANSWER: C.S. Lewis addressed this question in The Great Divorce. Lewis shows what happens when inhabitants of Hell visit heaven. For most, it was too REAL. They got on their bus and went back.
This fiction has a basic truth: they had made their choice and would not change.
There is a deeper reason. God is omniscient; He knows our hearts. God knows that some people will embrace the truth of Jesus and will believe at a very young age. Others in their preteen years, in their young adult lives, as Paul was, despite their rebellion, are open to change. Still others live deplorable lives, but in the last extremity reach out for Jesus.
God confronts others all through their lives with His truth and His life. Tragically, all too often, regardless of how many times God approaches them, they ignore Him or reject outright His offers. They will not believe, because they choose not to believe. God has given them all the chances they need. They would not change if He gave them another.
The Bible says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness“. It is belief that is the key. We have all our lives on earth to believe. If one does not believe here and now, he will not in another life.
QUESTION: There are lots of miracles in the Old and New Testaments. Why don’t we see them today?
The Holy of Holies
Join me in bowing before our God in gratitude that we can speak directly and personally to Him. He is our loving Father, so we can embrace Him boldly, but respectfully.
You have filled my heart with Yourself. You are everything. Almighty God, You are worthy of all honor dominion, glory and praise!
You have given us Your truth. Hallelujah!
You revealed Yourself to the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.
You delivered the Children of Israel from Egyptian slavery with a mighty hand.
You led and provided food and water for the Children of Israel in the barren Sinai desert.
You raised up Judges in the Land of Promise to deliver Your People when they had strayed from You into oppression.
You anointed David, a man after Your own heart, to be King over Your people.
You gave his descendants the promise of eternal Kingship.
You called the Prophets to the hard duty of telling the Chosen People they were going the wrong way.
You sent Your Son into the world, anointed as the Messiah, to communicate Your truth to us.
You in these later days have appointed missionaries to take Your Gospel to the remote peoples of the world.You called and sent Apostles to communicate the Gospel to the world.
You have loved Your People with an everlasting love and called them out of every tribe, tongue and nation. You have built an enormous Family, some are triumphant, having finished their course; and some militant, still serving in Your mission field – the world.
I praise You for Your love; I praise You for your fantastic gift to me of forgiveness of sin, life eternal; and most of all, I praise You for You!
Praise God from Whom all blessings flow. Praise God for the joy of knowing You. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Amen
GT—Volume 13 Issue 2
Let Us Examine What Real Love Is
Make me the happiest man on earth, and say you will marry me.
“Make me the happiest man on earth, and say you will marry me.” It sounds romantic. This or similar words often form a marriage proposal. Marriage is not in vogue as much as it was when Ruth and I married, over 50 years ago. Marriage then involved the concept of love bound in a permanent relationship. I have lamented in these pages on the awful change in wedding vows—to “so long as we both shall love.”
There is something wrong with these two quotations. Can you pick them out? They are both coming from a self-centered frame of mind. You must meet my needs or “I’m outta here!” The proposal puts the onus of the relationship on the other to do the “making happy” The “both love” vow bases the relationship upon romance and feeling. If the romance dies, POOF! goes the relationship.
The “happiest man” concept is romantic hyperbole. It is a goal that can rarely, if ever, be obtained. What does a woman have to do to make a man the happiest? In reality, it is not just being with him. It would require to continue to be the one who fulfilled his fantasies. Unhappily, because of human nature, that is a moving target. Our desires grow as we achieve the last one. Natural man is insatiable.
Let us examine what real love is:
It is the mother who has just brought her newborn home from the hospital, still exhausted from her ordeal, who gets up for a 2 AM feeding and tenderly holds her baby to her breast while she sings a lullaby.
It is the father who works two jobs to build up enough to send his child to college.
It is the sister who tells you there is a piece of spinach in your front teeth, just before your boyfriend arrives.
It is the soldier who is terribly afraid with bullets whizzing around, who goes out in the open to drag a comrade to safety.
Real love is regard for others. Sometimes it means going out of your way to do something for others. Jimmy was trying to earn money for a bike. He realized that through the winter he could shovel sidewalks and stairs for the neighbors. He spoke to all but Mrs. Jenkins. She was a widow with little money. Jimmy, without asking, included Mrs. Jenkin’s walk and stairs. He kept them clear of ice and snow all winter long.
We know nothing of real love until we are called to sacrifice to maintain a relationship.
Sometimes real love requires a sacrifice. I was in a dead-end job. I knew I needed something to get me out. I heard about “Executive Interview Training”. As I applied, it sounded like just the right thing for me; but for me the price was out of sight. I applied to friends of mine who were not too well off, but both were employed. Without a second thought they loaned me the money. I learned much later, they had to dip into retirement funds.
What Went Wrong?
I was trained by my family and in school that politeness required you to place reference to yourself in second place, “Joan and I went to the store.” When my Dad heard someone say, “Me and Bill played catch,” he would ask, “Why are you calling Bill mean?”
They taught us to open doors for others. They taught us that when we went out in public we dressed in better clothes out of respect for others. They taught us not to spit or litter the public street for the same reason. Although many do not define consideration as an act of love, in fact it is love.
Heroic Generation
We had the “Heroic Generation”, those who weathered the Great Depression and then went to fight WWII. Something happened to their children. It became evident in the Korean War. Where fathers withstood German POW Camps and Japanese torture remaining faithful to America, their sons capitulated when captured. Many signed false confessions of “war crimes” perpetrated by the U.S. Government. Some actually curled up and died. Most did not struggle against their captors, as did their fathers.
As a result, the U.S. military had to institute and train troops in a “Code of Conduct”. They could no longer trust that young men came into the service with a moral foundation.
Lack of real love became evident in the 1960’s, when students no longer had respect for authority or property. They rioted on campuses across the nation. They occupied administrative offices, destroyed property and made foul, uncivilized messes.
They threw out codes of decency and participated in “free love” (a corruption of that time honored word). Their attitudes were but animal fornication.
They had no respect for themselves and no respect for others. Real love became absent. Self became all important. A sign of the times was Self Magazine. To quote the founding Editor, Phyllis Starr Wilson “Self will be a guide to the vitality we need, to do all the things we want to do.” So we had the rise of a culture of narcissism expressed in the “Me Generation”, otherwise known as “Baby Boomers”. Sex became “recreational”, i.e. no commitment and no consequences. “One night stands” replaced committed relationships. The open question of, “Do you kiss on the first date?” became,”Do you have sex on the first date?’ The answer comes back immediately, “Of course!”
When I was counseling couples with marital difficulties, an essential element was, “do both of them truly want to resolve their differences?” If it was only one of the partners, then it was very difficult to save the marriage. If neither wanted resolution, then any counseling, except how to divide the children, was a waste of time.
Can We Recapture Real Love?
I am realistic enough to recognize that a great majority of people are not interested in returning to real love as the standard of life. Our rate of abortions is a clear weather-vane for the climate lacking self-sacrificing love.
Nevertheless, real love exists. It has not been stamped out or bulldozed over. It exists in the same way truth exists. It is in the fabric of reality. Life is better when lived in real love and absolute truth. It may be counter-intuitive to understand that life is better if one gives love away, instead of seeking to grasp it for yourself. In this universe there is the Natural Law of Reciprocity. What we give away pays dividends in self worth and personal growth.
Back to that exhausted mother. Her sacrifice of the much-needed rest, builds in her soul the power of responsibility. Being responsible for the life of another makes her a bigger person. She grows in her soul. She is better able to see and serve the needs of others
The father, who sacrifices to send the son to college, receives the joy of seeing his son graduate and launch into a career that would have been unobtainable without the father’s sacrifice. The father and the son are both better men for that love.
Even the sister who embarrasses her sister by telling she did a poor job if brushing her teeth is better off for saving her sister of an even greater embarrassment.
Giving to others builds us up in our souls. Mother Theresa lived a life of giving to others. She has one of the greatest souls of the last century.
One person at a time exercising real love recapture its reality. It is a choice “thee or me”. That choice confronts us each day.
In the scope of things, saying, “you and me”, or “me and Bill,” is minor, but it is a significant marker of where your heart is. The respect you pay another person, whether they hear you or not, is a precious mark of real love. It reflects an attitude that places another person before you.
The Hallmark of Real Love
Most people have the ability to sympathize. It comes so naturally we do not give it a thought. This is the outreach of real love. Sympathy is a sense that another is in trouble. The desire to help is the outreach of real love. To actualize that urge to love, one must step into the impulse with action. If someone is crying in our presence, we must overcome our inhibitions and hold them.
Real love is other-centered. It recognizes a need in another person, unconsciously. It is a part of our better nature unless stifled. It is a tendency to offer what someone else needs. Each of us has a limited number of resources, so to share is to make some sacrifice. The costlier the sacrifice, the more there is a reluctance to dissipate our own resources. However, the greater the cost of sharing, the more love is required to offer the needed help. That self-sacrifice strengthens our desire to give and it builds up the soul.
There are numerous agencies from the Red Cross to World Vision to Feed the Children that are organized around the principle of real love. They have seen the needs of people all over the world and their love has determined to assist them in the basic necessities of life, food, sickness, water. They also open up opportunities for others to express their love by donating, providing the resources for the workers to distribute.
One cannot express generosity without real love. Real love engages the other person in seeking the best for them. Real love is evident when a friend risks a friendship with another to reveal a harmful personality trait that alienates other people from one’s friend.
Real love engages others on a personal level. It enters gently into another’ intimate zone and seeks to build another up. A business owner met a homeless man on the street. He bought him lunch and over lunch learned that he had ability, but not opportunity. He paid for a couple of weeks in a motel, bought him a complete set of clothes, including a suit and tie. He gave him a starting job in his company. The man by his ability moved up through the company into management and became an executive and contributing member of the owner’s company.
Real love is most clearly seen in the acceptance or help given to the undeserving. Because of the contrast, to the natural inclination of “birds of a feather flock together”, reaching out to one who is not “your kind” shows love.
Pat Dennis was a girl in high school. We had several classes to together. I liked Pat and we became friends. In looking back, I do not believe she had many. After high school, our lives took different paths. Much later, we met again. At that time, she had started a ministry to homeless and troubled women. Pat had two houses for getting them back on their feet. Pat gave her life to those women. She lived out the truth that real love comes at a price. Real love involves self-sacrifice.
The Origin Of Real Love
I have purposely not used the expression, “true love”. It has the implication of romantic love. Certainly when romantic love is real it reflects its reality in being self-sacrificing, “I will do everything in my power to make you the happiest person on earth.”
Real originates in the One and Almighty God. God is love. He loved mankind before He created us. He knows everything, so God knew that mankind, no matter how much He gave them would ignore Him and betray Him. And yet He still created us.
For us to have a relationship with the most righteous God, we have to be righteous, too. Unhappily, we could not be holy. God loved us enough to sacrifice His only Son to become the atonement for our sins.
“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
The most precious thing in the world for each of us is our lives. Therefore, to lay them down to benefit another is a priceless gift. This indicates how precious is the gift of life and the sacrifice of life.
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13).
The word in Greek for this love that was used here is αγαπέ (agape), which means, “a self-sacrificing love”. Scripture tells husbands to αγαπέ their wives. They love them self-sacrificially, because God give men the responsibility to nourish and cherish their wives.
Since God self-sacrificially gave His only Son to die for our sins, and since Jesus willingly and self-sacrificially went to the cross to die in our place, our response to that real, very real love should be to first, love God really with all that is within us; and finally, love others at the expense of ourselves.
God not only gave us a love gift of creation, but also the love gift of redemption. His love in these two priceless gifts is far more than anyone could expect. It would have been enough. He has not stopped giving to us out of His love. His provision of a bountiful world is a gift that keeps on giving. Every day He provides us with what we need for life and health and expansion of life.
Our first response to His love is to give all we have to Jesus in that self-sacrificing love. Essentially it mans surrendering to Him the control of our lives. We allow Him to “call the shots”, to guide us and correct us and teach us and change us.
Our second response is to offer the priceless gift to others. This real love is not a casual thing of being friendly and expressing appreciation or sympathy. Real love is proactive. It reaches out and touches lives deeply where they hurt and brings all our resources to bear on that hurt to effect a healing.
Real love for others sacrifices convenience, money, and time to build one another up; bringing us all to the unity of faith in the love of God.
Unity Of Faith In The Love Of God
This unity is a glorious ideal. When we have mutual love in believing fellowship we find a home wherever we are. However, this is a “unity of faith”. There are many people in our various circles of relationship who have no concept of either faith in God or of the quality of love that is found in Christ. Our relationship with them may be based on shared interests, common work, mutual friends. Perhaps we share a lot, but if we do not share the bond of God’s love, we are not truly sharing.
At the cross I bow my knee where your blood was shed for me.
The real spiritual truth is that everyone without Christ is ultimately going to Hell. I know it is unpopular to say this so bluntly. I have lost readers by saying this in the past; nevertheless, as Francis Schaeffer says, “this is true truth”.
It is only in recognizing the terrible news that we can see that those friends are on a precipice. We may be the only ones who can warn them. Real love will take the risk of alienating friends, breaking fellowship with neighbors, losing contact with dear compatriots by sharing that unless they believe that Jesus is God and surrender their live to Him they are damned.
This is self-sacrificing love. Though they gain the whole world, it will be nothing, unless believers sacrifice to alert them to the danger of the road they are on. If a man sees a child, who sees no danger, but is about to be run down by a car, the world acknowledges when he hurls himself into danger to save the child. Thus believers seeing friends and acquaintances, or even strangers in danger of a Christ-less eternity are doing a priceless service to the one in such danger by sharing the bad news and the good news with them. It is not for us to judge whom to share with, but, in God’s love, hold out the truth to all by the Holy Spirit’s prompting.
Walking in the streets of downtown Seattle after I was first saved, I looked up at all the high-rise buildings. I realized that most of the people in them did not know the love of Jesus and His sacrifice for them. I wanted to rush into those buildings, go from office to office and shout the Gospel to all I met. That was not possible. Nor is it possible to speak the word of real love to everyone. But it is important, and perhaps necessary that we listen to the Holy Spirit and speak to each one He directs.
There is great mutual joy in sharing Christ. Jesus blesses the one who proclaims the truth of God’s real love, whether or not the listener receives it. But when it is received there is not only the shared love and joy of the pro-claimer and the receiver, but that joy is multiplied by the rejoicing of the angels in heaven for a sinner that has come home to Jesus. God, the Father blesses the believer who exercises real love.
Questions Demanding Answers
This is a recurring feature. I pose a question in one issue. You have the opportunity to send me answers. I publish the best ones in the next issue. Please cite Biblical authority, and keep you answer within 250 words.
QUESTION: What is Epiphany?
ANSWER:
Epiphany is an appearance or manifestation of God. Liturgical churches celebrate on January 6th remembering the arrival of the Magi, wise men from the east to discover the “King of the Jews.” (Matthew 2:2) They were looking for the Jewish Messiah (Christ in Greek). This was the first revelation of “Yashua (Hebrew for Jesus) to the Gentiles. — Rodney Degner, excerpted by editor
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)
The reason churches still celebrate Epiphany after two millennia is that Jesus, born a Jew was worshipped by Jewish shepherds, but Herod the King of Jews wanted to kill him. Thus, the establishment Jews rejected Jesus and they eventually did kill him; whereas, the Gentile Magi honored the baby Jesus with open hearted worship, as well as, with rich gifts. Here was the beginning of God’s revelation of His truths to the Gentiles.
For two millennia before that, God (as far as Scripture reveals) spoke only to Abraham and his descendants, the progenitors of the Jews.
Except for a few proselytes, Jews held God as exclusively theirs. There are a few references in the Bible of His ministering to and through Gentiles. When Jews rejected Paul’s proclamation of the Gospel of Salvation in Christ, God sent him to broadcast His message of salvation among the Gentiles.
Therefore, Christians may appropriately celebrate the visit of the Gentile Magi to the baby Jesus, the Savior of the world.
QUESTION: Why doesn’t God give another chance to the people in Hell?
The Holy of Holies
Join me in bowing before our God in gratitude that we can speak directly and personally to Him. He is our loving Father, so we can embrace Him boldly, but respectfully.
My Father and my God, I come before You in love, because You first loved me. I bow in humility, because I am unworthy of Your love.
Lord Jesus, I am sincerely and deeply grateful that you have given me a place beside You and in my Father’s Presence. My place in Christ is secure because of what You have done for me.
Holy Spirit, Spirit of truth, teach my heart to long to minister truth and love to those who are caught up in the lies of the world, the flesh, and the devil. You are the manifestation of Prevenient Grace. Prepare the way for me to witness to the glory that is in Christ. Spirit of God, open doors to the message of salvation and open hearts to embrace the loving and lovely Christ the Son of God.
Salvation is exclusively of and from Jesus the Christ. I am only Your messenger.
My God, you are my gift to share with those who need You. Give me the eye to see others’ needs and the heart to, if necessary, importune them with the message of salvation. Since I am but a messenger, teach me the ways to present the Good News so that all can hear. Give me the boldness to defy resistance and declare the truth of the universality of sin. Give me the tenderness to comfort wounded souls with the beauty of the Balm of Gilead, the love of Christ. Give me the willingness to stride confidently on thin ice proclaiming the truth, confident that if the ice breaks, You will deliver me.
You are an amazing God, Lord of the Universe. You stoop to raise up men and women filthy with sin and cleanse them in the Blood of Christ and then adopt them into your family!
Hallelujah! For salvation! Hallelujah, for Christ’s righteousness imputed to us! Hallelujah for the privilege of proclaiming the glorious news! Amen
GT—Volume 13 Issue 1
Resolution Or Resurrection
God loves us and wants the best for us. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith Jehovah, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope in your latter end.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
This usually takes the form of New Year’s Resolutions. Some people make a list.
I resolve to:
- smile more
- grumble less
- obey my mother
- listen politely for the 12th time to GranDad’s old stories
Others make one major resolution, “I resolve to quit smoking.”
These are personal attempts to improve by making yourself accountable to your own will. When tempted to ignore your mother’s correction or be impatient with GranDad’s stories, your conscience reminds you that you were not going to do that this year. Then it becomes a wrestling match between your will power and your won’t power.
The New Year brings a sense of starting over, “turning over a new leaf”. “In the 16th century people referred to pages in a book as “leaves”. When they turned over a new leaf it meant they were turning to a blank page in a workbook to start a new lesson. This could also be more generally used as to say you’re turning over a page of your life and starting anew (idiomorigins.net). Many people mark this “new start” by seeking life improvement, as acknowledgement that they are not perfect and they are willing to improve.
There is psychological power in YES and NO. Every time you say YES, you increase the power of continuing that thought or action. Conversely, every time you say NO to a thought or action, you deplete the power of that thought or action. On the one hand, you can reinforce good and bad habits by saying YES to them. You can undermine good and bad habits by saying NO to them.
Spending too much money may be an addiction, but mostly it is a bad, undisciplined habit. By saying YES repeatedly to the discipline of not gratifying the desire to spend you can build the habit of frugality. By saying NO to frugality when you see something desirable, but unnecessary, you undermine financial responsibility. By saying NO to irresponsible spending (rationalized as necessary), you reinforce frugality and build up financial independence.
In the same way, one can embark on improvement of self by making New Year’s Resolutions. You set up the goal to improve. Each day we reinforce that goal we build its power to continue. A resolution to avoid getting impatience and anger in commuter traffic requires constant attention to our habits while driving.
Over the years, the incidents that cause us to get angry and lose our patience have reinforced that lack of restraint. We are alone in the car, so we can “vent” without anyone being bothered, right? Wrong! This rationalization excuses what we know to be bad behavior. Instead, we need to recognize those “triggers”, converting them to triggers that notify us to exchange our responses. We can begin saying YES to forgiveness and patience, while we are saying NO to anger and impatience.
By so doing, we are reinforcing good behavior and a more healthy life, emotionally and physically. By saying NO to our bad habitual responses, we undermine their power to be automatic.
Staying Power Of Resolutions
There is an old joke, “What is the first thing that turns green in the spring? The “gold” ring your boyfriend gave you for Christmas.”
What are the first things your throw away in the New Year? Resolutions are, because they are so hard to keep. Habits developed by a long string of YES’s over time have great power. Therefore, to break bad habits takes persistence and strength of will. Each NO is a triumph against a bad habit. Each NO diminishes its power to conform our lives to unhealthy things that our psyche craves, because it is the “normal;” and “comfortable habit”.
The habit has the advantage of a well-worn track in our souls. To diminish it requires forcing our psyche out of its rut. It requires a strong will to break the pattern of years and begin a new one. Too often, the persistence of habit overcomes the will and soon we fall into that old pattern of cussing the driver who cut us off.
Our resolutions take so much effort to reprogram our psyche that for too many people their New Year’s resolutions in a few weeks die shattered at their feet. Folks give up in self-disgust and say, “Well I’ll try again next year.”
Unhappily, that plays right into the hands of our habituated psyche. It has then another nine, ten or eleven months to build up stronger bad habits.
New Year’s Resolutions, Or…
January is the traditional and time-honored time to make resolutions, particularly New Year’s Day or in the first week. Who makes resolutions to improve in May or October? Very few.
But, why not? If we adjust our thinking to discard tradition and to be open to new resolution to improve any time during the year, we break the cycle of made and broken resolutions in the first few weeks of the year. We free our selves not only from the mostly unworkable tradition, but we also free our self from the habit of, “Oh well. I can’t keep them this year. Perhaps I’ll do better next year.”
Since we are individually free agents, we can decide at anytime to do or not do anything we choose. Realizing this can free us from discouragement when we reach March and find the old habits are winning. Knowing we do not have to wait until next January, but can begin again immediately, robs our psyche of the excuse to wait until next year. The battle can recommence immediately.
This puts the power back in the resolutions. The power that comes from wearing down resistance switches from the bad habit to the person who wants to change. If each time one sees his resolution in tatters, he simply renews it, then habits give way over time. This repeated overriding the old rut builds up a new path and eventually makes a new positive habit.
This reveals another truth. Resolutions are a tradition and have the impetus of the “new start” mentality at the turn of the New Year. However, we can resolve to improve any day we have the gumption to do so. All it takes is awareness of our shortcomings, the honesty to face them and the courage to make a change.
Awareness is the Foundation
Awareness is the foundation. This requires an honest look at ourselves from a disinterested perspective (which is the hard part). It is wise from time to time to take an honest look at ourselves in the mirror. Remove our rose-colored glasses and examine our warts. If you are like me, you’ve got lots.
Do not seek to address them all. Be selective. Either take on the one that will make the most difference or take on the one that is easiest to overcome. Your choice can be determined by your strength of will. The former is likely tougher, and is an appropriate choice for the strong-willed. The latter is for those who need to build up their “won’t power” by the confidence gained in small victories.
Desire for the truth gives you the power to face your shortcomings honestly. Truth can be elusive because of all our internal defense mechanisms.
The Johari window is a technique[1] used to help people better understand their relationship with themselves and others, which was created by psychologists Joseph Luft (1916–2014) and Harrington Ingham (1916–1995) in 1955.
- Open
- Blind
- Hidden
- Unknown
The Open part is the public space, called the “Arena”. You clearly know these things about yourself and are willing to reveal them to others.
The Blind part is the “Blind Spot”. It is what others can see in you, that you do not know about yourself.
The Hidden part is private, called the “façade”. It is who you are that you choose not to reveal to others.
The Unknown part is “the Terra Incognita”. This is a real part of what makes you, but is hidden from others and you do not reveal to yourself.
Therefore, with some effort and honest inquiry you can know three quarters of who you are, Where there is plenty of room for self examination.
Courage to make the change is the third part of self improvement (after awareness of shortcomings and facing your self). This is where the rubber meets the road. All the foregoing is mental abstractions at best, and at worst flights of fancy. One has to decide that the future is better by improving self. The desire to seek after something better will motivate you to take on your psyche courageously and battle for the future you.
Or You Can …
Hey, I’m not so bad! Look at those others. They’re much worse off than I am. I really don’t need to change. ‘Sides I’m comfortable where I am. That’s pretty good, Right?
Resting in one’s laurels is always an option. Unless you are morbidly obese, you don’t have to lose weight. Unless you are coughing constantly, you don’t have to give up smoking. Unless you are alienating the people close to you, you don’t have to control your temper.
By far, most of the people live without a thought of resolutions to improve. People generally allow their well-developed habits to dictate who they are and how they interact with the world. Improvement only becomes important when there is a job opportunity, or the like, that requires more resources than they have. Until then they are satisfied to coast along as they are. There are so many demands on our time that we do not even think of maintaining our personality.
Hurricane Katrina caused massive flooding of New Orleans. That occurred because the dikes that the Corps of Engineering had built many decades before failed to retain the floodwaters. Because of budget shortfalls, deferred maintenance allowed for the weakening of the dikes that led to the flooding and billions of property damage.
People need to maintain their psyche. Erosion of principles occurs over time coupled with inattention. Periodically, a review and resolve to improve goes a long way to maintaining a healthy, integrated personality.
God Has A Better Idea
God is a loving Father who wants the best for His people. He is perfect, and wants His people to be perfect.
Some psychologists have assumed that children are born “tabla rasa”, a blank slate. Actually this is not true. All people are born into this world with genetic and personality predispositions. Even at the beginning of life there are features of our personality that can be damaging to self and others.
These methods of making improvements in your psyche is a Do-It-Yourself method of correction. It all depends on your determination. It is a “pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps” method of self-improvement. The degree of success is determined by your strength of will and your persistence.
God has a better idea.
Awareness of Shortcomings
God is Omniscient, so he knows everything about us. There is no façade that can hide things from Him. There is no Terra Incognita for Him. As I said above, He wants the best for us. God wants to reveal to us those things in our lives that interfere with our becoming the man or woman that He wants us to be.
What He requires of us is surrender.
And without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing unto him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a reward-er of them that seek after him. (Hebrews 11:6)
This means that we must confess Jesus as our Savior who saves us from sin. We must give over our lives into His control. We must commit to worship God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
Surrender begins God’s work in our hearts to start a reconstruction, strengthening that which is pleasing to God, shoring up that which is weak and removing that which is unhelpful or even detrimental to God’s Plan for us to be the man or woman He created us to be.
Facing our Shortcomings Honestly
His Holy Spirit has come to live in the lives of believers.
And he, when he is come, will convict the world in respect of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. (John 16:8)
All that is ungodly in our lives the Holy Spirit will reveal to us. He gives us the desire to face our sin; to face honestly that we (yes, you and I, no matter how mature we are in the faith) have a lot of work to do.
The Holy Spirit softens our hearts toward God and teaches us say with David:
Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts; And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24)
The Courage to Make the Change
When our hearts are tender toward God, our heart’s desire is to live in His Presence. We have a great desire to eliminate whatever hinders the closeness of our relationship with Jesus. Many of these attitudes, habits and actions we can, with God’s help, eliminate readily. It requires a strong resolve and a willingness to sacrifice. As they peel off one by one, another surfaces and the battle in a new arena begins. As Jesus makes us victorious in early battles, we gain courage and strength.
His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord. (Matthew 25:23).
Our Father blesses us with a greater sense of His Presence in our lives. Correspondingly, we grow in our resistance to the ungodliness in our lives.
Those ungodly habits that have a strong grip may be hard to exorcise. They are likely entwined around entrenched fleshy lusts. They hide in things we earnestly desire or have lived with for decades. Often they are bound on things our soul is convinced we cannot live without. Nevertheless, nothing is so strong that we cannot conquer it in Jesus Name.
There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Fr. Denis Bennett taught that when there is something plaguing a believer the question to ask is, “Do you want to be rid of this?” If the answer was NO, then the next question would be, “Do you want to want to be rid of this?” Likely the answer would be YES. Then the prayer should be, “Lord, Make me want to be rid of it.”
In these ways, the Holy Spirit will lead us in the battle against our ungodly ways to outflank the ungodly trait and build openness in our lives for the Holy Spirit to convince us of our sin. At the same time, build up our desire for righteousness. This two-fold work of the Holy Spirit strengthens our resolve and gives us the courage to break the bond of the besetting sin. Then freedom and holiness in this area are within sight.
Jesus is the Righteous Savior for all who will trust Him and surrender to His authority. Fully trusting Jesus opens us to receive a greater measure of His love. He bore our sins on the cross when He died. He destroyed our bondage to sin completely. He has clothed us in His righteousness and made us accepted in the beloved. All of this is proof of His love for us and our assurance that He is a trustworthy God.
It is ultimately reassuring that God is Omnipotent and that He loves His People. It means that when we belong to Him we never need to be fearful of anything in our psyche or external to our being.
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. (Romans 8:37)
When one belongs to Jesus, we have the resources of Almighty God at our disposal, because we are joint heirs with Christ! Hallelujah!
Questions Demanding Answers
This is a recurring feature. I pose a question in one issue. You have the opportunity to send me answers. I publish the best ones in the next issue. Please cite Biblical authority, and keep you answer within 250 words.
QUESTION: If God can do anything, why did he send His Son as a baby? Why not as an adult?
ANSWER: True, The Savior could have come as an adult. God is Omnipotent. He is also Omniscient. He knows what we need. We need a Savior who completely identifies with us.
For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)
Jesus was conceived, gestated and born just like us. He grew from infancy to boyhood through puberty and young manhood, just as we do. Therefore, he had the opportunity to be tempted to sin as a baby, a child, a teen and a young man.
To be a proper Savior for mankind, He needed to be a man. He needed to be tempted in all ways and Jesus needed to be an innocent victim slain for our sins. Those requirements Jesus met, so He was a full, perfect oblation and sacrifice. His death was the complete payment and satisfaction for all the sins of all of mankind for all of time.
The Savior did need to be an adult to submit willingly to the crucifixion, with knowledge aforethought. In that way, His blood could be the effectual agent to wash you and me clean of our sins. That was Justification. Now we, in partnership with Jesus, live our lives seeking out residual sin and placing it under the blood of Christ. That is Sanctification.
QUESTION: What is Epiphany?
The Holy of Holies
Join me in bowing before our God in gratitude that we can speak directly and personally to Him. He is our loving Father, so we can embrace Him boldly, but respectfully.
Holy LORD God, How magnificent You are. Your majesty is past our finding out. Your resplendent glory fills Your Kingdom. You are the Sovereign Lord of all peoples—believers and unbelievers alike. At Your desire we live and we die. At Your commend our lives are blessed or they are cursed.
Nothing is beyond your knowledge or power. Nothing is beneath Your notice. You have placed perfect law to govern the Universe. Everything works in the finest precision. You built everything that exists on the foundation of atoms. In different molecular structure they form rocks, plants and animals.
Into one-third of Your creation you added sentience, the ability of know, to flee from danger, the instincts that make life possible. You imbued the higher animals with the ability to calculate to emote and play. You have inserted life into two thirds of your creation—plants and animals. You order our lives, our growth, our fruiting, our reproduction and our deaths. You created us interdependent. All life uses other life to continue living.
You selected mankind to be the apex of your creation. Wonder of wonders, You implanted in us Your image, giving us conscience, ability to love, ability to create, and most importantly that ability to recognize You and accept Your love and return it to You.
Almighty God, how glorious is Your creation. How marvelous is our part in it. You have made believers joint heirs with Your Son, so that we could work with You in fulfilling Your Purpose in and for this world.
We praise and glorify Your Presence. Hallelujah Our Grand and Holy Father. Hallelujah, Our loving Savior. Hallelujah, our blessed Guide to Jesus. We are deeply grateful. Amen. Maranatha!
Mission Prayer
“And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
This is not a suggestion. It is a command and a mandate. Our responsibility as believers is two-fold:
First we are to grow up, to mature in the spirit “till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a full-grown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:”
Second, we are to make disciples. We are to be lights in the world, and to share the light we have with those who do not have Christ’s light. We are to, by every means possible, place the possibility of salvation in Christ before the lost and blind.
We have taken Jesus’ Command seriously and opened our hearts and wallets to support four missionary families.
Please Pray
Father, stir in our hearts to begin to appreciate what it means for a man or a woman or a child to die without Christ.
Jesus we are deeply grateful for Your bearing our sins on the cross. give us the desire to speak to others directly about what you have done for us and for them.
Holy Spirit empower us to personally spread the Gospel among our friends and acquaintances.
Lord we praise you for your work Among us and through our missionaries. Now we ask your blessings as we pray the prayer Jesus taught us, saying…
The Lord’s Prayer
“This, then, is how you should pray:
‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.'”
God Makes Us Holy
January 11, 2015
Let Us Hold Fast
We live in a world that is primarily secular and non-Christian. In our culture we are bombarded with messages that encourage us to engage in ungodly pursuits. Advertising not only urges us to buy excessively, but encourages us by appealing to our fleshly and sexual desires.
We are surrounded by temptations to think and speak in worldly ways. Even former profanity has become adopted in common usage. In our modern culture, to be holy before God and man is to be considered strange.
Yet that is exactly what God requires of us.
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2)
So, as we pray this morning let us follow the guidance of Scripture
“ let us draw near with a true heart in fullness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience: and having our body washed with pure water, let us hold fast the confession of our hope that it waver not; for he is faithful that promised: and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works; not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day drawing nigh.” (Hebrews 10:22-25)
Please participate in this prayer
Our Father and our God, the news is filled with evidence of the fallen-ness of this world. We have this week seen the outbreak of evil. The enemy of our souls is active in our world causing terror, and bloodshed. Our Sovereign Lord, save Your People wherever they are in this world.
Pray for this Troubled World
Personal Prayer
God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Your Chosen People in Israel are threatened on every side. Deliver Your People from those who would wipe them out.
Pray for Peace in Jerusalem
Personal Prayer
Sovereign Lord, You are the God of all nations. Exert Your mighty power to redirect our leaders to godly ways and establishing of godly policies.
Pray for Our Nation and Its Leaders
Personal Prayer
Lord God Holy Spirit, guide us into Christ’s truth. Strengthen our faith to withstand the onslaught of the world. Make us humble enough to open our hearts to embrace Your truth. Convince us of the idolatry in our hearts. Lead us to repent and return to walking with You in God’[s holy path.
Lord Jesus, you have placed Grace Fellowship Church in Maltby and on Paradise Road for a reason. Motivate us to fulfill Your purposes in this community.
Pray for Our Church
Personal Prayer
You have called us to holiness and made us into a nation or priests; therefore we come boldly before you, cleansed of our sin, made righteous in Christ. We come to intercede for those we care about.
Pray for our loved ones
Personal Prayer
Join with me now in offering the prayer that our Lord Jesus taught us, saying
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever.
Amen.
O Magnify the LORD with Me
December 11, 2014
I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.
I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. (Psalm 34:1-9)
Please Pray with me
Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty! Thrice Holy Is His Son our Savior. Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Holy Spirit.
Praise and magnify His name for His love for us.
Praise and Magnify His name for His salvation He purchased on the cross.
Praise and magnify His mighty name for His truth that he has delivered to us.
Almighty and most powerful and fearsome God Our Father, most righteous and perfect God our Savior, Most Holy and loving Spirit, Who convinces us of sin, we come now before Your majesty. We are aware of our unworthiness to enter into Your Magnificent Presence, and yet trusting in the way that our Savior made for us by His precious Blood, we come boldly into the Holy of holies. We enter you inner sanctum to honor and worship You.
Praise Almighty God! Praise the Creator! Praise the Deliverer! Praise our Provider! Praise our Savior! Praise His Majesty. Praise His Wisdom! Praise His Love! Praise everything about our God for he is worthy to be praised eternally!
We come also to intercede for those we care about. Father, we are distressed by their difficulties. We know that You are infinitely more distressed; here in faith and confidence we lay these petitions at your feet.
Please Pray for our Loved Ones in Need
Father, You have blessed Grace Fellowship in giving us Your love. You have chosen us to be bound together in strong chains of love. Now, Father, as we come to you individually with our praise for this fellowship and for You who is our Founder and sure guide in our life together, honor our prayers by granting our desire to grow as a fellowship deeper in Christ and grow in embracing others in this deep, rich fellowship of Grace. We pray now for the church You have given to us.
Please Pray for our Church
We lift our hearts to give thanks to our God for Your love for all Your children. Lord, Jesus, You have sheep in many other pastures. We recognize these as our brothers and sisters. Here in the Holy of Holies we bow before Your throne and offer brothers and sisters we do not know to You for Your help, for Your healing, for Your deliverance, for Your instruction in righteousness, and for Your blessings of basic necessities and safety.
Please Pray for our Brothers and Sisters around the World
To You, our God, we offer Honor Praise, and Glory. We declare Your Majesty, Dominion, Power, Grace, and Love in the joy that You have given us.
Hallelujah, Lord God Most Holy!
Join with me now in offering the prayer that our Lord Jesus taught us, saying
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever.
Amen.
GT—Volume 11 Issue 7
Response to Perceptions
The Pietà (Italian: [pjeˈta]; 1498–1499) is a work of Renaissance sculpture by Michelangelo Buonarroti, housed in St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City.
Mary wrote,
You asked me, what idealistic ideals did not fit the Church, and what principles I doubted. The main one is that I feel that this life should be to a certain extent fair. By that, I mean people would not be born retarded, never have a chance to compete in our society; people would not be deformed or ill-treated in childhood, so as to leave them incomplete beings ill equipped to deal with life; the bad things in the world would not exist; the poor, the dumb (although many dumb persons are much happier than I), the pawn, the misfits, etc. I could go on forever. But I understand there could be a solution if the individual’s sole duty in this life were to firstly take care of himself, then one’s achievements would be his own making. It seems unfair to me that I can see and walk and hear and reason intelligently while there are those who can do only one, or some but not all of these. I realize that they might be far more satisfied with themselves than I with myself, they have tried much harder in this life that I, but then that evens it out, doesn’t it?”
I do not remember what my response to her plaint was at the time. I received her letter in the flurry of doing all that was necessary to leave for Seminary three weeks hence. It is possible (unhappily, even likely) that I did not respond; therefore, for your benefit and my own. I will try to respond.
Yep! Life Is Unfair
First, I see this as a plea for understanding. It seems I laid on her a heavy witness to Jesus, likely emphasizing the goodness of God. She is hoping to justify her exception to the understanding that life is not fair.
I wish to assert Christ, Himself and the true Christian Church does not affirm that life is fair. God, the Father, sent His Son into an unfair situation with an unfair responsibility. He had to leave behind His majesty and full power to complete His degrading mission of dying.
Fair means ever-handedness. What you get, I get, and vice versa. The reality is that none of us gets the same anything. We start out with an assembly of unique family genetics and innate abilities. I would have loved to play for the Seahawks. My enthusiasm may be great, but my abilities do not measure up. “It’s not fair!” Yep. Life’s not.
Mary’s concern for the disadvantaged is legitimate and a worthy concern. In God’s economy, she, you, and I must make up for the inabilities of the disadvantaged. We can do so by willingly sharing our abilities and resources. (This is NOT a government program; this is personal responsibility under God).
She wants a life where the “bad things in the world would not exist”. I am not making light of her desires. The truth is that wishing will not make it so. Actually, tragically, every effort and our best intentions will not make it so. Truly, we must face the reality that this world is broken and cannot be fixed; it can only be replaced.
We face this often. My printer failed. The repair tech told me that the power supply burned out. A new one cost $300.00 + labor. Instead, I bought a new printer for $400.00. It was twice as good as the old one. Like that printer, there is a new world coming (in God’s time) that is much better. It will replace this old, broken one. We are not to sit and wait, but continue to persevere in working to improve the world within our reach and make it better and more “fair”.
The Poor, Happy Dumb
When she refers to the “dumb” I believe she is not talking about those who cannot speak, but about those who have limited intelligence. Mary wrote this in the days before such terms became politically incorrect.
I believe she was referring to “ignorance is bliss”. Many of the less intelligent have a reduced perception of events in the world. Impending disasters around every corner do not burden them. They can live in the relative security of caring for themselves in concert with others care for them. Relatively they have more peace in life.
This young woman is a Martha. She comments:
I realize that they might be far more satisfied with themselves in this life than I. But Martha was cumbered about much serving; and she came up to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister did leave me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
But the Lord answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful: for Mary hath chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her. (Luke 10:40-42)
What is that “one thing”? It is putting your complete trust in Jesus. When we allow Him to set the priorities in our lives, He will utilize us to deal with the problems He chooses. Doing what He prescribes gives us a sense of satisfaction, a sense of fulfillment and a sense of peace. We can then be free of the worries of the unfairness of the world. The other disadvantaged in the world are not our responsibility. We can have peace concerning them. I am not giving an excuse for rationalizing away our true responsibility. I am stating that the Holy Spirit wants us to do something, but not everything. We must find out whom He is assigning to us. Any worry beyond our assignment is disobedience and may be idolatry.
Solve The Problem with Big Bucks
She continues,
Fred [her husband] and I have always felt that the best way for us to help was to amass a fortune, then give it to select Charities.” Her letter continues, “The problem arises because all do not take care of themselves. And there are those that we should pity; first try to help, but if that fails, the only resource is pity. At least that salves something in the soul. Ted, there is so much suffering; much – all is created by mankind, but where does it begin. For instance, mental hospitals. There simply aren’t enough trained individuals, the funds to make them what they should be. So much to do; and the best place to begin is the Government. But how? Oh, I will do some banner-carrying in the meantime, and talk to whomever I can, but money is one thing desperately lacking. The trained persons would come if the profits were lucrative enough.
Mary’s approach although laudable is unrealistic. I believe instead of “do not take care of themselves” she means “cannot”. She immediately uses the example of mental hospitals, indicating people with mental incapacities.
Again, a term, acceptable in the 1960s, grates on 21st Century sensibilities. “Pity” has become a derogatory term. Its past meaning was to “have compassion on”. Mary understands that out of compassion for the disadvantaged (those who cannot care for themselves) we must first do what we can. She recognizes that what we can do may fail.
In this, Mary is realistic. The problem is bigger than one family can address. It is like trying to take a bite out of an apple as big as a basketball. It is too big. Your nose keeps getting in the way.
If all else fails, is the only resource compassion? James cautions against that as the only option,
and one of you say unto them, Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; and yet ye give them not the things needful to the body; what doth it profit? (James 2:16)
When we are out of resources to assist the needy God put in our path, we must turn to Him. He has all the resources to fulfill what He requires us to do. We actually should begin by discussing the situation of the needy in our path with the Lord. “Lord, how much do You mean for me to do?” Talking it over with Jesus, we will learn our limits – an occasional handout or selling all we have to give to this needy person.
God does not intend us to take a bite out of something too big for us. He intends each of us to do what He asks.
Is the best way to help to amass money and donate it to a charity? Actually, the problem that she is addressing is far greater than all the money of the richest. All of Bill Gates’ $75 BILLION+ net worth poured into the problem of the disadvantaged of the world would help many, but it would not put a dent in the overall problem.
Realistically the possibility that Mary and her husband can amass that size of a fortune is nil (they did not).
Where one begins is not with the government. Our Federal Government, each state and many cities in the U.S. have been pouring billions into assistance of the needy. There are not enough beds in mental hospitals or homeless shelters. The numbers that need such care far outstrip the capability of the governments to provide space for them.
This being the case, where does one begin? The start is one on one. The Blind Side is the story of Michael Oher. He was a disadvantaged “kid from the project” where many, if not most died at an early age from drugs or gang violence. At 16, Michael came to the object of attention of Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy. They not only sponsored him, but also took him into their family, becoming his legal guardians. They shepherded him along through school and taught him his life could have a purpose. Responding to their love, he rose to the challenge. He was drafted into the NFL by the Baltimore Ravens and was a Superbowl champion in 2013. He is currently playing with the Tennessee Titans. This was a God-directed answer.
Certainly giving to charities is worthy. It is our perspective that needs sanctification. In trauma centers, they triage. They divide the patients into:
- critical, life-threatening trauma
- serious injury or disease
- routine injuries
First aid begins with stopping the bleeding, next clearing the airway to insure breathing, and then treating what you can until expert medical help arrives. This is the proper procedure in compassion for the needy. First turn to the Lord and determine His will. Next follow His directions. Be willing to provide all He asks of you and apply it to as much of the problem as you can.
The “Bible-Beaters
In her letter Mary concludes:
However I doubt if we shall become Bible-beaters; that seems such a coarse term [I agree]. Fred believes in relying solely on oneself, and religion is a crutch to him, although he strongly believes. I think deep down Fred knows he can make it on his own steam, and feels that God should help those who can’t; God knows that Fred believes. He doesn’t need to sound it from the rooftops. I think that there are different ways of helping:. There would have to be. People are so diverse. Backgrounds are so different.
I will address the last first. People are very different, but their needs are similar and different. The government “one size fits all” approach helps some, but messes up others. God alone has the wisdom and the ability to form a solution that uniquely suits each person’s need. That is why it is vital that we consult Him before attempting to alleviate the needs we see around us.
Now to address “Bible-Beaters”: I confess I am one Mary disdains. Likely, I quoted a number of Scriptures in my letter to Mary and Fred. Probably that prompted this response. I am a “Bible-Beater”, because that is where God put the answers. Taking the Bible seriously is the only thing that makes sense. “Read, study and do”, is the formula for a successful life.
I was like her husband. I believed in God, but I “knew” I had to do it on my own. I was raised on, “The Lord helps those who help themselves.” (That, by the way, is a non-Biblical heresy). I came to the end of my resources, as we all must in this complex and trouble-filled world. I took Christ as a crutch because I limped without Him. I still lean on Jesus today. However, when I lean on Him, I walk straight and strong.
It is a noble sentiment to allow God the freedom to help someone else because you are able to care for yourself; noble, but arrogant. If someone offers you a gift, it is boorish to turn it down. God offered to Fred and you and me His Son as a gift. Turning a cold shoulder to Jesus is at least bad manners, and ultimately disastrous, since without Him there is no eternal happiness. Without Jesus, there is only eternal weeping and gnashing of teeth.
When Fred (if he fishes), catches a record-setting salmon I would be willing to bet he would have no reticence about “sounding it from the rooftops”. When a person falls in love he or she is often exuberant enough to proclaim proudly “she loves me!” or “He loves me!” That is exactly the feeling one gets when one discovers the real love that Jesus has for believers. His love is overwhelming. It is so far greater than the love of another human being… and worth the shouting!
She avers that Fred has a deep faith. I know his faith was as mine was, in himself. Likely, he was only aware that there must be a God. Likely, underneath the surface he had the view of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, “Lord, keep the Czar … but keep him far away from here!” “God is alright in heaven, but I don’t want Him messing with my life.”
God is not a second-class citizen who you can take or leave. He is El Shaddai, God Almighty. He is the Creator and so His rules apply to everyone. As God’s creation, man has a duty to submit and obey. Taking an arrogant, “I can do it myself” attitude is an affront to God’s majesty.
It is the depth of idolatry to consider you can live your life perfectly well without His help.
It is the depth of idolatry to consider you can live your life perfectly well without His help. Sending God packing off to help some poor incapacitated person is foolish in the extreme.
One day a pastor was changing the church’s roadside sign when a man stopped his Harley Davidson motorcycle and he struck up a conversation. The Pastor asked him where he was going. He replied, “I’ goin’ into town to sell my Harley. I’m gonna upgrade.”
“May I suggest,” the pastor offered, “that you say, ‘I’m going to sell my bike’ if it be God’s will.’’
The biker laughed, “God doesn’t have a thing to do with it. I’m gonna sell it! Me!” With that, he climbed on his bike and rode off.
Several hours later, the Pastor was locking the church when he saw a man limping down the road. It was the biker. His jeans were torn. The pastor could see badly skinned legs through the tears. One of the sleeves on his leather jacket was torn nearly off and his shoulder was badly skinned as well. He had had a bloody nose and a serious bruise under one eye.
The Pastor ran down the steps, “What happened!”
“Well, Pastor, about five miles down the road I was on a curve and hit some gravel. The bike slid out from under me. As you see, I got tore up pretty bad. The bike is totaled. I hiked back to a farmhouse about a mile further on to get some help. The lady came out on the porch with a shotgun. I took off running, but she got me with two loads of birdshot.
“Well, my son, come on in and I’ll clean you up and we can call for help.’
“No Pastor, I’m just gonna limp on home, IF THE LORD WILLS!”
Sometimes we have to learn the hard way. Now, God is not a vindictive God. Actually, His loving care is around us, believers and unbelievers alike, all the time. But when we sin we walk out from under His care, we open ourselves up to the resident evil in this world.
In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:33
Whether we choose to use Jesus as a crutch or an umbrella, He assures us that our lives are secure for eternity in Christ. He gives us His love. He opens our hearts to receive all His good gifts. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” That is great assurance not only for us who believe and want to serve Him, but also for all those who are in need, who are disadvantaged and who are limited in any way.
You know what? That includes me! It also includes you. Praise God, He is FOR all of us
Questions Demanding Answers
I will pose a question in this issue. You will have the opportunity to send me answers. I will publish the best ones in the next issue. Please cite Biblical authority, and keep you answer within 250 words.
QUESTION: King David sinned greatly. How can God call him, “a man after God’s heart”?
ANSWER: David’s sins were plenty to lose him God’s favor. He lied to the High Priest at Nob and the result was that King Saul had all the innocent priests there slaughtered. David lied to the Philistines a number of times so he could take refuge among them. He committed adultery and murder. Out of pride David disobeyed God and ordered a census of the people.
Surely, that was more than enough to get him condemned by God. It certainly was; however, David had an ace in the hole. He loved God with all his heart. He sinned, but as soon as he was made aware of His over-passionate ill behavior, King David not only repented, but threw himself open to God’s punishment. Certainly, this is “a man after God’s own heart”.
Everyone sins! No one is exempt. Anyone who loves God completely will be deeply grieved when God points out his sin. Then when that man does not try to hide it or explain it away, but frankly and sincerely repents, God blesses and forgives.
The man after God’s own heart is one that keeps short accounts with God. He listens for direction and for the Holy Spirit’s conviction that he has gone astray. He bears honest grief at having offended God by his sin.
Love based on trust is his predominant character trait. He knows His Father and His Lord intimately.
QUESTION: What is the unforgiveable sin? How do I know if I have committed it?
The Holy of Holies
Join me in bowing before our God in gratitude that we can speak directly and personally to Him. He is our loving Father, so we can embrace Him boldly, but respectfully.
“The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.” Father, I know a number of people who live this way, whether they say they believe in God or not. Father, send the Holy Spirit to convict them of their sin of disbelief in Jesus. Send them someone (even me) to speak to them about how real and wonderful you are. Some are close to me and I do want them to spend eternity with you in blessedness.
There is nothing too hard for You. I know You allow each to acknowledge on their own that You are Lord God. The Holy Spirit finds a way to bring Your truth to them so they will embrace Our Savior.
Jesus, you are so wonderful. You have demeaned Yourself by setting aside Your glory and becoming a man. You allowed all the puny men to criticize You, to insult You and then to abuse You, condemn You falsely and finally crucify You.
Despite all the evil we perpetrated against You, You out of love and grace You love me, Jesus and I love You. Please cast your net of love around my dear ones and draw them into Your love, Your Presence, Your forgiveness and Your grace. Take away their tendency to sin, as You take mine from me.e not only asked Your Father to forgive us, but You became sin for us and accepted the punishment of God for our sin. Your Father withdrew from You, because You bore our sin. That for You was far greater pain than anything man could do to Your body and soul. Your Father turned His back on You as You carried my sin.
You are my Sovereign Lord Savior. I rejoice in Your salvation. You are magnificent in all you do. Open my heart to receive more of You. Open my eyes to Your ever-present Spirit. Tune my ears to be quick to hear my Master’s voice. Glory be to You! Hallelujah! Come quickly, Lord Jesus, Lord Triumphant! Amen
Culture’s Economy vs. Christ’s Economy
Gratia Christi, quod Sum, quod Vivo, quoque Laboro facit.
The grace of Christ makes what I am, what I live, what I do
Culture’s Economy vs. Christ’s Economy
The current culture envisions our national economy as a zero sum game. The belief is promoted that we have a limited amount of financial resources and no more. There are many more people who have few financial resources, while there are few people who have many more financial resources.
Many believe the reason that some have more is that the many have few. Thus they conceive that those who have more owe a debt to those that have few. They conclude that the wealthy owe it to the poor to “share the wealth”.
It is human nature to keep what you have. Those who have more want to keep it. It is also human nature to want more than you have. Thus those who have less in a zero sum economy want to take some of the financial resources from those who have more. They say, “after all, it is only fair!”
Equality and Redistribution
To the progressives in our culture, “equality” means essentially what Marx and Lenin espoused, redistribute from those that have the ability to produce to those who have the need to consume. What the two Communist leaders overlooked is human nature. Without an adequate reward for one’s labor, i.e. what a person considers will be adequate, he or she will have no incentive to produce. On the other hand human nature is such that basic necessities granted without working for them remove the incentive to produce and encourage indolence.
Many famous people achieved what they had through hard work. They recognized the individual’s obligation to work hard and produce. Here are some of their thoughts:
Horace – Life grants nothing to us mortals without hard work.
Benjamin Franklin – It is the working man who is the happy man. It is the idle man who is the miserable man.
Albert Schweitzer – A man can only do what he can do. But if he does that each day he can sleep at night and do it again the next day.
Anne Frank – Laziness may appear attractive, but work gives satisfaction.
Henri-Frédéric Amiel– Work while you have the light. You are responsible for the talent that has been entrusted to you.
Sam Ewing – Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don’t turn up at all.
Martin Luther King, Jr. – All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.
Charity and Pride
In previous generations culture expected a man would do honest work to provide for his family. It was shameful for any family to be, “on the dole”. i.e. receiving a handout from the government. The family pulled together to do whatever work they could to contribute to their family needs.
When this was not enough they reluctantly accepted the “dole”. Out of their pride to provide for themselves they took the stance that this was only temporary. They continually worked hard, bending every effort to regain their independence from government handouts, to regain their self-respect. There was little or no thought of requiring the “haves” to fork over a “fair share.”
Welfare Culture
Contrast that to today’s culture. We have in the last 50 years done away with the stigma of being “on the dole”, of being unable to provide for yourself and your family. In fact we have done three things that keep people on welfare:
- We have raised the bar so high for people to escape welfare that it is very difficult and nearly impossible for them to provide for themselves.
- We have re-construed welfare (the dole) to become a right, instead of a gift. All segments of our society advocate and encourage people in difficult circumstances to stop struggling and apply for Federal and State and County and City “assistance”. “That’s what it is there for, so use it!”
- These governments provide so many welfare offerings (food stamps, rent subsidies, medical care, aid to dependent children, etc.) that by gaming the system one can live quite comfortably without doing any real work. People are no longer responsible to provide for themselves and their families.
Generations on Welfare
The pernicious result is that we have numbers of families that have been on welfare and not working productively for four generations. They not only find it extremely hard to find a job they have little or no work ethic to keep any job they get. These victims of “the System” have been lulled by a culture of indolence to consider work a penalty. They live in a state of ennui. They are bored with nothing to do. Tragically, their only productive engagement is to find creative ways (too often destructive ways) to fill in the hours of the day.
In Christ’s economy, Scripture expects a man to earn his bread by the sweat of his brow[1]. Even the New Testament affirms that if a man will not work for his food, do not feed him.[2]
God is Generous and Merciful
God is a generous and a merciful God. He recognized that there are some people who, through understandable reasons, cannot escape poverty. His provisions began with the practice of gleaning. Farmers were instructed not to reap he corners of their fields; any grain that fell to the ground was to be left there. Olive orchards and vineyards were treated the same. Gleaning the leavings was the provision for the poor[3]. Even they were expected to work for their food. They had to go out to gather and then process the grains, olives and grapes to provide for themselves.
Beggars were a fact of life and all people were expected to give something to them. Jesus teaching on alms-giving assumed the people would give alms, so he did not teach such giving.[4] He did counsel sacrificial giving out of love.[5] Because God loves those who are generous without coercion He blesses their giving. He rewards them both materially[6] and spiritually[7].
One further provision for the poor is offensive to our culture. When a person or a family just could not make it, they sold themselves into slavery. This was not perpetual slavery, but for a time not to exceed six years[8]. Jewish slaves were not mistreated. In the Sabbath Year, masters released all Jewish slaves, unless they chose to permanently remain a slave.
All of this provision for the needy was voluntary. the only compulsion was the restriction to prevent the land owner from gleaning his own fields.
God’s Bounty
We see that God’s provision is not a zero sum game. His economy is not closed. For all who labor, their labors produce what they need. Further, for the generous, God repaid by His blessings.
The grasping, whether they are rich or poor lose in the long run. The generous whether rich or poor gain in both the short and the long run.
God’s bounty is ever flowing, because He is not limited to the resources of this earth. Those who engage in His economy never need worry that there will not be enough. Those who trust in His economy find the counter-intuitive to be God’s common practice.
In Christ’s economy work produces not only livelihood, but dignity. In Christ’s economy indolence reduces the man to something less than worthy.
Maranatha! tb
[1] Genesis 3:19 [2] 2 Thessalonians 3:10-11 [3] Deuteronomy 24:19-21 [4] Matthew 6:1-4 [5] Luke 12:33 [6] Luke 6:38 [7] Ibid. footnote 5 [8] Exodus 21:2
Culture of Government vs. Culture of Christ
Gratia Christi, quod Sum, quod Vivo, quoque Laboro facit.
The grace of Christ makes what I am, what I live, what I do
Culture of Government vs. Culture of Christ
Ruth read a recent Facebook post about a SWAT Team raid on the Garden of Eden. Neighborhood complaints of code enforcement and allegations of growing cannabis brought on the City of Arlington, Texas Swat Team raid. Note: no violence was reported. There was no indication that of child abuse, and no threat of the residents fleeing or disposing of evidence. The raid was surreptitious and without provocation. Helmeted, goggled, bullet-proof vested, combat booted and automatic weapon toting troopers descended and handcuffed everyone except a two week-old baby.
They found no marijuana, so there was no criminal offense. Yet they destroyed a sweet potato patch and confiscated okra, tomatillo, native grass and sunflower plants in their 10-hour terrorizing of the residents.
Marriage in the Culture vs. Marriage in Christ
Gratia Christi, quod Sum, quod Vivo, quoque Laboro facit.
“The grace of Christ makes what I am, what I live, what I do”
Love in the 60’s
Ruth and I began dating and because we liked one another, we became “steadies”. We fell in love in 1960, and began looking toward marriage as the consummation of our relationship. In those days, the vast majority of couples who dated seriously married. Couples just did not move in together! It meant social ostracism to do so. Pre-marital sex was rare. It was done furtively and kept a secret. We have come a long way, baby!
Love Generation
In the ‘70’s, couples began to question marriage. “It’s just a bit of paper. We love each other! We don’t need a piece of paper.” The arguments for marriage sounded pretty thin to the lusty youth of the after ‘60’s “Love Generation”, and the “Question Authority” crowd. The incidence of marriage has declined over the decades, while “living together” has skyrocketed.
It is certainly a lot easier to move out then to get a divorce. This of course has the consequence of at precipitous drop in commitment. Attendant is the increase of childless couples.
Family formation has taken a back seat to romance. As long as they both shall love, they stay together. Birth control (actually birth prevention techniques) has led to a significant reduction in the nation’s indigenous population. The self-centeredness and irresponsibility of the general population has increased. With no commitment to a marital partner and no responsibility to raise children life is pretty sweet. Right? Actually, the lack of permanent relationships creates a lonely population and some pretty depressing elder years.
Lack of Commitment
Not to forget marriage, the same lack of commitment and irresponsibility has infected marital couples and families. That lack of commitment has increased the divorce rate over the last half century from about 20% to over 50% today. Some think they are clever to change the wedding vows from “so long as we both shall live” (a lifetime commitment) to “so long as we both shall ‘LOVE’ ” (admitting that each is planning to bail out when things get tough).
Since the “honeymoon” may last a half dozen years, the family including children has likely grown from two to four or five. Divorce not only breaks the relationship between the man and the woman, but it also damages the children. They lose the important values stemming from integrity in family relationships. The breaking of the relationship erodes trust. How can one trust the faithfulness of others when someone intimately related in marriage breaks his or her vows and walks out? How can I trust myself in a relationship if I have not been able to stick it out in a previous relationship? The answer to both questions is that trust is the victim on both sides of a broken commitment.
Marriage Back in the News
Recently marriage has re-surged in popularity only because homosexuals want to cover their nakedness with the sham of marriage. They think if they codify in law the acknowledgement of their relationship, that will make them more acceptable to society. Probably that is less true than they expect. The people who accept their relationship will do so regardless of governmental sanction. The people who do not accept their relationship will not accept it regardless of governmental sanction.
This brief treatise perhaps gives an idea of the confusion and brokenness that cultural view of marriage brings. Now we turn to Christ’s view of marriage.
God’s Plan for Marriage
In the beginning God created man and woman. He did not create man and a variation of man. Throughout the animal world, the Almighty created two sexes. Both are necessary for procreation of life. That is only natural. He created the two sexes very similar, but also very different. Among mankind (which is what concerns us here), men and women are complementary. It was His plan from the beginning to bring man and woman into an exclusive life-long relationship.
“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24)
This “one flesh” concept means that they become joined in a mutual, committed, interrelationship that is life-long. Only those who have lived in marriage under Christ for many decades can truly understand the “one flesh” concept. It is in fact the most healthy, blessed relationship among humans.
Healthy Families
Life-long commitment is the foundation of healthy families. As children are raised they begin to understand the differences and the needs of men and women by constantly living with mom and dad. They see them together working out hard times and enjoying bountiful times. The children grow up in security. They know that when mom or dad leaves she or he will always come back. The trust between the woman and man allows the failures of each to be met with understanding and forgiveness. Children see that breaches do not mean destruction of the relationship. Growing this environment, allows the children to develop a strong commitment to loyalty and honor (both sadly lacking in today’s culture).
When two people who love Jesus marry, they participate in a ceremony involving three persons. The couple makes vows in the name of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They vow to love, honor and obey; to be faithful to one another; and to support one another in plenty and adversity. Since their vows are sanctioned by God, breaking them is an affront to God’s majesty. So when times get tough their vows before God lead each spouse to appeal to Him for the strength to honor them. When they pass through troubled waters they are stronger and even more blended into one flesh than before.
While statistics show the extremely positive results of a Christ-blessed marriage and children raised under it, they cannot come close to measuring the real bounty in the lives of each member of those families.
Christ in Marriage
If you are living together unmarried, ask Jesus into your relationship and commit to a marriage under His blessing.
If you are married but have not entered into it under Jesus’ blessing, find a believing Pastor and consecrate your selves and your marriage to Jesus and receive His blessings.
If you are married and have consecrated your selves and your marriage to Jesus, but are experiencing troubled waters, reach out for the hand of Christ and trust Him to lead you through.
If you are homosexuals and seeking acknowledgment of your relationship under the banner of marriage, recognize that God will not sanction your relationship. Turn away from your “identity” and turn to Jesus. He will transform your life and give you fulfillment in the sex He created you.
In all these cases, please pray with me this prayer:
Lord Jesus, I acknowledge you as the Lord of my life. You created me with unique characteristics. You gave me the capability to love. Let my first and foremost love be to You. Give me the will to be fully obedient to your will. Grant me the grace to fully submit to You.
As a result of my surrender to You, Give me a holy relationship with the opposite sex. Lead me into a life-long commitment to my spouse. Build into our relationship the mutual respect for the differences between man and woman. Give us hearts to submit to one another as unto the Lord. Give us love for one another that will overcome the hard times, weather the disappointments, and forgive the failures. Give us the openness to confess quickly our offenses against one another. And then as you give us stewardship over children, give is the wisdom to raise them up in the faith, nurture and strengths of Almighty God.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Maranatha! tb
