Warning from 1 John

1 John 4
1Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 4Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 5They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. 6We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

With so many heresies bombarding the church today, it is somewhat encouraging to read John’s words from the end of the first century. Somehow I imagine that we’ve done something wrong; that we went to sleep and forfeited the high ground of sound theology. But if the apostles weren’t successful in getting the infant church into the second century untarnished, what makes us think we’ll have pristine orthodoxy?

Paul “marveled” that the Galatian church had abandoned the true gospel (Galatians 1:6) and said he would turn over to the devil "Hymenaeus and Philetus; who concerning the truth have erred."

The Bible warns us “Do not believe every Spirit”. Not everyone holding a Bible is a true teacher.
Interestingly, behind the voice, every doctrine, every teaching, there is a spirit. False spirits give false teachings; only the true Holy Spirit of God teaches us the Word of God.

“Many false prophets have gone out into the world”. Rob Bell is one of the current abusers of God’s truth. I could name 100 more.

Notice that John did not say we can tell false spirits by their works. He said we can identify that they are false spirits by their message. This was the acid test of a false prophet under the Old Covenant as well (Deut. 13:1-5). And the primary message false teachers avoid is a discussion of Jesus Christ. He is come in the flesh to save us from our sins. That message is likely to be avoided by many.

KFC Launches $390 Dollar Giveaway

Oh wow! I just received an email from Kentucky Fried Chicken. They are giving away one free $5 lunch meal every day in May...and, hold on there partner, they're even giving away one free $10 chicken bucket each Sunday. There's a small catch. You have to subscribe and follow their Facebook and/or Twitter page.

Now I'm not opposed to free food. But doing a bit of quick math, KFC is investing $195 in this national blitz for each website. That's a bit odd. I know everyone is cutting back a bit, but I find it Scroogishly laughable that a multi-million (probably billion) dollar company has pulled together a total budget of $390 to entice America to join their Facebook and Twitter pages. Maybe they only have a couple of dozen folks as their Facebook friends, so your odds of winning may be greater than I expect. And if you join Twitter, you've doubled your chances.

Of course, KFC's miniscule May reward program prompted my reflection on a lack of generosity in general. I vaguely remember they tied into Oprah a couple of years ago when they we're promoting their new grilled chicken. All you had to do then was download a free certificate from Oprah's website. Maybe they are still recovering from that fiasco. I downloaded one and the local KFC said they weren't honoring them anymore.

Christians, in general, do not reflect the great generosity of their Lord Jesus. He gave lavishly and extravagantly. But we share so little of our resources. Little money, little time, little thoughts of others and their struggles through life.

KFC's $390 May reward program seems out of place for a company of their stature. What's out of place in your life?

Still Contemplating...Still Rejoicing!

Charles Spurgeon commented on the celebratory nature of this solemn day. The entire sermon can be read here.

The Lord of life and glory was nailed to the accursed tree. He died by the act of guilty men. We, by our sins, crucified the Son of God. We might have expected that, in remembrance of his death, we should have been called to a long, sad, rigorous fast. Do not many men think so even to-day? See how they observe Good Friday, a sad, sad day to many; yet our Lord has never enjoined our keeping such a day, or bidden us to look back upon his death under such a melancholy aspect. Instead of that, having passed out from under the old covenant into the new, and resting in our risen Lord, who once was slain, we commemorate his death by a festival most joyous. It came over the passover, which was a feast of the Jews; but unlike that feast, which was kept by unleavened bread, this feast is brimful of joy and gladness. It is composed of bread and of wine, without a trace of bitter herbs, or anything that suggests sorrow and grief. The bread and the cup most fitly set forth the death of our Lord and Saviour, and the mode of that death, even by the shedding of his blood; but as they stand before us now, they evoke no tears, they suggest no sighs. The memorial of Christ's death is a festival, not a funeral; and we are to come to the table with gladsome hearts, ay, and go away from it with praises, for "after supper they sang a hymn." At both ends it was psalm-singing. The great Hallel of the Jews commenced it, and another psalm, full of joy and gladness out of the hallelujahs of the psalms finished it. Oh, what hath God wrought! We crucified the Christ of God; but in that crucifixion we have found our ransom. With wicked hands he was slain by us; but his blessed sacrifice hath put all our sin away for ever.

A Good Passage for a Good Friday

One is the most powerful passages in the Bible enunciating the benefits that we’ve received because of Jesus’ voluntary death on the cross is Romans 5

1 Therefore,having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— 13 (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according
to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. 16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. 17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)
18 Therefore,as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in
condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

According to the passage, we’ve been “justified” (a legal term declaring us righteous even though there is substantial evidence against us); we have “peace”—even though we’ve warred against God and assailed His holy character; and we have access—even though we have no merit, worth or standing. All of this because Jesus embraced the cross.

Even more, this passage tells us we were “without strength”(verse 6)—a word revealing our powerlessness and paralysis. We were “still sinners” (verse 8) and “enemies” (verse 10).

So why should this not be a Good Friday? This reconciliation does indeed cause us to “rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Certainly, it caused Him much pain, humiliation and anguish. So I stand in awe and reverence…and joy!

A Maundy Thursday Meditation -- Judas the Betrayer

Matthew 22

Notice first, that Judas was one of the Twelve. Judas was an insider, not an outsider. He was "in the know" and "on the team." He was entrusted with sensitive information. Often the greatest harm done to the cause of Christ is from within. Consider for a moment Jesus's opposition in Israel. You may recall the four major groups that opposed Him--the Temple priests, the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the Herodians. Throughout His ministry, Jesus was barraged by their theological and political traps but had always successfully outmaneuvered and outwitted them. Matthew's 22nd chapter bears light on this public conflict. The outsiders are once again banging away at Jesus.

The Pharisees and Herodians form an alliance and ask Jesus if it is lawful to pay taxes to Caesar. (This tax question is particularly interesting to us at this time of year). You understand this question is a catch 22. If Jesus says it is lawful, then He appears to be supporting Rome and will lose the support of the people. If He says it is not lawful, He would probably be arrested for insurrection against Rome. But Jesus says clearly to give Caesar what belongs to Caesar and give to God the things which are God's. After that attack from external forces, the Sadducees come asking about the resurrection of the dead. Immediately after that, the Pharisees are back in Jesus's face laying a trap about the greatest law. (And you think you've had a hard day!). At the end of chapter 22, Matthew says "and no man was able to answer Him, neither did anyone dare from that day on to ask him any more questions." Get this picture! For the past three years, Jesus has been battling political groups. Finally, three of them have surrendered; they've given up! Jesus can relax a bit, or can He?

The one group remaining to oppose Jesus is the priests and elders of Israel. Verses 3-4 of our chapter under consideration make clear the intention of the chief priests and elders of Israel--they wanted to secretly arrest Jesus and kill Him. Their hatred is still strong and their resolve is still robust. But as the passion drama unfolds, the danger comes not from without, but from within. We would do well to meditate on this passage. The ravenous wolves are easy to recognize--those who argue against Jesus being God, those who advocate homosexuality as an acceptable alternative to a man/woman relationship, those who trust in their goodness and benevolent works for salvation, those who chant "eat, drink and be merry"--these are easily recognizable as a threat to our faith. Often, the danger is not from outside our walls but from among our pews. The church has great trouble in recognizing wolves that eat like sheep, sound like sheep, look like sheep and smell like sheep. Judas was one of the Twelve! He was a professing sheep outwardly, but he was a despicable wolf inwardly.

The wolves among us profess the same. They pretend and profess to serve the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. But inwardly they are selfish, fleshly, and deadly. These people would never say the Bible is just an ordinary book; they simply ignore the Bible. These folks would never say abandon the church; they however, give as little of themselves as is necessary to keep pretending they are true disciples. They would never assert that God is not worthy of our praise and worship; they simply sing His praises lackadaisically--without passion, without volume, without conviction. You'll never hear these people say prayer is irrelevant; you will, however, hear these persons use vain repetitions in their insincere recitations or vocalize incessantly their worries and anxieties. And ever so gradually, their thoughts and their actions begin to rub off on true disciples and the Church is pulled into their vicious net of superficial and meaningless faith. Judas was one of the Twelve.

The greatest threat to your living a life totally for God may lie within--within the Church or within yourself. As we reflect on the Betrayal, may we recommit ourselves to total loyalty to Christ, sincere devotion and steadfast faith. May we guard ourselves against the Judases in our lives and even more importantly may we guard our own self against becoming a Judas. May we abandon mediocrity and reach for greatest heights. May we not be satisfied with just another meeting, but may we long for a life-altering encounter with the Holy One.

Where'd This Come From?

This quote dropped into my life today:

"The respect that leadership must have requires that one's ethics be without question. A leader not only stays above the line between right and wrong, but stays well clear of the gray areas." G. Alan Bernard-President, Mid Park, Inc.

I have no idea who G. Alan Bernard is (and no time to Google), but this is a saying close to my heart. We're always trying to walk the line, and no offense to Johnny Cash, but that's no where for a Christian to be. Sadly, many Christians live on the line. No wonder they too often step over it.

Do you?

Continued Thoughts from John’s First Letter

Since I’m teaching through 1 John at my local church, I thought I’d pass along these ideas from the beginning verses of chapter 3.

First, it is incredible that we are the children of God!

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

Right on the heels of 2:29 where John first introduces the very famous phrase from his gospel “born of Him”, is this burst of praise that a) God’s love is foreign to us; b) God’s love is lavished upon us; c) God’s love makes us His children. We’re fairly (and unfortunately) inoculated to this truth. It is so common to us “that we should be called the sons of God” that we’ve lost the grandeur and phenomenal-ness of this simple truth.

The word “manner” stems from a somewhat obscure Greek word that means “of another world” or “foreign”. It’s what the disciples said of Jesus when He calmed the storm in Mark 4:41 “And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” They clearly indicated that what they had witnessed from Jesus was not normal, not of their world. And that is exactly what John is trying to convey here. What manner of love is this?

Second, ongoing sin is an indication that you are not a genuine Christian.

The reason this is so is because: 1) sin’s nature is lawlessness and 2) sin’s origin is of the devil. True Christians are at peace with God (through the sacrificial blood death of Jesus) and are born of God. To war against Him (sin is lawlessness) and join with the devil (sin’s origin) makes no sense and cannot be.

John fires away in rapid succession with his “whosoever” statements:

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law…(3:4)
Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: (3:6)
Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin…(3:9)

There is simply no room for justification of sin here. Of course, the Bible is here conveying an ongoing, continued pattern of repeated sin, no the occasional or infrequent sin.

So, sin is to have hardly any presence in the life of a truly born again, Christ-loving Christian. It’s one of the ways you can know whether you are genuinely one of God’s children.

What I'm Reading

Here's a quick disclaimer--it's not the only thing I'm reading! While some of my intellectual skills have degenerated to a fourth grade level, I still manage to read SOME stimulating literature. But I did manage to grab this whimsical book on a recent trip to the library.

I don't mean any disrespect to author Tom Burns, but the book does give me hope for becoming an author some day. I mean, how hard can throwing together some very common, pithy colloquiums along with some animal photographs, be? And again, no disrespect intended to Mr. Burns, but his 2005 book that retailed for $8.95 is going for the illustrious $0.01 used on Amazon.com ($.0.50 new).

Here's some that caught my eye:

Hospitality is making your guests feel at home...
...even if you wish they were.

Borrow money from pessimists--they don't expect it back.

Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

These piqued my interest:

42.7 percent of statistics are made up on the spot.

Research shows that 14 out of 10 people like chocolate.

A recent survey shows that three out of four people make up 75 percent of the world's population.

I think those last three underscored for me, the reality that truth can be ridiculously subjective, unless, of course, it is grounded in something bigger than you or me, or a Republican or Democrat. It's way too common to be watching a talk show with opposing heralds bantering back and forth and one will state something along the lines that we can make statistics say anything we want. The notorious political polls have biased questions designed to illicit a certain outcome.

Not so with God's Word, the Bible. It is truth. It will save you from eternal damnation. It will teach you the mind of Jesus and the holy ways of God. It is truth.

The Weakening of the Bible

Many of my regular readers know my past history with the Southern Baptist Convention. A few years back, I went into a self-imposed exile of sorts, having been informally and unofficially ousted by a denomination that had covertly changed its convictions from its once stalwart resurgence. Still, I have a deep love and a not-so-deep hope for the denomination that gave me so much in terms of my personal faith development and professional preparation.

I find myself still following the happenings of America’s largest protestant denomination, bound to this love-hate relationship of a man and a convention that espouse rather significant differences in biblical convictions. The latest angst I’ve experienced is from the current edition (April 2011) of Facts & Trends, a publication of Lifeway, the publishing arm of the SBC. Lifeway is probably my least favorite entity of the SBC for several reasons. First, Lifeway isn’t very discerning about the books they sell. One would think they’d be rather rigid in peddling books that support Baptist doctrine and foster fundamental Christianity. Not so. While the shelves aren’t littered with bad books, they’ll sell the popular stuff even if it has a bit of a rub against traditional Baptist beliefs.

Second, Lifeway also makes money, lots of money. Long ago, they were the Baptist Bookstore of the Southern Baptist Convention, committed to serving the local church. In these later decades, they’ve reinterpreted their identity to appeal to the larger Christian family. The trade off is their service to the local Baptist church isn’t all that great. When I was pastoring local Baptist churches, one of the highest budgeted items was our literature from Lifeway. But hey, they do give money to the Cooperative Program!

And while I’m pontificating, why not give a third critique. Lifeway’s major face of Biblical teaching is Beth Moore. While she does hostess only woman’s conferences (though I’m sure men attend) and seems to teach orthodox beliefs, it seems ironic that a denomination that believes in male-only Biblical offices, wouldn’t also have a male face hosting conferences and writing studies.

Be that as it may, my most recent conflict is that Facts & Trends is currently debuting one of Lifeway’s newest training modules: “Game Plan for Life.” One headline reads: “Football, NASCAR champion helps guys develop a “Game Plan for Life.” Did you catch that? Yeah, read it again. It isn’t the Bible that’s helping men develop their game plan. It’s football and NASCAR.

Joe Gibbs, head coach of the Washington Redskins and NASCAR owner, is at the center of the new discipleship module. Maybe he’s the author. Maybe he’s the sponsor, I’m not sure. The whole promotion rubbed me wrong. Here’s a new module off the presses designed to help the local pastor train his men in Biblical discipleship and the dominant graphics, words and ideas are football, superbowl, NASCAR, etc. Lots of glitz, but very little substance.

The accompanying article was the most troubling. Entitled “Football and NASCAR captured men’s imagination, led to Bible study” (yes, you read it right again…it’s football and NASCAR that are capturing Christian men, not the Holy Spirit or the Bible), it focused on the module’s usage by Riverbluff Church in North Charleston, South Carolina. The summation of the article was that this is a great study because it draws men together via the sports theme and gets them talking with each. Hmmm. And I thought we men were supposed to be learning the Bible.

Now to be sure, I’m quite convinced that the men of Riverbluff Church did talk about the Bible. My problem is that in reading the article, you come away with this dominant idea that the Bible alone is insufficient (and even absent!) in attracting men. It must be repackaged. And the wrapping needs to be pretty. The Bible wasn’t in the spotlight. Joe Gibbs, football and NASCAR were.
Two realities are staring at me.

The first, is that in the modern church age, there is a demand to repackage the Bible. Common churchmen and women aren’t committed to studying the Bible on its own merits. They don’t want to abide with Christ, learn of Him or be sanctified by His truth. They must be enticed by bells and whistles. They need allurement and excitement.

The second reality is that church leaders and church entities are catering to this immaturity. It brings to my mind God’s scathing rebuke in Ezekiel 34. Verse 10 states, “Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I [am] against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.” Lifeway needs to stop focusing on what sells and what is attractive, and start focusing on what matters and what is needful.

The church is weak. We don’t need chats stemming from the backdrop of football championships and roaring stock cars. We need men (and women) who recognize their great need of God’s Word and will “lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21).

Abide in Christ

And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

1 John 2:28

The Bible here gives warning that some Christians will be ashamed at Jesus’ coming. The very event that has transfixed our hope, that encourages us to continue faithful, that calms us in the midst of difficult circumstances—that great hope of Jesus’ return, His second coming—is an event that will cause some folks shame.

It certainly won’t be a day of joy for people who have lived their lives apart from Jesus. They will say “to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb” (Revelation 6:16). Clearly, non-Christians meet Jesus’ return with fear and dread. And rightly so, because His second coming is very unlike is first coming. When He first came to earth, it was to seek and to save. When He comes again, it will be to search and destroy.

But surprisingly, even Christians meet the day with “shame”. Certainly, many of Jesus’ followers will probably understand at His coming, wasted opportunities, squandered time, misplaced priorities, but I think the Bible here is ultimately saying that genuine Christians are to abide in Christ until His coming. If they don’t, they will prove themselves un-geniune and be ashamed, much like the lost, unbelieving world that tries to hide from Him.

So it's John's way of saying to those in His congregation, stay true to Christ. Don't abandon the faith you once embraced. Or to state the converse, those who once went to church, believed its teachings and embraced her Savior but who no longer do so, are not "abiding in Christ" and will be "ashamed" (damned) at His appearing.

The key to understanding the verse, I think, lies in that phrase “abide in Him”. Many try to make that into something mystical and ethereal.

Listen to what one teacher has stated: To abide has to do with the concept of 'being' instead of 'doing'. Abiding in Christ is a process. We don't get there over night. So don't get discouraged if it seems hard to just 'rest in Him'. Enjoy the mountains, the ocean, the blue skies (even the thunder and lightning), the green pastures (even the hot desert). As you enjoy God's creation, you will sense His presence. Abiding will come. Stop and 'smell the roses'.

There seems to be a lot of that kind of giberrish on this matter of “abiding in Christ”. It seems that we should be taking up yoga, or at least be sitting by the beach in the lotus position, palms upward, eyes close and perhaps a long, deep hum…is this seriously what they think “abiding in Christ” is all about? The word itself, “meno”, in the Greek, isn’t very mystical. It simply conveys the idea of remaining, or staying, or enduring. And it fits well with one of the major reasons John writes this brief letter—assurance of salvation.

The Jews didn’t want Jesus’ body to “remain” on the cross (John 19:31) and asked Pilate to take it down; Paul wanted Timothy to “continue” in the things he had learned (2 Timothy 3:14); Jesus asked the disciples to “tarry” with Him at Gethsamene the night of His arrest (Matthew 26:38); and Peter said it was the Word of the Lord that “endureth” forever (1 Peter 1:25). In each case, it is the same Greek root as our word in 1 John: "abide".

And in those other verse where the word is typical translated with a different word than "abide", we don’t suggest anything mystical at all, because it is very clear as to the writer's intent. And so with "abiding in Christ". It means staying with Him, enduring in the faith you began, tarrying and continuing with Him.

And contrary to the writer I previously quoted, “abiding in Christ” has more to do with “DOING” than “BEING”. Consider Jesus’ own words on the matter from John 15:4-5 “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can DO nothing."

Also, John 15:10 “If ye KEEP My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love.” And John 14:23, "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love Me, he will KEEP My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him."

Abide is very much an active, doing-oriented matter. Far from sitting by the ocean and smelling the flowers, abiding with Christ comes through intentional action.

John 15:7 gives perhaps the biggest clue to what it means to “abide in Christ”. “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” Jesus puts the spotlight on His words as the factor of “abiding”. Reading, memorizing, meditating, engrafting the Word into your being is essentially what it means to abide with/in Christ.

Andrew Murray, in his book Abide in Christ, writes:

IT IS to you who have heard and hearkened to the call, "Come unto me," that this new invitation comes, "Abide in me." The message comes from the same loving Saviour. You doubtless have never repented having come at His call. You experienced that His word was truth; all His promises He fulfilled; He made you partakers of the blessings and the joy of His love. Was not His welcome most hearty, His pardon full and free, His love most sweet and precious? You more than once, at your first coming to Him, had reason to say, "The half was not told me." And yet you have had to complain of disappointment: as time went on, your expectations were not realized. The blessings you once enjoyed were lost; the love and joy of your first meeting with your Saviour, instead of deepening, have become faint and feeble. And often you have wondered what the reason could be, that with such a Saviour, so mighty and so loving, your experience of salvation should not have been a fuller one. The answer is very simple. You wandered from Him. The blessings He bestows are all connected with His "Come to ME," and are only to be enjoyed in close fellowship with Himself. You either did not fully understand, or did not rightly remember, that the call meant, "Come to me to stay with me." And yet this was in very deed His object and purpose when first He called you to Himself. It was not to refresh you for a few short hours after your conversion with the joy of His love and deliverance, and then to send you forth to wander in sadness and sin. He had destined you to something better than a short-lived blessedness, to be enjoyed only in times of special earnestness and prayer, and then to pass away, as you had to return to those duties in which far the greater part of life has to be spent. No, indeed; He had prepared for you an abiding dwelling with Himself, where your whole life and every moment of it might be spent, where the work of your daily life might be done, and where all the while you might be enjoying unbroken communion with Himself. It was even this He meant when to that first word, "Come to me," He added this, "Abide in me." As earnest and faithful, as loving and tender, as the compassion that breathed in that blessed "Come," was the grace that added this no less blessed "Abide." As mighty as the attraction with which that first word drew you, were the bonds with which this second, had you but listened to it, would have kept you. And as great as were the blessings with which that coming was rewarded, so large, yea, and much greater, were thetreasures to which that abiding would have given you access.

We wander from Him when we disobey His Word. So to “abide in Christ” means to stay faithful to you, to continue with Him. Neither the forest wind nor the sea breeze will teach me about Jesus. Only the Bible can do that. So ingest it into your soul. Consume it, learn it, live it. Obey it. If you do that, you will make it to the end with no shame.

Patrick and Forgiveness

It would be safe to say that Patricius, a 15 year old teenager of a semi-wealthy family, was like most teenagers today. His wealth and status probably contributed to a rather me-centered perspective that most humans, and particularly adolescents, seem to possess.

His kidnapping by Irish raiders changed his life. Grabbed from his British home in the middle of the night while his parents were away visiting a nearby town, he instantly lost all prestige and entitlements. Within weeks, he was a slave to an Irish landowner and consigned to guarding sheep. Some years later, he escaped and returned to his home and his parents. Shortly, thereafter, he decided to return to the people who had altered his life.

There are many worthy quotes from the aged missionary to Ireland worthy of our contemplation, especially on this, his day. But let’s not forget his life expended preaching the gospel, modeling the gospel and warring for the gospel was all predicated on an earlier decision. Long before he became known to the world as St. Patrick, he decided to forgive his enemies of their offenses and this action was the defining action of his life and is central to the gospel of Jesus.

Forgiveness is the core of the Christian faith.

Have you sought the forgiveness of God, your Creator, Designer and Sovereign King?

Have you forgiven others who have offended, wounded, and hurt you?

Ephesians 4:32
"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

Knowing God

In my teaching through the letter of 1 John, I’ve been reminded that knowing God is a big deal to Him. It is a thunderous message in the epistle and it is the heart of biblical revelation—the why? of everything God tells us about Himself and the history of humanity. God is a self-revealing God. He wants us to know Him.

It is the ultimate reason behind the exodus—God’s rescuing His covenant people from Egyptian slavery. “And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians” (Ex 6:7). And, too “…the Egyptians shall know that I [am] the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them” (Ex 7:5).

God used Jeremiah the prophet to tell us that if we accomplish anything at all with our lives and energy, be sure we know Him: “But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I [am] the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these [things] I delight, saith the LORD” (Jer 9:24).

The apostle Paul said his highest quest was “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection…” (Phil 3:10).

And in 1 John, the Bible talks of knowing God experientially (ginosko) 24 times: 2:3, 4, 5, 13 (twice), 14, 18, 29; 3:1 (twice), 6, 16, 19, 20, 24; 4:2, 6 (twice), 7, 8, 13, 16; 5:2, 20 and knowing Him intellectually (oida) 15 times: 2:11, 20, 21 (twice), 29; 3:2, 5, 14, 15; 5:13, 15 (twice), 18, 19, 20.

The interesting this about the perspective in 1 John is that this knowledge of God manifests itself in action. It isn’t a passive, philosophical knowledge. It is an active, integrated knowledge. It really is an echo of the book of James. Don’t just talk about faith—show it.

So, how much of God do you know?

Claire’s Despair

"The most merciful thing that a large family does to one of its infant members is to kill it."
Margaret Sanger, Founder of Planned Parenthood


Yesterday, Senator Claire McCaskill (Democrat—Missouri) was in Springfield and had a brief interchange with reporters. Among several comments she gave, she addressed the House of Representative’s recent vote to defund Planned Parenthood, America’s largest abortion provider. As reported by The Fuse, she said:

“As to Planned Parenthood, they are not allowed to ever perform an abortion with any federal dollars. The money they’ve cut is for birth control and contraception. That does not make sense to me, because we need to be preventing unwanted pregnancies. That’s how we prevent abortions. So, it sense [sic] backwards to me that we would cut the money for birth control and contraception in the name of reducing abortions. Those two don’t mix. I think we need to make sure women have access to birth control and contraception so that we don’t have unwanted pregnancies.”

At the heart of this issue, Senator McCaskill fails to share most Missourians (and Americans) disdain for an organization that brutalizes women and pre-born babies through abortion. Masking her complicit embrace of abortion, she advocates the “educational” arm of Planned Parenthood.

Could you imagine our senator’s response to this hypothetical? An organization in the United States brutally ends the developing life of puppies. These puppies die painful deaths and some of their remaining body parts are even sold to research facilities. We discover that this organization receives federal money. Yet, miracle of miracles, none of that federal money actually goes to killing puppies. The puppy-killing organization actually educates about spaying and neutering dogs. That’s how they use their federal money. Would Claire be advocating we keep federal money going to the puppy-killing organization?

The fact remains that Planned Parenthood is a dark, violent and immoral organization. And despite Senator McCaskill’s skillful distraction, most Americans know it and are repulsed by our forced funding of such an organization.

Abortion Myths Still Strong in America

This week marks the 38th anniversary of the United States Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, which made abortion legal in America. Legal during the entire 9 months of a woman’s pregnancy. Millions of Americas have died through abortion, a term that has become a common part of America’s vocabulary, but a term that too rarely reminds us of the violence that it causes.

While abortion has its cold hearted advocates, most Americans prefer another option. However, these same Americans, who know in their heart there is something inherently wrong with the practice, have bought into one of the biggest lies of the abortion movement—the so-called “right to choose.”

Because Americans value individual freedom, it’s been an easy sell. I wouldn't have an abortion myself, they say, but what right do I have to tell someone else how to live? It certainly sounds very American. That was partly why we fought the War for Independence. British monarchs from London telling us how to live in Boston, Philadelphia and everywhere else up the colonial seaboard? So this abortion lie ties in easily to our entire heritage.

But Americans have forgotten to ask the ‘why’ question. Why wouldn’t you have an abortion yourself? Is it mere preference, similar to a beach lover not taking a vacation to the Alaskan tundra? Or is it something more? Maybe you wouldn’t have an abortion because it’s immoral. There is a vast difference between saying ‘I wouldn’t eat sushi myself, but who am I to interfere with another’s right to do so’ and saying ‘I wouldn’t physically abuse my children, but who am I to interfere with another’s right to do so’.

If abortion is a safe procedure, with no serious mental, physical or emotional problems for the woman to consider; if it is not illegal or immoral; if it is not killing a human being or an offense against society and our Creator, then why would you not have an abortion?

Too Much Silence

Today, of course, is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a federal holiday. And while we could (and probably always will) debate the merits of Dr. King getting a federal holiday in his honor, there can be little debate, if any, regarding the merits of his contribution to American betterment. Dr. King was a catalyst for incredible change.

One of the things I’ve been thinking about today is my reluctance to herald Dr. King as a truly great American. In case you don’t know me personally, I write from a white, conservative, Republican-leaning, evangelical, fundamental Christian perspective. And as much as I appreciate Dr. King’s work in the area of civil rights, his personal failures dampen my enthusiasm to embrace his life whole-heartedly. There seems to be credible evidence of his immoral sexuality, drinking, Marxism and Hinduism. I won’t go into all of these things but they seem to have been a part of his later life.

But I was awakened to some of my hypocrisy today when I thought of George Washington. Back to my first paragraph. If George Washington doesn’t get a day in his honor, why should Martin Luther King? So I’ve been thinking some about Washington and King. George Washington was a really good guy in my book—not perfect—but good. Washington’s big moral deficiency was that he was a slave holder. And ‘moral deficiency’ is way too benign. Slavery is repugnant; it’s an outrage and a horrendous sin against God.

So I have some questions for myself. Why am I hesitant to extol the greatness of King because of his adulteries but not hesitant to extol the greatness of Washington in light of his enslavement of other humans? Could it be that I have discriminatory qualities? Can I overlook Washington’s sin because it was more distant than King’s? Can I overlook Washington’s sin because it seems more bound to his culture than does King’s? Hmm. Some things for me to think about today.

Anyway, I do know two things. First, God does incredible works through imperfect people. And second, while King had many imperfections, his heart had been captured by Jesus who directed his mind and his life to this great quest of greater equality for black persons in America. His life is worthy of remembering. His memory is worthy of honor.


P.S. I’ve blogged in the past regarding two things.

First, that Dr. King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” is one of the finest pieces of American literature. You should read it. Second, Dr. King’s statement: "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter” is one of his finest, and one of my favorite all-time American quotes. We need to stop the silence.

A New Year Resolution

AW Tozer’s classic book The Pursuit of God is as relevant today as it was decades ago. If you’ve never read the work, put it on this year’s “to do” list. One of his most poignant paragraphs is the following:

The modern scientist has lost God amid the wonders of His world; we Christians are in real danger of losing God amid the wonders of His Word. We have almost forgotten that God is a Person and, as such, can be cultivated as any person can. It is inherent in personality to be able to know other personalities, but full knowledge of one personality by another cannot be achieved in one encounter. It is only after long and loving mental intercourse that the full possibilities of both can be explored.

I think, for the most part, the American evangelical church, has lost God. We do, in fact, want instant results for our zeal. We aren’t interested in fostering a relationship with God. And too often, we want a list rather than listen and learn. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not advocating a subjective faith in which we do whatever we want because we’ve “heard” from God, downplaying the role of Scripture. God does speak through His Word. What I’m highlighting is the danger of a Bible only-emphasis. The Bible is the Word of….GOD. It is not an end. It is a means to an end…knowing and understanding God (cf Jeremiah 9:24).

So don’t expect to know God by one encounter only. Don’t think there’s a quick route to communion with Him. Knowledge of the Holy One will only come through painstaking labor of lingering with Him. Won’t you make this a year of knowing God, whatever the cost?

I’m not much of a fan of contemporary music. I don’t just mean the sound of modernity. I mean the lyrics too. Even good sounding songs are typically poorly written (that’s another blog article). But one song has gripped my heart. It’s not perfectly written and I think certain portions could be strengthened, but it comes very close to perfection. Certainly, its sentiment is perfect.

All I once held dear, built my life upon,
all this world reveres and wars to own,
all I once thought gain I have counted loss,
spent and worthless now compared to this.
Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You.
There is no greater thing.
You're my all, You're the best, You're my joy,
my righteousness; and I love You, Lord.

Now my heart's desire is to know You more,
to be found in You and known as Yours,
to possess by faith what I could not earn,
all surpassing gift of righteousness.
Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You.
There is no greater thing.
You're my all, You're the best, You're my joy,
my righteousness; and I love You, Lord.

Oh, to know the pow'r of Your risen life,
and to know You in Your suffering,
to become like You in Your death,
My Lord, so with You to live and never die.
Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You.
There is no greater thing.
You're my all, You're the best, You're my joy,
my righteousness; and I love You, Lord.
Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You.
There is no greater thing.
You're my all, You're the best, You're my joy, my righteousness;
You're my all, You're the best, You're my joy, my righteousness;
You're my all, You're the best, You're my joy, my righteousness;
and I love You, Lord.

If you're into making "New Year's Resolutions" certainly put this one on your list--Knowing God more fully. I'm not into resolutions, but it tops my goals for this year. I'm on the heels of the Apostle Paul "that I might know Him..." (Phil 3:10).

Post-Christmas, Pre-New Year

God is glorious. While Christmas 2010 has passed without my adding any insights to cyberspace, I would want to offer this simple adage...God is glorious. If Christmas is about anything, it is that God makes all things right…in His time. Yes, Jesus was birthed into this world… “the Word became flesh” in the words of John. That’s why we’ve celebrated and continue to celebrate December 25th. Jesus, the Savior is born! But it would be some decades between His arrival and the moment His innocent blood would be shed, effectively reconciling sinful man to our holy God. His birth was only the beginning, the starting point of a life that would be offered. The message of “peace on earth” gloriously heralded by a “multitude of the heavenly host” could only be achieved at Golgotha, some thirty years later. But it was achieved…all in God’s timing. And there is much more that will be achieved…all in God’s timing.

Vote Yes To Retain Judge Zell Fischer

One of the lesser known issues Missouri voters will be facing is whether to retain Supreme Court Judge Zell Fischer—appointed to a two year term by Governor Matt Blunt on October 23, 2008.

I’ll be voting yes.

Judge Fischer is a 1985 graduate of William Jewell College, my own alma mater. While I am proud of my heritage and of many aspects of the college, Jewell was the first place I encountered liberals en masse. There were political liberals, theological liberals, economic liberals—even moral liberals. I truly grew up at William Jewell College. My Camelot was shattered and I was introduced to the real world in all of its insanity, illogic and Epicureanism. But I digress. Fischer’s choice of college is not the reason I’ll vote for retention.

Nor is it his choice of university for his law degree. That would be the University of Missouri—Kansas City. I didn’t know UMKC even had a law degree program. No offense to Judge Fischer or any other graduate of UMKC’s law program, but it just doesn’t sound too lofty. I suppose I’m predisposed to shiver in the shadows of the Ivy League. You know, that chill that pulsates up your spine when you encounter a lawyer from Harvard, Yale or Princeton. Those places have an aura of brilliance. I guess being a Kansas City native has inoculated me from my own area’s offerings, something about familiarity breeding contempt.

Fischer’s northwestern Missouri heritage isn’t a deciding factor either. Did I mention I’m a Kansas City native? City boy meets country bumpkin. Fischer’s even a member of the Tarkio Rodeo Board. Yee-haw!

And neither would I vote to retain because the Missouri Bar Association recommends it. Their statement reads in part:

“…attorneys who responded to survey questions rated Judge Fischer on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 representing “not at all” and 5 representing “completely.” Judge Fischer received his highest scores for being courteous toward attorneys (4.54), issuing timely opinions/decisions (4.45), and treating all parties equally regardless of race, sex or economic status (4.44). Judge Fischer was not rated below a 4.14 in any category. The committee also reviewed opinions written by Judge Fischer. Those opinions were in accordance with Missouri law. The opinions provided clear and cogent explanations for Judge Fischer’s decision. The Appellate Judicial Performance Evaluation Committee recommends that Judge Zel M. Fischer BE RETAINED."

I’m pre-disposed to do the opposite of what a liberal legal organization tells me to do. Still, the Bar’s recommendation is insightful, especially in light of the controversy surrounding Fischer’s appointment two years ago.

The judicial appointment process in Missouri is a bit complicated. Most people think the governor, like the president, picks his man (or woman) and forwards the candidate for approval. Well, kind of. The difference is that an “independent” committee, the Missouri Appellate Judicial Commission gives the governor a list of three names to chose from. So technically, it is the Governor who nominates, but he can only choose from a pool of three candidates that are forced upon him. Supposedly the process is meant to de-politicize judicial appointments. But it does just the opposite. The Commission’s selection process is secretive and the members are selected by the Missouri Bar, a fairly liberal, left-leaning group.

In 2008, the commission forwarded to Governor Matt Blunt, a conservative Republican, two judges from the Western District’s Court of Appeals along with Zell Fischer, who had only been a circuit judge from 2 years. The other two nominees, with the experience and prestige, were viewed as fairly liberal. It was if the Commission was daring the Governor to nominate the inexperienced conservative. He did. Now Fischer faces a retention vote by the people of Missouri—a vote required by law (the first general election after appointment).

But it's Fischer’s recent comments at a gathering of my former Baptist denomination that convinced me the most to vote for his retention. The Pathway reported some of his statements at a worldview conference sponsored by the Missouri Baptist Convention:

“My vision for America is that we recognize that our present crisis is not merely economic and political, but it’s moral in nature. At the root of these times should be the realization that people in positions of authority have walked away from some timeless truths—honesty, integrity, an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay, and the simple notion that you ought to treat your neighbor the way you treat yourself, that you ought to treat your colleague with honor and respect for his ideas.

“My belief is that this nation will not be restored with public policy alone. I believe that what’s going to be required is public virtue. That emanates from our traditional institutions—life, liberty, and religious freedom.”

“I want to support leaders who can govern this nation in a manner where they can handle more than one problem at a time. Our forefathers worshipped a very big God, and they knew that our God is an awesome God, and He not only reigns in heaven but He reigns on this earth, and He’s here today.

“The Bible says, ‘If we owe debts, then debt, if we owe respect, then respect.’ Well I say we owe a debt to our nation’s history and the principles upon which it was founded. So the time has come to take a respectful stand. We must not be timid to pursue with all strength but also in a dignified manner what has always been the source of America’s greatness—our faith in God and our religious freedom.”

I think a judge who understands he is accountable to God will make a very excellent judge. I'll be voting YES to retain Judge Zell Fischer on the Missouri Supreme Court.


Other judges who currently serve on the Missouri Supreme Court include Patricia Breckenridge, Mary Rhodes Russell, Laura Denvir Stith, , Richard Teitelman, Michael Wolff, and Chief Justice William Ray Price.

Go here if you are interested in other judicial elections in your area. Judges on the appellate level and higher have no opponents—the vote is whether or not to retain them. Circuit court judges and lower have opponents.

Day of Prayer for Persecuted Church

Sunday, November 14 is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church and is fast approaching. If you'd like more information here are a couple of the best.

Open Doors is connected with Brother Andrew and is very credible and effective in this area. They offer a free promo kit to churches.

Voice of the Martyrs is another incredible organization well worth your time and support.

I hope you'll do something to remember suffering Christians throughout the world, especially on Sunday, November 14.

God's Attributes--part2

God’s attributes get classified in a lot of different ways. I suppose it is inherent to human nature to lump things together (remember Jr. High biology: kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species…?). Maybe it’s a way to enhance our memory. Ultimately, I find these classifications unhelpful and unnecessary. But more about that later.

I wish I knew who started this classification business. Books about God’s attributes almost universally skip over the development of the thought and classifications which I would find fascinating. So maybe I’ll write a book on it myself.

Somehow over the course of time, different folks starting using different terms. I have neither an accurate nor exhaustive understanding of which terms and systems came first and which ones were a later nuance of an older system. Most systems use only two categories. My guess is that the oldest classification system is the one preferred in the Reformed tradition which refers to God’s attributes as either “communicable” or “incommunicable.” We can find it in the Belgic Confession of 1561. In Article 8 we read of the Trinity’s “incommunicable properties”.

While those are lofty terms, they have a rather simple meaning. A “communicable” attribute is one that God has “communed” or “communicated” or given to man; whereas an “incommunicable” attribute is one he has not. Common examples are that God’s omniscience (all-knowing) is an “incommunicable” attribute since humans are not all-knowing; and that God’s mercy is a “communicable” attribute since most humans show mercy (to some degree).

Other systems use different terms to describe basically the same thing: namely there are some attributes of God that only He possesses and there are other attributes of God that humans share. Those systems use the following terms: Transient/Intransient; Transitive/Intransitive; Moral/Non-moral; Transferable/Not Transferable.

Donald Macleod, in his book Behold Your God, observes that,

None of these [classifications] has much to commend it and certainly none is to be regarded as authoritative. Scripture nowhere attempts a classification... All the suggested classifications are artificial and misleading, not least that which has been most favoured by Reformed theologians - the division into communicable and incommunicable attributes. The problem here is that these qualities we refer to as incommunicable adhere unalterably to those we refer to as communicable. For example, God is "infinite, eternal and unchangeable" (The Shorter Catechism, Answer 4) and these are deemed to be incommunicable properties: and God is merciful, which is deemed to be a communicable property. But the mercy itself is "infinite, eternal and unchangeable" and as such is incommunicable. The same is true of all the other so-called communicable attributes such as the love, righteousness and faithfulness of God. One the other hand, to speak of omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence as incommunicable is equally unsatisfactory. If we remove the prefix omni we are left simply with power, knowledge and presence, all of which have analogies in our own human existence. (p. 20-21)

I agree. Just because certain words get that wonderful little prefix “omni” doesn’t mean that we should negate that God’s other attributes are possessed by Him in perfect form. While God’s “omni-love” or “omni-forgiveness” sound awkward, we must remember that while we share with God a certain quality, He always possesses it in perfection, humans in imperfection. So, every attribute is transferred by God to His creatures in some fashion. Some we can enhance (mercy, love, forgiveness, for instance); others we cannot (eternality, for example).
Other systems use:

Theological/Biblical: words not found in the Bible versus those words that are found in the Bible

Positive/Negative: the positive being those which ascribe perfections to God, and the negative those which deny imperfections.

Essential/Dynamic: essential attributes relate to God’s being—who He is; dynamic refers to what He does (sometimes called Absolute/Relative).

Categories: Metaphysically (Self-Existent, Eternal, Immutable); Intellectually (Omniscient, Faithful, Wise); Ethically (Holy, Righteous, Loving); Emotionally (Jealous; Patient; Compassionate); Existentially (Free; Omnipotent); Relationally (Transcendent; Immanent).

All of these systems ultimately aren’t too helpful. A few trips on the Bible bus and you’ll get a pretty good handle on terms that come right out of the Bible itself and those that come out of a theology book. And, with just a little background in language, one quickly understands words that are defined either positively or negatively.

What ultimately matters is that we know God. To know Him we must study the Bible—the record of His own self-revelation. AW Pink, in his work The Attributes of God, says it well:

“A spiritual and saving knowledge of God is the greatest need of every human creature. The foundation of all true knowledge of God must be a clear mental apprehension of His perfections as revealed in Holy Scripture. An unknown God can neither be trusted, served, nor worshipped.

”

It is my hope that you know God in a personal way. Not in the abstract. He is not a philosophical contemplation. He is “the God of all flesh” and He is to be known, worshipped and obeyed. Studying His attributes is the best way at doing this.

List of Attributes
(not exhaustive)

The Omnipotence of God
The Omniscience of God
The Omnipresence of God
The Simplicity of God
The Transcendence of God
The Aseity of God
The Condescension of God
The Wisdom of God
The Eternality of God
The Greatness of God
The Unity of God
The Personality of God
The Veracity of God
The Sovereignty of God
The Wisdom of God
The Incomprehensibility of God
The Infinitude of God
The Impassibility of God
The Invisibility of God
The Immanence of God
The Immutability of God
The Immortality of God
The Love of God
The Goodness of God
The Grace of God
The Mercy of God
The Compassion of God
The Patience of God
The Faithfulness of God
The Forgiveness of God
The Joy of God
The Holiness of God
The Righteousness of God
The Wrath of God
The Vengeance of God
The Jealousy of God
The Justice of God