What Is God Doing?!

I doubt there is a Christian alive who hasn’t wondered when their life is turned upside down, “What is God doing?!”   It’s usually when things don’t make sense… events are out of control… our life isn’t taking the path we hoped or asked God for… we’re having to wait… or we are confused.  And it seems this most often happens when we are seeking God with all our heart… when we’re trying to live for and honor Him with our life.

Question: “Are WE serving God for the things He has, or to know Him better?”  When adversity arises, then the motivations of our heart are revealed.  Are we seeking the benefits of being associated with God or a closer relationship with Him?  Truth: God will not be a tool, or a means to an end, for anyone.  God will not be used.  Consider two examples…

Example 1: In 1 Samuel 4:1-11 it is recorded that Israel lost a battle with the Philistines.  In response, Saul commanded that the Ark of the Covenant be brought SO THAT they could defeat their enemy.  Read closely what Saul said because it is revealing… “Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here from Shiloh, that IT may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies” (1 Sam 4:3).  Since when is God an “IT?”  Saul didn’t “need” God until he got in a tight.  Only then did call for “divine” help.  The result was that God allowed Israel to be defeated and the Ark to be captured by the Philistines.  God will not be used.

Example 2:  There was a time when people followed Jesus because of the miracles He did.  Consider, “Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing.  But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man” (John 2:23-25).  Jesus knew the reason people “believed” was for what they hoped to get.  They didn’t want to know Him, they wanted the things he had.  The result was that Jesus “did not entrust himself to them…”   God (Jesus) will not be used.

John Piper asks this question (Paraphrased)… “Would heaven be heaven if it had all the things you want… family, no tears, streets of gold, rewards, etc… but God was absent.  Would heaven still be heaven?”  His point is that what makes heaven HEAVEN is God’s presence!  If we worship, read our Bible, tithe, witness, sing in the choir, or do any of a thousand things for the wrong reason (To get God’s “things” instead of knowing Him)… we are spinning our wheels.  God will not be used.

What if the way to have a closer relationship with God, the way to grow in our faith, the way to become more like Jesus, the way to experience God is adversity… hardship… and difficulty?  What if God is most glorified by us losing our job… losing our reputation… losing our material possessions… losing everything?  Would we worship God just as passionately… with as much emotion… with as much joy?

Maybe… just maybe… God is testing us for us to find out whether we worship Him for His things or simply because of who He is.  Ponder that for a moment or two…

Job said, “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away.  Blessed be the name of the Lord!”  Paul said, ” I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.”  The prophet Habakkuk said, “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.”  When David’s baby died, after praying for God to heal the child, he got up… cleaned himself… and went to the House of God to worship. 

God is no less God whether we are in adversity or in the midst of peace… whether things are good or bad.  God is always God and therefore always worthy of worship!

I believe I can answer the “What is God doing” question… the “Why?” questions of life… at least for Christians.  It is found in Romans 8:29.  The reason is that God is not leaving to chance (That is the meaning of the “P” word in this verse) conforming us into the image of Christ.  Everything God brings/allows into the Christian’s life is for the purpose of making them more like Jesus.  What is God doing?  Maturing us.  Why is God allowing this?  So that we will be more like Jesus!  What should we do?  Worship God for who He is!

Studies From “The Top”

On the top right of my blog are a few studies/messages that I go back to often to strengthen my walk.  I’ve made them all links in this post for consideration.  Hope you are blessed…

   Does God Care?

   Enemies As Friends?

   Jesus And The Storm

   Walking With God: Jesus

   Teaching The Bible (These are helps I presented to SS teachers.  Notes only.)

We’re Never More Like Satan Than…

We have a saying around the Ethridge household… You are never more like Satan than when you lie.  We get this from John 8:44b where it is recorded Jesus said, “He (Satan) was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”  If we lie, the father of lies is who we are following.

A person believes “Thou Shalt Not Lie” when they tell the truth even though it costs them.  Read that two more times… SLOWLY.  Telling the truth is easy when there’s no cost associated with the result of telling the truth.  But when there’s a cost to telling the truth, the truth of what’s in our heart is exposed!

What is a lie?  A lie is when deception of any kind is part of any communication with others.  Telling half the truth is lying.  Not telling all the truth is lying.  Letting people come to a wrong conclusion is lying.  Misrepresenting is lying.  Telling others something we’ve heard, not knowing if it’s true, can be lying and is gossipping.  If we don’t say anything when we could correct misinformation means we have a lying spirit.

The truth is in us when we tell the truth even though it cost us… (Click here for a lesson from Notre Dame’s short lived football coach George O’Leary.).

A lot is written in Scripture about honesty and truth: Ps 15:1-2;Ps 51:6; Ps 86:11; Pr 8:7; Pr 12:19; Pr 14:25; Ac 5:3-5; 1 Cor 13:6b; Eph 4:15; Eph 4:25; Col 3:9.

There is a reason that in court people must sware to tell “The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.”  When truth is absent, destruction… disintegration… and death results.  Relationships, community, society, and personal well being all suffer immensely when lying is present.

It cost David to confess to Nathan he had sinned… but the truth was that important to the king.  I am of the opinion that we are people of the truth when we tell the truth even though doing so has the potential… or will… cost us.

Thus Christians tell the truth even though… Their reputation takes a hit; It costs them financially; They lose their job; Their family has to suffer; Personal injury results; They lose friends.  Christians tell the truth at all times… in all situations… regardless of the cost… regardless of the result.  Why?

Because we are never more like Satan than when we lie.  Because truth is the foundation of our faith.  Because to lie is contrary to the nature of our savior and God.  Because the truth more important than we are.

In the very near future, you will be presented with a situation where you will be tempted regarding the truth.  At that moment what you say will… 1) Reveal who you follow, and 2) The condition of your heart.

One Destination, Many Paths (Part 3)

Click here and here for the first two posts in this series.  Click here for the article these posts are based on.  And finally click here for the interactive survey many of these comments refer to.

The title of this series of posts is “One Destination, Many Paths.”  That title is not what I believe, but instead what a majority of Americans believe according to the article and survey.  According to Scripture there is only one way to God and that is through faith in Jesus Christ alone (Jn 14:6; 1 Tim 2:5; Ac 4:11-12).

I believe the reason for this condition in America is the poor knowledge of Scripture and the poor application of discipleship in believers lives.  Biblical ignorance, and thus the absence of Biblical holiness, is the reason America is in the religious condition it is is.  But let me go a step further…

The reason Evangelical Christians are deficient in their beliefs is not because they aren’t going to church… it is not because they haven’t heard Bible preaching.  It is because a good number have not been taught historic orthodox Biblical Christianity.  And there is one person who is responsible for this situation… pastors.

This is not to say that pastor/teachers have not been preaching from the Bible… I am just suggesting that there has not been a proper emphasis on the part of the Christian faith AFTER conversion.  Evangelical pastors have called for conversion and placed a heavy emphasis on salvation… and rightly so!  But if that is all that people hear from them the result will be an anemic faith in those who hear.

Consider a few thoughts from Hebrews 5:11-6:2.  This is a strong call for maturity in the faith.  Note in 5:14 that only when a person is maturing are they able to discern truth from error, good from evil.  It is the pastor who is primarily responsible to teach, train, and disciple God’s people in their faith.  If the people are not discerning in their faith and can’t tell truth from error, the first place to look is the pulpit, the preaching/teaching and disciplship ministry of the pastor.

Note then in 6:1 that while the foundation is important, it is just as important for believers to mature in their faith.  Believers must move past what I call a “John 3:16 faith.”  John 3:16 is important.  It is where all believers begin their walk with God.  But if that is all they have… if that is as far as they go… if that remains the only element of their walk with God they will fall under the description found in 5:12-14.

If the pastor is fulfilling his call but believers are still not maturing, there is one more place to look.  The individual believer must be active themselves in the discipleship process.  If God’s people don’t apply and live what they hear, the pastor/teacher is spinning his wheels.

Thus what is found in 2 Peter 1:5-8.  Here believers are encouraged to “make every effort.”  This means it is not enough to just hear Sunday School lessons and/or messages.  Biblical truths must be worked into every area of life.  This is what Paul meant by “Work out your salvation.”  Believers are to do more than hear… they are to be active in becoming more like Jesus.  Christians are to be forgiving… merciful… compassionate… and loving as Jesus was.  Christians are to mauture in their faith.

How can you know if you are maturing in Christ?  Here’s the standard.  If you are MORE loving, MORE forgiving, MORE merciful, MORE gracious, MORE compassionate, MORE like Christ today than you were last week… last month… last year, THEN you are growing in your faith.

Pastors… Make sure you proclaim the whole Gospel.  Feed God’s people what is necessary for them to grow in Christ and be mature in their faith.  Leave the cute stories and psychological fuzzies for others.  You are the purveyor of God’s truth and nothing else should come from the Sacred Desk.  The reason is that God is going to hold you accountable for your teaching and preaching ministry.

Christians… Settle for nothing less from your pastor than solid Bible exposition and pure Gospel truth.  When he preaches or teaches, test what he says by the Scripture to make sure it is true.  Then work God’s truth deep into your soul, spirit, and life.

One Destination, Many Paths (Part 2)

Click here for the first post in this series.  Here is the way the USA Today article begins, which is quite revealing about what the survey found…

Religion today in the USA is a salad bar where people heap on upbeat beliefs they like and often leave the veggies — like strict doctrines — behind.  There are so many ways of seeing God, public policy expert Barry Kosmin says, that “the highest authority is now the lowest common denominator.”  (Emphasis mine)

I take it that “The highest authority” is God and Scripture.  Thus to say the “highest authority” is the “lowest common denominator” means that God and Scripture doesn’t hold much weight in American thought.

Tomorrow (God willing) I would like to suggest why I believe these problems exist and a solution from my perspective.  NOTE: In this survey I identify most closely with “Evangelical Churches.”  The comments are taken from information in the interactive survey… Click Here.  Now to highlight certain things from the USA Today article I find interesting, or should I say troubling.

It is troubling that Jehovah’s Witnesses responded correctly to a number of questions compared to Evangelical believers.  See questions #2, 3, 5, 6, 9 (!), 10.

Only 28% of Evangelical Christians responded that their faith influenced their thinking about government and public affairs (Question #3).

Only 51% of Evangelical Christians responded there are absolute standards for what is right or wrong (Question #4).

When it comes to questions of right and wrong, only 52% of Evangelical Christians look to their faith to provide answers (Question #5).

Only 36% of Evangelical Christians responded that only Christianity (“Their faith”) leads to eternal life (Question #9).

In the original article, this comment is made…

“Every religious group has a major challenge on its hands from all directions,” says Lugo. When he factors in Pew’s February findings that 44% of adults say they’ve switched to another religion or none at all, Lugo says, “You have to wonder: How do you guarantee the integrity of a religious tradition when so many people are coming or going or following ideas that don’t match up?”

 It would seem by this USA Today article that the religiouis landscape of America is in trouble… and I would agree.  God willing, in my next post we will look at why we are in this condition and two possible solutions.

One Destination, Many Paths (Part 1)

It is more important today than ever to know what we believe and why as Christians… especially if we are to evangelize unbelievers and engage our culture with the Gospel.  Click here to read a USA Today article about faith, salvation, and religious beliefs in America.  Click here to see how what you believe compares with those who responded to the survey (This is very interesting!).

Here are a few highlights from the article.  Consider the results compared to Orthodox Christian belief (Emphasis mine).

78% overall say there are “absolute standards of right and wrong,” but only 29% rely on their religion to delineate these standards.

74% say “there is a heaven, where people who have led good lives are eternally rewarded,” but far fewer (59%) say there’s a “hell, where people who have led bad lives and die without being sorry are eternally punished.”

70%, including a majority of all major Christian and non-Christian religious groups except Mormons, say “many religions can lead to eternal life.”

51% have a certain belief in a personal God, but 27% are less certain of this, 14% call God “an impersonal force,” and 5% reject any kind of God. “People say ‘God,’ and no one knows who they mean,”says Kosmin, director of the Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society and Culture at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn.

I was glad to read that the SBC was well represented by our outgoing President.

The Rev. Frank Page of Taylors, S.C., past president of the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation’s largest Protestant denomination, is not surprised by the Pew findings. “The number (of churches that) teach a clear doctrinal Christianity are a minority today. How would people know it when they never hear about how to be saved?”

There is a strong need for solid Bible teaching and preaching in our churches.  The SBC fought to reclaim the seminaries during the past decades and forgot that before seminary is the church… and that is where the greatest need is for solid Orthodox Christian truth to be proclaimed.  The local church is the most important place for the pure Gospel Message of Jesus to be explained, taught, and encouraged.  If we wait till seminary to teach sound doctrine, we have waited too long because it is in the local church setting that the foundation is set for a strong faith (Click here).

God willing, tomorrow we’ll discuss this topic in more detail.

Freedom!

God has given all people freedom to choose (Mt 23:37).  God allows us to make our own decisions and does not force us to say or do things we don’t want to do.  That applies to both salvation and our daily life choices.

At the same time God is sovereign.  There is not anything that happens that is beyond God’s ability to control or direct for His glory (Isaiah 46:9-10; Daniel 4:35).  I believe God is 100% sovereign and man is 100% responsible and free… at the same time.

Think about this… Would any person be mad at God for overriding their decisions if it kept them out of hell or doing something that would destroy them?  Would we be angry at someone who prevented us from doing what we wanted to do and kept our family from being killed?  Would we be angry at a person who kept us from carrying out a plan that would have resulted in us being bedridden for life?  In the moment we might rebel, but ultimately we would be thankful!

When it comes to understanding choices, here’s what I believe Scripture teaches: We are free and God is in control (Pr 16:1, 9, 33; 19:21).  God opens people’s eyes to be able to make an informed decision about Him.  Once He opens their eyes, they believe (Jn 6:37).  One pastor illustrated it this way…

Everyone is running toward hell blindfolded.  They are warned to stop but they ask, ‘Why?  We’re going to the beach and feel it getting warmer.’  But when God takes their blindfold off they see that the ‘warmpth’ is the fire of hell so they stop… turn… and trust Christ for salvation.

When it comes to God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility we will never be able to reconcile them or answer all the questions.  In the same way we can’t understand the Trinity… but believe it, in the same way we can’t understand the complete humanity and deity of Jesus… but believe it, so too we must believe the sovereignty of God and responsibility of man.  The reason is they are both taught in Scripture!

Here’s a text that will really cause your mind to overheat… Ezra 6:22 (Click to read).  This text tells us that God caused the King to want to do what he otherwise wouldn’t have wanted to do to accomplish God’s will without ever violating the King’s will!  That is how powerful our God is!  He can do things that are beyond our capacity to understand.  WOW.

If we could understand everything about God and faith, it would be a man centered religion.  If we could explain God completely, then we would be god (And that is impossible).  Biblical faith will always contain mystery… be beyond our comprehension… and require faith.  When thinking about God and the things of God… including Scripture and doctrine… eventually we will come to the place Paul did when he wrote Romans 11:33-36…

   Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways! 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor?” 35 “Or who has given a gift to Him that he might be repaid?” 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.

Consider also what God says in Isaiah 55:8-9…

   For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD.  9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

A Great Resource (Tim Keller)

One of my preaching and teaching heroes is Dr. Tim Keller.  He is thoughtful, honest, and an astute Bible expositor.  Many times he has helped me in my understanding… other times he has given me something else to think about… then there have been times I was challenged in what I believe (Which is good for growth whether I agree with what is presented or not.).

You can download FREE MP3s of the messages or listen to streaming versions of some of his teachings.  I wanted to give you the link to download and listen if you would like.  These are offered for encouragement and to stretch, if not grow us, in our understanding of God.  Here are links…

   The Trouble With Christianity: Why It’s So Hard To Believe (Worth dowloading!  The basis of his recent book and a good series of messages for those struggling to become a Christian.)

   Suffering And Tragedy

   Money and Stewardship

   Questions and Answers (This is a number of topics and is short and to the point.  I appreciate his views and they are worthy of considering as God reveals Himself to us.)

What Should Happen On Sunday

The title of this post isn’t a question, it’s an assertion.  I’d like to take a few moments to reflect on What Should Happen At Church.

When God’s people come together on Sunday, it is a day to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  It is a day for God’s people to lift up their voices in joy and great happiness to the one who saved them.  It is a time to remember that the God we worship is sovereign, loving, merciful, gracious, and giving.  It is a time to glorify Him… to honor Him… to magnify Him… to bow before Him… and to surrender anew our life to Him.

When God’s people come together on Sunday, it is a time for confession of sin… it is a time to unite our hearts together with other believers in prayer… it is a time to be still and quiet… it is a time to listen to God… it is a time to contemplate the eternal truths found in His Word… it is a time to encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ… it is a time to strengthen our faith and hear God speak.

Conversely… the beauty shop or Jacks is the place to find out about community happenings… not church.  ESPN will give you all the scoop on sports… but church is not the place to discuss them.  Talk radio will catch you up on politics… but church is not a place to debate policies.  The Wall Street Journal has all the information about finances and the economy… so there’s no need to bring those issues to church.

Church is the one place where the world and all the things that weigh us down should be left outside.  Once we drive onto campus, all (!) the other issues of life are to be set aside… forgotten… ignored… dropped.  Church is the one place where what we wear… where we live… what we drive… the job we have… who we are in the community means absolutely zilch!  At church we are all equal… we are all sinners saved by grace… we are all in need of mercy… we are all only forgiven because of the grace of God and nothing else.

Church is a place of refuge… healing… restoration… forgiveness… encouragement… and family.  When we leave church we should be able to say with passion, “It is good to have been in the House of The Lord!”

This Sunday… make a decided effort that what happens at church (As much as it depends on you) to be what SHOULD happen at church.

“Don’t Follow Any Man…?”

This is somewhat of a follow up to the post “Does Your Pastor Love You?”  It is presented for rumination, consideration, meditation, and contemplation.

According to Scripture… Who is the most important person when the church comes together?  Who is to set the agenda?  Who gives direction, leadership, and guidance for the people to follow?

There are several possible answers.  One is the church body since they vote and have the final say on what is done and what isn’t.  Others will say the deacons, since they are elected to serve the congregation.  Another possibility are the committees since they bring things to the church to be voted on.  Then there is the last possibility… the Pastor… after all, he is the one God calls to shepherd His people.

For the answers click here and here.  He is most important… He sets the agenda… He is the leader of the congregation.

Upon reading those texts, questions immediately come to mind.  One is that since Jesus is the head of the church no person should be in any particular position of leadership over another.  Everyone should be equal across the board.  This is practiced by the Quakers or “Friends” as they are sometimes known.

But that isn’t the way Scripture describes who leads the church while on earth.  As I understand Scripture, there are three terms used to describe one office in the New Testament that is first among equals in church leadership.  The terms are: Pastor (Shepherd), Bishop, and Elder.  All three terms are used in 1 Peter 5:1-3 referring to the same office…

So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight,  not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.

God places pastors in their position for reasons.  One as noted above is to be an example to the flock.  Then according Eph 4:11-12, they are responsible to equip the Body of Christ to carry out the work of the ministry.  They are to be devoted to prayer and ministry of The Word as found in Acts 6:4.  The Pastor’s call and responsibility is for the spiritual health and well being of the congregation.  As part of this call, they are to seek God’s guidance for the church and lead the church in that direction (Thus the need for prayer). 

Now I will delve into an element pastors avoid due to “job security” issues: Church member’s relationship to pastors.  In 1 Tim 5:17-19 Paul writes that these men are to be given “double honor.”  That means by virtue of their position and call, they are granted great respect.  Then it is written in Hebrews 13:17 something very interesting…

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

The church is to follow the leaders God places in their midst.  The reason is because the leaders (Did you notice the word is plural?!) are watching over the souls of those in the congregation.  These leaders will answer to God for their conduct and leadership.  THEN follows the interesting part…

Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

When the leaders of a church are not given honor… when their service is made hard or difficult… the leaders aren’t the ones who suffer, it is the church that suffers in some capacity.  For that reason those who are in position of leadership have a great responsibility as do those under leadership.  It works both ways.

Now the original question (Given all the texts linked to above)… Who is the most important person in the church?  Jesus is.  Who is under Him in servant/leadership roles?  (Go back and read the texts)  What is the responsibility of those in that position?  (Go back and read the texts)  What are the responsibilities of those who are under the leaders God puts in place?  (Go back and read the texts).  Aside: One of my favorite sayings in studies like these is… “If you’re going to get mad at someone, get mad a God because He’s the one who put it in the Bible!”  This might be one such case for pastors and parishioners.

Pastors have a great responsibility before Almight God that they had better carry out faithfully (1 Pet 5:1-3; Eph 4:11-12; Ac 6:4; 1 Tim 5:17).  At the same time those under his care have a great responsibility as found in Scripture (1 Tim 5:17-19; Heb 13:17; Eph 4:11-12).

When a pastor loves God’s people as God commands, the sheep will desire to follow the shepherd.  But let either or both forsake their call and difficulties arise.

Note: Just for the record, I do not espouse the pastor running the church the way a corporate C.E.O. runs a business.  The two are not the same.  But that is for another post…

The Easiest Thing

While the hardest thing for me to do is wait on God (Click here and here), the easiest thing for me to do while waiting is to pray.  Especially given all the encouragements we find in Scripture about prayer.  If you are waiting on God, consider the following texts and be encouraged…

Psalm 18:6 In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help.  From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry to Him reached His ears.

Matthew 6:6 When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness (Waiting?). For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for uswith groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Click here)

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

James 5:13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.  17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18  Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

1 Peter 3:12 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayer.

The Hardest Thing

Waiting On God is the hardest thing in my life… it always has been.  I know intellectually God’s timing is perfect, but it’s still hard to wait.   Click to read the following texts… Ps 25:5; 27:14; 33:20; 37:7; 40:1; 62:1; 130:5-6; Is 40:31; and Ro 8:23.

Then there is my favorite passage which is found in 1 Peter 5:6-7, 10, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”

There is much encouragement in 1 Peter… but dealing with opened ended time frames is difficult.  Until I’m reminded who my hope is in (Also found in the verse).

If you are waiting on God… read often, memorize, and repeat 1 Peter 5:6-7, 10.  It helps me!

I Know What You’re Thinking…

I have been evaluating myself on something that I’d like to suggest you consider… 

What we believe about others and what we expect them to do is a very strong indicator of who we are.  For example, if we won’t trust others… we probably aren’t untrustworthy.  If we believe what people say… we are probably honest people.  If we think people have ulterior motives… that probably means we operate with ulterior motives.  If we try to do what is right, we be live others try to do what is right.   I get this idea from Titus 1:15 where it is written, “To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled.”

Pure people think purely.  Defiled people can only think in a defiled manner.  Pure people see the positive and good.  Defiled people are critics and distrusting.  Pure people act, speak, and believe about others pure motivations.  Yet defiled people are whisperers, manipulators, underhanded, and they believe everyone else is just like them.  Both are surprised when people don’t do what they expect.

The last phrase really nailed me, “But both their minds and their consciences are defiled.”  That means that those who are defiled are incapable of realizing their error.  They believe what they do is right.  They cannot grasp that their conduct, words, and/or actions are evil.  God deliver us!  Jeremiah 17:9!!

So here’s a test… What is our default belief about others?  What do we think other people’s motivations are for what they do?  Do we think they are working the system… or playing by the rules.  Whichever we think is probably a strong indicator of what kind of people we are.

Question: Given Titus 1:15, what motives do we assign to other people… pure or defiled?

Discussion With A Diest

Pretty much gone are the days you could canvass a neighborhood… share the Gospel multiple times… and someone come to Christ (People don’t like stangers coming to their door and talking about personal matters… do you?).  In the past, people had a cultural religious base that made them open to the Gospel.  But that has changed.

People are more eclictic in their religious ideas and think much more critically now.  In the 21st Century a relationship is necessary before a person is willing to honestly discuss religion and Christianity.  Many are skeptical of Christians because of their experience and exposure to other religious thoughts.  The kind of evangelism we will continue to engage in more and more can be called apologetic evangelism.

For the past two years I have been building a relationship with a person who is one of the kindest, friendliest, most compassionate, and devoted people I’ve ever met.  This person has attended church regularly for years.  But is not a believer.  Note: I will use the term ”he” in referring to this person for convenience sake.

This individual stated to me that he had no problem with a supreme being.  No problem admitting to the existence of God.  But there were a number of struggles that was preventing him from taking that step of faith… even though he wanted to. 

  The biggest hurdle he has is Jesus.  How a person could be 100% God and 100% man at the same time didn’t make sense.  Another problem was how a loving God can send people to hell who never heard the name of Jesus.  It was impossible for him to accept or believe in any being who would do such a thing as that.  He believes that God created everything… started the world spinning… then stepped back and allows things to just happen (This is called Dieism).

  I had the joy, pleasure, and honor of discussing with my friend his hurdles to belief.  He engaged me with objections and problems to the Christian faith for several hours.  At one point he said, “If I’m right you haven’t lost anything.  But if you’re right I will lose everything.”  (Aside: This is known as “Pascal’s Wager.”)  He hadn’t heard of it, but admitted that was what he had thought for years.

Several times he said the answers made sense.  Sometimes he said he would need to think on the points more.  Most of the time he listened carefully and contemplated the thoughts with great respect.  I consider the time we spent discussing salvation of tremendous benefit.  Maybe a seed was planted… maybe one was watered.  Only in time will God bring about a harvest as He so desires.

I wish I could tell you that at the end of our discussion he became a believer… but he didn’t.  He did tell me that he had to do some more thinking as a result of our conversation.  I left my friend two resources for further study that would be good to consider.

The Case For Christ and The Case For Faith are two book by Lee Strobel.  Another book I recently purchased is The Reason For God by Dr. Tim Keller and has great thoughts specially for skeptics.  I highly recommend them for any person questioning Christianity OR those who engage people with objections about Christianity.  I wonder how many people around us have questions but are afraid to ask because of their fear of how we will react?

How To Please God (Part 2)

For part 1, click here.

Few things are as important to Christians than being in God’s will.  But how do we know we are in God’s will?  Conversely, how do we know when we are NOT in God’s will?

80% of the things we engage in day to day are NOT addressed in Scripture.  Things like which career to follow… who to date or marry… whether or not to move… major purchases… education… church home… etc.  Let us begin with positive ways to know we are in God’s will.

The Positive: We are in God’s will when we are engaged in fulfilling Scriptural commands such as:  When we love others… We forgive others… We make disciples… We pray… We do good to enemies… and We worship God in Spirit and truth (Etc).

The Negative (These are not ways to discern God’s will): When we encounter opposition or affirmation; When life is tough or easy; When good or bad things happen; When things fall into place or don’t fall into place; When people support or don’t support us.  POINT: We cannot discern with certainty being in God’s will based on outward circumstances, events, or people’s opinions. 

The Answer:  Romans 12:1-2!  Discerning God’s will does not come from ourselves or others.  God’s will is revealed to us by God.  It is revealed as we live our lives as an act of worship to Him.  It is revealed as we live out the things we know are God’s will as found in Scripture (See “The Positive” above).  It is revealed as our mind is renewed through Scripture and prayer.  It is revealed through a process of trial and error (“testing”).  God’srevelation of His will for our lives comes from God Himself and should be considered an ongoing revelation. 

   NOTE!  The “ongoing revelation” I am referring to is not to be confused with the special revelation God gave to those who wrote the Scripture.  That kind of revelation is closed, over, and ended with the Apostles in my view.

Illustration… William Carey.  William Carey sensed God’s call to go to India and spread the Gospel.  Yet he was opposed by his own denomination!  They told him, “If God wants to save the Indian people, He’ll do it without you!”  And so they didn’t support him in his efforts.  When Mr. Carey eventually arrived in India, the going was slow… tough… and difficult.  It was seven years before he ever saw his first convert.  While in India, his 1st and 2nd wives died along with his son.  Yet Mr. Carey became known as the father of modern missions.  Mr. Carey’s most famous quote is, “Expect great thing from God, attempt great things for God.”  All today agree William Carey was dead center of God’s will and was successful.

Illustration… Joseph of the Old Testament (May 7,2008).  His father doted on him while his brothers hated him.  There was an attempt on his life… he was sold into slavery… falsely accused of rape… thrown in prison… and forgotten for several years.  But does all that opposition mean he was out of God’s will?  No!  Those very things are part of God keeping Joseph in His will!  People’s attitude toward us means nothing about whether or not we are in God’s will.

Conclusion: Following God’s call does not mean ease or success in worldly terms.  It doesn’t matter what other people think of what we are doing (“Are we trying to please men or God?”  Galatians 1:10).  Success in regards to God’s call is found in one word… OBEDIENCE.  God does not call everyone to success in the eyes of men.  God does call everyone to success in His eyes.  This is the definition of being in God’s will: When we are obedient to His call.  (The next thing to discern is God’s Call…)