Arguing with Jesus

In Matthew chapter 16 we see the high point of the Apostle Peter’s life. Jesus asked the disciples who people say that He is (v 13). The disciples gave some various theories as to what people were saying. Then Jesus asked them what they thought. Peter answered with one of the great confessions of all time, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (v 16). For this accurate statement of faith Jesus praises and compliments Peter, giving him high marks in front of the other disciples. No doubt this made Peter feel really good.

            However, right after this account we see one of the lowest points of Peter’s life. The text tells us Jesus began to speak of His upcoming suffering, trial, murder, and resurrection (v 21). In fact, it says Jesus told them this ‘must’ happen. He was telling them of His sacrificial death for sinners that was inevitable and upcoming.

            But Peter actually takes Jesus aside and rebukes Him (v 22)! So just imagine this moment: Peter pulls Jesus away from the crowd and begins arguing with Jesus. Peter tells Him, “God forbid it Lord, this shall never happen to you.” We all know what happens next. Jesus tells Peter, “Get behind Me Satan.” Ouch. From the high point to the low point.

            But I find it very interesting that Peter was so confident in himself and what he thought he knew about God’s plans that he was even willing to correct Jesus, to argue with Jesus. I bet if you had asked Peter before this if he would ever argue with Jesus, he would probably say ‘no way!’ Yet, here he is doing that very thing.

            Would you ever argue with Jesus? Most of us would quickly say we would never. But let me give you a few scenarios to challenge that assumption.

            If Jesus revealed to you He was bringing a major trial and hardship upon your life that would last for a significant time, how would you respond? Would you say ‘Thy will be done Lord.’ Or would you protest such a plan?

            If Jesus told you He was turning over your country to ungodly rulers who were going to install ungodly rules and laws where you live, how would you respond? Would you accept that or would you challenge His decision?

            If you have a certain theological belief that you have had for a long time and are fairly confident in that position, yet you read verses in Scripture that confront that theological point and seem to prove it wrong, how would you respond? Would you abandon your long standing belief for what you have found to be true or would you just disregard that finding?

            In each of these scenarios we can see ways that we could argue with Jesus. To protest the introduction of hardship in your life is to argue with Jesus. To challenge His decision about national rulers would be to argue with Jesus. To disregard Biblical truth that contradicts your previously held beliefs is to argue with Jesus. Maybe we are not all that different from Peter as we think?

            Why would we ever dare argue with Jesus? Well the answer is in the text. Jesus tells Peter that he is setting his mind on man’s interests, not God’s interests (v 23). Peter put what he wanted to happen ahead of what God wanted to happen. Imagine if Peter got his way and Jesus never would have died for sinners. Even though Peter’s desire was a good desire (He didn’t want to see His Lord suffer), it was counter to God’s desire, and that made it wrong.

            In our life often times we seek our own interests instead of God’s interests. We see with limited vision, we have limited knowledge, we have limited power, and we want to happen what we want to happen. When all the while God has unlimited vision, unlimited knowledge, and unlimited power, and we should want to happen what He wants to happen!

            God always knows best. God’s will always should come first. We must be humble enough to accept, in faith, whatever the Lord’s will is for us. Maybe it is hardship, maybe it is humility, but I can know for sure He knows what is best.

            At Easter this year we are grateful that Jesus did not listen to Peter’s passionate argument. We are grateful that Jesus went to that cross because it ‘must’ happen for our salvation. We are grateful that He rose and showed Peter, and us, how powerful He really is.

Courageous Faith

It’s been about a week now since the world has watched Russia invade Ukraine and a war rage in a country far away from us. However, it is important to remember that there are believers in Ukraine and the Lord’s church is strong there. The seminary that I attended has a pastor’s training center in downtown Kyiv staffed with a few American missionaries.

            When the invasion happened the missionaries had to make a decision. Do they evacuate as American citizens? This isn’t their fight, this isn’t their homeland. They could easily get on a plane and go to safety. Or, do they stay and minister to the church and to the unbelievers there in Kyiv. Well, they decided to take a courageous step of faith and stay to minister to the people of Ukraine. As one missionary said, “We are here to love the Lord with all our hearts and joyously give everything we’ve got toward the fame of the Almighty.” As an alumni of the seminary I get regular email updates about the situation there asking for prayer and I’d like to share with you a small picture of what life is like right now for one particular church in downtown Kyiv and how they are ministering to their community.

            When the invasion first started people from the church went door to door in their apartment building to tell everyone that answered that their church building has an underground parking garage that anyone could use as a refuge or shelter. They gave every person a paper with the church address on it so they could find it, as well as important gospel verses on the back. With this act, the church was praying for God to save as many people as He could in this time of war.

            A couple of days later, as the invasion continued and people were hearing explosions and sirens in Kyiv, about 50 people from the church and a number of unbelievers were gathering in the church building for refuge and then sleeping on mats in the underground parking garage at night. This includes children as well as numerous babies. The underground parking garage has no heat and electricity cuts in and out at any time.

            In the midst of this situation, the church gathers three times every day for prayer and to hear a short message from God’s Word. They use this time also to share the gospel with the individuals who are just there just to seek shelter.

            There is a tremendous need for prayer for these people. We can pray for safety for the people, as well as, the spiritual salvation for as many people as possible. God uses all things for His glory, including war.

            But I am also encouraged by the courageous faith displayed by these people. We know that the Lord calls us to live by faith and the Lord calls us to trust Him but I wonder if I would be able to take a step of faith like that. Would you? Maybe the Holy Spirit would divinely intervene and give us a measure of courageous faith like that. The fact that the missionaries decided to stay had a profound impact on the believers there. They saw that these believers really loved and cared for the church and that gave them a boost in their faith as well.

            I am also convicted about the way the church in Ukraine is serving their community. Giving their church building for people to use is a way to minister to people. I wonder how we can better minister to our community. How can we better serve the people around us? How can we display the love of Christ to people that don’t know Him? How can we be the light that Jesus told us we are? I hope that it doesn’t take a war to find out.

            I am inspired to live by faith in a new way. To courageously walk with the Lord wherever He may take me, even if I cannot see the path. He promises to lead me, guide me, and never forsake me; that is enough for me to try and live by faith. Is it enough for you?

Names of the Church

At our recent annual meeting I preached a sermon on the Church as a Family. The family metaphor is one of ways God describes this new organism that is the church. This particular description highlights the closeness and bond church members should have with one another. There are some other names for the church found in the New Testament and I’d like to highlight those briefly in this month’s voice article.

            First, let’s consider the word ‘church’ itself. When people think of a church what probably first comes to mind is the brick and mortar building, but that is not what the word means. The Greek word for church means a gathering or assembly of people. Sometimes in the New Testament the generic word for ‘church’ is used for a mob of angry people! You see the spiritual meaning when it is called the ‘Lord’s church’ or something similar. God’s gathering is what a church is. A church that doesn’t gather or members who don’t gather are going against the very definition of the word.

            Second, the church is called a ‘bride.’ Jesus loved His church and gave Himself up for her (Eph 5). The church as the bride of Christ emphasizes His personal care and love, along with His unbreakable bond to her. Jesus will never forsake His church, He will always seek her benefit and good like a husband would to his bride.

            Third, the church is called a ‘body.’ 1 Corinthians 12 describes each church member as a necessary part of the church body. People are described as hands, feet, eyes, and ears to show how each person plays a critical part in their role in the church. There cannot be any sideline watchers, just as there isn’t any part of the body that doesn’t serve a specific purpose. Try going one day blindfolded or with one hand tied behind your back and you will understand how each part of the body is necessary. The same is true with the members of the church.

            Fourth, the church is called a ‘flock.’ Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd in John chapter 10 and His people sheep in that same chapter. That is not an insult, but another spiritual reality of how to see the church as God sees it. If the church is a flock, then the sheep require shepherding, feeding, guiding, caring, nurturing, etc. This important description highlights our dependence on the Lord for everything and the humility required to be led and guided by His Word.

            Fifth, the church is called a ‘temple.’ Peter uses imagery of a spiritual house, or temple, that is being built up and the people are the spiritual stones for the building (1 Pet 2:4-5). This description of the church emphasizes that the church is necessarily a spiritual enterprise. A church that caters to everything else in the world besides spirituality, is not a church. If we concern ourselves with events and gatherings, decorations and decorum, and never prioritize spiritual worship or spiritual edification we miss the point of the church. God’s spiritual house could meet in a field or a house, in chairs or pews, with microphones or not, and the spiritual exercises could still be accomplished.

            This is a great reminder for us to consider as we move forward as a church into the New Year. This refreshes us as to who we are what we must be about.

Small Town Ministry

A new year of ministry is upon us here at Congregational Bible Church of Shafter. It is the 107th year of ministry at CBC, an amazing testament to the Lord’s faithfulness. Our church has always been a small church in a small town and we can’t really foresee any reason why that would change anytime soon. Shafter is not budding into a sprawling metropolis and small churches are the overwhelming norm in America. However, sometimes it feels that small churches in small towns must be missing something or are glossed over when we think of the Lord’s work in the world. We talk more about the megachurch in the city than we do the little church in the rural area. This can bring about feelings of inadequacy or disappointment for those plugging along in small church rural settings. But this month I’d like to give a few reasons why small church ministry in small towns can be a good thing.

            First, your Christian witness never takes a day off in a small town. One thing people agree on about being in a small town is that everyone knows everyone. The mail carrier knows my name, my occupation, and my home address. If I’m not in the office, she will bring my mail to my home so I receive it. Rosie, the lady who takes my order at the local restaurant sees me every week and she’s not just a waitress, she’s Rosie. We bought our car from someone in our church. If I decide to let my Christian witness go and do something dishonoring to Jesus in front of these people, or to these people, it stains my ministry. It will be noticed…and shared with others! This causes me to maintain my Christian witness at all times.

            The Disney company had a term for employees in their parks called ‘onstage.’ Whenever a guest could see you, you were ‘onstage.’ That meant your costume had to be right, you couldn’t be on your phone, and you had to be smiling and nice. When guests couldn’t see you, then you could relax and untuck your shirt. That was ‘backstage.’ Ministering in a small town means you are ‘onstage’ all the time. That’s not the case in a big city. You can go store to store and see people you’ll never see again and you can act any way you want. Small town church ministry causes us to focus on our sanctification all the time.

            Second, small church ministry makes us aware of our weaknesses. In a big church, if 10-15 people move away, the church hardly notices. It can take that loss and still have an excellent music ministry or still make their budget. But in a small church, 2 or 3 people move away or leave the church for the bigger church across town, those holes probably won’t get filled. So, the small church is always aware of its fragile state.

            While this may seem like a problem more than a blessing, being aware of weakness is a good thing in Scripture! Paul says he boasts about his weaknesses because that is when God shows up in the biggest way (2 Cor 12:9). One theologian says that as a mother has the tenderest care for her weakest child, so Christ mercifully shows His greatest help to the weakest. Recognizing our weaknesses drives us to depend on the Lord for everything, to seek Him in prayer for everything, and to trust Him for everything. Is it a ‘problem’ that it is always close whether or not we will make our budget each year, or is it just another chance for us to lean on Christ to provide? And since He has for 107 years, is this area of weakness really a bad thing?

            Thirdly, God has done some of His greatest work through the little guy. Think of Gideon and his small army. Think of King David, selected from the little town of Bethlehem. Think of the fishermen who defied Caesar. And think of the countless nobodies God has used in the building of His kingdom all over the world. Paul tells the Corinthians to look around their church and see that there are no big shots (1 Cor 1:26), which highlights the work of the gospel and not the celebrity of man. In reality, there are no overlooked soldiers in God’s army. Right now God is using a family from Bakersfield, CA to build His church in a country with no church in Central Asia.

            To read more of these ideas please consult A Big Gospel in Small Places by Stephen Witmer, as I drew some of these ideas from that helpful book. But I encourage you to not run to the big church or think that your church is inadequate but rejoice in small church ministry in small towns.

Incarnation

As a parent sometimes you are called on to help with homework. Some teachers don’t believe in homework anymore, but some still do. There are nights when the homework tasks are abundant and difficult. Most of the time it is the subject of math that needs the most help.

            It is the easy way out to tell your children to go ‘read the book’ or to just ‘figure it out.’ And although that kind of help is still help, it isn’t always the most gracious or kind. When your children need help, they want you to sit with them and help them work through the problems to come to a solution. You have to enter in to the problems they have and walk them through it. That takes a different level of involvement and commitment.

            At Christmas time we think about the reality that Jesus entered into our world. There is a fancy theological term for that. It is called the Incarnation. The term comes from the Latin which literally means ‘into flesh.’ Jesus’ incarnation is Him taking on flesh. But He didn’t just add flesh to His being, He actually fully incarnated Himself into our world. He walked the earth, He dealt with difficult people, He encountered hardships and struggles, He felt pain, He experienced loss, and all the other things we go through as well.

            It would have been one thing for Jesus to just sit from heaven and tell us to ‘figure it out’ or ‘find the solution’ on our own. But He chose to become a man. He chose to enter into the problems and struggles that His people face. The book of Hebrews tells us that it had to be this way for Him to be able to minister fully to us. Hebrews 2:17 says, “Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” This verse is discussing the salvation aspect of His incarnation. Only Jesus being fully human could totally satisfy the wrath of God and cause His sacrifice to be accepted by God. But it also says that through His incarnation He shows His mercy and faithfulness to His people.

            The next verse is also very important. Hebrews 2:18 says, “For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.” This is a much more practical verse for us to relate to. This verse tells us that Jesus can now appropriately minister to us during the times of hardship of this life because He dealt with the same struggles we deal with! He comes to the aid of His people because He knows all that they are going through…He knows firsthand.

            Chapter 4 of Hebrews also adds that Christ sympathizes with our weaknesses (v 15). How can He sympathize with us? Well, through His incarnation into this world. It also says that He went through every trial of life and He did it without sin (v 15). What a perfect example we have in Christ. But not just an example but a merciful and sympathetic one as well.

            Now for us today, to really minister to one another we must consider the Incarnation of Christ. He entered into our world, fully immersing Himself into all the situations we go through to help us, and we should do the same to others. Don’t just say you will be there for them, incarnate yourself into the struggles that they are facing. Maybe that means you go with them to a doctor’s appointment, or maybe you grieve with them as they are enduring the loss of a loved one. Maybe it is being a listening ear in a very difficult decision they are going to make.

            The difference between telling someone where to find the answer and working through the problem with them is incarnation. Walking in their footsteps is the way we imitate the Lord in His mercy and assistance.

Cancel Culture

A movement has been gaining steam over the past few years that many of us have probably heard of: cancel culture. The definition of the concept is the mass withdrawing of support for an individual as an expression of disapproval for their socially unacceptable behavior or words. Usually this happens on social media platforms where people call for a boycott or even for the individual to be fired. Recently, this happened to an NFL head coach over leaked emails that became public and with a comedian who said unpopular things about transgender people.

            Now, whatever you think about the right/wrong of cancel culture, I want to point out two ways that cancel culture diverges from Biblical truth.

            First, in cancel culture, there is no place for mercy, grace, or forgiveness. If you commit the unpardonable sin of saying something offensive or not politically correct in this day and age, you can forget the possibility of people showing any compassion or giving any type of pardon. That is the whole idea of cancel culture. It is not a short-term punishment, it is an unforgivable removal from society. Now I am talking about forgiveness towards those who are genuinely sorry for their offense. Some are not sorry and those people not receiving forgiveness would seem justified. But for those who are truly contrite, no forgiveness is available.

             This is strange because we actually do live in a rather forgiving society. How many times have we seen a politician, athlete, or celebrity, standing before media cameras and reading a written apology to a recent scandal? I remember the golfer Tiger Woods being caught in an adulterous and drunken scandal and when he was apologetic, society forgave him and moved on. Now, he is golfing again with millions of fans like before. Whether he meant his apology or not, society forgave.

            But with cancel culture, things are different. And this is where cancel culture diverges from Biblical truth. Christians should be those filled with mercy, grace, and forgiveness. Ephesians 4:32 tells us to forgive others in the same way God has forgiven us. That is a profound statement for how our forgiveness should look. We have been forgiven a vast multitude of sins that we could never count, should we then withhold forgiveness when someone offends or upsets us once or twice? What about if it was 70 times 7? God’s forgiveness holds no conditions, it is free and unearned. Is our forgiveness the same? The very fact that the Scripture commands us to forgive one another rests on the assumption that we will offend one another…multiple times. Christians should be those ready to hand out forgiveness and mercy first.

            The second way cancel culture diverges from Biblical truth is the rejection that people can change. In some of these cases, things are brought up from years before, many years before. Are we to assume that the person who said something offensive years ago is in fact the same person in every way? Has any growth occurred? Has any change happened? Cancel culture does not allow for such a possibility.

            I heard a story of one particular actor who admitted to using an offensive word for homosexuals years ago, and how he learned the offensiveness of the word, and has since stopped using it. Sounds like growth right? Positive steps? Wrong, says cancel culture. People are calling for the boycott of his movies.

            In contrast, the Bible teaches that Christians are a work in progress. God is conforming us into the image of His Son (Rom 8:29). We are progressing in varying degrees of holiness. The Bible affirms that who we are currently, is not who we should be, and we are moving (however slowly) towards being a righteous person. Hopefully, who you and I are today, is not who we will be years from now. That is called growth and change.

            As we engage in relationships with believers around us, we must keep that in mind. We are all on different points on the spectrum of holiness. Maybe someone else’s mouth isn’t as clean as mine, but are they in the process of change? Then I need to acknowledge that. Maybe someone else’s patience is far exceeding mine. I would want the same understanding for me, right? I’m not there yet, but I’m working on it.

            Cancel culture is here to stay. It is of the world, it is not of God. But, we must make sure we are people of grace and forgiveness and people who acknowledge the progress of others. We must not be conformed to the world, but be transformed in our mind by the Word of God.

God's Sweet Providence

Most of our most beloved well-known Bible stories are the ones that have at their core a miracle. Jesus’ amazing deeds we are most familiar with, the parting of the Red Sea captures our fascination, and the amazing deeds of the prophets like Elijah and Elisha grab our attention. Miracles are by nature fantastic and that is why we love them so much and why people hope God does miraculous things in their lives. However, there is another working of God that you can see every single day that is just as fantastic as His miracles. I’m talking about His providence.

            Providence is how God brings about His purposes and plans through the natural agencies of life: things like human decisions, natural causations, and everyday happenings of life. To think that God is accomplishing exactly what He wants through millions of miniscule events and countless choices of people is almost as staggering to consider as a miracle. Take for example how God arranges Moses to be the deliverer of the Israelites from Egypt.

            We know the order of Pharaoh was to kill all the male Hebrew babies by drowning them in the Nile (Exodus 1:22). Well, Moses’ mother cannot keep his birth a secret any longer so she sends Moses down the Nile in an ark closely watched by Miriam his sister. It just so happens that Pharaoh’s own daughter is bathing in the river on that day at exactly that time and sees the little basket. Instead of being repulsed by the Hebrew child or being a fastidious keeper of her father’s order, she has compassion on the baby instead (2:6). What if she was in a bad mood that day? Or if her bath was a minute or two later? Baby Moses is protected by the providence of God.

            Moses ends up being raised in Pharaoh’s home and given all the luxuries of being his adopted son. But it just so happens, years later, that Moses is taking a walk and sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew and Moses acts out and kills the Egyptian. This causes him to be a wanted man so he has to flee out of Egypt. What if he was seen by someone else or arrested before he could flee? God’s deliverer would be done for before he had delivered anything. Through Moses’ rash behavior God brings about the course of events that separates Moses from his privileged lifestyle to being closer to his own people.

            As Moses flees he ends up in the land of Midian, which is where he will eventually be called by God to be the deliverer. But while he is in this wilderness area he just so happens to encounter a shepherd’s daughters. He delivers them from oppression (2:17) and ends up marrying one and becomes a shepherd of a flock in the wilderness. Surely, God is using this time to prepare him to lead Israel through the wilderness. These seemingly random events are actually providential appointments that get him ready to be used by God. It is at this time that the people of Israel cry out to God for help and God knows His deliverer is now ready to go help His people.

            You cannot help but see the overarching working of God in this entire situation and it is over a period of 80 years! Through countless decisions and millions of encounters God accomplishes exactly what He wants to: He gets His deliverer ready. This shows us His sovereign control and rule over everything in this universe, including not just nature, but human decisions, choices, and encounters.

            Think about your own life for a moment. How has the providence of God ordained you to be in the place that you are right now? What quiet behind the scenes events has God used to put you right now exactly where He wants you, and what are you going to do about it? Imagine if you saw every interaction with every other person as a divine appointment that could have ramifications for the future decades from now. Maybe we would be more sensitive to doing what God wants.

            As I think about my own life, who would have thought that a childhood fascination with a theme park would lead me to getting employed there and meeting my wife there years later. A child’s simple enjoyment ends up being in the plan of God to His joining me to my spouse. The providence of God is simply astounding. There is no need to look for a miracle, for a supernatural event, God is already supernaturally working every single day in every moment of your life!

Principles of Worship

The story of Nehemiah is a great example of Biblical leadership in a man of God who cares greatly for God’s glory and fame. We know the story well as Nehemiah leading the work to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. It is an arduous task fraught with oppositions and dangers to the people of Israel. When we read in 6:52 that the walls were completed in only 52 days we marvel at the work of God.

            But the story doesn’t end there. Nehemiah begins the work of reforming the people by confronting sin and disobedience in the rest of the book. But chapter 12 is kind of an enigma. In chapter 12, starting in v 27, there is the account of the dedication of the walls. The dedication is actually a big celebratory worship service which is appropriate for all the work that was accomplished with God’s help. This is one of those chapters we can easily skip over but I think we can glean two principles of worship from Nehemiah’s big celebration.

            First, there is the principle of excitement that we see in the people. They have singers and musicians ready to go, just like our worship service. They also have 2 choirs ready to sing (v 40) and during the celebration they begin singing (v 42). But if you notice v 43 of that chapter, it says 4 different times that they rejoiced or had joy.

            This is not the dry, formulaic, mouthing of words. This is passion, excitement, and joy for what the Lord has done. In fact, it was so joyful that at the end of v 43 it says the joy could be heard from far away. Just imagine that for a moment: people were singing so excitedly that whoever wasn’t there could hear the singing from their location.

            I think the lesson for us is clear: do we worship the Lord with excitement? Is there passion and joy in your worship offered to the Lord? There should be. There is much to celebrate about God and His work. He is great and holy and His works are righteous and true. He saved you and His sovereign power is over all things. Worship the Lord with excitement because He is worthy of nothing less.

            The second principle is the principle of order. Just because people are excited and full of joy does not mean that the service is out of control or without structure. In fact we find that there is clearly defined structure within Nehemiah’s celebration.

            It says in 11:24 that they praised and gave thanks as ‘prescribed by David.’ It also repeats that phrase in v 45 as well. This was not a worship service where they did any old thing that came to mind in the moment. There was a following of Scriptural instruction or at the least solid tradition in how they performed this worship.

            In v 28 the singers assembled themselves. It describes in vv 31-40 the two choirs that marched around the city in a specific direction so as to meet at the house of the Lord. It also says in v 30 that the priests and Levites purified themselves, as well as the people. That tells me there was definite preparation involved before the worship service.

            All of this information shows us that the celebration itself was not just thrown together. It was not decided on a whim. It was a thoughtful, planned out, prepared, ordered service. While spontaneity is not wrong, all things must be done in an orderly manner, which is exactly what 1 Corinthians 14:40 says as well. Our worship team practices for the service and I meticulously write out the sermon very carefully for our Sunday services.

            Even if you are not a part of the service on stage, you can be prepared and ordered for the service also. Read your Bible early in the morning on Sunday. Spend a few moments in prayer. Be up early so you are not rushing to church. Quiet your heart before the service begins. Look up the passage while you wait for service to start and meditate on the verses you will hear that day. There are many ways you can prepare for the worship service you are going to participate in each Sunday. But the service we present on Sunday should have order and preparation to it.

            Let us balance these two principles together as we come to worship the Lord on Sundays. Sing and be joyful, have excitement when praising the name of the Lord Most High. But at the same time, be readily prepared for an ordered service that reflects care and precision as we present our worship to a holy God.

Discipline for Godliness

Over the past week or so I have been transfixed on the TV watching the Olympics. I love the Olympics, I think it is an incredible display of athleticism and competition and to see people triumph in these high pressure situations is remarkable.

            These world-class athletes have my total respect for their absolute commitment to the training and discipline required to be first in the world. You may have heard some of these stories. One girl, a teenage swimmer, gets up at 5:00 am and goes to swim practice. Then she goes to school, then to swim practice again, and then goes home and does her homework…every single day. Another athlete described the careful watch and restrictions he places on his diet, exercise, and really anything that affects his body, even to the point of measuring the amount of lactic acid he has inside of him after a race to tell him the way in which he should cool down. World champion sprinter Usain Bolt summed it up by saying that he trains for 4 years straight for a 9 second race. That is some incredible determination and discipline.

            As a Christian, we should be disciplined as well. 1 Timothy 4:7 tells us to ‘discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness.’ The word for ‘discipline’ is the word gumnazo which is where we get the word gymnasium from. The idea of practice, training, and determination is very evident. Paul is telling Christians that their commitment and work for godliness is similar to the way an athlete trains his body for competition. This means that Christians need resolve, fortitude, and hard work in the area of their pursuit of godliness.

            We know that we are disciplined in a lot of things. You discipline yourself to wake up in order to be at work on time. You discipline yourself when you are on a diet or on a workout plan. You discipline yourself to make sure your yard work is completed, the trash gets taken out, and that you handle all your daily responsibilities. If discipline is something we already do in various areas, why is it so hard to engage in spiritual disciplines?

            Paul says in the next verse that ‘bodily discipline has little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things.’ He is reminding us that discipline in the area of health or eating, really has no lasting value. However, discipline in godliness has eternal value. All the time and energy spent in training for an Olympic sport ultimately means nothing in light of eternity. However, the discipline to read Scripture, pray, be holy, or commit to church has true lasting value.

            I think we should take the approach to our daily spiritual disciplines as if we are training and working like a professional athlete. Too many of us try, and then give up quickly. We start that Bible reading on January 1st and by January 4th we’ve quit. Where is the discipline? Where is the determination? Where is the hard work? You have to strive to make these things a habit.

            That world champion sprinter I mentioned earlier said this, “I train 4 years to run a 9 second race, and some people who don’t see results in a couple months give up.” He was primarily talking about the commitment to athletics and health, but you see the parallel. Someone says, “I tried to reading my Bible a couple times but it was just too hard.” That is having no commitment, no resolve, no discipline. Work hard, train your body, train your life to sit down and spend time with God. Discipline your life to make sure church is a priority, moving things around so that God comes first. Discipline your life to make holiness a priority, cutting out sin. It is not impossible, it just takes hard work.

            Think of those athletes. If they are willing to work hard and alter their lifestyle for a 9 second race with a payoff that is temporary, then how much more should the Christian work hard for a reward that is eternal? Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.

Fulfilling our Purpose (July 2021)

This year was a big year for me as I celebrated my 40th birthday. Thankfully I didn’t have a mental breakdown or a mid-life crisis…at least I think I didn’t. Sometimes when we go through those major life milestones we begin to think existentially. Why am I here? What is my purpose? What am I doing? And having those thoughts aren’t always bad. It allows us to try and refocus our life and purpose and I think churches should have those thoughts too.

            We are coming off of an unprecedented year in the life of Congregational Bible Church. I know you are probably sick of hearing about Covid, in relationship to the church, but as things go back to normal it is a good time for us to reflect and consider why are we here?

            Do we exist as a church simply to gather together socially? Do we have events and activities just to have events and activities? Are we here just to make sure we meet the budget and come back another year…just to come back another year?

            Well, our church does have a vision statement and it is good to be reminded of it. Our vision statement reads: to help people grow spiritually so that they impact others for Christ. I think that statement answers the existential question of ‘why are we here.’ There are two purposes for CBC’s existence: equipping and evangelism.

            First, the church exists to equip the saints. Ephesians 4:11-12 makes this clear. It says, “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastor teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.” The point of having a pastor teacher is to equip the saints. Equipping is to fit or train someone, to prepare them for a work. This is reflected in the part of the vision statement that calls on the church to ‘help people grow spiritually.’ That is the idea of equipping. People are prepared and trained through the teaching of the Word to be able to do the work of service to build up the body. The church needs to equip and the people need to be equipped. Events and activities are fun and good, but they pale in comparison to the real purpose of spiritually equipping our people to live the Christian life and build up the Body.

            The second purpose of CBC is to evangelize the world. That is included in the second part of the vision statement which reads ‘to impact others for Christ.’ Yes, that includes far away countries and people groups, but it starts here at home. Jesus left us with the marching orders to make disciples (Matt 28:19). He told us that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matt 5:13-16). But even more than just being salt and light, we are to engage non-Christians with the gospel. That means it begins with us initiating encounters with non-Christians. Jesus time and time again would begin the conversations with non-believers. He even said He came to ‘seek’ the lost (Luke 19:10). 

            As a church we cannot forget or ignore this vitally important purpose of our existence. We exist to evangelize! Not just to be a place where unbelievers can find the truth if they come, but to be a church that actively reaches out to unbelievers with the truth! A church’s growth is always contingent on the believers actively sharing their faith.

            To put it very bluntly: a church that does not have an evangelistic mindset will not survive. Eventually the children will grow up and move away and the older folks will pass on. Who does that leave in the pews? Nobody. But I would submit to you that we must evangelize not just to keep the doors open, but to be fully in line with the purpose of the church outlined by the Lord. You are here to be My witnesses, Jesus told His disciples in Acts 1. We must think the same way. We are here to be His witnesses, His testifiers, His evangelists, that is our main purpose. Even the equipping part is so that we can go out and better impact others for Christ.

            Why do we exist? To equip the saints to evangelize the community. Without this basic understanding of purpose we simply flounder along, aimlessly doing things just to do things. I don’t want to do that and I think you don’t want to either. As we have a time of restarting and renewing, post Covid, let us call ourselves back to our main purpose.

Transdangerism (June 2021)

Pop singer Demi Lovato recently made headlines posting a gender announcement on her Instagram page that she has ‘discovered’ that she identifies as ‘non-binary.’ She also declared that she is changing her preferred pronouns to they/them. That means if I were referencing her, I would now have to call her ‘they’ or ‘them.’ Besides the fact that I have no idea what non-binary means, calling yourself essentially more than one person is not only absurd but also disturbing.

            The transgender snowball has been barreling down the hill of social acceptance decimating everything in its path for a number of years now. Long gone are the days of Mrs Doubtfire, where a divorced man dresses as a woman to be hired as a nanny so he can be with his kids all the time. Men dressing as women? That is so 90’s. Today it is non-binary.

            At the end of the Mrs Doubtfire movie, when the farce is discovered, Robin Williams’ character is given a tongue lashing by the judge, and even forced to undergo a psychiatric evaluation for his behavior. Lovato’s self-discovery is not only light years beyond anything Mrs Doubtfire, but to even suggest some form of psychological issues at play is equal to cultural blasphemy nowadays.

            As someone who spends hours every week carefully crafting messages based on logic and reason and truth, the statement “I have decided to change my pronouns to they/them” reeks of inherent contradictions and self-defeating statements. I wonder how a person who does not identify as either a man or a woman (the definition of non-binary) warrants a plural pronoun designation. English grammar teachers are cringing.

            However, there is something more nefarious at work here than just violations of grammar. We all know that the transgender phenomenon is just another Satanic assault on the Word of God and the design of God. The Scripture declares that God created man male and female (Genesis 1:27). In today’s culture, not only is the transgender world challenging that truth of God, they are defying it by announcing that a person can actually be neither male nor female.

            But to get down to the nuts and bolts, it is a little scary for an individual to actually claim to be more than one person. Not only is it not a ‘discovery’ of self-reflection to come to this conclusion, it is also evidence of possessing an actual mental health disorder (schizophrenia). And even more than that, I am reminded of a particular story in the gospels of a man calling himself ‘Legion’ because he had more than a mental health problem, he had a spiritual problem. He was demon-possessed (see Mark 5). Now, I am not saying that all people who are transgender are demon-possessed, but I am confirming the link between unbiblical ideas and Satanic lies. Is non-binary really the new multiple personality disorder, or is it modern day demon possession? Either way, this person needs help and not encouragement in this illogical pursuit.

            I truly feel heartbreak for people like Lovato and others who follow the same path. How do you go about in day to day activities all the while rejecting your most basic reality: you are either a male or a female? Without assurance on that basic level of humanity, everything in your life must come into question. Transgenderism is also an assault on the very nature of truth as well. And shame on anyone who would encourage a person to follow this road that leads only to confusion and contradictions. It is a sad day when a young woman, with a history of mental illness, goes through a time of ‘healing’ only to conclude she is neither male nor female. What kind of healing is this?

            As Christians living in Satan’s world we must understand that transgenderism is here to stay and the bounds for where it can extend knows no limits. No matter how much this worldview violates basic biology, consistent grammar, or even plain reality, those that do not know the Lord will pursue a life that is in violation with what the Lord has said and with what is true. We need to pray for these individuals and trust that the gospel alone can shatter a stony heart and lead to true healing.

Provoking to Anger (May 2021)

We have begun a short series on Sunday mornings entitled Biblical Parenting through the Years and the first Sunday we are considering Ephesians 6:4 which states: “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” For that particular sermon we are focusing in on the instruction to bring up the children using discipline and instruction, but what got skipped was the “do not provoke to anger” part. For that, I would like to write about in this voice article. What are some ways that we can provoke our children to anger?

            First, be unrealistic. Don’t be the parent who is always unsatisfied with how your child is doing. They finished their homework by 8:00 but you think they should have been done at 7:00. They got all B’s but you think it should be straight A’s. They made the team but you think they should be a starter. At some point parents must communicate their satisfaction with something the child is doing. Otherwise, you are simply being unrealistic; children are not perfect. If we demand perfection we will never be satisfied and the child begins to become discouraged and wonders ‘why try?’

            Second, be cruel and abusive. This can be in either words or in behavior. The behavior aspect would be in any type of physical discipline that leaves marks or bruises on a child. That kind of discipline is excessive and abusive and must be stopped. But sometimes, even more hurtful than a bruise, can be harsh words that sting and linger in a child’s psyche. Yes, we can be shocked at some of the things children say to their parents, but we can be equally as shocked to hear some of the things parents say to their children. You can be sure a cruel parent is provoking their child to anger.

            Third, be biased. For those parents out there with more than one child, you must be fair and equal to your children. Playing favorites must be strictly prohibited. Showing any type of favoritism towards one child will surely drive the others towards anger. We had a rule in our house when the children were young that if one daughter lost privileges, they all lost them. That way one wasn’t watching TV while the other one was not allowed.

            Fourth, be inconsistent. You let the child get away with something one day, then the next day he/she does the same thing, and suddenly you are furious. Why were you not furious yesterday? This is so confusing for a child who is learning to live and behave under your rules. If you said “no broccoli, no dessert” then you must follow through. The rule and the enforcement should be the same all the time.

            Fifth, be ungracious. Children are going to make mistakes and fail; they should be shown grace. Now, this is not contradicting number 4; I’m not saying to be inconsistent. But I am asking parents to show your children grace every now and then. If you the parent, are a representative of God to them, what better way to teach them about the Lord’s grace? How often does He show grace to us? How often does He not treat us the way we should be treated? A home with no grace towards children reveals parents who do not understand grace themselves.

            First, be unbalanced. Parents must shield and shelter their children from the immoral influences of the world, but that can go too far to being overprotective. Just in the same way, we can be overindulgent and let our children do anything they want! That communicates a lack of love to the child. Parents who are indifferent to their children’s life cause the children to begin to think their parents don’t really care. Be balanced and protect your children from harmful influences, but also allow them to interact and make decisions so that they learn how decisions lead to different consequences.

            We all have that person in our life who pushes our buttons. Who provokes us to losing our cool and becoming angry. Well, as a parent, we have to be cautious to not be that person in our child’s life. Don’t provoke your children to anger.

Poverty (April 2021)

Recently, the United States government passed a law to send out a third stimulus package to struggling Americans in this pandemic. It was interesting to hear that part of the reasoning behind this stimulus package was to ‘lift some out of poverty’ with anti-poverty programs getting significant increases. While this article is not the time or place to comment on governmental policies, it did cause me to think about how we view poverty from a Biblical mindset.

            There is an interesting story that can focus our thoughts about this that is found in the gospel of Matthew (26:6-13). It is before the Last Supper and a woman takes some very costly perfume and pours it on Jesus’ head. The disciples are upset thinking this was a waste and that it could have been sold and given to the poor. Then, Jesus makes an interesting statement defending the actions of the woman. He says, “you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me” (v 11).

            What does Jesus mean by this statement? Is He telling us He is more important than the poor? Is He telling us to do nothing for the poor, because they will always be around? Let’s think about this in the article for this month.

            First, Jesus makes it clear that there will always be those who are poor. Think of it like this: if there was a scale of wealth with levels from 1-10. Number 1 is the poorest of the poor and number 10 is the richest of the rich and everyone falls into one level somewhere. The thought is: we should help the people in level 1. If we give a whole bunch of money to people in level #1, and lift them out of poverty so that they now become level #3, is it time to celebrate how we have lifted some out of poverty? Sure, but what we have inadvertently done is make the level #2 people the new level #1. Do you see how that works? If you lift the lowest of the low, then the people they jumped become the new low. This is what Jesus means by saying there will always be the poor. It is impossible to end poverty in totality because even as collective wealth increases, some will always be at the bottom of that scale.

            Second, the Bible does tell us to give to the poor. Deuteronomy 15:11 tells us to ‘open our hand wide to your brothers, the needy, and the poor.’ In Galatians 2:10 Paul was asked to remember the poor, and he says he was eager to do that anyway. Proverbs 19:17 says that those who are generous to the poor actually lend to the Lord, and He will repay. James 2 spends significant time talking about how we cannot help people with just promises and words but in actuality, providing what they need (2:16-17). And there are many other verses we could cite as well. Just because we will always have the poor doesn’t mean we should do nothing to alleviate some of their suffering. We cannot be uncaring or unmerciful to those in need.

            Third, Jesus does prioritize Himself over the poor. This is the time when He needs to come first. That’s why He defends the woman for her actions. She is preparing Him for burial because He is going away to be crucified. Now is the time to put Jesus first. This causes us to realize that sometimes worship to God must come before helping those in need.

            In summary, Christians should be known as people who are generous and merciful, especially to those hurting the most. We cannot just ignore the suffering of those around us. However, we must not lose our focus on worshiping Christ as well. Sometimes it is right to honor the Lord with an upgrade to the church or with a gift to the church, in place of that normal donation to the poor. We must remember that “The rich and poor have a common bond, the Lord is the maker of them all (Pro 22:2).

            I encourage you to listen to our new study on Wednesday nights beginning on April 7th which will be a study of the Old Testament prophet Amos. The primary focus of that book is God detailing His anger with Israel for their social sins against one another; sins like an improper treatment of the poor. Amos can help us see what God thinks of how a Christian should treat the helpless and the weakest.

The Need for Accountability (March 2021)

Just a number of weeks ago a major bombshell was dropped on the world of Christianity. An investigation into the evangelist and apologist Ravi Zacharias uncovered a massive amount of evidence of sexual misconduct against the Christian speaker. Zacharias was world renowned as a preacher of the gospel and a skilled defender of the Christian faith. Many of you probably know his name or ministry. He passed away last year, but the claims of misconduct against him started to come out late last year and an investigation was opened.

            The evidence against him is simply overwhelming, some of which is too scandalous to even talk about in this article. Authorities found there were multiple victims in numerous foreign countries, as well as the United States. They found hundreds of images on his devices of young women, he had secret cell phones, multiple apartments in foreign countries where he would lure massage therapists into situations where he could abuse them. The worst of all is that he would pay them off with money from his ministry and he would even pray with them thanking God for their encounter. The behavior is so disturbing that one Christian writer called it ‘Satanic.’

            But how in the world could this happen? How could a Christian leader who is so well-known and has such a large ministry be able to hide such an evil personal life? I think there are 2 possible answers to that question.

            The first is the celebrity Christian problem of today. Christian leaders, pastors, and speakers were never meant to become famous with lots of money and be seen as celebrities. Just look at the Apostle Paul. To the world he was nothing, the scum of the earth (1 Cor 4:13). Paul called himself a servant and a steward (1 Cor 4:1), not a celebrity.

            When Christian speakers and leaders get to the notoriety of worldwide celebrity there is a tremendous temptation to begin to believe that they are above the rules they preach to others. That they are too important to fail or step down. Even with catastrophic transgressions, Christianity needs them, they believe. Thankfully, most of us will never reach that level of fame and fortune but it seems to be an ever growing problem in a culture of Twitter likes, Facebook followers, and YouTube views.

            The second reason though, is an absence of accountability. We must admit, no one is too holy to commit scandalous sin. If Peter himself could deny Christ by cursing and swearing that he had never met him, then we could too. The Bible tells us to not think too highly of ourselves. Pride goes before a fall. Just when we think we are not capable of committing gross sin is when we are in the most danger. That is why we need accountability.

            Being held accountable means that someone else checks on you to make sure you are handling your responsibilities in your Christian life. Part of this is being honest about your sins and struggles, so someone else can admonish you, pray for you, and love you as a brother/sister in Christ. Accountability removes the Christian from isolation where sin can go on secretly and where he/she is prone to excuse personal sin. We always seem to give ourselves the benefit of the doubt, but accountability with others puts that in check.

            Ravi Zacharias did not have any accountability. He didn’t have to answer to anyone. No one was checking up on him in his spiritual life. Why do you need multiple cell phones? Why do you need multiple apartments in these foreign cities? Instead, his secret life of sin went on unchecked for years. He was allowed to remain in that state of spiritual isolation, where nobody genuinely was checking on his spiritual life, even though he was surrounded by people all the time. The issue isn’t just being around people, but being around people who are close to you where they know your struggles and inquire regularly about the state of your spiritual life.

            Since most of us probably will never rise to the level of worldwide fame of Zacharias, we must pay careful attention to the issue of accountability. Do you have a secret life of sin? If you do, you probably don’t have anyone checking up on you. So, who is going to be that person or small group who holds you accountable to your faithfulness and behavior in your Christian life? Who do you answer to? If you don’t have anyone you can confide in, maybe you should look into finding someone soon. If it can happen to the biggest Christian leaders, it can happen to us too.

Benefits of Membership (February 2021)

At our recent annual meeting, I preached a sermon on Members and Membership giving the evidence of membership in the New Testament and the ways members can make the leader’s work a joy. But there was more I wanted to say in that sermon so I will use this article to cover that. Are there any practical benefits to becoming a member of a church? Besides being able to cast a vote on church decisions or to use the facility when you want, are there spiritual benefits to membership? I think there are, so let’s consider 5 of those benefits.

            First, membership aids the work of the pastor and the leadership. Remember, the leadership’s job is to shepherd the flock and manage the church. But for them to do that, they have to know who the sheep are. When someone joins the church through membership they are formally announcing their intentions to be committed to this particular church and to submit to that group of elders. With formal membership, there is no question for the leadership about who they are to manage or shepherd. This aids their shepherding work, defining exactly who they are responsible for.

            Second, membership focuses stewardship and resources. Instead of just trying to minister in a general way to everyone in town, or every Christian nearby, the church can pinpoint exactly who they are to help with the resources that the church has. Membership provides the guardrails and boundaries for how the church faithfully stewards their resources.

            Third, membership provides the solution for dealing with problem people. What does a church, with no membership, do with a person who is causing division or creating problems through gossip and sinful behavior? Do they just ask him to leave, where he can go join the next church down the street and probably do the same thing? The Scripture gives a solution for dealing with problematic members and it is found in Matthew 18, the process of church discipline. In those verses, a 4 step procedure is given for the church to follow for dealing with sinning members. The last step is to put the person out of the church, concluding that the person is really an unbeliever who need to be called to repentance. Without membership, there is no process, no solution, and no final decision in how the church handles sinning people.

            Fourth, membership facilitates accountability and growth. There are some people who just want to come to church, talk to no one, leave, and not be bothered anymore. But not all are like that. Some genuinely want to be held accountable by leaders, to check on them periodically about their spiritual progress, and to spur them on towards greater maturity in the faith. Those kinds of people become members. So, membership makes accountability and growth not only possible but actual as the leaders know these people have joined because they want to be challenged in their faith so they may be presented complete in Christ (Col 1:28).

            Fifth, membership prevents favoritism. All the members should be loved and shepherded by the church leadership…ALL the members. With a formal membership roll, the leaders have no excuse for not doing that. Without a membership roll, the temptation is there for the pastor or leaders to devote more time to the generous givers or their close friends, leaving the other church people to fend for themselves. Membership binds the leaders to see all the members as precious sheep and no one is more important than others.

            While I would contend that church membership is Biblical based on the evidence in the New Testament and the authority local church elders have to make such a process for their church, these benefits listed here simply add to the compelling evidence for people to become a formal member of the church they attend.

Solutions to Drifting (January 2021)

In our last month’s article, we considered the warning passages of the book of Hebrews. Five times the writer warns his readers of the possibility of falling away or drifting from the faith; something many may be prone to do in a year like 2020. But the writer doesn’t just drop warnings without any type of solutions on how to avoid that drifting away. In each of the warning passages there are solutions given as to how individuals can prevent this straying from the Lord and from the faith. We will consider these solutions this month as the way to prevent the march to apostasy.

            In 2:1-4, the writer warned us not to drift away. But what can we do to make sure we do not drift? The answer is right there in the text. Verse 1 says we must pay ‘much closer attention to what we have heard.’ So, the solution against drifting away is to pay closer attention. If you don’t want to drift from the faith then you need to exert serious energy in paying close attention to what you have heard. It’s not enough to just exist in your current spiritual state, you must pay close attention to the truth!

            The second warning passage found in chapter 3 told us to not ‘fall away from the living God’ (v 12). Ok, so how do I prevent that? Well, it is there in verse 13. It says to ‘encourage one another.’ So, the solution is a close relationship with the people of God, being encouraged and being an encourager. It is this relationship encouraging that keeps the heart soft, and without it, the heart can be hardened into deceitful sin. How do people get hardened by their sin? They are not involved in spiritual relationships with the people of God. They stand alone and their own heart gets hardened.

            The third warning passage is found in the first eight verses of chapter 6. It is a warning about ‘falling away.’ What is the solution? It is found in verse 1, and it says, ‘we must press on to maturity.’ Those who are pressing on towards maturity are not going to be those who fall away. So, the idea is to make your spiritual growth a priority. If you are not maturing in the faith, then you are a prime candidate to eventually fall away.

            The fourth warning passage in chapter 10 tells the readers to not ‘shrink back to destruction.’ In that context, he is talking about a great conflict of suffering (v 32). Suffering was seen in how they had their property seized from them (v 34). That seems like something that would cause anyone to lose hope and shrink back. So, what should we do? The writer tells us that we need ‘endurance’ (v 36). We need that staying power, that never-give-up spirit that does the will of God no matter what. It is spiritual endurance that allows us to not shrink back.

            The fifth warning passage is found in chapter 12 and it tells us that bitterness can spring up (v 15) and that we should not refuse God’s words (v 25). What is the solution found there? Well, it says in v 14 that we should pursue peace with all men. This will prevent the bitterness that can spring up from unresolved conflicts in relationships. Such conflicts are what lead people astray from the faith, so believers must strive for peace. The other solution to not refusing God’s words is found in verse 28 and it tells us to ‘show gratitude.’ A lack of gratitude is what can lead us to ignore what God says because we are always looking for Him to do something better.

            It is a wonderful joy that the Bible does not simply give warnings about falling away and then leave us to figure out on our own how not to fall into that. The Bible gives us the solutions to making sure we do not begin to stray. But all the solutions require effort and striving on our part. It is not enough to just sit back in the status quo and assume we will be all right. We must pay close attention, stay in relationship, strive for maturity, show endurance, and seek peace with others and gratitude with God. If we are not actively doing our part, we can fall away and fall prey to these warnings.

            It is like a marriage. If the marriage is struggling, the couple needs to refresh and recommit to one another again. The staying put in the same state will not bring the two closer together again, they will just continue to slowly drift. They each must passionately commit to one another again and the same is true with our spiritual life. We know that God has not left, He has not drifted, He has not strayed. So, if the relationship with Him is strained, it is on us to get closer again. Sitting still and keeping the status quo will not stop you from straying, you must passionately pursue a closer relationship with the Lord to keep you from drifting away from Him.

Warnings (December 2020)

I remember working at Disneyland on one particular thrilling, intense attraction. A woman approached the vehicle to ride, and she was obviously pregnant. It was my job to inform her that it was not recommended for her to ride. I did, and she responded this way, “Ugh, you’re like the 5th person to tell me that! Can I just get on the ride!?” Only after her husband intervened and made her get off did she exit the vehicle before riding.

            It was startling to me that she would ignore numerous verbal warnings, as well as the written warnings at the front of the attraction, throughout the queue of the attraction, and right before you get on the attraction. How could someone so blatantly hear and disregard such strong warnings that are put in place for her well-being?

            The Bible is a book full of written warnings as well. There are warnings about many different things, but one book of the Bible that contains repeated warnings about the same topic is the book of Hebrews. This New Testament book contains 5 passages of warnings that all centralize around one certain theme: apostasy, turning away from the faith. These passages are quite long so I will try to highlight the key phrases in each one and you can look up the entire passage on your own.

            Hebrews 2:1-4 warns the readers to not drift away. It also warns to not neglect such a great salvation.

            Hebrews 3:7-4:11 says to make sure you do not have an unbelieving heart and fall away from the living God (v 12).

            Hebrews 5:11-6:12 says that those who have tasted the good word of God and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew again to repentance (v 5-6).

            Hebrews 10:26-39 says that we are not like those who shrink back to destruction (v 39).

            Hebrews 12:14-29 tells the readers to not refuse Him who is speaking (v 25).

            Now, as I said, all of these passages are warnings against falling away from the faith, but isn’t it impossible to lose your salvation? What is going on? The writer of Hebrews, like all spiritual leaders, is not 100% sure of the spiritual state of all the people he is speaking to. We can really never know with absolute certainty the spiritual state of the people around us. So, he is doing the prudent thing which is to warn confessing Christians in the church about the dangers of professing Christ and then leaving Him. This would evidence having never really come to faith, not losing true salvation (1 John 2:19).

            Why do I write this in this month’s article? Well, I have a great concern for the church of Jesus Christ, globally and locally. This year the pandemic caused churches to close which put an incredible strain on the people of God. Some, due to health reasons or other concerns have just not been able to attend in person, but have passionately and fervently stayed committed to the church through online watching and Zoom.

            Others, however, have not. When the churches closed they stayed away, but once the churches opened, they continued to stay away. Now, Biblical love compels me to believe the best in people (1 Cor 13:7), but, if you can be completely disconnected from the church of Jesus Christ for 8-9 months, and counting, when do you consider yourself to be standing at the edge of apostasy? Or, have you already fallen away?

            Churches throughout the country and the world enjoy inflating their numbers of attendees and members, but maybe this pandemic is the Lord doing a work in His church: weeding out some false confessors from His flock. Maybe not all the ones in the pews are truly saved. As we come to the end of almost an entire year of this pandemic, it is time to carefully evaluate the state of your soul. Are you firmly committed to the Lord and the faith? If so, how is that evidenced in your life? Are you staying connected to the church of Jesus Christ? Or, are you one of the ones the writer of Hebrews is writing to, warning you about the dangers of falling away and being merely a confessor? Heed the warnings of the book of Hebrews today.

Serving (November 2020)

Usually around this time of year we have our nominating committee meeting where we look for new people to serve in positions of leadership. The way we find those people is by observing their attendance, character, and service over the past year. One of the unintended consequences of the church shutdown has been a loss of service. So many areas where people have normally served have been shut down and so our people haven’t had the opportunities to serve as normal.

            Since service is part of the normal life pattern of a Christian, I thought we should emphasize service this month by seeing where you might be able to serve, if you are not already serving. Our worship team and sound team have been hard at work and we are grateful for their service but there are other opportunities as well, even if you are not comfortable being around crowds of people. Here are some of the traditional and non-traditional areas where you could serve.

            First, we need servants for children’s church and nursery. Our Sunday School program is still on hold for the time being, but as we begin to resume normal operations, ministering to parents and children is key. If you would be comfortable wearing a mask and serving in children’s ministries, the opportunities are there.

            Second, servants would be good for youth ministry. Pastor Spencer sees 10-15 students faithfully attending youth group every Wednesday. Right now he is the only adult presence there. We could use 1 or 2 people there to assist him in the youth ministry.

            Third, we need servants for coffee fellowship. We don’t actually serve coffee per se, but we do put out individually wrapped snacks and drinks each Sunday. You could help purchase those items or you could just set them out so that they are ready for the end of the service. Even if you don’t feel comfortable being around crowds yet, you could set up the snacks for coffee fellowship Saturday night or early Sunday morning before anyone is here and it would be appreciated.

            Fourth, we need people willing to reach out. If you are gifted with the spiritual gift of encouragement or just have the gift of gab, we could use you! Put out a phone call to someone in the church once a week just to see how they are doing and encourage them. Imagine if we had 10 people doing that every week, everyone would be encouraged a lot. Even if a phone call is too intrusive for you, send a note or a card and let people know you are thinking of them.

            Fifth, we need pray-ers. That means people who will pray. We used to have a prayer group that met every Wednesday and some feel intimidated praying in front of others, so they wouldn’t come. But maybe in the privacy of your own home you could be one of our prayer warriors. Nobody else is around and if you could lift the church up in prayer that would be so helpful. That was always the Apostle Paul’s #1 desire, to have people praying for him and the church, and I would echo that sentiment.

            Sixth, we need help with the facility. There are always bushes that need to be trimmed, cobwebs that need to be removed, windows that need to be cleaned, and dust that needs to be…dusted. Even more so now with the church being closed for so long, we don’t want to get too far behind on all the upkeep here at the facility.

            Seventh, we need help with a stronger online presence. That means if you are on Facebook, comment on our posts, start a watch party, or share one of the links of our services so we can reach as many people as possible. The technology is there we just have to maximize its use.

            Would you serve? There are many ways that you can. Please don’t feel that in order to serve you must be in close contact with others in a group. Let us know if you feel the burden to serve in one of these areas and let’s continue the ministry of Congregational Bible Church!

Election (October 2020)

In a little over a month, our country is going to the polls to select a new President. This upcoming election is hyped as the most important election of our lifetime. The news is non-stop election coverage every night. Both parties paint the other candidate’s win as the downfall and destruction of the United States. Voters are split down the middle in who they want to win and tensions are running at a fever pitch. Arguments and debate abound. It seems that the stakes couldn’t be higher.

            I admit I have been sucked into this vortex of political argumentation. I do have strong opinions about who the leader of our country should be and I realize the implications for America in whoever wins.

            But I want to take this opportunity in this month’s article to repent and refocus. I have fallen prey to the rhetoric that sees this election as the most important decision in our nation’s history. Maybe it is, but I am a follower of Jesus Christ and that should make my perspective a little different. Let me explain.

            First, eternal realities are what matter the most. Colossians 3 tells us to “set our minds on the things above, not on the things that are on earth” (3:2). Whether we like to admit it or not, a national election is an earthly matter, it has nothing to do with the kingdom of God. Our focus should be on seeing individuals getting saved from eternal wrath and people ONLY get saved through the gospel, not through governmental policies.

            Now, I can almost hear someone object and say, “but one candidate is openly for Christian principles and for the Christian church specifically.” That is true and maybe that is a big factor in how you cast your vote, and that is fine. But do you think that the kingdom of God will somehow be impeded if the government turns against Christianity? Jesus said the gates of Hades wouldn’t overcome His church (Matt 16:18), let alone a human ruler. Plus, it seems to be the case over and over again, that where the church is restricted the most by human government, the church is actually thriving. Consider places like China or Iran, which just proves Jesus’ words to be completely true. Imagine an extreme situation where Christianity becomes illegal in the U.S., do you think the Lord will not be able to save or build His church? Of course we don’t think that. Even more so, seeing people get saved in such conditions will actually exalt the saving power of God, making it clear that He is in absolute control.

            Second, God exalts leaders and rulers. We will admit that God is sovereign, but do we believe that God is so sovereign that He would lift someone into power that disagrees with Him, only to build His kingdom even more? Consider Daniel 5:21, “…the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and that He sets over it whomever He wishes.” Did you catch that? God brought up Nebuchadnezzar, then humbled him; then He brought up Belshazzar, and removed him. The Lord is absolutely in control of all things and a presidential election is just another thing He sovereignly reigns over. Whoever wins has been allowed to win by God.

            Third, the Lord Jesus Christ is king of kings. We know the power a human government can wield pales in comparison to the reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. No one challenges Him, every knee will bow before Him, the nations are nothing but a drop in the bucket and a speck of dust on the scales to Him (Isa 40:15). The Lord says in Isaiah 45:1 that he anointed Cyrus the king and takes him by the hand to subdue nations. Cyrus was only successful because the Lord allowed it. So, let’s remember who has authority over those with authority. Jesus Christ will still be reigning on November 4th no matter who wins the election.

            We know our calling as Christians in regards to leaders. We are to honor, respect, and follow, those who are placed in positions of leadership over us (1 Pet 2:17). That includes those we don’t agree with or like. How can we do that? Remembering that eternal things matter most, the Lord brings down and raises up leaders, and He reigns supreme over everyone in authority.

Slander (September 2020)

I realize tensions are running high in this nation. We are months into this seemingly never-ending pandemic and people are frustrated. There is a highly controversial election coming up with the country powerfully divided over who should win. And, at everyone’s fingertips, is the engine of social media where we can say whatever we want, whenever we want. We have to be very careful that our frustrations do not boil over onto social media and we begin to engage in what the Bible calls slander; disparaging people’s names and reputations of who we do not agree.

            Slander is one of those ‘acceptable’ sins where we think it is not that big of a deal. We think we are justified in what we have to say, that it needs to be said, and we think our intentions are good. But let’s talk about the word ‘slander’ for a moment. It is the Greek word blasphemeo which should sound familiar. It is the word for ‘blasphemy.’ We know that God is blasphemed when He is erroneously and arrogantly spoken against, but we can also blaspheme people as well.

            The word is a compound word that combines the words for ‘slow’ and ‘reputation.’ The idea is speech that is specifically designed to injure or damage another person’s reputation. It is to revile, defame, and disparage someone’s name. No wonder the Bible calls this sin and calls God’s people to cease this kind of speaking! Leviticus 19:16 says “you shall not go about as a slanderer among your people.” In Matthew 15:19 Jesus groups slander with sins like murder, adulteries, and fornications. Ephesians 4:31 says for all slander to be put away from you…as well as other sins. Colossians 3:8 says to put it aside.

            The slander that is found online is immense. I have read some shocking things on social media. There are personal insults about the California governor, name calling of certain leaders, comments about the governor’s mental ability, and statements about the Democratic vice-presidential nominee’s weight and bedroom behavior. And all of these comments come from church going Christians. This is outrageously unacceptable speech patterns for Christians. There is no reason to say these things other than simply the desire to maliciously defame these people’s names and reputations. That is slander, plain and simple. It is sin and it must be stopped.

            Now, can we call out the policies and philosophies of such people? Of course! 2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us to destroy speculations and take every thought captive to Christ. Our attack is against the plans and mindsets of the world, not the personal character of the people espousing it. There is a difference between attacking a position rather than a person. We must learn that difference.

            There is an interesting story relating to this involving the Apostle Paul in Acts 23. He is having to testify before the Sanhedrin. Paul affirms his good conscience in regards to the Law and the High Priest orders Paul to be struck on the mouth for what he says (v 1-2). Paul then responds back forcefully, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! (v 3). The Council is shocked because Paul spoke that way to the High Priest (v 4). Once Paul realizes this was the High Priest he just insulted, he repents! He says he was not aware that this man was the High Priest and then he quotes Exodus 22:28 which says, “You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.” He admits that he was wrong to speak so rudely about someone whom God has placed into leadership. As Romans 13:7 says, “render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.” Those in governmental leadership deserve a measure of honor since they have been placed there by God.

            Friends, I know you are upset and are very concerned at how things are going in our country and the world. I am too. I post things online I probably shouldn’t as well. But let us be very careful and cautious about what we are saying before we hit that ‘Post’ button. If it is nothing more than the defamation of character, it shouldn’t be posted.