The Guidance of God

"...and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation--as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, [16] as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. [17] You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; [18] but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen."

2 Peter 3:15-18

During my morning reading, I came across this passage.  It dovetailed beautifully into the second lesson I delivered this morning in the High School group at Calvary Chapel El Cajon.  Peter was speaking concerning the second coming of Jesus Christ and how we ought to conduct ourselves while He tarries.  At the end of the epistle Peter affirms the truth of what Paul had written in his letters, though some was difficult to understand.  Some "untaught and unstable people" had twisted the scripture to their own destruction with the rest of inspired Biblical truth.  We ought not to be caught up in this wicked practice which disgraces the name of Christ and leads many to death.  Instead of being driven by every wind of doctrine, we are to rest firmly upon the foundation of Jesus Christ and be led by the Holy Spirit in our interpretation of the scripture.

My recent tour of fellowships throughout Australia revealed one major theme:  instability.  Of the churches I visited of different denominations that theme was repeated again and again.  Instead of building upon the foundation of Jesus Christ, many are building upon the doctrines of men and demons.  Being a Calvary Chapel ordianed pastor, I believe that Calvary presents well-rounded, solid Biblical doctrine translated into American culture.  I would say that I am in agreement with the Calvary Distinctives.  But I do not believe that the Calvary Distinctives are intended to be the model for church planting and leadership.  Even one step away from the foundation of Christ and scripture is too far.  Anything that threatens building upon the foundation of Christ must be avoided at all costs.  Jesus is the Head of His body.  He does not need superficial and paralyzed arms of human wisdom we would attach to His church.

There is no magic formula or pattern for the formation of God's church.  It is God's work according to His perfect will!  It would be better to throw out every book ever written (though many are good and helpful) if they deter us from THE Book, the Bible.  Divinely inspired men write many books outside of the cannon of scripture, but they are not God's Word and ought not to be treated as holy ground.  In today's lesson, we read about Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts chapter 8.  When asked by Philip if he understood the words of Isaiah the eunuch wisely replied, "How can I unless someone guides me?"  We cannot understand the words of scipture with our natural mind because God's word is spiritually discerned.  The wisdom of God is foolishness to the natural man.

We Christians often find ourselves with a need for explanation and too often are willing to consult with an arm of flesh rather than the Author Himself.  Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would come and guide us in all truth, as it is written in John 16:13:  "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come."  If a child asks for food, his parent would not give him a poisonous snake or scorpion.  Jesus said that if we, being evil, know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more will our Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? (Luke 11:13)

The stability of any structure, including the church, is directly tied to the foundation.  If the Calvary Distinctives are the foundation of your church, the church will be unhealthy and weak if it manages to survive at all.  But if Jesus Christ is your Cornerstone, the gates of hell shall not prevail against you.  Let us be as the Ethiopian eunuch who realized his need of help in understanding the scriptures and believed Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  Instead of twisting the scripture, let us seek the understanding granted by God Himself.  He is the One who not only prevents our destruction but allows us to serve and glorify Him on earth.

A gift from God

Working at Calvary Chapel El Cajon changed my perspective concerning my paycheck.  I had worked in construction for several insulation shops over nine years time and was always paid weekly.  The primary difference was not that I was paid every two weeks (or fortnightly, as we would say in OZ) at Calvary, but the source of the income:  tithes and offerings.  Speaking for myself, when I worked for an hourly wage there was a sense I had worked to earn money.  As a pastor, my salary was paid through God's provision through the obedience and generosity of His people.  This caused me to be very careful with the way I spent money, realizing people had given that money towards God's work.

Now I have come full-circle back to being paid weekly in constuction, but my perspective has changed yet again.  I had the most incredible sensation of thankfulness and indebtedness to God for His miraculous provision as I opened my paycheck for the first two days back in the trade.  It struck me like never before that the paycheck I held in my hands was a gift from God.  As such it must be used for His work and His purposes.  A steward is responsible to take charge of what he has been given, for he must answer for how he has handled his master's resources.  I don't think I'm saying anything you don't know.  But it may be something you haven't realized.  There's a difference!

When you hold a check in your hands, even if it is a "reimbursement," do you breathe out thanks to your Heavenly Father for that gift from Him?  Are you determined to use it all for God's glory and His work?  I am not saying every cent of your income should be used to support missionaries or church building projects.  We have the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us.  But do you recognize everything you possess is God's and He simply allows you to use it for a while?  If we see our money as earnings or our "just due," perhaps we will feel more entitled to use it according to our whims and not God's will.

What a treasure we have in our God!  He has given us life and everything we call our own.  Have you thanked God today?  He is the Giver who keeps on giving:  not to the end that we would keep all for ourselves, but that we might be as generous as He is for His glory and praise. 

Irrevocable Standard

While driving home from work today, sport radio stations were covering the Tiger Wood's adultery scandal from every angle.  A talk-show host began thinking by talking (and I quote to the best of my recollection):  "Who really is surprised by infidelity these days?  Maybe we should rethink the whole idea of marriage as a society.  Half of the marriages fail, so maybe we shouldn't teach our kids that you need to be married at a certain stage.  Maybe marriage doesn't work.  I dunno."  I have learned that if I don't know, my mouth should stay shut.  I am not surprised by infidelity.  But to suggest that marriage should be "re-thought" as if the problem is the institution of marriage by God, that is where I firmly stand in opposition.

Consider the logic:  because many marriages fail due to infidelity, we should do away with marriage.  Because the standard of monogomous marriage is so often broken, as a society let us remove the standard.  From a worldly perspective, perhaps this makes twisted sense.  But as a follower of Jesus Christ who believes that no society or government can rethink or redefine the institution of marriage between one man and one woman as God has ordained, it is a foolish and ignorant view.  This is the equivalent of saying, "Because Americans are lousy at geography, maybe we should rethink maps.  Throw out all the maps, and then we won't have to know where anything is.  Think of all the geography classes that would not be taught, saving taxpayers millions."  We could burn every map in the world, but our actions do not change the alignment of continents and countries on the globe.  No, we must maintain and promote the standards God has decreed.  No matter what we think about God's precepts, they will stand and endure.

We live in a culture where standards are compromised because of feelings.  Take a kid bowling and lanes are outfitted with bumpers so a child never has to feel the sting of disappointment from a gutter-ball.  In tee-ball outs and run totals are not kept (mostly to keep the parents from taking it too seriously!) so no one feels bad because of losing.  Where there is no loser there is no winner.  Abolishing marriage is not a reasonable solution.  Marriage is a good thing that has been tainted by imperfect people.  No one is required to be married, and those who are married are not required to be divorced.   Sin is the problem, not marriage.  But we love to blame other people or even God to shirk the responsibility He will certainly hold us accountable for on the Day of Judgment.  Using the talk-show host's logic, let's just rethink God and forget the Bible so we won't be held accountable.  My friends, this "logic" may sound appealing until the horrible moment we are brought before the Almighty God, the Creator and Sustainer of all life, the Maker of all things.  How will our betraying thoughts serve us then?

No scientist or person with a moderately functional brain can deny the order in the universe, from a single cell to the alignment of heavenly bodies.  Where people differ is how it began, or Who is responsible.  We trust that with ever beat of our heart, oxygenated blood will flow through all of our bodies and return to the heart with the next beat.  God designed that.  We recognize deformity in the human body because there is uniformity in human anatomy.  God designed the heavens, and He who placed limits on the oceans designed marriage.  We are flawed and cannot meet God's standard of perfection.  Through Jesus, when we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive our sins.  A broken heart can be healed, and a broken marriage can be restored.  Only God can do these things.

God's laws are not in our power to change.  No amount of us thinking changes reality.  Jesus said, "Which of you by worrying can add 18 inches to your height?"  By thinking I cannot enable my hair to change from brown to blonde!  Everything that God has done is good.  Let us walk according to His ways, for in doing so we will glorify Him.

Laying the Foundation

I've been reading a biography of Winston Churchill, an amazing man who understood the meaning of courage, duty, and adversity.  He led Great Britain through World War II and is among the greatest Prime Ministers ever.  When he was made Prime Minister of England, Winston Churchill said in his address to the House of Commons, "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat."  Churchill did not see himself as a great man, but a man who was destined by God to do great things.  There have been few modern leaders more influential to a nation than Winston Churchill.  We are short on true leaders these days.  There are few who are willing to use their blood, toil, tears, and sweat for the good of others and the glory of God.

I'm enjoying working with my hands again.  I wake up around 4:50am and brave the morning chill, arriving at my current job site at 6am.  I've been wrapping duct the last couple of days, some off a 10' ladder and a scissor lift.  The work itself is exactly as I remember it being, and in a way I feel like I never left.  I hadn't wrapped a duct in over seven years!  But as familiar as the trade is to me, there is something very different this time around.  I am not simply working to provide for my family or advance in a company.  I am a preacher/pastor, and now I am a preacher who insulates.  I am insulating because God opened a door to work, and all this is working towards a working visa in Australia.

This is the desire that God has put in my heart:  I offer my blood, toil, tears, and sweat for the glory of God in Australia.  In the words of Paul, I will gladly spend and be spent for the Australian people (2 Cor. 12:15).  I have not been invited by any to do this, but I have been called by God to do so.  Every day I affirm my commitment as I toil and sweat covered in fiberglass and dust for a higher purpose than just to fill my belly with food and provide shelter for my family.  The cuts on my hands and the soreness of my body is not for my own benefit, but for the glory of God.

After the LORD destroyed Jericho, Joshua 6:26 relates, "Then Joshua charged them at that time, saying, "Cursed be the man before the Lord who rises up and builds this city Jericho; he shall lay its foundation with his firstborn, and with his youngest he shall set up its gates."  Many years later, a man named Hiel rebuilt Jericho.  1 Kings 16:34 says, "In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation with Abiram his firstborn, and with his youngest son Segub he set up its gates, according to the word of the Lord, which He had spoken through Joshua the son of Nun."  Re-building Jericho came at a personal cost for Hiel, his oldest and youngest son.  In my situation this would be a grave cost indeed!

My prayer is that God would be gracious to allow me the privilege of laying a foundation of solid Bible teaching and faithful longevity in ministry in Australia.  No cost is too high in following Jesus Christ.  I am not perfect in my pursuit of Christ, but I want to be better.  How amazing that I could be a tool in the hand of The Master Craftsman, by whom all things have been created and sustained!  I am not worthy that He would place His hand upon me for any profit.  May Jesus Christ be glorified in Australia and to the ends of the earth!  Lay the foundation of Christ in Australia, Father, and use me as your mortar, brick, or trowel!