Used and Abused

While watching TV this weekend during a football game, I saw a promo for the Super Bowl halftime show that will feature "The Who."  The commercial had clips of the band performing with guitarist Pete Townshend sliding on his knees.  Then the band is shown smashing their equipment on stage:  the drums were torn apart, and the neck of the guitar was shoved into an amp speaker.  I can only describe their actions as the overall destruction of their expensive, quality equipment they just used to play songs that made them a famous household name.  Ironic, I thought.  To buy quality gear and then destroy it just doesn't make much sense, even if the fans do eat it up.

Watching the band tear everything apart reminded me of other rock groups I've seen do the same.  Jimi Hendrix squirted fuel on his guitar and set it on fire, and Marilyn Manson trashed the stage using a mic stand as a club.  I don't know what drives a person to break perfectly good things.  But the way these rock stars use and abuse their equipment is the same way the devil destroys those who becomes his tools.  He will deceive and use whoever will respond to his manipulation.  Then suddenly Satan will break without remedy those who have become his slaves.  You see, a rock star has money to buy new guitars and amps.  Companies even sponsor them to exclusively use their gear.  Smashing and breaking is what rock stars are known to do, and Satan does the same.  John 10:10 sums up the intentions of Satan contrasted with Jesus Christ:  "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

We have the opportunity to be clay molded by the hands of the good Potter or an instrument in the hands of the enemy of our souls.  Those who trust in Jesus Christ have the glory of God in an earthen vessel, a body fashioned from the dust of the ground so the credit will go to God, not us.  What a tragedy that rock stars, construction workers, doctors, teachers, and people from all walks of life choose be instruments of iniquity for the temporary praises of men!  Praise God that He can heal and restore even those who for their whole lives have been in the clutches of the devil.  In a moment everything can change and be made new.  It is not easy being made a new creation and setting your soul at war with the carnal desires of the flesh, but there is nothing more rewarding and satisfying.

What is impossible with man is possible with God.  In the nursery rhyme Humpty Dumpty had a great fall and no one could put him back together again, yet God heals broken hearts and lives.  Mankind has not only fallen but has intentionally run away and rebelled from the salvation, healing, and forgivness offered by Jesus Christ.  God pursues us to restore because He loves sinners and is able.  Praise Him!

Be a Berean

Culture is an interesting dynamic that affects the way we see the world and interact with others.  Depending on ethnicity, family heritage, tradition, and religious beliefs, culture has an infinite amount of variables.  The same can be said about a particular fellowship, what people would commonly call "church."  All the born-again Christians in the world make up the Body of Christ, of which He is the Head.  For example, there are many Baptist churches in the United States and they all have distinct cultures which have been cultivated over the years.  One church is highly involved in foreign missions while another church participates in "Adopt-a-Block" every Saturday.  Many fellowships have a liturgical style of worship with organ and hymns only, and others have a more contemporary feel with electric guitar, bass, and drums.  Some pastors preach in robes while others wear a shirt and tie.  It is likely that whatever "church" you regularly attend, you do so because it suits your doctrinal views, vision for ministry, and supplies godly fellowship.

Like culture influences the way a person perceives, the culture of a church fellowship affects the way people see other churches, the Bible, and God.  When Jesus dictated letters to the seven churches in Asia, they were not all lumped together.  Each church was seen as distinct with different strengths and weaknesses.  Today there are countless church denominations where born-again believers in Jesus Christ fellowship.  Most members of a church believe their fellowship has the correct doctrinal balance and is teaching the truth.  One primary danger of being part of one church fellowship is the growing assumption that whatever is taught at my church is right:  the way we worship is right, the way we teach is right, our church structure is right, our interpretations are right, our style is right - and every other group that varies from us are not quite right and in many ways are quite wrong!

How important it is that our denomination or group not trump the authority of scripture!  Most people today are like those from Thessalonica, not Berea.  It is written in Acts 17:10-11:  "Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. [11] These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so."  The people from the church in Thessalonica did not receive the word (likely because their hearts were not prepared, for good seed will always grow in good soil) with readiness.  The Bereans distinguished themselves not only by receiving the word, but daily searching the scriptures to validate the truth of what Paul and Silas taught.  I once asked a co-worker what he believed concerning a Biblical doctrine.  He quickly retorted, "I'm not sure, but I'll ask my priest what the church position is."  Friends, this will never do!

No matter what Bible-teaching fellowship you attend, this is a danger that must be avoided.  Allow me to share an example.  From my childhood until now I have regularly attended a particular church.  I was always taught there are several Greek words translated as "love" in English.  For example, "phileo," a word translated as "love" means "to be a friend, to have affection towards."  There is another word translated as "love" which denotes God's kind of love, "agapao" or "agape" (a great description of this love is found in 1st Corinthians 13).  If I could choose a catchword how God's agape love was always summed up to me it would be "unconditional."  I thought "agape" and "unconditional" were synonymous, one never without the other.  I received quite a shock a few years ago when I was putting together a study on God's love.  I went to the Strong's concordance, expecting to see "unconditional" leap off the page.  It wasn't to be seen.  I went to Wuest's word studies who explains agapao love this way:  "a love which is awakened by a sense of value…a love of esteem…God’s love for a sinful and lost race springs from his heart in response to the high value He places upon each human soul.” (Word Studies, Vol. 3, pgs. 60-61)  Not one mention of the word "unconditional."  Before too long I was pulling out every commentary I had, not for the purpose of learning how to describe God's agape love, but trying to find the word "unconditional" which I had always been told was the primary descriptor of God's love.  I sat in my chair staring at the books piled up all around me when I realized I had been a Thessalonian and not a Berean.  I believed it because people had said it and my church had taught it, but not because the Bible or original languages say so.

God's love is an active love.  The Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words says, "Love can be known only from the actions it prompts...In respect of agapao as used of God, it expresses the deep and constant love and interest of a perfect Being towards entirely unworthy objects, producing and fostering a reverential love in them towards the Giver, and a practical love towards those who are partakers of the same, and a desire to help others to seek the Giver."  There is a big difference between "active" love and "unconditional" love.  Active love is always unconditional while unconditional love is not always active.  God's love is unconditional, in that His love is constant toward all people without fail.  But that is simply a facet of God's love, one minor part of the whole.  Now if this was simply an issue of me being misinformed, I could have shrugged the whole thing off.  But in this aspect, I believe God was robbed of glory and His love sold short by summing up the love of God only as "unconditional."  It is far more than unconditional:  it is a pursuing, relentless love.  It is a love displayed by Jesus Christ dying on a cross for the sins of mankind.

I know people who are not Christians but love unconditionally:  they love their sports teams win or lose; they love a particular brand of beer no matter the cost.  Sinners love their sin unconditionally, drinking iniquity like water!  Yet I do not know a single sports fan who would willingly die for their sports team.  Romans 5:6-8 says, "For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. [7] For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. [8] But God demonstrates His own love [agape] toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  God's love cannot be adequately described or quantified but is demonstrated through the life of Jesus Christ.  The Bible says that the world will know we are Christians because of the love of Jesus being displayed through us.  God's love is always reaching out, arms wide open to all who will come.  His love is heartfelt and sincere, desiring us to willingly trust and take shelter in it.  God is not content to have affections toward His creation:  He is constantly showing us His great love for us so we might love Him back.

No matter your church affiliation or denomination, be sure to be a Berean.  You are responsible for what you believe and teach.  If we simply repeat what we have been told, we have as much credibility as celebrity tabloids.  We must search the scriptures daily to confirm what we have heard is true.  It is possible to go to church every week and remain ignorant of spiritual truth.  Looking at food does not satisfy hunger, and reading words off the pages of a Bible does not mean you are receiving spiritual sustanence!  We must be empowered by the Holy Spirit to understand the Word and break us free from the modern culture of Christianity which drowns many in legalism, judgmental attitudes, and self-righteousness.  Is the active love of Jesus Christ at work in you towards all people?  May it be so, LORD Jesus!

Bible Night

Tonight we did something new as a family.  A little background:  while I was working at church, it was evident ministry has the potential to siphon away quality time that should be spent with my wife and kids.  There were times when I would be in the church building at least 6 days a week, hosting high school events and studies, meet with kids for discipleship on my off-day, and on and on the list would go.  After about six months of seeing our family time dwindle down to nothing, we decided to create "Family Night," a night we would guard for quality family time.  We might watch a movie, play board games, work a puzzle, I would read a book out loud, or bake a special treat.  It was a huge success, and it was not long before the kids were looking forward to the next Family Night.  Monday is our typical Family Night and it is not uncommon for Tuesday to also be Family Night because, as Abel sometimes claims, "Last night didn't seem like a real Family Night."  Two Family Nights are great, especially when the kids are begging for them!

Today I had an idea that I am excited about, especially since we were able to put it in practice tonight.  Since Wednesday night Bible study at church extends past my kid's bedtime and Laura usually attends the morning study, I've been thinking and praying about if I should attend (alone) the Men's Bible study on Wednesday evenings.  All the sudden a thought crossed my mind:  since my family is my first ministry, why not have "Bible Night" on Wednesdays?  This would give my children a chance to be in the Word, a kind of kid's apologetics course.  It would be an interactive time of flipping through scripture, learning to study the Bible, and reading it together.  Praise the LORD, my kids lit up as they looked up verses, read them, and we had a great discussion.

When I entered into college, I realized instantly that the vast majority of my Sunday School lessons never answered the questions people ask outside of church.  I was taught the who, what, when, and where, but rarely "why."  Tonight our subject was, "Why is the Bible so important?"  This is a question that neither of my kids answered immediately.  Then one gave the pat answer:  "Because it is the Word of God."  I asked, "How do you know?"  "Ummmmm...."  I can't blame the boy.  I never told him that the Bible is historically, scientifically, geographically, and prophetically true and proven.  That's my fault, a fault by God's grace I hope to rectify.  It is critical that our children be armed with the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.  Teddy Roosevelt said that a working knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.  It seems these days we are sword collectors, gathering up translation after translation, Bible computer programs, commentaries, and concordances.  Just because a man collects Samurai swords doesn't mean he knows how to wield one!  How terrible it would be to assume my children know how to use the Word of God because they have heard from the Word!

No one becomes an expert swordsman through buying swords, and no one becomes a man of purity, holiness, and righteousness by listening to another person tell him about God when he opens the Bible on Sunday for 30 minutes.  When you went to school did you learn more:  through lecture or lab?  Which is more interesting:  discussion or dissection?  Instead of getting our hands dirty, thorough study of the Holy Bible will wash us clean with the "water of the Word."  It does not cleanse us from sin (only the blood of Christ by grace through faith can do that!) but it does have a purifying effect upon our hearts and minds.  When we store away God's Word in our hearts we will be less likely to sin.  It is not just hearing, but through taking heed to God's Word that cleanses a young man's way.  There is a way to dissect scripture through the power of the Holy Spirit, and that is way more valuable and practical than cutting open a frog.

Teaching my kids to cut their own meat has been a long, tedious process.  Just tonight the boys both struggled with using a knife and fork.  Between straining, grunting, and food literally flying off the plate, it was amazing food ever made it to their mouths!  But they have come a long way in a relatively short time.  It is our duty, privilege, and job as parents to ensure our children have been trained to cut their own spiritual meat, to break their own spiritual bread, to pour their own spiritual drink.  This cannot be accomplished without the power of the Holy Spirit, and He will guide us into all truth.  God is willing to bring us through that same slow process of maturity so we might lead others.  The same Spirit who teaches us teaches our children if we are in Christ.  I am responsible to feed my children food and the government has agencies which enforce this.  How much more will God hold accountable those to whom He has committed precious children He created?  Let us embrace this joyful endeavor.  It is when we admit our ignorance that God supplies His wisdom and knowledge without measure.  If God is for us, who can be against us?    

The Greatest Blessing

There is a hymn which goes, "Count your blessings, name them one by one.  Count your many blessings see what God hath done!"  This song gets it right.  The blessings are not the end in themselves, but the gracious outflow of a loving Father and merciful Savior.  Sometimes we look at blessings as "overtly beneficial things that make my life comfortable" because we are naturally self-centered.  Blessing can be disguised with trial, failure, and loss.  Often we do not realize how blessed we are until we lose what we have.

I am a big Charger fan and yesterday the Chargers lost a playoff game in terrible fashion.  It's one thing to be whipped by solid play, but it is another thing entirely to give the game away through mistakes, penalties, sloppy play, and bad fundamentals.  Laura and I were talking about sports and how a loss by a team can affect people's attitudes and outlooks.  Movies, music, and sports among other things have the capacity to affect the way we feel and treat others.  As I turned on the radio today a talk show host said "Today is a day of mourning..." because of the Charger's surprising collapse.  A co-worker joked that his friend had to "be put on suicide watch" because how hard he took the loss.  Yet even in loss there is great blessing.  We gain an appreciation for what we have and what God has done.  How critical it is to keep proper perspective!

I saw a home video of the horrible earthquake in Haiti.  What was most intriguing to me about the clip was the sound.  The screen shook, glass was heard breaking in the background, the lights suddenly went out, and for twenty seconds it sounded like a train passed through the apartment as bricks and rubble scattered.  There was eerie silence for about five seconds and then panicked screams of women, men shouting, complete pandemonium of hysterical voices in pitch darkness.  For all I know people screamed because of injury, perhaps a child was lost, a family member was crushed, or half of the house collapsed into the canyon below and possibly Grandpa and Grandma alive under tons of masonry and mud.  It sounded just like hell, people screaming in oppressive blackness.  I've caught a glimpse of the aftermath through pictures and it isn't pretty:  dead and the dying, people crying, many wounded, and the widespread destruction.  To be depressed because the team I support didn't make it to the Super Bowl this year seems almost a sin.  Tears in San Diego were shed because the Chargers lost:  were tears shed when the reports came out of Haiti?

The Chargers lost and the world did not end.  A tragic earthquake occurred in Haiti and the world did not end.  But the world will have an end, and we have only the days allotted us by our wonderful Creator.  God has blessed us immensely in America, and He has blessed every single person in Haiti:  He has given us His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.  He alone has the power to save us from the power of the grave and grant us eternal life whether we die in our beds, during a plane crash, or by a heart attack.  Let us pray for those who suffer that we might suffer with them.  Ask God to enlarge your heart so you might feel compassion and love where only selfishness is currently found.  Plead that God would reveal what is important in life.  You know what is important?  Life.  Eternal life is only found in Jesus Christ.  Jesus says in John 10:10:  "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."  Jesus died that we might live.  He laid down His life so we might all have life through Him.  There is no greater blessing than our God.

It took taking frigid showers in Tel Aviv, Israel to put a thankfulness in my heart whenever I have the benefit of a hot shower.  It took lack to recognize a blessing I had taken for granted my whole life.  We need these "perspective," re-focusing moments during our lives.  Make sure your lens is fixed on what really matters.