15 October 2008 by Brian.

Fear.  We haven’t known too much of it for the last 15 years or so.  Sure, there was a period after September 11th when everyone was on pins and needles, but at least for me, this is different.

You know, the impact of so much of what I hear on Sunday mornings or read in books is dependant upon where I am in my life at that moment.  Well, this past Sunday, our Teaching Pastor (Bill Goans) talked very plainly about the need to trust God during these fearful times.  It was one of the best sermons I’ve ever heard, simply because he spoke in a simple, straightforward and very practical way, directly to the issue facing our nation today.  Here’s what I’m learning.

#1 - I’m selfish and deep down in my heart, in places I don’t really want to admit exist, I don’t want to go through the kind of extreme difficulty that would require dependence upon God for the physical survival of me and my family.  I’ve taught the Bible and talked about the faith of Daniel, Peter, Paul, and others.  Faith that faced physical death, torture, extreme poverty (maybe even castration in Daniel’s case! I REALLY don’t want to face that one…I think I’d prefer death!).  Anyway, I digress.  The Bible teaches about the God who is there, no matter what the circumstances and who gives grace through the circumstances.  In fact, it is those who need His grace the most who often have the deepest relationship with Him and the greatest joy, regardless of their plight in life.  It was easy to teach about those men of faith, while I lived in safety and comfort.  With sadness, I must admit that I sometimes looked down on them in their failings and weaknesses, as though I really knew all about how to live life in relationship with God.  As you read the rest of this post (if you haven’t decided to give up on it at this point), please don’t misunderstand me; this post is about me as much as anyone else.  I’m the problem.  Maybe you agree?

In our generation in the USA, we have enjoyed prosperity that exceeds (I’m guessing here, but I feel certain that I’m not far off) 99.99% of that of all the humanity that preceded us.  For most of us, trusting God means getting the promotion that will allow us to get the 3 year old used Honda instead of the 10 year old Ford we’ve been driving.  Hard times means having to say no to going out to eat more than twice a week.  What I’m saying is that we’re spoiled rotten.  Somehow, we’ve come to believe that our current lifestyle (whatever it is) is our God-given right and any threat to it is somehow unfair.  It simply isn’t true.

If the markets collapse worldwide and we’re plunged into a depression that lasts for years, is God no longer God?  Is He no longer faithful?  Will it shake our faith in Him?  If you have to admit that it does, then what do we say to the Chinese believers who face imprisonment and torture for their faith?  Is God only real in the West, where it’s safe and the economy is (or was) expanding?  What about the Sudanese believer, sitting in the desert with nothing to occupy his time, no resources to put to use, and a greater likelihood that the approaching vehicle is a militia coming to kill him and take his sons than that it is a friend offering food and help?  What do we say to Him?  Is God not real in Sudan?

The Bible states that perfect love casts out fear:

1John 4:13   We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.  14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.  15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.  16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.  17 In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.  18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

I’ve decided that I’m finished with fear.  I’m willing to walk through this life in faith that the One who gave me life will sustain it on this Earth for as long as it pleases Him AND that at the end of this life, I will enter a glorious eternal existence that will make any temporal discomfort fade into insignificance by comparison.  You see, things may never get as bad as they possibly could (in my lifetime, at least), but whether I have to lower my standard of living, face financial destitution, or am privileged to continue to enjoy tremendous material blessing, my goal never changes.  I’m here to glorify God, the One who not only created me, but died for me to have an eternal relationship with Him.  My prayer is that this will be my focus at all times and that His goodness and grace will be evident to those around me.  Honestly, I don’t think I’ve done such a great job of this lately and I’d appreciate your prayers that He will transform me into the man He’s called me to be.  Feel free to let me know how I can pray for you.

Posted in Trinity, Politics, Trinitarianism, Missions, Leadership, Missionaries, Community, Humanism, Contemporary Christianity, Sanctity of Life, Biblical Worldview, Spirituality, Naturalism, False Doctrine, Secularism | No Comments »

29 September 2008 by Brian.

…Or, “The Age of Irresponsibility”

First of all, it must be terribly unsettling to think that this life is all there is and that we could soon be plunged into a worldwide depression for many years.  I, for one, am glad that my hope is not in government leaders, the economy, or my (dwindling) retirement account.  No matter how difficult this life may get, I am convinced that by the grace of God, I will one day find rest in the glory of His presence.  As the readers of this blog are also aware, I am convinced that believers are called to glorify God in this life and to live out the life of Christ in whatever times we find ourselves.  His daily provision of grace is my only hope to accomplish this goal as well.  (Is it just me, or has the quality of my writing deteriorated as my blogs have grown more infrequent?)  For those of you who have placed your hope in material wealth, maybe it’s time you considered something (actually, it’s a “someone”) more dependable?

The second point I would like to make is that I find it interesting that we in the West (and particularly in the USA) have long lived under the banner of materialism and it’s offspring, greed.  We have pursued, more than any other goal, economic growth and have happily and quietly applauded ourselves as we have seen our wealth increase each year.  Few among us noticed - or cared to admit - that some of this growth had no real foundation and that it could come tumbling down like a house of cards if the right (or wrong) conditions presented themselves.  Now, we find ourselves facing the very real possibility of disaster and we are looking to be relieved of the consequences of the greed to which we have long given ourselves.

Of course, I’m not surprised at the reaction.  After all, our society has made a habit of living in denial of reality.  We have developed condoms to help avoid the consequences of illicit sex.  We have birth control (including abortion) to avoid suffering with a child while enjoying extra-marital sex.  We have anti-depressants to dull the pain of living a self-centered, empty life.  We have blood pressure medications to help us avoid the consequences of years of eating an unhealthy diet and divorce to deal with the effects of poor choices and misplaced priorities. We want our credit card debt wiped away in bankruptcy and our unpaid taxes to be forgiven.  On and on it goes. (No, I’m not saying that birth control (with the exception of abortion), medicines, or even bankruptcy are always a bad thing.)  We like enjoying ourselves and we really don’t like unpleasant consequences.  Sooner or later, reality asserts itself.  As Galatians 6 states, “Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow.”

I’m not certainly not hoping for financial disaster, nor am I predicting that the apocalypse is upon us (although Vandy is leading the SEC East, so this is a real possibility!).  However, even if we bail ourselves out of this current mess, if we don’t change our fundamental approach to life and re-orient ourselves towards the balanced life God intended, based upon His truth and principles, we’ll find ourselves right back here again.  Eventually, we will face the consequences of our self-centered lifestyles and it won’t be pleasant.

Isn’t it about time to repent and place God in the center of our lives again, where He has always belonged?  Perhaps these troubling times will open the ears of those around us to the one true hope for salvation.

Posted in Politics, Taxes, Community, Abortion, Humanism, Trinity, Trinitarianism, Europe, Leadership, Missionaries, Missions, Evil, Naturalism, Eurabia, Contemporary Christianity, Sex, Relativism, Marriage, Sanctity of Life, Biblical Worldview, Spirituality, Social Justice, Social Injustice, Morality, Morals, False Doctrine, Secularism | 1 Comment »

10 September 2008 by Brian.

Check out this article on the murder of babies after they are born.

It’s a good thing we’ve got Obama around to protect the ’sanctity’ of Roe vs. Wade and abortion “rights”.  Without his vigilance, the lives of the defenseless and weak might actually come to mean something!

If the facts  - not to mention the conclusions drawn therein - of the article are true, Obama (or Abubaba…see yesterday’s post) holds some horrific beliefs and seems to subjugate the sanctity of human life to his own political agenda.

Posted in Abortion, Humanism, Naturalism, Social Injustice, Community, Politics, Leadership, Evil, Taxes, Social Medicine, Social Justice, Radicals, Biblical Worldview, Contemporary Christianity, Relativism, Sanctity of Life, Spirituality, False Doctrine, Radicalism, Morality, Morals, Secularism | 1 Comment »

5 September 2008 by Brian.

I was reading Psalm 50 and was struck by the statement God makes at the end of this selection:

17     For you hate discipline,
and you cast my words behind you.

18     You make friends with a thief when you see one,
and you keep company with adulterers.

19        “You give your mouth free rein for evil,
and your tongue frames deceit.

20     You sit and speak against your kin;
you slander your own mother’s child.

21     These things you have done and I have been silent;
you thought that I was one just like yourself.
But now I rebuke you, and lay the charge before you.

The passage describes a community made up of people who have no regard for the righteousness of God.  They live according to their own rules, satisfying their appetites, and obeying their whims.  They disregard God’s corrective action in their lives, they disregard the moral law and freely accept injustice among them.  They speak evil, even of those to whom they should be most loyal - their own family.  So, they speak up in matters they shouldn’t and keep silent when they should speak up in opposition to evil.

God states definitively that He is completely different from this society of His supposed people.  God does not keep silent in the face of evil, but opposes it.  He does not speak evil, but doesn’t back down from the truth, even when it is uncomfortable to the hearer.  As His people (I refer to believers here), we are expected to glorify Him by living His character by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

So, if this is true, then why do I so often hear those who speak up against evil, injustice, or sin referred to as “mean” and those who keep silent and go with the flow as “nice”?  People tend to feel guilty for trying to do the right thing or requiring others to hold to a standard, whether it is simply a business policy that is the standard or its an issue of right and wrong.

We must be careful, always realizing that our judgment isn’t perfect and that humility and grace should always be present in the believer’s life.  But, there are many issues in our society about which God would have us speak up on behalf of Right and righteousness.  If God is who He says He is, then we should be faithful to do so.  The weak and vulnerable in our society need our voices.  People need to see us living the life of Christ at work, in our families, in politics, and, yes, even in church!

Do we dare to ask God to show us just how far short we fall and then trust Him to re-mold us in His image whether it’s comfortable or not?

Posted in Naturalism, Humanism, Abortion, Homosexuality, Eurabia, Social Injustice, Bible study, Inductive study method, Inductive Bible study, Social Justice, Community, Politics, Missions, Missionaries, Europe, Leadership, Evil, Environmentalism, Social Medicine, Trinity, Trinitarianism, Israel, Religious fanaticism, Sex, Biblical Worldview, Postmodernism, Postmodern Philosophy, Contemporary Christianity, Relativism, Sanctity of Life, Islam, Marriage, Postmodernity, North Korea, Morality, Religion, Radicalism, Radicals, Morals, New Age Spirituality, Spirituality, New Age, False Doctrine, Secularism | No Comments »

20 August 2008 by Brian.

Ravi Zacharias has edited a very helpful book entitled, “Beyond Opinion.”  I found one chapter in particular especially intriguing.  It was the chapter on, “The Role of Doubt and Persecution in Spiritual Transformation.”  You see, I’ve read a lot, studied a lot, and even done a little teaching on the topic of evil and how its existence can best be understood within the Christian worldview.  However, the author of this particular chapter (Stuart McAllister) does a great job of addressing the existential reality that we would often prefer to avoid.  In fact, I would argue that God attributes great value to the growth and the glory produced in the “desert experiences” of our lives, while those experiencing them (at certain stages, at least) are under the impression that nothing has any value whatsoever.  In order to understand the context, you need to know that earlier in the chapter, he shared his experience of having been imprisoned in a Czechoslovakian prison after being caught trying to smuggle Bibles behind the Iron Curtain.  Here are two brief paragraphs, which I hope will motivate you to read the entire chapter:

“The Trinitarian vision of God has served to sustain me in many different ways.  What do I mean?  As I journeyed into my life of faith I came to grasp (not very well) the historic teachings regarding the nature of God.  To see that God is a community of love, that he existed in self-giving relationships before the creation, and that he took on himself flesh in order to redeem us, was an awesome discovery.  The gift and life of the Holy Spirit was the final link in tying together what was for me, a vague notion.  This universe is a relational order, and I was now tuned in by virtues of God’s grace, mercy, and enabling love.  This understanding of God allowed me to dwell on God the Father, the Sovereign, the ruler, the God who humbled Egypt and led his people in the wilderness.  It also allowed me to consider Jesus as the incarnate one, the suffering servant, who although God in the flesh, restrained himself, sought out sinners, and gave his life in such an unselfish way.  The Father ruling, governing, guiding; the Son in his example, service, and sacrifice, followed by the Spirit in his comfort, keeping, power, and presence (John 14:26).  All these have been vital in my reflections.

How has this helped me practically?  It has meant that many times I could rest in the assurance of God’s ultimate and good control over life and circumstances.  Even though I had to face questions, I recognized my limitations and found comfort in the sense of God’s sovereign rule.  The example of Jesus continues to inspire and fuel a longing to be more like him: to follow his way, to respond as he responded, to treat people as he treated them, to love as he loved.  The assurance of the Spirit’s presence and help has met me in many ways, as I travel, preach, face questions, and seek to wrestle through issues.”

Posted in Humanism, Homosexuality, Community, Politics, Naturalism, Eurabia, Bible study, Social Justice, Social Injustice, Social Medicine, Taxes, Missionaries, Europe, Leadership, Missions, Evil, Trinity, Trinitarianism, Environmentalism, Religious fanaticism, Radicals, Sex, Biblical Worldview, Postmodernism, Postmodern Philosophy, Contemporary Christianity, Relativism, Sanctity of Life, Islam, Marriage, Postmodernity, North Korea, Morality, Religion, Radicalism, Morals, New Age Spirituality, Spirituality, New Age, False Doctrine, Secularism | No Comments »

31 July 2008 by Brian.

Dr. Henry Cloud says that great leaders learn to hate the right things well.

What is the role of ‘hate’ in your life?  When should we hate?  Care to comment?

Posted in Homosexuality, Community, Politics, Social Medicine, Abortion, Humanism, Social Injustice, Quotes, Eurabia, Naturalism, Taxes, Trinity, Europe, Christmas, Larry Norman, Leadership, Missionaries, Missions, Trinitarianism, Environmentalism, Evil, Social Justice, Israel, Biblical Worldview, Postmodernism, Postmodern Philosophy, Postmodernity, Sex, Contemporary Christianity, Sanctity of Life, Islam, Marriage, Relativism, North Korea, Spirituality, Religion, Radicalism, Radicals, Religious fanaticism, Morality, Morals, New Age, False Doctrine, New Age Spirituality, Secularism | No Comments »

19 July 2008 by Brian.

Malcolm Muggeridge (I believe it was in his book, “Christ and the Media“) predicted the abyss into which much of our mainstream media has sunk.  Ratings over truth.  If it bleeds, it leads.  Deliver an agenda rather than deliver an account.

This story pretty much reflects the depravity Muggeridge described.  The unsuspecting reporter thought he was just going to view a couple burglars being relieved of their limbs…nothing too shocking.  However, he soon realized he was about to see the execution of two women and he nobly attempted to stand between them and their grisly fate.  When that didn’t work, I guess he thought, “What the heck?  Might as well film it.”

Posted in Eurabia, Social Injustice, Social Justice, Religious fanaticism, Humanism, Politics, Europe, Missionaries, Missions, Evil, Radicals, Radicalism, Contemporary Christianity, Relativism, Islam, Sanctity of Life, Biblical Worldview, Spirituality, Religion, Morality, Morals, False Doctrine, Secularism | No Comments »

5 July 2008 by Brian.

Ron Smith posts on some interesting revelations from unChristian.

If only we could ban the ‘f word’! 

Posted in Naturalism, Humanism, Abortion, Social Justice, Bible study, Religion, Religious fanaticism, Homosexuality, Community, Missionaries, Leadership, Missions, Evil, Politics, Environmentalism, Morality, Morals, Contemporary Christianity, Sex, Relativism, Marriage, Sanctity of Life, Islam, Biblical Worldview, Postmodernism, False Doctrine, New Age Spirituality, New Age, Spirituality, Postmodern Philosophy, Postmodernity, Secularism | 1 Comment »

23 June 2008 by Brian.

Yesterday our pastor was preaching on the fact that the Christian life was never intended to be a call to exert enough will-power to live a righteous life.  (No, I wasn’t calling him a simple mind.  I was referring to my own…the thought is coming.)

As I thought about it, the idea of a believer struggling to “gut out” enough self-righteousness to please God makes just as much sense as a light bulb, disconnected from any source of electricity attempting to “will” itself to illuminate.  Just as the filament in a light bulb requires electricity to illuminate, so the believer requires the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to live the Christian life as it was meant to be lived.  (I’m sure I’m not the first to draw this analogy.)  Even our good deeds, accomplished outside of reliance on the Holy Spirit, are empty and misled.

Lord, teach me to rely on You and to stop trying to impress you with my own pitiful efforts at righteousness.  Once again, thank you for grace!

Posted in Social Injustice, Naturalism, Social Justice, Religious fanaticism, Religion, Humanism, Politics, Missionaries, Christmas, Missions, Trinitarianism, Trinity, Morality, Morals, Contemporary Christianity, Sex, Relativism, Marriage, Sanctity of Life, Biblical Worldview, Postmodernism, False Doctrine, Spirituality, Postmodernity, Postmodern Philosophy, Secularism | 1 Comment »

18 June 2008 by Brian.

It’s late, so here’s a couple of quick thoughts.  I was recently challenged by a former church-goer as to the behavior of the vocal “Christians” and how even their fellow believers fear to do business with them because they are so untrustworthy and can actually be expected to operate in direct opposition to their stated beliefs.  I couldn’t argue…it certainly happens…often.  Is it in keeping with the person of Christ?  Absolutely not.  Is the validity of faith in him and a transforming relationship with him called into question?  Absolutely.  This is a tragedy in the church and one which, as believers, we should be challenging.  I pray for more churches that will call people to lives worthy of the high calling we’ve received in Jesus Christ.

Another sad application of the same issue can be seen in our failure to answer this dangerous school in Virginia.  Islamic students are being taught that it’s acceptable to kill ‘infidels’, yet the American church is so impotent that most Muslims in this land see nothing to attract them to Jesus and the God of the Bible.

If we fail to repent and remedy the current situation, then whether our downfall is ultimately brought about by secular humanism or Islam, the answer for our ineffectiveness in reaching our neighbor will be found in the same place: the mirror.

Posted in Naturalism, Humanism, Abortion, Eurabia, Social Injustice, Bible study, Social Justice, Community, Politics, Missions, Missionaries, Europe, Evil, Environmentalism, Trinity, Trinitarianism, Religious fanaticism, Radicals, Contemporary Christianity, Sex, Biblical Worldview, Relativism, Marriage, Sanctity of Life, Islam, Postmodernism, Postmodern Philosophy, Morality, Religion, Radicalism, Morals, False Doctrine, Postmodernity, Spirituality, Secularism | 2 Comments »