Hate Is Wrong

I once saw a child that did not get what he wanted. He responded to his mom: “You hate me and I hate you.”  It was a childish response and I hope he grew out of it. His mom obviously did not hate him, she just did not feel like buying that toy or whatever it was. He was angry because he did not get what he wanted. He equated it to his mother hating him and responded back with hate. The problem is that the whole situation was built on a faulty premise… Mom saying no equals hate. Unfortunately this mindset has infiltrated our society. To disagree with someone means you hate them is a lie. It is mere manipulation to get the person to acquiesce to a child’s demands.

I do not believe homosexuality is natural or right. What? Yes, I said it, but I do not hate you. Don’t hate me. I love you. I base my views on the Bible, but could just as easily base them on nature. Studies of twins show that only a very low percentage of IDENTICAL twins are both gay. “Because they have identical DNA, it ought to be 100%”, Dr. Whitehead notes. But the studies reveal something else. “If an identical twin has same-sex attraction the chances the co-twin has it are only about 11% for men and 14% for women.” If homosexuality is genetic, then both twins should have the same orientation, but the vast majority do not.

Evolution is based on characteristics changing over millions of years due to the advantage they give thereby enhancing their opportunity to reproduce (bright colors, hunting ability, speed, venom, camouflage, etc.). All of those things provide some advantage that allows a particular species to survive and reproduce. What could hurt one’s chance for reproduction more than same sex attraction? If Evolution was true, then homosexuality would have been naturally selected not to exist millions of years ago. It is not congruent to believe in both Evolution and homosexuality being natural.

I have several friends that I know personally who used to be gay. They practiced the gay and lesbian lifestyle for years. They each found Jesus in their own way and discovered they do not have to be that way. All of them married, have children and are living heterosexual lives. They no longer identify themselves that way. Is that wrong? Was it wrong for them to leave the gay and lesbian community? Why do people get so mad? It’s not the Mafia, right?

Many will not agree with me. Many will agree. Some will base their views on the Bible; others will base their views on nature. Many will base their views on what they feel like (that’s what most people do). You are free to believe what you want and so am I. We are free to disagree. You are free to hate me, but I am not free to hate you. As a believer I am not called to agree with everyone, but I am called to love everyone. If you decide to be my enemy, I love you. If you decide to be my friend, I love you. Sometimes love says things that are difficult knowing the person may not like it, but that they need to hear it. Homosexuality is not right and not natural. It is certainly not the only sin in our nation, just the one I am talking about right now. I share this because I want everyone to know that there is freedom in Christ Jesus, because I love you and because God loves you.

God's Grace

Grace saves you from God's wrath,

not His rebuke.

Grace frees you from the power of sin,

not the requirement of holiness.

Grace shuts the mouth of condemnation,

not the heart of conviction.

Grace is not so you don't have to live for God,

but so you can.

Grace does not fix the consequences of our actions

as much as the consequence of our nature.

Grace costs us both nothing

and everything.

Grace has strings attaches,

called love, mercy and sacrifice.

Grace does not relieve all the symptoms,

but it is the cure.

Grace is not a pillow for the pit you are in,

but a rope to pull you out."

John Eldredge

Why Do You Go To The Beach?

Christianity is warfare. Immediately when someone says that, people think of people fighting people. We do not fight against people, but for them. "For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." (Eph. 6:12). We are at war, a spiritual war, but most Christians are not prepared in the least for the spiritual battles we are to face. Our weapons we seek are offensive or even defensive, but merely tools for our comfort. We seek only what can ease our lives and not what advances the Kingdom. We are called to storm the beach, but we act like we are going to the beach. Instead of the weapons needed to win the battle, we are storming Normandy with sunblock, at towel and some refreshing iced tea. We love those things because they bring comfort, but they are of no use in the battle. 

Dear brothers and sisters, lay down your desires and longings for personal blessings and pick up a burden for the lost. Lay down fear of man and pick up love for mankind. Lay down hours on Facebook and pick up hours on your face before a Holy God. Lay down self interest and pick up interest in Heaven "where neither moth nor rust destroys." Lay down your towel and pick up the sword of the Spirit. Lay down your sunblock and pick up the armor of God. Lay down your iced tea and drink from the Living Water.

Time is short, we need every believer properly equipped for the battle. What does that look like? Genuine believers pray and seek God daily. They read His word and let it read them. They share the incredible message of the cross to those they meet regularly. That is all just normal to the regular believer. They engage in the battle. Does that describe you? If not, fall to your knees and repent, Join your brothers and sisters in the fight. Christ is not looking to scold you, He just wants you to join His army and take the beach. 

John Eldredge

Inflation & American Christianity

The problem with American Christianity is that it costs very little to be in the club. But, there is a problem. The price of American Christianity is going up to the dismay of many American Christians. This type of inflation is very upsetting. We do not want to pay more for our beliefs. We love our Big Box Store Christianity where we can get any blessing we like for low, low prices. But, spiritual inflation is still rising. Being a Christian is no longer a plus to one’s reputation. What used to give admiration, now costs us in derision. True Christians are seen as closed minded for holding fast to the Bible literally and completely. Some “Christians” will attempt to save a little and try to distance themselves from these “believers”. They will say, “I am not like them, I am an open minded Christian.”

But there is a problem. The price to be a Christian is continuing to rise and will continue to. There is now even a price just to be a mediocre Christian. We continue to rally against these higher costs. We protest about the injustices against us. We post on Facebook about the rights that are being taken from us. We are doing everything to fight these higher costs of being a Christian, except pay them.  Jesus said “He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ” That doesn’t sound too good. It sounds kinda dramatic, kinda expensive, doesn’t it? It’s not a metaphor. Jesus wants us to literally give our desires, loves, cares, time and yes if need be, our very literal and actual lives. But that is very expensive and we are doing everything we can do to avoid paying.

The real problem is that in our American Christianity, the actual cost of following Jesus sounds so very high. In reality, it is just normal. Paul the Apostle said “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Paul is saying, I beg you, by the mercy of God, be a living sacrifice. That is your reasonable service. Instead of being transformed, we are trying to transform the world so we don’t have to pay a high cost for our Christianity. But, sacrificing our own wills and lives is merely our “reasonable service”.  Jesus said: “So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’”

The truth is this. The price of true Christianity seems like too high a price to pay from our American perspective. I’m an American. I love being an American and I love Americans, but we are soft. We fight for our right to be Christians with more ferocity than we fight to be Christians. The price we pay to be Christians is not cheap, but it is nowhere near the cost. Jesus paid the true cost for us on the cross. We do not pay the real cost, only shipping and handling.

Lets All Worship Cows!

A.W. Tozer said: “What is worship? Worship is to feel in your heart and express in some appropriate manner a humbling but delightful sense of admiring awe and astonished wonder and overpowering love in the presence of that most ancient Mystery, that Majesty which philosophers call the First Cause, but which we call Our Father Which Are in Heaven.” A.W. Tozer, quoted in D.J. Fant, A.W. Tozer, Christian Publications, 1964, p. 90.

Some people sometimes think worship is beneath them, but the truth is everyone worships something. God designed us to worship Him, but if we chose not to worship God, we will worship something else. We saw the Israelites when they left Egypt and decided not to worship God at the mountain, they ended up making a golden calf to worship. It may be your job, your girlfriend or boyfriend, money, hobbies or yourself. Just spend fifteen minutes listening to someone and you will discover what they adore.

I pose a question to you. What is more important, our sincerity or our accuracy in worship? Many will say that sincerity is the most important part of worship. But what if you are sincerely worshiping something besides God, does that count?

I have a very patient and understanding wife. Some time ago, early in our marriage I got it into my head that loved Minestrone Soup. When I would go to the store, I would get everything on the list and then think: “I am going to do something nice for JoAnna.” I would pick up the fancy brand of the Minestrone Soup and go home with a smile knowing she was going to be so happy that I thought about her. The first few times, she was very kind and said: “Honey, I don’t like Minestrone Soup, but thanks for thinking of me.” Well, I would like to say that I figured it out after 2 or 3 times, but I kept doing it ( I blame it on dyslexia even though I know that is a stretch). I kept doing it and after a while it became offensive to my wife. It was not a treat, but a shining example that I am not paying attention to what she enjoys. But I was sincere! I was sincerely wrong and did not care enough to get it right. I am happy to report that I finally figured out that she loves Italian Wedding Soup and appreciates it very much when I bring it home.

It is the same with God. We cannot worship a god of our own making. Jesus said “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:23,24 Sincerity comes from the spirit and the truth comes from knowing whom we are worshiping.

When Paul was in Athens, he found a city full of idolatry. They loved talking about new revelations and waxing on about how enlightened they were. I am so glad that modern Christianity has not been infected by this. They had an idol for everything. Paul even found one for the “Unknown God”. He did not look at that and say: “Wow, glad you got your bases covered.” No, he found the need to tell them about the Unknown God and preached Jesus to them while denouncing their false gods.

If I tell my wife that I love her blonde hair and blue eyes, how she plays the harmonica and speaks Russian, she will think I am crazy. My wife is a beautiful brown haired, blue eyed Panamanian who plays the piano a little and does not speak Russian. If I went on praising attributes she does not have, she would probably get pretty hurt. Why can’t I do that? Because it is not true! The same happens with God. Supposedly “sincere” Christians worship a God of their own making. He never chastises us, wants us all rich Americans and to meet every indulgence we have by calling it a blessing. God is real and already has real attributes. We cannot invent ones we like and remove ones we don’t. That may work for fictional characters like the Tooth Fairy and Santa, but not for Jesus.

Acts 4:12 says “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” I urge you to get to know the Jesus you worship. Make sure you are not just worshipping a god of your own invention and are honoring the One True God of Creation. He is truly worthy of all worship, glory and honor. And here is what happens when you begin to know Him more… You love Him more. To know Him is to love Him. Let that love of knowing God in truth motivate and fuel your worship for Him.

What The Hell Is He Talking About?

Have you ever experienced anguish? Are we as Christians even supposed to feel anguish after we are born again? I remember watching the news one evening when I saw footage from a shoot out in Israel. The images showed a father and son caught in the cross fire on some street. I could not tell who was Israeli or Palestinian. I could only see a father trying to cover his son with his own body from the spray of machine gun fire. The cameras showed the father and son a short time later. The father sat dejected sitting on the side of the street. His son lied dead next to him. He was not even involved in the altercation, willing to give his life, but yet unable to protect his son. Being a father myself, I was struck with emotion. I could not even believe they showed such a thing on television. I was angry and full of sorrow for the man who lost his son.

In Mark chapter three, we see Jesus experience anger and sadness at the same time. The Pharisees sat there with indignation to see if Jesus would heal the man with the withered hand. They did not care about this guy who had suffered his whole life, only if Jesus was going to break the rules. Jesus looked around “on them with anger, being grieved because of the hardness of their hearts.” He was mad and sad. Paul shared this same pain, “I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart.”

Aren’t Christians supposed to be happy? Shouldn’t we have our best life now? Doesn’t God want to make us feel good by showering blessings from Heaven? Aren’t we King’s Kids? What could these two guys be so upset about? Could it be that they actually cared for the lost, dying and hurting?

Abraham Bininger was a man who understood the pain of Hell. He came to America an orphan as his parents both died on the long sea voyage and were buried at sea. When he became a young man, he asked to be sent to St. Thomas Island to bring the message of the cross to the slaves. When he arrived, he learned that the law said only slaves could preach to slaves. He sent a request to the governor to become a slave that he might have but the opportunity to share Jesus with common slaves. What kind of person does this? It was not like he had an easy life. He was orphaned! He had hardships. He was due his chance to have a good life. Should not God have rewarded him for his suffering and give him a nice church in the suburbs? No, he wanted to preach to slaves and so much, he was willing to sell himself literally for the task. He was not blinded by his passion, but it is we that are blinded by our apathy. Only a person who can see beyond the temporal into the eternal can even think of doing such a thing.

Do you believe in Hell? Every good American Christian (maybe) will say yes, it is in our statement of faith. We believe Noah build an Ark, Moses talked to a bush and there is a place called Hell. But do you really believe that? Do you believe if your relatives are not born again, they will spend eternity in torment? When you see the clerk, do you weep for their soul because they are going to Hell?

If you are a Christian and you are not broken for the lost, then there can only be one of two possibilities. Either you don’t believe in Hell or you don’t care if people go there. Hell is a place of “everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.” It is eternal pain and sorrow! We act like it is a joke or a time out. People who have not received the forgiveness of their sins through the shed blood of Jesus Christ and been born again are going to that awful place. How can we not care? I beg you, ask Jesus to forgive you for your cold heart as I have. Go before His presence with humility and fasting and repent. Ask Him to impart His heart for the lost. It will hurt. You may find yourself crying when you look into the eyes of a stranger as you feel God’s pain for their soul. Don’t run from the cross, run to it. Allow His anguish to have place in your heart for this lost and dying world.

Blessed By The Best!

Over the years, many have tried to compliment me or encourage me without realizing what they were saying. One of the most common was when I was an associate pastor, they would say "God sees your faithfulness here and is going to reward you with a big ministry some day." I understand people mean well when they say that, but I want to address the mindset of that kind of thinking. First it devalues the current ministry anyone is doing to say that it is just a stepping stone to something better. We need to value where the Lord currently has us and not always be gazing ahead for greener pastures. Second and more importantly, it assumes something that is totally contrary to the Word of God. It assumes that ministry is your reward.

Nehemiah was called by God to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem and he ended up being placed as governor of the region of Judah. Obviously, God had rewarded him for his years of faithfulness and given him a position of authority by which he could reap the fruits of his labor. Right? Wrong!

"Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the governor’s provisions. But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people, and took from them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver. Yes, even their servants bore rule over the people, but I did not do so, because of the fear of God." Nehemiah 5:14-15

For TWELVE YEARS Nehemiah chose not to partake of the governor’s provisions as others had. Others used their position to lord it over the people. Nehemiah saw his position not as his reward, but his responsibility. He chose not to get focused on what he could get from the people, but on fulfilling their mutual purpose because He feared God.

When the disciples were jockeying for position in Christ’s Kingdom, He told them: "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Jesus was our example of how we are to lead. He had ALL authority given to Him, yet He came as a servant and gave His life for us. Nehemiah recognized his promotion was not his reward, but his obligation. Position should only serve to help you serve people. It is a tool in your hand, not a medal around your neck. God does not promote us in ministry to bless us, but so that we can be a blessing. In these days when people are judged by their "success" it is easy to get distracted and seek after the rewards of ministry. Don’t aspire to grow a ministry. Aspire to serve people, to lay your life down for them so that they may in turn lay their lives down for another. Jesus said the best leaders are servant leaders.

"What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel. For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more." I Corinthians 9:18-19