Paradox Mine

I live a paradox.  I have an irresistible compulsion to speak the truth of God's word and nothing else gives me greater fulfillment in the depths of my soul, however nothing else causes me greater distress and social chastisement. Believe me when I tell you that I have no grand delusions of self-righteousness, I am acutely aware of my own sinfulness and shortcomings.  However, sometimes the narrow path of truth can be lonely.  When you preach grace you fill a church, but when you start preaching righteousness people lose their minds.  I've estranged family members and lost friends because of my relentless pursuit of God and His call upon my life.  I have counted the cost to follow and serve God, He will always be first in my life, regardless of the consequences, because that is the kind of radical devotion Jesus actually demands from all of those who call upon His name as Savior and Lord.

A few weeks ago during a conversation with the interim pastor for our church, he said, "I preach sin and hell."  Like, he wanted to make sure that we wouldn't be surprised by such a thing.  I can honestly say that the only thing that bothered me by his statement was that he felt it was necessary to make us aware that he preached the full counsel of God.  I felt great compassion for him because I wondered, was there a time somewhere along his tenure as a pastor that he was given grief for his dedication to the full Gospel of Christ?  His question only made me love him more because that is something that I can totally identify with.  His question only made me even more thankful that it was him who God has sent to pastor our church during this time of our loss.  

When we claim Jesus Christ as our Savior, what do we think He is saving us from?  Jesus didn't die to forgive us for our sin, He died to save us from it.  Scripture tells us, "Indeed, all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." (2 Tim 3:12).  How many of us are being persecuted for our desire to live Godly lives in obedience to scripture?  The stark reality of Western Christianity is that most of the persecution comes from those within our own faith.

As I pondered these things in my heart today, as I wrestled with God-- on the one hand, compelled by His Spirit to preach righteousness; on the other hand, compelled by my flesh and my own reasoning to make my case for compromise-- I felt Him lay on my heart:  "You need to be preaching righteousness like I'm coming back tomorrow." 

Indeed.  We should all be preaching righteousness in eager anticipation to stand before the great and terrible judge.

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad. Therefore, since we know what it means to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is clear to God, and I hope it is clear to your conscience as well." (2 Cor 5:10,11)

"Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be filled with gratitude, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.  For our God is a consuming fire." (Heb 12:28,29)

"Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36)

"I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, Who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom:  Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction. For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires." (1 Tim 4:1-3)

"Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war. He has eyes like blazing fire, and many royal crowns on His head... He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is The Word of God... And from His mouth proceeds a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God, the Almighty." (Rev 19:11-15)

 

A Spoonful Of Toilet Water

As I was making my 18 month-old's bottle this morning, I wondered, "How much turd-laden dirty toilet water would be okay to put in here?  A teaspoon?  A half-teaspoon?  A quarter-teaspoon?  Five drops?"  How much dirty toilet water would you say is okay to put in my baby's bottle?  Most sane people would recoil in horror and say, "Absolutely none!"  For you to understand why I thought this, let me give you the context of what I was thinking about prior to my musings about how much dirty toilet water would be okay for my child to consume.

As Christians, our faith demands that we, "'Come out from them and be separate,' says the Lord. 'Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" (2 Cor 6:17).  Notice that verse doesn't say, "...says Kalli" or "...says the Baptists" or "...says the Catholics" or "....says the Pentecostals".  That verse says, "...says the Lord."    Yet for a vast majority of contemporary Christians, we have no problem being double-minded or having a divided-heart when it comes to walking out our faith.  We have no problem allowing the dirty toilet water of the world into our lives. 

How much of the world is it okay to bring into our new life in Christ?  Five rated-R movies?   Two pornographic images?  Three afternoons of gossip?  Four drunken weekends?  Ten songs glorifying sex, drugs, broken relationships or rebellion?  How many times must I hear, "That's legalistic....I'm only human....it's only a t.v. show....we're going to make mistakes..."?  No, a mistake is something you do by accident or because of overwhelming weakness.  God gives us grace for our mistakes and weaknesses.  God gives us grace for our ignorance as we are growing in spiritual maturity.  Rebellion, on the other hand, is something you do with full knowledge and understanding that what you are doing goes against the basic tenets of your faith.  God may give grace toward rebellion for a time, solely at His discretion.  But for the most part, rebellion forfeits God's grace and brings a person into judgment, saved or not.  In all circumstances, rebellion requires repentance, confession and forgiveness:

-"If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and raging fire that will consume all adversaries." (Heb 10:26,27)

-"Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God's seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil can be distinguished: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother." (1 John 3:9,10)

-"Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God--I say this to your shame." (1 Cor 15:34)

What do we do with verses like that?  Where do they fit in our comfortable, excuse-laden version of Christianity?  How do they reconcile with our buddy-version of God, Who winks at our sin and is utterly devoid of fearsome wrath?  Here's the deal:  We can claim the Christian faith all we want, we can make excuses, we can continue our lame attempts to justify our behavior, but after it's all said and done, the Lord we claim to worship and serve said that it is our faith which manifests itself in obedience that makes us His:

-"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." (John 14:15)

-"Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me." (John 14:21)

-"If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make Our home with him." (John 14:23)

-"If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and remain in His love." (John 15:10)

-"By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments." (1 John 2:3)

-"For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome." (1 John 5:3)

-"And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments." (2 John 1:6)

Wow Jesus, You're so legalistic.

Our obedience doesn't save us, but it is our obedience that distinguishes the authenticity of our faith and sets us apart from the world as belonging to Christ.  Our obedience does draw us closer to God, our obedience does serve to protect us from the fiery darts of the enemy, our obedience does help us to hear God's voice more clearly, our obedience does make us a sanctified vessel fit for use in God's kingdom to bear Him fruit, "God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: 'The Lord knows those who are His,' and, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from iniquity'... Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the Master of the house, ready for every good work. Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." (2 Tim 2:19-22)

Do you belong to Christ?  Then live a lifestyle of repentance, daily turning away from iniquity, daily bearing your cross to your own death, daily seeking God's presence and asking Him to fill you with a hunger for obedience and a thirst for righteousness.  We must daily surrender to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit to pull us out of this world, because even a little leaven (or toilet water) works through the whole batch of dough, "You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?.. A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough." (Gal 5:7,9).  Pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, because that is what it truly means to be a Christian.

"But just as He Who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written:  'Be holy because I am holy.' Since you call on a Father Who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives in reverent fear during your temporary stay on earth." (1 Peter 1:15-17)

"Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous. The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:7,8)

"But you know that Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin. No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him." (1 John 3:5,6)

"We know that anyone born of God does not keep on sinning; the One who was born of God protects him, and the evil one cannot touch him." (1 John 5:18)

"For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you once were slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were committed. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." (Rom 6:14-18)

The Grievances Of A Nobody

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed a copy of his 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle church.  These 95 Theses were written because of Luther's fervent belief that scripture dictated two truths that had been wholly perverted by the Church in his time:

1.  The Bible, not men, is the central religious authority

2.  The salvation of a person's soul is only by God's grace through their faith in Jesus Christ and cannot be earned by any deed of men

Luther's 95 Theses were written as a response to the Catholic Church selling "indulgences" to absolve sin-- which basically means people were encouraged by the church to purchase their own forgiveness, all proceeds of those purchases benefitting the Church.  It was these 95 Theses that eventually led to the Protestant Reformation, which led to the division of the Christian Church even to this day.  Once again, in this Laodicean Church age, the Church finds itself in gross neglect of obedience and adherence to scripture. Once again, the larger portion of the Church has given precedence to the traditions, formulas and programs of men, over Jesus' simple plan of proclaiming Him as Lord and teaching His commands (Matt 28:18-20).  Agenda has become more important than relationship.  The sheep are starving and they don't even know it. 

Once again it has become necessary to hammer a ledger of charges against the church door.  And although I am a lowly nobody, tucked away in a quiet corner of the Southern US, I bring these charges against the church to bear record in heaven.  And although these charges do not total 95, they are the sum total of what has been laid upon my heart in grievance.

1.  We want to follow a Jesus that doesn't require anything from us.  We want a Jesus of convenience, rather than One of personal sacrifice.  Even though Jesus clearly articulates in His teaching that we must not only be willing to forsake all we have to follow Him, but also be willing to die to ourselves. (Mark 8:34; Matt 16:24; Luke 9:23)

2.  We appoint and elect spiritual leaders in the church out of convenience, camaraderie, or desperate necessity, rather than according to the character requirements given in scripture or the genuine leading of the Holy Spirit.  Men who have never even read the Bible in Its entirety, who have exhibited no consistent dedication to their own spiritual maturity, neither consistent management of the spiritual growth of their own family, are put in positions of spiritual leadership in the church.  It is far better to have a vacant position of leadership, than to fill it in desperation, according to whim or with those simply seeking a title or positions of authority. (1 Tim 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9)

3.  We seek teachers who will empower us, rather than convict us.  
There is authority in and through the Name of Christ, but we are not in control, He is.  Preachers who promise empowerment through Christ are teaching people to substitute themselves in the place where Christ should be.  We are at His feet, He is the only One on the throne.  (1 Cor 15:27,28)

4.  We want changed circumstances instead of changed lives.  We don't mind submitting our circumstances for Christ to work on, but we do not want to submit to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit working within us developing and refining our character.....because inner transformation costs too much.  (Phil 2:12,13)

5.  We are not coming to the cross broken and in desperate need of a Savior, longing to be free from the tyranny of sin in our lives.  We want to be saved from the punishment for our sins, but we do not want the necessary personal death that goes along with it, drawing us out and away from sin. We want new wine in old wineskins. (Romans 6)

6.  We are Biblically illiterate which has led to a gross lack of discernment within the Church as a whole.  We follow ministries because they are emotionally appealing and tell us what we want to hear.  Someone who truly hears the voice of God will not appeal to your ego or personal motives or agenda.  When we follow ministries simply because they appeal to us, any spiritual changes made within us are either temporary or not by the Holy Spirit and will ultimately lead us further away from the truth. (2 Tim 4:3,4)

7.  We do not recognize our Shepherd's voice because we spend little-to-no time listening to Him in intimate, daily prayer or consuming scripture.  (Titus 1:16; John 10:27)

8.  We spend far more time pursuing and managing our own kingdom, rather than pursuing to learn about and understand God's kingdom.  We are damned by distraction and spiritually crippled with the busyness of producing fruit for our own kingdom, which perpetually eats up any time and opportunity for us to bear fruit for God's kingdom.  Our time is wasted and consumed day-after-day building with straw and hay on a foundation of sand. (1 Cor 3:12,13)

9.  We measure our relationship with God according to the tasks we perform within or for the church, rather than the time we actually spend in personal fellowship with Him.  We pursue ministry over relationship. (Rev 3:1)

10.  We have littered the Christian landscape with the half-built towers of those who began to build, but failed to fully count the cost of what it means to truly follow Christ.  When you preach or follow half the Gospel, you will only build half the tower. (Luke 14:28-30)

We are a nation of empty lamps and dirty cups, claiming Christ as Savior but full of worldliness and devoid of any consistent inner transformation by the Holy Spirit.  God does not operate according to our own personal version of the Christian faith.  God isn't simply whatever we imagine Him to be.  The Gospel cannot be found in our commercialized version of Christianity.  Neither is the Gospel fully represented in our staunchly held denominational bias and conventions.  We want Christ, but we want Him to operate within our Sunday morning program.  We want Christ, but we want the world too.  This is why the church has increasingly turned from being a well-spring of Living Water, into putrid pond-water that gives no life at all.  Jesus said He came to give us rivers of living water (John 7:38), but we want the water to flow into our neatly enclosed area, where it can no longer flow, but it sits and turns to scum. 

If you find yourself at a point in your life where you feel inexplicably pulled into a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God, I encourage you to surrender.  I encourage you to pray for God to send you the people that He will work through to quench your thirst, and the church that He will work through to feed your soul.  I encourage you to pray for Living Water.  That is God's will for His children, and He always answers prayers according to His will.

"Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, 'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. To the one who believes in Me, it is just as the Scripture has said: 'Streams of living water will flow from within him.'" (John 7:38)

"If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, proving yourselves to be My disciples." (John 15:6-8)

Looking For Lovely

I taught a girls' Bible study this summer called, "Looking For Lovely".  The gist of the Bible study was to look for and focus on the lovely things among our circumstances.  The study focused on Romans 5:3-5 which says, "Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us."  As I watched my Pastor--my friend, mentor and father figure-- battle pancreatic cancer over this last year, I desperately searched for the lovely.  I insistently banged on the door of heaven, asking God to explain Himself.  I mulled over all the scriptural reasons for suffering, I pondered God's motives, I examined His intent, as if God needed me to judge His work.  In all this, I found nothing lovely.  In all this, at every turn, there seemed to be only ugly. 

I looked for purpose, but I found only suffering and pain.  I sought understanding, but I only experienced doubt and frustration.  My beloved Pastor went home to be with the Lord last Monday and it is now a week later that God has finally spoken.  The whole time my Pastor battled cancer, I asked God what was the purpose of building his character through suffering if it was only going to lead to death?  What was the purpose of refining his character if he wasn't going to stay alive to share what he learned?  God answered:  It wasn't Pastor's character that was being built, it was the character of all those who loved him.  God was building the character of all those who would continue their lives after our Pastor was gone.

Just like our Pastor poured out his life into ours while he was living-- teaching us, mentoring us, praying for us-- so would he be poured out in death, a final sacrifice unto God bearing "the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved... a fragrance that brings life." (2 Cor 2:15,16) and "a sweet smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God." (Phil 4:18).  All those who loved our Pastor persevered in prayer and persevered in faith.  Our prayers may not have been answered the way we expected or wanted them to, but our faith that God is still on the throne and is still perfect in holiness, love and justice, has persevered.  Through faith, we are more than conquerors over every temptation we faced to succumb to doubt, anger, or frustration.  We experienced all those things, yet they never prevailed over our faith.

It was hard for me to see any perseverance because I was too focused on the ugliness of the circumstances.  It is so easy to fall into the temptation to judge God's love for us based on our circumstances.  But scripture tells us that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, neither "trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword.." (Rom 8:35).  Jesus never promised us that we wouldn't suffer, but He did promise that we would never be separated from His love. 

We are told that the fruit of hope is the result of all the suffering, all the perseverance and all the building of character, "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us." (Rom 5:5).  After all the suffering and persevering and building of character, we are left with hope and God's love.  We are left with the peace and assurance of our salvation and that one day very soon we will be with Pastor again.  We are left with fulfilling the purposes of God by the power of His Holy Spirit Whom He has given us.  We are left with only lovely.