Cheers!

One thing that continually intrigues me about sitting under instruction of God's word is how He manages to tailor the lesson to one specific area of my life or set of beliefs that needs to be addressed. I normally begin a session thinking I'm going to learn about one particular subject, yet it's amazing how oftentimes I end up learning a more valuable lesson about something totally different. Such was the case in last night's doctrines class.

Last night's lesson was on regeneration, how we are born spiritually dead (thanks to Adam's sin) and made spiritually alive by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit at the moment we profess a saving faith in Jesus Christ, and how this new life manifests itself in the life of the believer. Having been through this material more than once in the past, I figured there wouldn't be much "new stuff" to absorb in class...that is, until Dan joined our class ten minutes into the lesson.

Dan gave us an example of the manifestation of new life (or, in the case of the example, the lack of manifestation) from his own perspective, how he had observed others giving testimony of their faith in Christ, and how they diminished (or in some cases destroyed) their own testimony shortly thereafter by consuming alcoholic beverages. I responded with a profession of my own ignorance of what a Biblical stance on the consumption of alcohol should be. What followed was a rather heated debate (among all of us) about exactly what the Bible has to say about alcohol. It seemed the Lord had decided that I was going to learn something new after all.

Once again, I praise God for the pastors He has seen fit to bless us with. They complement each other in many ways. Our associate pastor took the lead with an uncompromising stance against all alcoholic consumption, and he did a good job of backing his position up with scripture references and theological arguments. That alone, I thought, was enough to enlighten me of the error of my ways. Not surprisingly (for those who know him), our senior pastor quietly listened to everyone's arguments, and he only interjected when he felt it necessary to correct a statement that was just plain wrong...but of course, he didn't stop there.

As I stated in a previous post, we can always count on our senior pastor to present us with a plethora of information when we have questions or disagreements. I appreciate the fact that he knows how to enlighten us by allowing us to learn on our own. He simply gives us all the information we could possibly need to make our own choice, and he trusts that God will do the rest. I walked away with both new knowledge and a new position on alcohol consumption, and I have enough information at my disposal now to keep my position from ever changing.

While I have believed for a long time that there was nothing wrong with the occasional drink in a Christian's life, I myself have very rarely imbibed. However, the Lord took the choice of drinking from me several years ago when I was diagnosed with gout. You see, one of the two biggest dietary taboos for a gout patient is alcohol. Unless I want to be dependent on medication for the rest of my life (which I do not), I can never drink again. I now understand why He did that - because alcohol consumption is condemned by the Bible! Praise God for His all-loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful character! He continues to give me exactly what I need, exactly when I need it.

"Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise." - Proverbs 20:1

"Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder." - Proverbs 23:31-32

The Empowered Helper

This weekend was a great reminder of the many ways God has blessed me. For starters, my wife was away Friday and Saturday for the Women's Retreat at Camp CoBeAc. No, I don't mean that I was blessed by her absence. I was, however, reminded that I have a nice enough job that I'm able to take a day off for things like this without any repercussions. This afforded me an extra day to get a few things done outside of the office, and a chance to spend some quality time with my sons.

My wife came back the same person as when she left, but at the same time, there were differences that I could not help but notice. She was vibrant, alive; she had a renewed zeal for the Lord. She was bursting to tell me everything about her trip. She was suddenly full of new ideas for ministry. I've spent my last two evenings keeping my eyes open far later into the night than I had intended, listening to her talk about her experience. While I do admit that it can be rather tiring, it's also quite exciting for me to see how God is working in her life. In short, she has been empowered.

Why "empowered", you ask? You see, my wife has, for many years now, been living with an illness that continuously saps her energy. She has had to grudgingly accept that she is not able to do all the things she used to be able to do. Some days, she just has to adopt the "don't care" attitude, in order to keep her stress level down. There are even days when it's a struggle for her just to get out of bed in the morning. Consequently, she often feels used up, burned out, as though she is not able to successfully serve God with her life any longer. How thankful I am that God is not confined to the limitations of our own failed, human understanding!

There are two great lessons that God has taught me in the last year that apply to what I am beginning to see in my wife now. The first is that where God guides, He also provides. The second is that anything God asks you to do, He will empower you to do.

When I was moved by the Holy Spirit to go to Brazil last fall, I had no idea how I would get there. What little vacation time I had remaining for the year was already spoken for, and there was no way, what with me being over my head in debt, that I could afford the $1000+ required to get me there and back again. Somehow, God worked it all out for me. He took the worry away, and everything got scheduled and paid for. How foolish I was to think that the almighty God could be constrained by worldly things!

When I faced the prospect of going to Brazil, I was scared out of my wits. Before that trip, anytime anyone suggested to me anything at all having to do with missions, I ran the other direction. The old, worldly-minded man still inside me wanted nothing to do with getting on a plane to South America. However, God was right beside me through all the fear and doubt. When push came to shove, He even carried me. By making me totally dependent on Him, He empowered me to be something new for Him. How foolish I was to think that the almighty God could be constrained by my own shortcomings!

It is such a joy to see God working in a similar way with my wife. I love seeing how He can provide new strength for her. I love watching Him empower her to become something new for His purpose. I especially enjoyed watching her boldly take charge and lead the others who accompanied her in sharing testimony of their trip. It was as if God was saying,"I've given you a great helper in your mate. You just haven't fully realized it yet. Watch me work now, and you'll be amazed." Now that's a blessing! What a wonderfully awesome God we serve!

"And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him." - Genesis 2:18

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." - Philippians 4:13

Answered Prayer

As I mentioned in an earlier post, last night I was privileged to speak to our AWANA clubbers about Christian testimony, that is, sharing how trusting Jesus as your savior has changed your life. The night before I was scheduled to speak, I spent some time in prayer, asking that one person, just one person, would be somehow touched by this message in such a way that it would cause him/her to come forward and profess faith in Christ. I asked God to ensure that I was not doing this under my own power, but that He would speak through me to reach the hearts and minds of those present.

I began by defining testimony, and giving an example by sharing my own. I then explained the story of Saul of Tarsus found in Acts 9, how he was a persecutor of the early church, and how he met Jesus personally on the road to Damascus. I explained how that divine encounter turned Saul's entire belief system on its head, how the proverbial rug was snatched out from under his feet, how his entire foundation of faith was taken away. The only thing he had to grab on to at that moment was Jesus, and he took that leap of faith.

God took the most notorious killer of Christians at that time, and turned him into the most famous Christian missionary in history. Saul of Tarsus became Paul the Apostle. It is because of this miracle that we have a great portion of what is known today as the New Testament in our Bible. Paul's letters to churches that he and other believers started throughout the heathen (non-Jewish) parts of the world serve as examples for our church today, and we study them in great detail to ensure that we follow God's plan for the church.

God had gifted Paul with what I consider to be his most powerful tool to use in missionary work - his testimony of how Jesus Christ changed his life. Paul was given the most compelling testimony ever recorded, and he used it well. Each of us who have put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ to save us from eternal death has a testimony, and that is also one of the great tools God has gifted us with to go forth and spread the word to others.

We all, as believers, are missionaries. We may not be able to travel to other countries or speak other languages, but that doesn't matter. There is more than enough work for us right where we are. Think about it; there are people you encounter every single day who do not truly know Jesus. God has placed you in fellowship with those people, so that you can share the love of Jesus with them. Let us all be faithful and diligent to fulfill the Great Commission.

The longer I spoke last night, the more the words just seemed to flow out of me. It was clear that God was in total control of that entire situation...which is good, because it prevents me from being prideful and taking credit for what happened afterward. You see, the Lord answered my prayer last night. I know of at least one clubber who came forward to take that leap of faith and trust Jesus. Praise God for working through me this way, for using my simple life for His glory!

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." - Romans 10:17

"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." - Isaiah 55:11

A Poor Example

Every day since the beginning of this year, I have made it a practice to wake up an hour earlier than necessary and spend time in prayer and in reading my Bible. It includes daily devotions, which I consider a key to applying simple truths of God's word to my life. Since I began doing this, I have found that it has a calming effect on my day. When I begin each day by having uninterrupted time with the Lord, it better prepares me for what awaits me in the world. Remember that word "uninterrupted"; it comes into play later.

"Poor Examples" was the title of this morning's Daily Bread devotion. It told of how the Pharisees and scribes of Jesus' time, who were in charge of instructing others in God's ways, were complete hypocrites. They were quick to point out the shortcomings of others, quick to preach to others, and quick to take credit for their own good deeds. However, in practice (that is, in matters of the heart before God), they were the lowest of the low. They knew nothing about pleasing God with their lives, because to them, it was all about self-edification by putting on a good show before other men. In short, they were poor examples of Godly behavior to the populace.

As of late, I have been doing my best to change my behavior at the office, in order to reflect more of Christ and less of myself to my coworkers. Morning devotions help me with this, because they add a new concept to my behavior and attitude every day. What could be more appropriate than to remind me to be a good example of Godly behavior to others during the day than what I read this morning? With this in mind, I'd just walk into the office and be the best example of Jesus to others that I could be, right?

WRONG! I got to the office, and immediately began griping about one of my coworkers to another, in clear violation of God's word. Why? Because it was this person's behavior which interrupted my time with the Lord this morning. This person thought that whatever work-related problem came up was SO important that it warranted calling ME at 6:00AM and demanding that I fix it immediately. My personal time was interrupted, I didn't properly soak in the message, and I blamed someone else for it.

Did you catch all the usage of the words ME, I, and MY in the previous paragraph? That's right - selfishness took over. Any time I get out of step with God, that's what I default to. It's my own sinful, human nature at work. As soon as I had blown off steam and come to my senses enough to realize what I had just done, I bowed my head, and I asked God's forgiveness. I asked Him to teach me better behavior. I asked Him to empower me to be a better example of Christ to others, because it's what He asks of me. It's what He asks of all of us.

For the believer, this is one of the key elements of walking with God. As soon as you recognize that you have erred, as soon as the Holy Spirit convicts you of wrongdoing, hit your knees! DON'T WAIT. Every minute you wait to confess is another minute that can potentially drive you farther from the Lord. I guarantee that during that waiting time, you'll try to justify your sin to yourself. You'll invent reasons why your behavior was somehow acceptable. There's another word for self-justification; it's called LYING, which is also sin. One sin leads to another when sin is left unconfessed. Don't wait any longer. Get right with the Lord today. You'll feel much better for it. I know I do.

"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." - Colossians 3:17

"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." - Ephesians 4:29

An abundance of information

Our Bible doctrines class last night focused on a subject which has puzzled me for quite some time - the rapture of the church. Perhaps the source of my doubt and confusion originated from a lack of knowledge of the Bible. For years, I was of the opinion that, if a subject wasn't mentioned in the book of Revelation, that subject did not necessarily relate to the end of the church age and/or beyond. However, even after I had spent months looking up the many different passages relating to the rapture and other end times events, studying the verbage and context, seeking counsel, and reading other works relating to the subject of the rapture, I still had my doubts. Perhaps I was just reluctant to place my full confidence in a promise that seemed so unlikely and impossible to me.

It seems God is always teaching me a new lesson, even if I don't realize it at the time. In the hour before class, I sat down with my family to pizza night, which is the one night of the week when we get to eat dinner in front of the TV. Last night's program was "Abe and the Amazing Promise", a VeggieTales portrayal of the story of Abraham. Just to give a quick review, the story includes God's having promised the 100-year-old Abraham and his wife a child. They reacted with laughter and doubt, because they were limited by their own human point of view. It occurs to me this morning, as I look back on my time searching the scriptures, that I was reacting just like Abraham. I was in doubt because my own failed human nature prevented me from trusting God's word. To put it bluntly, I lacked faith.

Our pastors and our teachers at First Baptist Church do a marvelous job of explaining in minute detail various subjects and portions of scripture, to the degree that they are reluctant to continue on to the next point until everyone involved has a full and complete understanding of the material. Praise God that this class proved to be no exception. In fact, it was even better! In addition to the usual weekly study guide, which had already managed to make a significant dent in my doubt, there were many other materials given to us for our own personal study on the subject of the rapture. In short, God provided me with more than enough information to convince me of His promise.

God continues to give me exactly what I need, exactly when I need it. At seemingly every turn, when I begin to think of how far I've come in my walk with Him, He reminds me once again how little I truly understand, and how far I still have to go. He reminds me that, no matter how much faith I think I have, it pales in comparison to the amount of faith I could have. He reminds me that I will never be complete in Him until the day I am able to be with Him in Heaven.

May God forgive my stubborn ignorance! I praise Him for keeping me humble in my walk with Him, and I thank Him for His promise that I will be spared the period of tribulation on the earth.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." - Hebrews 11:1

"Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." - John 20:29

Unequally Yoked

Yesterday evening was very pleasant here in Oxford. With spring fully upon us and the days getting ever longer, we were able to take the kids outside for game time again this week. This is the first week that Jeff (our new game leader) has tried AWANA-style games outdoors. It was interesting, to say the least. There were a few trip-and-fall moments, but a good time was had by all. I myself took a spill in the grass at the end of the three-legged race while diving for the second-place beanbag in the center of the game circle.

I was running the race with William, one of our special needs clubbers. He is one of those kids who requires constant one-on-one attention; otherwise, he very quickly gets out of control. Since that type of supervision is not typically possible in the AWANA environment, he is frustrated and has a strong dislike of everyone and everything there. Over the past few weeks, having recognized the need, I have taken it upon myself to slowly develop a relationship with this boy during game time. It requires more diligence and patience than I possess, and I thank God for empowering me to take on this task.

The end of game time finally revealed that some progress is being made. When it was time for him to go work on his Bible verses with his leader, he asked me if he could work with me instead. I wish I could have said yes, but I had my own team to handle for the next half hour. For him to actually show preference and WANT to work with one specific person at AWANA is a very big deal. Praise God for softening the walls that this boy has built around his heart! Please pray for William, that in the coming weeks he will come to completely understand the path to salvation in Jesus Christ. Please pray for us in the AWANA ministry, that God will continue to empower us to properly reach these kids with the gospel.

This morning, as I look back on the experience of running that race with William, I'm reminded of 2 Corinthians 6:14 - "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" Considering the difference in size between us, as well as the fact that we had to run the race with our ankles tied together, we were without question unequally yoked! However, Paul's intention in writing this verse was to consider the heart of those with whom you closely interact. If the other person does not possess a saving faith in Jesus Christ, you are unequally yoked. You must carefully consider if the activity you are engaging in will draw you both away from God or closer to God. If you will be drawn away, break that yoke! If, however, the activity might present the opportunity to share the gospel with the other person, go for it.

Let us as believers always remember to demonstrate our obedience, by carrying out Jesus' commands to us:
1. Love God. (Matthew 22:37 - "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.")
2. Love others. (Matthew 22:39 - "...Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.")
3. Tell others of God's salvation through Jesus. (Mark 16:15 - "...Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.")

This is why I volunteer at AWANA. It is one of the many ways I can show my love for God (by serving Him) and my love for others (by helping and working with them). It is also a great avenue for spreading the gospel of Christ to those who need it most - our children. ALL of them.

"...Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God." - Luke 18:16

Testimony

When the average person hears the word "testimony", they usually think of spoken evidence given by a witness in a courtroom. The typical situation in a court of law is that a person is on trial for one or more crimes against the state. Advocates are commissioned or appointed to represent the arguments for and against the defendant's guilt. A judge presides over the case, and a jury makes the final decision about the defendant's guilt based on the information given by the witnesses.

When a follower of Christ uses the word "testimony", that's typically what he's referring to, albeit in a slightly different scenario. The Christ follower serves as the witness. The person being addressed is the defendant. The end of the defendant's life is the courtroom, and the trial could begin at any time. The judge and jury is God the Father. The advocate for the defendant's guilt is Satan, who can and will do everything in his power to make the defendant appear as guilty as possible before the judge. The defendant has no legal council and therefore represents himself. Given the enormous power displayed by the opposing advocate (Satan), the defendant has no hope of proving his case. This is where the witness becomes key. It is absolutely essential that the defendant absorbs every word spoken by the witness and makes a well-educated decision based on the evidence presented, because the witness is about to tell the defendant how to get through his trial.

The crime is sin, and the sentence is death. Sin is disobeying God the Father. Satan does everything in his power to get us to sin, then testifies of it before God, proving our guilt. God's own words in the Bible agree with this assessment (Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God). God has decreed that there is only one penalty for sin, and that is death (Romans 6:23a - For the wages of sin is death).

The witness can tell the defendant about the only advocate powerful enough to represent him. This man can have the sentence commuted. He is the only one who has the power to do this, because he served that sentence in the defendant's place. This man is Jesus Christ. The witness is simply present to explain the way to make Jesus the defendant's advocate, but he is an advocate who must be retained in advance. Once the trial actually begins, the witness goes away, and the defendant has no options left to him. Jesus requires no retainer fee, and he asks for no legal fees when the trial is over. He only asks that the defendant agrees in advance with a verdict of "guilty", and that the defendant trusts him to have the sentence of death commuted. That is, the defendant must trust Jesus WITH HIS LIFE.

The testimony of the witness is a simple one:
1. What I was before Jesus became my advocate.
2. How I retained Jesus as my advocate.
3. What I am now that Jesus is my advocate.

Perhaps the most powerful testimony of Jesus was given by the apostle Paul. This was a man who was heavily learned in Old Testament law, a devout Jew with zeal for God. He tried so hard to please God by advocating Judaism that he became famous for his persecution of Christians. It wasn't enough for him to purge Jerusalem of Christians. He sought permission from the religious leaders to go to neighboring towns, drag Christians back to Jerusalem, and put them on trial. On the way to Damascus, a heavenly spotlight shone on him, and he heard the voice of God.

"Why are you persecuting me?"

"Who are you, Lord?"

"I am Jesus, and you're persecuting me."

Paul's entire worldview was suddenly turned upside-down. His entire foundation of faith was suddenly yanked out from under his feet, leaving him with nothing. (I can relate to that. Can you?) His only remaining recourse was to trust in Jesus, so he answered.

"What do you want me to do, Lord?"

He gave his life to Jesus, which is God's only alternative to death. He recounted this same story numerous times throughout his missionary journeys, winning countless souls for Christ. His testimony was his most powerful tool in serving the Lord.

If you have Jesus as your advocate before God, you have a testimony to give, just as Paul did. Yours probably doesn't involve spotlights from heaven or a voice of someone unseen, but it's personal, and it's real. That makes all the difference. Be a witness for Christ today, because tomorrow it might be too late for those with no advocate before God!

I'll have the privilege of speaking on this subject next week at AWANA. Please pray that God will use this message to speak to the hearts of all those in attendance, and that He might be ultimately glorified by it.