The 21st Century … and God

The God Delusion
God is Not Great
God: The Failed Hypothesis
God Needs to Go
How the West Really Lost God
Is God a Moral Monster?
God, Are You There?

These are just some of the titles one will find in the Christian section of any bookstore. As a society, we seem to be struggling with the concept of God in our modern world and how He fits into our frantic, computerized lives.

“Our parents never saw this coming,” declares, Jeremy Lallier, writer for Vertical Thought magazine which strives to offer relevant content to help young people ages 12-22 discover and live God's way of life. “They grew up in a world where people stretched a dollar as far as they could, and when something ripped, they put a patch on it and kept going. Most of their parents or grandparents remember living through the Great Depression, where just having anything, no matter how old, was a big deal.”

Fast forward to 2013 where information that is more than ten minutes old is irrelevant. Everything has gotten faster, sleeker, and more expensive. My word processor (remember those?) from college would be outperformed by most cell phones today.

When it comes to an eternal God and His Word which is thousands of years old, people take the same view of Him as their six month old electronic device – ancient history.

“The argument almost makes sense on the surface,” Lallier surmises. “After all, everything changes, doesn't it? Societal values shift across distance and time. What was acceptable dress in 14th-century Japan would likely be frowned upon in a 21st-century American business meeting. So it only makes sense that right and wrong, like all things societal, would change as a culture does.

But truth is not a suit. It is not an outfit to be mixed and matched, discarded and replaced to keep in step with the latest trends. It's an unchanging constant unaltered by time or culture.”

All of us believe in the laws of physics – gravity, inertia, relativity – because if we break them the consequences would be dire. But yet we bristle at the idea of unchanging moral laws. We don’t want to be told that we can’t abort our babies or marry who we want, but yet the outcome of such actions will have a predetermined effect. God tells us that if we sow to the flesh we will reap corruption (Galatians 6:8).

The Bible is not just a book of rules written by old men once upon a time. “What the Bible offers is a guidebook to interactions – with people, with things, with life in general,” Lallier asserts. “Rather than leave you to figure out the spiritual equivalent of walking off a cliff on your own, the Word of God lays out all the principles you'll ever need to make the important decisions in your life. In its pages, you'll find a thorough examination of what makes for a good idea and what makes for a terrible one.

The Bible deals with questions like:

- What do you do when you're faced with an interpersonal conflict? (See Matthew 5:23-24; 18:15-17)

- How should you treat the most important relationships in your life? (See Ephesians 5:22-33; 6:1-4)

- How can you put your foot down on an issue and still show compassion? (See Luke 17:3; Proverbs 10:12)

It also deals with character traits worth developing (1 Corinthians 13:4-8; 2 Peter 1:5-8); habits worth avoiding (Proverbs 6:9-19); friends worth having (Proverbs 27:17; Ecclesiastes 4:9-10), and maybe a thousand other things essential to getting the most out of this life and the next. Study its words for a lifetime, and you won't stop uncovering wisdom until your final breath.”

But most importantly, it deals with eternal life and how one can obtain it by having his/her sins forgiven by Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross.

“Sure, the Bible is old,” Lallier admits. “But old doesn't automatically mean obsolete, contrary to everything our culture would have us believe.”

I am not a naïve person. I test out everything in my life. I have tested my faith. I have put God’s Words into motion and have seen the benefits. Might I challenge you to do the same?

It may surprise you to know that the Bible is the most commented on book that has never been read. So many people have a position on the Bible and yet have never read it. Don’t base your chance at happiness in this life – or the next – on someone else’s opinions. Read it for yourself, put it into practice, and watch your life change – for the better.

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“Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” - Apostle Paul (2 Timothy 3:16)

The Gospel According to Jesus

Pope Benedict announced his resignation this past week. This is the first time a pope has resigned in nearly 600 years. The last pope to resign was Pope Gregory XII in 1415. He stepped down to end the “Great Western Schism” during which there were rival claims to the papal throne. In 1294, Pope Celestine V resigned after only five months, preferring the simple life of a monk to the majesty of being pope.

Benedict resigned because he felt he was too frail to adequately exercise the duties of the Petrine ministry. There are many conspiracy theories circulating – everything from blackmail to pressure from an outside homosexual contingent.

No matter the reason, the church believes the pope is the successor of Saint Peter whom, according to Roman Catholic teaching, Jesus named as the “shepherd” and “rock” of the Catholic Church. Also, according to Catholic dogma, it is the one true Church founded by Christ. Peter never bore the title of “pope”, which came into use three centuries later, but Catholics traditionally recognize him as the first pope.

Many Catholics are shocked by this news and are trying to make sense of it through the lens of their faith. A trying time.

I was raised Catholic and many of my family and friends are Catholic. I have to admit that I struggle when news like this surfaces. It is always challenging trying to figure out exactly what to say that is loving but also firm regarding the purity of the gospel message of Christ. And His message is simple - forgiveness of ones sins is available to anyone who puts their faith and trust in Him and His atoning work on the cross, see Romans 10:1-13.

While the Catholic Church does not deny the atoning work of Christ on the cross, it also teaches that in addition to Christ's sacrifice, a person must perform certain works to earn salvation. The words of the Council of Trent – convened to affirm and codify the teaching of the Catholic Church in response to the Reformation – clearly spell out the Catholic version of justification that still stands today. “Hence, to those who work well unto the end and trust in God, eternal life is to be offered, both as a grace mercifully promised to the sons of God through Christ Jesus, and as a reward promised by God himself, to be faithfully given to their good works and merits.” Salvation in the Catholic system is something you earn “by those very works which have been done in God, fully satisfied the divine law according to the state of this life and to have truly merited eternal life.”

John MacArthur has been writing a series of blogs to inform readers of the teachings of the Cathlolic Church and how they differ in relation to the gospel message of Christ. He says the following in regards to the Catholic teaching on how one obtains salvation, “It’s a completely foreign gospel, manufactured by the Catholic Church and able only to condemn, not save. No amount of repetitious prayers, veneration of the saints and other church relics, or masses attended can redeem a sinner’s soul. No priest has the power to forgive sins, and no indulgence bought and paid for can hold back the due punishment of those sins.”

Coincidently, the pastor of my church has been preaching through the Book of Galatians. The Apostle Paul penned this letter to a number of early Christian communities in the Roman province of Galatia in central Anatolia around 200 AD. At the beginning of the letter, Paul is principally concerned with the controversy surrounding Gentile Christians and the Mosaic Law in early Christianity. The Judaizers wanted to mix Jewish traditions with the gospel message, thereby, perverting the purity of it. Paul eloquently and fiercely defends the gospel even confronting the Apostle Peter for allowing the heresy to perpetuate. This text clearly shows that the Apostle Peter was not infallible in church matters as Catholic dogma not only teaches, but also believes is passed down to all future popes. This is why it is so important to always examine what the Scripture says and not rely on the traditions of men.

I wish I could say that Paul’s letter ended this type of attack on the gospel, but sadly, it has only grown worse as the powers of the kingdom of darkness continue to distort it. The Catholic Church, along with any other religion that tells a person they have to do something to earn salvation is preaching a foreign gospel. And this really is the crux of the matter. I often tell my family and friends who are Catholic that in the end all that will matter is what you believe about the person and ministry of Jesus Christ. The Bible clearly states that Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and died on the cross at Calvary to pay for the sins of mankind. He rose on the third day and ascended into heaven and promises all those that trust in Him and His finished work on the cross that they too will also one day rise from the dead and be eternally present with God.

Ephesians 2:8-9 unequivocally states that man can do nothing to earn God's favor for it is “by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” This is our message. We must hold fast to it, preach it to others as well as to ourselves, but most importantly, live it.

We inhabit a world that is very dark and only grows dimmer with every law that is passed that legalizes another sin. Christ told us that He is the Light of the world (John 8:12). As His followers, we carry that light to others. If you have people in your life that are Catholic this is the perfect time to share the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ in love. Right now they are searching for answers. Don’t let Rome be the ones feeding them more lies about how to get heaven. The most precious message we possess is the gospel of grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Share it today.
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“It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians, not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ!” - Patrick Henry

Cultivating a Heart of Thanksgiving

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I must admit that as a child I kind of glossed over Thanksgiving in anticipation of Christmas. I never really liked turkey as a child which may also have contributed to my blasé feeling toward it. But as an adult, it is by far my favorite holiday. I love getting together with my family (I am one of seven children) and eating all the delicious food and watching football. Of course, the Patriots are playing as well this year which makes it even more special.

In contemplating Thanksgiving and God’s command for us to be thankful in all things (Ephesians 5:20), I am reminded of God’s most important gift to all of us who know Him as our Savior – Himself. For you see, God could have given us temporal riches to enjoy in this world but He has always had in view our number one need – redemption. John Piper once said that “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” And this really is the key to the abundant life that Jesus promised would be ours in Him. So often in today’s world where gain is mistakenly for godliness as Paul said it would be (1 Timothy 6), we look toward temporal blessings as an indication of God’s favor and miss the fact that Jesus reminded us often that life does not consist in the abundance of things but IN Him alone (Luke 12:13-21).

Nancy Leigh DeMoss has written a wonderful book called Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy, which I highly recommend reading as it has helped me to think about the importance of gratitude in my walk. She states that gratitude is a choice and if we fail to chose it, by default we choose ingratitude. And when we do choose a lifestyle of heartfelt, humble gratitude, we are mindful of the benefits received from our gracious Savior and those He has placed around us. By intentionally thanking God and others, bitterness and entitlement are replaced with joy and the humble realization of just how undeserving we really are.

DeMoss also challenges us to give thanks not only to God but to other people. She deftly points out that the Apostle Paul thanks people in all but four of his epistles. She also includes a 30-day devotional guide to help readers practically implement gratitude into their daily walk.

I hope this Thanksgiving you will take some time to think about gratitude beyond just the one day that it is celebrated in this country and look toward developing a heart attitude of thanksgiving throughout the year. I am currently on this journey, which I must confess has not been easy at times, especially when I am hurt by others or suffer injustices, but it is at these times that God is urging me to be most thankful. I realize this seems like a paradox, but much of Christianity is the polar opposite of human reasoning because humanism at its core leads us away from God and from the precepts of His kingdom which bring true joy and contentment. I think one of the keys to living victoriously in this area is to never forget your own salvation. It is at the cross that we find all we truly need to be thankful for, and with that perspective, anything we suffer in this life can be counted as all joy.

I hope everyone has a blessed and peaceful Thanksgiving.

“Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow.” - Edward Sandford Martin

Prayer: Our Secret Weapon

Last week I had discussed the importance of prayer and its power to transform our lives and bring about revival. Incidentally, no revival ever took place that was not ignited first through persistent and heartfelt prayer. This week I wanted to take a look at what prayer accomplishes in the life of the believer.

As I had mentioned last week, prayer is our opportunity to commune directly with God. This relationship was made by possible by the birth, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Ephesians chapter six tells us that we war against principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places and urges us to put on the whole armor of God daily. The armor has five pieces for defense and the Sword of the Spirit (the Word of God) as our only offensive weapon but I would also suggest that prayer is our secret weapon.

In his profound but little known work, The Weapon of Prayer, E.M. Bounds says, “The most efficient agents in disseminating the knowledge of God, in prosecuting His work upon the earth, and in standing as a breakwater against the billows of evil, have been praying church leaders. God depends upon them, employs them, and blesses them.”

Leonard Ravenhill argues that even Satan “would rather have us increase in Bible knowledge as long as we keep from prayer, which is the exercise of the instruction we have received through the Word. What use is deeper knowledge if we have shallower hearts? What use is greater standing with men if we have less standing with God? … What use is religious piety if we have soul carnality? ... Who can take comfort in social popularity if he is unknown in hell? Prayer takes care of all these spiritual maladjustments.”

I believe that prayer is as vital to the spiritual man as breathing is to the physical man. Prayer is the great divider of those that claim to be spiritual versus those whose hearts beat in unison with the Living God.

Prayer also safeguards us against our two worst enemies – pride and pity. God is always trying to get us to a place where we are balanced right between pride and pity. He wants us to recognize our self worth in Him and boast as the Apostle Paul did in Him alone. But He also wants us to acknowledge our sin before Him with a broken and contrite heart so in our humility He can exalt us.

It is unfeasible to strike this balance without a consistent prayer life. I would also suggest that it is impossible to have a successful prayer life if we are not committed to the Word as it is through God’s Word that we know His mind and are able to have confidence in Him that “if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”

I think for many Christians our prayer life is lacking because we simply do not believe God. We have lost confidence that our prayers are moving angels into action. Perhaps part of the reason is because God does not allow us to see everything He is doing when we pray. I heard a preacher say once that if he had been Daniel praying for God’s revelation, the answer would have been delayed three years instead of three weeks. That is a very depressing statement, but alas, it may be a reality for many of us.

It is within our power to change. If we are dry spiritually than let us pray for the living water that Jesus promised is ours in Him; if we are feeling like we are just going through the motions of our faith than let us pray for renewed passion; if we no longer witness to others because we are fearful of their reaction than let us pray for boldness. God is still faithful. His chief desire is it to revive His people. He is at the door knocking. Prayer is the key.

To make my weak heart strong and brave,
Send the fire.
To live a dying world to save, send the fire.
Oh, see me on thy altar lay
My life, my all, this very day;
To crown the offering now I pray:
Send the fire!

-F. de L. Booth-Tucker

The Throne Room Awaits

No man or woman is greater than his/her prayer life. The dictionary defines prayer as a reverent petition made to God or another object of worship. When Jesus Christ died on Calvary the veil of the temple was torn in two which represented the fact that now man could come into the presence of God himself instead of going through the temple priest. In is through Jesus Christ and His life, ministry, death, and resurrection that we can now commune with God directly. But how many of us take full advantage of this unlimited access to the throne room of God?

The Bible exhorts us to pray unceasingly, fervently, and earnestly but for most of us the fulfillment of this command is not a reality. Leonard Ravenhill in his classic Christian book, Why Revival Tarries says the church is most poverty-stricken in the area of prayer, “We have many organizers, but few agonizers; many players and payers, few prayer-ers; many singers, few clingers; lots of pastors, few wrestlers; many fears, few tears; much fashion, little passion; many interferers, few intercessors; many writers, but few fighters. Failing here, we fail everywhere.”

I believe the Christian life can be counterfeited in just about every area except for prayer. A true prayer warrior brings the presence of the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians chapter six, the Apostle Paul states that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” As we beseech the throne room of God, spiritual forces are battling either on our behalf or against us. Given this spiritual truth, it is possible that one man or woman praying on earth can move angels into action.

Earlier in my Christian life, I was very ministry focused. I saw the doing of God’s work as the top priority but in actuality, without prayer, even our good intentions on God’s behalf are futile. Prayer is the time when the Lord is able to cleanse us, teach us His mind and will, and make the impossible possible.

A church is truly set on fire by its commitment to prayer. The world is not waiting for a new definition of the gospel; they are waiting for a new demonstration of the power of the gospel. It is the life that is transformed that makes the world sit up and take notice. That is why the Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 12 exhorts us to “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 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.” It is only as our mind is renewed that we are able to prove and do God’s will.

I think for many Christians we view the reading of God’s Word and prayer as separate, but I believe they are intimately connected. The Word allows us to know the mind of God; prayer enables us to commune with God. What a marvelous privilege - to commune directly with the Living God!

I often find that when I am reading the Word of God, I will stop frequently and begin praying. It is as if God is teaching me His Word and at the same time prompting me to pray for the things that are His will for my life. Of course, I John 5:14-15 underscores this symbiotic relationship between God’s will and prayer, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”

I don’t think anyone of us is ever truly satisfied with our prayer life but if we want to experience the power of God and see our churches and ourselves revived, we need to begin with prayer. God will answer if we are faithful.

“In the spiritual sphere, the riches garments of the soul are spun on the looms of prayer and dyed in the travail that fills up the sufferings of Christ.” – Leonard Ravenhill

A Glimpse Behind The Prayer Veil

During the past couple of weeks the Lord has been teaching me much about prayer. Not only the power of prayer but how it works in the physical world as well as the spiritual realm. I wanted to share a fascinating truth from Scripture that I hope will bless your heart.

In the Book of Daniel, chapter 10, the Lord provides an in-depth look into prayer that is riveting and unlike any other passage in the Bible. At the start of this chapter, the prophet Daniel receives a disturbing message which prompts him to begin praying to understand its meaning. The text says he prays for three weeks and then is visited by an angel, who most scholars believe is Gabriel. It is at this point that Gabriel reveals to Daniel what has been happening in the spiritual world during the time he has been praying, “Then he said to me, 'Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.'” (10:12-14)

I have read several commentaries on these verses and they all agree that the prince of the kingdom of Persia who resisted Gabriel was an angel of Satan. Bearing this in mind, it is interesting to notice that as soon as Daniel began praying his prayer was heard and answered immediately by God who sent Gabriel. It is at this point that an intercepting agent of Satan (the prince of Persia) sought to detain Gabriel and perhaps would have restrained him even longer than 21 days if the Archangel Michael did not get involved in the battle. It is also worth mentioning that perhaps the answer may have been postponed even longer had Daniel grown weary of praying every day for three weeks.

This entire scenario that is revealed in Daniel perfectly pictures Ephesians chapter six where the Apostle Paul states that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (6:12) This is a powerful truth, isn’t it? As we beseech the throne room of God, spiritual forces are battling either on our behalf or against us. Given this reality, it is possible that one man or woman praying on earth can move angels into action.

Pastor David Jeremiah said on this subject of prayer that when Christ died on Calvary he sealed the fate of Satan once and for all. But the final execution of Satan’s judgment when he is bound and thrown in to the lake fire will not take place until the end of the world. In the meantime, it is up to the Church of Jesus Christ to enforce Satan’s judgment. But how do we do this? It is through the power of Christ’s death and resurrection that we have the power to thwart Satan’s plans by humbling ourselves, as Daniel did, before the throne room of God. Pastor Jeremiah went on to say that we should not pray deliver us from evil but deliver us from the evil one. So often, we pray for things and never pray against the powers of darkness. We are engaged in a battle, and if we are indeed wrestling against the powers of darkness as Paul states, than we need to engage in the conflict by praying against the forces that are seeking to destroy our churches, our families, and our young people.

I think often as Christians we feel defeated in prayer and do not realize the power we have to change our world. It is the prayers not the mayors that make the world go around.

So, let us approach the throne room of God boldly and execute what Paul tells us we have the power to do in 2 Corinthians, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (10: 3-5).

No one is a firmer believer in the power of prayer than the devil; not that he practices it, but he suffers from it." - Guy H. King