Who Is The Enemy?

I suppose that all teenagers are not rebellious. Some parents may have their children grow into maturity with a complete understanding of why their parents have given the principles and boundaries these teenagers live under. However, many teenagers think that their parents are the enemy and the world is their friend. This understanding will cause them more grief than than either the parents or the teenagers can imagine.

The church has a number of immature Christians. They act just like teenagers when accepting authority. They rebel because there is something they want. They think that their church leaders are the enemy and the other immature Christians who don't know what's really going on are their friends.

It is normal for those who are immature to rebel against authority. They want to do as they wish. They want to make those who keep them from doing so as evil. Immature people will even make their actions seem noble. They will couch it in spiritual ways if possible and in human compassion when not. 

Amazingly, most people fail to recognize what is going on here. They see this as merely the selfishness of those who are immature. They see their enemy as those whom they can see.

Paul didn't see things this way when he wrote to the Ephesians. He saw that each struggle came against spiritual evil which worked in the physical world. This spiritual evil rebels against God's will. It disrupts the fellowship of God's church. It thwarts the reaching of souls for Christ. It stops the teaching of the Scriptures. It forgets the mission of God's people. It takes away from the glory that should go to God.

Our struggle is not with those people who are disrupting our churches. Our true struggle is against a much more sinister force. This force is working behind the scenes. This evil one is separating God's people. It works in the spiritual areas which are unseen. 

This enemy works to set children against their parents and parents against their children. He works to destroy God's creation. He keeps working relentlessly. He wants us to think that we are the problem when it is him. 

This evil cannot be tolerated. He has declared himself our enemy. An enemy only wants one thing: your defeat. We recognize him and fight in the only way we can. We must go to God in prayer and ask for victory over the devil. He cannot defeat God.

However, we will always be defensive as long as we fail to recognize our enemy. We will fight against others. We will use political, emotional, psychological and other means of subtle coercions to get our way. We will fight each other rather than the evil one(s). We must recognize the worm for who he is and fight him in the spiritual realms. 

Do you have a struggle going on in your church? Now, think about it, who is the real enemy?

Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)
¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Standing Alone

I remember watching westerns on television as a child. More than one gave the story of a town sheriff who would stand alone against a lynch-mob. His prisoner was often innocent. That wasn't the point, however. The sheriff stood alone so this man could get a fair trial. The sheriff stood for what was right even if no one else stood with him.

Those television programs were made during a time when people understood that there was a right and wrong. These principles stood no matter who denied or supported them. They did not have a face. They were not negated because of a whim or even the perceived need of the individual. 

These stories often told the other side. A son had been murdered. All the evidence pointed to the man in the jail. The townsfolk wanted to alleviate the pain of the murdered boy's mother. They wanted instant retribution. They wanted to give this mother relief from her pain. They rallied around her and forgot what was right and wrong.

Yet, the sheriff, who may have wanted to give this mother relief as well, stood firm in protecting his prisoner. He understood that the law was made to benefit everyone. He understood that he had to do what the law said even when he didn't want to. He had to do so when he would rather have stood with the mob.

There are few people who will really stand for what is right when everyone else seeks something else. Most people become silent. They don't join in with those who are doing evil. They just don't say or do anything. They walk by while someone is beaten. They lock their doors; hoping no one will ask them to take a stand.

This gives a very blurred vision of right and wrong. Many people believe that the majority makes something right. Their understanding of right and wrong is determined by the number of people who say it is right or wrong. They believe they can be right as long as they are in the majority. 

I'm actually surprised that more movies of "instant justice" are not made. The mob takes the jailed man and hangs him. They congratulate themselves afterwards as they meet at the grieving mother's house for fried chicken and potato salad. All is right because they are all right together.

However, all will never be all right until we understand that there is a right. It will not be all right until we commit to that which is right. It will not be all right until we stand alone for what is right. 

You have to stand alone for what is right before you can stand together.

Joshua 24:15 (NIV)
¹⁵ But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

Today Is a Test

Today is a test. It will be taken whether or not we are prepared. We have the question set before us: What will we do with what we have? 

We may have dreaded this test. It may mean we have to go through something we would rather avoid. We can run from the test but it just means we have to take the same test later. Sometimes the "makeup" test is much harder than the one in front of us. It is better to go ahead and take the test today.

This test may scare us. The fear of failing this test is founded upon the previous tests we have failed. We like to avoid confrontations. Tests are confrontations of what we fear. Today's test confronts us by how we will handle our particular situation which has been handed to us today. Our success or failure is built upon what we do.

Our answers to today's test will reveal what we really believe. Everything we have said in platitudes and proverbs will mean nothing if we do not live what we say we believe. 

We cannot justify failing today's test. We can't simply say that stress got to us or that there were other unforeseen circumstances which got in the way of our success. Ultimately, we are responsible for today's test. 

Help is available for this test if we ask for it. No one needs to take today's test alone. There is One who knows all the answers and wants to help us pass today's test.

There will be another test for tomorrow. Today's test is the one we must concentrate on. Will we do what we should or will we regret our answer for today? Will we try to justify our failure or will we accept our faults? Will we ask for help on this test or will we try to go it alone?

Today's test is graded on a curve. Failing today's test is not our goal but if we do, we have One who will give us a passing grade. He passed the test for us.

We will pass today's test if we will just listen.

Hebrews 3:12-15 (NIV)
¹²  See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.¹³  But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.¹⁴  We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.
¹⁵ As has just been said: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion."

When Someone Won't Trust You

We are all sinners who come to our God who forgives. We receive forgiveness from Him. Others will forgive us too if they understand the forgiveness given to them. But forgiveness is not the same as trust. After we have received forgiveness we will have to earn their trust again.

Many people try to say that they have not been forgiven if they are not instantly trusted after they have asked for forgiveness. This is not the case. Forgiveness is a gift. Trust is earned. It takes a special effort to earn trust after it has been lost. Many times people say they haven't been forgiven when trust, not forgiveness, is really the issue. Equating the two will leave you frustrated. People with whom you have lost trust have every right to withhold their trust.

The first step in earning trust is to admit your fault. You lost this person's trust. Ask if you can earn it back. You are not asking for a gift; you are applying for a job. The answer may not be favorable. It may be tentative or even hopeful. He or she may want to trust you. He or she may want things back to where they were before you lost his or her trust. Yet, this person will know that time will tell. Re-earning trust is a long uphill journey.

Remember that you are the one who must earn the trust. You shouldn't expect the one you hurt to make leaps of faith. He or she may have suspicions that you won't be faithful. He or she may still believe you are unfaithful. You must go overboard to prove your faithfulness.

You have no right to become the offended party when you are asked about your faithfulness. You caused the problem in the first place. When asked, you must prove you have been faithful. Living without having to prove your faithfulness is something you lost when you were unfaithful. You may feel that the offended party is bringing up your sinfulness again when he or she questions where you have been or what you have been doing but he or she is really trying to establish your faithfulness (or the lack thereof).

The commitment to be faithful needs to be made often. It needs to be made when you don't want to. It needs to be made when you are questioned. It needs to be made without question. Each action needs to be examined before it is committed. The question must be, "Will what I am doing appear to establish or destroy my faithfulness?" Obviously, you must avoid any appearance of evil.

You will need God's strength and a commitment to Him to establish trust with someone with whom it has been violated. Your commitment here will give you strength and understanding when the person who has not given you trust is acting unreasonable. Trust involves emotions. Emotions are not always reasonable. Emotions may come from the fear of the renewed pain of being hurt again.

Set out on your journey to win trust. Do not settle for something less. Define what trust will mean. It may mean that you no longer have to explain where you have been. It may be that you are trusted with the credit card again. It may mean that you are not under an investigation when you can't be reached on your cell phone. It may mean all of the above.

Make a point of never losing that trust again. We all have to forgive and be forgiven every day. Ask for forgiveness for small transgressions so that you are not admitting to big ones later. Hold trust as something very precious. Never, never, never lose it again.

Simon Peter lost Jesus' trust when he denied that he knew Jesus. Peter hurt the One he said he would always stand up for. Later, Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him. Peter makes a commitment which is often missed when speaking in English. He used two different words for know when asked if he loved Jesus.

He says to Jesus, "Lord you know (a knowledge that is given without experiencing that knowledge. I know George Washington was the first American president without having seen him or living during the time he was president.) all things. You know (a knowledge that will come from experience. You will be able to watch and see that I love you.) that I love you."

The latter is the commitment you must make to the one with whom you are trying to re-earn trust. You re-earn trust through experience.

John 21:17(c) (NASB)

Lord, you know all things; You know that I love You.

Heritage and Tradition in the Church

The best definition of tradition as it applies to the church is: an inherited pattern of thought or action. (Webster's Collegiate Dictionary) Heritage is defined as: something transmitted by or acquired from a predecessor. There isn't a significant difference in the two definitions. However, one of these will kill a church and the other will establish it.

A church built on heritage decides what has made her great. She notes the things which are transcendent and makes sure these are not violated. She holds carefully to her theology and makes sure that is transmitted to the next generation. Her practices don't become sacred. They are simply ways of transmitting this heritage.

A church built on tradition makes her practices sacred. She defines worship by the traditional way it has always been. Traditionalism often forgets the reasons why it is done. The tradition takes on a life of its own. A church build on tradition will continue to do what it does long after it is no longer practical. The tradition becomes more important than the principle for which that actions once supported.

A church built on tradition will argue over when the offering is to be taken, how the offering is taken, where it is to be taken and how it should be spent. The members try to spiritualize those things which are merely tradition. They actually think this is the way the Bible prescribes an offering should be taken. They do not understand that the taking of the offering has evolved to the place where it is today. 

The same is true for the 11:00 AM worship service, the giving of a percentage of the offerings to missions, the patterns of sermons, the establishment of Sunday Schools and many other activities and entities in the church. They were means of passing down the church's heritage. They have become traditions which must be done exactly as they have always been done whether or not they are accomplishing anything that resembles the church's heritage.

Traditionalism becomes detrimental when it forgets the principle it supports. The church will live for its traditions rather than its heritage. The church will, therefore, pass on its traditions rather than its heritage. When younger generations ask why it is done this way the answer will be either, "Because God wants us to do it this way," or "We've always done it this way." 

Often the ones who should be passing on the heritage don't understand the question of the younger generation. There real questions are, "Why do we have to do this at all?" and, "What does this mean?" Unfortunately, the ones wrapped in tradition can't answer. It may have not been passed down to them. There may have been generations of members who no longer know why things is done in this traditional way.

I am afraid that some of the things I do in church will become traditions that forget our heritage. I baptize at the beginning of services because I don't have time to get dressed at the end. I wear a robe when I baptize to cover up the waders I wear to keep me dry. These can easily become traditions which will plague the next pastor. He may have a baptistry which allows him to stand outside the water to baptize. He doesn't need time to get dressed so he can baptize at the end of the service and won't need a robe either. I am afraid that someone will tell him that it isn't a legitimate baptism if he isn't wearing a robe or that it was done at the wrong time of the service.

Traditionalism will eventually kill a church. People will not gather when they know there is no meaning in what is being done. They will sense that it is all ritual without much substance. They will stop being mesmerized by the robes, the candles and the organ music. They will look for something else. It may not be spiritual but they will call it such. They are looking for something with meaning.

A church is a living organism which changes or it dies. It is built on heritage. It is killed by traditions without meaning. 

Jesus said He would build His church on a heritage that even the gates of Hades would not prevail against. The Church is built on this heritage.

Matthew 16:15-18 (NIV)
¹⁵ "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
¹⁷  Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.¹⁸  And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

The Least Likely Convert

I'll bet there is someone that you don't ever think will become a Christian. This person has laughed at your faith. He has exhibited no interest in Christ. This person may have developed a morality that rivals that of Christians. He may even point out each time a "Christian" is caught in a scandal. He may believe that his own pleasures are the only reason for living. Ultimately, he is a hedonist regardless of whether he leans toward a heightened or depraved morality. He does what pleases him even if it appears altruistic. There is no world outside what he can verify with his five senses.

Maybe you have stopped praying for this person. No one would blame you. He hasn't given any indication of moving slightly closer to a faith in Christ. In fact, he may have moved farther away when you prayed for him. You got frustrated and started believing that he will never come to Christ.

It is harder to give up on someone you care about. A husband or wife that doesn't know the Lord is very difficult to live with too. He or she may treat you wonderfully but you don't have the same ultimate values. There is always a disconnect when it comes to spiritual matters. You can't seem to communicate when it comes to spiritual things. You have explained, been laughed at, been argued with and have left frustrated so many times. You may love each other deeply but this spiritual gap makes things less than they could be . . . less than you long for them to be.

You have called your preacher to come explain the gospel. Unfortunately, the problem isn't a lack of information or the ability to win the "Christian" argument. The problem is resisting the Holy Spirit. No preacher can prevent that from happening.

Zaccheus was the least likely convert. He had cheated people and become rich. He is a little man who may have been despised by those in a spirtual community. Let's look at the elements of his conversion.

Zaccheus had heard about Jesus. There had been enough interest that he wanted to see Him as He passed by. Zaccheus climbed a tree, maybe because no one would step aside so he could see. His tree climbing resulted in being seen by Jesus.

Zaccheus had an encounter with Jesus Himself. There was no preacher coming by to evangelize him. There was no argument that was won. Ultimately, everyone who comes to Christ must have an encounter with Him.

Zaccheus was known by the Lord. Jesus called him by name. Jesus said he would come to his house to eat. Zaccheus could have rejected Him at that time but he didn't. It was a greater opportunity for him to know this great Man better.

Zaccheus made a commitment. He did so publically. His offer to give back what he had taken was his public commitment to Christ. He didn't hide his new faith.

Jesus declared Zaccheus as saved. Our salvation is not determined by what we have done but what He has declared. Yes, we make a commitment but Jesus identifies with us. Our spirit and His Spirit agree. Then, we know salvation.

Maybe you should change your prayer for the person you care about and does not know the Lord. Maybe you should pray that this person opens his or her heart to the gospel. Pray that their will be no resistance to the Holy Spirit.

God saves the least likely converts. Keep praying.

Luke 19:8-10 (NASB)
And Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

Are We Responsible for the Sins of Others?

Yesterday, another crazy person attacked people coming out of government offices. He shot a couple of police officers before being shot. The news media is looking for a pattern in these attacks against the government. (the man flying a plane into the IRS building in Austin, TX  et al) People are looking for a way to see these things coming. They are seeking someone to blame. 

Our world has changed drastically in the past several years. We have seen that terrorism, whether domestic or foreign, gets instant media attention. Those who act out of their anger know that their names will soon be splashed all over the televisions and internet. Their fifteen minutes of fame can be easily reached without having to attain any honor. 

Often these crazies are given special attention as their actions are scrutinized. Their ideals are given value in that they are discussed. They know that, while they may not live to see the discussions, their ideals are considered carefully. It is a very fast way to get their message to the world.

For example, I have been writing this blog consistently for almost a year. (I will have written it every day for a year later this month. I wrote some blogs before but not that consistently.) I have less than 20,000 hits since I started counting. I would have over a million hits overnight if I took some crazy action like these violent people have. My "message" would get out more rapidly. If I considered myself a martyr, I might think doing something insane would be worth it. I instantly become a household name and each of my blogs are analyzed to reveal why I did what I did.

How about this? Why don't we quit advertising the ideals of crazy people? Why don't we simply say, "An unnamed man began shooting people as they made their ways home after work," and leave the story at that without any further information? Eliminate the motivation for why these people do what they do so they will stop doing them. Make them have to work hard to get their messages out. I believe most of this will stop.

I also believe that the internet has given crazy people an opportunity to band together in a way they never did before. The discussions on the internet take a life of their own. One person adds innuendo while another uses hyperbole. Soon, the story is one of the most malevolent evils whose face can be seen in whoever is being attacked. Today, most people don't believe that something is true because of the character of those whom have said it is true. They believe it is true because there are so many others who are saying it is true. Truth is what "everyone" else is saying is true. 

Unfortunately, there is no way to rebut all that is being said on the internet. I both applaud and regret this conclusion. I am glad for the free speech the internet allows us to have. I can say practically anything I like without reprisal. I am afraid of what our country would become if we lost our freedom of speech. However, I also hate the fact that lies which lead people to angry actions are so available for everyone. You can find whatever you want to believe on the internet. You can join a group which believes it and debunk the real truth within that group. Eventually, you can see yourself as a savior by taking drastic action. 

Yet, I do not want to take the ultimate point of view which says that someone else made me do what I do. I don't want to blame the high school students who were killed at Columbine for the actions of two students who killed so many of them. I don't want to honor those who killed so many in Oklahoma by saying they acted nobly when killing innocent children and adults. Ultimately, the blame rests on those who take this action. They may have been influenced by others but there were millions who didn't take their despicable actions even when being influenced by the same information and temptations. These people who terrorize and kill are responsible for what they have done. 

Each of these people will stand before their Maker one day to answer for their actions. I don't believe He will say,"Well, of course you took this action. What else could you do? Others made you do it." 

I don't think that gets others off the hook, either. I do believe that each one who supports the violent actions of others will also have to answer for their actions. They may never have killed anyone but their messages of violence urged others to do so. They, too, will stand before God to answer for their actions.

Each of us needs to know that we are responsible for our actions each day. Others may have influenced our actions for better or worse but the responsibility still lies with the person in the mirror.

Romans 14:12 (NIV)
¹² So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.