The Stuck Record of My Christian Life

 October 15, 2024

Tuesday

Many people are rediscovering vinyl records. They claim that they give a superior reproduction of the music that is recorded on them. My ear can't tell the difference but I am sure that some can. I remember vinyl records as getting scratchy. They could be broken. They would skip. And they would get stuck. Often, my Christian life seems like it gets stuck.

A stuck vinyl record would play the same groove over and over. I seem to repeat my mistakes and sins over and over. I know better but I get distracted. I know better but I get too emotional. I know better but I get filled with myself. Yes, that last one continues to be played over and over.

The problem is that I can't hold yesterday's filling of the Holy Spirit in. Yet, I act as if I don't need to be filled today. When I look at the scripture that commands me to be filled with the Holy Spirit, I see that the "be filled" is in the present tense. It denotes continuous action. 

You can't fill up a balloon forever. If you continue to fill it, it will pop. That would be true for a tire on your car, too. However, if the tire has a leak, you can continue to fill it at a rate that will not cause it to explode. The trouble I have with being filled with the Spirit is that I leak so badly that I must continually be filled. Yesterday's filling won't last until tomorrow.

So, right now, again, like I have done so many times before, I must say, "I am willing, Holy Spirit, for you to fill me." I want to be filled one more time. I don't want to forget that I leak. I want to continue to seek the Lord in this.

Maybe the next time the record comes around I won't be stuck. I will realize that I didn't lose the Holy Spirit but I was far from full.

Is that how you are too?

Ephesians 5:18 (ESV) ¹⁸  And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 

When You Slip and Fall

 October 14, 2024

Monday

Satan's not going to steal my joy! He's not going to get to me!

Maybe you have said that too. Then, something happens and it brings anxiety or fear. Then, your hope is challenged by circumstances. Then, you see your joy and peace slipping away. Then, you realize that Satan was just waiting for you to put your guard down. He is rushing in to devour you.

He can't take your salvation but he can take your joy and peace when he tempts you. He has gotten permission to "sift you like wheat" and he is using every moment to ruin your testimony.

Truthfully, he wouldn't have had an opening if you had kept that close, intimate relationship with the Lord. After all, that was just last week; wasn't it? It doesn't take long to get from filled with the Holy Spirit to almost empty. It doesn't take long for the flesh to start demanding attention.

So, do you just grin and bear it? Absolutely not! You go to the Lord in prayer. You admit that you slipped. You cry out for a moment to come home again. Funny thing, you didn't know you had left until the anxiety came on you.

Thankfully, God is the father of all prodigals. Some go far away. Some not so far. Or rather just far away for Satan to get ahold of them.

Satan is after you. He is just looking for the right opportunity.

1 Peter 5:8-9 (ESV) ⁸  Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. ⁹  Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 

Never Waste a Mistake

 October 13, 2024

Sunday

About thirty-three years ago the church I was serving got a new pastor. Mike Glenn came to Brentwood Baptist Church in Brentwood, TN and was amazing. However, the first time he baptized, we forgot to tell him which waders to use. One of them had a hole in it. The problem is, if you don't know that you won't know it until you are in the water. Mike went ahead and baptized. He was wearing a light colored suit with light pants. It looked like he just didn't make it to the bathroom. I was called back to his study and burst out laughing the moment I saw him. He wanted me to get his wife to bring another suit. There just wasn't enough time for her to get it and bring it back to the church. So, Mike preached in his wet pants.

I learned something valuable that day. Never waste a mistake. Mike told the congregation what happened. They laughed and he endeared himself to the congregation. He was human. He humbled himself and made himself a whole lot bigger at the same time.

If we let God work when we make mistakes, we will see Romans 8:28 come alive. God will cause the good to come upon us even when something bad has happened. On the other hand, we can make a bad thing worse if we want to.

Admit what happened. Don't try to cover it up. Be humble and let God work. Those are things that have gone with me for a long time now. Mistakes that are covered up become larger. Mistakes that are admitted become learning opportunities.

Romans 8:28 (ESV)²⁸ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Some Characteristics of the Self-Righteous

 October 12, 2024

Saturday

If you have read this blog, you know that I have said that self-righteous people can be as mean at they want to be. They are right and they can condemn anyone who is different and doesn't agree with them. But tonight as I was riding my bicycle home from church, I realized some other things about the self-righteous.

Self-righteous people do not know that they are self-righteous. In fact, it might not have even occurred to them. They might notice that they are looking down on others. They might even see themselves as humble servants of God. They look good on the outside but are full of hypocrisy on the inside.

Matthew 23:27 (ESV)²⁷ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.

Self-righteous people do the right things but do not give grace to others.

Matthew 23:23 (ESV)²³ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.

Self-righteous people do the work of Satan in the name of God.

John 11:47–53 (ESV)⁴⁷ So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. ⁴⁸ If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” ⁴⁹ But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. ⁵⁰ Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” ⁵¹ He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, ⁵² and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. ⁵³ So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.

Self-righteous people actively seek people who are exactly like them. They want others to join them in their crusades of self-righteousness.

Matthew 23:15 (ESV)¹⁵ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.

Self-righteous people seek the praise of men rather than humility.

Matthew 23:1–7 (ESV)¹ Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ² “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, ³ so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. ⁴ They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. ⁵ They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, ⁶ and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues ⁷ and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.

The real problem isn't the self-righteous people. The problem is that any of us can become self-righteous. We all have blind eyes on our sins. We all want some praise from men. We all think that doing what is right will make us righteous. At least, we think that in the flesh. So, we must diligently watch to see our self-righteousness. We will notice it when we are confronted by someone who disagrees with us. We will not listen and we will oppose that person. We may even say that we are doing it for God. We won't give grace. 

Beware for self-righteousness may overcome you before you know it.

Matthew 23:12 (ESV)¹² Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Is Everyone Spiritual?

 October 11, 2024

Friday

As I have said before, we all communicate by what we know. Therefore, when a Christian says "spiritual" the non-Christian relates that to something he or she knows. Thus, everyone becomes spiritual with a different definition. We are thought of a spiritual and religious and they think of themselves as spiritual and non-religious.

A Christian is spiritual because the Holy Spirit dwells inside him. He is not necessarily spiritual because he dreams dreams or sees visions. I actually believe that a lot of non-Christians have dreams that can only be described as spiritual in a secular sense. It will not be the same as the Christian's experience. The Christian will understand the dream by the interpretation of the Holy Spirit. The non-Christian comes up with his own interpretation.

Sometimes non-Christians will admit that there is a God. They will even state that He does miracles. They think that people try to get on His good side by being religious. They have no idea that they could have a personal relationship. They have know idea that they could actually experience God. This is why they might believe that there are many paths to God. They might believe that God lets all people into His heaven. They might believe that they came into this world innocent and any sin that was committed was because the world influenced them to commit it. Through all this, they think of themselves as spiritual.

Today, I heard a man say that we are all spiritual beings. He is somewhat right. We all possess a spirit but our spirits are dead to the Holy Spirit until we become Christians. Our spirits receive communication from the Holy Spirit. Our spirits can grow if we obey and remain almost dormant if we quench or grieve the Spirit. It bothers me when a person who claims to be a Christian has no communication with the Spirit. We must possess the Spirit to be Christians.

I am also distressed when I see a Christian being controlled by their sinful nature. That means that they are not full of the Spirit. That means they are grieving the Spirit. That means they are far from God even if they are so "religious" that they go to church every week. The Holy Spirit should be more than a name we banter around on Sundays. He must be active in our lives. We must let Him become active. The non-Christian sees that backslidden Christian as normal. 

Lastly, I am bothered by those who are self-righteous. They believe they know more than everyone else. They evidently know that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. They would know this if they were full of the Holy Spirit. Those who think they are close to God but are actually far away often can't see the distance. Those who are full of the Spirit are grieved over the distance that exists between them and God. The non-Christian despises the self-righteous.

There should be such a difference between our interaction with the Holy Spirit that the non-Christian would immediately know that there is a difference. Then, maybe they would say, "I am not spiritual like you." Then, we could have an honest conversation to tell them how they could be.

Romans 8:9 (ESV)

⁹ You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

A Need for the Need

 October 10, 2024

Thursday

In a church I served, one of my congregation went to jail. His wife came to me franticly saying that we needed to get him out as soon as possible. He promised that he would never engage in the things that put him in jail again. I called some people and raised the bail he needed to get out. He was back at what put him in jail within four hours. Sometimes you need to stop for a minute when someone has a dire need. Maybe they need that need.

God doesn't always answer prayers the way we pray them. He may appear that He is silent but in reality He will bring about that which is necessary when it brings Him glory. Sometimes we need to remain in our need. Those who rush to remove the need may not be acting for God.

Paul had a thorn in the flesh. God allowed him to keep it because Paul was made strong by that thorn in the flesh. Some would have rushed to get treatment for Paul. They would have worked against what God had planned.

Jesus remained on the other side of the Jordan when He heard that Lazarus was sick. The fact was that it would have made no difference if He had taken off for Bethany immediately so He stayed two more days on the other side of the Jordan. Jesus was two days away from Bethany. The men who came to get Him to return with them had taken two days to reach Jesus. Doing a little math, since Lazarus was dead for four days when Jesus arrived, Lazarus had died at the time the men coming to Jesus arrived. If Jesus immediately left for Bethany, Lazarus would have been in the grave for two days. That's not the way it would have looked to Mary and Martha. They would have known silence for the four days of their brother's death. They would have known that Jesus waited two days before coming to them. They knew He loved them but they could hardly understand His absence.

When Jesus said that Lazarus' sickness would not end in death, His disciples probably thought that Lazarus was going to get better. They wouldn't have thought they needed to leave immediately either. Thus, when Jesus said that He was going to Judea the disciples were reluctant because they thought that it was dangerous for Jesus to return to Judea. When He told them that Lazarus was asleep, them must have been under the assumption that he was still alive. Sleep would help him get better. They certainly didn't understand Jesus saying that He needed to wake him up.

But look at the results for the waiting. Some came to know Jesus. But also, the wheels were truly set in motion for Jesus' crucifixion. 

Our prayers seem to rush to relieve the need. That isn't always what should be done. We should pray what God wants us to pray. We need to join God in what He is doing rather than tell God what to do. Taking someone out of their pain may be the thing that causes even greater misery. It may give them a powerless testimony. It may keep them from maturing in the faith.

So, answer me this: Would you rather give your prayer requests to someone who will always pray that you get out of the pain you are in or someone who will pray that God gives you relief as soon as the pain has accomplished what God wants for you? Think about it.

John 11:6 (ESV)

⁶ So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

Fighting the Good Fight

 October 9, 2024

Wednesday

In an offhand remark this past Sunday I said, "People want me to read that their dad fought the good fight, finished the course and kept the faith when they never entered the fight, never ran and certainly had little to show for their faith." Last night someone said I didn't repeat that in both services. It was an offhand remark. I didn't plan to say it in the first place. I didn't think of saying it in the second place. But after I was reminded that I didn't repeat it in the second service, I thought about it.

I had never realized that those who ask me to read that about their dads (I can't remember anyone asking for anyone else.) do not realize what Paul is talking about. They apparently think that Paul is talking about life in general. Thus, life is a fight; it is a course and the faith is the strength to get through it. They cannot understand this statement because they are too far outside its meaning.

When you fly, flight attendants often pass through the cabin giving drinks to the passengers. I believe that it gives the passengers something to do. It isn't enough to really satisfy any hunger. If anyone really thought of it, they would realize they were over 30,000 feet above the ground in a long metal tube in a thin atmosphere with the temperature hovering around 50 degrees below zero just a few feet from them. The thought of that is too far outside what the passengers are thinking for most of them to think of it. I guess snacking on a half of a can of a soft drink and munching on the smallest possible bag of chips helps.

Interpretation comes from things that are known. There must be a connection between the things known and the things interpreted. When someone lives completely outside of spiritual understanding, scripture is interpreted by the secular world. The Holy Spirit interprets God's word for those who are spiritual. The world does it for those who are not.

The Apostle Paul gave his life to Christ and lived it for God's glory. He went where God led him and did what God called and led him to do. He did so when things were good and when they would have broken most people. He lived his life so that there would be nothing left at the end. Thus, he fought the good fight, finished the course and kept the faith. The faith of Paul was more than a cliche'. It was a reality.

I want to say to people who read this verse, "Tell me about the fight that you are in to obey the Lord; the course you are taking and the faith you are espousing." Yes, tell me how you have suffered for it. Then, maybe you can say what Paul said. Otherwise, you may have lived your life for what you thought was right but it wasn't for the Lord.

2 Timothy 4:7 (ESV) ⁷  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  

Does God Still Do Miracles?

October 8, 2024

Tuesday

Have you ever wondered why we don't see the miracles that occurred in the Bible? Some have said that this is because God no longer needs to do miracles after He sent His Son. Some have simply said that after the completion of the New Testament, the miracles were stopped. It is really hard to find scripture that supports those ideas.

Do you believe that God could still do the same things He has done in the Bible? Isn't that what we are asking Him to do when we pray for the sick? Aren't we asking Him to heal? Aren't we asking Him to change the expected outcome when we ask for provision? Aren't we asking for the unexplainable? So, why so few times do we hear of miracles today? Let's examine a couple of facts.

Jesus did not do many miracles in His home town.

Matthew 13:58 (ESV) ⁵⁸  And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.

Their unbelief kept Jesus from performing miracles. Does Jesus lose His power when people won't believe? The answer is, No! So, let's examine another scripture.

Isaiah 42:8 (ESV) ⁸  I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.

People who will not believe in the works of God will deny that the miracle happened as long as they can. They will find another reason that excludes the possibility for a miracle to explain what happened. God acts for His glory. He will not act when it will simply be discredited.

I went to a lecture by a neurologist a few years ago. In the question and answer time I told him the story of one of our church members. That member had been called to a hospital because his sister had shown no brain activity for several days. They called the family together so that could say goodbye. They all gathered by the bed, prayed and sang a hymn. Then, the time came to turn off all the machines that made their loved one appear to be alive. (This sometimes takes a bit.) In the middle of the night, she woke up and told the hospital staff that she was hungry.

I asked the neurologists if he could explain that. He said, "They didn't know how to read the machine that monitored brain activity." Really?! No one at the hospital knew how to read the machine. It didn't matter that the doctor who was caring for her cried when he saw her alive. It didn't matter that all the hospital staff were praising God for a miracle. This neurologist knew more than anyone else. He couldn't bear to say that he couldn't explain how something like that could happen. He wouldn't even entertain the idea that a miracle could happen. Do you really think that God will share His glory with that neurologist?

Our lack of belief doesn't take away God's power. Our lack of belief denies God the due glory because of His power. So, God refuses to act with miracles when there is so much unbelief.

I still believe in miracles. I have seen more than one cancerous tumor disappear overnight. I have seen couples have children who were told it was impossible. I have seen provisions of money arrive at exactly the right moment. I have seen miracles! 

On the other hand, I don't believe God needs to perform for me. He is still God and chooses when He will act with a miracle. God can still do all that He did in the Bible. So, praise Him right now, whether you receive a miracle or not. He is still the Almighty.

Is the Lack of Attendance at Church Really the Problem?

 October 7, 2024

Monday

Many newspapers have reported that the number of people attending church is shrinking. So, churches are trying to get more people to come to church. If they do, they report the numbers even though those numbers represent people who have left their churches to attend this one that is growing. What we haven't realized is that the problem is not in the numbers.

Each person must have a reason for attending church regularly. If they can miss a few weeks, they can miss even more when they think nothing is missing from their lives because of their own lack of attendance. The "growing" churches are giving people a reason for going to church. If fact, they are giving people a reason for leaving their present church to go to the "growing" church. 

In some cases, the new church has a definite presence of the Spirit of God within it. The people are being changed by the Spirit. They have been made hungry for God and they come to be filled by serving Him as Jesus said, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to accomplish His work." (John 4:34) These churches have learned something that most haven't. The problem isn't in the number of people attending church. The problem is people who have not changed because the Spirit of God is not in them.

Saving faith changes people. It is more than saying a statement of faith. It is opening oneself to the reception of the Holy Spirit. It is not working for salvation to be saved; it is salvation working in the person who is saved. Churches are reaping the harvest of easy believism that left people baptized members of the church but not truly belonging to Christ. 

James spoke of this plainly but the Church today doesn't know what to do with it. They know that no one works for salvation so they believe that no one will need to do anything because of their salvation. That is exactly what James addresses when he says, "For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead." (James 2:26)

What we don't want to admit is that our church rolls are full of lost people. They made a statement that said that Jesus was their Lord and Savior but they had no idea what they were saying. Many of them were children who were trying to please their parents or grandparents. They have no faith today because they never had any. Once they could go their own way, they didn't need to perform like a Christian. They believe that they will go to heaven because they have made their statement and were baptized. What else is there for them to do?

Lost people who represent themselves as saved people cannot live great testimonies of faith. The people outside the church can't tell the difference between the lost and the saved. They see the person who claims to be saved acting exactly like or even worse than their friends who do not claim to be saved. Why should anyone give his or her life to Christ when it makes no difference?  If God will allow this person who claims to be saved and acts sinfully to enter heaven, He must allow them in because they have lived better lives than those who claim to be saved. At least, that is their reasoning.

Yet, we must ask: Why don't people realize that they aren't saved? The reason is that the truly saved aren't allowing the Spirit to do much in their lives either. If someone does "catch on fire" in the church the church is likely to tell him to calm down. After all, we don't really want to any Christian fanatics, do we? After the great evangelist, DL Moody was initially saved, the people in his church went to his uncle to tell his nephew to calm down.

What we need is a group of people who are so moved by the Spirit that they will pray earnestly for Pentecostal power to fall on the church. This group may be small at first but it must grow. It must not give up. It must cry out to God in humility, confession, repentance and commitment. It must not stop even when it sees the first drops of God's Spirit fall on the church. 

Our problem is not getting people to come to church. Our problem is in those who are dead inside the church. Will you be one of those people? 

What a Church Must Be

 October 6, 2024

Sunday

A church is a gathering of Christians who agree to make disciples for Jesus Christ. Their efforts are focused on reaching people with the Gospel, teaching them the whole of the God’s Word and obeying what they have learned. Each church is unique in the methods employed to achieve their goal of making disciples. That is because each church has a unique collection of members, different environments in each church’s community and a particular history in which the church has existed. Thus, each church must be carefully attuned to hearing God’s call for that church. Simply copying what another church has done may bring what the world calls success, but it does not require a church to be on her knees to hear God’s call. We must be a church on our knees.

I have a quote from C. H. Spurgeon in my office. It says: “Most of us are far to great for God to use us; we can preach as well as anybody, make a sermon with anybody—so we fail! Take care, brethren, for if we think we can do anything of ourselves, all we shall get from God will be the opportunity to try.” Yes, we can copy what others do and see our church grow in size, but we will never see what God truly has for us using this method. We must be a church that hears and obeys God.

Some churches build excitement with their antics. They have superior music and a very motivational preacher. That excitement attracts people. Jesus told His disciples: “You are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” The excitement in the early church came from the works of the Spirit among them. We must be a church full of the Holy Spirit.

This is not the way of many churches. Our responsibility is to be what we need to be rather than telling others why other churches are wrong. Our responsibility is to walk with God regardless of who walks with us. Our hope is that our church is not unique. Revival often spreads to many churches across denominational lines. Churches that walk with God rejoice in His work in other churches. We must be a church that walks with God.

The Bible says that: “All scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work.” The properly received scripture will make a receptive person equipped for every good work. We must be a church of the Bible.

The Wretched Man That I Am

 October 5, 2024

Saturday

I keep a quote from C. H. Spurgeon on my wall to remind me who will do the great words of God. It says, "Most of us are far to great for God to use us; we can preach as well as anybody, make a sermon with anybody-- so we fail! Take care, brethren, for is we think we can do anything of ourselves, all we shall get from God will be the opportunity to try." And I must admit, I have tried over and over again.

We can do nothing without Christ. We can try as hard as is humanly possible but godly things cannot be done without God. Sermons can be preached but they will not accomplish the will of God. Teaching can be taught but it will not accomplish the will of God. Even great dreams can be dreamt but they will not accomplish the will of God. All of these things will be our will done in our power to result in our own glory. Even if they seem great before men, they will never amount to anything before God.

My own trying is often because I want to help God go beyond what He can do. Can you imagine that? I am going to help God! In reality I know that I am just trying to make myself look better than I would look otherwise. I don't know why I think that operating under God's power would make me look worse. I am like Saul offering the sacrifice before Samuel arrives. He was scared of what would happen if he waited on what God had told him to do. If he would have waited his kingdom would have lasted forever.

So, it is often not a matter of knowing the right thing to do but a matter of doing the right thing. Knowing the right thing to do means nothing when it is disobeyed. I guess the Apostle Paul would agree with me.

Romans 7:14-25 (ESV) ¹⁴  For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. ¹⁵  For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. ¹⁶  Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. ¹⁷  So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. ¹⁸  For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. ¹⁹  For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. ²⁰  Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. ²¹  So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. ²²  For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, ²³  but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. ²⁴  Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? ²⁵  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.  

Fear Will Not Produce Revival

 October 4, 2024

Friday

I went to college before personal computers. Almost none of the college students in my dorm had a TV. We found our entertainment elsewhere. One of the students on my dorm hall had a huge snake. (Truthfully, any snake is huge to me.) That snake needed to be fed live mice. (I know some of you are already disgusted with this.) He would go to a store or get some mice that had been experimented on- actually I don't know where he got them. We would gather around a large terrarium which housed the snake to watch.

Initially, the mouse was extremely afraid. It ran around frantically looking for a way out. It realized that it was next to a snake and intuitively knew what would probably happen next. Meanwhile, the snake remained perfectly still. The mouse stopped his frantic behavior and went about sniffing in the terrarium. The snake moved slowly to get in position to strike. Suddenly, the mouse is in the snake's mouth. It was over even though the mouse struggled for the next several minutes.

The point is that the mouse adjusted to the fear. It adjusted to being in a cage with a snake. The fear motivated the mouse for a short time. That is what happens when people are motivated by fear. Initially, they want safety more than anything else but when the predicted fearful outcome delays, they go back to their lives.

Yes, I know that God moved in amazing ways when people heard, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and "Payday Someday" but while these sermons may have brought an initial reaction from fear, they did not produce revival by themselves. Only the Holy Spirit can bring revival. Without His drawing people to God we are merely scaring people into our baptistries. They will believe they need nothing more than that because it will alleviate their fears. They will go back to their lives with their spiritual insurance policy in hand.

We need a genuine Holy Spirit revival that will last for years, not a momentary flash of evangelism. 

When God's people followed after the Baals, God took His protective grace away. They suffered for eighteen years until they finally cried out to God. God sent judges who led his people back to worshiping Him alone. This happens again and again in the Book of Judges. Years pass while people served other Gods. God gives them over into the hands of others. They cry out and God comes to the rescue.

Isn't it time for us to cry out now? We are under rulers who believe abortion is a right. They seek to reward the ungodly. They look after their own interests alone. They lead us down paths that forget God. Shouldn't we cry out to God for deliverance? Shouldn't we seek revival?

I seriously doubt if revival will come from our politicians. Revival will come when God's people cry out to Him again. It will start with a few in prayer meetings. It will grow because God's people will put away their own idols and worship Him alone. Isn't it time?

2 Chronicles 7:13-14 (ESV) ¹³  When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, ¹⁴  if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 

Hope in the Silence

 October 3, 2024

Thursday

If you have been a Christian who has served the Lord long enough, you will experience a time when it seems like God is not listening to your prayers. You see, if you are serving Him, prayer is a part of your life. You may pray daily. And daily you will know His presence and His answers. So, when the time comes that He doesn't answer you will wonder what is wrong. You may ask yourself, "Did I do something wrong? Is there something I should be doing?" You can't think of anything. But you still think something is wrong.

Because you are serving the Lord, you are in contact with other Christians who are also serving the Lord. They may continue to tell stories of how the Lord is answering their prayers. You may ask, "Lord, am I not as good as them?" Still there is silence.

God's silence tests our faith even more than crises. During a crisis we get very close to the Lord. He may not remove the crisis but He is very present with us. These crises become very treasured times in our walk with the Lord. But silence makes us think that He is far away. He has never forgotten us. He has never stopped loving us.

This is where hope steps in. We hope that He answers us. We hope because we have faith in more than what God can do. We have faith in who He is. He wants us to learn that. He wants us to know Him. We must know Him more than calling Him "provider." He is also peace. He is love. He is righteousness. He hasn't changed who He is simply because He is silent.  And He is present even when we don't realize it fully.

So, our hope grows in the darkness of silence. 

Psalm 38:15 (ESV) ¹⁵ But for you, O Lord, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.

Loneliness and Church Attendance

 October 2, 2024

Wednesday

I recently read an article that said that people are lonelier than ever. This article connected their absence at church services with loneliness. Honestly, I find that this is a bit of a stretch because I can't see how they could have derived this connection given the evidence before them. This seems a little post hoc ergo prompter hoc (after this therefore because of this). While I can't know that their conclusion is true, I can see how it could be true.

People are created with a physical being, soul and spirit. Each of these components are nourished through interaction with others. When speaking of the lack of physical touch:

. . . orphaned infants exposed to the bleakest of conditions in eastern European institutions exhibited impaired growth and cognitive development, as well as an elevated incidence of serious infections and attachment disorders. (Frank DA, Klass PE, Earls F, Eisenberg L. Infants and young children in orphanages: One view from pediatrics and child psychiatry. Pediatrics. 1996;97:569–78. [PubMed]

When it comes to the soul which is the seat of our emotions"

The absence of emotional stimulation can have detrimental effects on an individual’s mental and emotional well-being. Prolonged periods of emotional numbness or lack of emotional arousal can lead to:

1. Depression: A common consequence of inadequate emotional stimulation, depression can manifest as feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and detachment.
2. Anxiety: The inability to cope with emotional stimuli can result in increased anxiety levels, as individuals may feel overwhelmed by their internal emotional state.
3. Boredom: A lack of emotional stimulation can lead to feelings of monotony and ennui, as individuals crave more engaging and meaningful experiences.
4. Cognitive decline: Inadequate emotional stimulation has been linked to reduced cognitive function, including decreased problem-solving abilities and memory retention.

The lack of spiritual stimulation brought about from interaction with others may not have such a scientific conclusion but the spiritual nature of who we are reveals that it is necessary for true intimacy and fellowship between Christians.

The Apostle Paul wrote that believers should not marry non-believers because there could be no true fellowship between them.

2 Corinthians 6:14-15 (ESV) ¹⁴  Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? ¹⁵  What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?

The very fact that a couple cannot have a deep spiritual relationship if one of them is not a believer is an indication of the distance people keep between themselves and others when they are not in church attendance. Thus, loneliness in the absent believers makes lots of sense.

Personally, I believe that you can't get a solid spiritual relationship online even though our services are online. They may encourage someone to come to church but these online presences will not substitute for actual attendance. That is why I said from the beginning: We are physical church with an online presence rather than an online church with a physical presence. Our focus is on what is best for people rather than how we can enlarge our attendance by counting those who are watching online.

So, I say, "Come to church every chance you get!"