How Do You Know When You Should Believe a Christian's Testimony?

People rational in every other way will listen and believe the most outlandish stories when they are given in a church. One preacher will tell of  a "black box" recording which reveals a woman leading the passengers of a crashing plane to the Lord. No one asks for any evidence other than the preacher's testimony. One missionary told of winning over 2000 souls to the Lord while Khadafi's bodyguards protected him. Subsequent missionaries couldn't find the converts. One preacher tells the testimony of another preacher as if it is his own. How do you know when to believe them?

Fantastic stories raise lots of money. People love to hear stories of success. They love to hear stories that fortify their faith in heaven and God's rewards. They love to hear how God has gone behind the scenes to rectify a wrong. The love to hear these stories so much that they throw discernment out the window and open their pocketbooks.

While some of the stories are complete fabrications, many of them are lies stuffed in the skin of the truth. Some of the facts are verifiable. This does not mean the whole story is true. For example, a plane did crash on that day and it did spiral downward for several minutes. The lie is discovered from those who actually listened to the flight recordings. There is no evidence that anyone shared Christ. However, the story went around the world through emails in less than a day. I am sure it was told in many pulpits the very next Sunday.

Christians should ask themselves if they believe because of emotions or faith. Does the story you hear compliment what you already know about your faith? Does it honor the Lord or the one telling the story? What does it say of the Lord that you already know to be true? Are you drawn closer to Him or are you just amazed with the story?

Unfortunately, we need to ask ourselves why we should believe the story. Do I know the person who is giving this testimony? Is it his or her personal testimony or is he or she telling the testimony of another? Has this person given accurate testimony in the past? Is this person prone to exaggerations? Often fantastic testimonies are given by traveling evangelists. There is no way to discern the character of these evangelists. Their reputation comes from the number of people who walk the aisles after they preach. They leave your town with no one checking out a word that they have said.

Does the testimony ring true of Scripture? God has revealed how He acts through His Word. His actions today should be consistent with His actions of the Bible. The story is not to be believed if God's character is changed through the story or if the facts revealed through the Scripture are contradicted. God does not talk out of both sides of His mouth. Either the Bible is true or the testimony of the person you are listening is true but both can't be true when they contradict each other. As for me, I'm sticking with the Bible.

Could the memory of the person telling the story be altered? Sometimes trauma makes us remember things differently. It could be that the mind has protected the person through an altered memory. He or she may be telling you events exactly as he or she remembers them. The problem is that their memory has been altered.

Having said all of this, I must admit that many of the most fantastic stories are true. There have been people who have gotten up off of their death beds. There have been healings that defy any explanation. There have been provisions made for people in amazing ways. God is still the God who fed the 5,000 and raised the dead.

I am not saying that we should believe no one. I am saying that not every one should be believed. I think we have a responsibility to discern so that our praise to God will be genuine. It should be based on what He has actually done rather than a fabrication.

God does not need people making up stories about what He has done. He is amazing and needs no other testimony than what He has done. Praise the Lord!

Does God Take People before Their Time?

We had a spectacular thunderstorm last night as I started to ride my bicycle home. The flashes of lightning were all around me. The thunder was deafening. I decided to take shelter at one of the local hospitals and wait out the storm. I waited for about twenty minutes and things got much worse. I thought, "I would be home now if I hadn't stopped." I stopped because of my fear of being struck by lightning.

Did I have anything to fear if God is in control? 

God does not stop the laws of the universe just to make us happy. He has set lightning in the skies. He has determined the principles in which lightning will strike. He will let nature take its course most of the time. 

God uses our wise or foolish actions as He weaves the fabric of time. He knows all of our sins and our prayers before we ever know them ourselves. He takes the bad and the good to create His will. He knew Adam would sin and that Jesus would die on a cross before the beginning of time. He takes both into account to make history.

God also takes into account holding up a nine iron during a violent thunderstorm. Generally, He will not stop the forces of nature because of our own foolish actions. Foolish actions may become our time to go.

God also takes into account sinfulness. The girl who said she was a Christian at Columbine High School several years ago was killed. She was young and many would say she was taken before her time. On one hand, I would agree. On the other God, in His infinite wisdom, did not intervene. He often allows sin to take its course. He will not steal our will. He allows us to do incredible evil without keeping it from happening.

Yet, we all know many instances when God does intervene into the affairs of nature and man. He keeps the drunk busy so that he never gets to the car, He stops cancer in its tracks because of a praying church and He moves someone to write a check that will allow a family to keep their house. 

I believe in the acts of God but I also believe in being responsible. I believe God expects me to be responsible. I believe I should take precautions. I think anything else is abdicating my responsibility as a Christian. 

I believe in faithfulness. I believe in God's goodness. I believe in taking responsibility. I believe that God will honor faithfulness. I believe that God never takes anyone before their time but He certainly allows them to go because of their foolishness.

So, take precautions. Be wise. And trust that God has a plan for you today. 

I Want to Act Like a Christian

I just finished this morning's blog. It has nothing to do with what I am writing now. I clicked on publish and I was sent to a login page. I logged in and found that my blog, with the exception of the first couple of sentences was gone. I almost blew my top!

Acting like a Christian isn't that hard when you sit in church. What is going to test your character while you sit there? You can tolerate bad preaching and off key singing. You haven't put any effort into the service. You really don't have to worry about acting like a Christian.

However, acting like a Christian is hard when your expectations aren't met. You become angry and say things that Christians should never say if you believe someone has violated your expectations. You can be hateful. You can be obstinate. You can be a sorry soul to be around. You can criticize others and treat others with disdain. You can do so but it cannot be said that you are acting like a Christian.

I suppose the only time that acting like a Christian really counts is when our expectations aren't met. The only time you know a boat will float is when it is in the water. The only time we know who we are is when we face adversity.

So, I wrote this blog instead. It was really more important that I remember who I am and act like it than ranting and raving to no one in particular about my blog being lost. I already feel better. 

I am already a Christian. I want to act like one. No one will really know who I am until I face difficulties. Then, I can truly act like a Christian. Then, I will know that I am acting like a Christian at the same time others do.

Has God Led You into the Wilderness?

I have heard so many Christian testimonies from the pulpit that have said, "And I asked Jesus into my heart. Everything has been wonderful since then." This is not the testimony of someone who is walking with the Lord!

Our commitment to the Lord does not come without testing. Jesus, Himself, was led into the wilderness after his baptism. His ministry started in the wilderness. He was led there to be tempted. He was led there to trust in His Father.

God calls us and leads us to what appears to be an impossible place. We have been called to a task God has given us. We know that this is what God wants. Then, the barrier of impossibility is placed before us.

Moses would seem to face an impossible task. He didn't understand why God would send him to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt when Pharoah would not let them go. It seemed each step of faith had a new barrier placed in front of him. The Red Sea, no water, no food and the complaints of the Hebrews. His faithfulness made him a friend of God who talked with God face to face.

God calls you to something and you immediately have a barrier placed in front of you. It seems that God's will is impossible. It may even seem that God is not near as He was when He called you to this task. You are being tested to prove what you will do. You are being strengthened by the adversity. God has neither forgotten about you nor left you. He is always near but He has placed this impossible object in front of you so that you will trust Him every step of the way.

I would like to have God send me the money in advance to accomplish any great building project. I would like to have Him send me more volunteers than I needed for any great outreach project. That is never the case. God calls us to step forward and, then, seems to make it look impossible.

You have one responsibility if you are in the wilderness right now. You are to remain faithful for today no matter the circumstances. Tomorrow may bring more troubles. Your faithfulness will draw you closer to God than you ever thought. You will give Him all the glory.

You will not give a testimony that says everything has been great since you gave your heart to Jesus. You will say that God has always been faithful. You will say so because your faith is not superficial. You can say this with confidence because you are truly walking with God.

How Do You Interpret Your Circumstances as They Concern God's Will?

God is working all the time. He is intimately involved in His creation. He does not cause everything that happens but He certainly knows about it and uses it for the good of those who love Him. This means we can understand some of what God is doing by looking where He is taking us.

God's actions are best interpreted through His Word. A regular time with the Lord each day will help your discernment concerning His will. You will know how to recognize what He is doing today by knowing what He has done in the past. His revealed actions through the scriptures are like the Rosetta Stone for interpretation. The actions in the Bible have been certified as His actions. There is no doubt where and how He has acted. They reveal His character and, thus, what He is doing today.

Look at the past actions in your life from this knowledge of the scripture. Name the times in your life that you are certain that God has worked. Write those things down and look to see where He is taking you. I have found that God uses many circumstances in my life to prepare me for something greater. He even uses the tragedies to strengthen me and/or put me on a different path.

Note how you have been prepared. Your past experiences, education and observations have prepared you for something God has for you. Moses was in Pharoah's court learning how to be an administrator. He would need this knowledge and skill to lead God's people out of Egypt. You are no less important to God than Moses. You may not have the magnitude of influence he had but you certainly have the magnitude of confluence for the will of God. You are part of a great action that God is doing.

Ask God for direction even when it appears you know what to do. God can change circumstances at any time. He can bring people back from the dead. He can remove a boss that will not promote you. He can change your economic future overnight. Mary and Martha had faith in Jesus but they never considered that their brother, Lazarus, would be brought back. Sometimes God can do something completely outside of our logic box.

Talk with spiritual friends who will also evaluate your discernment of the circumstances. It may be that you want things to look a certain way, therefore, you are interpreting them that way. Truly spiritual friends can give you another understanding of those circumstances. Listen to them but do now go against what you are sure that God is telling you. Job would have been in a world of hurt if he had listened to his friends.

Sincerely ask God to stop what you are about to do if you are going in the wrong direction. You eventually have to take action. You have read the scripture, interpreted your circumstances and made your decision. Trust that God will stop what you are doing if you are taking the wrong path. God can always step on the brakes.

Finally, always rejoice in what God is doing. Each day may not be momentous, however, each day is a gift in which God is teaching us something. Look for God in each day and praise Him for being with you. This may prepare you more than anything else for understanding what He is doing.

Is the Road to Heaven Paved with Bad Intentions?

If the road to hell is paved with good intentions; is the road to heaven paved with bad ones?

The first proverbial sentence is stating something that many have not acknowledged. You can intend to do and even do many good things and still wind up in hell. There are many roads to take but only one will take you where you want to go. Many of these roads will appear to go in the right direction for some time but only one of them will allow you to arrive at your planned destination. Heaven will be found on a one-way street.

The Apostle Paul makes the most succinct statement about the road to heaven. He says that we must confess Jesus as Lord openly and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead. The road to heaven is paved with outward actions and an inward belief. Why both?

Saying, "Jesus is Lord, " will not ensure your place in heaven any more than saying, "I am Elvis" will get you booked in Las Vegas. The continual outward action generally reveals what a person believes. The statement is given so that there is no doubt why you are acting like you do. Those who say that their faith is private and never tell anyone that Jesus is their Lord are denying their so-called belief. The statement is clear and yet surveys reveal that only 5% or less of Christians make this statement to those whom they have been called to evangelize. 

The statement "Jesus is Lord" is costly. It will assure you of lost friends and ridicule if you say it enough. It will make people avoid you if you really believe it. It is a significant statement of your faith for it takes a stand when there is a cost.

Saying "Jesus is Lord" is done by the way we live our lives too. It is in every relationship. If Jesus is Lord I will treat each person as Jesus does. I will love them and forgive them. I will encourage and be their friend. I will help them find the path to heaven.

Believing in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead changes the way you act in this world. This world is not our home. The God who raised Jesus will also raise us. I am not to make this world my home for I have a home in heaven. I am not to trust in the things of this world because my trust is put in the God of heaven. I am not to fear the dangers of this world for my soul is assured a place in heaven.

All the outward actions I do to prove I am a Christian will not replace a true belief in a living Jesus. The road to heaven is paved with outward actions and and an inward belief. Each day I get closer to heaven because my days are numbered. I will either prove myself to be on the right road or I won't. My journey will either be one of assurance or doubt. I will always doubt when my inward belief is not lived out in actions.

Are you on the road to heaven or do you just have good intentions?

Nothing Succeeds Like Failure

Failure is not a goal. Failure is not an option. It is to be avoided at all possible costs. Nothing good can come out of failure. It's bad, right?

Yes, it is but that doesn't mean that it can't be made into the greatest success. Your last failure may be exactly what you needed to do what would never have been done without it.

King David's greatest failure was his indiscretion with Bathsheba. We can't say that this was a good thing. He committed adultery, lied and had a man killed. The first child born of that union died because of David's sins. This would be a simple story of failure if the story ended there but it doesn't. God doesn't let us languish in our failures unless we want to.

The union of David and Bathsheba would produce Solomon. He was the greatest king Israel would ever know. He expanded the kingdom to a level it had never known before or since. He built the most magnificent temple that has ever been built. He made Israel the most prosperous nation on the earth.

Simon Peter's story would echo the story of success coming from failure. He had bragged about his courage to stand and fight for his Lord. He disdained the cowardice of his fellow disciples. Less than twelve hours later he is denying his Lord with a curse. Jesus heard this denial and Peter knew it. He went out to weep. That would be a tragedy if it were the end of the story.

Peter became the leader of the new Church. Stories report that he would not deny his Lord again. They say that he refused not be executed like Jesus. He asked to be crucified upside down. His witness continues throughout history. The Church would not have been what she is without Simon Peter.

The Friday afternoon that Jesus was taken from the Cross would certainly been evaluated as a failure if that was the end of the story. The disciples were scattered and scared. The women despaired at the loss of Jesus. It seemed that all their hopes and dreams died that day. Thank God that isn't the whole story!

We all have failures. They hurt. They seem final but they aren't. They may even seem fatal at times. Have you considered putting your failure in God's hands and seeing what will be produced? God has a great reputation for taking those failures and making the greatest successes.

There is really nothing like failure to make a success. Failure prevents us from making greater failures. It teaches us the direction we should not go. It opens doors that would never have been opened. It is an opportunity disguised as something bad.

I am not saying anyone should try to fail. You should avoid it if you can. I am saying that you shouldn't wallow in your failures. I am saying that something immeasurably good can come from the failures.

God has a way of turning our failures around. Nothing succeeds like failure.