Just Traveling Through

4 Comments / October 27, 2021

Imagine you are in a small foreign country on a long-term mission trip. The country might be in Asia or Africa or perhaps you are on an island nation in the South Pacific. Wherever it is, while you are there serving the Lord the country goes to war. You are stuck there. There is no way to escape the carnage you see around you. And this isn’t just any war. This is a civil war that has divided the nation in half.

Do you pick a side? I guess it depends how much you have invested there and if you plan on returning permanently. If you are only there for a few months or a year, you probably stay pretty neutral. There is no reason to be involved. This country is not your home. However, you do stand strongly for life and do what you can to help save lives as well as minister to the needs of the hurting around you.

How you respond in a country that is not your own is probably very different than how you would respond in a country that is your own.

I’ve actually never had that happen to me and I doubt you have, either. But maybe it’s happening to us right now. To all of us, probably no matter where we live. Oh, we may not be in an all-out civil war, but we are in a war, nonetheless. It’s a war of philosophies. The competing philosophies are in utter opposition to one another. It’s especially bad here in the states.

I was thinking on this the other day while I was meditating on I Peter 2:11. This is one of my memory verses from a year or two ago that came up for review. (One of the reasons I love memorizing verses is because of the ability to meditate on the memorized verses in the car or when you are in bed at night.) Here is what it says in the NKJV–

Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,

We won’t dwell on the end of the verse today (although it, too, has been the cause of much personal meditation). Today I want to focus on what Peter calls us followers of Christ: Sojourners and Pilgrims.

Let’s take a look at the definitions of these two words–

Sojourner–A person who lives somewhere temporarily

Pilgrim–A traveler or wanderer; especially in a foreign place

Now Peter uses these two words to describe believers. Why does he do this? Why does he feel the need to write down both words? Of course we can’t know for sure, but I do find myself wondering if God, moving Peter to write this, knew how easily it would be for us to set down deep deep roots in this world.

I don’t know about you but one of the greatest lessons this past year and half has taught me has been that very thing. I didn’t think I was so invested in this world, but I found out that I was invested far more than I thought. That the roots of love for the things of this world and for the life that I never thought would change ran deep.

As I am pulling up each root one by one, it’s a rather painful process. But this verse has helped me. It has reminded me that I am no longer a citizen of this world but belong to an everlasting Kingdom. This is just my temporary home.

We need to remember this as we face the uncertain days ahead but I also want to consider this fact in light of all that is swirling around us and just take an honest look at what’s going on and why we must not pick sides unless it is clearly biblical in scope.

There are many divides in our nations. Here in the U.S. it is the divide between the V’s and the unV’s. It’s the divide between the socialists and the capitalists. It’s the divide between the pro-death and the pro-life. And so many more. Sadly, this country has been split in what feels like a thousand different ways.

But we have to be so very careful not to get too involved. We are not citizens of this world. I know this message won’t sit well with some of you. You believe that you are here to bring change to this world. You want to make it a better place. You may even believe it is God’s mandate for us to bring God’s Kingdom to earth. Or perhaps you believe that we can still stop the madness that is happening. That if enough of us just come together to fight this, we can make a difference.

So let me address these two viewpoints briefly.

First, the Bible never teaches that we are to bring the Kingdom of God to earth. There is a real push in several “Christian” movements to popularize this inaccuracy and it’s just not true. There is no biblical mandate to prepare the earth for God. None whatsoever. This is probably worth a whole post, in and of itself, and has, in fact, been the subject of several books. If you would like to read more on this, I recommend Alva McClain’s The Greatness of the Kingdom or Andy Wood’s The Coming Kingdom.

Second, not only are we not told to bring God’s Kingdom to earth but we are clearly told that, in the last days, the world will grow more wicked. There are many signs of the last days that we are told to look for in the books of Daniel, the minor prophets, Matthew, I Timothy, I&II Thessalonians, Jude, and Revelation that show us what to expect. (There are other books, too, but these are the main ones that come to mind and are a good place to start for any student of prophecy.)

At the end of the age, we are clearly to expect lawlessness, natural disasters, wars, false christs, certain things in the middle east, and a setting up of the beast system. That’s just a few of the things that we can expect. There are so many more. And, dare I say, every one of these things we are told to expect is beginning to take shape before our eyes in a way never seen on this earth before? A serious student of Bible prophecy recognizes that we must be close to the end. A wise person will never make predictions on dates or time frames, but we are clearly approaching the end of this age.

So what does that mean for us? I think it means that, while we certainly work together to improve situations in our churches, our families, our places of employment, our schools, and any other opportunities we are given, we don’t expect to fix the world. We don’t expect that we can push the snowball back up the hill (so to speak). While we may win small victories and rejoice over them, our expectations should not be shattered when this world continues on its collision course to God’s final years of wrath on this earth called the Great Tribulation.

One final thing that is critically important is the nature of both sides of this current “war” we are in in our nation. Listen closely to how each side talks about God. One side is very clearly going against Him. It’s easy to spot their rebellion against Him and His set laws. But I’d like to submit to you that the other side is doing the same thing, in just a much more subtle way.

Listen closely to the language of the other side. The new age phrases and notions are pretty easy to spot once you know what to look for. Both sides are rotten to the core and the one side may be more dangerous, simply due to its deceptive nature. Be. So. Careful.

If we are sojourners and pilgrims (and we are!) then let’s live like we are these things. May we remember that we are on this earth for just a short time. This world is not our home. Let’s rise up to the opportunities that God gives us to serve and minister in these dark, dreary days but let’s not get too involved in the sides of it. Neither side is “God’s side”.

And there are many opportunities, aren’t there? Practically speaking, what are some ways we can honor God and bless others during this time? A few things come to mind–

1) We can talk to others about our permanent home with enthusiasm and joy (in other words, share the Gospel often and freely!); 2) We can send cards and letters and emails and texts of encouragement; 3) We can face our job losses, our financial setbacks, our health crises, and other trials with a peace the world can’t know but longs for; 4) We can be a light in our churches and work places and schools, pointing others to God and His Word; 5) We can save lives by getting the truth out there; 6) We can join with others in the crucial battles that are taking place in our work places and schools and communities; 7) We can be instruments of God’s peace, joy, and love in this ugly world we find ourselves in.

May we believers step up boldly and courageously to the unique opportunities God gives to each one of us. For such a time as this! But, in the process of stepping up, let’s remember that this world is not our home. We are just traveling through.

 

 

The Enemy Within

6 Comments / October 25, 2021

Today I am sharing something written by my youngest daughter that is important for us to all understand regarding the church. There are really no words to express the feeling you get when one of your kids picks up the baton and runs with it. I love sharing what my kids write because I think it’s so important to understand that truth is ageless. It’s timeless. It’s not something we eventually find in our old age. All of us should be on this search for truth, comparing everything to scripture, no matter how old we are. And, oh, how much heartache and consequences we avoid if we start on this journey earlier rather than later.

And so I love sharing what my girls write. I love not only that they “get it” but, more importantly, I love showing whoever is reading that young people can get it. They don’t need to wallow in self-absorption and shallow Christianity. I believe we just don’t give young people enough credit. So I hope this not only challenges your thinking on the church but also gets you to thinking about the young people in your own lives. Start having some good conversations and see what they believe. Point them to the Word and show them the truth. They may grab on to it with gusto and do great things for the Lord. And, even if not, you gave them the opportunity. We can’t discount the young people. They are our future.

Now, for some very important words about the current state of the church from a 22-year-old–

I believe the church of America is failing. You heard me right, failing.

Christians whine and complain about the declining morality of the world. However, have we stopped and taken notice of the declining morality of the church?

The church has been on a downward spiral. In general, its morality is compromising, its effectiveness diminishing, and its true purpose straying.

I believe there are a few reasons for this:  #1, the Word of God is not being viewed as authoritative and all-sufficient in the lives of believers. #2, the church is losing the daily battle against the world and its influences. Lastly, #3, the world is seeping into the church and destroying it from within.

I want to focus on #3 today: “The world is seeping into the church and destroying it from within.” Your first thought may be, “wait, I thought the church is used to reach the world.” I think it is vital to camp-out on this thought for a moment in order to biblically understand this idea. The church (the place and body where believers meet to receive teaching, worship, and admonish one another) is not the place to reach the world. Before I lose you, let me explain further. The believers of the church are the ones who must leave the church and reach the world.

The problem lies in this: The church is trying to do BOTH. The church is trying to teach and admonish believers while welcoming the world with open arms. These two ideas are in stark contrast to each other. This approach will always end in one of two ways: The church compromises or the world leaves the church.

Unfortunately, this approach often ends in the compromise of a church. Let me paint a picture for you:

The church you attend is Bible believing and mostly solid. You have thoroughly enjoyed your past few years attending and often walk away from each sermon convicted. However, the past few months you have noticed small, subtle changes that begin to concern you. The leadership of the church is concerned they haven’t been growing enough in attendance. Therefore, they’ve started to add efforts to reach their community. While you love the idea of witnessing to your community, you’re unsure of their approach. The church leadership has decided that they’re just not “welcoming” enough and the sermons may be a bit too convicting for the general public’s liking. Soon, the worship service becomes more concert-like in order to draw in better crowds. The sermons become softer and kinder in order to comfort those who walk in the doors and not offend. The weekly youth group begins every teaching time with an excerpt from a popular movie. Your church’s efforts work: attendance is indeed growing. In fact, some of these new attendees are offering to help in ministry positions. However, while attendance is growing, the believers are not. The pastor begins to notice that his flock is growing complacent and their sin is abounding. He thinks, well, “at least the attendance is up and the world is now being reached inside the church doors.”

While I know that story may have sounded a bit absurd, I’m afraid it’s truer than we may like to believe. The drive to appeal to the world is slowly destroying the church. Appealing to the world is always going to result in moral compromising of the church.

I believe each church needs to take another look at its God-given purpose: to teach the Word of God, offer discipleship, worship, and Christian fellowship. If church leadership clings to teaching and growing its body in holiness and righteousness, evangelism will naturally overflow. The church will be healthy and unscathed from the world and the body will be reaching the world as they exit the church doors.

 

 

Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?

3 Comments / October 23, 2021

For many years, I waffled back and forth. The question of Halloween was more difficult when I had young kids, demanding an answer. I never did really come to a conclusion. However, as the celebration of this holiday has taken a very gruesome turn, discerning what to do has become much clearer.

My daughter, Jess, did some research and wrote about this over on her Anchor for the Soul Facebook page and I wanted to share what she discovered here—

Should christians celebrate Halloween? If you’d ask around, you’d be sure to get many different answers to that question. I’m not here to tell you that it’s an outright sin to let your kids go trick-or-treating or suggest you turn your lights off and refuse to hand out candy. I’m simply going to offer a few things to consider before you make a decision about how (and if) your family will celebrate Halloween.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧. Samhain was a pagan religious festival that originated in ancient Celtic tradition. It is believed that the barriers between the spiritual and physical world are broken down during this time, allowing for interaction with the dead. People would leave sacrifices for their ancestors, have seances, and dress up in animal skins to scare away unwanted spirits.

As Catholicism gained a foothold in these pagan communities, church leaders tried to reframe Samhain as a “Christian” holiday. In the 9th century, Pope Gregory declared All Saints Day as an alternative celebration on November 1. This new holiday failed to do away with the pagan aspects of the celebration. October 31 became known as “All Hallows Eve” and later “Halloween.” It still contained many of the traditional pagan practices and was brought to America through Irish Immigrants in the 19th century. Most of the demonic, pagan rituals were eventually abandoned by the general public. Yet Halloween continued to be a celebration of what Samhain was all about- darkness, death, and evil.

𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞. So no, people aren’t generally dressing up to ward off evil spirits nor do they believe they can communicate with the dead on Halloween night. Now it’s just a fun holiday with parties, candy, and costumes. Some Christmas traditions are rooted in pagan practices, too, aren’t they? These are common arguments. But what we can’t argue about is that Halloween continues to be rooted in darkness and death. It’s not as spiritually innocent as we’d like the believe. Just look around at your local Home Depot or take a drive through your town. Decorations are all themed around the idea of death- zombies, gore, goblins, ghosts, horror, nooses, witches, and demons.

𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲. The founder of the church of Satan, Anton LaVey, once said that Halloween is the most important day of the year for Devil worshippers. It is a sacred holiday in the Wiccan world and I refuse to even mention the kinds of rituals I read are performed on Halloween. LaVey said that he’s “glad Christian parents allow their children to worship the devil at least one night out of the year”. A prominent occultist stated that “this night, we smile at the amateur explorers of their own inner darkness, for we know that they enjoy their brief dip into the pool of the ‘shadow world’’. So Halloween clearly did not leave all its demonic, evil rituals and meaning back in the 19th century.

So now that we’ve established those three facts about Halloween, what do you think? Is it something we should take part in? If Satanists don’t think it’s an innocent holiday for our children, should we? Do we want to take part in something endorsed by those who literally hate God? Satan is strategic. He knows that Halloween is, at the very least, making our children comfortable with evil. The Bible is clear. We need to stay away from witchcraft, sorcery, the occult, Satan, every form of evil, and darkness. We are to pursue what is true, pure, lovely, praiseworthy, and of the light. Which side does Halloween fall on?

𝐄𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝟓:𝟖-𝟏𝟏: “𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝. 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 (𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞), 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝. 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐧𝐨 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦.”

𝟏 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝟓:𝟐𝟎-𝟐𝟏: “ 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬; 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝. 𝐀𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥.”

𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝟒:𝟖 – “𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲, 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬.”

𝟏 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟓:𝟖 – “𝐁𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫-𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝; 𝐛𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐟𝐮𝐥. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐫.”

We are celebrating things God hates. We are celebrating what Christ came to destroy. Darkness and death and evil. Halloween is a blatant celebration of wickedness. So now what do we do? Should your kids trick-or-treat? Should you hand out candy? Should your church do a trunk-or-treat? You need to prayerfully make that decision. But I will urge you to consider a few things before you do. First, you need to guard your children’s minds and hearts above all else. What will they come into contact with if they go trick-or-treating? What kinds of things will they see at that Halloween parade? Evil and grotesque displays and costumes? I’ve driven around my town and am absolutely disturbed at the type of Halloween “decorations” I’ve seen. I will not allow my children to come into contact with that kind of evil if I can help it. What are you allowing your children to dress up as? Are you allowing them to participate in evil by dressing up as a witch, goblin, ghost, wizard, or zombie? It’s simply not harmless fun. (also keep this in mind when you decide what they can watch, read, or play with)

We’ve decided, as a family, to have nothing to do with the holiday. Our street doesn’t get trick-or-treaters so we haven’t had to make a decision about that. Prayerfully make your own decision. Not the decision you want to make, the decision your kids want you to make, or the decision that’s the most popular or will allow the least amount of ridicule from your friends and family. The decision that would most honor the Lord. After all, if we’re Christians, that should always be our ultimate goal in every single decision we make.

Beware the Bridgers

6 Comments / April 16, 2025

Imagine you are building a house. You have carefully chosen your builder based on referrals, reviews, and personal interviews. During the project, your builder recommends and uses different subcontractors to finish the house. You do not know anything about these subcontractors but you trust them because you trust your builder.

Your builder is a bridger. He is bridging you to the services of someone else that you don’t know, have never heard of, but will choose to trust because of his recommendation.

Now if he is connecting you with a subcontractor that is dishonest or unqualified, you will find this intolerable and demand a change be made. I doubt you would be satisfied to allow the poor work to continue on the house in which you are investing so much time and money.

I’d like to submit to you that growing in Christ is just a tiny bit similar to building a house. We are intentionally trying to grow spiritually and we choose “builders” (preachers, teachers, authors, etc) to help us with this. Along the way, those builders recommend other subcontractors (or builders). We choose to trust because of the recommendations of our favorite “builders”.

For example, if I see that my favorite author is favorably quoting another author in a book I am reading, I will naturally think that quoted author is someone I can trust. Why else would he be quoted?

Or if my favorite preacher is hanging out with other preachers, I will naturally assume that they are trustworthy preachers. I can hardly expect someone of integrity and truth to “hang out” with those who just don’t care very much about either.

But what seems so cut and dried in the physical world (builder-subcontractor-dismiss if they don’t do a good job), gets very sticky and complicated in the spiritual world.

There are so many “solid” spiritual leaders that are bridging their followers to those who are deceptive and unqualified. It’s been a very interesting dynamic to watch, particularly over the past thirty years or so (although the beginnings of this go back way earlier.)

I have watched men and women I trust recommend and join with word-of-faith preachers (which preach a false gospel), Bethel and Hillsong (which are fatally compromised and without the gospel), social justice warriors (which preach a social gospel), and all sorts of other compromised and spiritually twisted leaders. I have seen them recommend and join with false religious leaders that preach a gospel that demands works (Catholicism, Mormonism, etc.) and call it “unity”.

These people are functioning as bridgers. They are giving validity to false religion and false teaching, bridging you to a different way of thinking, even changing how you think—probably without you even realizing it.

So you may be thinking: That’s all well and fine but what is your scriptural basis for what you are saying? Does it really even matter?

I’m so glad you asked! Let’s turn to scripture to explore this specifically.

There is a small verse in Romans 16 that I find many Christians are simply ignoring. Paul is ending his letter with loving greetings to specific people of the Roman church. And then he gives these instructions to the church in verse 17–

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

Here Paul makes it abundantly clear that we are to have nothing to do with those who would preach anything contrary to the “doctrine which you have learned”. I think we could easily say this means anything contrary to the Holy Scriptures.

Let’s turn to one more passage but, first, let’s talk about darkness and light from a spiritual perspective. In His Word, God tells us that we once walked in darkness but are now in marvelous light. How did we end up in that marvelous light? Let’s go to I Peter 2:9-10 to find out–

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

God called us. He called us out of the darkness and into his marvelous light. There is a vast difference between walking in darkness and walking in light. Now, let’s go to Ephesians 5, where Paul talks a bit more about this idea in verses 8-11–

For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

Again, we are told not only to have no fellowship with those who walk in darkness (which most certainly would include those who preach a false Gospel, teach heresy, etc.) but to actually go a step further and expose them.

Now compare these scriptures to what you see happening in those who I will call “platformed Christians”. These men and women have a grave responsibility to lead their followers circumspectly and to lead them away from (rather than toward) false teachers and heretics. And, yet, is that what we are seeing? I’d suggest we are seeing the very opposite of this. Not only are we seeing these platformed Christians bridging believers to those who preach a different gospel, but we see those same believers refusing to acknowledge the dishonesty and lack of qualification of these false teachers. Their spiritual welfare is being undermined and so few seem to care. Instead of saying “halt the work”, they are embracing these false teachers recommended by the men and women they trust.

I’ll give you one clear (and rather extreme) example before I wrap up. Several years ago now, I heard R.C. Sproul in an interview. I had a fairly decent view of this guy going into this interview and had appreciated some of his writing. However, in this interview he talked favorably of Alice Cooper. Now, I grew up in the days when this rocker was known for his satanic and disturbing concerts. Sproul claimed that Cooper had changed and was now saved. I was surprised but took him at his word. However, something inside me needed to know and I started researching. It didn’t take me long. Cooper’s own website showed that he most definitely had not made any changes in his life.

This is one of the most disturbing partnerships I have ever witnessed (even to this day, I am so disturbed by this and can hardly stomach hearing the name of Sproul). Why would Sproul speak positively of a satanic rocker who was still satanically “rocking”? I will honestly never know. But can you see how Sproul assuring us that he is a “brother in Christ” gives him validity in the eyes of Sproul’s followers?

There are a plethora of much less obvious (and, therefore, often more dangerous) bridgers who are busily at work leading their followers astray by their partnerships, recommendations, and connections.

Now…it is important to remember that sometimes people can innocently point people in the direction of someone that they later find out was compromised. I myself have done that. Watch for patterns and long-time connections. And watch for those partnerships with those that are so obviously heretical and false. And then give a bit of grace to those who may just not know and simply watch and be aware. Because we can all be deceived at some level. The key is to be willing to admit it and then make changes. However, if someone is in a long-time pattern of compromise in this way, there is much cause for alarm.

We each need to personally decide how we handle these dangerous bridgers. I am not here to tell you to never read or listen to them (although that is generally my own personal response). I am not here to tell you what to do. I am simply warning you that it is happening. And that we must beware these bridgers.

How do we do this?

We pay attention. We pay attention to who our favorite speakers and authors are partnering with in conferences. We pay attention to who they are quoting. We pay attention and we research.

However you decide to respond to a bridger, I hope that it will lead you to trust that person just a little less. At best, they are completely ignoring God’s Word in a very important area. At worst, they are intentionally, if subtly, leading their followers astray. Either way, they are either ignorant of the scriptures they are supposed to be so well versed in or they are nefarious in their purpose. Neither option is great, is it?

Bridgers are here to stay. This has become a popular thing to do, under the guise of unity. But this is not and can never be true unity. Jesus tells us He is the way, the truth, the life. True unity only comes when we are united in the true Gospel, which is the person of Jesus Christ and His work on the cross. Any teacher that adds to, takes away, or otherwise changes the Gospel must be avoided.

So please beware the bridgers. They are everywhere now. And, in fact, I would venture to say that most platformed Christians function as bridgers. View this as a red flag and keep your eyes open.

(Updated April 16, 2025)

 

Responding to Critics and Attackers

6 Comments / October 12, 2021

When one starts publicly comparing the current Christian world to what the Bible teaches, all kinds of criticisms and attacks accompany it. Whether it’s on a blogging platform, in a church business meeting, on social media, or in a weeknight Bible Study, there is always someone who will be offended if you point out that someone or something is false or compromised when compared to scripture.

Why do Christians have such a hard time seeing these false teachers and the false doctrines they are promoting? I personally believe it is because they are not in the Word, studying to understand it with humility and submission to it. It is truly and LITERALLY our ONLY protection against deception. I believe that most who claim to be Christians are actually not reading and studying the Word. I also believe another reason is PRIDE. The unwillingness to admit we were wrong about something or someone is difficult for all of us.

There are a few types of attackers–

The Condescending One— these are difficult because they are so very judgy and think they know so much more than you do (which they might). They have a very high opinion of their opinions and refuse to even contemplate anything you say. There is no possibility for even a thoughtful discussion because, in their mind, there is nothing to discuss.

The Mean One— these are the ones who call you judgy while calling you names and judging you. It would almost be funny if it wasn’t so tragic. They are hypocrites at the highest level but, truly, they can’t even see it. They are blinded in their false philosophies and hatred for anyone who doesn’t agree with them. It doesn’t matter how lovingly you state the truth, they hate the truth. And they hate you for speaking it.

The Diverting One -these are generally genuine believers who claim to believe the Bible is true. They can’t respond to the biblical argument you are presenting so they change the subject and try to get you off topic.

The “Holy” One–these are the ones that claim that God showed them that you are the wrong one. They will say they heard His voice or that He led them to a special song or conversation that “proved” you are wrong. Instead of the Word, these people rely on experiences to determine their truth.

The “Attack the Messenger” One–these also tend to be genuine believers and, when they can’t answer the biblical argument, they just start attacking you personally. They call you names and make painful remarks. Sometimes they even gossip about you or slander you.

The Silent One— these are the toughest and contain the largest group of our critics. These are the ones who will never say a word but just disappear because they don’t agree. They won’t even be willing to have the discussion and they hate conflict so they just disappear.

Oftentimes, our critics are a combination of these listed above. If you speak up about the truth with regularity, I’d rather guess that you have experienced all of those mentioned. It can be very painful–especially when coming from fellow believers.

But this will be the price we pay for speaking the truth. We must prepare ourselves, praying for courage and boldness to speak up in a time when speaking the truth is vilified by the world and the church. (There’s a reason for this. This belief that speaking negatively is an unloving and unchristian thing to do didn’t just happen. It was a very intentional thing that started many years ago and has finally reached it’s peak. It’s a stunning and shocking thing to research this belief that we should only “speak the positive” historically. It’s so clearly not of God.)

So for those of you who are brave enough to stand for the truth, in spite of the darts and arrows that come your way, let’s talk a bit today about how we best handle it. No matter the type of attacker or critic, I have been learning some things we should always do if we want to handle this in a way that is honoring to God. (And–just to be clear–I don’t have this down. In fact, I am not even close. I am still working on this and praying to grow in this area of responding to my critics and attackers.)

Here are six things we should each consider when responding–

1. Give time to prayer before responding. I have to confess that I am learning this from a dear friend. She has been experiencing a bit of kickback regarding something and, instead of responding immediately, she took a few days to pray about how best to respond. I do this sometimes but in watching her respond to these attackers, I realized that I need to do this all the time. Before I ever open my mouth or put my finger on a key, I need to pray. Pray for wisdom, pray for the person who is attacking me, pray for help in loving that person instead of being angry at them.

2. Give humble and honest evaluation to what they are saying. Does their comment or thought have any merit at all? Oftentimes, at least in my case, I won’t post something until I am 100% sure regarding the compromise and there is no doubt that this person or doctrine is false. That being said, I did learn a hard lesson years ago when I posted something on social media without knowing the whole story. That was a good lesson for me. I was even more thorough after that mistake. But, even in my carefulness, it is important to take their words seriously and evaluate them rather than getting all worked up and defensive. We must remember that we can easily be rendered ineffective if we get all worked up and refuse to listen to their side of the discussion before responding in a thoughtful, loving manner.

3. Point them to the Bible. Seriously. I can’t say this enough. My opinion doesn’t matter. Your opinion doesn’t matter. Every argument needs to be defended using the Word of God. If it can’t be, then just stop arguing. I realize that this can get confusing because people twist and warp the Word to suit their own lusts and desires. Something that has been super helpful to me regarding this particular thing is 2 Thessalonians 2:15–

Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught,

whether by word or our epistle.

 

This reminds me that if the (true) church taught something for 2000 years, it didn’t just change ten or twenty or fifty years ago. If someone is trying to twist scripture to match this current (debased) culture, you can be sure they are not speaking the truth. While there have always been attacks on the Bible, our biblical understanding of doctrine has remained pretty stable within the genuine church for thousands of years. It’s only recently (last 100-200 years) that these attacks started in earnest on the Word and the traditional beliefs regarding the Word and its interpretation.

4. Respond lovingly and firmly and gently and humbly. We cannot be responsible for how people respond to us but we are most definitely responsible for how we respond to them. We must do so in a way that honors our heavenly Father.

5. Know when to walk away. We live in a culture of debate. Everyone wants to tell people their opinion. There is a lot of anger and ugliness when this happens. People no longer are willing to agree to disagree. Even in my own church, there are people who set themselves up as my enemy simply because I don’t agree with them (nothing breaks my heart more than this.) We must stand out as different in this area. We must point people to the Word and then, if they are unwilling to have a thoughtful discussion, we must walk away. Not only must we walk away but we must walk away without grudges, without bitterness, and without anger. We must walk away with love, with prayer, and with forgiveness in our hearts.

6. Recognize that it is the Holy Spirit who changes people’s hearts and minds. It’s such a relief to know that I don’t have to change any minds or hearts. I just speak the truth and then let the Holy Spirit do the rest. We can’t change a mind. And so we speak up and then we pray for that person.

____________________________________

This is a tall order. We are all naturally defensive, prideful people. Only the Holy Spirit can make these things possible. Only the Holy Spirit can ensure that we do this the right way. If we rely on our own “intelligence” and methods, we will fail every time. (I am personally familiar with failure of this nature!)

Oh, my friends, don’t get discouraged. IF people are persecuting you, know that they persecuted Jesus before you. IF they are upset with you, know that we can and should expect it. IF you are 100% committed to God and His Word, taking the time to meditate and study what He has told us in His Word while humbly desiring to submit and obey everything within its pages, and this is happening to you, then these attacks are simply proof that you are on the straight and narrow road of LIFE.

Keep your heads up! You are not alone! And one of these days, the battle will be done and we will be together in heaven!

 

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be

compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Romans 8:18

 

 

Sean Feucht: A Biblical Evaluation

14 Comments / February 24, 2022

There are two sides to what is happening right now. I’ve warned you of both because both the Great Reset side and the Great Awakening side are clearly NOT movements of God. We can know this only one way and that is through evaluating what is taking place through the lens of scripture. One is harder to discern because it uses biblical terms and throws Jesus’s name around as if He approves of what they are doing. Let me assure you, He does not. I know this only because what they are saying, teaching, and who they are joining up with just doesn’t align with the Word of God. And, again, I want to mention here the Bible is our only anchor. Without immersing ourselves in it and knowing it, we will grow confused and we will be deceived. Hang on to the Word of God as if your life depends on it. Because your spiritual life does depend on it.

One of the leaders of the Great Awakening side of things is a guy by the name of Sean Feucht. If you’ve been paying attention to this movement at all you will recognize his name. If you haven’t, then he may be unfamiliar to you. I first became familiar with him when, last year, an acquaintance mentioned she was going to one of his gatherings. I researched him a bit and knew that something was off right away.

Because he continues to grow in popularity, my daughter, Jess, decided to feature Mr. Feucht on her “Warning Wednesday” over at Anchor for the Soul (find on Facebook here and on Instagram here.) Because it’s hard to find information on those platforms, I am also sharing what she wrote here on the blog where it can be linked to, shared, printed, and filed.

Hope you find this helpful as you search out what is truth in a world that is overcome by falsehood. Here’s what Jess discovered about Sean Feaucht–

Sean Feucht (pronounced Foyt) is an up and coming leader and celebrity in mainstream Christianity. If you haven’t heard of him, I’m sure you will in the near future. He is an alumnus of the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry and a worship leader at Bethel Church in Redding. He is the founder of Burn 24-7- “a global worship and prayer movement” and Hold the Line- “a movement seeking to rally the church to vote and stand up for causes of righteousness and justice in the governmental area.” He is currently on a “Let Us Worship” tour to various cities in the US. These events are supposedly worship sessions that bring miracles, healing, and revival.

So why am I warning you about him? In a dark world where most want nothing to do with the things of the Lord, isn’t it good that people are attending these worship sessions and supposedly getting saved? Well, no. Because the Lord requires us to do things His way. We have to worship His way. We need to share the gospel His way. We have to look at miracles, healing, the Holy Spirit, God’s presence, and revival through the lens of Scripture. So let’s look at the ways Sean instead does things his own way and in complete opposition to the word of God.

𝐇𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬. Sean Feucht calls people like Beni and Bill Johnson of Bethel his spiritual parents and Mike Bickle of IHOP his hero. He has ministered alongside other false teachers such as Shawn Bolz, Cindy Jacobs, Lou Engle, and Kris Vallotton. If Sean Feucht adhered to Bible Christianity, he would not be pointing his followers toward these blatantly false teachers and movements.

“He that is not zealous against error is not likely to be zealous for the truth.” – JC Ryle

𝐇𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠. Sean bases his ideology on worship on passages from 1 Samuel 16:1, Amos 9:11, and Acts 15:16. In Samuel, Saul was troubled by a distressing spirit and David was called into Saul’s presence to play his harp. The distressing spirit departed whenever David played. Amos 9:11 is a prophesy about the restoration of the tabernacle of David, when the Messiah will personally reign over the nations upon the Throne of David during the Millennium. Acts 15:16 quotes the the prophecy from Amos. Sean twists the meaning of these passages to fit his own misconstrued idea of worship.

He wrongly assumes from the passage in Samuel that David “changed the atmosphere” over Saul when he played. He recently posted: “I felt this SO STRONG yesterday. The Davidic worshippers were playing…and you could literally feel fear, heaviness and oppression falling off people in that moment!⁣ ⁣Could this be the hour the worshippers and musicians were born for? Is this our hour to write, play, sing and create sounds like David did that changed the atmosphere over Saul? ⁣I SAY ITS ON!”

Sean then reads extra-biblical meaning into the prophecy in Amos and Acts. He claims his worship movement is a direct Biblical fulfillment of the restoration of David’s tabernacle. God “told” Sean that worship will unlock the key to revival in this country. Apparently that revival will come through a kind of restored worship that purportedly occurred in the tabernacle of David.

Beyond the fact that his interpretation of these passages is flat-out wrong, the repercussions of this type of teaching is dangerous and far-reaching. He (and other charismatic leaders like him) believe that worship actually accomplishes something in the spirit world. Rather than worship directed to God simply to express praise, Davidic worship is practiced in order to produce a so-called spiritual effect. It attracts God’s presence and therefore results in manifestations of His power- miracles, healing, and the immediate deliverance from demonic oppression and addictions.

This is NOT worship according to the Bible. God is always present with His children. The Holy Spirit dwells in us. We have no need to pursue His presence. Worship does not unleash some kind of power for miracles and healing and other nonsense. God will heal according to His will. He breaks down the power of sin through the Gospel and transforms lives through the power of His Word, not through some sort of hours long worship service.

𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠. Apparently the gospel is shared at these worship events. That’s good, right? But here’s the thing. God’s Word is clear on the way we are to share the gospel: through the preaching of His word and the Holy Spirit working in the hearts of those He calls. I watched one video of an altar call at his worship event and it was all I could stomach.

It was all emotional manipulation. I saw the leaders on stage singing and shouting and jumping around. They counted to 3 then yelled at the crowd “runnnn! come down, come down, come down!” over and over as swarms of people ran to the altar to be saved or healed or delivered. The leaders shout that these people are being delivered from their oppression and addictive behaviors miraculously and instantaneously. They lead them in a quick and simple salvation prayer. They state that thousands of people are saved at each event. It’s revival! But is it?

True saving faith doesn’t occur as a result of emotional manipulation from people shouting, jumping around, and playing music that makes everyone feel some spiritual high. None of that is from God. It results in most of those people saying a prayer or having some type of spiritual experience and then walking away thinking they’re headed for heaven when in reality they’re still headed straight for hell. Did they repent? Did they realize they’re sinners? Did they hear the full and complete Gospel? Were they reminded (as Jesus, Paul, Peter, and James and so many others reminded people over and over again) that the gospel will cost them? That Jesus didn’t come to fulfill their dreams and make them happy? Before these people go home, are they connected to a church that will disciple them and help them to grow? The answer is no.

𝐇𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚. Sean is convinced that revival is coming to the United States. He claims that Donald Trump is the Christian leader that will bring America back to its Christian roots and purpose. He believes in the “7 mountain mandate” – the idea that the church will take over the various realms of the Earth and bring heaven down. Government is one of those realms. And so he’s patriotic and conservative and anti-leftist, anti-woke, and anti-government oppression. He’s attracting lots of people from the right side because of this stance. But he completely ignores what the Bible says about the last days and the return of Christ. It’s not fun to say, friends, but we shouldn’t be expecting some great end time revival or for things to be looking increasingly better. Heaven isn’t coming to Earth. It’s not what the Bible predicts. Can the Lord save souls in a revival during this time? Absolutely. He can do whatever He wants. But it will be with the true Gospel and through His prescribed method. And it will likely never be a revival of the masses because He promises the way is narrow, unpopular, and that there are only few who find it.

I could go on but those are the main reasons I’d warn you stay far away from Sean Feucht and anyone like him. These worship movements aren’t harmless. God isn’t in heaven just waiting for a worship event to manifest His power. They are simply giving people a spiritual experience- one that leaves them feeling good for a moment but leaves them trapped in sin. Stand on His Word, my friends. Compare everyone and everything to its standard. As the christian world gets crazier and crazier, it is truly our only anchor.

 

 

What Color Is Your Sky?

4 Comments / October 6, 2021

If I tell you the sky is blue on a bright summer day, you will probably agree. But there may be some out there who simply disagree. In their world the sky is purple or pink or chartreuse. Years ago, we would have recognized that this is a wrong answer. But now, we are supposed to give credence to any answer. No one is wrong. In fact, the greatest sin you can commit is to tell someone they are wrong.

We can see how this belief that there is no absolute truth has eroded the culture to a point of what I believe to be no return. The world we live in and the world that is our future (if the Lord tarries) will not be the world we grew up in. That is becoming clearer every day in a myriad of ways.

But this belief is also eroding the church. We can see this when someone points out error according to scripture and the messenger is attacked rather than the error dealt with. In the minds of most Christians, which have been molded to worldly thinking, it is more wrong to point out the error than the error itself. This response happens so often to those who stand for the truth and there is so rarely support or defense from even like-minded Christians, that eventually those who speak up often lose courage and just stop. The attacks are just too painful to bear alone.

And so I want to address this problem from both sides today. From the side of the hearer, as well as from the side of the speaker of the truth. How should this actually work from a biblical standpoint? Both sides have responsibilities if the Church (all believers) is to function well. And all of us should find ourselves on both sides on occasion. (May we never be found only a hearer or only a speaker. That right there will lead to serious dysfunction within the church body.)

According to scripture the hearer has some responsibilities–

➊ We are to test all things. No matter what it is, we are to test it and determine if it is true or false (I Thessalonians 5:21).

➋ We are to avoid those who teach a doctrine contrary to what we have learned; we are to abandon anyone who would not be teaching the truth (Romans 16:17).

➌ We are to recognize that there is but one true Gospel and that, sadly, many are trying to pervert that Gospel, yielding a multitude of false gospels. We must keep our eyes open and be a bit of a skeptic when something is called “Christian” (Galatians 1:6-11).

➍ We are to compare all things to scripture, following the example laid out for us in scripture by the Bereans (Acts 17:11).

➎ We are to be humble and teachable and willing to hear what someone has to say before getting defensive (I Peter 5:5).

➏ We are to recognize that God gave some the gift of discernment –literally the ability to distinguish between the spirits– as a gift to the Church; we should be thankful for this gift and pay attention when they are brave enough to speak up (I Corinthians 12:10).

➐ We are to be kind and loving to the speaker, even when we don’t agree with them. A Christian sibling speaking something we don’t like or don’t agree with is not our enemy (I Corinthians 13:4-7).

➑ We must recognize that it is our duty to protect the truth and that sometimes we must call out and break from those who call themselves a part of us when they show themselves to be wolves in sheep’s clothing; not all who claim to be Christ’s are genuine (I John 2:19, Ephesians 5:11, 2 Corinthians 11:14).

➒ Even if we don’t feel knowledgeable or brave enough to speak up ourselves, we should offer support to those who are; we must love and protect and support our brothers and sisters in Christ who stand for what is right (I Peter 1:22).

 

According to scripture, the speaker of the truth also has some important things to consider before we ever open our mouths (or set our fingers to typing)–

➊ We must be humble and teachable and, in fact, even more so as we try to correct or call out those who are in opposition to the truth (2 Timothy 2:25).

➋ When addressing false doctrine and false teachers, we must stick to the facts of actions and words, rather than attacking the person of whom we are speaking (Titus 3:2).

➌ We must acknowledge that we don’t know everything (this goes back to being humble but it is SO important that it bears repeating). We dare not be wise in our own opinions. Arrogance is just…ugly (Romans 12:16).

➍ These things that God has opened our eyes to should break our hearts. We must have so much grace for others, constantly remembering our own sinful hearts and always remembering that “but for the grace of God, go I”! (I Corinthians 15:10).

➎ We must speak and act in love always, understanding that if we speak up without love we are like sounding brass or a clanging cymbal (I Corinthians 13:1-3).

➏ We are to love those who just can’t see. Those who are blinded and have set themselves up as our enemies. The saddest thing of all is when these come from within our local churches and sometimes even our families. The pain of this can be almost unbearable sometimes and yet we must choose to love (Matthew 5:43-44).

➐ We must forgive. We dare not grow bitter or hold a grudge against someone who has treated us unkindly or condescendingly. This will yield very bad fruit–not only in our personal lives but also within the church body (Matthew 6:14-15).

➑ We must continue to pray steadfastly. Praying that God would open the eyes of those who are blind (recognizing that He is the only one who can!); praying that He would give us wisdom when to speak and when to just keep quiet; praying that He would give us love for others that supersedes their treatment of us; praying for courage and boldness and fortitude to say what others are too fearful to say (Colossians 4:2).

_____________________________

We are ALL either hearers or speakers of the truth. Ideally, we are both of these things at various times. May we both hear and speak as scripture would have us do so. The world would tell us to get angry at and ugly with those with whom we disagree. It would tell us to speak up indiscriminately and without forethought. Basically, the world would have us do both things all wrong. We can see this all around us–on social media, by the water cooler at work, on the sidelines of athletic events, and anyplace the world hangs out.

If the world is doing it one way, we will want to do it another way. And that way is found in the Bible –where we can find clear principles for both hearing and speaking that will pave the way to purify, build up, and unify the Body of Christ.

 

P.S. The sky IS blue on a bright summer day. 2+2 always equals 4. And all babies are born as a girl or as a boy. Let’s not get caught up in the lie that there are no absolutes. It is a deadly lie that has many casualties. But that’s a post for another day…

 

 

Must We Defend the Bible?

3 Comments / September 30, 2021

A few weeks ago, my youngest daughter, Marissa, casually mentioned that she had had to write a blog post for a school assignment. While this young woman is artistic, she tends to use a paintbrush rather than a pen to express herself (She recently opened an Etsy store, which you can find here). But I have to confess that, after reading what she wrote, I can’t help but wonder if she may end up as a writer, as well.

I believe what she wrote for her school assignment is an important message that believers need to hear. We can get so mixed up by the noise and cacophony that comes at us from all directions and sometimes we lose our perspective. This short post reminds us of some very important truths. I hope it serves as a wonderful reminder and an encouragement, too.

Here is what she wrote–

Do science and the Bible go hand in hand? Must we have science to believe in Scripture? Must we use science to give proof for the Scriptures? These are all questions that have come into discussion in recent times. There has been a scientific push in this day and age. Everything must be be “fact based.”

I contend that the answer to the questions above is an absolute no. This is an unpopular stance to take. However, let me give my reasoning before you discount my claim.

#1) God never needs man to achieve His purposes. While God can use His people and circumstances to reach a soul, He is never dependent on them. The Holy Spirit can change a heart and give faith as He wills and pleases. To say that an individual needs to know the proof of the Scriptures before they can place their faith in the Bible, is giving absolute discredit to God’s power.

#2) Humans are fallen. This intrinsically means that science is fallen. There have been numerous scientific claims that were proven false years down the road. Pharmaceutical companies give false information for the sake of money. Governments make false claims for the sake of their own agendas. News companies spin stories to receive the reaction they want. As long as sin remains on this earth, science will inherently fail. Why should we rely on misinformation from secular sources to prove the Bible given from a holy and perfect God?

#3) The element of faith. Salvation has never been about knowledge. A person coming to faith doesn’t need to know how the creation is backed up by science before they make their decision. They choose to follow Christ based on faith. They choose to follow Christ because they understand the Gospel and its message. To say that science is needed cheapens the Gospel.

#4) The danger of pride. When we say that science is needed to prove Scripture, there is a larger emphasis on man’s knowledge than on God’s Word. Suddenly, humans have the responsibility to prove the Bible based on human knowledge and findings. It’s important to recognize who God is versus who we are. We are His creation. It’s as if the potter’s clay works to prove that their creator exists. How incredibly foolish. We know the Creator exists because we see His workmanship so clearly and evidently. We believe that He exists because He has given us all that is necessary to do so.

Now listen, I’m not saying there isn’t any purpose for understanding how science and the Bible work together. There are times when scientific proof serves as a great confirmation for a doubting believer or the cynical atheist. God can use science for His purposes. However, even if science and the Bible contradict, I will choose to believe that the Bible is the infallible Word of God and remember that earthly knowledge is fallen and a result of a depraved society. His ways are always higher than ours.

 

What to Expect When You are Expecting

5 Comments / September 28, 2021

There’s a popular book for pregnant women called What to Expect When You’re Expecting. It was actually very helpful to me thirty years ago and it must be fairly timeless as I see the 4th revised version is still available today. But this post isn’t about expecting a baby. It’s about our expectations of this life and what we should expect when we are expecting.

But, first, a story.

Last fall, our youngest daughter, Marissa, decided to take a semester off of college so that she wouldn’t lose her senior year playing soccer. With that in mind, she restarted in Spring and this fall is her final semester before she graduates in December. She was really looking forward to a her final soccer season and things were going well. She was expecting a great season.

But that all came to a flying halt a couple of Saturdays ago when her foot made contact with someone else’s shoe and shattered two of the toes on her right foot. With a trip to the doctor and a boot on her foot, the expectation for a great soccer season faded away to nothing and left only bitter disappointment in its place.

It’s been a hard couple of weeks for her because this girl loves soccer. I know God is growing her and teaching her because she loves Him and He has promised us in Romans 8:28-29 to use all things in the lives of those who love Him to conform them to Christ’s image but–as we all know–some of those “all things” can be very painful.

As I was reflecting on the past few weeks yesterday, I was thinking how my daughter’s disappointed and unfulfilled expectation mirrors what we are all experiencing to some extent. Prior to March 2020 we all had expectations for our lives. They were reasonable expectations (for most of us). Things such as: Have a happy family whose needs are met; Enjoy spending time with those we love; Travel and vacations; Good health (and wonderful healthcare should we need it); buying anything we need (or want) and getting it in a timely fashion; financial security; etc, etc, etc.

While we knew (and had probably already experienced) the hard facts of life (such as disease, death, betrayal, broken relationships, financial difficulties, etc) the world around us always remained stable in the midst of those terrible trials.

But within one week in the year 2020, all of those expectations came crashing down. Suddenly, our world wasn’t so stable after all. We recognized in such a short time that we aren’t really free, after all. We recognized the stranglehold on the information flow. And we recognized the outright deception being played out on so many levels. It was disconcerting and frustrating. And as time marched on after that pivotal week, our expectations became less and less likely to be fulfilled.

And we were reminded in a more vivid way than ever before of what can we expect when we are expecting in this life on earth: We can expect disappointment and disillusionment.

But, just like my daughter will need to work through her unfulfilled expectation for her life, so, too, will we need to do the same. We need to release those expectations we had and rest in the Lord’s will for our lives. His will is not our will and we need to trust Him as we move forward.

The wonderful thing is that we can trust Him. Not only has He proven Himself over and over again in our own lives and the lives of those who have gone before us, but we are seriously watching what was prophesied two thousand years ago getting set up to come to pass right before our eyes. If that doesn’t confirm scripture for you, then I don’t know what will.

And we finally realize: There is one expectation that will never go unfulfilled. One hope that will never dim or fade away.

And that is our hope in Christ.

He made a way for us to be reconciled to God through His sacrifice on the cross so that we could live in His presence forever (learn more about this here.) Our expectations for a future with God in heaven will come to pass.

Unlike this old earth that is fading away, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever and we can count on Him to fulfill His promises.

So instead of tentative, precarious expectations based in this unsettled, strange world, perhaps it’s time we base our expectations in the rock of Ages. Perhaps this is part of what God is doing–moving His children’s hearts from this world to the one to come (Colossians 3:1-4); deepening our understanding of our role as pilgrims and sojourners in this world (I Peter 2:11); and helping us understand that our hope for this life and for our future should lie in Christ alone (Ephesians1:18-21).

Oh, my friends, let’s move our expectations from this world to the God of the universe. Let’s move them from the tentative and unsure to the certain and the definite.

And, in so doing, everything will change. Instead of being driven by discouragement and disappointment, we will rest secure in our eternal hope. Instead of being self-absorbed we will turn outwards, bringing hope to the lost souls around us and emanating the peace and joy that only God can give.

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If I look at myself, I am depressed. If I look at those around me, I am often disappointed. If I look at my circumstances, I am discouraged. But if I look at Jesus, I am constantly, consistently, and eternally fulfilled! ~Author Unknown

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(Yeah, that sounds so wonderful, doesn’t it? And I do know that what I wrote above is true. But that doesn’t mean I always live it. Like you, I am trying to grow and learn in this strange new world we are living in. It’s a real challenge some days. The most important thing that has helped me is studying and memorizing the Word. If you are saved and just don’t know where to begin in moving your hope from this world to an eternal hope, start there. Open Ephesians 1 and read what God has said about His own. Read Philippians. Read John 10, John 15, Colossians 3, Psalm 37. And on and on. God has given us so much in His Word from which we can draw strength in these difficult days.)

 

 

The Light and the Map

3 Comments / September 14, 2021

I awoke this morning to see a thick, murky fog all around. It was a bit depressing. But as I went outside to take the photo above I also found it beautiful—in its own way.

Unless it’s nighttime. It’s one thing to drive in fog during the day when there is a hint of light but when it’s dark outside and it’s foggy it can be downright dangerous and a bit scary. This can really get terrifying if you are on a narrow mountain road.

I’d imagine that most people feel like they are driving in dense fog at midnight on a dangerous mountain road right about now. No light, no guide, no way to know if they are going the right direction or heading towards a cliff.

This is the real difference between someone who is saved and someone who isn’t. We are in the same circumstances, we endure the same murky fog at midnight… but we have been given a light and a map.

Fog only allows us to view one step at a time. It is impossible to look very far down the road and see where we are headed.

But God has given us a light (Jesus—John 1:4-5) to guide our steps and a map (the Bible, God’s Holy Word) of where we are going. We can see the next step (submission and obedience to God’s Word) and we know exactly where we are going (Heaven).

Of course, if surrendering our will to God and obeying His Word had been our priorities all along, what’s going on in the world wouldn’t have us so rattled. We talked about being pilgrims, we talked about persecution in vague terms, we’d lightly talk about heaven being a better place.. But now…well, now, we really mean it, don’t we?

And so we travel in this alternate universe one step at a time with our light and map in hand showing us the way to go, recognizing that not only are we pilgrims in a foreign and very strange land but we are hated pilgrims in a foreign land. Very few want our light and even fewer have any interest in our map.

But here’s the thing: That light and map we have—we are supposed to share it with others. We aren’t responsible if they choose to continue in darkness rather than to grab hold of the light. We aren’t responsible if they get angry and toss the map back in our face.

We are just responsible to share.

So let’s not be discouraged. We only need to take one step at a time and God has given us exactly what we need for that duty. He has told us exactly where this world is headed. While we may not know the exact layout of the land nor can we predict each curve or mountain, we do know where it’s going and where the road ends. In that, we are so blessed.

So share that blessing with others. Share your light and your map with those walking beside you. At work, when you are shopping, in school, sometimes even in our churches—so many are traveling without these invaluable tools to navigate this murky, dark time.

They may not want them but may it never be said that you didn’t offer!

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