A Crash Course in Systematic Theology

2 Comments / November 12, 2018

The term “Systematic Theology” can scare us if we aren’t very educated. However, in its simplest definition, it just means organizing all the Bible teaches into categories. See? It’s not really all that scary! Systematic Theology gathers all of the information that the Bible has to say from Genesis to Revelation about a certain topic–such as God, or angels, or Jesus, etc.

We often hear that Christians are disinterested in doctrine. And I do think that is true. But, honestly, I think there are also quite a few who are intimidated by it. If we don’t have a lot of background in these things, the terms and phrases can be rather daunting.

But it doesn’t have to be this way! Pastor Dean Good makes it possible to learn the basics while removing the “intimidation” factor. He also makes it clear that we must never make theology or education our goal. As believers, our goal is to walk in the Truth of God’s Word. Nothing should ever take the place of that.

This past September I started teaching a Bible Study on the Fundamentals of the Faith. As I tried to deepen my knowledge of the doctrines we are studying, I found these Bible Study sessions by Pastor Dean, which he taught at the church where he is pastor (Grace Church of North Olmsted). Not only have they benefited me greatly but they have also helped those attending the studies who are interested in going that extra mile to learn more.

As I was reflecting on this over the weekend, I decided to compile these sessions all on one page so that you, my readers, might learn from these, as well. They give a wonderful overview of each topic in a way that anyone can understand.

I really think you will enjoy these if you take the time to listen. I hope this will be very helpful to you as you strive to grow in Christ. In the introduction Pastor Dean does a fantastic job giving us insight into why a study of doctrine is so important, so that’s a great place to start.

(P.S. Don’t let the big words scare you on this list. The academic words simply represent very familiar concepts.)

1. INTRODUCTION

Every good course needs a good introduction and this is one of the best around. Pastor Dean offers an easy-to-understand overview, as well as a few really practical reasons why this study is important.

Introduction to Systematic Theology

2. SCRIPTURE

What does the Bible say about itself? Why do we believe it to be the inspired and inerrant Word of God?

Doctrine of Scripture

3. GOD

What does the Bible teach us about God? Learn why we should be in such awe of God, the Father!

Doctrine of God

4. TRINITY

What does the Bible teach us about the trinity? This session may clear up some of your questions about this rather confusing doctrine.

Doctrine of the Trinity

5. CHRIST

What does the Bible teach us about Jesus Christ? Do you know who He really is, according to the scriptures?

Christology

6.HOLY SPIRIT

This is one of the most maligned and twisted doctrines of scripture in this current church age. What does the Bible say about the Holy Spirit and His work in our lives?

Pneumatology

7. ANGELS

What does the Bible teach about angels? Does what you believe about them match what scripture says?

Angelology 1

Angelology 2

8. MAN

Man is made in God’s image but what exactly does this mean? Find out what the Bible has to say about this.

Anthropology

9. SIN

What does the Bible teach about sin? What is sin? Are there levels of sin?

Hamartiology

10. SALVATION

What does the Bible teach about salvation? Pastor Dean spends four different sessions on this important topic.

Soteriology 1

Soteriology 2

Sanctification

Perseverance

11. CHURCH

What does the Bible teach about the universal Church and what is the role of the local church? This is an extremely important issue, especially with the development of the modern seeker-friendly and business model churches. Is this really what God had in mind?

Ecclesiology 1

Ecclesiology 2

12. ISRAEL

What does the Bible teach us about Israel? There are many people who believe that there is no role for Israel in the future. You may be one of them. I hope you will listen and find out why Pastor Dean believes that God is not yet finished with Israel.

Israelology 1

Israelology 2

13. PROPHECY

What does the Bible teach us about the last days? There are many different ways that people interpret Daniel and Revelation and it’s certainly not a salvific issue. But, while this is something we can agree to disagree on, Pastor Dean approaches Revelation the way he approaches all of scripture: Literally. He shows why we can and should interpret books of prophecy in the same way we interpret the rest of scripture.

Eschatology 1

Eschatology 2

 

 

Who Is Jesus?

6 Comments / November 8, 2018

Who is Jesus? One of the greatest travesties of this current age is the misunderstanding of who Jesus is. People throw His name around all the time, attributing characteristics and traits to Him. But do they actually match the real Jesus?

I hesitate to even write this, knowing that I can’t even begin to touch the surface of who Jesus really is in a blog post. But I feel compelled to at least write something in the face of all of the bad information that is out there. So here goes…

I want to first do a quick overview of who Jesus is and why He came before we look into some of the myths that are believed about Him.

It is important to start with who we are without Christ. We need to understand that we are sinners, lost and without hope, dead in our sins. We are not good people with good hearts. Romans 3:12 b is one of several verses that makes this abundantly clear–

There is none who does good, no, not one.

This leaves us lost and without hope. As sinners, we desperately need a way to be reconciled to God. All the good deeds in the world will not be enough to make us stand righteous before God. We cannot work our way to Heaven. Isaiah 64:6 a says this–

But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;

Since no good and righteous judge can excuse a lawbreaker, we know that we cannot just walk away without punishment. And so we needed a perfect sacrifice to pay for our sins. Maybe this analogy will help:

A murderer sits before a judge, awaiting his verdict. Perhaps he makes his case–yes, I did murder that man but, judge, I’ve given thousands of dollars here and I’ve spent hours helping the poor there. But, of course, we know that there isn’t any amount of good deeds that can make up for the sin that he committed. There is no “balance” between good and bad deeds in real life and there is no balance when it comes to God, either.

As a good and righteous judge, he must punish this murderer. To not do so would mean he is not just or fair. But then someone comes in to the court room and offers to take this man’s punishment. He is offering to pay the price so that this man can be set free. Who would ever do such a thing? I don’t know of any human.

But this is, in essence, what Jesus did for us. We are in that court room, awaiting our death sentence, and He has offered to pay our punishment with His death on the Cross, so that we may go free and have eternal life. We are reconciled to God through Christ’s death when we trust in Him and Him alone for salvation.

But Jesus didn’t stay in that grave.

He is alive and will return again someday! This is our Savior and Lord and King. The King of Kings (Revelation 19:16), almighty, all-powerful. He is calling us to live a godly and discerning life while we await His return (2 Peter 3:14-18).

I Timothy 1:15 says this: This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. 

Jesus came to the world to save sinners. He did not come to make our life here on earth easier, to give us a purpose, or to fill our lives with material wealth and good health. He came to save us from the eternal punishment we deserve because of sin.

But this is not the Jesus we generally hear about today. This modern day “Jesus” is our buddy and he exists to do our bidding and to make our lives better. With this Jesus we can be like the world, we never have to confront sin, and we can join with false teachers. We can lie, we can steal, we can cheat, we can live in sexual sin, we can do anything we want because Jesus always forgives us. This Jesus never gets angry, is never divisive, and never calls out sin. This Jesus accepts everyone into heaven and would never send anyone to hell.

Now before we do a biblical test of these things that we wrongly assume define Jesus, I do want to make it clear that some of the things currently ascribed to Jesus are most certainly true: Jesus loves us. Jesus does have great compassion for the lost sinner. Jesus does forgive our sins. He has no bias for class or race. He is kind and good.

But let’s take a look at some of the other traits ascribed to this character I will call “Cultural Jesus”.  Are the characteristics attributed to our Lord Jesus Christ true or are they false, according to scripture?

1. Our Buddy

The Bible does say that Jesus is our friend. But there is a condition to that friendship. We are only His friends if we do what He commands in His Word (John 15:14). If we do not do as He commands, we have declared by our actions that we are not His friend, no matter what we say.

2. Accepts Anyone and Everyone Into Heaven

“Cultural Jesus” doesn’t care what path people take to heaven. Of course, we know the real Jesus made it clear that He is the only way (John 14:6). “Cultural Jesus” also assures us that everyone is going to heaven. This is another myth. It was the real Jesus who said the way is narrow and few there are that find it (Matthew 7:13-14).

3. Never Confronts

“Cultural Jesus” never confronts sin. But we can quickly find out that this is not the real Jesus. No matter where He went or who He talked to, He called people to repentance and out of their sin. In fact, He had an advantage, because He knew people’s hearts, which often hide the most secret sin: that of motive (John 4).

“Cultural Jesus” also never confronts false teachers. But we can see in scripture that the real Jesus most certainly did call out false teachers–in public! He shows us by his actions that false teachers who pervert the truth of the Gospel can and should be called out publicly (Matthew 23).

4. Never Condemns

The real Jesus does offer us a way to be free from condemnation. And that is to repent and turn from our sins and trust in Him for salvation (Mark 1:15). However, He had little patience for those who were full of self-righteousness and hypocrisy and He did condemn them (Mark 7).

5. No Care for Our Daily Choices, Sinful or Otherwise

“Cultural Jesus” doesn’t care what we do. We can live like the world; go where we want; listen, watch, and read what we want without any break in fellowship. But we know from scripture that all of our choices matter. That they either lead us towards a deeper relationship with Christ or away from Him. And He desires that we abide in Him. In fact, this is the only way to have any fruit of lasting value. Without Him we can do nothing. (John 15:1-8)

6. Loved by the World

The world (and mainstream church) would have us believe that Jesus was the most popular man on earth but we know clearly from His own words that this isn’t true. He declared that we will be hated, just like He was hated. We are to expect this. This flies in the face of “Cultural Jesus” who is loved by everybody. (John 15:18-20)

7. Exists to Make Our Life Here on Earth Happier

“Cultural Jesus” exists to make our life happier and more fulfilled. But the real Jesus says nothing about making our temporal life better. Instead He tells us to forsake all and pick up our cross and follow Him (Matthew 10:38-39; Luke 14:25-33) and that we are to deny ourselves (Mark 8:34). He also assures us that we will experience hatred in our efforts to follow Him (John 15:18-19). While this sounds utterly unfamiliar to so many who use the name of Jesus, it is what we read in the scriptures.

8. Greatest Concern is Unity

“Cultural Jesus” compromises truth in order to be unified. But we know from scripture that this is certainly not true. In fact, Jesus says He came to bring division. (Luke 12:49-53) He also makes it clear that it is impossible to worship God in purity of heart unless we are worshiping in truth (John 4:24) This would then preclude any compromise with a false worship system.

9. Would Never Send Anyone to Hell

While Jesus’s ministry was focused on calling people to repentance, He did mention hell on a number of occasions. He spoke of it as a very real place. (Matthew 5:29; Matthew 10:28; Matthew 23:33; Luke 12:5 to name a few)

10. Indifferent to Sin

Is the real Jesus indifferent to sin? Let’s go to the scriptures to find out. There we will find that Jesus commands people to repent (Matthew 3:2; Mark 1:15; Luke 5:32) Merriam-Webster.com gives this definition of repent: to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one’s life. From this I believe we can safely conclude that Jesus is definitely not indifferent to sin but, instead, rightly expects us to turn from it.

He also tells the man healed at Bethesda (John 5:1-14) and the adulteress (John 8:7-11) to go and sin no more. From this we can assume that Jesus, who forgives our sin, desires that we strive to live a righteous life and to make an effort to sin no more.

 

I hope this short post starts you thinking about the difference between the “Cultural Jesus” and the real Jesus. There are so many more things I could have touched on. This is really a subject without end and one post hardly does it justice. But I do hope it at least brings to light that there is a major discrepancy going on here and instills in you a desire to study who Jesus really is, according to the Bible.

It is important as we hear people throw the name of Jesus around lightly that we take the time to study our Bibles and compare what we hear to what scripture says. How important it is that we understand who He really was during His time here on earth and who He is right now–our risen Savior and King who has promised to return for us!

 

A Life Above Reproach

2 Comments / November 5, 2018

Tomorrow is voting day here in the United States. Someone told me the other day of a conversation they had with the staff member of a local representative. This person was sharing her horror and disgust at the lies and slander that were being told about this man by his opponent. She listed a few things that the commercials had “asserted” and declared their impossibility given this man’s upstanding character.

We already know that we can’t believe everything we hear–especially during voting time.

But there is something else to consider:

This man’s closest friends and co-workers knew with certainty that the things being told about him were false. This should lead us to ask ourselves a question: Are we living life in the same way? Are we living above reproach in such a way, that if someone slandered us, we’d have those who know us best declaring there is no way it could be true?

Do you know that this is how it is supposed to be for us as believers? Peter puts it like this–

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. I Peter 3:15-16

How do we have a good conscience? We do this by living a life of integrity. While we can’t do this perfectly (we all continue to sin, unfortunately) we can and should choose to live righteous and holy lives.

If we always tell the truth; if we honor our marriage vows; if we never cheat, steal, or rob; if we respect authority; if we are kind and loving to others; if we are content with our lot in life; if we are humble; if we are careful not to put ourselves purposefully in the path of sin (such as bars, casinos, and wherever else we know temptation takes us to places we shouldn’t go) then we are living a life of integrity.

If we never take advantage of people in business deals; if we don’t manipulate and use people; if we don’t hold grudges and aren’t easily offended; if we conduct any company, church committee, or PTA business with fairness and honesty, then we are giving our enemies very little to grasp onto.

They are then forced to lie.

And we all know that this is what happens. If there is a man or woman of integrity that has an enemy, be sure they will be lied about.

But that person that’s being lied about? He has a clean conscience. He knows the truth and those that really know him know the truth. While it is a battle to be fought and there is much heartache that comes from false accusations, there is still an accompanying peace that comes from knowing that the accusations are false.

As I think about the recent Kavanaugh hearings, this comes to mind. You see, we as the public, are at a loss. And people like his enemies know this. They know that once a lie is told it puts a seed of distrust in the hearer’s mind. I have my guesses on what happened with that hearing but unless I’d get to know both parties personally, there is really no way for me to know the truth. False accusations are extremely powerful.

Opponents in political races know this. As do irritated agenda-driven church members, frustrated co-workers, and others who strive to knock someone down and out of place. Lies bring destruction.

While we can’t stop people from lying about us, we are able to choose to live a life above reproach. We can choose to live in righteousness so that when they do choose to say something about us, there is no foundation of truth to even be found upon which they can build their lie.

No, this doesn’t bring back the trust of others. No, this doesn’t take away the dreadful pain or even the consequences of the slander and false accusations. Elections are lost, godly men are forced out of ministry, and good workers leave companies because of lies. Christians even lose their lives because of lies. False accusations have often been what Satan has used throughout history to martyr many of our brothers and sisters in Christ. We can’t change this.

But we can live with a clean conscience so that, as Peter says: that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.

It is a discouraging world where lies will win. But Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44) and the world is currently under his influence (I John 5:19). We also know that Satan is a Christian’s greatest enemy (Ephesians 6:11-12;I Peter 5:8). Therefore we should’t be surprised when we are the target of lies and slander.

So let’s not give Satan any handles to grab on to. Let’s live a life so above reproach that there is not even a hint of truth found in any accusations against us. It is in this way that we can honor the Lord Jesus as well as preserve our peace of mind and heart.

And while we are struggling (and hopefully growing in our faith) through those false accusations, we dare not forget this:

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, (Matthew 5:43-44)

Nothing is outside of God’s care, including false accusations. Even this is under His sovereignty and can be used to teach us and grow us in holiness and righteousness.

 

Ants and Donuts

6 Comments / November 1, 2018

A few weeks ago I came downstairs to find ants. Normal-sized ones and teeny-tiny ones* were making themselves right at home on my kitchen counter. I had been fighting a battle with them since it got cooler. I thought we had beat them, although I would still find an occasional one making its lone way across the countertop. Until that morning.

I grabbed some thick sheets of wet paper towel and just started wiping it across the counter, gathering all I could see in my broad swipes, muttering to myself all the while. I. Hate. Ants. Especially in my house.

Nearby sat a container of apple cider donuts leftover from a gathering the night before. I carefully lifted them up in the dim light, twisting and turning the clear container all around. I didn’t have my glasses on but from what I could tell, they looked okay. I breathed a sigh of relief and moved them to the kitchen island where, at least so far, no ants had been spotted.

A little while later, my husband mentioned that the donuts had ants all through them. Rather shocked, I put on my glasses and sure enough! They were all over those donuts. What looked like hundreds of them crawling over, under, and through the holes in the middle.

How could I have not seen them?

I threw the donuts away and went on with my day.

But I’ve been thinking a lot about this incident. There are a few lessons to be learned.

The first lesson that came to mind is that worry and anxiety are like those ants. They crawl in and around and through everything good in our lives and destroy it. While worry and anxiety do nothing to help change the future, they do destroy the present. I think this is why Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:34–

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

The fact that Jesus mentions this would tell us that worry has always been around. What is the antidote for worry? How do we get to “Do Not Worry”? I am actually still working on that. However, I think there are two things that can really help.

First, and most importantly, we need to fill our minds with God’s Word. His Word fills us with comfort and peace and gives us an eternal perspective. We should memorize a few verses about who God is. And Matthew 6:34 (or even back up a few verses and catch the rest of what Jesus has to say about worry). Saturating our minds with God’s Word will serve us well when the anxieties loom over us and steal our joy.

Second, we need to turn our attention from inward to outward. It is hard to see the needs of others when we are focused on ourselves. We render ourselves fairly ineffective for God’s Kingdom when we are overtaken and haunted by worry and anxiety about the future. But when we can think outside ourselves and serve others, we will find that the thoughts of anxiety and worry will melt away as other thoughts fill our minds.

I believe that our battle with worry and anxiety is a sin because it shows that we are not trusting God or submitting to His will for our lives. I also believe that this sin is one that almost all of us fight at one time or another. The first key is to recognize it as a sin (and not just blame it on our personality or circumstances) and then we need to actively work to eradicate that sin from our lives.

The second lesson from those ants is this: We need our glasses on in order to see the ants. The Bible functions as our glasses. It gives us understanding and shows us who God is, who we are, what sin is, how we can be saved, and how we can grow in Christ. Everything we need for life and godliness is within its pages.

But, too often, we try to navigate life without it. And so we have ants on our donuts but we don’t even realize it! We think all is fine when it’s not fine at all. The Bible not only helps us get rid of the ants, it shows us that the ants exist.

You may think you’d just rather know the ants don’t exist. And I feel that way, too, sometimes. But God’s way is always perfect and finding those ants (and sins!) sooner rather than later is always going to be best for us!

So we need to put on our Bible glasses in order to see ourselves as we really are (instead of our “friend” glasses that have us comparing ourselves to those around us).

And then we need to do something about it. Remember what James says–

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. James 1:22-25

 

I don’t like ants, but they did give me something to write about this morning, so as it’s the first day of November I can say, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, there’s even a reason to be thankful for ants on my counter! Have a great day!

 

 

*The exterminator told me the really tiny ants were baby ants! Who knew??

 

The Expedient Lie

4 Comments / October 29, 2018

A friend of mine and her husband have wisely decided that their family will not celebrate Halloween*. As they have been going out and about town these past few weeks her four-year-old has frequently been asked what he will be dressing up like for trick-or-treating. His consistent answer was that he wouldn’t be dressing up because “Mom says we only celebrate holidays that have to do with Jesus.”

But one day a lady asked him this same question and his answer was remarkedly different.

“Umm, I am going to be a superhero!”

“Ohh, which super hero?” the lady asked.

This peaked his mom’s interest, as he doesn’t even know any superheros. She stood back to watch where this was going.

“Ummm, well, it’s red and blue…” His mom realized he was describing a mask and cape that he had at home.

“Oh, nice.”

But the little guy wasn’t done yet. He added this, “And yeah, I am going to wear it to our Halloween party.”

She says, “Oh, a Halloween party?”

He proceeded to enthusiastically tell her that he would be eating cake and having fun there.

Mom didn’t say anything but later she asked him why he had told that lady he was dressing up and talked about a Halloween party.

He said something like this: “Well, I just got tired of telling people I don’t dress up and that we don’t celebrate Halloween and so I just decided I am going to tell them I am going to be a super hero and that way people are more excited.”

This little boy had done what so many of us do. We tell an expedient lie to avoid consequences. While we adults tend to justify these lies in our minds the little boy, like most children do, had been quite honest about why he did it. He didn’t feel like dealing with the questions anymore so he just told them what they wanted to hear.

Can you think of the last time you did this same thing? How often do we say something dishonest in order to avoid a hassle and/or ridicule?

I would say it’s pretty often. It’s actually pretty ingrained into this culture anymore. It’s hard to gauge people’s true opinions because they generally aren’t saying them. Oh, I know there are lots spouting off online and that’s not good either. But there are lots and lots of Christians who are just not saying their honest opinion about the things that matter because they don’t want the heat. It’s just easier to go along with the crowd or to make up an answer that people like.

Specifically, I can think of a few ways that we Christians do this in our homes, workplaces, and churches–

What do you think of _________ (ungodly movie, band, or book)

         (uhhh, it was okay. I really liked the part where…)

Did you finish that report today?

           (“oh, yes, I started it” while it’s laying in an unopened folder on our desk)

Will you be home by six?

        (“That’s my plan” knowing full well that there is no way it will happen)

Do you like my new hair style? (I hate this one. It’s so hard to navigate!)

             (“Yes, it’s so cute” when it’s not cute. At all)

And husbands will relate to this one: Wives ask, “do you think I’m fat?”

          (Oh, no, of course not, dear)

It’s just easier and much more expedient to lie most of the time. We avoid hurt feelings, fights, arguments, derision, and mockery when we do this. Surely God doesn’t have a problem with it, right?

Well, I’m not so sure.

God condemns lying very strongly in His word. Here are just a few of the many verses–

The wicked are estranged from the womb; They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies. Psalm 58:3

He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence. Psalm 101:7

Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, But those who deal truthfully are His delight. Proverbs 12:22

Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. Ephesians 4:25

Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, Colossians 3:9

Inevitably, when we discuss lying, the subject of Rahab comes up. She lied to protect God’s servants and was blessed for it (Joshua 6:17; Hebrews 11:31). Dare I point out the obvious?

Rahab was not lying to protect herself.

While I am not prepared to discuss what anyone should do in her circumstances, I think it is pretty clear that lying to protect our own selfish interests is clearly sinful. And, if we are completely honest, we are generally not protecting anyone other than ourselves when we lie. So to use Rahab (or even the Christians who hid Jews during the Holocaust) as our excuse to lie would be a pretty ridiculous cop-out.

God hates lying lips. We know this from His Word. And yet we all so easily fall into lying. Because it’s just easier. Perhaps it is time to carefully examine our words for how often we are speaking the truth.

 

*Should a Christian celebrate Halloween? I’ve vacillated through the years on my response to this question. Recently, though, with the rise of occultic activity and the growing fascination with all things dark (zombies, witches, vampires, magic) I would agree with my friend and would avoid celebrating this holiday. A good question to ask is this: Does this holiday glorify God or the devil? The obvious answer to this should give us a clue as to whether or not we should participate in this holiday.

 

 

When It’s Time to Reap

Leave a Comment / October 24, 2018

She sat there in her hospital room, old, confused, and alone. A lifetime of bitterness and grudges and pride was being harvested. Her unforgiving heart and her need to be in control had pushed away most of her friends and family, leaving her to walk through this latest health crisis alone. When one of her children reached out to her, she clung to her pride and her bitterness and pushed them firmly away.

It is, by far, one of the saddest, most heart-breaking things I have ever witnessed. And I was reminded of Galatians 6:7–

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

We reap what we sow. It is a principle of life we cannot escape. If we sow seeds of bitterness and unforgiveness and grudges, those seeds will grow into plants and those plants will produce fruit. Deformed, loathsome fruit.

If we sow seeds of love and grace and mercy, those seeds will produce good and healthy fruit.

But there are other bad seeds to sow, other seeds that produce bad fruit. Galatians 6 goes on to say this in verse 8–

For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

Any sowing that is done to our flesh will reap corruption. Any sowing that is done to the Spirit yields everlasting life.

BUT, you may be thinking, that old woman is not me. I am sowing good seeds, I have a good relationship with my family and friends. Lest we get too confident in ourselves, I remind you of something that John Stott once said–

“Every time we allow our mind to harbor a grudge, nurse a grievance, entertain an impure fancy, or wallow in self-pity, we are sowing to the flesh. Every time we linger in bad company who’s insidious influence we know we cannot resist, every time we lie in bed when we ought to be up and praying, every time we read pornographic literature, every time we take a risk that strains our self-control, we are sowing, sowing, sowing to the flesh.”

Oh, we all do it. Every. Single. Day. Maybe not to the extent that will leave us old and alone. But we all sow to the flesh, reaping the consequences of our sinful choices.

God sent His son to forgive our sins and give us eternal life. But salvation does not erase the consequences of sinful choices. We continue to live with those until we die.

Thankfully, living a life that is pleasing to the Lord eliminates so many of those ugly consequences. And that is something we can start to do right now! Today! His commands are not burdensome. They protect us! And what a wonderful protection they are.

We cannot change the consequences that we are experiencing from sinful choices of our past. BUT we can change the future. Here are a few questions we should ask ourselves as we contemplate our future harvest:

What seeds am I sowing that will yield an abundance of good fruit?

What seeds am I sowing that are going to yield the fruit of corruption?

AND…

What can I change to make my harvest so much better?

 

As God has a way of doing so often, He brings just the right book or sermon along at just the right time. That very thing happened this week. If you’d like to think on this topic a bit more, I recommend this sermon by John MacArthur on the principle of sowing and reaping: The Inescapable Law of Sowing and Reaping.

 

 

Changed Lives: Michelle

4 Comments / November 18, 2024

It has been quite some time since I did a Changed Life post here at Growing4Life. It isn’t because there is a lack of testimonies, that’s for sure. But it is sometimes hard to work out all the details. Many do not feel comfortable writing their stories. Some do not want to relive all that pain or would rather not share their story publicly. Many times I don’t even ask because of a variety of reasons.

However, one person I did ask awhile back was my cousin, Michelle. She kindly said yes and last week she e-mailed me what I am going to share here today.

It is hard to believe that it is coming up on nine years ago this December that her beloved dad was in a terrible car accident. For three and a half weeks, while the rest of world was celebrating the holidays, she was wondering if her Dad would survive. Michelle, her mom, Lorraine, and her sister, Melissa, put their lives on hold while they lived in a tiny church apartment far from home, traveling back and forth to an unfamiliar hospital, as the days melted into weeks.

The shock wasn’t for her family alone. Her dad, my Uncle Larry, was a much beloved member of the family by all of us. He was my mom’s brother and they were especially close. He was the kind of guy you knew you could call if you needed help. He had a great sense of humor and, as an over-the-road trucker, always had lots of stories to entertain us with! But, most importantly, he (and my aunt Lorraine) love(d) the Lord and, with God’s help, have created a wonderful Christian legacy through the lives of their daughters and families.

Michelle, a wonderful writer, is willing to share with us about this time in their lives and how the Lord used it to grow her and so, without any further words from me, I share her story–

O God, our Help in ages past,
Our Hope for years to come,
Our Shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal Home!*

With this hymn flowing through my mind, my eyes searched the buildings of the city that loomed before us.  I wondered how would we ever find our destination in the darkness and falling snow? We relied on a traditional map along with limited directions…and ceaseless prayer.  Then, appearing through the murkiness like a longed-for beacon, were these bold letters: E.C.M.C.  I remember feeling relief mingled with uncertainty. We had arrived at Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo, New York.

The previous day, December 21, 2009, the beloved patriarch of our family had been brought to E.C.M.C. following a tragic auto accident. We had traveled all night to get to Daddy. In the back seat, Mom and I looked pale with the stress and the wondering. The front seat held my husband along with our son and, of all things, his puppy who was too young be left behind. Togetherness gave us hope. Ultimately, we traveled with hope that centered on our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

If you’ve faced a similar pathway, you know that the Lord uses life’s storms to teach and equip us. Here are some of the vital lessons we learned.

The Lord’s Gracious Provision

There were some provisions that came well before Daddy’s accident. Dad always spoke highly of “his boys.” My husband and brother-in-law were the sons he’d never had. He expressed more than once that he was thankful for the men who took care of his girls. Our husbands, who were both pastors at the time, kept up with those responsibilities along with supporting us, our parents, and fulfilling the role of “Mr. Mom.”

During our time in Buffalo, my husband took on various roles. He quickly became our mediator, making and returning phone calls on our behalf and driving us where we needed to be. He became our spokesman, especially when we didn’t even know the questions to ask. When he and our son had to return home, I recorded in my journal – “I feel a bit fearful of Mom and I being ‘on our own.’  Praise the Lord, [Christ] is our Rock (Capital R) and God has moved in the hearts of His people to assist us. We are not alone!”

In God’s providence, He had already prepared a place for us to stay. The day after Christmas, we moved into the guest house of a nearby Baptist church. In my journal, I wrote —“After settling in to our new ‘home-away-from-home’ and washing clothes until 12:30 am, we had a fairly good night’s sleep. What a blessing to get most of [our laundry] completed. The guest house is cozy and clean. In the morning, we attended their Sunday School. The church family received us warmly. It’s always amazing to see how Christ’s love reaches across the miles and the way we are bonded together with other believers.” Furthermore, the pastor assured Mom and I that transportation would be provided to and from the medical center. I later wrote – “We keep crying and offering thanks to the Lord as we see His provision.”

Strength and comfort came through family and friends who surrounded us with prayer, made visits, gave thoughtful gifts and words of encouragement, and sent a plethora of cards, particularly when Dad celebrated his birthday. The Lord’s faithful provision also included the medical team who skillfully cared for Dad. He had several physicians plus a nursing staff of at least 22 different women and men who tirelessly ministered to his needs.

The Greatness of His Sovereignty

Michelle and her Dad on her wedding day

As days blended into weeks, God clearly revealed His supreme authority. Despite how it appeared, the Lord was completely in control of our circumstances.  Although we deeply desired for Daddy to be restored to health on this earth, we eventually began to realize that this may not be a part of God’s plan. When these heart-wrenching thoughts came, God’s sovereignty gave us security. On one particular day, I found, nestled in a pamphlet, an excerpt from Amy Carmichael’s little book, If.  A moment of dread passed through me as the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart through her words–“If the burden my Lord asks me to bear be not the burden of my heart’s choice, and I fret inwardly and do not welcome His will, then I know nothing of Calvary love.” I knew, then, that I must welcome God’s will, regardless of the outcome.

The greatness of God’s sovereignty enables us to welcome His will whether or not it makes sense to us.

A truth my husband shared in a recent sermon dovetails with this beautifully– “Prayer is not getting what we want but aligning our will with God’s will.”

The Gift of the Ordinary

At one point, as the unknown future stretched far in front of us, I remember a longing to do ordinary, mundane chores–washing dishes in a fluffy mountain of bubbles, cleaning my kitchen floor on my hands and knees, chiding our two female dogs who always seemed to be fussing with one another. Perhaps these tasks seemed so appealing because, if they were taking place, it meant life had returned to normal. We would be living in a new rhythm of days, one flowing gently into the next and Daddy would be well and whole again. We learned that ordinary days and simple joys are meant to be cherished.

The Goodness of the Lord

God’s goodness was clearly displayed through His Word that brought comfort coupled with conviction. We were filled with confidence in the Lord’s plan as we read Romans 15:13 –“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”  I counseled my heart with verses Daddy had recently shared with me — “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”  When my Uncle, Dad’s brother, came for a visit, he read Romans 8 to us. What a precious reminder that all things work together for good to those who love God and that nothing can separate us from His love! Even when our precious father went home to be with the Lord on January 15, 2010 the goodness of God remained evident. Certainly the grief was excruciating. Yet, our hearts were gently lifted up by our loving Heavenly Father Who is always and only good. A friend wrote a poem for us that she penned the day after Dad’s funeral. Below the title, When God Is Good, she included this verse – Psalm 34:8 “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him.”   An excerpt of her poem asks,

When is God good?
Is He good when life is filled with pain,
When the dreaded phone call comes,
When your world is turned upside down,
When it seems there can be no gain?
When God is good
Do we trust Him?

Perhaps there are easier ways to learn these lessons but those were not chosen for us. Instead, the Lord took us through this difficult time and gave us precious reminders –the graciousness of His provision, the greatness of His sovereignty, the gift of the ordinary, and the abundance of His goodness. And when the next storm comes–and it will–may we find our refuge, our ONLY refuge, in Christ.

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust.”

Psalm 90:1-2

The author, second from left, enjoys an afternoon at Sight and Sound with her family. Her husband is to her right, her son and daughter-in-law to her left. To the right of the photo is her mom and our aunt, Sarah.

*A portion of the Hymn: O God Our Help in Ages Past
TEXT: Isaac Watts; based on Psalm 90
MUSIC: William Croft

Are You Mowing the Wrong Lawn?

2 Comments / October 18, 2018

Our lawncare business office got a phone call the other day. It was one of our customers complaining that we hadn’t mowed her lawn that week. We asked the employee who was scheduled to do that lawn if he had mowed it. He most certainly had, he assured us. We told her that she must have missed him.

The next week she called again complaining that we had missed her lawn again. Once more, the employee told us with certainty that he had mowed her lawn. We were getting a little confused at this point and thought there might be more to the story.

The next time the employee returned to her lawn he took a selfie to prove that he was mowing this woman’s lawn. He confidently sent it to the office.

And that’s when we realized what was really going on–

He was mowing the wrong lawn. Somehow, he had gotten her lawn confused with a neighbor’s lawn. Her lawn had not been mowed and her neighbor had some free mowing for a couple of weeks.

How in the world did that happen? And go on for more more than a week? That’s never happened before.

Well, really–it’s kind of the same way we get deceived by false teaching.

We are over here mowing a lawn and when someone tells us it’s the wrong lawn we don’t believe them. It’s that simple. But if we take a “selfie” with that lawn (or, in other words, hold it up to the scrutiny of the Bible) we will see pretty quickly that we are most certainly mowing the wrong lawn.

And here is where humility comes in. Can we be humble enough to admit we were wrong and move to the right place? Hopefully.

But I find that many people aren’t willing to consider that they are even on the wrong lawn.

I just read a quote this morning. I guess it was Providential because it fits in this post perfectly:

Truth invites scrutiny; but error doesn’t like to be challenged.

Biblical truth will stand up to any challenge. If it doesn’t stand up under scrutiny then we are mowing the wrong lawn and we need to move.

Of course, there are so few of us who are even scrutinizing. We aren’t even making sure that we are at the right lawn. We are banking on our families, our friends, our pastors, and celebrity pastors to feed us the truth instead of using our Bibles.

The Bible. The only source for truth. It trumps everything. If what you believe doesn’t match it, you are wrong. If what your favorite teacher teaches doesn’t match it, your favorite teacher is wrong. If what your pastor is preaching doesn’t match it, they are wrong.

So, once again, I encourage you to get in the Word, praying that the Holy Spirit will give you insight as you make a sincere effort to run all through its grid.

Our employee was so sure he was mowing the right lawn that he never even considered the possibility that he wasn’t. Not even a call from the customer caused him to doubt. May we never be so sure of ourselves and our own opinions that we aren’t willing to scrutinize it when we get that “call” to tell us that we may be off on something we have always believed or about someone we have always trusted.

We surely don’t want to be “mowing the wrong lawn” when Jesus returns!

What Are You Willing to Give Up for Jesus?

6 Comments / October 11, 2018

I was having a conversation with an elementary-aged girl about unicorns a few weeks back. As you are probably already aware, they are currently all the rage. You find unicorns everywhere. They are the theme of birthday parties, plastered on lunch boxes, school supplies, girls’ clothing, and almost everywhere else. I have even seen them on baby clothing at Carter’s.

This little girl was telling me how much she loved unicorns. And then she stopped and looked at me: “Wait. Are unicorns bad?”

I do not know why she even asked me that question. I had not said even a word as she went on and on about how much she loved them. And the conversation took place while I was giving her a ride home in the evening so she couldn’t see my face. But she asked it. She asked me if they are bad.

And I had to answer honestly. I had no interest in bursting her bubble, but, yes, unicorns are bad. These mystical creatures are a symbol of feminism, magic/occult, and the LGBT movement, among other things. (Just do a search and see what shows up. It’s a bit disturbing). But I realize that most people don’t know this so I am not making any judgment on you if there are unicorns in the life of the little girls you love. This post isn’t about unicorns but about this little girl’s response…

I tried to kindly explain that unicorns might not be the best thing to love. But she cut me off and announced matter-of-factly that she didn’t care if they were bad because she loved them far too much. Nothing would make her give them up.

And I had to laugh inside. Not that it was all that funny. But how often are we just like that little girl? How often do we respond exactly like her? We are not willing to give up what we love even if God clearly directs us from His Word that we should do so.

Whether it’s unicorns or it’s–

• A TV show, book series, or music genre that we just love but recognize, deep-down inside, that it shouldn’t be a part of our lives.

• An unbiblical church that isn’t preaching truth…but all of our friends are there.

• Bad habits of eating too much, spending too much, drinking too much, knowing full-well we are not pleasing our heavenly Father.

• An unsaved boyfriend or girlfriend that, in our flesh, we want to date.

• Some secret sin that no one knows about or a secret place we go or a secret vice we cling to.

• A grudge or unforgiving heart towards someone that we love to nurse.

• Our penchant for gossip, or “white” lies (a lie is a lie, btw), or cheating our bosses or perhaps even the government (on our taxes).

• Allowing worry and anxiety to consume us and control our lives.

 

And we respond like the little girl:

I don’t care if it’s wrong, I am going to do this anyway.

Can you see how a seed of rebellion shows it first green leaves at this declaration? Oh, we may not say it out loud or even in our thoughts, but we know. We know when we are holding on to something sinful with an unwillingness to budge.

And this is when a wall starts to grow between us and the Lord.

Jesus says that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments (John 14:15). James tells us we must submit to God so that the devil will flee from us (James 4:7). Peter tells us to turn away from our former lusts and to be holy (I Peter 1:14-16). Paul tells us this same thing in Ephesians (Ephesians 4:22-24).

When we refuse to put away worldly, ungodly things that we know full well are sinful we are quite effectively blocking our own growth as a believer. Rebellion is what caused Satan to be removed from heaven (Isaiah 14:12-15) and it’s what led Eve to eat that apple (Genesis 3). She wasn’t going to let God tell her what was good and evil. She could decide for herself.

How often do we have this same attitude? God, I’ll obey you in this, this, and this but I am not going to give you that. I can make up my own mind about that and I don’t need to submit to you.

But these little decisions and behaviors do not go unnoticed by the God who loves us. I wonder if He grieves at our selfish, spoiled child mentality of wanting what we want and refusing to give it up?

We know that sinful choices always lead us away from Him. And as they lead us away from Him, they are moving us towards heartache, chains, and despair. Affairs, addictions, and broken relationships all begin with a seemingly insignificant decision of rebellion. But, even if it’s not going to lead us into something like that, we know that every sinful choice takes us just a step further away from pure fellowship with God. Rebellion always does this.

I am not here to give you a list of what you can and cannot do, where you can and cannot go, what you can and cannot watch or listen to. But, instead, I simply want to encourage you, as a believer, to follow your conscience. Listen to that niggling doubt that is in the back of your head. Ask the Lord to open your eyes to your sin and to any choices that are leading you away from Him. Be willing to surrender your own will and desires to the God who loves you.

I write this to myself, as well. Maybe mostly to myself. I found this to be oh, so challenging. A supposedly insignificant conversation with a little girl about unicorns filled me with conviction over how I can be so rebellious in the “little” sinful things I refuse to give up.

Maybe that little conversation will convict you, too, which is why I decided to share it.

Just what are we willing to give up for Jesus? What are we willing to give up so that we can have the best possible relationship with Him? Is any sin or selfish choice worth a break in our fellowship with our precious Lord and Savior?

 

 

 

I’m Not the One Who Moved

12 Comments / October 10, 2018

This is for my Christian critics. The ones who label me narrow-minded and arrogant because of what I believe. I hope that this post will also encourage and aid my readers who are also labeled in this way.

There is a really important thing that our critics have forgotten–

We aren’t the ones who moved.

Seriously.

While there was always a remnant of believers who lived according to the Word even during the Dark Ages, we saw that, with the Reformation, there came a return to the important five solas–key doctrines of scripture.

These five solas returned a wayward mainstream Christianity back to its core and we owe much gratitude to men like Hus, Tyndale, Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin (and so many others) who were persecuted and even died because they stood firmly on the Bible and its precepts.

I am watching the first three of these five solas slowly being eroded away by mainstream evangelical Christianity but I still believe them. Many of us have always believed them–even without a history lesson on the Reformation– because they are what the Bible teaches.

The first point, Sola Scriptura (Scripture is sufficient and authoritative) is being ripped to shreds all around us. Belief that God is still speaking flies in the face of Sola Scriptura. Scripture cannot be sufficient if we are still receiving revelation from God. So is scripture sufficient or isn’t it?

I believe it is both authoritative and sufficient. I do not make that statement lightly and I have given the issue both research and prayer. Here are four key reasons why I absolutely believe it is sufficient. I have attached a link after this section that goes into this a bit more–

1) If scripture is not sufficient then we have a veritable Pandora’s Box of chaos. Anyone can say anything and claim it’s from God. And yet there is no way to prove any message is from God. Some will say that if it agrees with scripture then we can know it’s from God. Well, if that’s the case, then why do we need to be told this same thing in a supernatural way? Why not just read the Bible? And here’s another thing we know: Satan masquerades as an angel of light. He can–and does–use these things to pretend to be our godly advisor, only to eventually draw us off the narrow path. My rule: Don’t trust the voice inside my head. There is absolutely no way to know if it is God or isn’t. None.

2) If scripture is not sufficient or the authority of our lives, then we are going to be driven by things outside of the Bible like culture, felt needs, and other dangerous doctrines. Because if scripture is not sufficient then we naturally have to concede that scripture does not tell us everything we need to know. This kind of thinking leaves a very dangerous door open. And it’s the door that brings in most, if not all, false teaching. In fact, this door is the one that Joseph Smith walked through, deceiving millions. He claimed to have further revelation and started the Mormon church. I can’t think of one false religion that did not begin with “special revelation” or a vision from “God”. There may be one, but I can’t think of one.

3) If we are hungering for supernatural experiences directed to us personally, we naturally have to admit that this takes the focus off of God and puts it squarely on us. Our religion becomes about our purpose, our dreams, our needs, our wants. This is in complete and utter contradiction to what scripture teaches, where we read that we are to deny ourselves and take up our cross. (Matthew 16:24)

4) Special revelation breeds pride and division. When we think we should be hearing from God but aren’t we grow envious and jealous of those that are or we grow discouraged that somehow we aren’t spiritual enough. When we think we are hearing from God, we grow prideful and arrogant, thinking that we have some special connection with God that others do not have. The fruits of this movement are clearly disturbing, a fact we must face.

You can find a more in-depth article that I have written on this topic here.

We also see the second and third solas disappearing: Sola Fide (by faith alone) and Sola Gratia (through grace alone) (Ephesians 2:8) If we believe that salvation is by faith alone through grace alone then we must conclude that any religion that doesn’t teach this truth is a false one. And, yet, there is this powerful effort from well-known leaders that would encourage us to unify with Catholicism (faith plus works), Mormonism (works plus faith), and even Islam (works and a little faith). We are all to be one big happy group together serving God. Any refusal or even hesitation to follow after this movement brings accusations of divisiveness and intolerance.

But let’s be honest: Their God cannot be the same as the One, True God. And the real Jesus is obviously not the same as their “Jesus”. How do I know this? Because they require other things besides faith for salvation. Because what they are teaching is not what the Bible teaches. And because their religious rules and regulations are in direct opposition to what Jesus taught in the scriptures (John 14:6).

This is what Orthodox Christianity has believed for thousands of years because this is what the Bible teaches. But sometime in the not-too-distant past, things started to subtly change. Special revelation, hearing the voice of God, dreams and visions–a claim made by only the heretical fringes of Christianity throughout history–became the norm while pastors we loved and trusted started to push us to be joined together with false religions and false teachers.

What is going on??

And then there is the whole moral shift. Two big things come to mind, although I know there are more. First, since the inception of Christianity, the main goal of a Christian was to grow in holiness and godliness (I Peter 1:15-16; Titus 2:12). We were to separate from the world and to set ourselves apart for God’s service (James 1:27; I John 2:15-17). What has happened to these principles? Where is the separation from the world? Where is the encouragement to be holy and sanctified? It has all but disappeared in a “Christianity” that takes the focus off of the Gospel and puts it on fixing the culture. That tells us to follow our dreams and that we deserve our best life now. A warped “Christianity” that ignores true doctrine and bases its false doctrines on felt needs, feelings, and human wisdom and that encourages a sensual, earthly type of worship.

And then there is the latest thing I have to confess I didn’t really think I’d ever see. But here we are. Did you ever think you’d see a day where someone who claims to be “evangelical” would say it is normal to be gay? That God created them that way? Whatever happened to Romans 1 (Romans 1:24-27)? Where does that fit into their premises? And, yet, this is what we have. Respected leaders of the evangelical movement assuring us that it is okay to be a celibate gay person–that God made them like that. (If you need proof, check here and here.)

In light of all of these things we find that–

by default, the narrow road is becoming even more narrow.

Those of us who haven’t moved are not the ones making it narrow. We are standing where we have always stood. But with so many people walking away from biblical Christianity and heading for the broad road, the narrow road has naturally become more sparsely populated.

Those of us who hold to biblical Christianity find ourselves growing lonelier and lonelier. We find ourselves mocked, marginalized, ignored, and sometimes even persecuted. This narrow road is becoming more and more difficult to traverse. It is a rocky, difficult road and it is easy to see why so many leave it.

(Please keep in mind that I am making no judgments on why those who are moving away from biblical Christianity are doing so nor am I speculating anything about their eternal destinies. I am simply, like you, watching, broken-hearted, as so many turn away from all they’ve ever taught and believed. A sad thing indeed.)

As more and more people defect to the mystical, ecumenical, and communist/left evangelicalism, it naturally makes those of us who have chosen to stay where we have always been look narrow-minded and arrogant.

But, again, I want to remind you that we are not the ones who moved. We are not the ones re-defining Christianity. We are not the ones changing how we interpret scripture. We aren’t the ones going against what scripture teaches, teaching unbiblical things such as: Christianity is here to change culture, that Christians deserve to have their dreams fulfilled, that worldliness has nothing to do with godliness, and that the local church is to be designed around the needs of the lost. We are not the ones who are speaking at conferences with those who are clearly false teachers, giving validity to their ministries by speaking alongside them.

What is wrong with this picture? Why are those of us that refuse to move the “bad guys”?

Actually, I know why.

Peer pressure is a very powerful thing. And those that don’t fit in the mainstream have never been and will never be popular. Whether you are talking about church issues or work issues or school issues. The one who won’t fit in with “group think” is inevitably marginalized, maligned, ignored, or persecuted.

And, so, here we are.

If someone out there can give me a valid explanation based on scripture on why I should change my views, I am here to listen with an open mind. If someone wants to show me how my traditional Christian beliefs, backed by thousands of years of Christian history, are no longer correct with an argument that is based on the Bible, I am willing to listen. I am not closed-minded, nor am I hard-hearted or arrogant. I know full-well I don’t have all of the answers.

But here is what I do know: The Bible does have the answers. It has the answers for the here and now and it also has great insight into the future. And its predictions about the last days are becoming a shocking reality more each day in a way I never thought I’d see in my lifetime.The Bible is true and real-life events are most definitely confirming this.

So, forgive me, if I don’t hop on the mainstream evangelical bandwagon. I don’t belong there and I firmly believe that you don’t, either.

 

 

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