Growing 4 Life

Reviewing Fuller House

24 Comments / March 14, 2016 March 14, 2016

A few weeks ago a new show called Fuller House hit Netflix. After hearing mixed reports about the new show from many Christians, I decided to sit down and watch a couple of episodes myself.

Let me preface this by saying first that, yes, our family did watch Full House. And yes, even so long ago, there were some things in that show that shouldn’t have been there. They were subtle and vague but they were there. And we Christians–myself included–overlooked them. The show was cute. It was mostly wholesome and family-friendly. We still watch the show occasionally.

I really had high hopes that this spin-off would carry on its predecessor’s traditions and believed it would since–

a) It was advertised as a family show.

b) Candace Cameron, an actress who has declared she is a Christian very openly, is on the show.

c) The original show was pretty clean and family-friendly, overall.

But times have changed. A lot. And I should not have had such high expectations.

As I watched a grown-up Stephanie make a crude joke about her barely covered breasts on this series advertised for “families”, my heart sank. This was not for Christian families. It was for a culture that has become totally obsessed with sex.

My heart sank further as I watched. After watching two episodes, I made the choice not to continue watching the series. However, others who continued watching shared with me that future episodes have D.J., played by Candace Cameron, getting drunk, using bad language, and dressing inappropriately. The fact that Candace does these things and also claims to be a believer should be rather disturbing.

Now before you start rationalizing why she may or may not have chosen to do these things as an actress, please don’t. I don’t care why she did them. The fact is she shouldn’t have done them. She shouldn’t even be on a show that contains them.

Why not?

Because the Bible says–

Ephesians 5:8-11: For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light ⁹(for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), ¹⁰finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. ¹¹And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

It also says–

James 1:27: Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

These are just two verses. There are so many more verses that not only encourage but command Christians to live a sanctified and holy life that is separate from the world. What do we Christians think “the world” means exactly, if not its sexual crudeness, its bad language, and its lusting after wealth, power, and a good time?

I have no idea why Candace Cameron made the decision to be part of such a show. She may have really good motives. We all make mistakes and she is in the lime light, with hers for everyone to see. I am not judging her personally, but this does not change the fact that she has made a poor choice to participate in a show that is inappropriate for families. And the plain fact is that she will drag a bunch of well-meaning, undiscerning Christians with her into believing this kind of entertainment is okay.

It’s not okay.

It is not okay.

What have we come to that this is accepted for family viewing by Christian families? I know this show is mild compared to many on TV. And probably some of you are rolling your eyes about now. I can almost hear your muttering and grumbling as some of you reflect on how ridiculous you think I am being.

And, honestly, I can understand why. It is because most of us Christians are like the proverbial frog in boiling water, accepting more and more and more worldliness, until we are up to our eyeballs in the filth of this culture, right along with everyone else.

But when do we say enough is enough? What will be disgusting enough to make us turn the TV off? When will we value pleasing our heavenly Father more than we value our own desires?

Look, life is about choices. And this includes what we allow in our homes on that box. The TV in and of itself isn’t evil. But we have a grave responsibility regarding what is played on that screen.

I’ve made many bad choices when it comes to that box. More than I can count. In fact, I almost made another one yesterday.

I sat down to watch a movie I’ve seen many times before. It’s one of my favorites from the 90s. As I started watching, they used my Lord’s name in vain time after time in the worst way possible. And that’s when I realized–I couldn’t keep watching this.

I turned it off. The temptation was to rationalize as to why I could keep watching and I did spend a few seconds doing so, but then–

I turned it off.

And guess what? It wasn’t really that painful. Once the decision was made, I didn’t give it another thought. We can turn it off. When a show gets offensive, we can turn the TV off. We don’t have to keep watching. Our kids don’t have to keep watching.

I hope that this post will give at least some of you a reason to stop and think for just a moment about the TV shows you allow in your home. I hope that at least some of you–even one of you–will rise up and say enough is enough and stop the influx of worldly values and unrighteousness streaming into your home through that box.

Let’s stop joining this pagan culture and enjoying its fruit, but instead be the ones that stand against it, striving to live holy and righteous lives in this perverse generation.

Never Regret Growing Older

2 Comments / March 10, 2016 October 23, 2025

I could almost hear the little voices from the past. One child asking a question, another one needing a drink, all of them laughing and sometimes fighting. The normal family stuff. The large expo building I was in echoed with memories. Years ago, when the kids were all younger and we home-schooled, we had made many memories there as we set up for a big garden show each year.

I found myself swallowing a bit of nostalgia as I remembered. And, once again, I pondered this thing called time.

How could it possibly have gone so fast?

In a few weeks I will have officially lived for half a century. Half. A. Century. And yet, in my head, I just don’t feel that old. I was talking to a dear friend of mine who is turning 75 this year. And she said the same thing–she just doesn’t feel that old. Time just keeps passing, but inside we don’t feel like we are aging. Of course, while our minds try to fool us into believing that we aren’t really aging, our bodies seem to take great glee in reminding us that we certainly are.

It’s funny. I used to think that fifty was so OLD. And I guess if you are reading this as a twenty or thirty-something you are thinking that same thing right now. But then there may be a few eighty-somethings reading this and to them, fifty doesn’t sound all that old. But maybe none of that even matters.

Maybe it’s how we redeem whatever time we have been given. However long that is.

I am not sure if it is my upcoming birthday or my realization of how quickly time passes, but the death of country singer Joey Feek last week really hit me hard for some reason. I never heard of her before her illness. I was not a diehard fan of her and her music. But her story showed up on my Facebook feed a few months ago, as her husband blogged through their journey of her cancer.

And then on March 4 her life here on earth was over. She was 40 years old. She had two grown daughters and one baby girl, a 2 year old.

Around that time I had been starting to groan a little inside that my 50th birthday was moving ever closer. How could I possibly be 50? But her death stopped my negative thoughts and changed my perspective. I have had ten wonderful years with my family that she will never get. I have been able to watch my babies grow up. I have watched countless soccer and basketball games. I have had the honor of watching three of my four kids get married. And the excitement of hearing that my first grandchild is on the way. Joey Feek will never have those things.

Many years ago–perhaps when I was twenty-something, I was browsing through a Hallmark store and found a little plaque that said these words:

Never regret growing older
It’s a privilege denied to many

At that point, my 50th birthday felt like it was light years and a lifetime away. In fact, I doubt I spent much time contemplating it at all. But for whatever reason, I picked up that little plaque and it still sits on a dresser in our bedroom. And it has reminded me through the years of the blessing life is, no matter what age we are.

Oftentimes when I write a post like this, people will write and tell me that 50 isn’t so bad, so let me assure you that it is not the actual age that is of any concern for me. I look forward to this new era of my life. Instead, it is the fleeting nature of time that I am still working my brain around. It’s not that I am dreading what is ahead of me, it’s that I am stunned and a little saddened by what I am leaving.

It reminds me of when we decided to move out of the first home we owned. Even though we were headed to a wonderful, new house, it was still sad to leave our little rancher where so many wonderful memories had been made. It had been our home for nine years and had rung with laughter and crying and arguments. It had witnessed birthday parties, Christmas mornings, and a myriad of home school days. Even though we were moving to a home much better suited for the needs of our growing family, there was still a touch of sadness that hung over that day.

And that’s just how it is with change. Even good changes often bring a little sadness with them. But life is not stagnant and it does keep changing.

And so that means that my milestone birthday is just around the corner. But that’s okay. Because I am just thankful to be alive. Every day I am here on earth is an opportunity to serve my Savior and to love my family. Having the opportunity to have done that for 50 years is a privilege! And I guess we should treat it as such.

So if you, too, are reaching a milestone birthday this year, let’s do away with the black balloons and gag gifts. And, instead, let’s celebrate! God has been good and we have been blessed. Lord-willing, we will have more birthdays for which to thank Him.

Common False Gospels

8 Comments / March 7, 2016 March 28, 2023

All throughout history, Satan has been bending and twisting the true Gospel found in the Holy Word of God just enough to make it false. What comes from this are false, unbiblical systems that are like magnets for lost and empty souls. Some of these false gospels are very, very close to the Truth. They always use the names of God and Jesus and generally will use lots of Bible verses, which are almost always taken out of context.

Historically, the true Church has viewed the Word of God as inerrant and inspired. This has led us to understand the true Gospel by reading and studying the Word of God in its entirety and in context. (If you would like a summary of the Gospel, based on the Bible, you will find it here).

As we learn and grow in our knowledge of scripture, these false gospels become easier to spot. Of course, the really tricky thing is that some people who fall prey to these for a little while are genuine believers who are deceived. So please keep in mind–I am not judging any particular person in this post. I have no idea who is and who is not saved. But if we know someone caught up in one of these false teachings, we may want to give them a loving warning.

And remember–most people who follow one of these systems believe with all of their hearts that they have embraced truth. They are trusting in a source outside of scripture for their beliefs. This is always dangerous. Always. If we don’t have scripture as our rock, then we will have no basis with which to judge a true or false gospel. For how can we tell the false, if we have nothing by which to measure it against? J.C. Ryle puts it this way–

“A man must make the Bible alone his rule. He must receive nothing and believe nothing which is not according to the Word. He must try all religious teaching by one simple test—Does it square with the Bible? What does the Scripture say?”

I whole-heartedly agree with him. With that in mind, let’s look at a few prevalant false gospels–

1. The Prosperity Gospel

This gospel teaches that material blessings (health, wealth, and power) come to those who believe in Jesus. If we do not have these things it is because we do not have enough “faith”. God is presented like a magic genie, whom we need to manipulate in order to get what we want.

But the Bible teaches us that our lives are not filled with material blessings when we come to Christ. Instead, it tells us that we are to not only expect various trials, but we are to rejoice in them. (I Peter 4:12-13; James 1:2-3). Our new life in Christ has nothing to do with a perfect life here on earth. While I can certainly understand why this gospel would be appealing (who wouldn’t want the promise of more money, better health, and more power?), it is absolutely false and I suspect that those who follow it must eventually find this out.

2. The Social Justice Gospel

God’s kingdom is advanced as we work together to build an equal and just society. The Christian’s main job is to help those in poverty. Social Justice becomes the ultimate priority, taking precedence over the Truth and adherence to God’s Word. The ultimate goal is to bring God’s Kingdom to earth.

But the Bible tells us that the poor will always be with us (Mark 14:7). This shows us that we will never be able to eradicate poverty. This false gospel is a bit tricky, because so much about it is good and unselfish. The problem with this gospel is that it becomes based on our good works and completely minimizes man’s sinfulness and the need for repentance.

The other very critical problem of this false gospel is that when we meet only the physical and earthly needs of the poverty-stricken, we do nothing to help them for eternity. Thankfully, I know many wonderful people in this country and on the mission field who are doing many good things for eternal purposes. The big difference between these believers and social justice “warriors” is that, while they are helping the poor, their priority is telling them about the new life they can have in Christ. There is a big difference, is there not?

And just a side note: “Social Justice” is a communist term. It is never found anywhere in the Bible.

3. The Unity Gospel

Unity is primary, above all else. It doesn’t matter if we disagree about key issues of the Christian faith, as long as we are unified, all is good. It used to be that this gospel taught that Jesus must be the central figure, but in recent years, efforts have now been made to unite Christianity with other faiths, whether Jesus is part of the religion or not. To not be unified is the greatest sin of all, trumping almost anything else.

But the Bible teaches us that true Christianity will divide. Jesus Himself said this: “Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division” (Luke 12:51) He also tells us that we should expect to be hated as His followers (John 15:18-20). This means that while there will be unity among God’s people, we will never experience it with false religions (even if they hijack the name of Jesus) or with the world (nor should we desire to).

4. The “All Ways Lead to Heaven” Gospel

The followers of this gospel believe Jesus is the way for them to get to heaven, but that we need to give people the freedom to believe whatever they want to about how they are going to get to heaven. To believe in absolute truth is the greatest of sins and no one should act like they are the only ones who have the truth. People can decide that for themselves. The Bible is just a book of wisdom, from which they pick and choose the verses best suited to them.

This lack of absolute truth is the main thought of this post-modern society. But in John 14, verse 6, Jesus makes it clear that this is not the case–

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

While it is certainly true that anyone can believe what they want to about God, it will not change the facts. What we believe will be quite irrelevant when the Day of Judgment comes. When we stand before the One, True God someday, it just won’t matter what we believed. Jesus is the only way to heaven. This is what the Bible teaches.

5. The Self-Help, Positive Gospel

Human imperfection keeps us from living a satisfactory and successful life. Christ’s death proves our worth as humans and gives us power to reach our potential. The church helps us find earthly happiness, which is our main goal in life.

But the Bible tells us that none of us are righteous (Romans 3:10) and that we have all sinned (Romans 3:23). The cross doesn’t prove our intrinsic worth. The cross reconciles us to God. And our goal should not be earthly happiness, which we saw in the verses from John 15 above. We also read about this in James 1 and I Peter 1. The Christian life is not about our quality of life here on earth. Now, with that said, our quality of life if we choose to submit and obey God is very much improved–but it is in the wonderful riches that cannot be measured–such as love, joy, peace, faith. These are the things that truly matter to a soul saved by God’s marvelous grace.

6. The Mystical Gospel

Salvation comes through an emotional experience with God. The church is there to help me feel close to God by helping me along in my pursuit of mystical union with God and the universe. A person’s faith is based primarily on their experience. These people expect special messages just for them from God.

This has invaded the church so subtly and entirely that I doubt there are many churches that have not been touched by it. Very familiar, famous people are promoting it under the guise of contemplative prayer and other ways. Several best-selling books have sucked a lot of people into this way of thinking. From this has come a system that has minimized the Word of God and magnified subjective experience.

But the Bible tells us–

Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. (John 17:17) Our experiences may or may not be truth. How do we know? We have to always hold the Word of God as our objective truth and should use it to test all of our experiences. And Hosea 4:6 says that God’s people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. He doesn’t say that they are destroyed for lack of experience.

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Of course, there are more false gospels in the world today. I have just listed a few of the most prevalent. We need to remember that Satan is a master at deception. And we need to remember that he shows himself as an “angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14). As Martin Erdmann puts it: “Deception comes in very familiar forms because this is how you will accept it.” This is a very profound truth that we need to always remember as we test any new thought or philosophy that comes our way–no matter how holy or good it sounds.

I believe that biblical illiteracy is the reason so many of these gospels have taken such a strong foothold in the world of Christianity. I will leave you with this quote by J.C. Ryle about the Holy Scriptures–

Amidst the flood of dangerous reading, I plead for my Master’s book; I call upon you not to forget the book of the soul. Do not let newspapers, novels, and romances be read, while the prophets and Apostles be despised. Do not let the exciting and sensual swallow up your attention, while the edifying and the sanctifying can find no place in your mind.

Study the Bible. Study the Bible. Study the Bible. It is our only hope and solid anchor in this roiling, heaving sea of Post-Modernism.

The Disadvantages of Blogging

22 Comments / March 3, 2016 March 3, 2016

This is not my typical post. But this has been on my mind for quite some time and I have decided to just go ahead and share my heart with you.

There are a few serious disadvantages to writing a blog such as this one.

First, people expect me to live up to what I write.

When you write about what God’s Word says, people have expectations. They expect you to live up to what you write. And I don’t always do that. That is just the bottom line. I certainly try to and I have a strong desire to, but I am still very much a sinner and really screw up sometimes.

And so, while I have certainly experienced victory in the Christian life and have definitely grown, I have certainly not reached perfection. In fact, the deeper my walk with God grows, the more I realize just how sinful I am. It’s a little disconcerting, quite honestly, but as I grow towards God, my awareness of my sinfulness just increases. And each day, I become a little more aware of just how great that gulf between God and man is that Jesus Christ spanned when He sacrificed Himself for our sins. Oh, what a wonderful Savior we serve!

The second reason why writing a blog like this is difficult is because, you, the readers, make judgments about me. Some of you are such a blessing to me, encouraging me and supporting me. But others of you determine that I am harsh and unloving. I don’t like this. I don’t want people to think these things about me. I try to share God’s truth with love and grace, but, again, I know I don’t do this perfectly.

When someone stops reading this blog I always wonder: What did I write that they didn’t like?

I know that many people stop reading because they just stop. I do understand this. But blogging is so one-sided. It requires much from the writer and very little from the reader. The writer makes themselves very vulnerable and the reader makes a judgment about that writer.

If you know me well, you can make those judgments with a little more insight. But most of you do not know me well. You don’t know my heart and you don’t know how well my life matches up with what I write.

So I guess my purpose in writing this particular post is to just say this:

I very humbly admit to you that I am a sinner saved by God’s marvelous grace and I am striving every day to walk with God and to please Him in everything I do. When I write here at Growing4Life, it is not to point a finger at any particular person, to make someone angry, or to stir up conflict, but simply to point out the truths of God’s Word as they have been taught traditionally throughout the last 2000 years, and, along with this, to point out the error that has invaded the Christian church in these last days. Some of these things can be difficult for me to write and many times I have to really work up some courage to post them. But, while I don’t want to upset my fellow believers, I care far more about what God thinks than about anything else. This is the thing that keeps me going.

But God has used many of you to encourage me, and for that, I thank you. And to those of you that faithfully read this blog, even if you have never told me, I just want to thank you. I don’t know how I landed here–an insignificant blog in the giant blogosphere–but here I am. Six years ago, I thought this would be a great way to get back to doing something I love. Many of you are the reason I kept going throughout those years. Whether you commented or said something to me in person, God has used those things to encourage me and to keep me writing. So thank you. I want to continue writing here until God makes it very clear to stop.

Have a great day!

2016 Hospitality Challenge: March

5 Comments / March 2, 2016 March 2, 2016

March has arrived! I am one day late in posting this because, honestly, this time of year is very, very crazy for me. We have a landscape company and my really busy months are January through April, as we work to get new contracts into the hands of our customers and update and change any systems that didn’t work well last season. With that in mind, I have a confession to make:

I didn’t officially do the G4L Game Night Challenge. I planned to. But before I could get it all in place, we were actually invited to an old friend’s house for a…game night! At that point, life was a bit crazy and our weekends were filling up. And so I made the decision that this would just have to have to suffice for the February challenge.

We got together with two couples, not at my house but at my friend’s house.We hadn’t seen the other two couples–at least to chat about life and enjoy each others’ company– for quite some time. It was actually quite awhile before we even broke out a game, as we sat around talking and catching up.

After awhile, they broke out Twisted Farkle. We had never played any variation of Farkle before so this was all new to us, but we had fun! It made me wonder why we don’t do this type of thing more often. We had a great night re-connecting with old friends.

A few weeks later, our Sunday School class had a special Valentine get-together and we played Bunco, another dice game. This one is especially suited to larger groups. We had a great time as we switched tables and got to know each other in a more relaxed atmosphere. Games have a way of doing that–far more than movies do. They are great for family and friends alike, as we spend a few relaxed hours together.

Did anyone else host (or attend ) a game night? I would love to hear your stories.

MARCH CHALLENGE

This month, let’s invite a couple of acquaintances from our church or workplace for coffee (or tea). You can meet at a local coffee house or in your own home. Focus on women (or men if you are a man) who may be single, widowed, or divorced–the ones that rarely get invited anywhere because they aren’t a “couple”.

The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Bowling Game

6 Comments / February 29, 2016 May 7, 2026

Last night I went bowling for the first time in perhaps ten years or more. It didn’t take me long to remember why I never go bowling. I. Am. Terrible. Embarrassingly so. I am not that great at much of anything, but I am also not that bad at anything. Except Bowling.

Even after two games, I just could not keep my arm straight.

My husband kindly offered his advice, complete with demonstration: “Keep your arm straight. You gotta keep your arm straight. You curve it.”

I have recollection of my father telling me the same thing somewhere back in my hazy memory. But no matter how hard I tried to “keep my arm straight”, the ball would inevitably end up in the one of the gutter lanes. Sometimes it rolled to the right and other times to the left, but I just couldn’t get that stupid ball to go straight. Whether I rolled it gently or rolled it with all my might, it still ended up rolling to either side.

It’s been like this since I can remember. I am sure if I bowled more often, I might get better (emphasis on the might), but after times like last night, I really have no interest in repeating the activity anytime soon.

Since we played two whole games, I started thinking about a few lessons you can learn when you are really terrible at something.

1. The good things in life are much sweeter when they are rare. For example, I was consistently having frames where I would be lucky to hit three pins. And then around frame seven of the second game, I got a strike. How that even happened, I have no idea, but what a nice surprise! By that time in the evening, it was totally unexpected and extra-special. Life is a little like that. If we can have ice cream everyday it’s not that special. But when it is a rare, special treat, like it was for my father growing up, then it’s extra-special and so appreciated. Sometimes I think our lives today, due to so many modern conveniences, credit cards, and an abundance of just about everything, have less sweetness in them because we are so used to having whatever we want whenever we want it.

2. Pride leads to misery. In order to enjoy last night, I had to release my pride. I am not joking when I say it was incredibly embarrassing. I am not sure how someone could be as bad at that game as I was. I let it roll off my shoulders for the first game. After all, I was warming up. But when the second game continued on in the same pattern, I started to get frustrated. I had to ask myself: Why am I frustrated? It was because my pride was being hurt. It was only embarrassing because I was worried about what people were thinking about me. And then I looked around at the beloved people I was bowling with and realized that not one of them cared how I bowled. Their love for me has absolutely nothing to do with how I bowl. I cast my pride aside and tried to just have fun. I recognize that I am talking about just a game, but I really do wonder how many of us let our pride keep us in abject misery? We grow frustrated and angry and self-absorbed, worrying about what other people are thinking of us and letting this thought process steal our joy.

3. Pride can keep us from rejoicing with others. Our natural inclination, if we are not very careful, is to grow resentful at the good news of others if we are not experiencing the same joy. It would have been much easier to rejoice with my fellow-bowlers over their successes last night if I had been doing well. But because I was doing so poorly, it was a bit more of a challenge. It was much easier, however, once I accomplished number two on this list and cast my pride aside.

4. Our own trials can keep us from being compassionate. When we are so caught up in our own story and our own misery, our eyes focus inward and ignore all that’s going on around us. For instance, last night my natural, human tendency would have been to dwell on myself and how badly I was doing. But I wasn’t the only one doing terribly. Okay–so I was the only one doing that terribly–but I wasn’t the only one not having a great game. But if I focused only on myself and how badly I was doing, then I wouldn’t reach out with compassion and love to others who were suffering, as well. I know that this was only an insignificant bowling game, but I think this is a lesson that can be easily applied to life, as well. When we are in the midst of a trial or our own suffering, we can tend to forget that there are others suffering, as well. Life doesn’t stop for everyone else when we are enduring our own personal trials. And while trials take extra energy and can exhaust us, we don’t want to let them keep us from seeing the hurt and brokenness in the lives of others. Instead of allowing trials to focus our eyes inward on ourselves, we should let them fill us with empathy and turn our eyes outward. No easy task, mind you.

5. Most people aren’t even watching me. After the first few frames, when it was all new and we had just arrived, everyone was watching everyone else, but after a few rounds, we had started talking as the other people bowled and no one was really watching anyone. There were a few frames where I had the bowling ball take its familiar path towards the gutter and catch one lonely pin before disappearing. I’d turn around to see if anyone else saw it but they were busy talking. And it reminded me of something–most people aren’t watching us. Sometimes we can feel like we are in a fish bowl with every eye on us. We forget that most people are so caught up with their own lives that they are not paying attention to our hair or our clothing or the other shallow stuff we get so worked up about. Most people do not even notice that blemish on our face or the spot on our shirt. And yet, we can get so worked up about these things if we aren’t careful.

So there you have it. Five life lessons from a terrible bowler.

The Greatest Miracle of All

2 Comments / February 25, 2016 February 25, 2016

When we think about the word “miracle”, our minds tend to think of miracles having to do with a person’s health, wealth, or welfare. Things like miraculous cancer recoveries, disappearing tumors, or an unexpected check in the mail or bag of groceries on the porch. While these miracles are certainly amazing to witness and demonstrate just how personally and deeply God cares for His children, I would like to submit to you that the greatest miracle of all is a heart deadened in sin that is awakened to new life in Jesus Christ.

I just finished a wonderful book called The Story of John Paton or Thirty Years Among South Sea Cannibals. I really can’t recommend this book highly enough. As many of you already know, I love reading missionary biographies. They have changed me, because they change my perspective of Christianity. You see, when we are in our comfortable homes with all our modern conveniences and plenty to eat, we can forget what many people give up to tell others about Jesus. It can slip our minds that our faith in Christ is to transform our lives and push us to share the gospel with fervor and zeal.

As I read this book, I was once again reminded of these things. Mr. Paton’s autobiography, which takes place on the New Hebrides Islands (now called Vanuatu) in the mid to late 1800s, includes miraculous escapes, nail-biting journeys, and many testimonies of saved souls. There are so many excerpts I would love to share from this book with you, but I decided to narrow it down to this one testimony of a young chief, troubled and antagonistic, miraculously saved from sin by God’s outpouring of grace on his life. Yet another evidence that the greatest miracle of all is a changed heart.

I hope you enjoy reading this short excerpt and that it will move you to pick up the book and start reading it. The chapter is entitled–

THE CONVERSION OF YOUWILI

THESE events suggest to me another incident of those days, full at once of trial and of joy. It pertains to the story of our young Chief Youwili. From the first, and for long, he was most audacious and troublesome. Observing that for several days no Natives had come near the Mission House, I asked the old Chief if he knew why, and he answered, “Youwili has tabooed the paths, and threatens death to any one who breaks through it.”

I at once replied, “Then I conclude that you all agree with him, and wish me to leave. We are here only to teach you and your people. If he has power to prevent that we shall leave with the Dayspring.”

The old Chief called the people together, and they came to me, saying, “Our anger is strong against Youwili. Go with us and break down the taboo. We will assist and protect you.”

I went at their head and removed it. It consisted simply of reeds stuck into the ground, with twigs and leaves and fiber tied to each in a peculiar way, in a circle round the Mission House. The Natives had an extraordinary dread of violating the taboo, and believed that it meant death to the offender or to some one of his family. All present entered into a bond to punish on the spot any man who attempted to replace the taboo or to revenge its removal. Thus a mortal blow was publicly struck at this most miserable superstition, which had caused bloodshed and misery untold.

One day, thereafter, I was engaged in clearing away the bush around the Mission House, having purchased and paid for the land for the very purpose of opening it up, when suddenly Youwili appeared and menacingly forbade me to proceed. For the sake of peace I for the time desisted. But he went straight to my fence, and with his tomahawk cut down the portion in front of our house, also some bananas planted there—the usual declaration of war, intimating that he only awaited his opportunity similarly to cut down me and mine. We saw the old Chief and his men planting themselves here and there to guard us, and the Natives prowling about armed and excited. On calling them, they explained the meaning of what Youwili had done, and that they were determined to protect us. I said. “This must not continue. Are you to permit one young fool to defy us all, and break up the Lord’s work on Aniwa? If you cannot righteously punish him, I will shut myself up in my house and withdraw from all attempts to teach or help you, till the vessel comes, and then I can leave the island.”

Now that they had begun really to love us, and to be anxious to learn more, this was always my most powerful argument. We retired into the Mission House. The people surrounded our doors and windows and pleaded with us. After long silence, we replied, “You know our resolution. It is for you now to decide. Either you must control that foolish young man, or we must go!”

Much speech-making, as usual, followed. The people resolved to seize and punish Youwili; but he fled, and had hid himself in the bush. Coming to me, the Chief said, “It is left to you to say what shall be Youwili’s punishment. Shall we kill him?”

I replied firmly, “Certainly not! Only for murder can life be lawfully taken away.”

“What then?” they continued. “Shall we burn his houses and destroy his plantations?”

I answered, “No.”

“Shall we bind him and beat him?”

“No.”

“Shall we place him in a canoe, thrust him out to sea, and let him drown or escape as he may?”

“No! by no means.”

“Then, Missi,” said they, “these are our ways of punishing. What other punishment remains that Youwili cares for?”

I replied, “Make him with his own hands, and alone, put up a new fence, and restore all that he has destroyed; and make him promise publicly that he will cease all evil conduct towards us. That will satisfy me.”

This idea of punishment seemed to tickle them greatly. The Chiefs reported our words to the Assembly; and the Natives laughed and cheered, as if it were a capital joke! They cried aloud, “It is good! Obey the word of the Missi.”

After considerable hunting, the young Chief was found. They brought him to the Assembly and scolded him severely and told him their sentence. He was surprised by the nature of the punishment, and cowed by the determination of the people.

“To-morrow,” said he, “I will fully repair the fence. Never again will I oppose the Missi. His word is good.”

By daybreak next morning Youwili was diligently repairing what he had broken down, and before evening he had everything made right better than it was before. While he toiled away, some fellows of his own rank twitted him, saying, “Youwili, you found it easier to cut down Missi’s fence than to repair it again. You will not repeat that in a hurry!”

But he heard all in silence. Others passed with averted heads, and he knew they were laughing at him. He made everything tight and then left without uttering a single word. My heart yearned after the poor fellow, but I thought it better to let his own mind work away, on its new ideas as to punishment and revenge, for a little longer by itself alone. I instinctively felt that Youwili was beginning to turn, that the Christ-Spirit had touched his darkly-groping soul. My doors were now thrown open, and every good work went on as before. We resolved to leave Youwili entirely to Jesus, setting apart a portion of our prayer every day for the enlightenment and conversion of the young Chief, on whom all other means had been exhausted apparently in vain.

A considerable time elapsed. No sign came, and our prayers seemed to fail. But one day, I was toiling between the shafts of a hand-cart, assisted by two boys, drawing it along from the shore loaded with coral blocks. Youwili came rushing from his house, three hundred yards or so off the path, and said, “Missi, that is too hard for you. Let me be your helper!”

Without waiting for a reply, he ordered the two boys to seize one rope, while he grasped the other, threw it over his shoulder and started off, pulling with the strength of a horse. My heart rose in gratitude, and I wept with joy as I followed him. I knew that that yoke was but a symbol of the yoke of Christ, which Youwili with his change of heart was beginning to carry! Truly there is only one way of regeneration, being born again by the power of the Spirit of God, the new heart; but there are many ways of conversation, of outwardly turning to the Lord, of taking the actual first step that shows on whose side we are.

Like those of old praying for the deliverance of Peter, and who could not believe their ears and eyes when Peter knocked and walked in amongst them, so we could scarcely believe our eyes and ears when Youwili became a disciple of Jesus, though we had been praying for his conversion every day. His once sullen countenance became literally bright with inner light. His wife came immediately for a book and a dress saying, “Youwili sent me. His opposition to the Worship is over now. I am to attend Church and School. He is coming too. He wants to learn how to be strong, like you, for Jehovah and for Jesus.”

Oh, Jesus! to Thee alone be all the glory. Thou hast the key to unlock every heart that Thou hast created.

Paton, John Gibson (2012-05-16). The Story of John G. Paton Or Thirty Years Among South Sea Cannibals. Kindle Edition.

Why Do You Need God?

2 Comments / February 22, 2016 May 8, 2025

Why do you need God?

The answers to this question were all given with different voices, different words, different intonations. But they all said basically the same thing–

To make my life easier.

Words like encouragement and strength and comfort were used. We need God because He helps us get through difficult times.

This was a dialogue I heard a couple of weeks ago on a radio program. On this particular day the host was asking the question “Why do you need God?” to students on a college campus.

Of course, many said they don’t need God or that they don’t believe in God. But far more troublesome to me were the students who seemed to have a basic understanding of Christianity as a religion and yet didn’t truly understand why they need God.

Instead their answers were filled with the feel-good, me-centered drivel we have all grown quite used to.

But is this really why we need God? Is it because He helps us get through tough times and makes life here on earth so much better? While I am not denying that this is true, I would like to suggest that this is not why we need God. The primary reason we need God is because we are eternally damned without Him. (Romans 6:23; Romans 3:23; Revelation 21:8)

We are born sinners. We are slaves to our sin and to Satan, living in thick, black darkness. But God sent His son to redeem us–to die on a cross for our sins, making a way for us to be reconciled to Himself. We need not be condemned forever, because Jesus died for us–in our place! What marvelous truth! (Hebrews 9:12; I Timothy 2:5) This is what Christianity is all about.

At least it used to be what it was all about.

Somehow in the last 20 years or so, it has become a watered-down, weak, ecumenical, self-absorbed religion that looks nothing like what the Bible teaches.

The intrinsic problem with this change is that there are so many who have been swept into this religion that consists of a god of their own making. When we move away from the Word of God as we strive to answer eternal questions, we leave ourselves open to lies and deadly false teaching.

As I heard the students explain why they need God, there was no mention of sin and no mention of salvation. Instead it was centered around how God helps them in their self-centered agendas. No wonder they get disillusioned later on in life when things don’t go as they planned.

This is an amazing contrast to the disciples, all who were martyred for their faith (except John, who was exiled to an island). But the censorship and persecution started for the disciples even before Jesus was crucified. As I read about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead in John 11 last week, I learned that Jesus was walking into grave danger as He traveled to Lazarus, who was located in Judea. By this time, the Pharisees were actively seeking to do away with this Man who was calling Himself God. Of course, Jesus knew that nothing would happen to Him before it was His appointed time, but the disciples did not have this same knowledge. And so as Jesus starts for Judea, the disciples fully understood that their lives could be in danger, as well, if they decided to accompany Him. But instead of turning back, this is what we see Thomas say in verse 16–

Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”

The text would indicate that he honestly believed that there was a likelihood they would die with Christ on that day.

This not only shows us just how dreadful and powerful the Pharisees were but it also tells us just how dedicated the disciples were to the Savior. And I find myself wondering: Would I have been courageous enough to follow Jesus? Or would I have opted to protect myself instead? It is sobering to think about, isn’t it?

When Jesus tells us to pick up our cross and follow Him (Luke 9:23), this does not mean that our lives will be full of flowers and sunshine. Sure we will be blessed with wonderful moments (thankfully!) but some of the places Christ leads us will be terribly difficult and we will find ourselves persecuted and hated. Are we willing to make that sacrifice to follow the Savior? Or will we walk away broken and embittered when Jesus doesn’t meet our “felt needs” or fulfill our worldly dreams?

Are we prepared to follow Jesus anywhere or will we defect when things take a painful turn? Asking this question is a great way to test the genuineness of our faith. If our faith is built on the biblical doctrine of salvation then we will stand strong in the face of persecution. We understand that we need God because He is our only hope of salvation from the sin that imprisons us! And then–as we grow in Christ–we learn that He offers us so much more than we can ask or imagine, but being rescued from our sin is always our starting point.

Will we be like Thomas–understanding true salvation and following Jesus even though it may mean suffering for the sake of our Savior? Or will we be like those college students–living with a vague, partial, and unbiblical definition of a God they aren’t even seeking?

What Your Tips Tell the World

Leave a Comment / February 18, 2016 February 18, 2016

On several occasions now, I have had my daughters share with me just how awful Christians are at tipping. Their experiences range from Christian conferences in town for the weekend to waiting on folks who pray before their meals or talk freely about their faith. Just recently, this was brought to mind again, as one of my daughters reminded me just how much she and her co-workers hate when a Christian conference comes to town.

What is wrong with this picture?

Now keep in mind I have had two daughters who work in this industry in several different restaurants and this is what I keep hearing. The wait staff at restaurants do not expect Christians to tip well. And, actually, they find Christians are often rude and unkind, as well. Those Christians that are the opposite are a welcome exception.

The thing that makes them laugh the most is when there will be a tract laying beside a dollar bill. If we aren’t going to be generous in our tipping, it would be better to leave the tract tucked away in our purse or pocket, as it simply serves to give the gospel a bad name.

Sometimes, wait staff will try to give people the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they honestly don’t know that waiters only make around $2 an hour and heavily rely on tips to survive?

You may be thinking that you will never make a difference in the life of that waiter or waitress, anyway. You will never see them again. And that may be true. But we do have the opportunity to either open or close that heart to the message of Christ. If someone later on does have an opportunity to share the gospel with that waiter or waitress, will our experience with them hinder or help that process?

It would seem to me that of all peoples, we should be the kindest and the most generous. Not only are we to be filled with the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) as we interact with people, but Jesus commands us to treat others as we want to be treated (Luke 6:31).

So let’s expand this further than simply restaurants. As we evaluate our interaction with those who serve us, whether they be store clerks, customer service reps, repairmen, bank tellers, or wait staff, how do we treat them? Do we treat them like we would want to be treated or do we give a little grunt of hello and then proceed to ignore them, or–even worse yet–to be rude and nasty?

This can be especially difficult if the person serving us is not the nicest to us.

This happened to me a few months ago. Something went wrong behind the scenes and Growing 4 Life was taken off-line. When I called the number given me in the email for an explanation, I ended up getting a rude, unhelpful guy that made my temper awfully hard to hang on to. Talking to him was like talking to a brick wall. I ended up calling a different number and getting it solved, but after it was all over, my mom asked me how I had treated the rude guy, given the message of my blog. As I was talking to this man about Growing 4 Life there was a good chance he would land there after we were done talking, if only to check on it. Thankfully, I had remembered this during my conversation and had not completely blown it– although, admittedly, I could have done much better than I did!

But just as this blog gives a message about me and I have a responsibility to behave in alliance with that message, so our lives, too, if we are Christians, give a message about us–a message that comes with a responsibility.

Many patches of ground have remained unsown because of some thoughtless Christian who destroyed the witness of Christ by their thoughtless, rude, and stingy behavior. Let us be the exception! May we instead help prepare the soil for the gospel message by our kindness and generosity, so that hearts may be open to the good news of Christ.

Our Reason to Hope

8 Comments / February 15, 2016 February 15, 2016

Have any of you been keeping an eye on what’s going on in this presidential race? I guess that’s a rather foolish question, given the coverage this election is getting on almost any outlet possible. I have to admit that I just shake my head at the hopelessness of what I see. While there is an outside chance of having someone decent to vote for, the upcoming election looks to be quite bleak for so many different reasons. My husband is still hoping some white knight will come riding in to save the country. We laugh, but it’s how we both feel. We think of the great country we knew and loved and cannot believe how far it’s come.

But here we are.

So now what?

I think, first, it’s good to remember some very important facts. As believers, we should view the election and state of our country a little differently than most. After all, we are not in the same desperate situation as our unbelieving friends for two reasons–

1. Our hope is in the Lord. Our hope should not be placed in presidents and kings (I Peter 3:15; I Timothy 1:1) but in God Almighty. We are not those who hope in vain, but instead can rest in the knowledge that God not only knows everything that is going on, but that it all falls under His sovereign plan. Elections, wars, uprisings, revolutions–these do not come as a surprise to God.

2. We know the ending. If you believe the traditional view of the book of Revelation, as I do–that it is literal and will take place here on earth–then you, like me, will be astonished by how this prophecy is coming to life right in front of our eyes. The Bible has to be true. There is no other explanation. While what we read there is rather terrifying, we cannot help but recognize that the pieces of the end days puzzle are fitting together so quickly we can hardly catch our breath.

When I was a child, I wondered how the world would ever get to a point where we could only buy using a mark on our hand or forehead (Revelation 13:17). I don’t wonder that anymore. RFID chipping (which is taking place in humans already for many different reasons) will make this not only possible but inevitable. There is already talk about it.

Way back when, I couldn’t understand how the whole world would see the two witnesses (Revelation 11:9-11). But with the birth of satellites, real-time news became second nature to us all. In fact, we have come to expect to know what’s going on while it’s going on.

And, of course, we could never have comprehended how there would be a one-world religion, a one-world economy, a one-world government. And, yet, while it may not be on the horizon tomorrow or next year, it is most certainly on its way. Globalism is being forced upon us and patriotism is viewed as evil. We are being forced to meld Christianity together with all sorts of other religions. And those of us who are not cooperating are not viewed very kindly. To say the least.

I could add so much more here. If you follow the news, there is so much taking place so fast, it is hard to keep up. The world is changing. And it’s changing quickly. We are back to an era similar to the Tower of Babel– an era where man believes he can accomplish anything and is purposing to do so. Just google transhumanism if you don’t believe me.

So where does all of this leave the United States of America as a country? I know this may not be what you want to hear, but I can’t find any indication anywhere in the book of Revelation that she plays any part in the last days. And, if that’s the case, it would seem that eventually she will be weakened beyond recognition with little part to play on the world’s stage. And we also have to admit that a democratic, capitalistic society cannot exist in a world dedicated to globalism. It’s an impossible combination. As to when and how this all will happen, I have no idea. But the fact that it will happen cannot be denied if we hold to the book of Revelation. Of course, we can hope and pray for revival and for the Lord’s hand to hold off for a little while longer, but to hope that America will return to her former greatness and glory, I believe is to hope in vain.

On a personal level, as we watch all of this play out, we find that it is getting harder and harder to share our faith. Not so much because we are outright persecuted, but because we are viewed as almost sickened in the mind–loony cast-offs that are un-enlightened. This is very powerful stuff–this ostracizing of a whole group of people. And it can’t be denied. For just one example (of a zillion), you can wear t-shirts to public schools that promote Islam, witchcraft, and any other religion–but will be in danger of prosecution if you wear a t-shirt with the name of Jesus on it. Meanwhile, in the church, the name of Jesus has come to mean something completely outside of who the Bible says He is. We have been deceived in numbers I never thought possible. It is astounding and so disheartening.

And so what is our task in these dark days? How do we respond? As my husband and I have pondered this on many occasions, we have come to this conclusion–

We are to focus on our family, first and foremost. We have a duty and responsibility to do all we can to encourage them in their walk with God. Personal knowledge of the Word of God, along with boldness and courage, are going to be critical as we strive to live in a post-Christian society. We believe it is our duty to do all we can to encourage and strengthen our family members, so that we can all stand firm together in the oncoming storm that threatens to knock down even the strongest of believers.

Second, we believe we are called to be a light in the darkened world we are in. No easy task, as the horizon grows darker and darker. It can be scary to speak the truth of God’s Word in this current culture and sometimes we chicken out. I just have to be honest here. But we know that this is what we are called to do. And so we keep trying to shine brighter and brighter in a world that grows darker and darker.

When you really think about it, we have so much reason to hope! The last days are here and that means that we could be rescued at any time. While I know there are many views on the rapture (pre-trib, mid-trib, post-trib) and I wouldn’t go the wall for any particular stance, I do believe that the Bible teaches a pre-trib rapture. Wouldn’t it be incredible to be the generation that is rescued from darkness by a meeting in the sky with Jesus? How awesome would that be? This is the hope we have, if we cling to God’s Word.

But, no matter what is in our future, we know that God is faithful. If we are in His Word and we hold fast to its truths, testing all things that come our way, then we will be able to stand firm in the upcoming days. Hold fast, my friend, hold fast.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23)