It’s pretty gloomy out there isn’t it? I’m not talking about the weather; I’m talking about the state of the union, our nation.
To hear some speak the end is near and God is no longer on His throne. He has forgotten America and His Church here. While God has removed His hand of protection from America, at least in some part, He can still be trusted to save us.
Last night on my way to church for Men’s Ministry, I turned on K-LOVE and the DJ was talking about tomorrow being Valentine’s Day and that it can be a tough day for the lonely. That first struck me as odd because even when I was single or had just come off of a broken relationship, I could not remember ever facing Valentine’s Day in such a way. But the DJ had experienced that loneliness and gave an encouraging word that no one has to be alone if they are in Christ. And that surely rang true in my heart.
I have faced lonely times but having given my life to Christ I have known His love in those sad times. Being a child of God means never being alone. As a Christian, no matter where I am at, I can find a brother or sister in Christ and be with family. The Apostle John recorded such sweet words to remind us of this:
How many of you believe that the Founding Fathers had in mind Satanism and Wicca when the First Amendment was drafted?
The Lord Jesus Christ teaches us how powerful love can be. We have all heard of the cases where a child lifts up the back of an automobile to rescue his father who has knocked the car of its jack. This kind of power is supernatural; it is not something of which man is normally capable. Another amazing display of love is the power it can bring out in us when it comes to laying down our lives for those we love. That love drove my son to face a fierce enemy, both physical and spiritual. Jesus said:
I have forgotten the number of times I have been morally defeated through my own sinful flesh. Luckily, so has God. The difference is that Satan loves to remind my how many times I’ve gone to the throne of grace seeking forgiveness of my sins. Satan tries to convince me that I’m using up all my mercy, as though God has limited grace. The argument is that I may as well stay as I am instead of having to return to the mercy seat for my latest sin. And if all I had was Satan’s counsel and my guilt, I would be doomed. But glory to God I have the promise of His Word!
This week is Sanctity of Life Week. In my newsletter The Truth, I write about what it will take to finally defeat the scourge of abortion. This morning I want to look at a much deeper-seated issue than abortion; one that is personal for each of us.
As you look across our country you can identify many a problem with our nation. Wise men have said that these are merely the symptoms of the real cause of our problems in America. Many rightly ask, “How can we expect God to bless America when we murder 3,000 babies a day.” They say this is the deep-seated issue of our nation.
I’ve lost count the number of times I’ve felt like a failure in my Christian walk. Why? Because of sin, either it be a besetting sin that I cannot overcome or a sin I knowingly commit against the warning of the Holy Spirit, a sin usually wrought out of pride. You would think by now I would realize I cannot overcome sin in my own power. It is a lesson I understand yet never seem to learn.
The good news is I do not have to walk in my own power. There is a spiritual power, an abundant power working in us:
Grace is defined by the Random House Dictionary a number of ways, with the third definition closest to the Biblical one: favor or goodwill. W.E. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words defines the Greek karis as “that which bestows or occasions pleasure, delight, or causes favorable regard.”
Theologians describe it as unmerited favor.
What causes stinking thinking, and just as important, how do we clear it up?
First, we use worldly principles to guide our thoughts and actions. Even as Christians we can get to the point that the world’s point of view governs our actions. One example is how Christians elected to office end up rolling over to a godless edict sent down from the courts. To bow at the steps of an unlawful judicial ruling not only is godless, it is also unconstitutional.
Have you ever met a Christian who seemed to not want to be forgiven? I’m not talking about the sinner, unsaved. I’m talking about the repentant, redeemed by the blood of Christ. It’s almost as though he or she preferred to stay under the heavy yoke of guilt instead of the Jesus’ easy yoke and light burden (Matthew 11:30).
If ever there was a Christian who could claim the “woe is me I’m unworthy” mantle it was the Apostle Paul. Paul had every reason to believe he should not be forgiven. (Side note: no one should be forgiven; that’s why it’s called grace!)
Yesterday we asked why and how Paul could look at all the achievements of his life and comparing them to Jesus, consider them all garbage. The answer is found in today’s passage:
In February 2007, The Barna Group did a fascinating study titled “American Lifestyles Mix Compassion and Self-Oriented Behavior” which revealed mixed traits of Americans that showed a “willingness to sacrifice and impulses toward self-oriented behaviors.” We as a nation, according to this study, display a strange dichotomy of beliefs and behaviors.
I have seen this mix in the church as well. It is a struggle, at least in my own life, to walk the talk as well as talk the walk. I could probably blame a number of reasons on my inconsistent Christian life, but as Karen and I were talking about with friends yesterday at lunch, my own flesh can be all the enemy I need. I too often grumble and mumble about things I should be praising God for, because they are blessings in my life. Paul warned against grumbling and mumbling:
If America is to be restored it will come through revival. And if revival is to come, that will come through repentance. Therein lies our nation’s problem, in and out of the church. As our pastor preached this Sunday, we have become a nation of where shame is the greater offense than sin. Pulpits across America preach a grace without guilt when there can be no grace without first experiencing guilt. And finally, America wants restoration without repentance. Again, that is putting the cart before the horse.
Ah but Bro Dave, it’s not good to make people feel ashamed for their sin or walk around with guilt and sorrow. We want them to experience forgiveness and grace. I too want the latter but you must have the former. For I know of no Bible verse that teaches repentance without sorrow. Perhaps you can find it in the NTFV (New Touchy-Feely Version) Bible, but my Bible says:
I once had someone tell me that he was not a sinner. I told him the Bible was very clear on that:
This weekend I sent the following email to a dear brother in Christ:
My sister Minji (given name Mary) wrote yesterday in response to our devotional on the last conceit to go and said she has been struggling to understand her “artist self”, lately realizing that we never really understand ourselves. As we said, only God understands us. Minji is realizing a great freedom in losing herself instead of the exhausting fool’s errand of trying to find oneself.
Yesterday we talked about vanity and presuming upon tomorrow. I got a lot of responses testifying to how this has manifested itself in a number of lives. Last night I got a text from my best friend since the sixth grade and brother in Christ Don Roberts asking for prayer for one of his church brothers who had just been killed in a motorcycle accident. Please continue to be in prayer for the Pena Family as they deal with the loss of Juan.
This morning I began reading the proverb of the day, Proverbs 27 and I couldn’t get past verse one:
So should we use apologetics, that is the defense of Christianity, with an atheist? Well let me ask you this question, similar to what our new friend Mrs. J asks in the book Unexpected Journey by Thom Rainer. Did you learn about apologetics before you acquired faith and was it apologetics that caused you to have faith?
So how can we actually reach out to someone who is intent on destroying Christianity? Or how do we reach out to someone who is apathetic towards God? Like we do with any person we first meet, we build a relationship.
