So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore

I’ve just finished reading a book by the above title authored by Wayne Jacobson & Dave Coleman. Through fictitious narrative, these two men address the heart cry of many who have become disillusioned with the institutional church. As a member and leader in said church for almost 50 years and often one of its greatest critics, this portrayal provides a necessary reminder of what it means to be a Christ follower and the values that are truly important as we attempt to adhere to the admonition to “not forsake the assembling together of ourselves”.

If you are one of the many who have quit “going to church” or dread “going to church” and have not understood why, it would be worth your time to read this book. If you are one of the many who are totally fulfilled in your present church experience, it will help you understand those who are on the other side.

You’ll need to resist the urge to villainize the church as you have known it and the tendency to swing to an extreme in response. We all know there is no perfect solution this side of eternity. Nevertheless, this account calls us to “be the church”, not just “go to church”. May the Lord grant us His grace and wisdom to do just that.

A Reunion in the Skies

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud cry of summons, with the shout of an archangel, and with the blast of the trumpet of God. And those who have departed this life in Christ will rise first. Then we, the living ones who remain [on the earth], shall simultaneously be caught up along with [the resurrected dead] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so always (through the eternity of the eternities) we shall be with the Lord! - 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (AMP)

It is truly incomprehensible how this will feel when it occurs, but I am convinced that it will be the most intense pleasure that I will ever have experienced up to that point. These words were spoken by someone who had experienced a personal encounter with Jesus. You can tell in Paul’s writings that he and Jesus knew each other. Many of the readers of these words of encouragement likely had seen Jesus
while He was on earth. Now they were waiting to join Him. Just a few thoughts about this reunion this morning…

1. He’s going to come get us personally. He’s not going to send someone else like His driver or right-hand angel. Jesus Himself is coming to get me and you. If there were a knock on the door, He would be the one standing on the other side when I opened it.
2. It will be an unmistakable moment. If anyone has ever thought that it would be possible for Him to come and not know that He had been here, think again. His arrival will be heralded by the trumpet of God Himself. Its blast will resound throughout the entire universe and the skies will split apart revealing His presence to all of humanity.
3. Somehow, seemingly instantaneously, those who have died knowing the Lord and those who know Him when he returns will converge at the place in the air where He chooses to make His entrance and from that point forward, for the rest of eternity, we will be together with Him and with one another – a reunion like no other.

Comfort one another with these thoughts today.

The Residue of a Crucified Life

Our Faith in Christ is tainted - tainted with our inherent desire for self-preservation and greatness and clouded by the fog of our limited perspective, thus the need for its purification. Authentic faith is the result of testing. It is the residue of a crucified life that longs to live again. Those having been so tested understand that their desire for life will not be sufficiently satisfied until they are finally home, and that Christ alone will take them there. - 1 Peter 1:3-9

The Search for Authentic Faith

^"... I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith." Luke 7:9

^“.... when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" Luke 18:8

As Jesus walked the earth He was in search of something. He was in search of people of faith. Not lip-service faith. Not a faith in what He would do for them or give to them. Not a faith that wilted or faded away at the first sign of obstacle or opposition. He was looking for a simple faith. A childlike faith. An enduring faith. A faith that took Him at His word. A faith that transcended the realities of this world and lived in light of the realities of the next.

I lose sight of the bigger picture at times. My faith falters on occasion because I focus too much on the "seen", the tangible, the temporal. I forget that He is not looking for great exploits, but great faith. Such a faith is not arrived at easily. It is forged and tempered through the trials of this life.I have been thinking of Abraham this week. The Bible says of Abraham in Romans 4:19-21 that:

Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.

I've always considered myself a realist - a grounded sort of guy. But realism without the resurrection weakens us. Abraham had the ability to be realistic and simultaneously grow stronger in faith because he understood the promise of God. He understood that it wasn't about this life, but the next. I want to be like Abraham. I want to be a man that can face the reality of death head on and not waver. I want to go out guns blazing, full of faith.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

- 1 Peter 1:3-9 (NASB)

Caught With Your Pants Down

“…Go and Sin No More” – John 8:11

A lot of people are being caught these days. From politicians, to celebrities, to notable “men of the cloth”, some of the dirtiest, most perverted secrets are being brought into the light. The above referenced scripture is the response that Jesus had one day to a woman who had been “caught with her pants down”. More accurately, caught with her dress up! She was literally apprehended in the middle of an adulterous “moment”. Punishable in those days by death!

Suppose for a moment that the door of your life was suddenly thrown open and there you were – naked [or nekked as we say here in Texas], in a room full of exquisitely clothed spectators. Every wrinkle, every wart, every imperfection laid bare for the whole world to see. In spite of what Hollywood would lead us to believe, we all know that it would not be a pretty picture!

Now I’m not trying to be crude, cute or funny here, but the truth is, sin is a devastating, embarrassing reality that plagues us all (1 John 1:8). So my point today is three-fold.

Most of us are hiding something

Some are like the woman noted above. You are engaged in known, explicit and perverted acts of sin [Yes, even you Christians.], acts which likewise are punishable by death. Others are more sly and subtle. You look good on the outside. You go to church, pay your taxes and are nice to animals. Your “affair”, however, is on the inside! Your heart is in bed with the world and has left its “first love”, the husband of your youth – Jesus. Whether you have an “inside” sin or an “outside” sin, the results are the same – you have a stone cold, lifeless heart.

Don’t wait to get caught

The Bible says that “the sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after” (1 Timothy 5:24), which is just another way of saying that some are “out there” with their sin while others are more discreet, yet subject to eventual disclosure. At some point, we are all going to be exposed, standing nekked before God. When Jesus comes, He “…will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts;…” (1 Corinthians 4:5) Our proper response is to “blow the whistle” now. Get it out in the open now. Come clean now! The Bible calls it confession – telling the truth, the whole truth so help you God. There’s so much to say here, but you are probably bored already.

Go and sin no more

Now when I hear that familiar phrase, my thought hearkens back to my childhood when I would get caught doing something that I shouldn't be doing and my parents would say something like “Now don’t you do it again!”, otherwise interpreted as “The next time, you’re gonna get it!”. But, that’s not what Jesus was saying when He uttered those words. In fact, the whole statement was “…Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” You see, with genuine “truth-telling” about ourselves (confession) and repentance (a change of heart that results in a change of our actions) comes forgiveness, a total acquittal – and with forgiveness comes life and liberty instead of death and bondage.

Have you ever tried walking with your pants down? It’s not conducive to progress. Let’s get right and move on with God!

Living Under the Gaze of God

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope for His lovingkindness, To deliver their soul from death And to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart rejoices in Him, Because we trust in His holy name. - Psalms 33:18-21 (NASB)

I'm trying to walk in transaprency and confession these days believing it is mandatory for purity of heart and relationship with Him (and each other) [1 John 1:7-9]. So, I share the verses above and my confession for this day.

I've always known in my mind that God sees everything. I'm not sure, however, that I've always felt that He's seen ME! I've thought many times that God was just too busy with more important things to be intricately involved in MY life, and I say that, knowing that I have a long list of events in which He has proven otherwise. Nevertheless, the moments of insignficance exist.

The Amplified Bible reads like this...

Behold, the Lord’s eye is upon those who fear Him [who revere and worship Him with awe], who wait for Him and hope in His mercy and loving-kindness, - v.18

Truth is, the promise is conditional, at least if I take it as it reads. His eye is on me if my eye is on Him. If He fills my field of vision in worship and adoration and if I live in watchful anticipation of His return (How many times in the N.T. does it speak of waiting and looking for His coming?), I'll know that I'm being watched. I'll be living under the gaze of God!

We should look at this "condition" more as a characteristic than a requirement. We know that nothing is truly hidden from God - that there is nothing that He does not see. How in the world would I feel obscured from the gaze of God if I were truly consumed with Him in worship and longing for His return?

We have this promise, when we look into the eyes of God we will always see that He is looking back on us.

The Way of the Pure in Heart…Coming Clean

There is great promise for the pure in heart.

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. - Matthew 5:8 (NASB)

In order to find God, or “see” Him, we must first find ourselves. We must “see” ourselves for who we really are apart from God. It is not a pretty picture.

"For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man." - Mark 7:21-23 (NASB)

The moment we come clean with ourselves, the opportunity is there for us to come clean with God. No more blaming others. No more rationalizations. No more self-justification. No more self-comparisons.

For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. - 2 Corinthians 10:12 (NASB)

All we need is a little light.

For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. - 2 Corinthians 4:6 (NASB)

Father, are You there? I have lost my way. I don’t know who I am anymore, let alone You. My heart is cold. My way is dark. Please give me some Light. Please let me see Jesus.

"…Sir, we wish to see Jesus." - John 12:21 (NASB)

Have You Lost Your Heart?

Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way. - Psalms 139:23-24 (NASB)

The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it? - Jeremiah 17:9 (NASB)

Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life. - Proverbs 4:23 (NASB)

So if sin has somehow become less sinful and that sense of amazement at His grace is a fading memory, how do I find my way back into His “good graces”? How can I again know the joy of God’s salvation? You would think that just “saying no” to sin would do it. Just exercise a little will power. Think positively. Think good thoughts. Be a good person. Do good things for others. Don’t kick the cat and yell at the wife or kids! Surely, if I just do right, think right and act right God will be gracious to me and love me one more time.

Unfortunately, this approach might act as a momentary catharsis and bring temporary relief. It might even make us “better people”. It doesn’t take long, however, to realize that we lack the capacity to sustain such an approach for long periods of time. Even if we do manage to turn over a new leaf, we find in our moments alone with ourselves that an “inner numbness” remains. We’re not as happy as we thought we would be. Something is still missing. With good intentions no doubt, we have mistakenly tried to clean up our act without cleaning up our heart!

Scripture tells us that the heart is the very wellspring of life itself. The condition of the heart determines the quality of life we enjoy. If the heart is weak, we are weak. If the heart is sick, we are sick. If the heart is healthy and strong, we are healthy and strong. Oh, and before we go any further, don’t confuse intentions with heart. Just because we mean well doesn’t mean that we are well!

Many of us have lost touch with our heart and in the process, have become oblivious to its true condition. Heart disease is the number one killer. It is a silent killer. Is spiritual heart disease silently killing you?

Begin today by asking God to help you find your heart. If you will, healing is not far behind.

Cheating Ourselves of the Grace of God

Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations." - Exodus 34:6-7 (NASB)

The tendency of the human frame is to lower the standard when the standard becomes too difficult to achieve. (We do this with our children all of the time.) It is our way of showing mercy and compassion. We mistakenly conclude that our failure to achieve is because the goal is unattainable. So, we move the goal to a more “reasonable” level. We lower the bar so that everyone can win!

This reasoning has the subtle effect of thinking that God responds in the same way. He sees our struggle to live victoriously and walk in purity and because He feels sorry for us and is so full of compassion, He decides to lessen the “sin standard”. What He once called profane now becomes holy and thus no penalty is due. No penalty? No guilt and shame. We are feeling good!

Contrary to popular opinion, God exercises His mercy and grace much differently than we do. Rather than lessening His requirements, He stands pat. He is who He says He is and He does what He says He will do. The “good news” however is that He provides a way to deal with the just punishment that is due for our sin. He satisfies the demands of justice by standing in our stead and offering His life in place of ours.

I’m well aware that most people are very acquainted with the story. But somehow, I think it bears repeating. I don’t believe we fully grasp the fact that we have been cheating ourselves - cheating ourselves of the rich, ever-sufficient grace and mercy of God. Where there is no sin, there is no need for grace. With each lowering of the bar, the experience of grace is lost for we feel justified in our own mind. We effectively “trample underfoot the Son of God, regard as unclean the blood of the covenant and insult the Spirit of grace” (Hebrews 10:29).

Perhaps grace is no longer amazing because we are not (in our own minds) the sinners we once were.

The Recovery & Return to Sound Teaching

The Sliding Scale of Truth

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

- 2 Timothy 4:3-4 (NASB)

Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.

- 2 Timothy 1:13-14 (NASB)

As you can see, I have been absent for some time - a reflection of my lack of discipline for which I feel the necessity to confess. While I would love to know that the words posted here are a source of encouragement and provocation for others in their walk with Christ, they are at the least, a means for me to heed Paul's admonition to Timothy to " take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you. "

I have been stirred of late about the matter of sound teaching and wondering if we have not fallen prey to the deception that Scripture often warns against. Amazingly, we acknowledge the reality of deception yet fail so often to accept the fact that it might have very well happened to us - individually and corporately. The standard of sound teaching seems to have found its way into each individual's understanding of "what seems right" or "what we wish were right" rather than the immutable, infallible Word of God himself.

One thing is for certain, God's standards are constant. The only thing about the standards of men that is consistent is that our standards "consistently move". Facing difficulty, cultural demands, and our own sense of justice, we continually adjust the standard according to the prevailing sentiment of the day thinking that, in the process, we are more liberated, open-minded, compassionate and tolerant than were our predecessors. In the process, we mistakenly think that God is behind the tectonic shift in thinking and has changed His mind about how He wishes us to live before Him.

I'm thinking that if God "hated" something in 400 B.C., He still "hates" it today. Unfortunately, I've found that there are some things that I have "hated" in the past with which I have grown quite comfortable. I am intentionally resisting my desire to "make a list" but rather lay before you the simple question, "Where have I given in?"

More to come...

If You Need Anything Just Let Me Know

When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.  - Nehemiah 1:4 (NASB) 

Need anything? Of course they needed something! The destruction was so great in places that even a horse was unable to pass through the rubble. Mountains of crumbled stone. Smoldering timbers. Injured and dazed. Loved ones gone. "If you need anything, just let me know." Come on now. Give me a big, fat break!

To my shame, I have uttered those words more times than I can count, only to move on with my life leaving someone to pick up the pieces left behind by the storm or battle that just swept through their lives. It was obvious that they needed something, so why did I ask? Surely I really cared. Was I just at a loss for words and couldn't think of anything better to say? Perhaps I needed to sooth my guilty conscience. After all, I've made myself available. All they have to do is "say the word" and I'll come runnin'! (Just for future reference, don't make people beg. They already feel low enough as it is. And come on, when was the last time that you asked someone for help?)

Nehemiah provides a perfect example of how to handle the news of destruction in a friends life. He got involved - emotionally, spiritually and physically. And perhaps therein lies the problem. Involvement requires something of us. Here's a short list from this account that we can expect when we allow ourselves to become involved.

1. Grief - He wept and mourned. Scripture clearly states that we are to shoulder this load with one another. "...Weep with those who weep" (Romans 12:15) In a culture where self-gratification rules, this is not a popular, nor easy thing to do. I've seen far too often that I simply don't want to suffer, don't want to be sad or don't want to feel bad. 
   
2. Identification - While there are moments of innocence, most of life's troubles are a result of sin. If not our own, then someone else's. In this case, it appears that Nehemiah had every reason to point the finger of accusation and say, "You've made your bed, now lie in it." Instead, realizing that he was really no different and deserving of no better, he accurately states in his prayer, "...I and my father's house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly...".
3.  Intercession - I really have a hard time asking for help. While somewhat easier, I have a hard time asking for help for someone else. Especially difficult however, is asking for help for someone who brought their miseries on themselves. At what I feel is the deepest level of prayer, intercession essentially places us as the "go between", the mediator, the representative of the one we are praying for. Nehemiah positioned himself before the God of heaven "...on behalf of the sons of Israel". Such action is no small thing. It goes beyond the casual prayer or petition and reminds God of His covenant promises, seeks to know His heart and true desires for a given situation and pleads for His mercy and grace. It takes time. Thus, my next point.
4. Time - "...I sat down and wept and mourned for days..." Unquestionably, time is one of our greatest treasures and there is no shortage of things vying for it. We feel pretty good about ourselves if we manage to carve out 10 or 15 minutes to pray for someone, but days?Surely God understands how busy I am and will "hurry things along" so that life can get back to "normal".  Much of our prayer is ineffective because we fail at the point of initiation. We simply neglect to take the time needed to truly know the heart of God. "We ask and do not receive, because we ask with wrong motives, so that we may spend it on our own pleasures." (James 4:3) Fix it God so that we can get on with life!
5.  Risk - "...Then I was very much afraid" (Neh 2:2) Nehemiah enjoyed a very privileged and trusted position in the king's court and this peek into his heart reveals that his involvement came with a degree of risk. Kings were known to be finicky and temperamental. A head could roll if one wasn't careful. At the very least, his job could be at stake. He was getting ready to ask for a leave of absence for heaven's sake! Imagine asking your boss for a couple of months off to help with disaster relief in Somalia or some such noble cause. Obtaining God's favor is essential. "O Lord...make thy servant successful today, and grant him compassion before this man...". (Neh 1:11)
6. More time, energy & patience - When it was all said and done, the actual work had to be done and no small task awaited the workers. Stones had to be cleared, smoldering fires extinguished, walls rebuilt and gates hung, not to mention the emotional and physical needs of the people themselves. Recovery takes time, resources and a physical touch from a loving hand. It simply isn't enough to say we care and leave it at that. "If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,' and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?" (James 2:15-16)

See someone in distress today? Don't ask. Get involved!

 

One Foot in Front of the Other

They said to me, "The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire."  - Nehemiah 1:3 (NASB) 

Any fan of western movies has watched, on more than one occasion, a band of marauding Indians attack a frontier settlement setting homes on fire, looting and murdering the inhabitants. The raids would often conclude with kidnapped hostages being carried away to a tortuously slow death or prisoners destined to serve and live among their captors for the rest of their lives. Left behind would be a handful of wounded, dazed survivors with the often overwhelming task of picking up the pieces and rebuilding their lives. Although we would consider them as the "lucky ones", the ones who "lived to tell about it", their quality of life had deteriorated considerably. They were "barely alive".

There are countless people who are currently numbered among those we would call survivors. But they are not living the life of a hero as often depicted and glamorized in the media. They are just like the Jews in Nehemiah's day. Defenseless, vulnerable, dazed & distressed, they are barely putting one  foot in front of the other as they go about their day. Once vibrant, hopeful and full of life, they find themselves victimized by the the sudden "attack" of a natural disaster, a disease, an enemy, an unexpected loss, or their own sin. Regardless of the cause, the results are the same. They say they "are fine" when asked, but in the solitude of their own heart, they are "barely alive". A mere shadow of their former selves.

Do you know any survivors? Is it you? Help is on the way!