Category Archives: Blog

“Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers – not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve, not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.  ”

1 Peter 5:2-3

In America today, many churches are struggling to effectively disciple and grow their churches. In fact, church attendance has been declining dramatically since the 1960’s (Tobin Grant, Religion News Service, January, 2014). One of the main reasons seems to be our changing culture in America. It used to be that virtually everyone went to church.  It was part of our American culture. People went to church in many cases because it was what most Americans did on Sunday mornings. Pastors did not have to work that hard in getting people to come or remain in church. But that is not true anymore. Population shifts, immigration, and secularization in America have resulted in a different culture today.

But is it just about the changing American population and culture?  Is that why people are no longer attending or leaving the church? In some cases yes, but we believe that in many cases it’s because the way the gospel is communicated or the way the church is being run either angers people or causes them to find no value in attending the church. This does not speak to the issue of the message of salvation but rather to the need for good leadership and management.

So we contend that an even more important reason for declining church attendance is that pastors have not been trained in Biblical leadership and management principles. They therefore lack the knowledge to effectively lead and manage their churches in today’s more secularized American culture. Most seminaries and Bible Schools prepare pastors for preaching, teaching, and evangelizing, but their curriculums often do not include any significant training on basic leadership or management skills. What they do include is perhaps one class on church administration. But that is not nearly enough. Consequently, many pastors are not equipped to keep church members from leaving or making their church more attractive to potential members. It does not matter how great the gospel message is if pastoral leaders are ineffective in their communication of what that means or if how they are running the church drives people away.

Because churches are organizations with people and other resources, they must be led and managed effectively to be successful. As a matter of fact, most pastors will spend the vast majority of their time leading people and managing the resources of the church, not preaching or teaching. An effective sermon can easily be undone by poor leadership and management of church activities, people, resources and processes. So it is important that they have some level of knowledge about Biblical leadership and management so that they don’t create an atmosphere in the church where the gospel is not received or becomes secondary to how the church is run.

In the secular world, businesses and other organizations know that leadership is the essential ingredient to being an effective organization. That’s why they spend time and money training their employees and developing leaders from within their organizations to prepare them for positions of leadership in the future. They know that without properly trained leaders their organization will struggle to grow and be effective in what they do. Large organizations typically have some form of in-house training, but most organizations send their employees to outside training firms to get trained in what they need to be effective leaders. They desire to see their employees grow in their skill sets so that they become more valuable as employees and can help the organization grow and succeed. Churches must recognize that they need to train and develop its leaders as well if they are to survive and thrive in today’s world.

Our ministry has been training pastors and church leaders outside the USA since 2001 on basic leadership and management skills. We have seen the benefits that this type of training can bring to pastors and churches, and how it helps them to be more effective in their ministry.  We also see the need here in America, but we are not the only ones to recognize this need. Perhaps the most established pastoral leadership training taking place in America today is called the Leadership Summit organized by Pastor Bill Hybels of Willowcreek Church in Barrington, IL. There are also major pastoral leadership training initiatives by John Maxwell and his EQUIP ministry.

It is essential to the survival and growth of the Church in America that pastors are given a basic understanding of key leadership and management principles from a Biblical perspective. This will enable them to be more effective in leading and managing the church they have been called or appointed by God to lead.   When Biblical leadership and management principles are applied with guidance from, and reliance upon, the Holy Spirit, we believe it will produce “fruit for the Kingdom.” (Colossians 1:10)

The need for church leadership and management training in America has never been greater. If every pastor will endeavor to grow in their leadership and management abilities, we believe the Church can stop the decline in church attendance and reverse it so that the Kingdom of God can grow once again in our nation.

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth.

I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”

Matthew 10:34

Every year at this time people talk about wanting peace on earth. It’s common in Christmas carols and Christmas cards. It’s often a wish for the New Year. And after a very contentious election this year many Americans are asking “why can’t we all just get along?” But is peace on earth a realistic or even achievable goal?

Peace can be defined as the absence of conflict. However, we live in a world of conflict. Any cursory study of world history will show that at any point in time there is a conflict somewhere, a place where peace does not exist. In my lifetime I have not known a time when the world was at peace. In the 1950’s there was the Korean War. In the 1960’s there was the Vietnam War and the Cold War. In the 1970’s there was the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Arab oil embargo, and the Iranian hostage crisis. In the 1980’s there was the IRA and the conflict in Northern Ireland.  In the 1990’s there was the Gulf War and the beginnings of Al Qaeda. In the 2000’s there was 911 and the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. And in this decade there is the civil war in Syria and ISIS. While not every conflict will touch our lives personally, there always appears to be conflict somewhere in the world at any given point in time.

Even at the time of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago the world was in conflict. The Roman Empire had emerged and the Jews were now under Roman rule after returning from exile under the Babylonians to Jerusalem. Even the Jews were in conflict with one another, evidenced by the many factions that arose during this time, such as the Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots and Essenes. God chose this time of conflict to send His own Son into the world.

But did Jesus come to bring peace on earth? According to Jesus’ own words in Matthew 10:34 he said he did “not come to bring peace on earth but a sword!” Whoa, what’s Jesus saying here?

To understand what Jesus means, we need to go back to the beginning of creation and the Garden of Eden. The world began as a perfect place, without conflict (Genesis 1:31). But then Satan brought sin and evil into the world through Adam and Eve as a result of his conflict with God. So conflict between good and evil, holiness and sin, and God and Man entered our perfect world. Since then, a spiritual battle has ensued on the earth pitting man against God. And when we look at our world today, every conflict arises from man’s sinfulness and desire to have what he wants rather than what God wants. God gave man free will so that man can either choose the ways of God or the ways of the world (which has been corrupted by sin and Satan). That is the conflict that is at the center of all conflict. And peace cannot be achieved until we first end our conflict with God!

Jesus is telling us that He came to earth to offer people that same choice, but in a much clearer way. We can either choose Jesus, God’s Son sent to redeem ALL mankind and point the way to God, or we can reject Him and thus choose to continue to ignore God, choose man’s ways, and continue to live in conflict with God the Creator. The sword he talks about is the sword of Truth, God’s Truth, which continues to divide people, families, and nations to this day.

 Jesus’ disciples knew about this conflict all too well. They saw how the Pharisees and Jewish leaders were reacting to Jesus and how they wanted to kill him. They were afraid and fearful. But Jesus comforted them by telling them in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Jesus is declaring that the only way to find true peace is in Him. Though the world may rage in conflict all around us, we can end our conflict with God and have peace in our hearts if we put our faith in Jesus! In other words, peace is not an external experience but an internal attitude of a heart that believes and trusts in Jesus. Paul reminds us in Colossians 3:15 to “let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts.”  He further tells us in 2 Thessalonians 3:16 “now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.”

Jesus came not to bring “peace on earth”, but to bring peace “to the earth.” We can have that peace “that transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) only by giving Him our hearts and placing our faith and trust in Him and God our Father. Jesus pointed to that difference when he said in John 6:33, “in this world you will have trouble. But take heart, I have overcome the world.”

So if people really desire to have peace on earth, it begins when we turn our hearts to Jesus and receive the peace that only He can give us. Is peace on earth an achievable goal? Peace on earth will only come when “every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!” (Philippians 2:10-11) Until that day, there will continue to be conflict in our world.

Lord, let Your peace reside in us, and help us lead others to your peace through Your son Jesus, so that one day there may be peace on earth! Amen.

“Stop doubting and believe!”
John 20:27

I have heard some Christians say that they have doubts when it comes to their faith.  They say they don’t understand why God does what He does or doesn’t do, or that some things from His Word just don’t make any sense to them in our world anymore. Some will even argue that since we can never fully know God or fully understand His Word from the Bible that it is alright to have our doubts about them.

But is it OK for Christians to say they have doubts about God, Jesus, or the Bible’s truth?

I strongly believe that the answer to that question is NO! The Christian faith is predicated on the existence of God, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and that the Bible is God’s Word and Truth. When a person publicly or privately declares that they acknowledge Jesus Christ as the Son of God and place their trust and faith in Him alone for salvation, they are stating that they believe these things to be true. That’s when belief becomes reality and they become a Christian and a follower of Jesus Christ. So a person cannot call themselves a Christian if they are no longer sure who God is, what Jesus did on the cross, or that God’s Word is His truth.

We are told by Jesus to believe and have faith.  When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the Sea of Galilee Peter got out of the boat and started walking on the water to him. However, when he took his eyes off of Jesus he began to sink. Jesus reached out his hand and caught him and said to him, “you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31)   Jesus also confronted doubt in the person of Thomas, one of his disciples. After Jesus had risen Thomas demanded proof. He said to Thomas when he doubted to “stop doubting and believe” (John 20:27). He went even further by declaring that unlike Thomas and the disciples, “blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed!” (John 20:29)

So to say as Christians that we have doubts is the same as saying we don’t believe anymore. We either believe (and have faith) or we don’t.  If we look at a thesaurus we will find that doubt is the opposite of belief. We cannot both believe and doubt the same thing.

I think many Christians who say they have doubts really mean that they don’t understand God’s Word or His ways and struggle to reconcile that with their daily lives. That’s not doubt, that’s just our lack of understanding of His Word and His nature because He says “My ways are higher than your ways.” (Isaiah 55:9). We don’t know what God knows. That’s why the Bible says in Proverbs 2:6 that “the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding.”  Additionally, Proverbs 3:5 says we should “trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding.”  That means that must put our trust in God and His Word and not doubt Him or His truth.  To doubt Him is to deny Him. Furthermore, James 1:6-8 says that we as Christians must “believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.”

The absolute essence of the Christian faith is to wholeheartedly believe and trust in God, His Son, and His Word. That’s where the Christian faith begins. We must be confident in these truths and not doubt them!

So let’s encourage one another in our faith because there’s no doubt about it!

“We live by faith, not by sight.” – 1 Corinthians 5:7

I recently had the opportunity to make my first visit to Israel and the Holy Land.  It had long been a goal of mine to get to the Holy Land and to visit the sites where Jesus was born, where he ministered and taught, where he suffered and died on the cross, and where he was raised from the dead. I had envisioned a place where history would come alive right before my eyes and where I would be emotionally moved by what I was seeing. I was anticipating a spiritual experience beyond anything I had ever felt before!

However, as I toured Israel and visited such sites as Bethlehem, Capernaum and Jerusalem, I did not experience what I had anticipated I would. Rather, I was surprised at my lack of an emotional connection to the historical aspects of the Holy Land. I suspect it was because many of the sites did not look anything like what I thought they would. I think that there were several reasons for that.

First, much of what I thought I would see was based on portrayals of the areas in movies. Hollywood tries to recreate the geography and setting but often tends to create movie sets that are more like our preconceived ideas than what actually existed at the time. Second, the Scriptures don’t always provide a detailed description of the geography so we each envision or imagine what the area must have looked like in our own minds. That may or may not be accurate. Third, what existed 2,000 years ago is not what we see today.  Areas have been built over and the original locations look vastly different than they might have back when Jesus lived. Finally, tour guides usually tell you one of three things about a particular site – it is believed to be the actual site based on some evidence, it is probably the actual site given what is known about an event, or it may be the actual site but they really have no proof that it is. Very few of the sites I visited have enough solid evidence to prove that’s where a specific event took place. So for these reasons the sites that I visited did not meet my expectations of what I thought I would see and therefore it was difficult to make an emotional connection. It’s not like going to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and seeing the USS Arizona still under water where it sank in 1941!

Nevertheless, we do know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem and that city exists today where it was back then. Capernaum, where Jesus ministered and taught a great deal, is also where it was. And Jerusalem too is in the same location and we know that Jesus was judged there, suffered there, crucified there, and was buried there. And while the actual locations of these events in these cities may not be known with absolute certainty, they ARE where these things took place in history. And while I did not connect emotionally with the specific sites I visited as I had expected, I did reflect considerably on their meaning in history. As I visited these places I thought about Jesus, what He did, and what it must have been like back then (according to Scripture), and as a result I felt a deeper spiritual connection with Him!  It was not the sites themselves that impacted me, but rather the realization and consideration of what took place there that did! Visiting the Holy Land most assuredly affirmed my faith and belief in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection!

One of the things I did witness quite frequently were the large numbers of people who were visiting these spots and touching them as if the sites themselves could convey a special spiritual power because Jesus had been there. To me, I saw that as idolatry.  We worship a living God, not historical places or relics from the past. Our God lives and reigns in us and through us and we don’t need to visit the Holy Land to feel His presence or be filled with the power of His Holy Spirit. That comes from God, and faith in Jesus, and is available to anyone who calls on His name! Focusing on physical things only distracts us from spiritual things.

So, was visiting the Holy Land a disappointment? Was it unnecessary? Was it meaningless? Absolutely not!  As a matter of fact, I would still highly recommend it for every Christian. Being in the Holy Land allows us to consider very deeply what Jesus has done for us. Walking in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Capernaum enabled me to connect with the Bible and what it says and to reflect on what really matters in life. And that is Faith. Faith does not come from visiting the Holy Land. “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ.” – Romans 10:17 But visiting the Holy Land can serve to strengthen our belief in Jesus and what He did for us!

And so I thank God for the opportunity to visit His Holy Land, and for the chance to reflect more deeply on what Jesus did for me and for every human being that has ever lived. History is just history. But faith in Jesus is living and active, and visiting the Holy Land has affirmed and strengthened my faith in Him who alone is God!

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.”

Matthew 6:24

In America today it seems that Christians and Christianity are under a relentless attack.  The ACLU has been fighting for years to have the Ten Commandments and any other Biblical or Christian symbols removed from public display. Christians are sued for not baking cakes for gay weddings. In Houston, the mayor tried to demand that local pastors turn over their sermons to her for review for potential hate speech. And many Americans feel that Christians have no right to express their religious beliefs politically.

Christians today are perceived as bigoted, out of touch, homophobic, intolerant and a danger to society.  A recent Barna Research report found that the majority of Americans see some Christian activities as extremism, such as handing out tracts or praying in public (Five Ways Christianity is Increasingly Viewed as Extremist, February 23, 2016 release, www.barna.org). These are very recent trends and it would have been hard to imagine this happening even 10 years ago.

But this is the America we now live in.  Our nation has not only turned its back on God (as I wrote in my book About Face),  but it is now looking to destroy or marginalize any aspect of Christian values or beliefs in our society. Today, Christians are the enemy!

How did this happen? Where did all of this anti-Christian sentiment come from? What did we do to deserve such a backlash from our own countrymen and women?

I believe that the answer to that question can be found in two reasons.

First, our society has become more socialist.  Many Americans have come to believe that capitalism does not work anymore.  President Obama declared this in Kansas back in 2011. The government has grown much larger in the past 10 years and many Americans are looking to the government for answers and help. As a result, we are seeing more people on government support programs and calling for free healthcare and free college educations.  One candidate for President, Congressmen Bernie Sanders, is a self acknowledged Socialist and is campaigning on all of these issues. And there are many Americans who are supporting him for President, especially young people! These Americans want the “state” or government to run and control our society and economy.

Why does this matter? Because Christianity is the enemy of the State! Christianity places God above man, and therefore our allegiance to God above allegiance to the state. The state cannot tolerate this because it must make everyone stay in line with the secular program. No exceptions are allowed.  History show us what happens when the state gets this kind of control – it produces the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, and North Korea, just to name a few.  Anytime we give more power to the state we will lose more of our freedom. The two go hand in hand. So as more Americans call for more government action and put their faith in the State, it is inevitable that Christianity, and Christians, will be viewed as the enemy!

Second, our society has become more accepting of individual rights with virtually no limitations. That includes the right to have sex with whomever one chooses regardless of the dangers or consequences, the right to have free healthcare, the right to marry anyone or anything, and the right to kill innocent babies for their own convenience. All of these behaviors are against God’s Word. When Christians stand up and call some of these behaviors sinful, harmful, or evil, they are viciously attacked in the media, on social media, and in political activities.

Why does the culture respond this way? Because Christian values (and God) are a threat to them doing whatever pleases them regardless of the dangers to society or others. Again it is placing man’s desires above God’s desires. And these two desires will always be in conflict. The Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 5:17, “For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with one another so that you do not do what you want.” In other words, they are mutually exclusive. You cannot have both! So one must be eliminated. So for Americans who only seek man’s ways, God’s way’s will always be a threat to them and they must not be allowed at all!

I don’t believe that the Christian Church has changed much at all in the past 10-20 years, at least not in their teaching or presentation of the gospel. What has changed is the attitude of many Americans towards Christians, the Church, and Christianity due to the 2 factors mentioned above. Many Americans have developed what God calls a hardened heart.

But we should not really be surprised about this. It just means that we now have to work that much harder to overcome this “hardness of heart” in our culture today by continuing to share our faith and the gospel despite the resistance. We must also recognize that it will be the Holy Spirit working in us and through us as we seek to influence America with the Word of God that will bring about any change.

I want to encourage you with the words of the Lord to Joshua in Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged; for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

So let us not worry about how we are perceived by anyone other than God. Let us continue to “fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith” (1 Timothy 4:7) and leave the results up to Him!

“However, as it is written: No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.”

1 Corinthians 2:9

As we enter into this Christmas season where Christians celebrate the birth of God’s Son, Jesus, and the good news of mercy, grace and salvation for ALL of mankind that He brings, I can’t help but think about what His life means to me. Christmas is not only a time of joy, giving and celebration, but it is also a time of reflection on what God has given to me and to everyone who would believe in His Son, Jesus. Christmas to me is not about decorated trees, parties and gifts. It is about a time when God entered into our humanity in the form of a baby boy who would grow up to sacrifice His holy and sinless life for yours and mine. God did this solely because He loves us so much (John 3:16)!

Those who do not know God or believe in Him or His Son Jesus therefore miss out on this incredible FREE gift that God offers to every human being. It’s like having a multi-million dollar winning lottery ticket in your hand and either not knowing it’s a winning ticket or simply refusing to collect on it! Those who reject Christianity, or who attack Christians and our beliefs, are often unaware of what God is really offering them. They only see an institutionalized church, sinful & hypocritical behavior by those who call themselves Christians, or an attitude of condemnation and self-righteousness by Believers. They only see a blank lottery ticket. They desperately need to see God for who He is and not see us for who we are! They need to know that He is their winning ticket!

I would like to share 7 things that I believe non-Christians miss out on by rejecting God’s gift of His son Jesus:

1. Joy – There is a joy in knowing God and Jesus that cannot be explained. It can only be experienced. It is a daily contentment in all that God has done and continues to do in the life of every believer. It is not a temporary happiness but a deeply felt joyfulness!
2. Confidence – There is a confidence in knowing that God is in control of everything and that His promises to save us, protect us and walk with us every day are assured. Despite anything that happens to us in this life, God is always there to lift us up in our time of need!
3. Knowledge – God left us His Word and His wisdom to help us navigate this life that we live. Without the knowledge that our Creator provides we turn to our own knowledge and wisdom which is unreliable and often wrong. Trusting in man’s wisdom instead of God’s wisdom will always leave us worse off.
4. Perspective – Believing in God and His Word gives us a perspective on our world and our place in it that cannot be found anywhere else. It enables us to see what sin and evil are, how our behavior impacts our lives and those of others, and helps us understand how to relate to others and our world in a positive way.
5. Fellowship – Belonging to the body of Christ means we will never walk this life alone. As a Christian, we have brothers and sisters all over the world who will pray for us, help us in our time of need, or simply walk beside us in times of trouble. We are part of a larger family that gives us purpose, support, and love.
6. Power – As Christians, we have the power of the Holy Spirit living in us that is available 24/7. It is the power to overcome, to do the impossible, or to endure the trials that this world has to offer. It is a power like no other. And it costs us nothing while it cost God everything – His only Son Jesus! Faith in Jesus is all we need to gain access to that power!
7. Love – While most humans experience human love from family and friends, nothing on this earth can compare to the unsurpassing and unconditional love that the Father God has lavished upon us! (1 John 3:1) It is a love that goes to our inmost being and tells us that no matter who we are or what we have done, God loves us with a passion and depth that is beyond our human understanding!

So how can non-Christians experience these 7 incredible blessings that those who follow Christ know, feel, and appreciate? It is only when we share the gospel message of Christ with them (and what Christmas really means) and they allow the Holy Spirit to convict them of the truth of His Word and His Son Jesus! Metaphorically speaking, we need to show them that their lottery ticket is valid, worth millions, and absolutely real!

So this Christmas, let us not just celebrate the birth of our Savior, but let us tell others about the birth of their Savior! “So let us now grow weary of doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” – Galatians 5:9

“Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.”

Romans 12:9

I think most people would agree that there is evil in the world today. Whether it is ISIS, mass shooters, drug cartels, corrupt governments, or greedy businesses, there appears to be no shortage of people who are intent on harming others or seeking power and domination. There has been evil in the past and there will be evil in the future. This is nothing new or unusual. But is evil only limited to the obvious? Does evil exist elsewhere that we are perhaps not aware of until it is too late?

Well, we first must understand what evil is. The dictionary defines it in two ways. First, it says it means morally bad or reprehensible, sinful, or wicked. Second, it also defines it as causing harm to someone. In other words, it is anything that is not of God, since God is good (“taste and see that the Lord is good” – Proverbs 34:8) and God is love (“love does no harm to its neighbor.” – Romans 13:10)

When evil is viewed from a Biblical perspective we begin to recognize that evil is far more pervasive than we might normally think. Thus, common behaviors in our culture that many people often consider as personal choices can be classified as evil. This includes things like abortion, prostitution, lotteries, fornication, homosexual behavior, gay marriage, drug abuse, divorce, gossip, cheating, gambling, drunkenness, dishonesty, arrogance, pride, gluttony, laziness, and the list goes on. These are the things that draw us away from God and are therefore evil. The Apostle Paul also gives us a list in Galatians 5:19-21 when he says, “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” So evil is not just found in horrific atrocities, but rather is found in many of the everyday activities of this life and culture we live in.

So why do we not recognize these things as evil? Simply put, it is because we do not know God. The person who loves God and follows Jesus can more easily recognize evil, because they are walking in His truth and light (1 John 1:7). Those who do not have a close relationship with God or Jesus are therefore unable to distinguish evil from good because they are walking in darkness (Proverbs 4:19). They are blinded and just can’t see it. When we read Scripture and begin to know God more and more our eyes are opened and we become offended at what offends God – sin and evil! And that will often bring us into direct conflict with our world/culture and with Satan, the great deceiver.

You see, Satan is the Prince of Darkness and works to deceive everyone about who he is and what is evil. He packages things in such a way as to make us desire them, even though they are not good for us, or are against God’s commands. He also masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14) in order to deceive the world as to his true intention – which is to lead people away from God and His Light that is Jesus! And once we believe Satan’s lies and deceit, we are hooked into accepting evil as good.

So how do we deal with Satan and the evil that is all around us in our culture? First, Romans 12:9 tells us to “hate what is evil and cling to what is good.” Secondly, Romans 12:17 says that we should “not repay evil with evil.” Finally, Romans 12:21 goes on to say that we should “not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.” So we are not called to fight evil with evil, but rather to overcome evil by God’s goodness. That means that we must continue to draw closer to Jesus, to study His Word so we will know the truth, and to reach out to the lost, and our enemies, in love. That’s the deal and the only way it will work. To quote Edmund Burke, “the only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing!” To be a good men/women means we must know God and His truth and live accordingly.

So let’s commit ourselves to being good by seeking God and His ways and then walking in His Light. Only then we will be able to see the evil around us, overcome it by His goodness, and become “more than conquerors.” (Romans 8:37)

“In fact, everyone who wants to live a Godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

2 Timothy 3:12

In the past couple of years, ISIS has brought the issue of Christian persecution to the forefront of the world with their release of videos showing the be-headings of Egyptian Christians on a beach in Libya and the vicious attacks on Christians in Syria and Iraq. But there have been other attacks on Christians that have gained the world’s attention, including the kidnapping of 200+ Christians girls in Nigeria by Boko Haram and the murder of 70+ Christian college students in Garissa, Kenya. There have also been many lesser known attacks on Christians worldwide as documented by Open doors International that include church destruction and the incarceration of Christians. I am also personally aware of church bombings in Pakistan and the intimidation of Christians in India through our network of contacts. These are horrible atrocities that we Christians here in America are shielded from and have rarely, if ever, faced ourselves.

But does that mean that Christians in America are not persecuted? Hardly.  While we rarely face imprisonment for our faith, it happened just recently when Kim Davis, the Rowan County Clerk in Kentucky, was jailed for not issuing marriage licenses to gay couples because of her faith. Then there is Aaron & Melissa Klein, who own an Oregon bakery, who refused to put a celebratory message on a wedding cake for a gay couple and was sued and ordered to pay $135,000 in damages. There are blistering attacks on Christians who share their beliefs on the internet and in the media as well as the continual erosion of respect for the rights of Christians to express their faith in this nation. While these may pale in comparison to what is happening in the rest of the world, it is deeply troubling that it is now happening in America!

We Christians in America have been living a blessed life for many years, owing to the faith of our founders and forefathers in this land. But the culture in America has changed radically in the past 50 years and has become more secularized.  America has turned its back on God and began doing so long ago. And yet we should not be surprised. The Bible says in 2 Timothy 3:12 that “In fact, everyone who wants to live a Godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Additionally, Jesus said in John 15:18, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” And again in John 15:20 he said that “if they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.”  So it is clear that persecution goes along with being a Christian!

And that should be obvious, because the world is against God and has been corrupted by satan since the fall of man (Genesis 3). Paul writes in Galatians 5:17 that “the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other.” So as a Christian develops a deeper faith in Christ they should expect more persecution. The more we become like Christ the more the world will hate us and persecute us. That’s why Jesus was crucified, because he was a threat to the ways of the world (and people doing what they want instead of submitting to God).

Ah, but wait!  There is good news!! Jesus said in John 16:33 that “in this world you will have trouble.  But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Jesus went to the cross for you and me, and even those who killed him. But God raised Him from the dead for all to see.  He did this to save us! Why? Because our God is a loving God and does not want anyone to perish but to come to repentance (1Peter 3:9) and to experience eternal life with Him!! He did this so we might have everlasting joy and the assurance of eternity with our loving God and Savior Jesus Christ.

So no matter what happens in this world, Christians know that there is a better world waiting for us. We should not fear death nor should we fear persecution. But as it is written in 1 Peter 4:13, “Rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed.” And again in  1 Peter 4:16, “However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.”

So c’mon world, bring it on! My God is bigger than your hate!!

“Be holy, because I, the Lord your God, am holy.”

Leviticus 19:2

In today’s American culture, as well as many other nations around the world, people who do not fit the cultural norms are often mistreated, ridiculed, and persecuted. The cultural norm today in America seems to be tolerance of any individuality, whether it is sexual preference, clothing (or lack thereof), artistic creativity, drug use, foul language, or a whole slew of other behaviors that used to be considered in bad taste or out of bounds. There is even a cable television channel dedicated to to it – USA – that declares all characters (being unique or different) as good. However, somewhere along the way America has lost its boundary lines of what it considers to be good behavior and what is not. And in many cases the more outrageous the behavior the more it is publicized and glorified by the media, held up as acceptable, and in some cases, promoted as desirable.  I guess we should not be surprised, because we live in a fallen world that is corrupt. But America did not used to be like this when I was growing up.

Regardless of what the culture believes or does, as Christians, however, we are called to live holy and God pleasing lives.  God says in Leviticus 19:2, “Be holy, because I, the Lord your God, am holy.” Jesus says in Matthew 5:48 that we should “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 4:3 & 7 that “It is God’s will that you should be holy” and “God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.” Peter adds in 2 Peter 3:11 that “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what type of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and Godly lives.” So it is clear from Scripture that we are to live lives of holiness, dedicated to following Christ and obeying God’s Word. This is the standard for all Christians!

What is holiness? It is the avoidance of sin and the sinful nature. The sinful nature is described in Galatians 5:19-21, It says “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies and the like.”  That’s quite a list! Notice how it says that these are obvious.  I wonder how many Americans would agree? In so many ways our American culture celebrates many of these acts of the sinful nature. It is even sadder to me that so many people who claim to be Christian in America also revel in these sins, participate in them, and sometimes even advocate them.

That is not what God had in mind for His people and the followers of His Son Jesus! He sent His Son to pay the penalty for those sins of the human nature, to put to death once and for all the things that will destroy us, and to show us through His Son what a perfect, holy life looks like. Yes, we fail miserably to be holy.  But that does not mean that we stop trying or try to redefine sin so we lower God’s standard. God has set His standard for all time in Jesus!! That will never change. If we truly want to follow Jesus then we must always endeavor to be holy and to seek His holiness in our lives. But we are also assured of His forgiveness and mercy when we do fail and repent of our sin.

As Christians in America, we must distinguish ourselves from our culture by living God-pleasing, holy lives.  We must be careful not to get “entangled” in the sin that draws us away from God, but to “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:1-2). We must stand firm in our faith, trust in the Lord, and resist the temptation to be like the culture if it does not align with God’s Word. We should expect to face rejection, persecution and ridicule from our culture, just like Jesus did from His. The culture will not tolerate us any more than the Jesus’ culture tolerated Him. That’s what it means to be holy and a follower of Christ!

Finally, one more encouragement and word of truth from Scripture:  “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14)

Holiness, anyone?