I have been becoming more and more alarmed with much of the methods and attitudes prevalent in modern day evangelism. I greatly appreciate those who labor at evangelism and have a zeal to share the gospel. It is my prayer that God would increase such a zeal in the heart of believers and raise up more evangelists at home and abroad. As a pastor, one of my duties is evangelism (2 Timothy 4:5) and I long to share the gospel with every opportunity that the Lord provides. However, I cannot excuse or utilize some of the current popular tactics espoused in evangelistic meetings and sermons. The following are some problems in much evangelistic presentations today. My hope is that this may aid in helping people to get the gospel right in their presentation of the salvation message as laid out in the Bible.
Always An Altar Call
I think that it was Charles Finney who came up with the idea of the "altar call" or at least he can be said to be the one who popularized it. Today, some would claim that it has not been a revival service or an evangelistic meeting unless the pastor or evangelist gave an "altar call" at the end. I have been asked why I seldom give "altar calls." In fact, the only times that I have was in the earliest of my preaching days when I had not thought the idea through or when asked by the congregation in which I served. I believe that there are several problems with the altar call and therefore normally avoid it.
If one is not careful, by giving an altar call they make it sound as if someone cannot be saved unless they get out of the pew and come forward to kneel at the altar. They would imply a "work" added for one's salvation. It would not be that you are saved by "grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone" but by "grace through faith AND COMING FORWARD TO THE ALTAR." Also, many people can be emotionally manipulated to come forward without any genuine work of God occurring in their heart. Music can move us. Play "Just As I Am" a dozen times and it may move you to tears and convince you that you are experiencing something and must go forward as the preacher said that you should. Finney was a master at this. He would have the lights turned down and do all that he could to convince someone to "come forward" and give their life to Christ. The problem with this method is that it forgets that salvation is a work of God and not man. The preacher cannot "move" someone to be saved. Only God's Spirit can change someone's heart, desires, and attitude. Those who can be described as children of God are those who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:13). Altar calls and a lot of the manipulation that goes along with them are not needed as the power of conversion never lies with man-made tactics but with the Holy Spirit working alongside the Word of God. On the day of Pentecost, Peter did not end with an "altar call." He did not ask anyone in the crowd to come forward. Instead, he concluded his message with the point he was aiming to get at; the Jesus whom they crucified is the Lord (Yahweh based on the reference of Joel 2:28-32 in Acts 2:17-21) and Christ (Messiah) the Old Testament spoke of (Acts 2:36). There were no special hymns sung ten times. The result of this was the Lord at work. The people were cut to the heart (v. 37). In the Greek, the verb for cut or pierce is in what is known as the passive voice. This indicates that the subject of the verb received the action and did not perform the action itself. This means that this piercing of the people's heart was not of their own doing but happened to them. God's Spirit used Peter's message to pierce their heart and call them to repentance. It led them to realize what they had done and cry out, Brothers, what shall we do? Peter doesn't tell them that they need to "come forward and take their place at the altar" but instead Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (v. 38). He did call them to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, as we always should when giving the gospel, but not to "come forward."
In evangelism, we should just proclaim the gospel, pray, and let God take care of the rest. There is a reason why Paul declared that he was not ashamed of the gospel. Because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). Let's be careful not to add a work in what one might communicate with an altar call. Contrary to popular belief, revival and the saving of lost souls can still occur without one. Just look at the revival meetings held by the great evangelists such as George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, and John Wesley. They never gave altar calls and God used their presentation of the gospel to draw many lost souls to His Son the Savior. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones put it well when he said, "I would affirm that
much of the modern approach to evangelism, with its techniques and
methods, is unnecessary if we REALLY believe in the doctrine of the Holy
Spirit and His application of God's message . . . Should we not
concentrate more, as the church has done through the centuries, upon
praying for, and laying the basis of Christian instruction for, revival
as it is described in the Bible?"
Praying "The Prayer"
Another common method in modern evangelism is to have listeners repeat the "sinner's prayer" after the preacher. Then, usually, the preacher will say something to the effect of: "Now if you prayed that prayer, you can be assured that you are saved and have eternal life. You can mark down today as the day that you received salvation." Many of these preachers don't realize what they are communicating. Look closely at such a statement. "If you prayed this prayer THEN you can be assured that you are saved." According to the statement itself, the assurance of salvation rests, not on the shed blood of Jesus Christ and the sinner's faith in Him, but instead on "the prayer" itself. To be fair, most preachers who use the method of "the prayer" do not intend to communicate this. However, it is easily misunderstood if examined closely. I have talked to people and asked them if they are saved to only have the reply that "yes, I came forward to the altar and prayed 'the prayer.' " Do you see what happened in this case and similar ones? They have based their salvation not on Christ and the cross but on their action of physically responding to the "altar call" and praying "the prayer." This prayer means nothing if God does not change someone's heart. It is merely words. Again, we have to be careful with what we are communicating. I fear that we have too many people who think that they are saved due to "coming forward to the altar" and "saying 'the prayer' " that really are not because they have not been born again in the heart by the Spirit of God. These then become the hardest to witness to because they wrote in their Bible the day that they said "the prayer" and the evangelist promised them eternal life because of it (at least that is the way it was presented, even if unintentionally).
Now am I saying that we should not lead someone in how to pray concerning their salvation? No. I think that there is a big difference instructing someone to "call out to the Lord" for Him to save them (biblical terminology unlike asking Jesus to "come into one's heart" which is never found anywhere in the Bible) and asking them to mimic certain words and phrases verbatim after you. For instance, Paul never asked unbelievers to say a certain prayer for their salvation. Instead, he would say something like the following: The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent, because He has fixed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom He has appointed; and of this He has given assurance to all by raising Him from the dead (Acts 17:30-31). It is not "the prayer" that saves but God Himself by His grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Let's make sure that we are communicating this and not leading one to believe anything else.
Jesus Loves You and Has a Wonderful Plan For Your Life
A common way to begin a witnessing opportunity is to say something to the effect of the following: Jesus loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. The problem with such a statement is how it might easily be misunderstood. First of all, for a prideful sinner it might not be seen as such a surprise that Jesus loves them. Of course He would love them! Why wouldn't He? What is there about him not to love? It would be wiser to show them from Scripture of how they are an enemy of God due to their rebellion and sin and what God has done through Christ to turn those who repent and believe in His Son from His enemies to His children. To begin with Jesus loves you plays into their carnal desires and does not get to the heart of their sin. None of the apostles in their evangelistic preaching as recorded in the book of Acts ever began a sermon with Jesus loves you. We would do well to follow their example instead of the errors of our current evangelical culture.
Second, what does it mean that Jesus has a wonderful plan for your life? Does that mean that if you trust in Jesus you can have "Your Best Life Now"? That your marriage will be fixed, you will be healed of all of your illnesses and pains, and that you will be fully healthy, wealthy, and wise? What about those called to be martyrs for the cause of Christ? Or those persecuted for His name sake? My fear is that this communicates something that is not true. Speaking to a "me-centered" sinner," telling them that Jesus loves them and has a wonderful plan for their life could lead them to further idolatry. They may say that they went Jesus not because of how wonderful and great He is but because they believe He will give them "a wonderful life." They will actually view Jesus as a means to these gifts instead of the end Himself. They will center on the gifts instead of the Giver. Something they actually already do! How would this help them come to know the Lord and the necessity to repent of their sin and trust in Christ ALONE to save them from God's righteous wrath that they deserve for their sins? Perhaps it would be better to begin an evangelistic conversation with something more to the effect that "God is a holy God and you are a wicked sinner thus you are a sinner in the hands of an angry God and here is the only hope that you have to ever stand before Him in righteousness not fearing His wrath . . ." That would certainly communicate the truth better.
Jesus is Knocking . . . But At the Wrong Door!
This is probably one of my favorite of the erroneous methods of evangelism today. I shake my head every time that I hear it. It bothers me the most because it is a complete misapplication of what the Scripture quoted even refers. The passage I am talking about is Revelation 3:20. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me. In many evangelistic sermons or presentations, the evangelist inevitably mentions this passage and then appeals to the listeners to "open up the door of your heart and let Jesus in." The problem here is that Jesus is NOT knocking on the door of an unbeliever's heart waiting for them to let Him in according to this verse in Revelation. He is certainly knocking but He is knocking on a different door. Look closely at the context of the passage. The door in which the Savior knocks is the door of a church! This is part of the letter to the church of Laodicea as indicated by v. 14. Unless this church is nothing but unbelievers, Jesus is knocking on the door to saints who are lukewarm (vv. 15-16). This "knocking" is His plea to them to be zealous and repent (v. 19). It is not an invitation to accept salvation but a call to repentance before judgment may come. Preachers who use this verse in their evangelistic presentations, whether they realize it or not, do great discredit to the Scripture. It ignores the context and completely misses the author's intended meaning.
Furthermore, the idea of "inviting a waiting Jesus into one's heart" is unbiblical. I have yet to find in Scripture such a phrase of someone "inviting Jesus into their heart." Scripture calls for one to repent and believe in Christ but never to "ask Him into their heart." God opened up Lyda's heart to receive the things spoken by Paul (Acts 16:14). She didn't "ask Jesus into her heart" but the Lord opened her heart. I really think that we underestimate the Bible's description of man's depravity and what it means when it describes us as "slaves to sin." The issue is that we are under sin's power willingly until God changes our will with the new heart that He promises to give (Ezekiel 36:26-27). We cannot "let Him into to our heart" because we do not desire to. God must change that desire before we are able to come to Him (John 6:44). (I have written more on the biblical doctrine of "Total Depravity" here: http://energeticexegete.blogspot.com/2010/09/disappearance-of-depravity.html ) I would prefer to use biblical terminology and biblical methods in evangelism.
My desire is to see evangelism done right and for God to sovereignly bring more sinners into His Kingdom. I realize that God has been doing this, even in spite of some of these errors in evangelism. I also will admit that I have been guilty of each of these erroneous evangelistic tactics at some point and time. But as I have studied God's Word more and grown in my faith, I have begun to see where I was wrong in these tactics and began to instead go with how the Bible describes and models proper evangelism. I intend to put together a gospel track to hand out to folks that I encounter along my way or who may be in my congregation and dealing with questions of whether they are saved soon. Perhaps I will share that in this blog when it is completed. Let's work to do evangelism God's way according to His Word for His glory.
In Christ,
Lee
Soli Deo Gloria!!!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
The Movie "Courageous"
I went to see the movie "Courageous" yesterday evening and have to say that I was really impressed. While I enjoyed both "Facing the Giants" and "Fireproof," I was disappointed in how the former ended with a "happily ever after" type finish where the family received everything that they had prayed for. That does not always happen in life and could convey that if you trust God, everything will go well for you. God never promised us a life of ease and sometimes His answers to our prayers are "no" because He has a better purpose in store that we just can't quite see with our limited knowledge and vision. This movie though was more true to life. They went some places that surprised me. I found myself both laughing and crying (and I am not ashamed to admit that) throughout the movie. I will be careful not to give away any plot points so as to spoil those who will go out yet and see this movie. I was really encouraged to see the gospel explained on the big screen. Praise God!
Overall, the point they sought to convey was powerful and much needed today. Too many fathers have become lazy. They have become too preoccupied in everything but the central calling that God has given them as husbands and fathers. I see this too often ministering to families. The husband is too passive and not leading his home as God has ordained him to as a godly husband and father. I would encourage every father and anyone who hopes to be a father some day to see this movie. It is a message all desperately need to hear.
I know that there will be some who will say that they would rather not see the movie because it doesn't have as much special effects as something such as "Transformers" and no A-list actors. In fact, most of the actors come from within the church that did the movie itself. However, I would rather watch a clean movie that exalts Christ and teaches a powerful message from His Word any day than some of today's "hollywood trash" with the highest paid acclaimed actors. Praise God for this church and how He continues to use their ministry. May He use this movie to awaken the slumbering fathers and husbands out there and encourage them to live out the role to which God has called them as laid out in Ephesians 5:22-33.
In Christ,
Lee
Soli Deo Gloria!!!
Overall, the point they sought to convey was powerful and much needed today. Too many fathers have become lazy. They have become too preoccupied in everything but the central calling that God has given them as husbands and fathers. I see this too often ministering to families. The husband is too passive and not leading his home as God has ordained him to as a godly husband and father. I would encourage every father and anyone who hopes to be a father some day to see this movie. It is a message all desperately need to hear.
I know that there will be some who will say that they would rather not see the movie because it doesn't have as much special effects as something such as "Transformers" and no A-list actors. In fact, most of the actors come from within the church that did the movie itself. However, I would rather watch a clean movie that exalts Christ and teaches a powerful message from His Word any day than some of today's "hollywood trash" with the highest paid acclaimed actors. Praise God for this church and how He continues to use their ministry. May He use this movie to awaken the slumbering fathers and husbands out there and encourage them to live out the role to which God has called them as laid out in Ephesians 5:22-33.
In Christ,
Lee
Soli Deo Gloria!!!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
The Dangers of Facebook
In February 2004, Mark Zuckerberg and company began what would become a revolution in the way that we would live our lives. They launched a social networking site known as "Facebook," which now has over 750 million active users and counting. Facebook has become such an important part of many of our lives that we cannot imagine what life would ever look like without it. How else could we tell our friends about our day and inform them as to our whereabouts? Where would we put the photos from our latest outing or event? How would we know what our friends did today or how they are feeling? "Writing on someone's wall" used to refer to graffiti. Now it is a standard form of communication. "Friend" has now become a verb. We speak of "friending" people or them not "friending" us. Our world has radically been changed by Facebook.
This social revolution has had many benefits. It has enabled us to reconnect with old friends and maintain friendships when separated by distance. Facebook has allowed me the blessing of keeping up with my friends from high school, college, and seminary as well as those I have served alongside in various ministries the past few years. Now since I have moved away from my hometown and from many of my family and friends, I am beginning to realize how important Facebook can be in staying connected with them. Facebook makes it easy to share announcements or important events as well. In a few minutes you can let all of your Facebook friends know about an upcoming gathering at your house or outing at your church. And Facebook can be used greatly for God's glory. One can post encouraging notes and links pertaining to His Word (as I attempt to do). One can use Scriptures for status messages or share a thought that directs us to God. A lot of good can and has come out of this innovation.
However, a lot of harm can come from Facebook as well if we are not careful. It can be a great temptation that leads to sinful attitudes. Probably the biggest issue with Facebook is pride. The tendency with Facebook is to promote ourselves and not Christ. Often, we fall prey to this without even realizing it. It becomes so easy for a quick thought about the Lord to turn into "look how clever I am for coming up with this." We wait to see how many of our friends "like" what we wrote. Did we share it to be "liked" by our "friends" or to glorify God? Our friend count begins to be viewed not over how many people I can share the gospel with or encourage with Scripture but how many friends I can accumulate. The focus gets switched from the people themselves and redirected to the numbers. Or we take the opportunity to boast of something we are doing in our status instead of boasting of Christ and the cross. Our profile may even be filled with Scripture quotes and things about God but again is it for His sake alone or are we just using Him to exalt ourselves?
We are warned against the danger and harms of pride throughout Scripture. Solomon instructs us in Proverbs that Pride goes before destruction, / And a haughty spirit before stumbling (16:18). The Hebrew word for pride used here literally means exaltation. The root of the word communicates the idea of rise up. To be prideful is to exalt oneself. This word is used of God seven times in a positive sense. God should always be exalted and raised up. However, in its 27 references in relation to man, it is mostly negative. For man to exalt himself would be in essence for him to treat himself as God since only God deserves to be exalted. This type of pride served as the foil for Eve giving into the serpent's deception. He promised her that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:5). Whenever we seek to draw attention to ourselves instead of God, we are trying to be like God, placing ourselves on a pedestal which only He should sit upon. The result of such pride is certainly negative. It leads to destruction and stumbling. Pride on Facebook proves no different. It also leads to ruin. We may fool our friends with our motives but we can never fool God. All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, / But the LORD weighs the motives (Proverbs 16:2).
I think that the attitude we should have with our use of Facebook should be the same attitude Paul had with his ministry to the church at Corinth. For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake (2 Corinthians 4:5). Whatever we post on Facebook should be to proclaim Christ and not to promote ourselves. We should view ourselves as servants of our "friends" and be mindful of how what we post may glorify God and edify them. Perhaps the best question we should ask before we click "share" should be "is this for myself or Christ and others?" This might ensure that we do not wind up falling into the trap of pride and exalting ourselves.
In Christ,
Lee
Soli Deo Gloria!
This social revolution has had many benefits. It has enabled us to reconnect with old friends and maintain friendships when separated by distance. Facebook has allowed me the blessing of keeping up with my friends from high school, college, and seminary as well as those I have served alongside in various ministries the past few years. Now since I have moved away from my hometown and from many of my family and friends, I am beginning to realize how important Facebook can be in staying connected with them. Facebook makes it easy to share announcements or important events as well. In a few minutes you can let all of your Facebook friends know about an upcoming gathering at your house or outing at your church. And Facebook can be used greatly for God's glory. One can post encouraging notes and links pertaining to His Word (as I attempt to do). One can use Scriptures for status messages or share a thought that directs us to God. A lot of good can and has come out of this innovation.
However, a lot of harm can come from Facebook as well if we are not careful. It can be a great temptation that leads to sinful attitudes. Probably the biggest issue with Facebook is pride. The tendency with Facebook is to promote ourselves and not Christ. Often, we fall prey to this without even realizing it. It becomes so easy for a quick thought about the Lord to turn into "look how clever I am for coming up with this." We wait to see how many of our friends "like" what we wrote. Did we share it to be "liked" by our "friends" or to glorify God? Our friend count begins to be viewed not over how many people I can share the gospel with or encourage with Scripture but how many friends I can accumulate. The focus gets switched from the people themselves and redirected to the numbers. Or we take the opportunity to boast of something we are doing in our status instead of boasting of Christ and the cross. Our profile may even be filled with Scripture quotes and things about God but again is it for His sake alone or are we just using Him to exalt ourselves?
We are warned against the danger and harms of pride throughout Scripture. Solomon instructs us in Proverbs that Pride goes before destruction, / And a haughty spirit before stumbling (16:18). The Hebrew word for pride used here literally means exaltation. The root of the word communicates the idea of rise up. To be prideful is to exalt oneself. This word is used of God seven times in a positive sense. God should always be exalted and raised up. However, in its 27 references in relation to man, it is mostly negative. For man to exalt himself would be in essence for him to treat himself as God since only God deserves to be exalted. This type of pride served as the foil for Eve giving into the serpent's deception. He promised her that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:5). Whenever we seek to draw attention to ourselves instead of God, we are trying to be like God, placing ourselves on a pedestal which only He should sit upon. The result of such pride is certainly negative. It leads to destruction and stumbling. Pride on Facebook proves no different. It also leads to ruin. We may fool our friends with our motives but we can never fool God. All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, / But the LORD weighs the motives (Proverbs 16:2).
I think that the attitude we should have with our use of Facebook should be the same attitude Paul had with his ministry to the church at Corinth. For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake (2 Corinthians 4:5). Whatever we post on Facebook should be to proclaim Christ and not to promote ourselves. We should view ourselves as servants of our "friends" and be mindful of how what we post may glorify God and edify them. Perhaps the best question we should ask before we click "share" should be "is this for myself or Christ and others?" This might ensure that we do not wind up falling into the trap of pride and exalting ourselves.
In Christ,
Lee
Soli Deo Gloria!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
"Heaven is for Real" But Not Because of a Four Year Olds Journey
I have just recently read the latest craze on the bookshelves entitled "Heaven is for Real." A lady in the congregation that I serve passed it on to me. She wanted me to evaulate it and let her know if the account was biblical or not. She, as with everyone else that I have known who has read the book, was ecstatic about it and very curious whether this was a geninue experience described. So I took some time the past few days to sit down and read through the book. It is a simple read so I finished it in like two days (compare that with the two months that it took to read Jonathan Edwards' "Freedom of the Will). Many have approached me about this book and wanted my opinion. Well, now after having read the book, here are some of my thoughts.
The book chronicles the account of little Colton Burpo and his "supposed" trip to heaven during a serious case of appendictis. In the days and months that followed the crucial surgery, he began to talk to his parents about Jesus and heaven. The shock was that he spoke of Jesus as if he had physically seen Him and of heaven as if he had actually been there! He even recounts meeting his great-grandfather who died long before he came into existence and his unborn sister whom he was never told about. He also shares with his parents, watching his dad pray in a secret room that no one else knew about and his mom talking on the phone during the surgery. While the doctors never stated that Colton died on the operating table, the young boy convinces his parents and family that he did indeed have an out of body experience and travel to the celestial city.
Being the biblical scholar, teacher, and pastor that I am, I was indeed curious as to the boy's description of heaven and how it would line up with Scripture's portrayal. I admit that for many of the details of heaven that Colton shared, Scriptures can be found to line up with his explanations. Often we find his father doing just that after one of the conversations he has with his son over his experience. He will think back to a Bible passage that sounds similar to what the four (or five or six as the revelation of the experience was given over a few years) year old shared. However, there were two major discripancies that I found between the boy's testimony and the witness of Scripture. He claims that he saw the "markers" (or wounds) of Jesus on his palms. Everything we know about ancient Roman crucifixions was that the criminal to be executed would be nailed through his or her wrists on the cross to lock them in place. Their palms would have ripped because the tendons in them could not be held with the weight of the body. The Greek word used in relation to Jesus' crucifixion that is translated as "hand" can also refer to "forearm." Thus, it is not just limited to "palm."
Also, Colton describes his great-grandfather as having huge wings with himself having small ones. This seems to imply that saints who go home to heaven when they die become angels. That may fit well with popular cultural perceptions but does not line up with Scripture at all. Nowhere in Scripture are we told that the saints have wings and become angels. Man was made a little lower than the angels (Psalm 8:5; Hebrews 2:7) and is always seen to be distinct. However, these discripancies are not my main concern over this book.
What bothers me the most about this book is how many people have used it for their assurance of the reality of heaven. Many have begun to base their understanding of heaven on this little boy's experience, which to be fair, we do not know how genuine it might have been. He could have been dreaming. Technically, there was no record of his death. His dad is a pastor so there is a good chance that he had heard a lot about heaven in sermons and conversations overheard by his dad. It was not like he never heard of Jesus and suddenly begins to describe heaven. His dad and another author could have crafted this whole thing up. Books on heaven and hell are a hot commodity (pardon the pun) these days. Just look at Don Piper's "90 Minutes in Hell" and Rob Bell's "Love Wins." But we don't need this experience to verify or support the truth of heaven. We have an even greater testimony.
We should believe in heaven because God tells us about it in His Word. God's Word must be our sole authority in all things and should carry more weight than anyone's (including our own) experience. Tim Challies makes a very good point in his review of this book: "If you struggle believing what the Bible says, but learn to find security in the testimony of a toddler, well, I feel sorry for you. And I do not mean this in a condescending way. If God’s Word is not sufficient for you, if the testimony of his Spirit, given to believers, is not enough for you, you will not find any true hope in the unproven tales of a child. This hope may last for a moment, but it will not sustain you, it will not bless you, in those times when hope is waning and times are hard" (http://www.challies.com/book-reviews/heaven-is-for-real#more). Remember what Jesus Himself told Thomas who felt that he needed to see proof of Jesus' resurection. Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and believed (John 20:29). Let's believe in heaven, not because of this four year and his "supposed" journey but because of God's Word. We can't necessarily trust this account of Colton and his experience but we can certainly hold God at His Word.
In Christ,
Lee
Sola Scriptura
Soli Deo Gloria!
The book chronicles the account of little Colton Burpo and his "supposed" trip to heaven during a serious case of appendictis. In the days and months that followed the crucial surgery, he began to talk to his parents about Jesus and heaven. The shock was that he spoke of Jesus as if he had physically seen Him and of heaven as if he had actually been there! He even recounts meeting his great-grandfather who died long before he came into existence and his unborn sister whom he was never told about. He also shares with his parents, watching his dad pray in a secret room that no one else knew about and his mom talking on the phone during the surgery. While the doctors never stated that Colton died on the operating table, the young boy convinces his parents and family that he did indeed have an out of body experience and travel to the celestial city.
Being the biblical scholar, teacher, and pastor that I am, I was indeed curious as to the boy's description of heaven and how it would line up with Scripture's portrayal. I admit that for many of the details of heaven that Colton shared, Scriptures can be found to line up with his explanations. Often we find his father doing just that after one of the conversations he has with his son over his experience. He will think back to a Bible passage that sounds similar to what the four (or five or six as the revelation of the experience was given over a few years) year old shared. However, there were two major discripancies that I found between the boy's testimony and the witness of Scripture. He claims that he saw the "markers" (or wounds) of Jesus on his palms. Everything we know about ancient Roman crucifixions was that the criminal to be executed would be nailed through his or her wrists on the cross to lock them in place. Their palms would have ripped because the tendons in them could not be held with the weight of the body. The Greek word used in relation to Jesus' crucifixion that is translated as "hand" can also refer to "forearm." Thus, it is not just limited to "palm."
Also, Colton describes his great-grandfather as having huge wings with himself having small ones. This seems to imply that saints who go home to heaven when they die become angels. That may fit well with popular cultural perceptions but does not line up with Scripture at all. Nowhere in Scripture are we told that the saints have wings and become angels. Man was made a little lower than the angels (Psalm 8:5; Hebrews 2:7) and is always seen to be distinct. However, these discripancies are not my main concern over this book.
What bothers me the most about this book is how many people have used it for their assurance of the reality of heaven. Many have begun to base their understanding of heaven on this little boy's experience, which to be fair, we do not know how genuine it might have been. He could have been dreaming. Technically, there was no record of his death. His dad is a pastor so there is a good chance that he had heard a lot about heaven in sermons and conversations overheard by his dad. It was not like he never heard of Jesus and suddenly begins to describe heaven. His dad and another author could have crafted this whole thing up. Books on heaven and hell are a hot commodity (pardon the pun) these days. Just look at Don Piper's "90 Minutes in Hell" and Rob Bell's "Love Wins." But we don't need this experience to verify or support the truth of heaven. We have an even greater testimony.
We should believe in heaven because God tells us about it in His Word. God's Word must be our sole authority in all things and should carry more weight than anyone's (including our own) experience. Tim Challies makes a very good point in his review of this book: "If you struggle believing what the Bible says, but learn to find security in the testimony of a toddler, well, I feel sorry for you. And I do not mean this in a condescending way. If God’s Word is not sufficient for you, if the testimony of his Spirit, given to believers, is not enough for you, you will not find any true hope in the unproven tales of a child. This hope may last for a moment, but it will not sustain you, it will not bless you, in those times when hope is waning and times are hard" (http://www.challies.com/book-reviews/heaven-is-for-real#more). Remember what Jesus Himself told Thomas who felt that he needed to see proof of Jesus' resurection. Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and believed (John 20:29). Let's believe in heaven, not because of this four year and his "supposed" journey but because of God's Word. We can't necessarily trust this account of Colton and his experience but we can certainly hold God at His Word.
In Christ,
Lee
Sola Scriptura
Soli Deo Gloria!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Just For Fun: "If You Give A Pastor A Pulpit"
A few weeks ago after Prayer Meeting, several of the group noticed the popular children's books, "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie" displayed in the widow of the church library. This started a conversation as to what the title would be in reference to a pastor. One man looked at me and suggested that it would read "If You Give a Pastor A Fork" since pastors are known to eat alot (and since supposedly I wind up eating something at just about every widow's home that I visited in). I then suggested that it should be "If You Give A Pastor A Pulpit." Well, my creative mind went to work and later on that week, I put together my own little story based on that title. It has sat on my desk for weeks now and I had forgotten it until I cleaned it. Perhaps this might bring a smile and laugh today.
If you give a pastor a pulpit . . .
He will want an hour to go with it.
He will need his Bible.
He will then take time to study to seek to understand what God has said.
After working a while, he may need to take a break and get a snack.
He will probably wind up talking to someone in the congregation longer than he planned.
He will then remember his sermon and get back to work.
After working on this week’s sermon, he will probably find ideas for next week’s.
He will then need the pulpit again . . .
If you give a pastor a pulpit . . .
He will want an hour to go with it.
He will need his Bible.
He will then take time to study to seek to understand what God has said.
After working a while, he may need to take a break and get a snack.
He will probably wind up talking to someone in the congregation longer than he planned.
He will then remember his sermon and get back to work.
After working on this week’s sermon, he will probably find ideas for next week’s.
He will then need the pulpit again . . .
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Independence or Complete Dependence
We all have been born believing a lie. By default we think that we can do things on our own and that we do not need God's enablement. In a sense this was part of the temptation that led to the Fall. The serpent promised Eve that if she ate of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, then she would be like God, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:5). She would no longer need to rely on God to determine what was good or evil for her. She would be like Him and know it herself. One of the biggest sins in the church today is that of self-sufficiency; the idea that we can do things on our own without God. We struggle with this sin even after we are saved. Well meaning pastors have stated that "God helps those who help themselves" or "you need to put forth some effort so that God has something to work with." The problem with these statements are that they both are unbiblical. The Bible consistently shows that we cannot be as independent as we think we should be but instead must constantly be dependent upon God and His grace.
Jesus told His disciples that apart from Me you can do nothing (John 15:5). No one can bear spiritual fruit unless they abide in Christ. Jesus did not say that apart from Me you can do a little or some. Instead, He said nothing. In fact, the Greek uses a double negative to communicate this. Literally Jesus says that apart from Me you cannot do nothing. We need to be fully dependent on Christ in order for any fruit to bear in our lives. It is not up to us but we need Him.
The Apostle Paul recognized that all of the ministry that he did was not a result of his work but God's instead. He tells the church at Corinth that But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me (1 Corinthians 15:10). He points out that it was not he who labored but the grace of God. Paul knew that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh (Romans 7:18). The very reason that he could labor more than all of the others was due to God's grace and not any intrinsic effort that he exerted. I think Paul indicates here that his labor was fully dependent on God's grace to be effective. In fact, after giving us a list of instructions on how to live the Christian life in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22, Paul then prays that Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (v. 23). The ability to be obedient to these commands that he gave must come from God. If we had the ability to "sanctify" ourselves and live out these commands to please God, then Paul would not have needed to pray that God Himself would sanctify you entirely. He recognized that we need God to bring us every step of the way in our salvation, from our initial justification through our progressive sanctification to our future glorification. We cannot make it on our own but must be utterly dependent upon Him.
Any work that we do to progress in our sanctification cannot be done without God's divine work through us. Paul commands us in Philippians 2:12 to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Then in the next verse he informs us that it is really God who works through us so that we can live out this command: for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure (v. 13). We can only work because God is working. Verse 12 cannot be a reality in our lives unless verse 13 is a reality. We are fully dependent upon God for our growth in grace and righteousness. We are not self-sufficient but utterly dependent. Augustine realized this when he wrote the following prayer in his autobiography: "Command what you will and give what you command." He asked God to command for him to do whatever He wished but also that He would give what is necessary to be obedient to that command. He realized that he could not be obedient to any of God's commands without God's grace. He knew that he was utterly dependent upon God.
What about you? Are you trying to live your life independently or relying on God every step of the way. The old hymn is true that "we need thee every hour." In fact, we need thee every second. Perhaps some of your problems and struggles right now are due to the fact that you are trying to handle something on your own instead of seeking God for His strength and grace to do whatever it may be. We cannot live this life on our own. We were made dependent creatures and must remain dependent upon our Creator. Let's quit believing the age old lie that we can do it ourselves and instead be completely dependent upon God for everything!
In Christ,
Lee
Soli Deo Gloria!!!
Jesus told His disciples that apart from Me you can do nothing (John 15:5). No one can bear spiritual fruit unless they abide in Christ. Jesus did not say that apart from Me you can do a little or some. Instead, He said nothing. In fact, the Greek uses a double negative to communicate this. Literally Jesus says that apart from Me you cannot do nothing. We need to be fully dependent on Christ in order for any fruit to bear in our lives. It is not up to us but we need Him.
The Apostle Paul recognized that all of the ministry that he did was not a result of his work but God's instead. He tells the church at Corinth that But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me (1 Corinthians 15:10). He points out that it was not he who labored but the grace of God. Paul knew that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh (Romans 7:18). The very reason that he could labor more than all of the others was due to God's grace and not any intrinsic effort that he exerted. I think Paul indicates here that his labor was fully dependent on God's grace to be effective. In fact, after giving us a list of instructions on how to live the Christian life in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22, Paul then prays that Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (v. 23). The ability to be obedient to these commands that he gave must come from God. If we had the ability to "sanctify" ourselves and live out these commands to please God, then Paul would not have needed to pray that God Himself would sanctify you entirely. He recognized that we need God to bring us every step of the way in our salvation, from our initial justification through our progressive sanctification to our future glorification. We cannot make it on our own but must be utterly dependent upon Him.
Any work that we do to progress in our sanctification cannot be done without God's divine work through us. Paul commands us in Philippians 2:12 to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Then in the next verse he informs us that it is really God who works through us so that we can live out this command: for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure (v. 13). We can only work because God is working. Verse 12 cannot be a reality in our lives unless verse 13 is a reality. We are fully dependent upon God for our growth in grace and righteousness. We are not self-sufficient but utterly dependent. Augustine realized this when he wrote the following prayer in his autobiography: "Command what you will and give what you command." He asked God to command for him to do whatever He wished but also that He would give what is necessary to be obedient to that command. He realized that he could not be obedient to any of God's commands without God's grace. He knew that he was utterly dependent upon God.
What about you? Are you trying to live your life independently or relying on God every step of the way. The old hymn is true that "we need thee every hour." In fact, we need thee every second. Perhaps some of your problems and struggles right now are due to the fact that you are trying to handle something on your own instead of seeking God for His strength and grace to do whatever it may be. We cannot live this life on our own. We were made dependent creatures and must remain dependent upon our Creator. Let's quit believing the age old lie that we can do it ourselves and instead be completely dependent upon God for everything!
In Christ,
Lee
Soli Deo Gloria!!!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
A Word to Those Attending the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference
The following is an excerpt from an e-mail letter that I sent to our two delegates heading to the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference in a few weeks. It has been burdened on my heart to put something like this together to encourage them and prepare them for what they may face. This Annual Conference may well prove to be one of the most controversial and heated in recent history as the homosexual issue continues to cause a stir and two business items that address the issue are going to be discussed and voted on. Perhaps there are some others who are reading this blog who are going to the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference this summer or know of someone(s) in their church who are that might benefit from this as well. I may write an upcoming blog post or two to discuss more of this homosexual issue going on in the denomination as I have been getting several questions concerning it from those in my congregation as well as others within the denomination. May God use this as He sees fit.
As I have been pondering conference and all that it might entail, I want to remind you of some things as you head out to Grand Rapids in a few weeks. Most of these you are probably aware of, but a quick reminder never hurts.
Watch Out for the Emotional Appeal
One thing those who promote the homosexual agenda like to do is to appeal to the emotions to get people to agree with their position. They often will talk about someone in their family who has been ostracized from the church because of their lifestyle or of a lesbian relationship that has appeared to work together so well. These are actually "red herrings;" something brought into the argument that is not really relevant to the actual discussion at hand. The issue is over the wording used in the 1983 Paper, "Human Sexuality From A Christian Perspective," concerning so-called "same-sex convenantal relationships" and whether the official stance in the paper that "Covenantal relationships between homosexual persons is an additional lifestyle option but, in the church's search for a Christian understanding of human sexuality, this alternative is not acceptable" should remain the position of the denomination today. The goal of the 1983 paper was to examine the "Christian perspective" of human sexuality. To find the "Christian perspective" for anything, one must go back to the Word of God and look at what it says. What the Word of God teaches IS the Christian perspective since a Christian is defined by God's Word and instructed solely by it. This is why the paper went into much detail over certain Scripture passages concerning sexuality. The issue being discussed and debated at the moment, is not how those practicing homosexuality have been treated or whether there have been couples who make it appear that the relationship can work but instead what the Christian perspective concerning homosexuality is and thus in essence then what the Bible teaches about it. Be careful when someone comes to the mic to make a point and uses the emotional appeal tactic. Remember what the discussion truly concerns and the real issue at hand, the authority of Scripture.
Remember the Real Battle
We are in a battle. In 1978, Harold Lindsell wrote a book entitled "The Battle for the Bible" in which he discussed how several denominations and Christian institutions were moving away from holding to the trustworthiness and inerrancy of Scripture (the teaching that the Bible is without error in its original autographs). The same "battle for the Bible" wages currently in our denomination as evidenced with the homosexual issue. The fact that there even is a question over whether homosexuality should be acceptable as a lifestyle proves this as the Bible is certainly clear that God views the lifestyle as a sin. If we hold to the Bible being God's Word as it claims that it is, then we cannot deny the sinfulness of homosexual relationships no more than divorce, living together before marriage, adultery, and having a child out of wedlock. This is a spiritual battle. Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Our enemy is not those who support the homosexual issue but Satan himself. Keeping this in mind helps us to maintain the proper perspective.
Pray, Pray, and Pray
Since this is a spiritual battle, we need to use spiritual armor in our fight. Paul calls this the armor of God. It is only by wearing this spiritual armor of truth, righteousness, preparation of the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the sword of the Spirit that we may resist the evil day and be able to stand firm. We need to fight this battle on our knees, constantly petitioning God to work as He sees fit this summer for conference and to give courage to stand for Him and His Word. We cannot face this struggle on our own. We need His grace and strength every step of the way. I encourage you to be in prayer for conference and all that transpires as we at the church pray for you and conference as well.
May the Lord be with you as you travel to conference and stand for God's Word for His glory and namesake!
Love In Christ,
Pastor Lee
As I have been pondering conference and all that it might entail, I want to remind you of some things as you head out to Grand Rapids in a few weeks. Most of these you are probably aware of, but a quick reminder never hurts.
Watch Out for the Emotional Appeal
One thing those who promote the homosexual agenda like to do is to appeal to the emotions to get people to agree with their position. They often will talk about someone in their family who has been ostracized from the church because of their lifestyle or of a lesbian relationship that has appeared to work together so well. These are actually "red herrings;" something brought into the argument that is not really relevant to the actual discussion at hand. The issue is over the wording used in the 1983 Paper, "Human Sexuality From A Christian Perspective," concerning so-called "same-sex convenantal relationships" and whether the official stance in the paper that "Covenantal relationships between homosexual persons is an additional lifestyle option but, in the church's search for a Christian understanding of human sexuality, this alternative is not acceptable" should remain the position of the denomination today. The goal of the 1983 paper was to examine the "Christian perspective" of human sexuality. To find the "Christian perspective" for anything, one must go back to the Word of God and look at what it says. What the Word of God teaches IS the Christian perspective since a Christian is defined by God's Word and instructed solely by it. This is why the paper went into much detail over certain Scripture passages concerning sexuality. The issue being discussed and debated at the moment, is not how those practicing homosexuality have been treated or whether there have been couples who make it appear that the relationship can work but instead what the Christian perspective concerning homosexuality is and thus in essence then what the Bible teaches about it. Be careful when someone comes to the mic to make a point and uses the emotional appeal tactic. Remember what the discussion truly concerns and the real issue at hand, the authority of Scripture.
Remember the Real Battle
We are in a battle. In 1978, Harold Lindsell wrote a book entitled "The Battle for the Bible" in which he discussed how several denominations and Christian institutions were moving away from holding to the trustworthiness and inerrancy of Scripture (the teaching that the Bible is without error in its original autographs). The same "battle for the Bible" wages currently in our denomination as evidenced with the homosexual issue. The fact that there even is a question over whether homosexuality should be acceptable as a lifestyle proves this as the Bible is certainly clear that God views the lifestyle as a sin. If we hold to the Bible being God's Word as it claims that it is, then we cannot deny the sinfulness of homosexual relationships no more than divorce, living together before marriage, adultery, and having a child out of wedlock. This is a spiritual battle. Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Our enemy is not those who support the homosexual issue but Satan himself. Keeping this in mind helps us to maintain the proper perspective.
Pray, Pray, and Pray
Since this is a spiritual battle, we need to use spiritual armor in our fight. Paul calls this the armor of God. It is only by wearing this spiritual armor of truth, righteousness, preparation of the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the sword of the Spirit that we may resist the evil day and be able to stand firm. We need to fight this battle on our knees, constantly petitioning God to work as He sees fit this summer for conference and to give courage to stand for Him and His Word. We cannot face this struggle on our own. We need His grace and strength every step of the way. I encourage you to be in prayer for conference and all that transpires as we at the church pray for you and conference as well.
May the Lord be with you as you travel to conference and stand for God's Word for His glory and namesake!
Love In Christ,
Pastor Lee
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