As I sit here trying to engage fully in prayer and study, I find my self flooded with tears. Certainly there is plenty to grieve when it comes to the condition of our nation - the hatred, the resurgence of politician and media-fueled (even engineered) racism, the ongoing holocaust of abortion, and of course - the two primary candidates for the highest office in the land. Yet all of this actually pales to what truly is causing me painful grieving right now, and that is the divisions I am seeing between brothers and sisters in Christ.
My heart is drawn back to my old study of 1 Corinthians and Paul's letter that mostly dealt with a divided church - brother against brother. Where each acted in their own personal interests, ignoring the spiritual needs of their brethren, and callously (brazenly, even) continuing in the divisive behaviors. And I see the same kinds of divisions among Christian brethren today - with the bulk of it being in relation to the current election cycle.
You see, the inarguable reality is that we, as a nation, have been manipulated such as Ephesians 6:12 so clearly illustrates - not flesh and blood, but evil rulers, authorities, cosmic powers of the present darkness - spiritual forces of evil... A nation that has been so greatly blessed by God - a nation that has, despite many failings, been a light of biblical values with a foundation planted on Christian values, has chosen, over time, to listen to those "cosmic power of the present darkness", choosing leaders that seem to be progressively more evil. Indeed, as we have actively rejected God in the public square, removed references to Jesus Christ from our schools and our daily function, we have seen a demonstration of the old physics rule - for every action, there is an equal but opposite reaction.
And here we are at yet another political season drawing to a climax, and I see those who should stand united against the very evil Paul warned of - instead more divided than ever. We are divided over two individuals, both of which represent a history of evil deeds, corruption, and ugliness that should make even a fairly uncivilized person embarrassed, and we have allowed these two to divide brother from brother - church member from church member, and faithful Christians from faithful Christians.
I see supporters of one candidate deriding brethren who cannot, by their own conscious, support that same candidate. I see a lack of love for the brethren (1 John 3:14). I have seen pride made manifest in ways I never before have seen among Christians. I have seen so-called "Christian Leaders" fuel this division by jumping out early and supporting some of the most ungodly candidates to be considered, over men (and women) who have demonstrated faith and integrity, and who admit their sins and repent of them. I have seen godly men and women mocked by fellow Christians, and even the use of logical fallacies to denigrate believers for not falling in line.
What this election comes down to is this - do we have faith in God that He is in control? I mean - do we GENUINELY believe that God ordains rulers - and that HE has a plan that supersedes our fleshly bickering and quarreling? Do we truly see where the REAL issue is - that it is NOT with our brothers and sisters who don't feel the same need to cast the same vote as you - but with a spiritual darkness that can ONLY be overcome by the power of Jesus Christ? And do we not see that our own bickering and shaming of EACH OTHER only further puts our light under the proverbial "basket"? If I spend my time deriding my brother in Christ because he or she is voting for a candidate I find reprehensible - instead of seeking to proclaim Jesus Christ as my King and LORD, and THE Answer to every other issue we face - then I have bene worse than a clanging cymbal - but a stumbling block.
If I have, unwittingly, contributed to the divisions among the brethren by my words or actions - then I am truly sorry for that and want to repent. One thing I find even more painful than the thought of either primary candidate being elected is the possibility that I have contributed to divisions among the body of Christ.
Sadly, every division that is opened up by attacks on each other is another victory for Satan, who has long used division and confusion as some of his most effective tools.
Let me close with this prayer:
Lord, I come to you with a broken heart. A heart broken because we have brought shame to your Holy Name by placing politics, fleshly desires, and pride before you in our lives. I pray LORD for my own words, thoughts, and actions to NOT be divisive to the body, but to be only the words of truth - words that edify believers, that lead to conviction to the lost, and that point to Jesus Christ - giving YOU all the honor and glory.
And LORD, I pray that I would remain humble through this all, relying not on my own strength or wisdom, but crying daily for your wisdom. Lord that I would forgive those who have done me wrong, and that I would myself receive forgiveness for any words or deeds that may have contributed to divisions between brethren.
And finally, LORD, help me to have faith that all is in your hands. Help me to understand my responsibility is to speak truth, in genuine love. And LORD, please help your people stand firm on your Word - may all honor and glory be yours now and forever - AMEN
Showing posts with label Bible. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bible. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Sunday, January 3, 2016
Who Do You Associate With?
In my decade and a half in education, I attended many conferences and conventions, with the vast majority being music and band focused (logical, as I was serving as a band director at the time). I am fairly certain that most of my friends still in that field would agree that there is value in conferences, but also you have to filter through and make decisions about what to attend and what not to attend. Indeed, if offered a conference that pushed an educational or music agenda known to be seriously flawed or even harmful to our students, a discerning educator would avoid that conference.
In the realm of church work, conferences have become a multi-million dollar business. One can find "Christian" conferences on every angle and aspect of church work, methods, growth, and theology. These conferences are put on by denominational entities, publishers, ministry-related businesses, and many other groups. And just like in every other field, there are solid, biblical conferences, as well as those that push and stretch the definition of "Christian" to extremes. I have attended a few, and have a few ministry friends who love attending conferences. Yet a troubling trend is developing that begs for a whole lot more discernment from Christian leaders, especially those who take groups of youth (or adults) to many of these conferences. Discernment that begins, not with snazzy titles or catch phrases. Discernment that goes beyond glossy, high-energy promotional materials. We need a healthy dose of discernment regarding the reality of what is being taught or even promoted by said conferences.
Might I suggest beginning with a sincere look at who the promoters and organizers of said event are. Do they follow a biblically sound statement of faith and purpose? Is the event a profit-driven production? What is the core message (not the advertising catch phrase)?
As a pastor, I am constantly bombarded with advertising through every medium for conferences that cover every corner of ministry, and from many doctrinal and theological perspective. Sadly, many have underlying them, some troubling foundations. First, who are the speakers? An extremely popular conference going on this weekend that several friends are attending called the Passion Conference.0, proudly features a Charismatic self-described woman preacher who espouses Word of Faith, name-it-claim-it theology (Christine Caine). Other popular conferences of late have featured similar slates of speakers from experiential, charismatic speakers with similar questionable doctrines mixed in with other, more reliable speakers. Many of our Christian leaders gladly take group ® young believers to these conferences, where they sometimes are taught that experience trumps genuine faith and obedience. Where consumerist church is demonstrated, and pragmatic/experience-based revelation is often more valuable than the Word of God, rightly proclaimed.
Don't get me wrong, we could learn a few things from some ministries that may be somewhat different than our own. Ed Stetzer and Thom Rainer published a book a few years ago titled Transformational Church. In that book, the authors did research-based investigation of somnolence fastest growing congregations in the nation, examining the useful parts of what those groups were doing to impact their communities. They did not deal with denominational or doctrinal issues, but instead sought the functional things these congregations and leaders were doing that really made a difference. This book has a great deal of useful information, without a heavy promotion of the various theologies espoused by those studied.
But when one attends a conference, the speakers are under no constraints. How many churches our own association would invite a Charismatic, oneness Pentecostal, Word-Of-Faith preacher to be a guest preacher or to lead revival services? Yet would we will load up a bus and take impressionable young believers to be influenced by the same teaching?
At best, we present a form of stumbling block of confusion to our brethren. Much worse, we may actually be endorsing theologies and doctrines that fly in the face of Biblical Christianity.
Discernment...not just another big word in the a bible, but a command to believers, and particularly to Christisn leaders in the church, for the sake of the faith and our brethren.
Friday, June 26, 2015
US Supreme Court vs the Word of God
I am certain I will take a great deal of heat for this post. I have little doubt I will further be labeled a hater, a bigot, evil, mean, and much worse. Somehow that doesn't really bother me. The truth is the truth, and that is what I expect in response.
Today will go down in history as either a major win for evil and the "Evil One" himself - Satan, or it will be raised up on a poll and idolized as a great day for "equality". The problem is - there is nothing inherently "equal" about today's Supreme Court decision, nor is there anything in our Constitution that guarantees equal results or equal outcomes for any circumstance. But this fight was never really about "equality". The issue is much deeper and darker.
You see - the Bible clearly speak, both in the Old and New Testament, about homosexuality. Indeed, the language is quite clear time and again. Further, marriage is referenced 100% of the time in connection to male + female. Never in Scripture has marriage been depicted as a same-sex union. Despite hundreds of years of attempts to change the meaning of scripture, and recent decades trying to rewrite the clear language in the Bible regarding marriage and same-sex acts, the definition of marriage, both in natural law, and by God's design is one man and one woman joined for life.
But this presents a huge problem for those who refuse to give up, and instead just keep ratcheting up their war on God. So long as the majority believe the biblical version of marriage is correct (even if they often fail to be good examples of it), those who desperately desire to practice homosexuality will be marginalized. But there is a "solution" - it is the normalizing of what God calls abnormal. It is a mainstreaming of what God calls an unnatural and even an abomination.
You see, even the unregenerate mind knows, down deep, that homosexuality is wrong. It is not unloving to point this out. I know - people have been "driven" to kill themselves hearing such words. I am so sorry, but people have been taking their own lives for a lot of things related to the corrupt and sinful heart. That is often how sin works - destroying you from the inside. But far too many have chosen to continue to raise their voices while at the same time, undermining reality and the truth of God's Word.
Add to the equation, there are false teachers (as the Bible warns repeatedly about) who have thrown their support behind this issue, not as a means to "grace, but as a way to fill their bank accounts and pews, and to promote themselves.
Just a few years ago, a movement began to protect the definition of marriage through a Constitutional Amendment. Many notable politicians loudly objected saying that marriage was a right for each individual state to determine. Fast forward less than a decades and what do we see - they were flat wrong. Maybe they were as guilty as those crying out for "gay marriage"?
The Southern Baptists (of which I am not a member of) recently had their annual Convention, at which they resoundingly voted to support the biblical definition of marriage, no matter come what may. I applaud their action, though I fear this will not be universally applied among their churches.
My own association, the Baptist Missionary Association of America began the two-year process of amending our national Constitution/Articles of Agreement to include the biblical definition of marriage. The local church I lead included a very clear definition of marriage in its founding Constitution as well.
I could spend my next days and weeks weeping and mourning for this nation. But I refuse. This nation has bought its path, much as old Israel and Judah bought their own judgment and brought down righteous wrath from God. I could get ramped up and spew my own anger all over every form of social media, but that would accomplish little. So I will simply speak/write/post the truth. John 8:32 records the reassurance that "...the truth will set you free".
God's Word also commands that I love my neighbor - and that represents nothing new. It often is a struggle to love those who would rather you be silenced or even dead because you speak the truth, but indeed the command is still there.
But I also am under conviction from the Lord God who created me, and who designed marriage, to never willfully participate in or condone sin. Again, this is nothing new, yet the very definition of sin (according to the world and to the US Supreme Court) is being altered in that ongoing rebellion against God.
One final thought that I want to share (this is my blog, so it is my prerogative!): Those who practice homosexuality, particularly those who are celebrating this landmark U.S. Supreme Court case, you may celebrate for a time, and you may even find some level of "freedom", yet you will never, ever find genuine peace. Even if your neighborhood "church" (using the term in a very lose way) gleefully climbs on board with this decision, you will find no peace in your heart until you call your sin what it is - SIN. And the wages, the just payment for sin is death - an very real and eternal punishment that is the just and righteous Wrath of God. Sure you can live a life of denial. But the reality is there before your eyes. You can file lawsuits. You can scream and holler. You can play your "pride parade" games, while forcing good, God-fearing people out of business for refusing to condone or participate in your lifestyle. But you still will find no peace apart from a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Period. Oh - but you say you "prayed a prayer", or that you believe in a God who is love, not a god of wrath. You had better check your Bible again! The Word of God is clear - those who are genuinely saved by faith WILL not continue in willful sin. Repent! turning from your sins and believe in the One and Only Jesus Christ - "The Way, The Truth, and The Life".
Just because black-robed judges who have chosen to completely change the meaning of words and laws, who have decided to twist and rewrite what is not even in their legal authority to do so have chosen to condone this form of sin, does not change God, nor does it change the definition of Sin in the eyes of the One you WILL stand before in judgment.
Today will go down in history as either a major win for evil and the "Evil One" himself - Satan, or it will be raised up on a poll and idolized as a great day for "equality". The problem is - there is nothing inherently "equal" about today's Supreme Court decision, nor is there anything in our Constitution that guarantees equal results or equal outcomes for any circumstance. But this fight was never really about "equality". The issue is much deeper and darker.
You see - the Bible clearly speak, both in the Old and New Testament, about homosexuality. Indeed, the language is quite clear time and again. Further, marriage is referenced 100% of the time in connection to male + female. Never in Scripture has marriage been depicted as a same-sex union. Despite hundreds of years of attempts to change the meaning of scripture, and recent decades trying to rewrite the clear language in the Bible regarding marriage and same-sex acts, the definition of marriage, both in natural law, and by God's design is one man and one woman joined for life.
But this presents a huge problem for those who refuse to give up, and instead just keep ratcheting up their war on God. So long as the majority believe the biblical version of marriage is correct (even if they often fail to be good examples of it), those who desperately desire to practice homosexuality will be marginalized. But there is a "solution" - it is the normalizing of what God calls abnormal. It is a mainstreaming of what God calls an unnatural and even an abomination.
You see, even the unregenerate mind knows, down deep, that homosexuality is wrong. It is not unloving to point this out. I know - people have been "driven" to kill themselves hearing such words. I am so sorry, but people have been taking their own lives for a lot of things related to the corrupt and sinful heart. That is often how sin works - destroying you from the inside. But far too many have chosen to continue to raise their voices while at the same time, undermining reality and the truth of God's Word.
Add to the equation, there are false teachers (as the Bible warns repeatedly about) who have thrown their support behind this issue, not as a means to "grace, but as a way to fill their bank accounts and pews, and to promote themselves.
Just a few years ago, a movement began to protect the definition of marriage through a Constitutional Amendment. Many notable politicians loudly objected saying that marriage was a right for each individual state to determine. Fast forward less than a decades and what do we see - they were flat wrong. Maybe they were as guilty as those crying out for "gay marriage"?
The Southern Baptists (of which I am not a member of) recently had their annual Convention, at which they resoundingly voted to support the biblical definition of marriage, no matter come what may. I applaud their action, though I fear this will not be universally applied among their churches.
My own association, the Baptist Missionary Association of America began the two-year process of amending our national Constitution/Articles of Agreement to include the biblical definition of marriage. The local church I lead included a very clear definition of marriage in its founding Constitution as well.
I could spend my next days and weeks weeping and mourning for this nation. But I refuse. This nation has bought its path, much as old Israel and Judah bought their own judgment and brought down righteous wrath from God. I could get ramped up and spew my own anger all over every form of social media, but that would accomplish little. So I will simply speak/write/post the truth. John 8:32 records the reassurance that "...the truth will set you free".
God's Word also commands that I love my neighbor - and that represents nothing new. It often is a struggle to love those who would rather you be silenced or even dead because you speak the truth, but indeed the command is still there.
But I also am under conviction from the Lord God who created me, and who designed marriage, to never willfully participate in or condone sin. Again, this is nothing new, yet the very definition of sin (according to the world and to the US Supreme Court) is being altered in that ongoing rebellion against God.
One final thought that I want to share (this is my blog, so it is my prerogative!): Those who practice homosexuality, particularly those who are celebrating this landmark U.S. Supreme Court case, you may celebrate for a time, and you may even find some level of "freedom", yet you will never, ever find genuine peace. Even if your neighborhood "church" (using the term in a very lose way) gleefully climbs on board with this decision, you will find no peace in your heart until you call your sin what it is - SIN. And the wages, the just payment for sin is death - an very real and eternal punishment that is the just and righteous Wrath of God. Sure you can live a life of denial. But the reality is there before your eyes. You can file lawsuits. You can scream and holler. You can play your "pride parade" games, while forcing good, God-fearing people out of business for refusing to condone or participate in your lifestyle. But you still will find no peace apart from a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Period. Oh - but you say you "prayed a prayer", or that you believe in a God who is love, not a god of wrath. You had better check your Bible again! The Word of God is clear - those who are genuinely saved by faith WILL not continue in willful sin. Repent! turning from your sins and believe in the One and Only Jesus Christ - "The Way, The Truth, and The Life".
Just because black-robed judges who have chosen to completely change the meaning of words and laws, who have decided to twist and rewrite what is not even in their legal authority to do so have chosen to condone this form of sin, does not change God, nor does it change the definition of Sin in the eyes of the One you WILL stand before in judgment.
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Quick Question - Does This Mean That?
This week, the nation's largest Baptist association, the Southern Baptist Convention, voted this week to firmly and resolutely uphold "God's definition of marriage" as between one man and one woman in a lifelong, covenant relationship. Of course, the responses were immediate and often filled with vitriol.
But my question (actually a couple), since I did title this "Quick Question" is this:
But my question (actually a couple), since I did title this "Quick Question" is this:
- Does taking a stand on marriage, as based clearly on the Bible (what this denomination lays claim to being it's foundation to all things of faith and practice), automatically make the organization "anti-gay"? (Indeed - what does the term anti-gay REALLY mean?)
- Does taking a stand on marriage, as based clearly on the Bible automatically mean that you "hate" anyone?
Does this not ooze of the same logical fallacies as the automatic label of "racist" when one opposes the policies and general political ideology of President Obama?
I am personally glad to see a major denomination actually taking an official stand on this issue. I would like to say, in all fairness, that I would also like to see them take an equally firm stand on all sorts of sins that are plaguing our nation and world - there are plenty chiseling away at what little is left of our moral foundation as it is.
I'm also glad that the association in which I serve, the BMA of America, is also int he middle of the process to include the Biblical definition of marriage in our Constitution/Articles of Cooperation. And a summary look at the constitution of the little church relaunch that I lead will find that we too have articulated the Biblical definition of marriage into what we believe and live by.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
The Ongoing Conviction of The Word
I have now been leading a regular Bible study (Coffee & The Word) at a local coffee shop for several weeks now. Unlike most Bible studies I've been a part of most of my Christian life, we are approaching the study in a somewhat different way (admittedly a format I should have adopted long ago)- beginning squarely with what is on the page.
And I will also confess that this outward study has been one of the greatest tools of personal growth for me. What's I saw as simply a means to engage others has become a tool God has used to bring heart-molding, life shifting conviction to my soul. Indeed, I am so very thankful for the personal growth I have experienced with the frank and open study with others.
But the unexpected side effect has been heart melting... every day I am more and more appreciating and understanding what the apostle Paul meant when he recorded in 1 Timothy 1:16:
The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
In-context, Paul had just mentioned in remembrance who he WAS before his conversion, but then uses the present tense in referring to himself as the foremost (or chiefest) of sinners. You see, the Word of God is indeed "sharper than any two-edged sword". And every time I open God's Word with an honest and humble heart, He convicts me with His Word. He motivates with His Spirit, and reminds me of the need for ongoing repentance each and every day. And oddly enough, I cannot get enough of it!
After all, God is molding me, transforming me into the likeness of His marvelous Son. And it is why I believe all who are redeemed should have a growing love for the Bible! Indeed, find yourself not only time to read, study, and pray God's Word, but find you a group in which to honestly mine the depths for the treasure found in the Bible!
If you are in our area, consider joining us at Rock-N-Java on Highway 65 in Clinton, Arkansas!
If you really want to grow in your personal relationship with the Lord, and grow in Christ with others who are drawing near to The Word, you have a prime opportunity with the faith family of #NewHopeClinton to make a difference! http://newhopeclinton.com
if my people who are called by my name...
We hear 2 Chronicles 7:14 proclaimed as "the answer" to the ills that face the United States today. Sadly, we hear it often taken out of context and with little emphasis placed on the details it states. So, in this post, I will try to shed some real light on what I believe is the REAL problem today, and how we can accurately apply the 2 Chronicles passage to our current situation.
Context
We have to understand how 2 Chronicles 7:14 fits in to God's narrative. The entire chapter is the record of revelation following Solomon's completion of construction of God's Temple as well as the king's home. It is a time of celebration and blessings. After all, is it not an amazing opportunity to be the one given the honor of building God's house?
But God didn't want His people (or king) to become filled with pride or complacent. Indeed, as the fully omniscient God, He knew what was to come and gave Solomon the revelation of the appropriate response when the trouble was to come:
We in the United States of America have a glut of food and beverage, we are left in need very rarely. Yet we most assuredly are living in a time of great drought and famine, not of physical food and water, but of the proclamation of the true and full Word of God. The Gospel preached by many today is little more than sugar-coated junk food. If we were to live on a diet consisting of only candy and other junk foods, what would become of our health? (I believe we see that across our culture as well!). For the sake of attractiveness, to "bring them in", and to meet the budget (not to mention the promotion of preacher reputations), the gospel has been compromised and the Word of God watered-down and sugar-coated.
I recently saw this meme posted in social media and thought it described a portion of our issues quite well:
I don't know who this "Ron Smith" is, but I must - at least to this statement - shout AMEN! I believe many have fallen to a dangerous misunderstanding of the term "edify" in Scripture. The term means to "lift up", but not in the sense of building "self esteem" as has been popular in the pop psychology world for a few decades. Building up often involves conviction, and most assuredly requires genuine truth being spoken.
Appropriate Response
So let us get back to the text at hand - and the centerpiece of God's revealed appropriate response to the WHEN events of famine, drought, and sickness:
Here God gives four simple, clear, and direct mandates to Him "hearing from heaven, forgiving their sin, and healing their land" (and notice the priority list!):
#1 - If God's people will HUMBLE themselves. Some people argue that the writer of Hebrew changed this:
#2 PRAY - Scripture tells us that we are to "pray without ceasing". Jesus gave a model for prayer to illustrate what our priorities and heart should be when we pray. Yet so many give little more than lip service to prayer. I will be the first to admit that my prayer life isn't what I think it should be. I don't see any way I could ever be truly satisfied with my prayers. Yet it is possible to develop our prayer life, to grow in the maturity level and properly-focused attitude of our prayers. But prayers also necessitate the very next two phrases in God's command:
#3 SEEK my face - What exactly does it mean to "seek God's face"? I means pursuing His will over your own. It means following Christ's commands, not as a begrudging task, but as a genuine outflowing of our Love for Him and our gratitude for what He has done (and continues to do for and through us).
#4 TURN from their wicked ways! Uh, oh. Here we go meddling in people's lives. Another word for "turning from wicked ways (sin) is.... REPENT! How can we expect God to come sweeping in and fixing our issues, wiping away evil corruption, pain, and sorrows, if we are not willing to turn from our sins (which are the major reason we are experiencing the woes of the day)? Shall we call down fire on the evildoers in this world, without calling down that same fire on US when we continue to overlook our own sin? Which brings us back to my initial statement regarding drought, famine, and sickness-
There was a time in the not-so-distant past, where sinners were exhorted powerfully to repent, and to seek God in all things. Preaching was intended not to give a pat on the back, a wink and a nod, leaving the listener superficially "uplifted and encouraged", but to draw sinners to genuine sorrow and repentance, to lead and exhort the redeemed to walk "worthy of the high calling", and to generally live out Christ's command to love God first and our neighbor second. How in the world have so many who call themselves "Christians" continued to live in hate towards their fellow man, to selectively cry out against certain select sins, while willfully ignoring their own sin? How can we claim to live in a "Christian nation", while systematically endorsing (often through our silence) the atrocities of our times?
How was Hitler able to round up and exterminate millions of Jews? Because many refused to take a stand and proclaim what was right. How can we sit by and see the ongoing slaughter of millions of unborn babies (approaching 60 million since the Roe v Wade decision of the U.S. Supreme Court)? How have we arrived at a place in this nation where marriage is being redefined beyond the biblical (and natural) order of one man and one woman? Our nation, where our leadership in high offices tell us lies far more often than the truth, wonders at the distrust that overflows, and where seeds of discord have grown to foster race and economic hatred not seen in many decades.
What are churches preaching at teaching that, on a knee-jerk reaction to a perceived injustice results in thousands in a city not just protesting, but going on widespread violent riots, looting form business owners, and causing massive financial destruction? And further, that some who have coopted the title "reverend" or "minister" are given free reign to promote such behavior - yet calling themselves "Christian".
What do we have? A land in a terrible famine and drought. A land that due to said famine and drought, are seeing sickness grow like an epidemic ripping apart our society. So yes, some of us truly desire that God would "heal our land". But may we never forget that God commanded us to HUMBLE ourselves, to seek HIS will (face), to PRAY, and to REPENT - literally turning from our sin. This goes to the very Gospel Jesus gave us. The Word of God, not just the convenient, feel-good parts, must be returned to the church house, and the pulpits of every God-fearing, revival seeking congregation across this nation, from the big church on the hill, to the little house church in your neighborhood. Lest we forget:
I pray that my faith family, New Hope Baptist Church and I never forget or neglect the life-changing, world-shaking, unadulterated Gospel. And I commit myself, whoever I serve, to proclaim the full council of God's Word:
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Context
We have to understand how 2 Chronicles 7:14 fits in to God's narrative. The entire chapter is the record of revelation following Solomon's completion of construction of God's Temple as well as the king's home. It is a time of celebration and blessings. After all, is it not an amazing opportunity to be the one given the honor of building God's house?
Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD and the king’s house. All that Solomon had planned to do in the house of the LORD and in his own house he successfully accomplished. Then the LORD appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. (2 Chronicles 7:11-12)Warning & Problem
But God didn't want His people (or king) to become filled with pride or complacent. Indeed, as the fully omniscient God, He knew what was to come and gave Solomon the revelation of the appropriate response when the trouble was to come:
When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, (2 Chronicles 7:13)Notice the first word here: WHEN. Not "if". When God shuts up the heavens (drought), when He commands the locusts to devour the land (famine), and brings pestilence (disease and death).
We in the United States of America have a glut of food and beverage, we are left in need very rarely. Yet we most assuredly are living in a time of great drought and famine, not of physical food and water, but of the proclamation of the true and full Word of God. The Gospel preached by many today is little more than sugar-coated junk food. If we were to live on a diet consisting of only candy and other junk foods, what would become of our health? (I believe we see that across our culture as well!). For the sake of attractiveness, to "bring them in", and to meet the budget (not to mention the promotion of preacher reputations), the gospel has been compromised and the Word of God watered-down and sugar-coated.
I recently saw this meme posted in social media and thought it described a portion of our issues quite well:
I don't know who this "Ron Smith" is, but I must - at least to this statement - shout AMEN! I believe many have fallen to a dangerous misunderstanding of the term "edify" in Scripture. The term means to "lift up", but not in the sense of building "self esteem" as has been popular in the pop psychology world for a few decades. Building up often involves conviction, and most assuredly requires genuine truth being spoken.
Appropriate Response
So let us get back to the text at hand - and the centerpiece of God's revealed appropriate response to the WHEN events of famine, drought, and sickness:
...if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)
Here God gives four simple, clear, and direct mandates to Him "hearing from heaven, forgiving their sin, and healing their land" (and notice the priority list!):
#1 - If God's people will HUMBLE themselves. Some people argue that the writer of Hebrew changed this:
Let us then with confidence draw near the throne of grace... (Hebrews 4:16)Interpreting this passage as throwing off humility is a huge mistake! Never in scripture are we to forget humility before God's incredible throne. We can only approach Him directly because of Christ's spilled blood. But that does not give us grounds for being flippant or full of ourselves. Indeed, the extreme price Christ paid for our salvation should cause us to have a genuine sense of awe and humility towards our Lord. So many have made God into little more than a great "Sugar Daddy in the sky", most obviously with the "Word of Faith"/Name-it, Claim-It charlatans who unabashedly proclaim that God owes us. But this line of thinking actually extends to many even outside of these heretical moments - to even mainstream, formerly conservative denominations and congregations.
#2 PRAY - Scripture tells us that we are to "pray without ceasing". Jesus gave a model for prayer to illustrate what our priorities and heart should be when we pray. Yet so many give little more than lip service to prayer. I will be the first to admit that my prayer life isn't what I think it should be. I don't see any way I could ever be truly satisfied with my prayers. Yet it is possible to develop our prayer life, to grow in the maturity level and properly-focused attitude of our prayers. But prayers also necessitate the very next two phrases in God's command:
#3 SEEK my face - What exactly does it mean to "seek God's face"? I means pursuing His will over your own. It means following Christ's commands, not as a begrudging task, but as a genuine outflowing of our Love for Him and our gratitude for what He has done (and continues to do for and through us).
#4 TURN from their wicked ways! Uh, oh. Here we go meddling in people's lives. Another word for "turning from wicked ways (sin) is.... REPENT! How can we expect God to come sweeping in and fixing our issues, wiping away evil corruption, pain, and sorrows, if we are not willing to turn from our sins (which are the major reason we are experiencing the woes of the day)? Shall we call down fire on the evildoers in this world, without calling down that same fire on US when we continue to overlook our own sin? Which brings us back to my initial statement regarding drought, famine, and sickness-
There was a time in the not-so-distant past, where sinners were exhorted powerfully to repent, and to seek God in all things. Preaching was intended not to give a pat on the back, a wink and a nod, leaving the listener superficially "uplifted and encouraged", but to draw sinners to genuine sorrow and repentance, to lead and exhort the redeemed to walk "worthy of the high calling", and to generally live out Christ's command to love God first and our neighbor second. How in the world have so many who call themselves "Christians" continued to live in hate towards their fellow man, to selectively cry out against certain select sins, while willfully ignoring their own sin? How can we claim to live in a "Christian nation", while systematically endorsing (often through our silence) the atrocities of our times?
How was Hitler able to round up and exterminate millions of Jews? Because many refused to take a stand and proclaim what was right. How can we sit by and see the ongoing slaughter of millions of unborn babies (approaching 60 million since the Roe v Wade decision of the U.S. Supreme Court)? How have we arrived at a place in this nation where marriage is being redefined beyond the biblical (and natural) order of one man and one woman? Our nation, where our leadership in high offices tell us lies far more often than the truth, wonders at the distrust that overflows, and where seeds of discord have grown to foster race and economic hatred not seen in many decades.
What are churches preaching at teaching that, on a knee-jerk reaction to a perceived injustice results in thousands in a city not just protesting, but going on widespread violent riots, looting form business owners, and causing massive financial destruction? And further, that some who have coopted the title "reverend" or "minister" are given free reign to promote such behavior - yet calling themselves "Christian".
What do we have? A land in a terrible famine and drought. A land that due to said famine and drought, are seeing sickness grow like an epidemic ripping apart our society. So yes, some of us truly desire that God would "heal our land". But may we never forget that God commanded us to HUMBLE ourselves, to seek HIS will (face), to PRAY, and to REPENT - literally turning from our sin. This goes to the very Gospel Jesus gave us. The Word of God, not just the convenient, feel-good parts, must be returned to the church house, and the pulpits of every God-fearing, revival seeking congregation across this nation, from the big church on the hill, to the little house church in your neighborhood. Lest we forget:
For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
I pray that my faith family, New Hope Baptist Church and I never forget or neglect the life-changing, world-shaking, unadulterated Gospel. And I commit myself, whoever I serve, to proclaim the full council of God's Word:
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Religion of Peace?
I am truly sick of the efforts to put a peaceful facade on Islam, much connected to comparing to "Christianity". Lets go to the foundation of these two religions and see where the truth is:
Islam, founded on the Koran (Quran).
Christianity, based on the Bible.
The Koran reads, from earliest to latest, as a growing hate screed towards all who are not followers of "the prophet Mohammed" and his version of "god", named Allah. As you progress through the Koran, what you find is wholesale endorsement of deceiving, lying to, imprisonment, enslavement, taxation of, and finally the murder of any who are not believers in Mohammed's cult (infidels). The Koran, for all practical purposes, teaches that one must actually practice hate not only to prove one's faith, but as a means to eternal reward.
The Bible begins early with violence (but not endorsed hatred - and with a very specific, time-limited purpose), then a progression to the words of the Chief Cornerstone, Jesus Christ - when He reminds us to "love your neighbors", pray for those who hate you, be a light, care for others. Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who took on our sins to bring us forgiveness and purchase our eternal reward for us.
Islam, founded on the Koran (Quran).
Christianity, based on the Bible.
The Koran reads, from earliest to latest, as a growing hate screed towards all who are not followers of "the prophet Mohammed" and his version of "god", named Allah. As you progress through the Koran, what you find is wholesale endorsement of deceiving, lying to, imprisonment, enslavement, taxation of, and finally the murder of any who are not believers in Mohammed's cult (infidels). The Koran, for all practical purposes, teaches that one must actually practice hate not only to prove one's faith, but as a means to eternal reward.
The Bible begins early with violence (but not endorsed hatred - and with a very specific, time-limited purpose), then a progression to the words of the Chief Cornerstone, Jesus Christ - when He reminds us to "love your neighbors", pray for those who hate you, be a light, care for others. Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who took on our sins to bring us forgiveness and purchase our eternal reward for us.
Jesus never endorsed or even suggested violence for the sake of spreading the faith or punishing non-believers. Mohammed and the Koran not only suggest such acts, but actually commands conversion at the sword.
Have people committed atrocities in the name of "Christianity"? Most certainly. Yet finding any Biblical basis for those actions is impossible.
People commit atrocities daily (and have since the founding of the religion) in the name of Islam, at the direct instruction of the Koran.
People commit atrocities daily (and have since the founding of the religion) in the name of Islam, at the direct instruction of the Koran.
Are their beliebers in Islam who love and desire peace? I believe so. But in doing so, they either want peace because Islam has overtaken the world, or they are ignoring vast swaths of their own founding book.
Contrary to the behavior of some professing Christianity, the Bible does not teach or endorse hate for anyone (in fact, Jesus essentially stated that to hate your brother/neighbor is equal to committing murder in your heart).
Contrary to the behavior of some professing Christianity, the Bible does not teach or endorse hate for anyone (in fact, Jesus essentially stated that to hate your brother/neighbor is equal to committing murder in your heart).
I pray daily for those who follow the cult of Mohammed - that the Lord God will open their eyes and deliver them from the cult that fare more resembles Satan than God.
Monday, December 15, 2014
Hard-Learned Advice for the Prospective Young Pastor*
When I went through the Teacher Education program at the University of Central Arkansas (Instrumental Music Education), I was convinced that - upon graduation, I was fully equipped and "ready" to take on the world. After all, I had a mind filled with knowledge, advice from those who had "been there", and a whole semester of pretend teaching (aka - Student Teaching). I had passed the Test (newly renamed the Praxis Testing). I was A Teacher!
Then I entered the real world, where all the knowledge I thought I had garnered was only a tiny bit of what I needed to know. I entered blindsided, beaten, and bruised. It took about 5 years in the band room to finally begin to even pretend reasonably that I had a clue.
So it should not have been a surprise to find that, upon the irresistible (and boy did I try!) call of God to enter pastoral ministry, I would again find myself in the familiar, unfamiliar world of eye-opening misadventure and bruising. While many lessons learned in 14 years of public school band directing has been a great toolbox to draw from, I find myself still in awe of how totally unqualified I often feel, and how broken my heart often is. I was given very little guidance as to the "real world" life of pastoral ministry, even in my otherwise hugely beneficial Seminary work. As a relatively short-term "veteran" of the pastoral ministry pulpit, I offer up the following words of wisdom/advice to the budding "young" (either in age, or to the call itself) pastor.
1. If you can do ANYTHING else other than pastoral ministry - then do THAT! I Heard this sage advice at some point after I began my first pastorate. Too late to benefit me and my own ministry, but not too late for many others who may follow. The long-and-short: If the Lord will allow you peace with the decision to pursue a secular career, avoiding pastoral ministry altogether, then you might rightfully guess that you are not called to pastoral ministry. Pastoral ministry WILL beat you up. Pastoral ministry WILL break your heart. There is a very solid reason that the "job" among the most honorable among all (according to the Bible), is high on the ranks of those jobs filled by men with depression. So - if you are able to walk away from the perceived "call", then do. If you are genuinely called to this avenue - God will not let you have rest.
2. Do NOT try to be a friend to the church members in your care. This is not as sad as it sounds. You should indeed love the sheep as Jesus loves them. But just as I learned early-on in the public school classroom, if you are their "friend", it grows much harder to speak to accountability and discipline. Further, these kinds of friendships rarely turn out well (I can count on one hand the number that I have experienced myself, or have heard other pastors reflect on, that have been long-term positives). Love them. Care for them, but do not befriend them unless you are prepared to be hurt in ways you never thought possible.
3. Don't try this at home. Or better - do everything you can to isolate your pastoral ministry from your family. Protect your family. The unfortunate reality is - pastor's wives (and even children) are often saddled with not only unreasonable expectations, but undo and unfair scrutiny and pressures. As a pastor, you will be called on to advise adults to leave their work AT WORK, so that it does not become a divisive stumbling block in their family - listen to that advice yourself! Love your wife and children. Be the spiritual head of your household. But do not allow the pressures of pastoral ministry attack your family. Leave them at the church office/behind the pulpit. Love your family, protect your family.
4. NEVER skimp on your time with the Lord. The book of Acts (chapter 6) begins with the calling out of 7 deacons to help take care of the issues, fires, and service needed in that early church - why? So the pastors/elders could devote themselves to prayer and the "ministry of the Word". As a pastor, you must constantly be filling yourself with the Word of God - both for your own protection, edification, and preparation - just as we try to communicate to our church members, but also (and vitally important to the man trying to serve as an "undershepherd") to being a faithful "Minister of the Word". And when you reflect back on some of the other points of advice prior to this entry, and those following, prayer and the Word of God will help sustain you when you encounter the many tribulations, trials, and temptations that will most certainly come.
5. Find a brother in the ministry, not of your own congregation, who is willing to serve to hold you accountable and for moral support. We can easily forget that the one person in a local church who has no pastor, is the pastor! Yet we are human. We need someone to help us to stay accountable, to lift us up when we are beaten, and to hold our spiritual hand in prayer as we struggle. Remember the truth of the saying "no man is an island".
6. Watch for knives! Its a shame that those called to ministry are not given the miraculous gift of x-ray vision. Be prepared, keep your eyes open, for there will be those who will pat you on the back, give you a great big hug, then plunge a huge knife into your back as soon as you let your guard down. The most likely to do this are not the anti-church people who are openly rebelling against God outside the church, but by those who have been entrusted to your care. The knives will sometimes begin as odd comments, or maybe secretive "behind-closed-doors" meetings that you won't know about until after (if ever). Some people just do not like to hear stuff like Hebrews 13:17 that says to "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you."
Any time there is someone in authority, there will be those (even some with good intentions) who will despite chastisement, who will not appreciate sincere efforts to lead, and who will want it "their way". It is the reality of ministry.
7. Preach discipline, but don't expect the church to exercise it willingly. Church discipline as outlined by Jesus, and detailed by the Apostle Paul is really pretty easy to preach and teach on, but is one of the most rejected/ignored concepts in most churches. There is always an excuse. There is always an extenuating circumstance. Someone will not want to hurt a friend or family member's feelings. The Lord wouldn't include clear instructions on the matter, if it were not important! But go in with your eyes open, knowing that there will be huge resistance to discipline.
8. If you are called by a church or denominational work to lead a congregation (especially a very small one) that has been through incredible turmoil and upheaval - think long, and pray harder. How often have we heard the story of a young lady marrying a fellow with the grand and almost altruistic goal of "I thought I could change him"? Very rare is the church that goes through massive turmoil or trouble that the blow up and/or split came out of the blue and was based on nothing. There are reasons that build up to such trouble. Splits rarely actually address the issue. Further, any pastor entering behind such a painful event in a church's history (particularly a young and/or inexperienced pastor) will be put in a nearly no-win situation (nothing is impossible with Christ, don't get me wrong). But starting out in such a position is a significant opportunity to derail and discourage a ministry before it even gets fully launched. It takes a truly gifted person, with a very specific and specialized set of gifts to be able to successfully minister in such situations.
9. Don't "major in the minors". While one can rightly say that 100% of God's Word is important, it gets really easy to be bogged down personally with matters of doctrine, theology, and Christian faith that ultimately detract us from the Gospel and from the genuine "Majors" of the faith. It is easy to get tangled in everything from eschatology (theology of the end times) to the temperature the thermostats are set on. Don't allow the relatively "little" things overcome the most important aspects of doing ministry. Save the hair=splitting details for discussion in spiritually mature contexts. Always speak the truth. Never compromise. But don't get bogged down to the point where you lose the whole focus of the Word of God.
10. Know that there will be "tares" among the wheat. (Matthew 13:24-30). The sad truth is - there will be unredeemed people who are "members" of any church. It is inevitable. They will sometimes be evident by a lack of any measurable spiritual growth, while at other times their presence will be made keenly obvious by their defiance, disobedience to God's Word, selective acceptance of scripture, an through their own offense at the Word being proclaimed. These will often be chief among troublemakers and is a reminder of why Church Discipline is important - and why we must regularly, boldly, and faithfully:
11. Proclaim the Gospel! Charles Spurgeon once said (paraphrased) that with any Biblical text he would preach, he would start at the text and preach to the cross. All of Scripture, in some way, points to Christ. All of scripture fits into the great Gospel plan of redemption God laid out before the foundation of the world. The Gospel message is timeless, powerful, and the center of all the rest of our purpose, goals, and mission as a local church.
12. There is no "perfect church" - Churches are made up of human beings, with all the failings, issues, troubles, and concerns that come with this sinful flesh. The hope and prayer is that most will be born-again, and in the process of becoming more Christ-like. But in the meantime, remember - if there were a "perfect church", none of us would be qualified to lead it, myself least qualified of all!
Know that - when you are betrayed (not if), that Jesus was betrayed. Know that, when your heart is broken, Jesus wept over Jerusalem... Know that you will be tempted and tried (Remember Jesus). But also cling to the truth that, if Jesus has called you to pastoral ministry, He is there with you. Just be faithful, grow some thick skin, and be true to the Word.
* Garnered from years of service, church membership, and friendships with fellow laborers. No specific individuals where in-mind while writing this, though certainly were I to dwell on it, I could "name-names". But that serves no positive, God-glorifying purpose. I have chosen to forgive and to learn. And honestly, more than likely, even with this advice, you will (as I have time and again) fail to heed it - you will love the people you serve, and will make friends. You will be discouraged, you will be hurt and battered, but the Lord is faithful - and He will sustain you and carry you through. Stay true, run the race, and be faithful.
Then I entered the real world, where all the knowledge I thought I had garnered was only a tiny bit of what I needed to know. I entered blindsided, beaten, and bruised. It took about 5 years in the band room to finally begin to even pretend reasonably that I had a clue.
So it should not have been a surprise to find that, upon the irresistible (and boy did I try!) call of God to enter pastoral ministry, I would again find myself in the familiar, unfamiliar world of eye-opening misadventure and bruising. While many lessons learned in 14 years of public school band directing has been a great toolbox to draw from, I find myself still in awe of how totally unqualified I often feel, and how broken my heart often is. I was given very little guidance as to the "real world" life of pastoral ministry, even in my otherwise hugely beneficial Seminary work. As a relatively short-term "veteran" of the pastoral ministry pulpit, I offer up the following words of wisdom/advice to the budding "young" (either in age, or to the call itself) pastor.
1. If you can do ANYTHING else other than pastoral ministry - then do THAT! I Heard this sage advice at some point after I began my first pastorate. Too late to benefit me and my own ministry, but not too late for many others who may follow. The long-and-short: If the Lord will allow you peace with the decision to pursue a secular career, avoiding pastoral ministry altogether, then you might rightfully guess that you are not called to pastoral ministry. Pastoral ministry WILL beat you up. Pastoral ministry WILL break your heart. There is a very solid reason that the "job" among the most honorable among all (according to the Bible), is high on the ranks of those jobs filled by men with depression. So - if you are able to walk away from the perceived "call", then do. If you are genuinely called to this avenue - God will not let you have rest.
2. Do NOT try to be a friend to the church members in your care. This is not as sad as it sounds. You should indeed love the sheep as Jesus loves them. But just as I learned early-on in the public school classroom, if you are their "friend", it grows much harder to speak to accountability and discipline. Further, these kinds of friendships rarely turn out well (I can count on one hand the number that I have experienced myself, or have heard other pastors reflect on, that have been long-term positives). Love them. Care for them, but do not befriend them unless you are prepared to be hurt in ways you never thought possible.
3. Don't try this at home. Or better - do everything you can to isolate your pastoral ministry from your family. Protect your family. The unfortunate reality is - pastor's wives (and even children) are often saddled with not only unreasonable expectations, but undo and unfair scrutiny and pressures. As a pastor, you will be called on to advise adults to leave their work AT WORK, so that it does not become a divisive stumbling block in their family - listen to that advice yourself! Love your wife and children. Be the spiritual head of your household. But do not allow the pressures of pastoral ministry attack your family. Leave them at the church office/behind the pulpit. Love your family, protect your family.
4. NEVER skimp on your time with the Lord. The book of Acts (chapter 6) begins with the calling out of 7 deacons to help take care of the issues, fires, and service needed in that early church - why? So the pastors/elders could devote themselves to prayer and the "ministry of the Word". As a pastor, you must constantly be filling yourself with the Word of God - both for your own protection, edification, and preparation - just as we try to communicate to our church members, but also (and vitally important to the man trying to serve as an "undershepherd") to being a faithful "Minister of the Word". And when you reflect back on some of the other points of advice prior to this entry, and those following, prayer and the Word of God will help sustain you when you encounter the many tribulations, trials, and temptations that will most certainly come.
5. Find a brother in the ministry, not of your own congregation, who is willing to serve to hold you accountable and for moral support. We can easily forget that the one person in a local church who has no pastor, is the pastor! Yet we are human. We need someone to help us to stay accountable, to lift us up when we are beaten, and to hold our spiritual hand in prayer as we struggle. Remember the truth of the saying "no man is an island".
6. Watch for knives! Its a shame that those called to ministry are not given the miraculous gift of x-ray vision. Be prepared, keep your eyes open, for there will be those who will pat you on the back, give you a great big hug, then plunge a huge knife into your back as soon as you let your guard down. The most likely to do this are not the anti-church people who are openly rebelling against God outside the church, but by those who have been entrusted to your care. The knives will sometimes begin as odd comments, or maybe secretive "behind-closed-doors" meetings that you won't know about until after (if ever). Some people just do not like to hear stuff like Hebrews 13:17 that says to "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you."
Any time there is someone in authority, there will be those (even some with good intentions) who will despite chastisement, who will not appreciate sincere efforts to lead, and who will want it "their way". It is the reality of ministry.
7. Preach discipline, but don't expect the church to exercise it willingly. Church discipline as outlined by Jesus, and detailed by the Apostle Paul is really pretty easy to preach and teach on, but is one of the most rejected/ignored concepts in most churches. There is always an excuse. There is always an extenuating circumstance. Someone will not want to hurt a friend or family member's feelings. The Lord wouldn't include clear instructions on the matter, if it were not important! But go in with your eyes open, knowing that there will be huge resistance to discipline.
8. If you are called by a church or denominational work to lead a congregation (especially a very small one) that has been through incredible turmoil and upheaval - think long, and pray harder. How often have we heard the story of a young lady marrying a fellow with the grand and almost altruistic goal of "I thought I could change him"? Very rare is the church that goes through massive turmoil or trouble that the blow up and/or split came out of the blue and was based on nothing. There are reasons that build up to such trouble. Splits rarely actually address the issue. Further, any pastor entering behind such a painful event in a church's history (particularly a young and/or inexperienced pastor) will be put in a nearly no-win situation (nothing is impossible with Christ, don't get me wrong). But starting out in such a position is a significant opportunity to derail and discourage a ministry before it even gets fully launched. It takes a truly gifted person, with a very specific and specialized set of gifts to be able to successfully minister in such situations.
9. Don't "major in the minors". While one can rightly say that 100% of God's Word is important, it gets really easy to be bogged down personally with matters of doctrine, theology, and Christian faith that ultimately detract us from the Gospel and from the genuine "Majors" of the faith. It is easy to get tangled in everything from eschatology (theology of the end times) to the temperature the thermostats are set on. Don't allow the relatively "little" things overcome the most important aspects of doing ministry. Save the hair=splitting details for discussion in spiritually mature contexts. Always speak the truth. Never compromise. But don't get bogged down to the point where you lose the whole focus of the Word of God.
10. Know that there will be "tares" among the wheat. (Matthew 13:24-30). The sad truth is - there will be unredeemed people who are "members" of any church. It is inevitable. They will sometimes be evident by a lack of any measurable spiritual growth, while at other times their presence will be made keenly obvious by their defiance, disobedience to God's Word, selective acceptance of scripture, an through their own offense at the Word being proclaimed. These will often be chief among troublemakers and is a reminder of why Church Discipline is important - and why we must regularly, boldly, and faithfully:
11. Proclaim the Gospel! Charles Spurgeon once said (paraphrased) that with any Biblical text he would preach, he would start at the text and preach to the cross. All of Scripture, in some way, points to Christ. All of scripture fits into the great Gospel plan of redemption God laid out before the foundation of the world. The Gospel message is timeless, powerful, and the center of all the rest of our purpose, goals, and mission as a local church.
12. There is no "perfect church" - Churches are made up of human beings, with all the failings, issues, troubles, and concerns that come with this sinful flesh. The hope and prayer is that most will be born-again, and in the process of becoming more Christ-like. But in the meantime, remember - if there were a "perfect church", none of us would be qualified to lead it, myself least qualified of all!
Know that - when you are betrayed (not if), that Jesus was betrayed. Know that, when your heart is broken, Jesus wept over Jerusalem... Know that you will be tempted and tried (Remember Jesus). But also cling to the truth that, if Jesus has called you to pastoral ministry, He is there with you. Just be faithful, grow some thick skin, and be true to the Word.
* Garnered from years of service, church membership, and friendships with fellow laborers. No specific individuals where in-mind while writing this, though certainly were I to dwell on it, I could "name-names". But that serves no positive, God-glorifying purpose. I have chosen to forgive and to learn. And honestly, more than likely, even with this advice, you will (as I have time and again) fail to heed it - you will love the people you serve, and will make friends. You will be discouraged, you will be hurt and battered, but the Lord is faithful - and He will sustain you and carry you through. Stay true, run the race, and be faithful.
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
False Teachers, Prosperity, and Satan
I will make a startling admission to my readers. You might want to sit down for this massive, earth-shattering confession!
I have never, ever trusted, believed, or liked Joel Osteen or his Satan-led, Serpent-pleasing, sugar-coated, snake oil message. There has never, ever been a doubt in my mind regarding his true allegiance.
I have taken grief from many for my views. I have been called judgmental. I have been told I have no right to question that "fine man of God". I have been told to check for a log in my own eye.
But ladies and gentlemen - Joel Osteen (and his wife Victoria) have repeatedly given every evidence, from a biblical perspective, for genuine believers to witness that the couple have far more than a splinter in their eye - they have a dozen tractor-trailer loads of garbage hanging out of their eyes (and mouths)! Jesus said if we acknowledge (confess) Him before men, He will confess us before our Heavenly Father, but if we do NOT acknowledge Him... You get the point.
Time any again, Osteen has had a very public stage to profess, acknowledge, and show forth that Jesus Christ is Lord. That Jesus is THE Way, THE Truth, and THE Light.. That NO man can come to the father, but by Jesus alone. This comes directly from the very Word of God that Osteen professes to preach... despite such a drought of even a complete verse from scripture gracing his lips as he spews his prosperity-gospel bile. Time and again, Osteen has even stated that he cannot say for sure that Jesus is the only way!
But recently, news has been made (and the truth about the Osteens been very publicly spotlighted) by what his wife Victory has stated.
What did she say? She tried to temper her statement, but there really is no hiding the self-serving, self-centered mission - both personal and organizationally of the Osteen circus.
But lets be brutally honest - tens of thousands (some numbers as high as 30,000) "worship" at the Osteen Temple on a weekly basis. Countless millions outside that building, across this nation, and around the world, hang on every word that drips from Joel and Victoria's mouths. Undoubtably, there are many of the "faithful masses" of Osteen disciples who have professed Jesus Christ as Lord. Sadly, one has to wonder how a supposedly born-again Christian can swallow the anti-Christian bile that the Osteens hurl. But one only has to open scripture to see a resounding and clear explanation that would be wise for us all to ponder on, pray on, and remind others of:
I have never, ever trusted, believed, or liked Joel Osteen or his Satan-led, Serpent-pleasing, sugar-coated, snake oil message. There has never, ever been a doubt in my mind regarding his true allegiance.
I have taken grief from many for my views. I have been called judgmental. I have been told I have no right to question that "fine man of God". I have been told to check for a log in my own eye.
But ladies and gentlemen - Joel Osteen (and his wife Victoria) have repeatedly given every evidence, from a biblical perspective, for genuine believers to witness that the couple have far more than a splinter in their eye - they have a dozen tractor-trailer loads of garbage hanging out of their eyes (and mouths)! Jesus said if we acknowledge (confess) Him before men, He will confess us before our Heavenly Father, but if we do NOT acknowledge Him... You get the point.
Time any again, Osteen has had a very public stage to profess, acknowledge, and show forth that Jesus Christ is Lord. That Jesus is THE Way, THE Truth, and THE Light.. That NO man can come to the father, but by Jesus alone. This comes directly from the very Word of God that Osteen professes to preach... despite such a drought of even a complete verse from scripture gracing his lips as he spews his prosperity-gospel bile. Time and again, Osteen has even stated that he cannot say for sure that Jesus is the only way!
But recently, news has been made (and the truth about the Osteens been very publicly spotlighted) by what his wife Victory has stated.
“I just want to encourage every one of us to realize that, when we obey God—we’re not doing it for God, I mean that’s one way to look at it—we’re doing it for ourselves, because God takes pleasure when we’re happy. That’s the thing that gives him the greatest joy this morning. So I want you to know this morning, just do good for your own self. Do good because God wants you to be happy. When you come to church and when you worship him, you’re not doing it for God, really; you’re doing it for yourself, because that’s what makes God happy.”
What did she say? She tried to temper her statement, but there really is no hiding the self-serving, self-centered mission - both personal and organizationally of the Osteen circus.
But lets be brutally honest - tens of thousands (some numbers as high as 30,000) "worship" at the Osteen Temple on a weekly basis. Countless millions outside that building, across this nation, and around the world, hang on every word that drips from Joel and Victoria's mouths. Undoubtably, there are many of the "faithful masses" of Osteen disciples who have professed Jesus Christ as Lord. Sadly, one has to wonder how a supposedly born-again Christian can swallow the anti-Christian bile that the Osteens hurl. But one only has to open scripture to see a resounding and clear explanation that would be wise for us all to ponder on, pray on, and remind others of:
"For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths."
2 Timothy 4:3
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Thoughts on the "Border Crisis"
There is no doubt that there is a humanitarian nightmare unfolding along the Southern border of the United States. Regardless of one's political views, particularly revolving around immigration, one thing is abundantly clear - we have a problem. This post will not even begin to attempt to address the larger issues regarding immigration (legal & illegal). Instead, this entry will focus on the particular humanitarian issues relating to the tens of thousands of unaccompanied juveniles flooding across the border, being housed in pretty horrible conditions, then being bussed to various locations around the country.
Let us first look at what is going on. Beginning several months ago, young people primarily from Central American countries as well as Mexico began coming across the border. While there has long been a flow of children and young adults, usually with their family entering the nation "illegally", this latest flood is a whole new situation - many of these children are unaccompanied. The story that has been laid out by the media and the current administration is that these children are just "innocent kids fleeing violence, gangs, oppression, disease, and looking for a better life. There is little doubt that conditions in those countries are often quite bad. On the other hand, while the public story has been that these children were simply fleeing conditions at home, the evidence points to a much more sinister event. Months ago, the US Government solicited bids to house and transport tens of thousands of immigrants, primarily children. This was before the current situation grew anywhere near its current scale. There is mounting evidence that this situation was engineered for political reasons, using children as pawns in that political game. But that brings us to how we, as Christians, should view the situation - and respond.
Returning to the opening paragraph - regardless of your views on the general issues of immigration, a major portion of the current flood across the border is made up of unaccompanied children - as young as toddlers. Many of those children traveled thousands of miles. Imagine a 3 or 4 year old child somehow wandering all the way across Mexico to enter the US. They were somehow helped (often by "Coyotes" - paid mercenaries who's "job" is to transport illegal immigrants to the US). Children. And they came with promises made - made of a better life.
But along with these children is another disturbing group - the young, extremely violent gang members - mostly affiliated with the infamous MS-13. They are coming across for opportunities - but none have to do with a better life, being law-abiding citizens, or even helping their "poor family at home" - but about furthering gang powers and drug distribution networks.
Yet another component of this massive inflow is the baggage of diseases long considered eradicated in this nation.
Our job, as professing Christians, is to see this first for the fundamental issue it is - a humanitarian disaster. Tens of thousands of children are being used as pawns and being put through some pretty awful conditions in the process. Regardless of their "legal status" (we can discuss that once we deal with the immediate issues), children need to see the love of Christ displayed.
The Old Testament contains the commands from God to His people to not abuse or take advantage of the "sojourner" while they are in the land. In fact it also says to leave provision for them (the remains of your harvest are to be left in the fields/vineyards for the widows, orphans, and sojourners).
Glenn Beck, the controversial media personality and political pundit has taken a great deal of grief for loading up semi trucks full of food, toys, and hope to help as many of these children that are still in detention as possible. The vitriol focuses on the need to "take care of our own first". While I would hesitate to lump Beck in with the term "Christian" (he practices Mormonism), he is indeed demonstrating the right attitude towards these children. Beck has said that these children should be returned to their families, but while they are here (the definition of "sojourner is someone who is somewhere for a time - but will be moving on or returning home), we need to treat them well, and love them.
And let us be really honest - again despite one's views on immigration - these are human beings that God created in His image. Mistreating them would be directly against what the Lord would have us do. We should "do good", we should share Christ with them, not only through our words, but through the actions of our hands. After we have made a concerted effort to care for these children, we should then take an honest look at how we got in this mess - And in the name of justice - we should seek to answer and call out those responsible for using (abusing) these children for political gain.
It is true that we have some huge issues to address in this nation regarding immigration. But we must first see these children as the human beings they are - and care for them.
Let us first look at what is going on. Beginning several months ago, young people primarily from Central American countries as well as Mexico began coming across the border. While there has long been a flow of children and young adults, usually with their family entering the nation "illegally", this latest flood is a whole new situation - many of these children are unaccompanied. The story that has been laid out by the media and the current administration is that these children are just "innocent kids fleeing violence, gangs, oppression, disease, and looking for a better life. There is little doubt that conditions in those countries are often quite bad. On the other hand, while the public story has been that these children were simply fleeing conditions at home, the evidence points to a much more sinister event. Months ago, the US Government solicited bids to house and transport tens of thousands of immigrants, primarily children. This was before the current situation grew anywhere near its current scale. There is mounting evidence that this situation was engineered for political reasons, using children as pawns in that political game. But that brings us to how we, as Christians, should view the situation - and respond.
Returning to the opening paragraph - regardless of your views on the general issues of immigration, a major portion of the current flood across the border is made up of unaccompanied children - as young as toddlers. Many of those children traveled thousands of miles. Imagine a 3 or 4 year old child somehow wandering all the way across Mexico to enter the US. They were somehow helped (often by "Coyotes" - paid mercenaries who's "job" is to transport illegal immigrants to the US). Children. And they came with promises made - made of a better life.
But along with these children is another disturbing group - the young, extremely violent gang members - mostly affiliated with the infamous MS-13. They are coming across for opportunities - but none have to do with a better life, being law-abiding citizens, or even helping their "poor family at home" - but about furthering gang powers and drug distribution networks.
Yet another component of this massive inflow is the baggage of diseases long considered eradicated in this nation.
Our job, as professing Christians, is to see this first for the fundamental issue it is - a humanitarian disaster. Tens of thousands of children are being used as pawns and being put through some pretty awful conditions in the process. Regardless of their "legal status" (we can discuss that once we deal with the immediate issues), children need to see the love of Christ displayed.
The Old Testament contains the commands from God to His people to not abuse or take advantage of the "sojourner" while they are in the land. In fact it also says to leave provision for them (the remains of your harvest are to be left in the fields/vineyards for the widows, orphans, and sojourners).
Glenn Beck, the controversial media personality and political pundit has taken a great deal of grief for loading up semi trucks full of food, toys, and hope to help as many of these children that are still in detention as possible. The vitriol focuses on the need to "take care of our own first". While I would hesitate to lump Beck in with the term "Christian" (he practices Mormonism), he is indeed demonstrating the right attitude towards these children. Beck has said that these children should be returned to their families, but while they are here (the definition of "sojourner is someone who is somewhere for a time - but will be moving on or returning home), we need to treat them well, and love them.
And let us be really honest - again despite one's views on immigration - these are human beings that God created in His image. Mistreating them would be directly against what the Lord would have us do. We should "do good", we should share Christ with them, not only through our words, but through the actions of our hands. After we have made a concerted effort to care for these children, we should then take an honest look at how we got in this mess - And in the name of justice - we should seek to answer and call out those responsible for using (abusing) these children for political gain.
It is true that we have some huge issues to address in this nation regarding immigration. But we must first see these children as the human beings they are - and care for them.
Monday, May 12, 2014
What Is "Marriage"?
I have been contemplating posting on this subject for some time, but with the recent events here in Arkansas, I will risk the label of "reactionary" to publish this. One word of caution - this post is likely to be long, as there are so many factors and points to address.
#1 - What Is Marriage?
I will just jump right off on the subject. I find it nearly impossible to grasp that in my lifetime, this is even a question being asked. Most of us who have been alive more than a decade can recall a time when this question would have been though of as "silly". But the answer is far from it.
Biblically, Marriage is the form of relationship established by God between one man and one woman. This was first exhibited in the first humans to walk the earth - Adam and Eve. God created Adam, then seeing that it was not good for Adam to be alone, God created Eve, beginning with a rib from Adam. Eve was created as a "helpmate" - a lifelong companion and help. Yes, not so long thereafter, we find that Eve was far from a "help" when she chose to cooperate with the serpent in the deception, opening the floodgates of sin and corruption that we are still facing and suffering with today. But that does not diminish the picture God put into place - His divine plan played out time and again (and has been corrupted time and again by humanity) through the ages.
Both the Old and New Testaments clearly depict God's intent for humanity is to either live within the bonds of His definition of marriage (one man, one woman - for life Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5), or to live single and celibate (1 Corinthians 7:1-8). He gives no other option to still be living within His will.
Marriage has never, either in biblical terms or on the so-called "laws of nature" been defined as between two of the same gender.
#2 - What's Going On?
In the span of about a decade, a war has been launched by those choosing to live the "homosexual" lifestyle. A war that gained a great deal of traction in a government that has thrown God out of the public realm. As this war began heating up, several states began passing legislation, and even constitutional amendments to "protect" (maybe better - enshrine) the definition of marriage according to historical and biblical definition - one man and one woman. Arkansas was among those states, with the legislature voting overwhelmingly for a piece of legislation, and with the voters approving a Constitutional Amendment to protect this definition. Many felt the battle was over, but while this issue was working its way through both the legislature and to the polling place, one county in Arkansas chose to issue marriage licenses in violation of these laws - Carroll County, Arkansas (Eureka Springs). While these "licenses" were overturned, it proved that some would not give up so easily, even in the face of overwhelming opposition by even those outside of Christianity.
Over the course of the last several years, the war has been taken up in other states where there is measurably more sympathy for homosexuality. Even in California, a state that has long been identified as pro-homosexual, a Constitutional Amendment was passed by voters by a large margin - only to be overturned by a court. State-by-state, courts have ignore the will of the people and the very constitutions these judges swore to uphold and protect.
And Arkansas has found itself now the center of the spotlight in the nation in the same war. This past Friday (May 9), Circuit Judge Chris Piazza issued a ruling, right at the close of business, overturning both Arkansas' "Marriage Protection Act" and Arkansas Constitutional Amendment 3 of 2004, based on the "Equal Protection" clause of the US Constitution. In that ruling, we find that Judge Piazza was acting, not based upon law or the Constitution, but on a personal political agenda. There is little other explanation on how a judge can find a Constitutional Amendment to be unconstitutional. But the real evidence comes when one considers that the judge waited until the very last moments of business hours Friday to issue his verdict - precluding there being an appeal and a likely stay issued before the weekend. And imagine this - but the same Carroll County Clerk was ready and waiting to be open on Saturday (outside their normal business hours) to issue a slew of "marriage licenses" to same-sex couples. How much more blatant and obvious could the coordination be?
But what it comes down to - Marriage is being redefined daily. The Word of God is being further thrown out, and this nation will pay a high price.
#3 - How Did We Get Here?
This is the "Million Dollar Question", and yet when we begin to take an honest (and not very popular) look, we will find that we shouldn't' be so surprised by the events of the last decades.
You see - the war on marriage has been going on since the very first couple in the Garden of Eden. As I mentioned earlier, Even willingly participated in the corruption Satan plotted to insert into creation.
Then, as the biblical record unfolds, we find that even among many of God's chosen people and leaders - they stretched and adulterated God's definition of marriage - through polygamy, adultery, and the failure to live as God called them to live.
God gave Moses instructions in dealing with those who wished to "put away" their wives - not because God condoned divorce, but because He fully knew that corrupt and sinful man would mess up anyway, so He gave some very specific guidelines for divorce (Deuteronomy 24:1-4). Jesus addressed divorce in somewhat stronger language in Matthew 5:31-32. Indeed, this latter reference is the one most troublesome in the current war on marriage.
You see - Christianity, while not the only voice in favor of natural marriage (one man + one woman), has long been the most influential voice in moral issues for this nation. Yet what have we made Marriage? Divorce among professed Christians is the same as those outside the church. Entire denominations have accepted divorce as the "norm". Right along with that - both by Jesus definition of adultery, and in literal adultery, "the church" has been relatively silent. We have condoned adultery and divorce as somehow morally acceptable (moral relativism), but have even encouraged it - providing excuse and soft talk to justify it.
Then, to further muddy the waters, how many local churches have members or the families of those members, who live together outside of wedlock? They "enjoy the physical rewards" without the legal or moral commitment of marriage. Generations now have been raised in such conditions - and we wonder why each subsequent group grows more sympathetic and even approving of cohabitation and by extension - the redefinition of marriage.
The sad and hard fact we must face - because the church has failed to live as the church - as the "Christ" we love to claim - because we have failed to "keep His commands". Because we ourselves have failed to give evidence of a greater Hope in Christ Jesus - our influence and our voice has been muffled and even silenced.
And this doesn't even begin to touch on the related issue of unregenerate church membership (a whole other future blog post).
We have as much brought the current destruction of marriage on ourselves as those promoting homosexuality have inflicted. And the unfortunate reality is - we have cornered ourselves into a reactionary position. Now, when we speak out against homosexuality and the forcing of it as acceptable and to be supported by all - it sounds as if we have some kind of irrational hate to spew because we are focusing on the one issue at hand. We are in a difficult position.
#4 - So Now What?
The reality is - unless we, as born-again Christians wake up and return to God's Way - to the "Commands of Christ", we are going to accomplish little. What it will take to change the course of events in this nation is a genuine revival. Not a superficial "back to church Sunday" kind of revival, but a genuine revival, empowered by the Holy Spirit that spreads like wildfire. But where does God's Word say revival must begin? It must begin where judgment begins (1 Peter 4:17) - in the "household of God". We who have received the Truth must LIVE according to that truth. Recall the old saying - "your actions speak louder than words"? If we speak the Truth, but fail to live lives reflecting the Truth - then we are no better than they hypocritical "do as I say, not as I do". If we want to see marriage respected as God intended it, we ourselves must respect it. As long as self-identified Christians continue to make a mockery of marriage - the world will think no higher of it.
This does not mean we should remain quiet and by said silence, condone the current assault on marriage. But it does mean we must remove the motes from our own eyes before we begin digging out the splinters in the rest of the world's eyes.
If we are not willing to clean out our own spiritual house, then we have no right to try to clean out the rest of this nation's moral failings. In this flesh, we are not perfect, but that is no excuse to live willfully in sin.
The truth is - no-one will ever find genuine happiness and contentment engaged in the homosexual lifestyle, regardless of any legal recognition or mandates by a court. Just as those who willingly engage in any sinful behavior never find genuine joy. The only try joy and fulfillment in this life comes through a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Whether it be homosexuality (and all forms of sexual immorality), adultery, idolatry, pride, or any other chosen sin - we must be willing to shun it all. We must fight against ALL sin, beginning with ourselves, our households, and in our local churches. If we fail in this - then we WILL fail to see a moral (and spiritual) revival in this land.
And eventually - we will incur the judgment and wrath of a Holy and Righteous God.
#1 - What Is Marriage?
I will just jump right off on the subject. I find it nearly impossible to grasp that in my lifetime, this is even a question being asked. Most of us who have been alive more than a decade can recall a time when this question would have been though of as "silly". But the answer is far from it.
Both the Old and New Testaments clearly depict God's intent for humanity is to either live within the bonds of His definition of marriage (one man, one woman - for life Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5), or to live single and celibate (1 Corinthians 7:1-8). He gives no other option to still be living within His will.
Marriage has never, either in biblical terms or on the so-called "laws of nature" been defined as between two of the same gender.
#2 - What's Going On?
In the span of about a decade, a war has been launched by those choosing to live the "homosexual" lifestyle. A war that gained a great deal of traction in a government that has thrown God out of the public realm. As this war began heating up, several states began passing legislation, and even constitutional amendments to "protect" (maybe better - enshrine) the definition of marriage according to historical and biblical definition - one man and one woman. Arkansas was among those states, with the legislature voting overwhelmingly for a piece of legislation, and with the voters approving a Constitutional Amendment to protect this definition. Many felt the battle was over, but while this issue was working its way through both the legislature and to the polling place, one county in Arkansas chose to issue marriage licenses in violation of these laws - Carroll County, Arkansas (Eureka Springs). While these "licenses" were overturned, it proved that some would not give up so easily, even in the face of overwhelming opposition by even those outside of Christianity.
Over the course of the last several years, the war has been taken up in other states where there is measurably more sympathy for homosexuality. Even in California, a state that has long been identified as pro-homosexual, a Constitutional Amendment was passed by voters by a large margin - only to be overturned by a court. State-by-state, courts have ignore the will of the people and the very constitutions these judges swore to uphold and protect.
And Arkansas has found itself now the center of the spotlight in the nation in the same war. This past Friday (May 9), Circuit Judge Chris Piazza issued a ruling, right at the close of business, overturning both Arkansas' "Marriage Protection Act" and Arkansas Constitutional Amendment 3 of 2004, based on the "Equal Protection" clause of the US Constitution. In that ruling, we find that Judge Piazza was acting, not based upon law or the Constitution, but on a personal political agenda. There is little other explanation on how a judge can find a Constitutional Amendment to be unconstitutional. But the real evidence comes when one considers that the judge waited until the very last moments of business hours Friday to issue his verdict - precluding there being an appeal and a likely stay issued before the weekend. And imagine this - but the same Carroll County Clerk was ready and waiting to be open on Saturday (outside their normal business hours) to issue a slew of "marriage licenses" to same-sex couples. How much more blatant and obvious could the coordination be?
But what it comes down to - Marriage is being redefined daily. The Word of God is being further thrown out, and this nation will pay a high price.
#3 - How Did We Get Here?
This is the "Million Dollar Question", and yet when we begin to take an honest (and not very popular) look, we will find that we shouldn't' be so surprised by the events of the last decades.
You see - the war on marriage has been going on since the very first couple in the Garden of Eden. As I mentioned earlier, Even willingly participated in the corruption Satan plotted to insert into creation.
Then, as the biblical record unfolds, we find that even among many of God's chosen people and leaders - they stretched and adulterated God's definition of marriage - through polygamy, adultery, and the failure to live as God called them to live.
God gave Moses instructions in dealing with those who wished to "put away" their wives - not because God condoned divorce, but because He fully knew that corrupt and sinful man would mess up anyway, so He gave some very specific guidelines for divorce (Deuteronomy 24:1-4). Jesus addressed divorce in somewhat stronger language in Matthew 5:31-32. Indeed, this latter reference is the one most troublesome in the current war on marriage.
You see - Christianity, while not the only voice in favor of natural marriage (one man + one woman), has long been the most influential voice in moral issues for this nation. Yet what have we made Marriage? Divorce among professed Christians is the same as those outside the church. Entire denominations have accepted divorce as the "norm". Right along with that - both by Jesus definition of adultery, and in literal adultery, "the church" has been relatively silent. We have condoned adultery and divorce as somehow morally acceptable (moral relativism), but have even encouraged it - providing excuse and soft talk to justify it.
Then, to further muddy the waters, how many local churches have members or the families of those members, who live together outside of wedlock? They "enjoy the physical rewards" without the legal or moral commitment of marriage. Generations now have been raised in such conditions - and we wonder why each subsequent group grows more sympathetic and even approving of cohabitation and by extension - the redefinition of marriage.
The sad and hard fact we must face - because the church has failed to live as the church - as the "Christ" we love to claim - because we have failed to "keep His commands". Because we ourselves have failed to give evidence of a greater Hope in Christ Jesus - our influence and our voice has been muffled and even silenced.
And this doesn't even begin to touch on the related issue of unregenerate church membership (a whole other future blog post).
We have as much brought the current destruction of marriage on ourselves as those promoting homosexuality have inflicted. And the unfortunate reality is - we have cornered ourselves into a reactionary position. Now, when we speak out against homosexuality and the forcing of it as acceptable and to be supported by all - it sounds as if we have some kind of irrational hate to spew because we are focusing on the one issue at hand. We are in a difficult position.
#4 - So Now What?
The reality is - unless we, as born-again Christians wake up and return to God's Way - to the "Commands of Christ", we are going to accomplish little. What it will take to change the course of events in this nation is a genuine revival. Not a superficial "back to church Sunday" kind of revival, but a genuine revival, empowered by the Holy Spirit that spreads like wildfire. But where does God's Word say revival must begin? It must begin where judgment begins (1 Peter 4:17) - in the "household of God". We who have received the Truth must LIVE according to that truth. Recall the old saying - "your actions speak louder than words"? If we speak the Truth, but fail to live lives reflecting the Truth - then we are no better than they hypocritical "do as I say, not as I do". If we want to see marriage respected as God intended it, we ourselves must respect it. As long as self-identified Christians continue to make a mockery of marriage - the world will think no higher of it.
This does not mean we should remain quiet and by said silence, condone the current assault on marriage. But it does mean we must remove the motes from our own eyes before we begin digging out the splinters in the rest of the world's eyes.
If we are not willing to clean out our own spiritual house, then we have no right to try to clean out the rest of this nation's moral failings. In this flesh, we are not perfect, but that is no excuse to live willfully in sin.
The truth is - no-one will ever find genuine happiness and contentment engaged in the homosexual lifestyle, regardless of any legal recognition or mandates by a court. Just as those who willingly engage in any sinful behavior never find genuine joy. The only try joy and fulfillment in this life comes through a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Whether it be homosexuality (and all forms of sexual immorality), adultery, idolatry, pride, or any other chosen sin - we must be willing to shun it all. We must fight against ALL sin, beginning with ourselves, our households, and in our local churches. If we fail in this - then we WILL fail to see a moral (and spiritual) revival in this land.
And eventually - we will incur the judgment and wrath of a Holy and Righteous God.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Death Penalty and the Christian (and An Ironic Twist)
There is a great deal of controversy and debate over the death penalty/capital punishment. Many well-meaning Christians point to the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross to pay for our sins. They look to scripture that clearly says that we all deserve death for our sins. Unfortunately, while scripture does say that the "wages of sin is death", the death is an eternal death, separated from God in Hell and the Lake of Fire. We all will indeed die one day.
Others point to the Old Testament Law and its clear demands for death in a wide variety of crimes.
So what should our attitude be towards the death penalty? Did Jesus' death somehow eliminate the "need" for capital punishment? I submit that the Death Penalty is not just morally correct, but is biblical. Further, the death penalty, applied liberally is not a violation of the US Constitution's prohibition on "cruel and unusual punishment" (8th Amendment).
In Genesis 9:6 we read “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image."
It would seem obvious that human life is extremely important to God! Why? Because we are made in His image. God's word clearly identifies murder as grounds for being put to death. If one were to read further, God even made provision to spare the lives of those who shed blood by accident or through what we might define as "justifiable" circumstances by today's terms.
Scripture also squarely places the authority to wield the sword in the hands of the government. Even if we have a hard time seeing where "good" comes from our governments, God has ordained and empowered governments.
At no point has God removed or changed His mind regarding murder. Some point to Jesus and His intervention when the woman "caught in adultery" was going to be stoned to death. What most fail to realize, is that Jesus' statement “Let him who is without sin among yoube the first to throw a stone at her” John 8:7, was not an undoing of the Law, but was a conviction of the hearts of the men who were, in reality, testing Jesus. They had hoped Jesus would argue against the law, but instead the Law was turned back on them - because of the hypocrisy they were demonstrating. Where was the man involved? It takes two to commit physical adultery! Jesus was not condemning the death penalty, He was condemning hypocrisy.
But that brings us back to the death penally, applied through the laws of this nation and our states.
The Old Testament law commanded the death penalty for several acts, including murder (Exodus 21:12), kidnapping (Exodus 21:16), bestiality (Exodus 22:19), adultery (Leviticus 20:10), homosexuality (Leviticus 20:13), prostitution and rape (Deuteronomy 22:24), and other crimes.
Others point to the Old Testament Law and its clear demands for death in a wide variety of crimes.
So what should our attitude be towards the death penalty? Did Jesus' death somehow eliminate the "need" for capital punishment? I submit that the Death Penalty is not just morally correct, but is biblical. Further, the death penalty, applied liberally is not a violation of the US Constitution's prohibition on "cruel and unusual punishment" (8th Amendment).
In Genesis 9:6 we read “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image."
It would seem obvious that human life is extremely important to God! Why? Because we are made in His image. God's word clearly identifies murder as grounds for being put to death. If one were to read further, God even made provision to spare the lives of those who shed blood by accident or through what we might define as "justifiable" circumstances by today's terms.
Scripture also squarely places the authority to wield the sword in the hands of the government. Even if we have a hard time seeing where "good" comes from our governments, God has ordained and empowered governments.
At no point has God removed or changed His mind regarding murder. Some point to Jesus and His intervention when the woman "caught in adultery" was going to be stoned to death. What most fail to realize, is that Jesus' statement “Let him who is without sin among yoube the first to throw a stone at her” John 8:7, was not an undoing of the Law, but was a conviction of the hearts of the men who were, in reality, testing Jesus. They had hoped Jesus would argue against the law, but instead the Law was turned back on them - because of the hypocrisy they were demonstrating. Where was the man involved? It takes two to commit physical adultery! Jesus was not condemning the death penalty, He was condemning hypocrisy.
But that brings us back to the death penally, applied through the laws of this nation and our states.
The Old Testament law commanded the death penalty for several acts, including murder (Exodus 21:12), kidnapping (Exodus 21:16), bestiality (Exodus 22:19), adultery (Leviticus 20:10), homosexuality (Leviticus 20:13), prostitution and rape (Deuteronomy 22:24), and other crimes.
While God often did show mercy when death was the "due" (David's adultery and murder being one example), and the truth that every sin we commit should result in the death penalty because the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), ultimately the death due for sin is an eternal death, separated from God in an eternal Hell and Lake of Fire. This should remind us of how thankful we should be that God demonstrates His love for us in not condemning us (Romans 5:8).
But we must recognize that God gave the authority to apply the death penalty where appropriate. And while Christians should not celebrate executions, we should not rail against it either.
This brings up one of the biggest ironies of all in my mind (or maybe it is hypocrisy?): How many people are staunchly against the application of the death penalty, yet are just as energetic in promoting abortion. Will we protect the blatantly guilty, while destroying the unborn who are the closest to "innocent" we ever are in this flesh?
Think about it.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
The Bible - Translations and Trust, Can We?
Something that comes up every-so-often in my world is questions over the Bible. They usually fall into three categories:
A. Can we really trust the Bible? "Science keeps throwing out 'evidence' that the Bible really true." And we all know that the lost, anti-God (yet strangely religious - the religion of "Secular Humanism") Bible-haters in the media are all too happy to jump on every bandwagon against the Word of God that comes along! (See Camels and Genesis as an example.)
B. Can we really trust the Bible? There are so many "different Bibles" - how can they all be right?
C. Which Translation is the "real" Word of God?
Let me begin this entry with a few disclaimers for the sake of disclosure -
I believe that the Bible is the very word of God, literally "breathed out" by the Holy Spirit through men, selected by God for the purpose (2 Timothy 3:16-17), and that the Bible, in its original manuscripts is absolutely perfect and infallible. I also am a firm believer in the Five Solae, which begins with Sola Scriptura - Scripture alone is the measure and standard for faith and practice.
I also must disclose that I am not a "translation snob" - meaning that I am not a King James Only (or any other translation) adherent. But I will go into more detail later in this post.
So - to address the three main avenues of questions listed above, I will step through them one-at-a-time. Please understand, a blog post just cannot be comprehensive or even begin to address every issue.
A. "Science" - For every supposed answer from science to disprove the Bible, there is archeological evidence that proves the validity of the biblical record. Time and again, finds reveal previously unknown facts that indeed are recorded in the Bible. Kings and others of note that many "scientists' denied there was any evidence of, have been "found" in archeological artifacts. Even entire cities believed by many Bible-deniers to be fictional, have been found - exactly where the Bible recorded them to be. As to the recent hoopla over how supposed testing of fossils of camels somehow disproves the Genesis account, here is a much better rebuttal than I could have generated in this limited setting: Camel evidence proves God and Bible. What it often comes down to is how evidence is interpreted. If one approaches finds with a clear and overriding presupposition, it isn't a surprise when you interpret supposed evidence to match your presupposition. Further, there is always a question of IF evidence is really what it is claimed to be in the first place. But in short - "science" as a field, has tried for centuries to disprove the Word of God - enormous resources have been expended on the effort, and it all has been an utter failure. Indeed, the more genuine science is, the more it should cause us to have awe and wonder at the God of Creation who spoke it all into existence, ordering all things according to His perfect will!
B. So Many Translations - Indeed, if you walk into any Christian bookstore, you will likely find more translations/versions that you have fingers and toes (and this is just English translations)! It is no wonder this question comes up. To complicate the issue, there are groups who are so dogmatic and unwavering in their "choice" of translation, who attack and alienate those who do not strictly adhere to their "superior" choice of versions (the greatest of these being the King James Only crowd).
The thing to remember - the number of translations does not, by itself, take away from the truth that God's Word is true, reliable, and sufficient. But we also have to understand that every English translation on the shelf of the Bible has a background, purpose, and yes - even an agenda. What is amazing - while there are translations (and paraphrases disguised as translations) that really do desecrate the Word of God, there are people who the Lord has used even some of the less reliable versions to change hearts and lives. I believe this is a reflection on the real power of the Word of God, particularly when empowered by the Holy Spirit!
But this all goes back to - the Bible, in it's original manuscripts (Hebrew, Koine Greek, and Aramaic) indeed was accurate - and God has, just as He promised, preserved His Word through time for our benefit.
But that brings us to the final (and likely largest part of this post):
C. Which Translation? I have been asked this question many times. This can be a tricky question, or it can be quite simple. Unfortunately, when you are dealing with people's previous experiences, what they have heard from others, and their own ability (and willingness) to listen, it rarely in practice, is simple. I will not present an extensive English Translation history here, as there are many resources available online and in print that are presented by those with much more knowledge and information than I have. What I want to do is present some facts and some information, and of course - my view, and then leave it in your hands to do with what you will.
Translation - the rendering of something into another language or into one's own from another language. (dictionary.com).
What this dry definition fails to mention, is that there is a very real "art form" to the act of translating. Many language do not easily translate from one language to another. Whether it be that there is no direct equal in the recipient language, or the very common and often dramatically different grammar rules and practices, translation is more than simple word substitution. This is particularly true with biblical languages. Hebrew, which uses a completely alien (to the English speaker) alphabet, writing format, and radically different grammar, makes translation a major endeavor. Biblical (Koine) Greek, while still using a dramatically different grammar, at least shares some similarities with the English language. Unfortunately, grammar is not one of them! So just the originating language itself presents major obstacles in the act (or art) of translation.
Another reality we must face when dealing with biblical translation - "WHY?". I mean this as a nice way of asking what is the purpose or agenda of this translation effort? Every single translation ever done of God's Word, regardless of language, has had an "agenda". For some, like the Tyndale Bible, the main objective was to get the Bible into the hands of the common man, and are represented by men like John Wycliffe and William Tyndale. For others, particularly troublesome in some of the more contemporary translation efforts, the work has not necessarily been so altruistic. Some have come out of a desire to change or mold doctrine to fit a particular slant, or worse - have been more about financial profits than making God's word accessible. And this plays heavily into the next set of facts.
Bible Translation Methods. There are two primary concepts in translation - Word for word (Formal equivalent, or simply "literal"), and Dynamic Equivalent (thought-for-thought). As mentioned before, translation is an art form. Language often do not easily transition to another language without confusion. Just try out the ever-improving tools on the internet for translation. While they are getting slowly better, overall the quality of translation from say Spanish to English, or English to French (which share some grammar and a common alphabet) still is awkward at best. Try translating between very different language (Russian to English is particularly entertaining!). It looses a lot in translation. Now, ponder on translating something as eternally important as the Bible! We already face the truth that no "original manuscripts" have been found. We have copies, of copies, of copies - generally in fragments on very delicate parchment or papyri. Further, in the case of the Greek manuscripts, there is no punctuation, in all capital letters, and with no space between words. So even for the highly-trained expert in biblical languages, we can see that there is a great challenge before the translator.
So you sit down to begin translation. The most obvious beginning point would be to work through whichever set of manuscripts you are going to work from (thankfully, many have already assembled collections and published texts that you don't have to figure out word divisions), doing what you can to directly translate from word-to word. Here is an example found in a book I use regularly - (Concordant Greek Text, Concordant Publishing):
Can you figure out what very famous passage this is from? Even if you read the English interlinear, you might be confused. This is what it would look like to purely translate "word-for-word". Now that you have the words translated (as best as you can), you then are tasked with making this readable to your target audience. This is where things get tricky. As you rearrange the words to fit English grammar, you risk not only losing or altering the meaning, but you may very well see that words you selected in the direct translation just don't work too well. Nevermind that a significant portion of scripture (most evident in the Old Testament) is in a poetic form that directly impacts the meaning of the text. Never mind the cultural differences over the 2000+ years that make a simple turn of a word have a very different connotation today. So the translator's task is to make the translation functional and accurate - and hopefully carry through the meaning of the text as well. But that leads to the other extreme of translation - the "thought-for-thought" method. Where the actual words are not as important as trying to convey "meaning". But is it not obvious how dangerous this can quickly become? Who gets to decide the meaning? What basis is that decision made? And here comes the "agenda" we mentioned before. Are you approaching the translation with a set of presuppositions that you are trying to "prove"? Are you under pressure from an employer (or in the case of the Authorized King James Version), under penalty of death if the translation doesn't match the existing set of doctrines and guidelines given?
Which brings us back to the necessity of grasping how a translator (or translation team) approaches the texts. It is this writer's view that the more literal the translation is, generally the better. There is great danger in processing through what one thinks a passage means, then recording that thought as the concrete Word of God. We also need to understand that the English language has changed (and continues to change) every day. I have a great deal of respect for the King James Version of the Bible. I believe, in it's time, it was practically a miracle in how well it was translated. But even if one were to overlook some issues with both the source manuscripts and the guidelines established for the translators that included some very clear agendas, the language itself has changed in many ways as to actually alter scripture's meaning in our contemporary understanding. The idioms used, the actual words use, and so much more present a difficulty, even for the relatively educated English speaker. I spent the first several years of my ministry preaching exclusively from the KJV, and I have never regretted that. But I also learned that the process of clarifying what that translation said, in light of the meaning of words today, often was a time-consuming and sometimes confusing for the listener process that got in the way of simply proclaiming what God was saying and how it applies in our lives.
So how do you decide what translation to use? I suggest several things to consider:
1. If you are currently actively engaged in a local church, what translation does your pastor use? You might take a little time to have a personal visit with him to discuss this. Using the same translation as the one who you will regularly hear preaching from will help you in your growth and understanding.
2. What is the translation philosophy for a particular version? Were the translators more concerned with accurate, word-for-word translation, or were they focused on thoughts? I would strongly suggest that word-for-word translation should be the first priority.
3. What is your reading level? Yes, even our ability to read can play a part in selecting a translation. I have grown to really like the NASB (New American Standard Bible), as it is among the most literal, word-for-word translations. But it is on the 11th-12th grade reading level (much like the KJV, but in contemporary English). Some people have a hard time with the language used in the NASB, which is one of the many reasons I particularly like the ESV (English Standard Version). Indeed, the ESV has become my primary preaching and teaching Bible, because it is still quite literal in its translation method, retains much of the poetic format and structure found in scripture, and yet has a somewhat smoother (in most cases) reading flow than the NASB. As we progress from there, we find the HCSB (Holman Christian Standard Bible - published by Holman Bible Publishers, a division of Lifeway - the publishing arm of the SBC), which reads similarly to the NIV (1984 Edition), but is slightly more literal in translation method is yet another step more readable, but does rely more on translating thoughts.
On the other end of the spectrum are the translations that lean ever more greatly on "dynamic equivalent" - thought-for-thought. And with that comes confusion and even changes to what the Bible actually says. Here are a couple of helpful charts that help to see where, relatively, common Bible translations fall in relation to translation methods and philosophy:
Notice that to the far "right" side of both illustrations, you find "Paraphrases". The most popular today of paraphrases is The Message. It is important to understand that this "version" is not a translation, but is the work of a limited number of people, who have digested and written what they feel the scriptures are saying, all in very contemporary simplified language. Unfortunately, this has brought about what serious Bible scholars often view as a real problem. Over-simplification has caused the text to lose a great deal of meaning. Further, the opinions and views of the publisher are very evident. My strong suggestion to you is to avoid this "version". If you really need a much simpler-reading version, take a look at the "New Living Translation". While it is dramatically "thought-for-thought" in production, and it does take some liberties in its simplification and some questionable decisions on gender, it is better than most on the easy-reading side. While I would not recommend it for serious Bible study, for devotional use (as long as you are willing to look at the same passage in a more literal translation), it can be a positive tool.
And while I could continue on with this post, I will leave it here - KJV, NASB, ESV, HCSB, NIV (84), NLT... the translation won't matter if you don't actually read it, pray about it, and apply what you read to your life! As a pastor, I want those in my congregation to read and apply God's Word every day in their lives - and to that end, I am less concerned with WHICH translation, and more concerned that they are using it!
If you have any question - or would like to discuss this further, please leave a reply, or contact me.
Have a blessed day....
Have you read your Bible today?
A. Can we really trust the Bible? "Science keeps throwing out 'evidence' that the Bible really true." And we all know that the lost, anti-God (yet strangely religious - the religion of "Secular Humanism") Bible-haters in the media are all too happy to jump on every bandwagon against the Word of God that comes along! (See Camels and Genesis as an example.)
B. Can we really trust the Bible? There are so many "different Bibles" - how can they all be right?
C. Which Translation is the "real" Word of God?
Let me begin this entry with a few disclaimers for the sake of disclosure -
I believe that the Bible is the very word of God, literally "breathed out" by the Holy Spirit through men, selected by God for the purpose (2 Timothy 3:16-17), and that the Bible, in its original manuscripts is absolutely perfect and infallible. I also am a firm believer in the Five Solae, which begins with Sola Scriptura - Scripture alone is the measure and standard for faith and practice.
I also must disclose that I am not a "translation snob" - meaning that I am not a King James Only (or any other translation) adherent. But I will go into more detail later in this post.
So - to address the three main avenues of questions listed above, I will step through them one-at-a-time. Please understand, a blog post just cannot be comprehensive or even begin to address every issue.
A. "Science" - For every supposed answer from science to disprove the Bible, there is archeological evidence that proves the validity of the biblical record. Time and again, finds reveal previously unknown facts that indeed are recorded in the Bible. Kings and others of note that many "scientists' denied there was any evidence of, have been "found" in archeological artifacts. Even entire cities believed by many Bible-deniers to be fictional, have been found - exactly where the Bible recorded them to be. As to the recent hoopla over how supposed testing of fossils of camels somehow disproves the Genesis account, here is a much better rebuttal than I could have generated in this limited setting: Camel evidence proves God and Bible. What it often comes down to is how evidence is interpreted. If one approaches finds with a clear and overriding presupposition, it isn't a surprise when you interpret supposed evidence to match your presupposition. Further, there is always a question of IF evidence is really what it is claimed to be in the first place. But in short - "science" as a field, has tried for centuries to disprove the Word of God - enormous resources have been expended on the effort, and it all has been an utter failure. Indeed, the more genuine science is, the more it should cause us to have awe and wonder at the God of Creation who spoke it all into existence, ordering all things according to His perfect will!
B. So Many Translations - Indeed, if you walk into any Christian bookstore, you will likely find more translations/versions that you have fingers and toes (and this is just English translations)! It is no wonder this question comes up. To complicate the issue, there are groups who are so dogmatic and unwavering in their "choice" of translation, who attack and alienate those who do not strictly adhere to their "superior" choice of versions (the greatest of these being the King James Only crowd).
The thing to remember - the number of translations does not, by itself, take away from the truth that God's Word is true, reliable, and sufficient. But we also have to understand that every English translation on the shelf of the Bible has a background, purpose, and yes - even an agenda. What is amazing - while there are translations (and paraphrases disguised as translations) that really do desecrate the Word of God, there are people who the Lord has used even some of the less reliable versions to change hearts and lives. I believe this is a reflection on the real power of the Word of God, particularly when empowered by the Holy Spirit!
But this all goes back to - the Bible, in it's original manuscripts (Hebrew, Koine Greek, and Aramaic) indeed was accurate - and God has, just as He promised, preserved His Word through time for our benefit.
But that brings us to the final (and likely largest part of this post):
C. Which Translation? I have been asked this question many times. This can be a tricky question, or it can be quite simple. Unfortunately, when you are dealing with people's previous experiences, what they have heard from others, and their own ability (and willingness) to listen, it rarely in practice, is simple. I will not present an extensive English Translation history here, as there are many resources available online and in print that are presented by those with much more knowledge and information than I have. What I want to do is present some facts and some information, and of course - my view, and then leave it in your hands to do with what you will.
Translation - the rendering of something into another language or into one's own from another language. (dictionary.com).
What this dry definition fails to mention, is that there is a very real "art form" to the act of translating. Many language do not easily translate from one language to another. Whether it be that there is no direct equal in the recipient language, or the very common and often dramatically different grammar rules and practices, translation is more than simple word substitution. This is particularly true with biblical languages. Hebrew, which uses a completely alien (to the English speaker) alphabet, writing format, and radically different grammar, makes translation a major endeavor. Biblical (Koine) Greek, while still using a dramatically different grammar, at least shares some similarities with the English language. Unfortunately, grammar is not one of them! So just the originating language itself presents major obstacles in the act (or art) of translation.
Another reality we must face when dealing with biblical translation - "WHY?". I mean this as a nice way of asking what is the purpose or agenda of this translation effort? Every single translation ever done of God's Word, regardless of language, has had an "agenda". For some, like the Tyndale Bible, the main objective was to get the Bible into the hands of the common man, and are represented by men like John Wycliffe and William Tyndale. For others, particularly troublesome in some of the more contemporary translation efforts, the work has not necessarily been so altruistic. Some have come out of a desire to change or mold doctrine to fit a particular slant, or worse - have been more about financial profits than making God's word accessible. And this plays heavily into the next set of facts.
Bible Translation Methods. There are two primary concepts in translation - Word for word (Formal equivalent, or simply "literal"), and Dynamic Equivalent (thought-for-thought). As mentioned before, translation is an art form. Language often do not easily transition to another language without confusion. Just try out the ever-improving tools on the internet for translation. While they are getting slowly better, overall the quality of translation from say Spanish to English, or English to French (which share some grammar and a common alphabet) still is awkward at best. Try translating between very different language (Russian to English is particularly entertaining!). It looses a lot in translation. Now, ponder on translating something as eternally important as the Bible! We already face the truth that no "original manuscripts" have been found. We have copies, of copies, of copies - generally in fragments on very delicate parchment or papyri. Further, in the case of the Greek manuscripts, there is no punctuation, in all capital letters, and with no space between words. So even for the highly-trained expert in biblical languages, we can see that there is a great challenge before the translator.
So you sit down to begin translation. The most obvious beginning point would be to work through whichever set of manuscripts you are going to work from (thankfully, many have already assembled collections and published texts that you don't have to figure out word divisions), doing what you can to directly translate from word-to word. Here is an example found in a book I use regularly - (Concordant Greek Text, Concordant Publishing):
Can you figure out what very famous passage this is from? Even if you read the English interlinear, you might be confused. This is what it would look like to purely translate "word-for-word". Now that you have the words translated (as best as you can), you then are tasked with making this readable to your target audience. This is where things get tricky. As you rearrange the words to fit English grammar, you risk not only losing or altering the meaning, but you may very well see that words you selected in the direct translation just don't work too well. Nevermind that a significant portion of scripture (most evident in the Old Testament) is in a poetic form that directly impacts the meaning of the text. Never mind the cultural differences over the 2000+ years that make a simple turn of a word have a very different connotation today. So the translator's task is to make the translation functional and accurate - and hopefully carry through the meaning of the text as well. But that leads to the other extreme of translation - the "thought-for-thought" method. Where the actual words are not as important as trying to convey "meaning". But is it not obvious how dangerous this can quickly become? Who gets to decide the meaning? What basis is that decision made? And here comes the "agenda" we mentioned before. Are you approaching the translation with a set of presuppositions that you are trying to "prove"? Are you under pressure from an employer (or in the case of the Authorized King James Version), under penalty of death if the translation doesn't match the existing set of doctrines and guidelines given?
Which brings us back to the necessity of grasping how a translator (or translation team) approaches the texts. It is this writer's view that the more literal the translation is, generally the better. There is great danger in processing through what one thinks a passage means, then recording that thought as the concrete Word of God. We also need to understand that the English language has changed (and continues to change) every day. I have a great deal of respect for the King James Version of the Bible. I believe, in it's time, it was practically a miracle in how well it was translated. But even if one were to overlook some issues with both the source manuscripts and the guidelines established for the translators that included some very clear agendas, the language itself has changed in many ways as to actually alter scripture's meaning in our contemporary understanding. The idioms used, the actual words use, and so much more present a difficulty, even for the relatively educated English speaker. I spent the first several years of my ministry preaching exclusively from the KJV, and I have never regretted that. But I also learned that the process of clarifying what that translation said, in light of the meaning of words today, often was a time-consuming and sometimes confusing for the listener process that got in the way of simply proclaiming what God was saying and how it applies in our lives.
So how do you decide what translation to use? I suggest several things to consider:
1. If you are currently actively engaged in a local church, what translation does your pastor use? You might take a little time to have a personal visit with him to discuss this. Using the same translation as the one who you will regularly hear preaching from will help you in your growth and understanding.
2. What is the translation philosophy for a particular version? Were the translators more concerned with accurate, word-for-word translation, or were they focused on thoughts? I would strongly suggest that word-for-word translation should be the first priority.
3. What is your reading level? Yes, even our ability to read can play a part in selecting a translation. I have grown to really like the NASB (New American Standard Bible), as it is among the most literal, word-for-word translations. But it is on the 11th-12th grade reading level (much like the KJV, but in contemporary English). Some people have a hard time with the language used in the NASB, which is one of the many reasons I particularly like the ESV (English Standard Version). Indeed, the ESV has become my primary preaching and teaching Bible, because it is still quite literal in its translation method, retains much of the poetic format and structure found in scripture, and yet has a somewhat smoother (in most cases) reading flow than the NASB. As we progress from there, we find the HCSB (Holman Christian Standard Bible - published by Holman Bible Publishers, a division of Lifeway - the publishing arm of the SBC), which reads similarly to the NIV (1984 Edition), but is slightly more literal in translation method is yet another step more readable, but does rely more on translating thoughts.
On the other end of the spectrum are the translations that lean ever more greatly on "dynamic equivalent" - thought-for-thought. And with that comes confusion and even changes to what the Bible actually says. Here are a couple of helpful charts that help to see where, relatively, common Bible translations fall in relation to translation methods and philosophy:
And while I could continue on with this post, I will leave it here - KJV, NASB, ESV, HCSB, NIV (84), NLT... the translation won't matter if you don't actually read it, pray about it, and apply what you read to your life! As a pastor, I want those in my congregation to read and apply God's Word every day in their lives - and to that end, I am less concerned with WHICH translation, and more concerned that they are using it!
If you have any question - or would like to discuss this further, please leave a reply, or contact me.
Have a blessed day....
Have you read your Bible today?
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