Church History: The Holy Forty

My best friend, Sandy Shockley, turned me on to the stories of the Christian martyrs. She graciously accepted my invitation to submit some of their stories for this Church History series. This is the account of “The Holy Forty” of Sebaste.
The 40 Martyrs were Roman soldiers who were put to death in Sebaste, which is in Armenia today. The account of these martyrs is well-documented historically and inspired great faithfulness in the ancient Church.

Around the year 320, the emperor of the eastern Roman empire, Lucinius, issued a decree ordering every Christian to renounce their faith or face death. When this decree was announced to the Roman army, 40 soldiers of different nationalities—all part of a famous “Thundering Legion”—refused to comply with the order to sacrifice to Roman gods. They were brought to trial in Sebaste, and the governor there threatened them with disgrace if they continued, and promised promotions for any who renounced their faith. They all stood firm.

The governor then devised a plan to test their faith. They were to be placed upon a frozen lake, naked and exposed to the howling wind, until they either changed their minds or froze to death. The 40 did not wait to be stripped, but undressed themselves, and encouraged one another in the ordeal. A fire and warm baths were prepared at the edge of the lake, and they were told that they could come in from the ice and warm themselves if they turned away from Christianity.

For three days and nights, the group endured. One young soldier decided to leave the group for the warmth of the baths, but the shock to his system killed him. One of the guards, seeing this disgrace, was inspired by the resolve of the remaining 39. When he was off-duty, he fell asleep by the fire and had a dream in which angels descended upon the soldiers on the lake and crowned them. He counted only 39 crowns, and decided to join them. He put down his arms and cloak, proclaimed himself a Christian, and walked out to the group on the ice, bringing the number of martyrs back to 40.

By the morning of the fourth day, most were dead, and the remaining were killed. All the bodies were burned in a furnace, and their ashes thrown into a river. The Christian community recovered some of the charred remains. (Credit: University of Norte Dame Indiana)

(From me: Beloved, Christ may not call you to persecution and death for His Name, but He is calling you to uncompromising faithfulness.)

In God’s Hands

Joy was walking around the living room last night with her eyes closed. “Joy, you need to open your eyes so you don’t trip over something,” I said. “My eyes weren’t closed, Nana,” she insisted, “I was looking through my fringes.” Fringes, in case you didn’t know, are eyelashes. Her eyes were opened just enough to “see” through her lashes, though not enough to look like they were opened. And not enough to actually see where she was going.
Joy’s “fringe vision” made me think of Paul’s words: “For now we see through a glass, darkly; then we shall see face to face” (1 Cor 13:12). Paul was saying we have imperfect knowledge and understanding. This world in which we live often leaves us confused and, let’s be honest, fearful. The more we try to figure things out the more uncertain life seems. I get it. I’ve been living in the “fringes” for the last year plus. Everything has been turned upside-down and inside-out. I thought God and I had a plan – I thought it was a good plan – but God has other ideas.
Job, in the midst of his painful trial, said we all live on the “outer fringe” of God’s works and ways (Job 26:14). The Hebrew translates to the “mere edges.” In other words, because He is so big and so other, we can’t see what God is up to. We don’t have His perspective. We can’t see “the end from the beginning.” But He can (Is 46:10). Not like a fortune teller who can “see” what will happen in the future. This is the sovereign God of the universe who determines the future and sets things in motion to achieve His plan. He said “Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand” (Is 14:24).
I trust God’s plan. I trust that everything He purposes will be good because He is good. I trust that nothing – not one single thing – will touch my life that has not been filtered through His loving, gracious, merciful hands. Yes, even the hard things and the unexpected things and the things that break my heart. Because I trust His heart. And I know that the plan is ultimately to conform me to the likeness of Son.
Beloved, you and I may not see everything from the fringes of His hand, but we can trust Him nonetheless because – even at the edges – we are still in His hand.

Church History: Martyrs (part 1)

Starting with Stephen (Acts 7-8:1), the history of the church tells of the men and women who were martyred for their testimony of Jesus Christ. Over the next few weeks, we will look at some of their stories. Scripture tells us that James was executed by King Herod Agrippa around A.D. 44 (Mark 6:14-29). Ten years later, the Apostle Philip was scourged, imprisoned, and crucified. Legend says that Matthew was killed in A.D. 60 by violent means. Jesus’ brother, James was martyred around A.D. 66. Peter’s brother, Andrew was crucified on an X-shaped cross; Peter was also crucified – but upside-down as he did not consider himself worthy to die in the same position as his Lord. Tradition says Mark was dragged to pieces in Alexandria and Paul was beheaded in A.D. 66.

Even today, in many parts of the eastern world, people are still being killed for their faith. We don’t have the same level of persecution in the U.S., but I have no doubt that it’s coming. If someone were to ever point a gun at my head and demand that I betray my Savior or die, I say I would choose death. But am I betraying Him in my daily life? Will I betray Him with profane words while wearing my “Jesus is Lord” T-shirt? Will I curse someone who cut me off despite the fish symbol on my bumper? Will I walk into church on Sunday morning after walking into an R-rated movie on Saturday night? I say that I will take a bullet for Jesus, but will I take the humble road in a dispute with my neighbor?

What good is my bold declaration of devotion to Jesus if I don’t prove my kinship in the smaller matters of daily life? I don’t think I will ever be confronted with death for the cause of Christ, but every day I must choose to die to myself in the grocery store, my workplace, my home, and on the road.

Harold Chadwick, who updated Foxe’s Book of Martyrs in 1997 wrote these words after pouring over story after story of dauntless and devoted Christians who gladly died for the Name and cause of Christ: “Could we with our soft and self-serving Christianity, follow their examples of such courage and love for Christ that we would suffer being tortured, mutilated, and burned alive rather than recant our faith in Him?”[1] What say ye, Beloved?

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[1] Harold J. Chadwick, Forward to The New Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, Updated through the 21^st Century, (Alachua: Bridge-Logos, 2001), xiv.

Tips for Getting Spiritually Healthy

Confession time. I am overweight. I have diabetes and high blood pressure. It’s the bad health trifecta of the south. I gotta deal with this because I want to be here for Joy for the long haul. Recently, my health insurance offered a monitoring and support system for diabetics, and I signed up for it. They sent me a free glucose monitor, blood pressure monitor, and snazzy scale that automatically uploads the results to my cyber-file. They also offer consultants to help and encourage me. All this is great and I intend to utilize it. But they also want me to tell them what I’m eating. Um, that seems a little intrusive. I don’t want to have to admit to some of the stuff I consume. And I sure don’t want to give up my favorite snacks and treats. Sigh.
One of the most direct and practical books of the Bible is James. James (Jesus’ half-brother) was a no-nonsense kind of fellow. He did not believe His brother’s claims until His resurrection, and then he became the leader of the church in Jerusalem. His letter is filled with straightforward truth. He spoke of sin, bringing it right back to our own evil desires. He said, “Get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent . . .” (1:21); “Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. (1:22); “Keep yourself from being polluted by the world” (1:27). Over and over James got to the point of relationships, judgment and love, faith and deeds, taming the tongue, wisdom, submission, humility, arrogance, grumbling (ouch), perseverance, and being trustworthy. He also talked a lot about suffering for the cause of Christ – which he understood well as persecution against Christians started there with the mother church.
And then he said, “confess your sins to each other and pray for each other . . .” (5:16). Here’s the honest truth – there are things about me I don’t want you to know. Not salacious things, but human things – sinner-saved-by-grace things. But you probably deal with them too. And what if we did humbly confess our sins to one another? What if you and a brother or sister committed to prayer over a mutual struggle? James said, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
Beloved, I need you and you need me. We need to hold one another accountable and we need to hold each other up. Find someone you can trust to love you through the hard stuff. And love them back.

Of Doctrine and Demons and Truth

Paul wrote to Timothy, “Watch your life and doctrine closely” (1 Tim 4:16). Doctrine at its root is teaching – imparting information from one person to another. That’s my calling. But I’m not just teaching history or mythology or fantasy – it is truth. It is the Word of God. And it has the power to change lives. That is why I handle it with the utmost care. It is a huge responsibility.
There are a lot of teachers out there who will try to tell you what the Bible says. I’ve sat under some excellent teachers and some not-so-great teachers. Some teach from a classroom or a lectern, and some teach with their lives. Some teach by being godly examples and some teach us by being examples of what not to do or be.
Did you know that the devil has teachers too? Paul also told Timothy, “In later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons” (v. 1). You’d better believe demons are teachers too. But they don’t always teach in direct opposition to the Scriptures. They often teach in shades of truth. They will take just enough of the Scriptures to make it sound right, then twist it to get you off track.
For example, the culture’s favorite verse is “Do not judge” (Matt 7:1). But they do not understand the context. Jesus is speaking in the sense of condemning people – judging them unworthy of God’s grace. But He affirms “judgment” in terms of discernment. Like helping a brother remove the speck of dust in their eye (after clearing out our own). He says we do not throw sacred truth to dogs or pearls to pigs (v. 6). That is a judgment call. A few verses later, He said we are to be “fruit inspectors” (v. 15-120). He is calling us to wise discernment.
They also love verses about loving others. But they don’t understand that the most loving thing we can do is warn them about the coming wrath of God against those who do not believe in His Son. Humans want love, but the culture demands permissiveness in the guise of love. If my granddaughter wants to play in the busy road does love mean I let her go or I protect her from harm?
Do you see why I am such a stickler for careful Bible study and true doctrine? What you believe, what you think you know, affects how you live – and it affects your eternal security. Be wise, Beloved, only the truth will set you free.

Jesus Cares About All of You

Several years ago I came home from work to discover that someone had broken into our apartment. What they took was of little value but the one thing they stole that really mattered was my peace of mind. The next day I told a coworker about our ordeal. He said, “Be grateful no one can steal your salvation.” Honestly, I was annoyed that he dismissed my feelings so flippantly – and so “spiritually.” Of course I was grateful that my salvation was eternally secure, but was my relationship with Jesus only good for the next life? What about the days when my heart is hurting, when my body aches, when my nerves are frazzled, and my load is heavy? Do I face those days and seasons on my own?
Let’s ask the widow of Nain whose only son had died. Jesus encountered his funeral procession and his broken-hearted mother. Luke said, “When the Lord saw her, His heart went out to her and He said, “Don’t cry.” He was moved deeply by this mother’s pain and He touched her heart before He touched the son’s coffin and raised him from the dead (see Luke 7:11-17).
When a great crowd of people stayed and listened to Him teach for several days, He was concerned for them. He told His disciples, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.” He miraculously stretched a few loaves and fishes to feed more than four thousand people. He cared about their souls, and their empty bellies (see Matthew 15:29-39).
What would the leper say whom Jesus not only healed, but touched with His own holy hand (Matt 8:1-4). Or the centurion who came to Jesus to beg for healing for his servant? The man was made well by Jesus’ spoken word (Matt 8:5-13). How about Peter’s mother-in-law and a house full of sick and demon-possessed people who received healing? Ask the sick little girl and the sick old woman – Jesus ministered to both of them (Mark 5:21-43). All through the Gospels, He healed the physically blind, sick, and lame, comforted the hurting and marginalized, and ministered to the spiritually unwell.
Beloved, Jesus cares about you – all of you – body, soul, and spirit. He came to redeem and restore and He came to heal and comfort. Trust me when I say you can trust Him with your life – now and forever.

Sin and the Heart

This may surprise you, but I am a sinner. Yes, I belong to Jesus, He has saved me and redeemed me and continues every day to transform me into His image. He has done so much work in my life where sin is concerned. But like every other human being, I was born with a sinful nature and sinful desires. They may be different from the things that tug at you, but sin is a real and present danger for me.
How do we handle our bent toward sin? The Bible has some great advice for us. Here are a few suggestions:
Recognize sin for what it is and don’t make excuses or exceptions for it. (Psalm 51:3-4)
Keep God’s Word close – in your hands, in your mind, and in your heart. (Psalm 119:11)
Keep God closer. (James 4:7-8)
Keep sin-triggers at a distance. Don’t put yourself in positions you know will pull you into sin – whether places, events, movies, T.V. shows, websites, or even people. Take the way out. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Repent when you do sin. (Acts 3:19).
Pray.
Repeat as often as necessary.
The prayer I find myself returning to again and again is: “Lord, cause me to love you so much that sin has no appeal to me.” I came to that prayer while meditating on Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desire of your heart.” I realized that if God is my delight, then I will desire only Him – and that is a desire He is more than willing to fulfill.
Because it is all a matter of the heart. When the Bible speaks of the heart it is not talking about emotions but of intention. The heart is “the seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, and endeavors.” The heart is under our control. It is affected by what we indulge in – whether sin or righteousness. If God is the delight and desire of my heart, I will take no delight in sin and will instead be repulsed by it.
Yes, I have a long way to go, but this is my heart’s desire. Will it be yours too, Beloved? if you love God with all your heart there is no room in your heart to love sin.

Church History: The Secret of Success

Why bother to study Church history? For the same reason we study World History and American History and human history in general – to know where and whom we came from and to learn from their successes and failures. The early centuries of Christianity were exceedingly fruitful. We need to discover again their “secrets” to success.
The most obvious secret is their deep conviction that the gospel was true. That man was condemned and had no hope of rescuing themselves. That Jesus, the Son of God came from heaven to earth as a baby, grew to a man who lived a perfect sinless life and died, taking the sins of all mankind with Him to the grave. That He rose again, appeared to hundreds of people, and ascended to the right hand of God in heaven. Those who believe the gospel to the marrow of their bones will declare it. They can’t help it – it just bubbles forth like lava from a volcano.
Another insight we gain from church history is the practical expression of love among Christians. They took to heart Jesus’ command to “Love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 13:34). It was a different kind of love – a selfless, generous, genuine love that stood out in the world. Tertullian said that the pagans remarked, “See how these Christians love one another.” Christians who were filled with the love of Christ expressed that love in practical ways within the church and without.
And strangely, persecution watered the soil of many souls. Huge crowds gathered to watch Christians meet their death in the colosseums of Rome, drawn by the thrill of blood and gore. But the courage, faith, and Joyful disposition of the martyrs pierced their own hearts so that many of the onlookers came away as believers in Jesus Christ.
Now look at the witness of the church today. Are we still convinced that the gospel is true? Are we living out the command of Jesus to love one another? And what of persecution? Here in the U.S., it is largely a minor matter, but in other places in the world, it is life and death. In either case, how we respond to persecution can speak louder than anything we say. And we dare not leave out the presence of the Holy Spirit who is the power behind it all. Are you filled with the Spirit, Beloved? Then be bold, be loving, and be brave. The lost world is watching. Be a witness to someone today.

Spiritual Hindsight

“This is a test.” Radio stations are required by the FCC to periodically test their emergency alert system to ensure it is in proper working order before a crisis occurs. They will play the alert sound – that loud, screeching, beeping sound – and then tell their listeners: “This is a test.” I wish they would tell us that upfront. It would save me from a moment of panic.
I thought about that when I read Deuteronomy 13:1-4. Go read it and come back – I’ll wait for you right here.
Deuteronomy is the retelling of the Israelites’ escape from Egypt. The Lord God brought them up out of slavery to bring them into a “good land, flowing with milk and honey” (Ex 3:8). It is also Moses’ final message to the nation he led for forty years. He knows is about to die and he wants to leave them with encouragement and hope and wise instruction. Two thoughts come to my mind about verse .
First, Moses said the Lord was testing the Israelites “to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul” (v. 3). I do not think that God was trying to gain previously unknown information. He already knows every man’s heart. John 2:24-25 says, “Jesus knew all men and what was in a man.” I believe that the testing was more for the Israelites’ benefit than God’s.
Second, these testing phases rarely come with a warning. We don’t understand what is happening or why. Job never knew that his hard season was a test to prove something to the devil. He just knew that his life had shattered and he was in misery. The Bible never says that God told Job the whole story. Maybe He did, but it would have been after the fact.
Jesus told His disciples, “You do not understand what I am doing, but later you will understand” (John 13:7). I do not understand why things have turned out as they have but I am hanging my life His promise. Because I know that He is faithful. Beloved, in all the things that don’t make sense, you and I can trust God. As the great Charles Spurgeon said, “God is too good to be unkind and He is too wise to be mistaken. And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.”

It’s okay to have questions

Doubt can be dangerous for Christians. Doubt often causes us to distance ourselves from God. Distance leads to disobedience and soon our faith atrophies. God wants us to believe without wavering. But sometimes that’s hard. If anyone should have believed without wavering, it was John the Baptist. Even in the womb, Jesus’ cousin recognized the Lord, leaping at the sound of Mary’s voice (Luke 1: 41-45). John’s whole life was, “to prepare the way for the Lord” (Luke 3:4). He declared Jesus as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” How did he know? “The one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen, and I testify that this is the Son of God” (John 1:29-34).
Later John asked a big question, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Luke 7:20). What changed? John was in a prison cell after speaking out against the Roman king and his adulterous marriage. He had faithfully proclaimed the coming of God’s Kingdom. He had rebuked the religious elite and the irreligious royals. And rather than blessings, his efforts brought down wrath. He did what God asked of Him and the results were harsh. He would lose his head over it. Can you blame the poor fellow? Haven’t you and I questioned God for less?
With all that he knew, John – weary and discouraged – began to doubt. But Jesus didn’t chastise John. He pointed him back to the evidence. “What do you see, John?” “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor” (Luke 7:22). Look beyond your circumstances, John. You preached the coming of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 3:1). You spoke of my power (Mark 1: 7). Your own words are being fulfilled in Me. Then He added, “Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me” (Luke 7:23).
My questions made me search for answers. And those answers strengthened my faith. Ask your questions Beloved. He will not chastise you. He will give you answers that will ground and strengthen your faith. Jesus not only has the answers, He is the answer.