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.

Church History: Why The Past Matters

I wish I had taken the time to get to know my parent’s pasts – their youth, their childhood, passions, interests, crucial points in their lives, and their relationships. I wish I had had the opportunity to interview my grandparents to know them better. But we didn’t live nearby (we were a military family) and I was caught up in my own life. We should want to know the lives of those we love. We should want to know our own history. Maybe that is why I am so passionate about the history of the Christian Church. I love the church, I have been in church since the cradle roll. I want to know the church’s story because the church has shaped my life.
We start today to study Christian History – the part that begins where Acts ends. The part that most Christians don’t know. But this is rich stuff and it has shaped the church you are part of today. It shaped this nation and the world for many years, although those years and lessons are a distant memory. The church has changed dramatically since Paul made his way to Rome – some changes were good, some not so much, but every change still echoes through the ages.
Why am I so taken with this stuff? Because – watch your toes – the current generations are ignorant of the history of their faith, and it shows. We are repeating the same mistakes our fathers and mothers made and we are falling prey to the same deceptions – albeit dressed in more modern fashions – that caused so much division and heartache in the past. Many of our current issues in the Christian faith have their roots in the past. But most of all, we know little to nothing about the heroes of our past. We have forgotten how these men and women stood firm against persecution and fought – and died – “for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints” (Jude 1:3). Their examples should inspire and encourage us in these days when the church is being targeted. We need their resolve for the battle ahead.
There is a reason that Scripture tells us to “remember” – because forgetfulness is costly. We will study people and places and decisions and doctrine. We will feel the whips of persecution and the sting of tyranny. But we will also celebrate the overwhelming response of men and women who found faith in Christ worth living – and dying – for. Join me every Monday for this walk through history.

A Church in Danger

Have you noticed that there is a lot of hero worship in Christendom? There are “rock-star” pastors with thousands of followers and Bible teachers who sell out auditoriums around the country. I’m not saying popularity in the church is wrong. Jesus had quite a crowd that followed Him and hung on His every word. Take the fellow in Luke 9: “As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, ‘I will follow you where you go.’” (v. 57). He wanted to be part of Jesus’ entourage. But Jesus didn’t encourage this would-be fan. “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head” (v. 58). I believe Jesus was saying, “This is not going to be the high-life you’re expecting. I don’t have a multi-million-dollar mansion to put you up in. I walk hot, dusty roads and sleep where I can.”
What did you expect from Jesus when you chose to follow Him? A solution to all your problems? A good reputation in the community? A full life with heaven thrown in after it’s all over? Just a few verses before He said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (v. 23) Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem and the cross. He might have also told the man, “Don’t hook your wagon to me unless you’re prepared to die.”
In case you haven’t noticed, there is a war going on between good and evil, between light and darkness. God’s people are the enemy of the present ruling authorities who are bent on the church’s destruction. If you choose Jesus, you need to know that you are also choosing self-denial, persecution, rejection, and suffering. That is what the Lord endured. Why should we expect any less?
I look at the modern church – particularly in the West – so comfortable in our air-conditioned sanctuaries. Where is the suffering? Where is the persecution? Where are self-denial and the cross? I’m pointing my finger at myself. I believe the enemy’s strategy against the church in the U.S. is not a full-on battle, but to make us relaxed and contented while he waters down our theology and sugarcoats our worship. Just before he hits us with an all-out assault.
I realize, Beloved, that this is not a warm and happy message. Take it as a warning. If our Christianity is comfortable, maybe we’re in more danger than we know.

Acts: What the World Doesn’t Want to Hear

Do you know why the world is filled with such hatred toward Christians? Because we are a constant reminder of their unrighteousness. I know how judgmental that sounds, and believe me, that’s not my intent. But it is the truth. And let’s be honest, some “Christians” leave a very bitter taste in people’s mouths – but I am talking about Christians who talk the talk and walk the walk as they follow in Jesus’ footprints. People like Paul. Please take a minute to read Acts 24:24-27. Remember that Paul is in custody in Caesarea, awaiting trial for accusations brought by his fellow Jews. Because of an encounter with Jesus, Paul’s life had radically changed and he devoted himself to preaching the gospel – and living it out.
Felix, who would decide his fate, found Paul’s testimony intriguing. One day he brought his wife, who was also a Jew, to hear the man speak. His topic, “righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come” stirred fear in Felix’s heart. Wonder why? Probably because his wife, Drusilla, who was a strikingly beautiful woman had, at the age of fourteen, been married to Azizus, the king of a small, insignificant Syrian state. She was unhappy in her marriage, and Felix, who was captured by her beauty, wooed her away from her husband and married her when she was sixteen. Scholars contend that she was the likely source of Felix’s information about “the Way,” and probably requested the private meeting with Paul. Little did she or Felix know what was to come.
Was Paul pointing his finger at their sin? Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, Felix was afraid and quickly dismissed Paul. Therein lies the animosity towards Christians. Paul broached the subject of righteousness, self-control, and judgment – all things a ruler who stole another man’s wife – and a sinful world – would rather not confront. Christians who speak about righteousness shine a blinding light on sin. And we don’t even have to say a word. Believers who live righteously are offensive to the world because their lives stand in sharp contrast to the darkness and wickedness of their own.
Did you notice Felix’s response to Paul’s words? “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.” Those who are lost in sin only want God when it is convenient for them. If it ever is.
Don’t let the world squelch your message of righteousness – whether spoken or lived out. Beloved, shine your light.

At the Name of Jesus

The great philosopher John Lennon once remarked in the mid-sixties, that the Beatles were “more popular than Jesus.” Christians took great offense at his statement and the Beatles’ albums were burned and smashed to pieces. It was an inflammatory statement, but the truth is, Lennon was probably correct. In the sixty years since, he has been proved right with any celebrity, sports star, or politician you want to name. Even in the church, Jesus is not the most popular figure in the world, at least not the Jesus of the Bible. There are variations of Jesus – the political Jesus, the benevolent Jesus, the social justice Jesus (he seems to be the one most folks like), the anything-goes Jesus, and on and on. Just pick your Savior.

But are those the “real Jesus?”  The Jesus of the Bible is at the same time humble and holy. He is gentle and fierce. He is gracious and confrontational. He is tolerant and intolerant. He accepted women with bad reputations and chastened the religious leaders who were lauded for their (self)righteousness. He is unpredictable and yet He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb 13:8). He was wildly popular – until He wasn’t. The same crowd that greeted Him as Messiah on His way into Jerusalem, shouted for His crucifixion. Throughout human history far more have rejected Him than accepted Him. He may be worshiped in small bands but He is scorned in the public square. But one day . . .

The Bible says that Jesus will come again, splitting the sky and riding the clouds like a wave. And every eye will see Him. Every person will know exactly who He is because God has exalted Him to the highest place and given Him the name that is above every name. One day, that name will ring out -across the universe, and then “every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:9-11). Every knee. Every tongue.

Yes, you will bow and you will confess. Will it be an act of delight that you have practiced often, or will it be one of shock and horror, when you realize Whom you rejected? The choice is yours – now, Beloved. Are you ready?

Cold Hearts

In recent years there has been a rash of “celebrity Christians” who have renounced their faith and “deconstructed.” (I think it’s more accurate to say they have “self-destructed.”) What happened to these pastors, musicians, authors, and communicators? I remember a quote that said – “If you don’t feel close to God anymore, think about who moved.” Peter is the prime example of one who walked closely with the Savior, yet allowed himself to drift.

One of Christ’s most passionate disciples, Peter swore allegiance to Jesus when he announced, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death” (Luke 22:33). But Jesus knew that Peter’s bold talk would not sustain his resolve. He told Peter “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me” (v. 34). And sure enough, Luke 22:54-62 tells us that Peter did just as the Lord said he would.

How does one who walked so closely with Jesus turn away from Him so easily?

The last part of verse 54 gives us an important clue – “Peter followed at a distance.” He heads out to accompany his Lord and Teacher with the passionate heart of a disciple. But out of fear for his own life, he fell back, and the distance between him and Jesus began to work on his heart. When he separated himself, his passion for the Lord cooled, and rather than a heart warmed by his love for Jesus, he warms himself beside a man-made fire. His passion for Christ had chilled to the point that he openly denied the One he previously swore to follow to prison and death. Not once. Not twice. But three times.

It is the same with you and me – we allow the cares or the fear or the glitter of this world to draw us away from our Savior. It’s quite subtle at first. A thought here, a compromise there, a shift in priorities and soon our hearts begin to cool toward Christ. Rather than draw near to Him, we turn and warm our cold hearts at the world’s fires. God promised in His Word to never leave us, but you and I can certainly drift and lose our white-hot passion for Christ. Beloved, don’t let anything this world has to offer cause you to deny your Savior. Stay close to Jesus with prayer and Bible study and humble surrender. Be sure you’re not seeking the warmth of strange fires.

Godly Sorrow

So you messed up. Again. You went where you shouldn’t go. You did what you shouldn’t do. Or you didn’t do what you knew you should. You looked at something vile and sinful. You let your mind go into a nasty pit. And now you are feeling the weight of your sin – you are feeling guilty and maybe even ashamed. That’s not entirely a bad thing. Let me explain.

Paul dearly loved the congregation in Corinth, his aim was to build them up, not tear them down (2 Cor 13:10), but this church had serious problems. Sexual sin was rampant among them, an overflow of the culture. Paul chastened them severely for tolerating sexual immorality in the body. A man was immorally involved with his father’s wife (1 Cor 5:1). Not only did the church turn a blind eye to this sinful behavior, but they were proud of it! (v. 2) They boasted about their “open-mindedness” (v. 6). Sound familiar?

Paul said they should have been “filled with grief” over the man’s sin and over their acceptance of it and him. The whole church was sick with sin and he wanted them to feel the fever and the burden of the disease. He wanted them to be ashamed of their immoral condition.

We have done a grave disservice to the church by claiming that guilt and shame have no place in a Christian’s life. This text and many others reject that philosophy. In his second letter, after the church had followed his directive, Paul said he did not regret the sorrow he brought on them. It hurt him to do it, but the result was good. “Your sorrow led you to repentance” (2 Cor 9). “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret” (v. 10). Because the man apparently repented, Paul insisted he should be restored to the church. He should not be burdened with “excessive sorrow” (2:6-8).

Sin should cause us to feel guilt and shame. Notice I did not say that sin should make us feel that we are shameful. That is the tool of satan. He attacks the sinner personally. The Holy Spirit attacks the sin and leads the sinner into repentance and restoration – or salvation if they are not saved. Repentance leaves no residue of regret or guilt or shame, but you and I will feel its weight until we do.

Beloved, if you are bearing the burden of guilt over your sin, let that godly sorrow lead you to Jesus. Confess and repent and God will forgive you and purify you from all unrighteous (1 Jn 1:9). Get that heavy weight off your back and walk in God’s good grace.

Nothing but Grace

I heard a new song yesterday – I can’t tell you the name or the artist, but one line caught my attention: “I am good enough.” It fits well in the recent focus of Christian music, books, studies, and even messages: “God saved you because you were worthy.” That’s a lie. Here’s a hard truth we need to face – none of us are good enough or worthy of salvation.

Paul said, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). All means all. He said, “I know that nothing good lives in me” (7:18). The same is true for you and me. Contemporary Christianity wants to tell us that God saved us because He saw something in us worth saving. That has no basis in Scripture. The Bible tells us that we are wretched sinners through and through.

I know what you’re thinking: “Where’s my encouraging word for today?” Here it is: Grace. If that doesn’t encourage you, you’d better check for a heartbeat. Grace is God’s unmerited, undeserved favor, it is His kindness to us in spite of our sinful state. It has nothing to do with us and everything to do with God.  In truth, the Bible tells us that “all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Is 64:6). At the risk of being indelicate, the word “filthy” refers to a woman’s menstruation. All our attempts to make ourselves worthy of God are like menstrual rags in His sight. Not at all attractive is it? That’s our true spiritual condition.

And it’s what makes grace such a beautiful thing. Paul said, “Where sin increased, grace increased all the more” (Rom 5:20). I went to a jewelry party once and hoped to be the model, but the salesperson chose a girl with a solid black top because the dark color made the sparkly, shiny pieces stand out better than my light blouse. Grace shows us best against the dark backdrop of our sin. And aren’t we supposed to be models for God’s grace? Grace is the word of hope the lost world needs.

Rather than saying God saved us because we were good enough, we need to proclaim the grace of God that saved us despite our filth and our sins. No, you are not good enough. What you are Beloved, is a beautiful work of grace.

Acts: The Power of Mentoring

I am a huge proponent of Christian mentoring. Mentoring is when a more mature believer comes alongside someone to impart spiritual wisdom by private teaching, but especially by modeling the Christian life. It was essentially the way that Jesus trained His disciples to build his church.

Paul followed this pattern with his closest co-workers in the faith. I love the way he expressed it in his letter to the church in Thessalonica. “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well because you had become so dear to us” (1 Thess 1:8). We live in a different culture and time but mentoring is still the best way to encourage and strengthen one another, especially new believers.

We see a great example of this in Acts 18:18-28 with Paul’s friends and co-workers in the faith, Priscilla and Aquila. While serving in Ephesus, they encountered a young man named Apollos, an Alexandrian Jew and “a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures” (v. 24). He had studied well the text we know as the Old Testament and he had “been instructed in the way of the Lord.” He had a passion for proclaiming Jesus. “He spoke with great fervor,” but he had limited knowledge.

Priscilla and Aquila saw the potential in Apollos to be a great speaker of the gospel, and they saw the lack of full understanding, so “they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately” (v. 26). This is spiritual mentoring at it best – a personal connection, a gracious invitation, and passing truth from a seasoned saint to a green believer. The impact of their ministry with Apollos was huge. Apollos traveled to Achaia where he “vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ” (v. 28). Paul had such confidence in him that he referred to him as a “brother” (1 Cor 16:12) and commended him to Titus as a worthy fellow worker,

Seasoned believer, you should be pouring your hard-won wisdom and knowledge of the truth into the next generation of the church. Young (in the faith) believer, you need to seek out one of the experienced saints and absorb all you can from them about life and faith. Mentoring has the power for a huge impact on the church. Make the connection, Beloved. It will be one of the richest relationships for both of you.

Weeds in the Church

In Numbers 5:1-4 the Lord God called for purity in the camp of the Israelites. He commanded that anyone with an infectious skin disease or discharge should be isolated outside the camp. An infection would spread rapidly through the community and could wipe out many people. To protect lives, it was necessary to separate the unhealthy people from the healthy.

But the Lord was concerned about more than their physical health. He also commanded that anyone who had touched a dead body should also be isolated because they were “ceremonially unclean” – that is impure. Just as was true for the physically diseased person, no spiritually impure person could remain among God’s people lest others “catch” the same spiritually malady. Sin is a sickness of the spirit and it is more infectious than any physical illness. You only have to look at many denominations that have abandoned the holy and righteous commands of God to see it.

Matthew 14:24-30 records Jesus’ parable equating the kingdom of heaven to a field of wheat. He said, an enemy came in the night and “sowed weeds among the wheat” which grew right along with the wheat. His intention was to overtake the field, push down the wheat, and destroy the harvest. Satan is that enemy and the church is the field. Over many years, he planted ungodly people here and there in the church who introduced destructive philosophies and twisted Scripture – albeit by small degrees. (Remember the frog in the pot?). The result is many weakened churches that have been overtaken by weeds. God’s people have been either won over to worldliness or pushed down and pushed out – in some denominations literally.

Look at the natural progression of this pattern: Jesus said, “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold” (Mat 24:12). That is “agape” love – holy love – love for one another and love for God. This is the high price the church is paying now for allowing ungodliness to take root among God’s people.

Spiritual and moral purity in the Body of Christ must be a high priority lest the church becomes contaminated and lose her love for her Lord. Be mindful Beloved, you and I are the church. Are you letting weeds take root in your life? Perhaps it’s time to do some serious weeding (repentance) in your own garden before it spreads.