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.

Yes, Jesus Loves Me

I was blessed to attend a Bible study group this week for the first time. As a teacher, it is a rare treat to have someone pour into me for a change. The worship was uplifting, the fellowship was sweet, and the message was timely: the Love of God. The speaker took us through several of the attributes of God’s love and she ended by leading us all through “Jesus Loves Me.” Yes, that is a sweet little song we teach to our children, but let me assure you, it is equally applicable to adults. There is something specials about singing that song with a group of seasoned ladies who have leaned on God’s love through the highs and lows of life.
But something interesting happened. Did you know that there are more verses to that song than we teach our babies? Do you know the words to all those verses? I don’t and neither did most of the ladies there. So we Googled the song. We all knew the first verse – no problem. And we all referred to our phones for the second verse – still good. And then we came to the third verse and we were not all on the same version. Suddenly most of us dropped out and let the leader sing a solo.
What happened? We looked to the world for the words. We trusted the internet to fill in the holes in our song. The lesson was clear to me. Trust no one else but God for truth. Sure it was just a verse in a simple, little song, and the words we pulled up were not blasphemous – they were just not the right words. But words – or rather The Word – matters. Paul urged Timothy to stay in the Scriptures that are the very breath of God (2 Tim 3:14-17). Peter confirmed that the Scriptures are given to man by the Holy Spirit – they are trustworthy and true. They are always the right words.
You may be tired of me beating the Berean drum, but it cannot be stressed enough – always, always, always take everything you hear and everything you read and lay it alongside the Bible and see if it is true (Acts 17:11). Do not take anyone’s word for truth if it does not agree with the living Word of the living God. Too much is at stake to be misled, even by one little, seemingly insignificant word.
Beloved, be a student of the Scriptures. Get to know God’s Word for yourself so that you do not fall for the wrong verse in the song. Because Jesus does love you, and you need to know it.

Church History: No Islands in the Body of Christ

My Granddaughter Joy at “Honey School” photo by Wanda Battles Williams at Rehobeth Baptist Church, Rehobeth Alabama.

Paul – persecutor-turned-proclaimer – caused quite a stir. The Jews were perplexed by him – and angry with – him. He “baffled the Jews in Damascus” with his message, “proving that Jesus is the Christ” (Acts 9:22). They plotted to kill Paul, but his friends helped him escape by way of a basket. The Christians in Jerusalem did not trust him and refused to welcome him into their fellowship. He was an island unto himself. Nobody wanted to associate with him. Until a trusted member of the Jerusalem congregation, Barnabas – whose name meant “Encourager,” came to his side and his defense. The brothers in Jerusalem gladly received him and once again rescued him from the threat of death.
Paul and Barnabas would log many miles together as missionary-sojourners. When they parted ways – not so amicably (Acts 15:36-41) – Paul took Silas as his ministry partner. All along the way, Paul gathered people to join him in his work. Timothy, Lydia, Priscilla and Aquila, and Titus were his closest companions. His ministry team also included Erastus (Acts 19:22), Gaius and Aristarchus from Macedonia (Acts 19:29), Sopater of Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus of Thessalonica, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia (Acts 20:1–5). John Mark brought a great deal of anguish – and companionship to Paul’s life. A runaway slave was also a ministry partner with Paul – after he submitted to his master’s authority and approval (Philemon). Paul recognized many others who were an important part of his work in his letters.
What is the application of all of this? Paul started out as an island, but he didn’t stay that way. He needed Christian friends and companions and mentors and mentees and fellow servants of the Lord to grow in his faith and into his ministry. So do you and I. Even Jesus, the very Son of God, didn’t try to go it alone. When Christian leaders try to stand apart from others they almost always implode. Wisdom says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” (Prov. 27:17). You and I cannot hone ourselves. We need people who can spot the dull places and help us reach our best selves.
I cannot imagine who I would be without godly friends and mentors, teachers, preachers, encouragers, challengers, and a few busy-bodies who told me what I didn’t want to hear. I also cannot imagine my life without those I have taught and mentored through the years. Beloved, you need godly people. And somebody needs you. Find your place in the chain of fellow believers.

Piddles and Pankins and the Doctrines of the Faith

Joy loves to play doctor’s office and Nana is her favorite patient. She takes my temperature, looks in my ears, listens to my heart, checks my reflexes, and even examines my teeth. She also usually gives me a shot. Lately, she prescribed me piddles. I thought that was what puppies do, but I was wrong. Piddles, in her medical practice, are what the rest of us call pills. It was one of her malaprops. I thought it was so cute that I didn’t correct her. I love her tangled-up words like pankins for pancakes and Honey School for Sunday School. I know that one day she will learn the correct words, but for now they are harmless so I let her hang onto them as long as she wants.
But there are some things that she – and all of us – need to get right. They are theological and doctrinal truths that carry a tremendous amount of weight. They make up Christianity’s core and all other truths are derived from them. If we get them wrong, everything else is wrong too. And therein lies great danger. If we do not correct the misunderstandings and errors concerning these issues the consequences will be most severe and eternal.
They raise questions about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Trinity, man, sin, salvation, the gospel, the Bible, the church, the Christian life, resurrection, eternal life, the Kingdom of God, heaven and hell, and more. They are “spine issues” because, like humans, a healthy spine is vital for a healthy body. A broken spine leads to paralysis and even death. In many ways, the church’s spine is near the breaking point because we have drifted from biblical truth and embraced error and dangerous false teaching We are weakening her spine – and her witness. The church is unable (or unwilling) to fulfill the great commission because her people are paralyzed by false doctrine.
Paul warned Timothy, “Watch your life and doctrine closely” (1 Tim 4:16). It is wise counsel we need to heed. He said, “In later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons” (4:1). “They will gather around themselves a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” (2 Tim 4:3).
God has impressed on my heart to dedicate Sunday’s devotionals to studying the core doctrines of Christianity. No more piddles or pankins Beloved. Get ready to strengthen your spine with the truth.

We Need One Another

Every person I know is struggling with something – family issues, health problems, financial difficulties, mental and emotional health, work and school. You probably found yours among that list.
Something else we all have in common is the need for encouragement. The Lord impressed on my heart at the end of last year that I need to focus on writing more messages of encouragement. I understand why. You need it and so do I. I was reading this morning in 1 Thessalonians and was caught by the sequence I saw in chapter 3.
Paul was in Athens but his heart was in Thessalonica and the church he had previously established there. Paul was concerned that the Thessalonians had abandoned their faith in Christ. He sent Timothy, his trusted friend and co-worker to both find out how they were and to “strengthen and encourage” them in their faith (v. 2). He did not want the church to become discouraged by persecution nor to be tempted by the enemy to give up.
When Timothy returned, he brought Paul “good news about your faith and love” (v. 6). They were “standing firm in the Lord” (v. 8). The Apostle was greatly encouraged! He thanked God for the Thessalonians and was strengthened in his own faith. Their lives were a testimony to God’s power and faithfulness. Paul was refreshed and able to endure the persecution and trials that surrounded him.
There is something wonderful about the family of God. We encourage one another. We hold each other up. We “speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” (Eph 5:19).. We share stories of God’s goodness in our lives. That is why I am so transparent in these devotionals – maybe a little too transparent. I believe with all my heart if you see God carry me through difficulties, it will give you hope in your own. Likewise, when you share what God is doing in your life, it gives me encouragement to hold fast to Him and keep pressing on.
Someone you know needs a word of encouragement today. It may be a family member, a coworker, a friend -it may even be me. Or maybe it’s you. I hope these simple words lift you up and that “you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith” (Rom 1:12). Let’s support one another, Beloved. The three of us – you, me, and the Lord will get through this together.

Grown-up Faith

“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.” 1 Timothy 1:15
I grew up in a Christian home, my mom took us to Sunday School, church, Sunbeams, Vacation Bible School, and so on. I don’t recall a time when I didn’t know about the God who created the whole world and I always knew that Jesus loved me. I knew every story in the Bible about Jesus from the manger to the cross and the empty tomb. I asked Him into my heart when I was nine years old and was baptized. For many years I did Christianity my own way until my way proved unstable and caused me to drift. In His grace and mercy, God drew me back to Himself and His Word. But rather than learning Bible stories, this time I began to learn Bible truth, and I started to see things in Scripture I had never seen before. I realized that what I had was “faith” built on sweet Bible stories, but it was not saving faith for eternal life.
Biblical scholar Dr. Irwin Lutzer says that true faith is three-fold. “First it involves knowledge, the fact of Jesus’ death for sinners. Second, it means we assent to the truths of salvation; finally, it involves trust, the transferring of all of our confidence to Christ alone.”[1] We recognize our own need for a Savior, confess that Jesus’ death secured our salvation, and believe that through God’s grace, we are forever redeemed and set free. Many of us who grew up going to church get to the first stage and most also reach the second. But few will go beyond knowledge to acceptance and trust.
Faith – saving faith – is more than knowing Bible stories. It is knowing the God behind the stories and surrendering your whole being to Him through faith in Jesus Christ. It is radical and extraordinary and if it doesn’t transform your life, it’s probably not saving faith. I’m so grateful that the Lord opened my eyes to the truth nearly forty years ago. He helped me to trust in Him fully and I’ve never looked back. He’s proven faithful and true every single day.
Here’s something to think about: Is your faith in those sweet childhood stories about Jesus or is it in Jesus Himself? Beloved, is it time for your faith to grow up?
[1] Erwin Lutzer, The Doctrines That Divide: A Fresh Look at the Historic Doctrines That Separate Christians, (Grand Rapids, Kregel, 1998), 99.

Run!

I was studying late last night and got hungry. Suddenly an image popped up on my screen – a Mason jar full of cornbread and milk. I remembered the leftover corn muffins from supper the night before. I made a beeline to the kitchen.

This is exactly how satan works to draw us into temptation and sin. James described it perfectly – “ . . . each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed” (Jas. 1:14). Let’s reconsider my snack attack in light of this verse. I had a desire – I wanted something to eat while I studied. I saw an image that tapped into my love for cornbread and milk and aroused my desire. I knew where I could find what I wanted and I went after it. In less than five minutes I was enjoying my treat.

There’s nothing evil about cornbread and milk – except maybe the quantity I eat. But what if that deep desire has been for something else? What if I was craving alcohol or drugs or porn? What if I was addicted to gambling or – pick your own poison. What might satan parade before me then?  And how easily would I have fallen? Just as easily as I did for my favorite snack. Don’t be fooled – satan can read you and me like a book. He knows all about those secret desires we try to hide. He knows what to dangle in front of us to persuade us to follow right into a trap. Paul lamented this internal pull of sin in Romans 7 saying sinful desires still lived in him and waged war within him (vv. 14-23).

So what recourse do we have? We run. We flee from those evil desires (2 Tim 2:22). Paul said, “. . . when you are tempted, [God] will provide a way out” (1 Cor 10:13). Take it. Don’t stand there and try to talk yourself down. Run from the temptation. Get as far away from it as possible. Run to a trusted friend. Run around the block. Put down the phone. Shut off the T.V.  Go play with your kids. Do whatever it takes to distance yourself from the temptation.

Maybe you have even bigger temptations than cornbread and milk. Believe me, I do too. But God promised a way out. Look for it and run to it, Beloved. Freedom is on the other side of the door.

In the World But Not of the World

Is there any doubt that evil rules the world in which we live? It is impossible to avoid the influence of evil around us unless we hide in a cave. When Jesus prepared His disciples to go out into the world with His message, He said they would be like “sheep among wolves” (Matt 10:16). I feel that constantly just trying to live and survive in the culture of our day. So how do we live godly lives in an ungodly world? The Lord continued: “Be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” That’s a rather odd combination – so how do we pull that off in real life?

In the modern context, “shrewd” means “having or showing sharp powers of judgment; astute.” Similarly, in the original Greek, it means “wise, sensible, thinking, understanding.” One of Satan’s most effective tools is to dull our minds and then feed us from the world’s banquet table of ideas and philosophies. We must wake up our sleepy heads and think about the messages we are receiving. We must lay them alongside the Word of God, and see if they are true (Acts 17:11-12). Because we must live in this world, Jesus tells us to think about what we are hearing and make wise determinations.

In contrast to being shrewd, Jesus commands us to be innocent. Again, in the original language, it means to be “pure, not mixed with evil.” We must not attempt to mix the world’s philosophies and ideas with The Truth – Jesus (John 14:6).  God and His Word have not changed despite what the culture says. Men will try to reinterpret the Word of God to make it say whatever they want to hear (2 Tim 4:3-4). We must keep our hearts pure and devoted to Him alone. We must stand firm and not allow the world to mix us up. Paul said, “Stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults” (1 Cor 14:20). In other words, grow up, pay attention, and do not even think about evil.

Jesus said we are “in the world” (John 15:11) but “not of the world” (v. 14). While we live alongside people who do not follow Christ we must live by His Word and for His glory. Beloved, let’s commit to being both shrewd and innocent in this evil world and show them by our lives The One True God who loves them and died for them.

Whatchoo talkin’ ’bout?

The Spirit has placed me under conviction about something and has commanded me to share this with you. You may want to put on your steel-toed bunny slippers.

Paul wrote to Timothy, “Avoid godless chatter . . .” (2 Tim 2:16). Other translations render this as “worldly and empty chatter.” It makes me think of Gary Coleman’s character, Arnold, on Different Strokes whose catchphrase was “Whatchoo talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” And it always comes to mind when we’re gathering on Sunday morning and the conversations center on the football game the day before. Now, I do love me some Alabama football, but I just can’t envision Paul standing around with a cup of coffee ranting about men running up and down a field chasing a ball.

When he said “godless chatter” Paul used a word that means, “accessible, lawful to be trodden [upon].” Like a heavily traveled road. Something common.  Put another way, he is saying, “Don’t talk about what everyone else is talking about.” Think about this – you and I have an intimate relationship with the God of the Universe who is actively at work in the world and in us. We have been redeemed from the pit of sin and eternal condemnation by the greatest act of love ever. We bear the Holy Spirit of Christ with us. Why are we talking about everything else?

Jesus said, “Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” (Mat 12:34). I’ve always equated that with profanity, coarse joking, and hateful talk from a heart filled with vile and putrid things, but I think it could also apply to our conversations about vain and godless matters. If our hearts are full of useless attractions and common pleasures, that is what will come out of our mouths. Jesus also said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Mat 6:21). The upshot of that is whatever you and I talk about is what we love the most.

I believe the words of our mouths reveal dulled hearts. How do we turn this around? David prayed, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer” (Ps 19:14). Let’s turn this verse into a question: “Do the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart please God?”

You are a child of the Most High God, Beloved. Turn your mind and heart to your Father and worthy words will follow (Jer 15:19).

Grace and Mercy

I don’t argue with the Bible – it is God’s holy, living Word and is perfect and right and true. Like my hero, Ezra, I have dedicated my life to study the Word, live the Word, and teach the Word (Ez 7:10). But I have to push back on Paul just a bit. He said, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am chief” (1 Tim 1:15). Sorry Paul, but that’s my title: Chief of sinners. If you only knew . . .

But Paul’s point – and mine – is not about competition.  It is God’s beautiful grace and scandalous mercy through Christ Jesus. I always had the impression that God doled out His grace in measure and only as much as we asked for– like you committed a sin so here’s a spoonful of grace. But notice what Paul said, “The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly.” That’s not drop-by-drop grace.  The word he used is hyperpleonazō.  Hyper means excess – like an ADHD kid who is full of excessive energy, to the point that they literally cannot sit still. I know – I raised one. Paul means that God gives exceedingly abundant grace that overflows in excess. That’s grace you can swim around in.

He also said that God had shown him mercy. Do you understand mercy? It means that you and I and Paul deserved punishment for our sins – we deserved death. God’s wrath is fully justified. But God sent His Son to take our punishment – to die for our sins so that we would not face His wrath. It was as if you stood trial for a grave and horrible crime and the judge declared you guilty and sentenced you to death then stepped down from the bench took off his robe and laid down on your cross.

Mercy is not getting the punishment that we deserve. Grace is being granted kindness we don’t deserve. Mercy says, “Yes, you are a sinner and you deserve to die, but I will die for you instead.” Grace says, “Now, you are my child and all I have is yours.”

Mercy and grace are God’s gift to you through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. You do not have to earn them – in fact, you can’t, Beloved. Nor can you find them anywhere else. He gives them freely. He gives them lavishly. He gives them because He loves you. Even if you’re the chief of sinners.