Articles

FROM A VISIT TO THE DOCTOR...

Several years had passed since I had been to a doctor. During the doctor's recent examination and conversation, I kept thinking of how his vocation and a pastor's were not all that different (although the doctor, no doubt, has invested much more in initial education and training.). Jesus noted this parallel analogizing His mission as a physician who had come, not for the well but for the ill. Thus, I not only saw the comparisons between what the doctor does for one's body and a pastor does for one's soul, I also saw contrasts in a "patient's" response to each. The doctor examined me: He quizzed me about my habits, diet, sleep patterns, exercise. He probed and pushed and peered. He even hit me with a hammer. Not once did I become angry with him. In fact, I noted with appreciation how thorough he was being. Often, in personal counseling, a pastor will question and quiz the counselee trying to get to the root of the matter. The Word of God during his preaching will probe the heart, push into closed rooms, peer into darkened corners. Often, the one the pastor is trying to help becomes upset at him because such examination is uncomfortable. After the examination, the doctor proceeded to diagnosis, to reveal his findings: Even if the diagnosis is something as traumatic as the news of cancer, the patient often collects himself enough to thank genuinely the doctor for discovering and revealing to him what was wrong. Likewise, the pastor will often, either during a one on one conversation or through the preaching, which the Spirit customizes and directs to the individual, tell a person what is wrong with his soul. Instead of grabbing the minister's hand and pumping it vigorously exclaiming, "Thank you, preacher, for pointing out what is wrong with my spiritual life. I am so grateful you discovered it and told me," often a person becomes bitterly upset at the minister. Then there was the prescription: The doctor prescribed what I needed to do: There were habits that needed changed, diet that need altered, further tests to undergo, and medicines to take. I was grateful that the doctor was giving me something to help. I determined to follow the "doctor's orders." The pastor listens carefully. He prays with the one in need. Then, wanting to help the one with the spiritual need, he prescribes a course of action. He, as the doctor, often suggests changes of habit ("have daily devotions"), or alterations of diet ("Really, watching that show can't be helpful to your spiritual life"), or medicines to take ("read or memorize this portion of Scripture."). I often have unintentionally felt like a doctor writing prescriptions. After counseling, I grab my memo pad and jot down applicable passages to be read and absorbed. The point is, the pastor in genuine effort to help has prescribed a regimen for the one who needs spiritual help. Many times, that prescription is not given serious attention or adherence. Thankfully, others do positively respond. All who respond to Jesus, as the Great Physician He is, truly find healing for their souls. All are faced with the same question: Will I submit to the examination, accept the diagnosis, and follow the prescription of The Doctor of doctors?

THE FEELING OF NOT FITTING IN

One of the most common grievances against the church that through the years I have encountered as pastor is capsulated in these words, "I don't feel like I fit in." I don't doubt one's truly feeling this way. The irony is this: The feeling of not fitting in is unwarranted, but the fact of not fitting in is real. Often, when I am told, "I don't feel like I fit in," I respond, "Well, I don't feel like I fit in either and I am Pastor." The fact is, this feeling of not fitting in is inherent in the human condition. Humans, because of sin, are fallen. Sin by its very nature is alienating. Upon sinning, Adam and Eve immediately went to hide from the presence of God. They no longer felt they fit in with God. And they didn't. I suspect Adam and Eve began to have some type of marriage problems after the fall. Each, very probably, began to suffer some form of self-doubt and self-loathing. People don't feel like they fit in because sin separates: It separates a person from God, from others, and even from himself. One feels like other people don't accept him because of the way the other people are. In truth, one feels like people don't accept him because of the way he is. I'm not talking about the possible quirks and foibles of his personality. I'm referencing the fallen nature, the warped-ness of our soul. This reminds me of a story. Years ago, as a prank, some dorm mates waited until a fellow fell asleep and then spread limburger cheese in his mustache. He awoke, sniffed, and declared to the empty room, "This room stinks." Going out into the hallway, he sniffed again and declared there, "This hallway stinks." Same thing in the lobby: "This lobby stinks." Going outside he sniffed what he thought would be fresh outdoor air. He shook his head and exasperatingly proclaimed, "The whole world stinks!" One feels he does fit in and thinks the problem is the room, the hallway, the lobby, the world-the people around him. In fact, the cheese of fallen-ness is smeared across his soul. This is where salvation through Christ is so poignant. Without going into all the dynamics of salvation at work to repair and restore man from his fallen-ness back into the original condition, let's look at one fragment of Scripture that is the cure to this feeling like we don't fit: "...herein he hath made us accepted in the beloved." (Eph 1:6). "Accepted in the Beloved!" Us, who were alienated from God, who did not fit in He has accepted because we are in the Beloved. At His baptism, the Father spoke, "This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased." If we are in that Son, what the Father says applies to us. We are beloved and with us God is well-pleased. We fit in. The fact is, because of sin, we do not fit in. But, the fact is also, if we are in Christ, we fit in. We are accepted. The feeling like we don't fit in, is a faithless, unwarranted feeling. It is deceiving us. Socially, feeling like we don't fit in and blaming that on others only perpetuates and feeds the not-fitting-in-feeling. Perhaps, it is time to accept that we are accepted in the Beloved and clean the limburger cheese off of our mustaches.

YOU CAN SEE IT IN THE EYES

My observation is anecdotal and, perhaps, not scientifically verifiable, yet I am convinced it is true. The view from the pulpit is quite different than the view from the pew. As pastor, I observe people's faces week after week. Whether leading worship, preaching, teaching, or just being on the platform, I see faces. One thing I have sadly noticed is when the light goes out of person's eyes. I have observed it most noticeably with the young and, in particular, with young men. Perhaps, it will seem like a rushed judgment to causality--I know that grief, sickness, depression can, as well, cause the light to go out of the eyes, but I can all most always tell, for example, when a young man has begun habitually to view pornography, has been zoning out hours on end in video gaming-gaming with violent, sexual, and occult imagery, or has been watching movies, series, etc., full of dark characters-zombies, vampires, warlocks and witches, and sexuality. I can tell it because the light goes out of that young man's eyes. The contrast is so evident. When one has seen the young man's eyes radiantly bright with youth, innocence, the Spirit of God at work in them in worship, and, then in a later service at a later date, one sees that same young man's eyes dull, glazed over, hollow, one is seeing the effect of partaking of darkness. Darkness can never brighten. Light can dispel darkness, but darkness cannot bring light.   "But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!" (Mat 6:23). The eyes are the windows of the soul. If the soul is dark, the eyes will be dark. If the soul is full of light, the eyes will shine with it. There is another wonderful reality. Not only have I seen the light go out of a person's eyes, I have seen it come into a person's eyes. I have seen a sinner hardened by sin, having no countenance, his face shadowed in darkness, his eyes dark, lifeless. I have observed that one pour out his heart to God in repentance and then in faith believe in Jesus as Savior. When that person arises from a born-again experience, there is vivacious light in his eyes because the Light has shined into his soul chasing away all darkness. Darkness or light, you can see it in the eyes.

A TALE OF THREE LADIES, A DOG, AND SALVATION

She walked in with a completely downcast, despair-darkened countenance. Answering the altar appeal after the Gospel had been shared, she came and wept and shook and prayed. God gloriously saved her and delivered her from drugs and a life of sin and darkness. She has been serving Christ for going on two years now. She had told me her story of how she ended up walking through the doors of our church, a walk that led to the altar; thus, I knew much of that story but not all of it. Come to find out, neither did she. Here is her story: A dog kept showing up at her house. Since it persisted showing up, she took the dog through her neighborhood trying to find its home. She came to one house where lived a lady that had come to our church. Led by the Spirit this lady, after telling the lady whom this story is about that the dog was not hers, began to witness to her telling her how Jesus could change her life. The lady of the house also recommended that the lady, looking for the dog's owner, come to our church where she would hear the Gospel and God could change her life. She did. She came. Her life was changed. A wonderful story it was, but only very recently did she herself discover the rest of the story. A short while back, she was at the home of yet another lady of our church for a Bible study. They somehow began talking about the host lady's dog. Suddenly, it dawned on the lady who had been wondrously saved: It was this host lady's dog that had taken to wandering away from home! This was the dog she, looking for its owner, had taken trying to find its home. That had taken her to the house of the lady that encouraged her to come to our church. Coming to our church, she had been converted. Being converted, she met the lady who invited her to her house for Bible study. There she encountered the dog again. Wow. Serve Christ and even your dog may lead someone to finding Christ. God is mighty to save! One who heard this story remarked, "A lost dog led a lost lady to Jesus."

Those Who ________________, Thank You!

This past Sunday’s Pastor Appreciate was such a meaningful day to this pastor and his family. Our hearts were humbled and warmed by the outpouring of words, cards, gifts, for the special preaching, singing, and skits, and for all the preparation and planning of the wonderful meal. Most of all our hearts were grateful for such wonderful people. You Union Pentecostal Church folk are so faithful. Those who are so faithful to attend our weekly services, over and over again, thank you. Those who are so faithful in leading your volunteer ministries—all the planning, preparing, teaching, etc.—, thank you. Those who are so faithful to give and support the church and its work, thank you. Those who are so faithful to fill the prayer room each Sunday evening, thank you. Those who come each Tuesday morning to prayer meeting, thank you. Those who come early to practice for both adult and youth choirs, thank you. The musicians who dedicate their time and talent, thank you. Those who are involved in outreach, thank you. Those who use your vacation time to help with camps, thank you. Those who take care of our grounds, vehicles, and equipment, thank you. The board members who carry the burden of the church, thank you. Those who come on cleaning days, thank you. Those who go to the nursing home ministries, thank you. Those who help cook for, set up for, and plan special events, thank you. Those who show a real interest in the Word of God as this pastor preaches and teaches, thank you. Those who do whatever I have not yet listed, thank you. Pastor Appreciation Day always causes me to feel such appreciation of you, the Church, Union Road Pentecostal Church.

"Go Ahead. You Can Be Honest With Me."

“Go ahead. You can be honest with me.” This is often the most dishonest statement every uttered. A person comes to you for advice, help, counsel, etc. In essence, he is asking you what his problem is, what is wrong with his life, where he went wrong, what should he or shouldn’t he do, etc. To lead you into thinking, “It’s ok; I can be totally candid with him,” he coaxes you to share how things look from your perspective with “Go ahead. You can be honest with me.” If any says that to you, whether spouse, friend, counselee, boss, child, etc., you had better watch it. It is a set up. It is said to lead you to believe that person is really opened to constructive criticism, that you can be frankly objective with him. In reality, it comes from an inferiority that desires to hear what you think of him—not so he can change, but so it can be about him; if you share anything other than praise about him, in a twisted way, he in self-obsession delights in adding that to his poor-me-I-am-being-misunderstood persecution complex. In short, if one says, “Go ahead, you can be honest with me,” you can’t be honest with him. Well, thankfully, not everybody is like this. There are also those few who truly mean it when they say, “You can be honest with me.” These truly mean it because, I believe, they have first said it to God and meant it. “God, you can be honest with me. Go ahead.” The psalmist showed he was one such when he invited God, “Search me, Oh God, and know my thoughts…” Such a person is also one who is honest with himself. Again, in the words of a psalmist, he “speaks the truth in his heart.” Sadly, those with whom you cannot be honest in response to their assurance you can be honest, get upset to their own detriment. If only they would accept the honest appraisal. It could make all the difference in their lives. What wonderful strides they could make in their personal growth. One should begin with God: “God, tell me what you think. Go ahead. You can be honest with me. Honestly!” Can you? Can you say, “Go ahead. You can be honest with me.”? Honest to God?

THERE WILL BE HORRIBLE WRECKS

A two lane road through a populated residential area of town has new speed limit signs. They state, "Drive At A Speed That Feels Right To You." That I made up, but, really, this is the philosophy drilled into the current generation: Make life choices based on what feels right to you. As I read this morning's newspaper, I was stirred all over again about the evident dire consequences of our society's rejecting absolute truths in favor of the post-modernist mentality that each has his own subjective truth. Disturbingly, I also detect this post-modernist philosophy of each-has-his-own-truth-there-are-no-absolutes when I have the opportunity to address groups of church youth. I ask a question, "Specifically, what would you list as sins a Christian should not commit." Usually, the youth sit puzzled or fearful to suggest specific sins. Our society has succeeded in influencing and cowing even "Christian youth" into to thinking no one has a right to say something is right or wrong for everybody--that would be judgmental, narrow minded, bigoted. And, it is here where our society misses the point: Our current society says that, if I declared something wrong, for everyone, that I, as a Christian, am trying to apply and enforce my personal, individual truth on other people. How can I do that? My individual truth, it says, has no more validity or lack of validity than anybody else's. What this wrongheadedness misses is this: If I believe in absolutes, I am not trying to apply and enforce my individual truth on everybody else; I am simply acknowledging an absolute truth that is applicable to me and everybody else. What about that two lane road through a populated area where the speed limit of the road is left to each's decision on how fast or slow each thinks he should drive? You may be going 85 mph on this busy street. I tell you that you are going too fast; you should go 35 mph. If you believe that going 85 mph is right for you, who am I to tell you that you are going too fast? You could tell me that I am being judgmental. If there is no set speed limit, you would be correct in that conclusion. However, if there is a posted speed limit of 35 mph, and you are going 85 mph, I am not being judgmental to say that you and anyone else that goes 85 mph is driving too fast. I am not being judgmental to say that you are speeding. Why? The 35 mph speed limit is not just my personal belief. As far as that road, it is the absolute. Sadly, many "Christian" youth have been influenced not to think in terms of absolutes, truths that are applicable to everyone. That is why, when I ask them to list sins, the list is short. Usually, they will not even offer that pre-marital sex is sin, because many in society personally believe that it is acceptable; therefore, to list it as wrong would be trying to impose a personal belief on others; it would be judgmental. No wonder so many "Christians" live no differently than the world around them. Just as, if the speed limit of that road through town is left to whatever people think it should be, there would be horrible wrecks and awful causalities, so it is and will increasingly be when our society leaves it to each individual to choose what his truth will be.

Judged By The Founder, No, By The Followers ISIL (ISIS) “is not Islamic.”

This statement by our president in response to those terrorists intent on establishing a radical Islamist state who have murdered innocents and beheaded journalists is, to me, almost unbelievable in its disingenuousness. My first response to myself was, “Has anyone informed ISIS that they are not Islamic? They certainly don’t seem to be aware of it.” The following was offered as a reason for this conclusion: ISIS is not Islamist because ISIS kills Islamists. Jonah Goldberg, columnist, made a poignant point (I paraphrase.): “If ISIS is not Islamic because they kill Islamists, does that mean Joseph Stalin was not communist because he killed thousands of communists?” In all this, the underlying premise is that we are not to judge Islam by those who claim to be its followers. Actually, I believe this is true. But, I would take it a step farther. We are not to judge any religion by its followers but by its founder. It is said that Islam is about peace (a misinterpretation of what is meant by peace), thus the terrorists who kill are not true Islamists. However, evaluate that statement (True Islam is about peace not terrorism.) while looking at Islam’s founder. History would have to be radically revised to edit out the killings ordered or encouraged by Islam’s founder, Mohammed. ISIS killings are, in fact, congruous with the founder of Islam. Thus, it cannot be said based on its killings that ISIS is not Islamic. Apply this judge-the-religion-by-the-founder to a group that calls itself Christian but advocates killing Muslims because they are Muslim. Or apply it to Timothy McVeigh. Or abortion clinic bombers. Jesus never modeled or advocated violence to others simply because they did not believe what He taught. Thus, neither those who advocated killing Muslims for being Muslims, the Timothy McVeighs, abortion clinic bombers, etc., are truly Christians though they may call themselves such. They are not Christians when measured by the founder of Christianity. If any should know what a religion is about, if any should convey what a religion is about, it should be the founder. All that being said—a religion should be judged by its founder not its followers--, the reality is, people do judge a religion by its followers. However wrongheaded the conclusions, we as followers should keep this in mind. What people think about Christianity comes from what they think about us, the followers. The only way they are really going to get what Christianity is truly about is if they see the Founder in and through us.

WITHOUT A COMPASS

It is not simple equivocation. Neither is it, I believe, a calculative determination to call evil good and good evil. It is a true inability. This failure definitively to call acts of terrorism evil, or, to be unable to say marriage exists only between opposite genders is a result of having abandoned absolutes and adopting a relativistic, situational ethics way of looking at things. Without an absolute standard, there is simply no measure for saying, "This is right," and "This is wrong." If one is on a ship lost in the middle of the sea without a compass, how with any certainty can he point in any direction and say, "That is the right way."? Or, conversely, how can he say of a different direction another is pointing and say, "That is the wrong way." (He could in lieu of a compass use a sextant, GPS, or the North Star, but that only proves the need of an absolute.) Post-modernists of today would have us to believe as long as an individual believes the direction he is pointing is the right direction, for him, that is the right direction. Another may point to an opposite direction. If he believes that is the right direction, for him, that is the right direction. The only trouble is that only one or neither of the pointed directions can lead to the set destination of the ship. If I truly believe this relativism, although I am pointing in an opposite direction than you saying my direction is right, I cannot, to be consistent, say that you are wrong. The boasted conclusion is that nobody's wrong. If that is true, then nobody's right either. Only a compass can determine which direction, or neither, is right. If the compass has been jettisoned, there is no way with conviction to know which direction to sail the ship however emphatically one insists that the way he is pointing is correct. He himself cannot really have conviction he is right--if he is honest. It is blatantly dishonest to insist one is accurate about the direction when he has not based his orientation on a compass but only on his philosophies, opinions, inclinations, whims, etc. To judge what is correct it takes an absolute reference point beyond the subjective individual who is making the judgment. From a common member of our society making life style choices to a leader of our country deciding what to do about world crises, we see today this inability to make decisions with a definitive, "this is right and that is wrong". Each makes decisions absent a moral compass. Only the absolute morality revealed by God can provide the moral compass. What an arrogance to embark on the ocean of life with the boast, "I need no compass. I will just decide what is the right direction for me." It is also disastrous to have no compass and to say, "I will decide what is right for this country." This was the essence of the original sin of partaking of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The appeal of the tree was for mankind to be able to make decisions of right and wrong by himself without consulting God. From then to now, every time the compass is thrown overboard, there has been awful shipwreck.