Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
Our primary choice in life is whether we choose Christ, and life, or reject him, thus choosing death.
Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Again, the choice we must make is the same as the one facing Joshua and the children of Israel.
Psalms 5:8 Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.
The real issue is not whether we make the right choices in life, but whether we follow the Lord's leading instead of our own will.
Psalms 16:7 I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
The Holy Spirit is our counselor, or advisor, even when we rest in our beds in the night.
Psalms 25:4 Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. 5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. 6 Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old. 7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O LORD. 8 Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. 9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. 10 All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. 11 For thy name's sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great. 12 What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. 13 His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth. 14 The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.
This should be prayer when the time comes for decision in our lives; that God will so instruct us in his ways and paths that our decisions would always be in accordance with his will, his way, and his Word.
Psalms 27:11 Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. Our enemies (the world, the flesh, and the devil) are always looking for us to fail and to make mistakes.
This is a prayer that God might lead us in his paths, lest we stumble and fall on our own.
Psalms 31:3 For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me.
Psalms 32:8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
This is a promise to those who serve God; not to show us the right decision in which we propose the choices, but to instruct and teach us the right way to go according to the choices God presents to us.
Psalms 43:3 O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.
Psalms 73:24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
The ultimate goal of letting God do our decision-making is to have him receive us into his glory.
Psalms 139:1 <
Since God knows our every need and requirement, and knows the most intimate details of our being, we need have no fear that he will direct us in making the right decisions.
Psalms 139:24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Any inward deceit or evil way can distort our judgment, and our ability to hear and follow God's instruction.
Psalms 143:10 Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
Proverbs 1:29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
Those who refuse divine instruction are fools.
Proverbs 3:31 Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.
We shouldn't base our decision-making on those in the world seem to be successful by employing violence and oppression.
Proverbs 6:20 My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: 21 Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. 22 When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. 23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
We should not direct wise counsel from our parents, so long as it is consistent with God's Word.
Proverbs 11:3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.
Integrity helps insure we make the right decisions.
Proverbs14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
Relying on our own wisdom will bring nothing but disaster.
Isaiah 7:15 Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.
This describes one who enjoys the benefits of God's provision, and makes right choices in response.
Isaiah 58:9 Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; 10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: 11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
The Lord responds to the prayers of the righteous, who do not oppress the poor and needy, but seek to obey him.
Isaiah 66:4 I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.
The opposite is true for those who reject God's counsel.
Jeremiah 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
God reveals his truth to those who call on him as their Lord.
Matthew 15:14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
Those who follow the advice of spiritually blind leaders are doomed to failure and disaster.
Mark 13:11 But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.
When we undergo spiritual attacks, we don't have to try to decide what to say; if we trust God, the Spirit himself will provide the right answers.
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
The Holy Spirit is our teacher, counselor, and guide. Whatever the decision facing us, the only "right" decision is the one that the Spirit provides in accordance with the Father's will.
1 Corinthians 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
To the extent we really do have the mind of Christ, or give our will over to him, we will never make the wrong decisions.
Ephesians 5:17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
That is the whole object of the decision-making process; understanding what God's will is, then being obedient to it.
Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Psalms 25:12 What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.
Psalms 119:30 I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.
Isaiah 65:12 Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not.
Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Matthew 25:45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
John 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Romans 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Choice is the most basic human privilege, given to us by God. Without it, we would be robots, acting out a script written in advance. The Bible tells us that all of us have sinned (Romans 3:23), so for as long as we remain in sin, we are its servants, and really have no choices of eternal value. The only choice facing us is the one above: whom we will serve. When we ask the Lord to forgive our sins, we choose life over death, and liberty over bondage (2 Corinthians 3:17, and many others). Once we choose Christ, we still have choices that face us until we leave this flesh.
Some life choices are basic for all people, but for Christians they should always be made with the view of obedience to God. The Lord has a plan and purpose for all of his children (Romans 8:28), both for the short term and the long term. Our vocation in life, our decisions about marriage and a mate, and our particular area of ministry are included. So are more immediate choices, like where we live, how we dispose of the money and time he gives us, whom we speak to about the Lord, and even the smallest detail, like what we choose to eat or not to eat, should be subject to his control. It's not that we should spend every waking moment asking God what we should do in the next moment; our choices should flow naturally from the inner guidance of his Spirit (Jeremiah 31:33).
When we do face tough choices, and our way is not clear to us, this is God's promise: Psalms 32:8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. The following articles in this series will examine particular choices that Christians face, those discussed above and others. The Bible offers guidance for every decision we will ever have to make; all we need to know is where to look when the need arises.
If you don't know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, these articles will not apply to you. If you would like to know what salvation means, and how you can attain it, go here.
Next: A Life's Work
God expects us to be good stewards of what he's given us (Luke 12:42-44). If we give time and money to organizations outside the church, we need to be sure they share the same beliefs and doctrines that we do. Otherwise, we may be spending time and treasure in furthering causes we don't believe in. There are some things we can do, as Fundamental Christians, to insure our support of a parachurch is justified:
The organization should have a statement of belief and / or doctrine. Most will make theirs available on their website; if they don't. ask that it be sent to you by mail. If they don't have one at all, don't support them. Just because the organization wears the name "Christian" doesn't mean the label fits. The world is full of cons and scams. If there is a statement of belief, see if it conforms with yours. If there are, in your judgment, significant differences, check with your pastor, or make a decision on your own if you're confident in doing so.
Do some research. Friends are a good source of information if they're already supporting the organization, or, for some reason, decided not to. Always check with your pastor, just as you should for any questions about doctrine. If you're still not satisfied, or even if you are, enter the organization's name in a search engine on the Internet, with some term like "problems" or "complaints". Not all complaints have any real basis, so short of a real pattern of abuse or malfeasance, give the organization the benefit of a doubt if you find problems. Allegations like fraud should certainly be investigated further.
Ask yourself this question: Will the time and money I will be giving to this organization reduce the time and money I give to support my local church? If the answer is "Yes", you shouldn't pursue the matter without some very specific guidance from the Lord. Our first obligation is always to our local church body.
Type in "Fundamental Baptist ministries", or "KJV only ministries" into a search engine query, and you'll get back hundreds of results. If you feel led to give an offering, or ongoing support, to a ministry, or otherwise become involved, there are places on the Web that have already done a lot of the research for you.
Here is a very partial list taken from the Wholesome Words Directory:
Colleges: Many of these are ministries of local churches, so they are technically not parachurch organizations, except to the extent of any organizational autonomy they may have.
AMBASSADOR BAPTIST COLLEGE
Lattimore, NC
E-mail: info@ambassadors.edu
Web site: http://www.ambassadors.edu/
BAPTIST BIBLE TRANSLATORS INSTITUTE (B.B.T.I.)
Bowie, TX
E-mail: info@baptisttranslators.com
Web site: http://www.baptisttranslators.com/
CROWN COLLEGE
Powell, TN
E-mail: admissions@thecrowncollege.com
Web site: www.thecrowncollege.com/
EMMANUEL BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
Newington, CT
E-mail: seminary@emmanuel-newington.org
Web site: www.emmanuel-newington.org/seminary/index.php
FAIRHAVEN BAPTIST COLLEGE
Chesterton, IN
E-mail: Admissions@fairhavenbaptist.org
Web site: http://www.fairhavenbaptistcollege.org/
FAITHWAY BAPTIST COLLEGE OF CANADA
Ajax, Ontario
E-mail: college@faithway.org
Web site: www.college.faithway.org/
GOLDEN STATE BAPTIST COLLEGE
Santa Clara, CA
E-mail: info@gsbc.edu
Web site: http://www.gsbc.edu/
GREAT PLAINS BAPTIST DIVINITY SCHOOL AND COLLEGE
Sioux Falls, SD
Phone: 605-339-2038
Fax: 605-339-3738
GREAT PLAINS BAPTIST DIVINITY SCHOOL AND COLLEGE
Sioux Falls, SD
Phone: 605-339-2038
Fax: 605-339-3738
LANDMARK BAPTIST COLLEGE
Phone: 863-422-1849
Web site: www.landmarkbaptistcollege.com/
MARYLAND BAPTIST BIBLE COLLEGE AND THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
Elkton, MD
E-mail: mbbc@dol.net
Web site: http://www.mbcmin.org/mbbc/index.htm
MASSILLON BAPTIST COLLEGE
Massillon, OH
E-mail: mbcoffice@mbcaf.org
Web site: http://www.mbcaf.org/
PENSACOLA CHRISTIAN COLLEGE
Pensacola, FL
E-mail: info@PCCinfo.com
Web site: http://www.pcci.edu/
*PCC is not related to a specific church, the only one on this list.
SHAWNEE BAPTIST COLLEGE
Louisville, KY
E-mail: college@shawneebaptist.org
Web site: www.shawneebaptistcollege.org/
WEST COAST BAPTIST COLLEGE
Lancaster, CA 93535
E-mail: info@westcoastbaptist.edu
Web site: http://www.westcoastbaptist.edu/
Other Ministries:
Baptist Missions to Forgotten People - www.bmfp.org
Fundamental Baptist Worldwide Mission www.fbwwm.org/
Worldwide New Testament Baptist Missions - www.wwntbm.com/
Baptist International Missions, Inc. www.wwntbm.com/
Baptist Church Planting Ministry - www.bcpm.org/
The Bible for Today - www.biblefortoday.org/
Fundamental Evangelistic Organization - www.feasite.org
Hephzibah House - www.hephzibahhouse.org
King's Kids International Baptist Mission - www.kingskidsclubs.org/
The People's Gospel Hour www.tpgh.org
The Sword of the Lord - www.swordofthelord.com
Way of Life Literature - www.wayoflife.org
This list does not reflect an endorsement by the author or by Online Christian Stores of any of the organizations. It is presented as a service to our readers, with the expectation that they will perform their own research. By the same token, just because a ministry is not listed here does not at all imply they are not worthy of consideration. In the near future, I will be presenting an extended series of ministry spotlights for many of the ministries listed here, and for many others.
Coming next: Spiritual warfare, including a scriptural look at demon possession, ghosts, cults, and occult practices.
Parachurch organizations work with a lot of very talented and spiritually-gifted people, and bring in large sums of money for their ministries. That in itself is part of the problem; resources that go to parachurches often mean few resources available to local churches, It is not unheard of for an active Gideon to speak in ten or twelve churches a year, and that's ten or twelve Sundays he's not in his local church. Many Christians divert a part of their tithe, or their freewill offerings, to parachurches, rather than to their own church.
There is nothing inherently wrong with donating time and money to worthwhile Christian organizations outside the church, but it it a problem when we give preference to that organization over our local church. I was a Baptist who also happened to be a Gideon, not a Gideon who happened to attend a Baptist church. Right now, I'm a Baptist who runs two websites, not a webmaster who is a Baptist. If any one problem mandates against active involvement in a parachurch movement, it is this one.
For all of their claims to being nondenominational, or interdenominational, most, if not all, parachurches reflect the doctrinal views of their leadership. Organizations like the Billy Graham Evangelical Association or Campus Crusade, fit into the "New Evangelical" movement. The movement is best characterized by compromise, an effort to reach the world by conforming to it. Besides advocating every new Scripture translation that comes along, they make little distinction between beliefs, advocating an ecumenical approach. These attitudes are absorbed by the people who belong to the organizations, to the detriment of their own churches.
When the beliefs of their chosen parachurch group conflict with those of their church, many Christians will defer to the parachurch, and either leave their local church or become a source of division and strife. I love the Gideons ministry, and believe they do an incredible work for the Lord. In good conscience, though, I could no longer be one. They now allow their members to refer to either the King James Version of the Bible or the New King James, which has no real right to the title. Although closer in meaning than other so-called "modern" versions, it is still diluted and polluted with the Gnostic Greek texts so much in vogue with present-day translators.
If we must support parachurch organizations, as Fundamental Christians, let it be those which reflect our values. There are a multitude of good Fundamental websites, Fundamental colleges, Fundamental missionary organizations, and other Fundamental parachurches we can give our support to. The last article in this series looks at parachurch ministries for Fundamental Christians.
Read books about parachurch organizations at Christianbook.com.
Coning next: Parachurch organizations that are Christ-centered
Copyright 2008 by Gary W. Cavendish. This article may be freely used so long as due credit is given. For more articles, see the author's website at Jesus Is the Bridge. Gary W Cavendish is the author of 4 books, all Christian fiction, and numerous articles. He is a retired Federal employee, grandfather, and webmaster.
The list goes on. Thousands of Internet ministries by individuals and organizations use innovative techniques to reach out to a lost world, while most church websites are self-congratulatory efforts to let everyone know how great their ministries are. Because churches don't band together to meet the needs of the poor and outcast through shelters and food pantries, parachurch ministries step in and collect donations from church members for that same purpose.
It is true that some of the tasks performed by parachurches do not lend themselves to the efforts of individual churches. Although some denominations possess the organizational muscle to minister to people around the world, most local churches do not/ There are economies of size, too; because the Gideons purchase scriptures in bulk from a single supplier, they can place them at a fraction of the cost a local church would incur trying to do the same thing.
Not having a denominational label has its own advantages. Although the beliefs expressed by an organization usually reflect the denominational links of its members, many people are more likely to respond to, say, to the Christian Children's Fund than to some agency of the United Methodist Church, or the Southern Baptist Convention. Unfairly or not, many assume that denominational agencies have a particular axe to grind.
Parachurch agencies:
Feed, clothe, and house millions of people around the world;
Bring hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, of people to Christ every year;
Educate hundreds of thousands of young people in colleges and schools;
Publish millions of books, pamphlets, and tracts to instruct and inspire both believers and nonbelievers.
Provide avenues of fellowship for millions of Christians through social functions, online forums and chat rooms, and regular meetings.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it cannot be denied that parachurch organizations do a tremendous amount of good in the name of Christ. But -- is it all good?
Coming next: Problems with parachurch organizations
Encompassed in this command are evangelism (only believers can be baptized), teaching, and discipling. The most common one we hear about with parachurches is evangelism, bringing people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. The best known evangelist of our time is Billy Graham, but there are a multitude of others, including many whose primary field of operations is the television, like Pat Robertson. A well-known group that falls in this category is the Gideons International, which tries to reach people indirectly through the placement of Bibles and Testaments, and directly through personal evangelism. Bible societies also reach out to people by distributing the Word, or by translating it, the special ministry of the Wycliffe Bible Translators. Campus Crusade for Christ, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes are among groups that try to reach students for Christ.
Missionaries are also evangelists, sometimes in foreign countries, but in their own country as well. Most missionaries are sponsored by a local church, or several churches, but sent out to the field by mission boards. BIMI, Baptist Independent Missions, is the largest such agency for Fundamental Baptists.
Ministries such as soup kitchens and food pantries try to meet the physical needs of people, but at the same time try to bring them to Christ. Many local churches have ministries of this kind, but many others operate independently. Prison Fellowship International is one of many groups ministering to those in prisons and jails. Christian Children's Fund is one of many Christian groups trying to help children in underdeveloped countries. Such groups are sometimes called "social welfare ministries".
As to teaching, the obvious ones are Christian schools, colleges, and universities. Even those once connected with denominations, such as Southern Methodist University, now operate independently. Almost every denomination has colleges that try to educate students according to a particular set of beliefs. Among the better-known Fundamental colleges are Pensacola Christian College, Crown College, and Ambassador College.
Discipling involves teaching, but it is also a lifetime experience of helping Christians grow and develop spiritually. Indirectly, it also involves meeting the day to day needs of Christians, and of nonbelievers as well. Focus on the Family and In Touch Ministries try to educate the public on Christian beliefs through radio and TV shows, books, and seminars. House churches, self-help groups, and Bible study groups reach out to individuals in small groups, at the everyday level. The Christian Law Association tries to protect the rights of Christian individuals, ministries, and churches.
One of the newest and fastest growing areas of parachurch ministries is on the Internet. This ministry, Online Christian Stores, is a parachurch ministry, and just about every ministry that operates in the outside world also has an online ministry. Many churches also have websites, but few of them really take advantage of the Internet as an evangelistic tool. Most ministry sites are directed more at believers than at unbelievers, though ministering to believers is also a function of the church, and of parachurch groups.
Taken as a whole, the thousands of parachurch organizations do a tremendous amount of good in carrying out the Great Commission. The next article deals with the major advantages connected with parachurches.
Besides these areas, which most Christians are familiar with, I was involved in
personal witness in jails and college campuses. At the time of my
involvement, which was one of the most positive experiences of my life, I didn't
realize I was part of a "parachurch organization". Until fairly recently, I had not even heard the term. Over this and the following articles, we will discuss just what the term means, for the benefit of those who, like me, have never heard of one, or know little about the idea.
The first step in discussing something is defining it, so everyone agrees we're talking about the same thing. The prefix "para" is a
Greek word meaning "beside" or "near". A parachurch organization, then, is one that works alongside, or in concert with, the church, but has a separate identity independent from the church. For purposes of our discussion, "church" means either a local church body, or a group of local churches organized into a denomination.
That said, the best way of giving a definition here is by way of
example. Evangelistic organizations like the Billy Graham Evangelistic
Association and Campus Crusades, and missionary boards, and local food pantries are but a few examples. Parachurch organizations have one overriding function: they strive to meet a perceived need that the local church either cannot, or will not, meet. They do not perform the functions of a local church; they do not offer communion, perform baptisms, or perform marriage or funeral ceremonies. The parachurch members may, indeed, do these things, but as part of their own local church.
There is no question that parachurch organizations perform vital functions in the ministry of the Gospel. No local church body places Bibles in hotels and motels like the Gideons do, and few churches have an effective evangelistic outreach on college campuses like Campus Crusade. At the same time, there are problems inherent in the very fact that these groups exist outside the control of local church organizations. Short of breaking the law, they are usually accountable only to themselves. Frequently they siphon off financial resources and talent from local churches, leaving less able
to accomplish their own mission.
The following articles will discuss these issues in greater detail. The last one in the series will attempt to draw all of the threads together, and draw some conclusions about whether parachurch organizations are, on balance, good or bad for the functioning of local churches.
Coming next: The types of parachurch groups
]]>Psalms 63:6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. .7 Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice .8 My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.
Psalms 91:4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
When our daughter Rebecca was old enough to walk and climb, one of her favorite things to do was to climb up in her daddy's lap and snuggle. Often she would go to sleep cuddled in my arms; at other times, I'd let her beat up on me, and show how strong she was. Those are some of the most precious experiences we all share as parents, whether mothers or fathers, but I can only speak for daddies. Yes, there were times to be firm, and times for discipline, but those were duties; cuddling was just fun.
Too often we think of God as just a stern disciplinarian, ready to punish us if we step out of line. The Father does chastise his children, like all good fathers, but what he really wants to do is love us. His very nature is love I John 4:8). The kind of intimacy and tenderness we share with our own children is only a shadow of what he desires for us. His heart's desire, as expressed by Christ in his high priestly prayer, is to be one with us (John 17:20-22). The church is his bride (Revelation 19:7-8); in human terms, there is no greater expression of love and tenderness than of a husband for his bride, or a bride for her groom.
When we think of fellowship with God, if we think of it at all, we think of prayer and praise. That's exactly it, but too often our prayer is a monologue, and our praise is a rote recitation of stock words and phrases. Prayer is conversation with God, a time of sharing our inmost thoughts and concerns with our best friend. That's not to take away from the reverence due the Father, but so long as we keep the right attitude toward God, there is every reason we should talk to him about anything and everything.
Fellowship in the Spirit is sweet. Those of us who have experienced that in the company of other believers know that. Our time alone with the Father should be no less sweet. Remember how it was when we first fell in love? (That has, admittedly, been a while for some of us!) We couldn't get enough of our lover's company, and we could hardly stand to be away from him or her, even for a few hours. At the first opportunity, we rushed to be with that special someone. That's the way our time with the Lord should be.
How long has it been since we wrote love letters? The whole Bible, someone said, is God's love letter to us. Sometimes, though, it wouldn't hurt for us to write one back. We might think of the Father as our closest, most intimate friend in all the world (as he should be), and of Christ as our lover (and he is – the lover of our souls). We could write as we would to our wife or husband during our courtship days, sharing the most intimate details of our hearts. If we can't really express in words how much we love him, we should say that. Try it, and see if you can carry that same attitude over into your daily fellowship with the Lord.
Our Father isn't just our Father in the good times, but in the bad ones as well. Just as my daughter used to come to me (and still does!) when she was hurt or afraid, we can do the same with our heavenly Father. Just as I was interested in all the details of my daughter's day to day life, so the Father is interested in all the things, big and little, that happen to us. He's never too busy to listen to everything we have to say, and doesn't mind being troubled by things others might consider trivial. He wants to hear about our triumphs and failures, our victories and defeats.
When we disobey, and we know in our spirits that God is displeased, that doesn't mean he has given up on us. He disciplines us, again, because he loves us (Hebrews 12:4-11). His longing is to restore us to fellowship with him; that is, after all, why he sent his Son to die for us. Even if we make the same mistake a thousand times, and repent a thousand times, and do it a thousand times more, he doesn't lose patience with us. He provided confession as a means to restore us to a right relationship with him.
So — when we feel alone or discouraged or defeated, or just need a hug, let's just crawl up into Abba Daddy's lap. The kind of intimate relationship that David had with him, and the kind of relationship that Jesus himself had with the Father, is the same kind he wants with each of us. We'll spend all of eternity in close fellowship with him, even as we reverence and praise him. Let's not wait!
Lord, gather me in your arms
Like a little child.
With words of love and gentle touch
In Abba's arms.
Abba's arms – Abba's arms,
Just lift me up, and comfort me, in Abba's arms.
Abba's arms – Abba's arms.
Lord, let me rest in Abba's arms.
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
1 Peter 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
One of the vices of which the Lord has convicted me recently is watching too much television. I go through times when I watch almost none at all, then I gradually slide back into my old habit of spending many of my waking hours in front of the tube. Besides being a monumental waste of time, TV usually makes me feel angry and depressed, even when I'm watching wholesome fare (not much of that around, unfortunately). It also encourages me to compromise deeply felt principles. One hard and fast rule I've followed for many years is not to watch a movie with an "R" rating. Yet, I do not hesitate to watch these movies once they're sanitized for network TV, with a reduced body count or editing of explicit sexual material.
I have an equally ambivalent attitude towards PG-13 movies, which more often than not "only" have some filthy language thrown in to assure the rating. The whole concept of following the world's system of rating entertainment is flawed anyway; what I am forced to do is to accept the world's notion of what is good or bad, and that changes over time. As people in my generation well know, we can now see and hear things in primetime TV that our parents couldn't see or hear even in movie theaters. Over time, we've come to accept things, both as Americans and Christians, which would have scandalized an earlier generation.
Most of us have heard the story of the frog in the kettle; drop a frog into a pot of hot water, and he will immediately jump out. Put him in cold water, and heat it up gradually, and he'll stay there until he dies. That's what has happened to many of us as Christians, and explains why there is so little difference between the church and the world. It's like compound interest; at first, it doesn't amount to much, but over time it really adds up.
How many Christians have fuzz busters in their cars, or routinely exceed the speed limit, and see nothing wrong with it? How many have marriages that end in divorce, usually for causes other than adultery or desertion (recent statistics indicate the divorce rate for Christians is higher than for non-Christians)? How many of us, like me, will justify seeing a movie because it has "just violence" or "just a little profanity"? How many bend the rules on their taxes, or carry company property home for their private use? Is reading a racy novel OK? What about skipping church for a basketball game?
One of the guiding spiritual objectives for Gideons is to be "men of a separated walk." God has called all of us to be holy, set apart for his use (Leviticus 20:7-8). While we have to live in the world, we shouldn't be of the world. Israel's downfall came from adopting the ways, customs, and gods of the surrounding nations, and of the Canaanites in their midst. If we compromise our beliefs and standards, just a little bit, we end up no better than the world called us out of.
This is one of the areas of our lives that require regular inspection. First, we have to have firmly planted in our minds what the Biblical standard of behavior is. It can be summed up in the popular WWJD slogan, "What would Jesus do?" Beyond that, we need to know what the Word says about the ways we should behave, the ways we should think, and the places we should and shouldn't go. If we deliberately take garbage into our minds, as happens with computes, then garbage is what comes out. If our thought life is devoted to pursuit of the world's version of success and happiness, there is little room left for thinking on Christ.
Second, if we understand what the standard is, we must be honest with ourselves in how we measure up. We'll always fall short at some point, this side of glory, but we need to recognize that. A Christian who ignores his or her behavior in light of the standards God sets is backsliding. We don't always recognize what we're doing, so we need to ask the Holy Sprit's discernment and wisdom. We can't wait weeks or months for this kind of self-examination; it needs to be done every day.
Finally, as we recognize areas where we have fallen short of the standard, and adopted the world's standard instead, we need to confess this to God, and ask his forgiveness. Having done that, we need to repent, and turn away from whatever attitude or action we engaged in. Confession is necessary, but if it isn't accompanied by repentance, we're no better off than before. We just keep doing the same things over and over. For me, it's not enough to recognize that I shouldn't be watching some of the programs or movies I watch; with God's help, I have to stop doing it altogether. How hot is the water you're in?
But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 19:14
And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child….And the Lord came and stood, and called as at other times. Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak, for thy servant heareth. I Samuel 3:8b, 10
And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight this Philistine. 1 Samuel 17:32
If you've been to any church dinners lately, you know that children usually eat first. The little tots just jump right to the head of the line. That wasn't the case when I was a kid. One of the popular country songs back then was "Take An Old Cold Tater And Wait." And the one doing the waiting wasn't dear old Dad, but Junior. Then there was "Pass The Biscuits, Please," another lament by a youngster who was always last in line when the bread went around the table. Today it's "Let the kids go first," and the old folks bring up the rear.
Jesus' disciples didn't want their Master to be disturbed by the children, who had far less status in that society than they do in ours. To Jesus, though, they were far from a bother. He saw in them a trusting, unquestioning acceptance he rarely saw in adults. It is that same kind of faith and innocence, he said, that we must have when we come to the Father. Salvation does not come without faith, and faith does not come to a cynical mind that insists that everything be seen before it can be believed.
That was the kind of faith young David had when he went out to face Goliath. It was the kind of faith young Samuel had when he heard the voice of God calling to him. It's the same kind of faith that draws young children to Christ even now. It is no accident that the vast majority of Christians are saved before they reach adulthood. As we grow older we almost inevitably lose the quality of innocence, and the capacity to believe in what we cannot see.
I was just shy of thirteen when I accepted Christ as my savior. Many, many children are saved at a much younger age, even four or five years old. Age itself is not so much the deciding factor as the degree of understanding the child has. I know from the testimony of some people that they feel they really had no understanding of what they were doing when they came forward for salvation at a very young age. Others go on through adulthood without the least doubt of their salvation at five or six. The people in the best position to tell how much the child really understands are his or her parents. Sometimes they want so much for their child to be saved they unconsciously lead the youngster along. The child responds because doing so obviously pleases Mommy and Daddy very much. Sometimes, too, a child has a friend, or friends, maybe a sibling, who is saved, and he or she doesn't want to be left out.
Again, age in and of itself is not the primary consideration. We should take the time to ask questions. If Tommy or Suzy understands what sin is, and realizes he or she is a sinner, that's a large part of the battle. The child still, though, must know what the consequences of sin are, and how Christ provides the remedy. One of the things I appreciate about my former pastor is that he always wants to be certain that both he and the child's parents are confident that the child understands the decision they've made. Many young people were saved at First Baptist Church during the time I was there, and some were barely out of kindergarten.
Just as we need to take special care when a child professes Christ, we must also be careful to nurture them in their faith. That means making sure they're receiving sound instruction in the Scriptures in Sunday School and at home. We should ask questions regularly, meaning every week, about what they've learned. By the same token, we should always be prepared to answer questions; some of them will be hard ones. Being innocent, the very young will accept whatever answer we give as gospel, so we need to be careful both of what we say and of how the child understands our words.
No matter what we say, our loudest message comes from the life we live. If we teach our children to be honest and fair, then proceed to lie and cheat, even in small things, they'll get the message. We can't teach them they should love, then act in a very unlovely way in and outside of our homes. If we do, we shouldn't be surprised if they don't show love in their own lives when they get older. Little wonder that many children who grow up in Christian homes adopt the cynical view that all Christians are hypocrites.
We can best take care of our children, as Christian parents, by showing them what being a Christian really means. It doesn't mean perfection, but it does mean a consistent witness, inside church and out. If we expect our child to want a Christian marriage, they should have us as models. One of the great regrets of my life as a Christian is that I haven't been the kind of father and husband I should have been, so many times. Even when our children are grown, though, and even if we've messed things up royally, we can still live Christian lives in front of them. That should never change, no matter how old they are. For those of you who have young children, you have the chance to avoid a lot of the mistakes some of us older parents, maybe even your own, have made. There's only one real rule for any Christian home: Let Christ be the center, always and in everything. There is no better childcare.
All of us start out in life going the wrong way. Every one of us is born a sinner, carrying the curse of Adam's sin. We're walking away from God, getting further away from him each passing year. The only way we can turn around, change our direction, is through Jesus Christ. This change of mind, and change of heart, is what we call "repentance."
Some people think that repentance involves just being sorry for our sins, but sorrow, even godly sorrow, is not enough unless it results in repentance. One of the saddest sights to see is someone weeping in agony, under conviction for their sins, who still refuses to turn his or her life over to Christ. No one will enter Hell with dry eyes.
We're used to the idea that sinners repent when they come to know Christ. Salvation is a life-changing, transforming event. Instead of rushing down the wide highway to destruction, with most people in the world, we choose the narrow, straight path to eternal life. Even Christians, though, need to repent from time to time. We're prone to take detours and shortcuts, and turn onto winding and devious paths. Christ warned several of the churches to repent in John's account of the Revelation. Our salvation removes the ultimate penalty of sin, which is death (Romans 6:23); it doesn't save us from the other consequences.
If we can look around us, and see the unsaved chugging alongside, going where we are, we're going the wrong way. If we indulge in sexual sin, greed, hatred, or anything else the Lord delivered us from, we bring dishonor to the name of Christ. This indulgence doesn't have to be some besetting sin; it can simply be a lifestyle too busy to make time for the Lord. If we spend our time wrapped up in our jobs, our families, or other interests, these are what we worship.
As Christians, we should be aware when we're doing things displeasing to the Lord. Like any good father, our Heavenly Father chastises us when we're disobedient. If we ignore his rebuke or punishment, we will eventually reach the point when we no longer care. If we can continue living in willful disobedience without once feeling any sense of the Lord's displeasure or grief, we are none of his. The pews in our churches are full of people who think they're Christians because they once repeated some prayer, but never really turned their lives over to Christ. A Christian, James says, should have evidence of their faith, which he calls "works." Paul calls this evidence the "fruit" of the Spirit, or the fruits of salvation. Jesus himself made clear that if we do not bear fruit, we are none of his, and he will cast us out of the vine.
What kind of fruit should we bear? The fruit of the Spirit, as described in Galatians 5:22, certainly. These involve both our inner and outer lives, our relationship with ourselves and with others. The working of the Holy Spirit should be evident in how we treat people day after day, both when they're nice and when they're not, whether they're beautiful or ugly. Inside, we should be at peace with ourselves and with God, with Christ at the center. This is the ideal; all of us fall short, but God made provision for that (see I John 1:9).
When we lead someone else to Christ, that's the best fruit of all. It's like a new plant springing up from the seed contained in a fruit; we have reproduced, and the new plant has the potential to do that as well. Whether or not we ever actively lead someone to the Lord, though (most Christians don't), we can still live in such a way that others see food fruit in our lives. A kind word or an act of compassion may prepare the soil so someone else can come along and plant a seed.
We can, and should, examine our lives, our motives and actions, regularly. This doesn't mean indulging in morbid self-preoccupation. It does mean, though, that we should take stock of where we stand, not in relation to other Christians, but in relation to the standard the Bible sets for us as followers of Christ. If we've turned aside, and headed off after our own wants and priorities, we need to change directions. In plain King James English, and any version of the language, we must repent!
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust; his truth shall be thy shield and buckler…. Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation, there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. Psalms 91:4, 9-11
The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. Psalms 34:7
She stopped at the end of the side road before pulling out on the highway. As always, she looked both ways, and back again. Seeing nothing, she drove forward, intending to turn left. Seemingly from nowhere, a car slammed into her. She thought she was stepping on the brakes, but hit the gas instead. Her car shot on across the highway, through another side road running parallel on the other side, and up a bank. It flipped over, with her and her grandson inside. He managed to knock out a window with his elbow, and the two of them crawled out. Minutes later, for no other reason than by divine appointment, three of her children showed up, all in separate vehicles and without prior arrangement. Both of the vehicles in the accident were a total loss, but the three people involved were treated and released at a hospital that same day.
My sister and her grandson escaped with no more than pain and stiffness in their necks. It is so easy when such things happen to concentrate on the bad part; no one wants to have an accident. From looking at the condition of the vehicles afterward, though, it was remarkable -- we would say miraculous -- that no one was more seriously injured, or killed. The fact that several family members showed up at just the right time was no less a miracle. The Lord was at work, watching over his people.
Instances of the Lord's watch care over individuals, and over his people, are myriad in Scripture. From Noah to Abraham and Lot, from David to Daniel, God delivered his people out of fire and flood, out of the clutches of wild beasts, and out of the hands of powerful enemies. Sometimes he spoke a word to close the mouth of lions, sometimes he uttered a voice of thunder that set enemies to flee. He walked in the midst of the fiery furnace with the three children of Israel, shielding them from the flames. In the night watches he spoke in the dreams of his saints, warning them of impending danger. His angel led Peter out of prison (Acts 12:7-10), and comforted Paul with the knowledge that all those aboard a storm-tossed ship would be saved (Acts 27:21-25).
He is the Good Shepherd standing watch over his sheep, guarding them from wolf, lion and bear. When one of the flock strays away, he seeks after him, rejoicing when the lost one returns to the fold. He neither sleeps nor slumbers, and he looks over us with watchful eye when we lay our heads down to rest. Whether we're in our cars, in our homes, in businesses, on planes, or in some foreign land, he never leaves our side. Whether we live or die, he never leaves us or forsakes us. If God be for us, Paul wrote, who can be against us, and who can separate us from the love of Christ? (Romans 8:31, 35a) Some faceless enemy who strikes without warning? Some unforeseen accident or disaster? No! If we belong to Christ, our security doesn't consist in guns or planes or body armor or gas masks; nor does it require us to live as hermits cut off from the outside world. If we fear God, he promises that his angel camps around us. If we fear and reverence him, we need never fear the world.
Have you ever watched a mother hen with her chicks? Have you seen how she calls her little ones to her at any hint of danger? They rush to huddle together beneath the protective cover of her wings, where they feel safe. That's the image that David is presenting. When we rest and abide in the Lord, no matter where we are, and no matter what's going on around us, we're under the shadow of his wings. That's the whole basis of this newsletter ministry.
One of my friends sent me an email message yesterday. He said the Lord had moved him very specifically and very urgently to pray for me. I never assume that because something didn't happen, something wouldn't or couldn't have happened. The Lord has saved me from physical harm many times, from possible drowning to automobile accidents to deranged criminals. What I don't know is how many times he saved me from things I didn't even know about. Take some time this week to thank God for all the times he kept you from harm, whether you knew it or not. Take some time, too, every day, to thank him for watching over you, and to ask him to keep those you love or care about under his care. Remember -- there are angels encamped among us.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22
We had a cherry tree near the pasture gate when I was young. Around the latter part of May, I always went to scout out the current year's crop of fruit. With the right kind of weather, and without too many bugs, the tree would be heavy with red delights. Sometimes, I got a little overeager, and didn't wait for them to get completely red. If they were almost ripe, they weren't too bad, but if they had too much green they were really sour. I knew very well that the process of ripening took time, but I couldn't quite bring myself to wait. Besides the cherries I ate, some were ruined by worms and birds, and some fell to the ground during spring storms. For the ones that made it to be ripe fruit, the wait was well worthwhile, for me if not for the cherries.
Looking at a group of Christians is kind of like looking at a bowl of cherries at various stages of ripeness. Some are still green as grass, newly formed; others are the bright red of maturity; and most are somewhere in between. Still others give the appearance of being ripe, but their insides are eaten up with the worms of worldliness and disobedience. And some, unfortunately, are rotten, and threaten to spoil everything about them.
Paul, in his letters to Timothy, was a fully mature Christian, firmly grounded and rooted in Christ. Timothy, on the other hand, was still young, and immature, in need of good counsel and guidance. He was young, not only physically but spiritually, and apparently unsure of himself. Paul told him not to give in to fear and timidity, and not to let others put him down because of his youth. (2 Timothy 1:7) Study the Scriptures, Paul said, and avoid useless intellectual debates. (1 Timothy 6:20. 2 Timothy 2:15-16, 3:16-17) He had enough confidence in his young protegee to put him charge of the church at Ephesus, one of the most important of the early churches.
By contrast, Paul's letter to the church at Corinth was a stinging indictment of spiritual immaturity. The church had already split into factions, and emphasized the outward appearance of spirituality rather than true obedience to the Spirit. They were still babies in the faith, able to consume only the milk of the Word, the bare essentials, not the meat that Paul wanted to share with them. (I Corinthians 3:1-3) When they tolerated immoral behavior, particularly the man who committed adultery with his father's wife, they felt a sense of smug spiritual superiority, but they were actually spiritually bankrupt. (I Corinthians 5:1-2)
If there's one condition that typifies Christians today it's spiritual immaturity. Many, if not most, Christians never progress beyond the experience of their salvation, while others actually slide back even from that point. Just as with the growth of our physical bodies, or the ripening of fruit, Christian maturity is a process that continues over time. It doesn't happen overnight, and it must continue if we are to grow and develop normally. It's interesting to note that Paul viewed the process of maturity as beginning with tribulations, or the tests and trials we all encounter. Both James and Peter took similar views. (James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:6-7) Unfortunately, many Christians back off when faced with problems stemming from their beliefs, and the perceived sacrifice involved in putting God ahead of our other priorities. When we look around us at the fire, our concern is being burned; God uses fire to burn away impurities. (1 Peter 1:7) When we're stretched to our limits, we focus on the pain; God sees us being enlarged so we can hold more of Him in our lives.
No one who has been a Christian for ten or twenty years should still be living on baby food, always needing help instead of giving it. To me, there are several factors by which we can measure the degree of our maturity, none of which involve comparing ourselves to other Christians. These include our knowledge of our faith, our exercise of our faith in our relationship with God and others, the extent to which our self-control is Spirit-control, and the degree to which we manifest God's love in and through our lives.
As mature Christians we should be able to give an accounting of our faith, both knowing what we believe and being able to explain it to others. (1 Peter 3:15) Among other things, we should be able to discuss and define, and in many cases explain, terms and concepts like these: agape love, atonement, creation, grace, Heaven and Hell, joy, justification, Original Sin, peace, salvation, sanctification, the blood of Christ, the offices of the Holy Spirit, and the Trinity (no one can really explain it, but we should know what the Bible teaches about it). There are many others, and they aren't just words, but the heart of what we believe. An ignorant Christian is a defeated Christian; the only weapon we have against Satan is the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.
We grow strong through exercise. We exercise our faith when we trust God from day to day, in great matters and small ones. As James said, "Faith without works is dead." (James 2:17) We're not saved by works, and we don't remain saved by works, but the things we do give evidence of our salvation to others. One thing that "keeping the faith" in times of trouble does is make our faith stronger on the other side.
It is no accident that self-control (temperance) is the last of the fruits of the Spirit Paul lists in Galatians. True maturity consists in finally giving ourselves over completely to the Spirit's direction. When the Lord controls what we think, say, and do, we have reached the final goal of Christian maturity. And what is the evidence of that control? Obedience! "If you love me," Christ said, "keep my commandments." (John 14:15) When we obey God, without questioning, we show we love him, and we show his love to others. Then, and only then, are we ripe fruit. The purpose of ripe fruit, of course, is to produce seeds to produce trees that in turn produce more fruit. That's where the pits come in….
I met Tom and Lirio at a prayer breakfast early in 1979. Lirio was a short little woman with a very big heart. She was a bundle of energy. This couple befriended me, and I spent a lot of time with them. In August of that year, they introduced me to a certain woman, a friend of Lirio's from her homeland of Puerto Rico. Three weeks after meeting this woman I asked her to marry me, and she agreed. And that, as they say, is the rest of the story.
Often we take for granted the things that happen in our lives. Had I not been at that prayer breakfast, and had the Lord specifically directed Lirio to introduce herself to me, I may well have never met my wife. Going back further in my life, had I not attended the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill I probably would never have come to Pikeville. Some of my friends there in North Carolina made it possible for me to be here. All of us probably can look back on our lives and identify times when things happened because we were in the right place at the right time, or the wrong place at the wrong time, for that matter.
In David's case, he was in a place where he never should have been. At a time when kings were supposed to go to war, he stayed home and left the fighting to his generals. The results were adultery, murder, and a curse on his entire family. Abraham's servant, by contrast, was exactly where he was supposed to be, "in the way," at just the right time. As a result, he found a wife for his master's son, Isaac, and Rebekah became the mother of Jacob, whom God later named Israel.
How can we be sure we'll be "in the way"? By being obedient to God's will for us. How can we determine what his well is? Through reading his Word, through prayer, and through the counsel and guidance of the Holy Spirit and of other Christians. If God has called us to serve, we need to serve where he has called us, whether in our hometown or in some foreign land. If we unite with a particular congregation of the body of Christ, we need to be with them in times of worship, prayer and service.
We’ve all seen or heard stories of people who went out if their way because of some very specific leading from the Lord, or just because of a strong "feeling" that they should. Sometimes someone's life was saved as a result; in some cases, someone's very soul. Though time or place certainly doesn't limit God, they do pose limits on us. Although God will accomplish his purpose, we can miss our chance to be his instruments through disobedience. We should never ignore a specific leading to go somewhere, or be somewhere. We should also not insist on going where God specifically instructs or leads us not to go, even if it's for a good cause. Paul and Silas had a notion about making a trip into Bythinia, but God forbade it. Instead, he sent them to Philippi, at the invitation of a man who appeared to Paul in a dream.
Jonah is the most famous example in scriptures of someone who refused to go where he was sent. We all know the result of that; three days in the belly of a great fish taught Jonah he couldn't run from God. Even in obedience, though, he grumbled and complained. How many of us do the same, when we know the Lord wants us to be somewhere, but we'd rather be somewhere else? Sometimes when we look around in church on Sunday morning there a lot of people who look very unhappy because they have to be there. Some of them even sit in the choir!
I've been here in Pikeville for about 22 ˝ years. It seems odd to me that I had to be here so God could send me back to West Virginia, where I came from, to minister. I don't believe, though, that the physical location is always important. What is important is that we maintain an attitude of obedience wherever we are. That is really the "way" we need to be in. If obedience means that we walk or drive a different way than usual, or that we go somewhere we had no plans to go, then that's what we should do. One of life's hard lessons, for me, has been to trust God when he sends me somewhere. Like Abraham, we may have no idea what we're going to do when we go where we're sent, but God knows. That's all that matters/
Matthew 13:37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
Acts 20:29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Hayfields are not fun. As the old saying points out, you have to cut hay while the sun shines. In the middle of summer, out in a big field with little or no shade, putting up hay in stacks, or loading it onto trucks, is downright miserable. Besides the heat and the sweat, the grass makes you itch, and tiny bugs we called chiggers compound the problem.
One thing about hayfields, like wheat fields, is that there are always weeds among the grass, no matter how well tended the field is. It just isn't possible to separate out the weeds while the grass is growing, but you can do that to some extent once the hay is cut. With wheat, the process of separation is much more thorough, as indicated in Christ's parable. As long as the wheat is growing, though, so are the weeds. This reduces the size of the harvest, and takes nutrients away from the wheat plants.
We Christians don't like to accept the idea that the Devil goes to church. We assume that, once the ushers close the doors, Satan politely stays outside. Not only does he attend, through those who serve him, but he listens and watches closely. We might expect that he uses nonmembers, avowed sinners. To an extent, he does, but mostly he uses people whose names are on the church roll. After all, these are the ones that attend meetings, offer opinions, cast votes, and carry out the work of the church. These are also the people with the most potential to cause damage to the church's ministry.
Paul calls them savage wolves among the flock. They may attend church faithfully, teach Sunday school, serve on committees, and even get elected as deacons or chosen as pastors. They have one main fault: they never truly accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. Sadly, many of them don't even realize they were never born again, because they didn't really understand what it meant. They assumed if they came forward in a church service and repeated the right words, that was all it took. Nothing really changed in their lives, except that they "got religion"; not Christ, just religion.
Others deliberately and knowingly live a lie, whatever their motives may be. They become experts at hiding, and distorting, the truth. Sometimes their goal is power, or maybe they hope to use the Gospel as an avenue to wealth. (Philippians 3:18-19) In still other cases, they are driven by lust, and use positions of trust to seduce weak and vulnerable people who come seeking help (2 Timothy 3:6).
As our pastor often points out, only we and God truly know whether or not we're really saved. There are signs we can look for, though, to spot the weeds among the wheat. As carnal, or worldly, Christians can cause many of the same problems as charlatans, we still don't really know for sure. If we see people in the body who cause division instead of unity, and strife instead of peace, and who are more prone to criticize than to praise, we should know that bad seed may well have taken root and sprouted.
One thing we can't do is try to use the Devil's own tactics to oppose his agents. It's far too easy to resort to accusations and counter accusations. I've seen my own church split to the point that both sides used sometimes vicious rhetoric and criticism against the other. No doubt, the Devil took both sides of the issue. Many members, and many sincere Christians, left the church. Christ understood well that trying to weed out Satan's followers from the church can destroy it. Not only does warfare in a congregation have the potential to expose sin and sinners in the body, it can also alienate and drive away believers.
That certainly is not to say we shouldn't oppose the Devil's tactics when we recognize them, whether he uses Christians or not. The weapons we use, though, are the ones Christ himself used: prayer, the Word, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Instead of cursing those who curse us, he said, we should bless them. Instead of striking back at those who hurt us, we should love them. (Matthew 6:44) Satan's lies we counter with the truth of the Word, not by engaging in an intellectual debate. (2 Timothy 2:23-24) When we do see sin the camp, no matter who commits it, we should confront the sinner in the way Christ says we should, first with two or three, then as a body. (Matthew 18:15-17)
Our church, Pikeville First Baptist, is in the early stages of revival, of that I have no doubt. The Spirit is moving in a mighty way in our worship services, the body is growing, and God is transforming lives every time we meet. Our choir, and our music director, are an integral part of what God is doing. I have never been in a congregation with so much freedom in worship and praise. "Pentecostal" and "Baptist" aren't often used together in a phrase, but I've heard that expression more than once these past months. The criticism and the rumors have already started; some of our members are offended because our services aren't quiet, sedate (and dead) as they used to be. Others took the occasion of a recent visit from a representative of the state Baptist Convention's music department to jump to some rather astounding conclusions; the man had come, they said, to investigate reports that Brother Greg, our music director, is some sort of heretic. The man actually is doing a study of worship around the state, and was quite impressed with our worship service and our choir. Still others said that Greg had been offered a six-figure salary at some undisclosed location, implying, perhaps, he was in the music ministry for the money. Both statements were preposterous, but some were willing to entertain them.
If nothing much is happening in your church, the weeds are hard to see. They just kind of blend in. Once good things start happening among God's people, though, expect problems to follow hard behind. If the Devil can get a church to spend its time putting out fires, or if he can cause division it, he has won that particular battle. Even if he doesn't succeed in stopping what God wants to do, he can divert energy and resources away from a church's ministry if it has to deal with internal problems. We must pray for discernment to recognize when Satan is at work, and for wisdom and power to meet his attacks.