Christ and Common Sense

Thoughts from a Central Valley Pastor

Category: Christ (Page 7 of 9)

Competitive Stewardship

December 3, 2021 /

Have you ever thought about stewardship as competitive? By competitive, I mean striving to be as generous as possible with your time, talents, and money. Competitive stewardship is applying the discipline of an athlete to excel in the God-given responsibility for humanity to “work and keep” the land as Adam was commanded in Genesis 2:15. 

Competitive stewardship starts with asking probing questions. How does God desire me to live? What limits should my lifestyle have in order to prepare people for eternity? What does it mean to “use the world” but not make “full use” of it or to “own” but not “possess”, as Paul commanded believers in 1 Corinthians 7:30-31? What does it mean to not claim anything as “one’s own,” as the early church modeled for us in Acts 4:34? Further, how are we to live as pilgrims just passing through in a culture aggressively insistent on indulgence, record-high consumer debt, and competitive consumption?

After spending time contemplating these questions, I want to offer seven convictions of a competitive steward. 

1. A competitive steward understands that he is headed to a lasting city and a far nicer home than any home in any city in this world (Jn 14:1-3; 1 Jn 2:15-17; Heb 11:10, 13:14). This helps the Christian to invest in eternal rewards more than earthly rewards. 

 2. A competitive steward owns his theology, not his things. A competitive steward knows he is owned by God (1 Cor 6:19-20) and that what he “owns” is not actually his own (Acts 4:34). What he does own temporarily he will gladly give to another, if in giving he is successfully meeting a physical or spiritual need, thus bringing delight to the Lord (Acts 4:34, 20:35; 2 Cor 8:5).

 3. A competitive steward understands that stewardship is not optional, it’s essential. Following Jesus’ mission is radical and repentance from competitive consumption must take place in order to follow Him (Col 3:5, Lk 14:23). Competitive stewardship must replace competitive consumption.

 4. A competitive steward is a strategic investor. He seeks to do the greatest amount of work, for the greatest number of people, in order to bring them the greatest good both now and for eternity! This goal maintains a clear view towards heaven and reminds us that Jesus’ eternally-incentivized plan is for each of us to make His heaven our bank (Mt 6:21). C.S. Lewis said, “If you aim at heaven you will get earth thrown in, if you aim at earth you will lose both.” 

5. A competitive steward hates waste. He sees the thief of excess. The more I have, the more I have to be responsible for. The more I have, the more time out of my already-focused life I will need to take care of it. Ten shirts are better than twenty. If something does not serve me well in my roles in family and in church—to care for those entrusted to me (first locally then globally)–it is in the way. Mass requires orbit; the more I have, the more I have to maintain.

6. A competitive steward lives not for amassing more things for self, but for honoring God through caring well for people. As a competitive steward, I make it my aim to have more friends waiting to welcome me into eternal dwellings. So, I invest to get the gospel to the nations. As a competitive steward, I want more poor people to have clean drinking water in order to simply live, so I help the poor and needy. I want more people to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. I want more healthy churches planted and more Great Commission, gospel-forwarding works of missions funded. So, I serve my local church, equipping others for works of ministry and toward growth in maturity.

 7. A competitive steward sees the thief of death coming. As sure as night follows day, death will eventually separate me from my earthly things forever (1 Tim 6:6-7). What earthly things do I want to leave behind? Only those things that have served me well in my service to the King and will serve my heirs well in the same mission. This rules out a whole lot of things people belonging to this world clamor for.

In summation, how does God desire us to live? What limit should my lifestyle have in order to prepare people for eternity? Should I not, as one already delivered out of this passing world by King Jesus (Gal 1:4), be ruled by a godlier ambition in quite the opposite direction as this world is trending?

How about you? Are you being wise with your resources? Do you aim at eternity? Is your stuff serving you in your service to God or are you serving your stuff? Are you preparing others for eternity and helping them get there? Are your material assets serving you in your mission for God or are some of them in the way?

Healthy Churches and Church Discipline

November 26, 2021 /

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! This is the last article in a series on the Nine Marks of a Healthy Church (as described in Mark Dever’s book of the same name). We have already looked at the need for expositional preaching, Biblical theology, the gospel, conversion, evangelism, and church membership. This article is going to round out the series by looking at church discipline, discipleship, and leadership. 

  1. Church Discipline 

Dever describes church discipline as “simple obedience to God and a simple confession that we need help.” Church discipline is the practice of maintaining purity in the church as described most clearly in Matthew 18:15-17. Jesus told the disciples “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” 

Every step of church discipline is to be done in love with the goal of restoring relationships in the church family. The first step is unique because the offended individual initiates the restoration by going to the other person and lovingly telling him he has been offended. This is an important detail because sometimes we say or do things without knowing the pain it has caused others (i.e. a poorly worded comment or a joke that went too far).

The second step only comes into play if the first step does not go well. The second step is for the offended party to take one or two others along to lovingly share their concern for restoring the relationship. If the person does not respond to this then the issue begins to affect more people in the church family so the next step is for the whole church to be told what is happening so that the person who is unrepentant recognizes the seriousness of the issue and apologizes for what took place. The last step is difficult for any church to experience, but it has a purifying effect on the church family because the unrepentant individual is lovingly told they cannot take part in the full benefits of the church family until they repent and seek reconciliation. 

Dever does a good job of explaining the history and importance of church discipline. This is one of most neglected parts of healthy church life because of the perceived awkwardness holding church members accountable. Jesus made it clear that it needs to be a part of church life so that the purity of the church will be maintained. 

2. Discipleship 

Dever describes this mark of a healthy church as “A Concern for Discipleship and Growth.” All believers are expected to grow spiritually. Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) The healthy Christian life is marked by the believer continually being transformed into the image of Christ. This is not to be done alone. The Christian life is to be lived in community with other believers (Hebrews 10:24-25). The unity that believers have with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit is reflected in the unity believers have with other brothers and sisters in Christ. When a church is functioning in a healthy way there will be countless opportunities for spiritual growth by the many interactions each believer has with others. 

Discipleship is the term used to describe the way Christians grow spiritually in the church. It is modeled after the way Jesus trained disciples to become the leaders of the church. Those men learned what it meant to be a follower of Christ by interacting with him, face-to-face for a prolonged period of time. That is how discipleship is to happen in healthy churches today. 

There are many different ways Christians can be discipled. There are informal methods that encourage people to interact together. There are more formal classes that help believers understand the full counsel of God as revealed in his word. The leadership of local churches need to have a plan for how to equip believers to grow in their knowledge of God’s word and in their commitment to obey God’s word. The church as a whole needs to recognize that they are responsible to love one another and that includes helping each other grow in godliness. 

3. Church Leadership

Mark Dever makes the argument that church leadership needs to have five aspects. He starts by writing that biblical church leadership is done in a congregational context. He cites several different passages to support his view that the congregation of each local church has the final authority on decisions in the church. There are several different views on the issue of authority in the church. Dever doesn’t spend much time explaining other views of church polity. He cautions against modeling church leadership from what the apostles did in the early church because “we present-day church leaders might ascribe too much authority to ourselves, without deserving such authority.” I would recommend that readers of this article do their own study on this important issue before coming to a conclusion. 

The other aspects of biblical church leaders are that they are biblically qualified, that they are charismatic leaders, that they are Christlike, and that their leadership is modeled after God’s authority. The biblical qualifications for elders leading a church are listed in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 2. The qualifications describe different aspects of having a character that is “above reproach” along with the skill of being able to teach God’s word. Dever’s description of churches needed “charismatic” leaders does not refer to a leader’s engaging personality or his ability to teach. It is a reference to the original Greek idea of “charisma,” which refers to the gifts of grace that God has given the church. A charismatic leader is one who seeks to lead by the power of the Holy Spirit in order to equip the saints for the work of the church. 

The Christlike model of church leadership is necessary in healthy churches because Jesus Christ is the Shepherd of the church and all the other leaders are his undershepherds. Healthy churches need to focus their energy on pursuing Christ and helping others to do the same. The last aspect of healthy church leadership is connected to the authority of God. Many people have a corrupt view of human authority. This can create a skepticism towards all human authority. Dever makes the argument that healthy churches will teach a biblical view of authority that creates a sense of safety and security for those in the church because they understand the leadership is seeking the growth of the people instead of seeking to control them. 

Weekender Review

November 19, 2021 /

The 9Marks Weekender started on a Friday afternoon with a warm greeting, laughter, and a loaded question. The pastor asked each of the thirty leaders to answer the question, “When were you saved?” Some people struggled to give a detailed answer, while one man gave us the place, date and time of his conversion. He had been listening to a program when God showed him his sin, brought him to repentance and belief in Jesus Christ as his Savior! What a dramatic way to start out the conference. 

After passing the initial Q&A session we were welcomed upstairs to a great meal and the warm hospitality of the church family at Bethany Baptist in Bellflower, CA. At around 7 pm we made our way to a large room for the Elder’s meeting. We had been warned that the meeting might go past midnight, so I got some extra snacks and caffeine and found my seat. 

We started the meeting by singing accapella for all five stanzas of a favorite hymn. As soon as we finished singing, the pastors started praying and they didn’t stop until all the members in the church had been prayed for. One of the pastors got on his knees while the other two stayed seated. Each of them had a copy of the church directory. It was evident that these leaders had been praying for their people. They went person by person and prayed deep, informed prayers for each of them. It was impressive to see how detailed and recent their prayer requests and praises were. As I listened to them praying I couldn’t help thinking about the parable of the Good Shepherd who left the ninety-nine to go look for the one lost sheep. The shepherds at Bethany Baptist know their sheep by name. They know how to pray for them and it was clear to see that their love and concern for their people. 

After praying, we took a quick break and then jumped back in for the Member Care portion of the meeting. This was when one of the pastors surprised us by sharing a recent personal struggle in his life. He asked the others to pray for him. They did so and also gave him some accountability questions to consider. The pastors told us there are 117 active members at the church. They use the Member Care time to talk about people in the church who are troubled, hurting, or in need of accountability. They did a great job of assigning each need to either a pastor or someone who was close to the person. By doing this they were able to make action items to help care for the church family. 

After discussing Member Care and New Members the pastors delved into finalizing the budget for next year. Having worked through church budgets before I found the process to be efficient and pastoral. They had been reading a book on church budgeting together as a pastoral team and I could tell it had an impact on how they tackled the church finances. 

At around 11:30 pm, the pastors told us the meeting was done, at least for us. They told us they were going to have a private meeting to finalize some things in preparation for the next day. I was glad our part of the meeting was over, but I couldn’t help to think about all the work those pastors put in to help shepherd the people of God. I had already been with these men for seven hours and I could tell they modeled the theme verse of their church, 1 Thessalonians 2:8, “We were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.” 

The conference continued with this same atmosphere of pastoral care and intentional church life from Saturday through Monday morning. The conference covered many topics including church government, church history, pastoral strategies, membership, and church discipline. These Weekender conferences are put on periodically in different churches around the country. If you are interested in more information you can find it at https://www.9marks.org/events/. 

Marks of a Healthy Church pt. 2

November 19, 2021 /

The topic of healthy churches is one that concerns all believers in Jesus Christ. The Christian does not exist independently of other believers. At a minimum, every Christian is to gather with others to hear the preaching of God’s word, to pray and share the love of Christ, and to take part in communion and baptism. As a result, all churches need to provide the opportunity for these things to take place. We would applaud churches doing these things, but if the church family is to be a healthy church, they will need to foster other areas of service to God as well. 

This week I am continuing a series on 9 Marks of a Healthy Church. They are taken from Pastor Mark Dever’s book of the same name. Last week we looked at the need for: 1) Expositional Preaching, 2) Biblical Theology, and 3) the Gospel. This week we are going to look at the next three marks of a healthy church: 1) Conversion, 2) Evangelism, and 3) Church Membership. 

1. CONVERSION: Healthy churches need to provide clear teaching on conversion because if they don’t, the church will be full of those who have not understood what it means to be a committed follower of Christ. Mark Dever explains biblical teaching on conversion in terms of God making a dramatic change in someone’s life. Conversion is a work of God bringing someone to a place where they see the holiness of God and the reality of their sin. Every Christian needs to accept that God needs to change them by cleansing them of their sin and bringing them out of spiritual darkness into spiritual light. Dever emphasizes Paul’s description of conversion in Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” 

2. EVANGELISM: Evangelism is the mark of a healthy church because it is one of the main ways Jesus expects the church to pursue his final command to “Make disciples of all the nations.” (Matt. 28:19-20). Mark Dever defines evangelism as a call to “proclaim… the good news of salvation in Christ, to call them to repentance, and to give God the glory for regeneration and conversion.” All believers should seek to share the good news with others, and they should do so with conviction, with a sense of urgency, with joy, with the Bible, and with prayer. A healthy church family will encourage its members to share the truth of Scripture with others, and the church will provide training on how to do so. 

3. CHURCH MEMBERSHIP: Church Membership is a mark of a healthy church because it demonstrates that people are committed to the local body of Christ and also helps the leadership of the church provide oversight for a specific group of people. Dever emphasizes that the church is not a building. It is “a local collection of people committed Christ, to regularly assemble and have his Word preached and obeyed, including Christ’s commands to baptize and to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.” If people make the commitment to become members to a church, it contributes to the health of the church because it means the church is carefully considering who is being admitted to its membership. This helps to maintain the purity of the church and makes it possible for the church to remove anyone who is persistently opposed to living the way God commands. Dever describes church membership in a positive way as “the opportunity to grasp a hold of each other in responsibility and love.” 

Marks of a Healthy Church

November 7, 2021 /

Later this month I’ll be going to a local church event called a “Weekender.” The 9Marks church network is hosting the event for pastors and church leaders who want to see the inner workings of how a healthy church is run. I had no idea “weekender” was even a word until a pastor friend told me about it a couple years ago. He said the training he received was one of the most helpful and practical events he had ever attended. So when I saw there was one within driving distance, I jumped at the opportunity. 

I’m looking forward to going to this weekend church event because it is a hands on, full-immersion experience of a behind-the-scenes look at a healthy, biblically-sound church. The 9Marks website says, “We encourage pastors and church leaders to attend because, just as every Timothy needs a Paul, so every church needs a model.” The apostle Paul certainly believed in modeling healthy Christian living. He wrote, “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Phil. 3:19; 4:7 ESV) 

The 9Marks Weekender starts on a Friday night and runs all the way to Monday morning. Some pastors and church leaders come from out of state to have their questions answered about how to run a healthy church. The weekend includes attending elder meetings, which would normally be closed to outside eyes and ears, and teaching sessions that include practical, biblically-based insight into how to run meetings, prepare sermons, and lead the local church. 

You may be wondering why is it called a 9Marks Weekender? The reason is because it is hosted by a network of churches called 9Marks. Back in 1991, a pastor named Mark Dever wrote a letter to a church in Massachusetts encouraging them to pursue “nine marks of a healthy church.” It was so well received that it was developed into a book and then into a network of churches that all make a commitment to these nine marks. 

Now, you must be curious about what they are. You may be asking, “What makes a healthy church?” The book Pastor Mark Dever wrote doesn’t claim that the list is comprehensive in any way. It doesn’t say that these nine marks are the most important part of the church. It does say the book “focuses on certain crucial aspects of healthy church life that have grown rare among churches today.” As I list them for you today, I thought it would be helpful to expand on each of them with a series of articles focused on modeling a healthy church. The nine marks are Expositional Preaching, Biblical Theology, The Gospel, Conversion, Evangelism, Membership, Church Discipline, Discipleship, Church Leadership. 

I don’t have the space or time to write about each of them now, but over the coming weeks I will address two or three at a time with the aim of helping us all become more discerning in knowing what a healthy church looks like. We all know there is no such thing as a perfect church, but we can all appreciate churches that are trying to search Scripture and understand how God wants them to function. After all, Jesus Christ is the one who said, “I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not overcome it.” (Matthew 16:8). There is no better way to learn how to be the church than to follow the guidelines he has given us in His word. 

A Christian Celebration on October 31

October 30, 2021 /

More and more Christians are celebrating Reformation Day on October 31st. Reformation Day is a holiday celebrated around the world that commemorates the day in the year 1517, when Martin Luther, a German priest, reportedly nailed a list of religious concerns to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. One reason we believe he posted the list on October 31st was because he knew many people would be coming to the church the next day, which was All-Saints Day. Martin Luther knew the list, called the 95 Theses, would cause a stir, but he had no idea it would lead to a wide-spread religious movement referred to as the Protestant Reformation. 

The Protestant Reformation started from a desire for Christians to see the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) reformed. At the time, the church allowed funds to be raised by selling something called an indulgence. In his book A Modern Guide to Indulgences, Edward Peters describes an indulgence as “a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for sins.” The RCC taught that an individual could reduce the punishment for a specific sin by doing certain things, such as reciting a prayer, visiting a holy place, or performing an action the church declared could pay for sin. These indulgences were official documents that attested to the punishment for sins being reduced. 

By the time Martin Luther served as a priest, there was wide-spread abuse of indulgences. They were being sold to the ignorant masses who were taught salvation came by works, not by faith. The indulges raised funds that helped build massive cathedrals. Martin Luther was keenly aware of these abuses and so in 1517 he decided to voice his concerns. While reading the 95 Theses, it becomes clear that Luther’s main concern was to show that the Bible did not teach salvation through buying indulgences. He wrote, “Those who believe that they can be certain of their salvation because they have indulgence letters will be eternally damned, together with their teachers.” 

Martin Luther’s actions on October 31, 1517, are remembered today largely because of the printing press. Someone took Luther’s 95 Theses and began printing it on a press that was likely modeled after the Guttenberg press. Luther’s writing was circulated far and wide, and the Roman Catholic Church was compelled to address his complaints. The situation became more and more concerned with Martin Luther’s belief’s about salvation being by faith alone. This all culminated in a dramatic court case, called the Diet of Worms (a gathering that took place in the German city called Worms), where Luther was ordered to renounce all his writings. He refused, and as a result he was excommunicated by the Roman Catholic Church. 

The story goes on to have a happy ending for Martin Luther. He realized the Bible does not forbid clergy to marry, and so in 1523 he married Katharina von Bora, a former nun, and had six children with her. He went on to do groundbreaking work in translating the New Testament from Greek into German, and with the help of the printing press distributed God’s word to the masses.

His life was filled with controversy because of his beliefs. Many today do not agree with everything he wrote and said, but if you study his life and work you will come to understand what he believed because he was a man of conviction and faith. His convictions regarding salvation and theology were at the heart of the Reformation. 

He did not invent the Five Solas of the Reformation, but he would wholeheartedly agree with them: Sola Gratia – Christians are saved by Grace Alone; Sola Fide – Through Faith Alone; Solus Christus – In Christ Alone; Sola Scripture – According to Scripture Alone; Soli Deo Gloria – For the Glory of God Alone. 

I hope you will join us in celebrating God’s work in human history this year by celebrating Reformation Day on October 31st. 

Jesus Brings Great Joy

October 22, 2021 /

The joy that Jesus brought the earth is incomparable with any other joy or feeling of happiness that can be experienced in life. It is a supernatural joy that was brought to the earth in a unique way when God took on human form and became the Savior of the world! 

The Bible describes the joy that Christ brought as “great joy” (charan megalēn in the original Greek text). This phrase first appears in Matthew 2:10 to describe the amazement of the wise men when they saw the star they had been following “came to rest over the place where the child was.” (ESV) Why would a star make these men so happy? They knew that God was using the very stars in heaven to direct them to the location of the promised Messiah. 

Luke 2:10 uses the same phrase to proclaim that the world is going to be filled with great joy because of Jesus Christ. An angel of the Lord said, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” The shepherds who heard that declaration were blown away by that message and the host of angels who delivered it to them. They immediately hurried to Bethlehem to learn more about the source of this great joy. 

The rest of the book of Luke reveals how the world was dramatically changed by the words and works of Jesus Christ. His entire ministry was filled with bringing joy to people’s lives. His first miracle was turning water to wine at a joyful wedding feast. He healed people who were lame, blind, sick, and diseased. He brought people back from the dead! Can you imagine the joy on the face of the widow of Nain who’s grown son was raised from a funeral procession and given to her alive?! Jesus brought supernatural joy to people’s lives! 

The greatest joy of Jesus’ ministry was even more profound than healing someone or even bringing back someone from the dead. The greatest joy that Jesus brought was when he saved people from their sin! This took time for people to realize because many people struggled to accept that he was the Son of God. Many people doubted that he could forgive sin, but he made it clear that he could and that spiritual healing was the most powerful part of his ministry.

When a paralytic man was brought before Jesus, he turned to the religious leaders and said, ““Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God.” (Luke 5:22-25)

The Bible makes it clear that Jesus himself was able to endure the horrific pain and torture of the cross by focusing on the supernatural joy of God. Hebrews 12:2 explains it this way, “Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus Christ was motivated to drink the cup of God’s wrath to the dregs because of the supernatural joy that it would bring to the Father! This type of joy is powerful. It can overcome every difficulty in life. It makes it possible for Christians to endure the worst trials in life with joy (James 1). 

The last time “great joy” is mentioned in the gospels is after Jesus leaves the disciples in Bethany and ascends into heaven. It always strikes me that this should have been a time of incredible mourning and pain. I mean, the disciples’ beloved teacher was leaving them. Their amazing leader was gone. Wouldn’t they be scared? Wouldn’t they feel lonely? Wouldn’t they be ready to go back to fishing in Galilee? Not at all. Luke 24:50-54 says this, “And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.”

They returned to Jerusalem with great joy! There was no depression creeping up in their hearts. There was no doubt or bitterness at Christ for leaving them. They knew they had supernatural work to do! They knew that he was with them spiritually. They knew they had nothing to be afraid of! They had the joy of the Lord and that type of joy is not dependent on circumstances! Oh may we understand this kind of joy! May it be the foundation that our lives are built upon so that we may have joy regardless of the difficulties that life is bound to bring. 

Four Reasons to Read the Bible Correctly

October 15, 2021 /

There is a lot at stake when it comes to reading the Bible. If you read it correctly, we believe God can show you His holiness and the universal problem of sin. He can use His word to reveal the way of salvation through Jesus Christ to you, and He can show you how to live in a way that is pleasing to Him. 

But, if you read the Bible incorrectly, you may actually be led even further astray. You may become more entrenched in your own man-made religious beliefs. You may fall into the trap that has claimed so many cults and false teachers. You may become self-righteous and hypocritical, emphasizing a form of godliness without having the power of God in your life (2 Timothy 3:5 ESV). 

This is a frightening thought because reading the Bible incorrectly has moral implications. If you submit to how God wants it to be read, then you will be rewarded, but if you reject His word, you will be condemned. Paul made this very clear when he wrote the following inspired words, “Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.” (1 Thessalonians 4:8) 

So how can we make sure we are reading the Bible correctly? It all starts with an attitude of submitting to God. It starts by opening the Bible and saying, “I am ready to hear and obey.” This cuts directly against the human tendency to read our own interpretation into what we see and hear. If we humble ourselves and recognize that the Bible is a supernatural record of God’s thoughts and actions in human history, then we will be ready to let the original author’s message impact our lives the way God intended. 

One reason I wanted to write about this is because I am going through a men’s Bible study on hermeneutics. Hermeneutics teaches believers how to study Scripture correctly. We are using a class developed by Dr. Abner Chou for the Institute for Church Leadership. He gives four reasons why we need to care about how we read the Bible. 

The first reason is this, “Hermeneutics drives the entire theological enterprise.” How we interpret the Bible is one of the most foundational aspects of understanding God’s word. If we make the mistake of reading our own thoughts into the passage or of creating an allegorical meaning out of every Old Testament passage, then the end result will be skewed. If we care about understanding God correctly, then we have to care about interpreting the Bible correctly. 

Dr. Abner Chou’s second reason for studying hermeneutics is because of how easy it is to interpret the Bible incorrectly. He gives many examples of people taking verses out of context and using a false interpretation for their own personal gain. Dr. Chou makes the sobering claim that the uninformed reader of the Bible will most likely come to the wrong interpretation! This is one reason why finding trustworthy teachers is such an important part of studying the Bible. You might spend years sitting under someone’s teaching, but if they have not been taught correctly, then you are probably wasting your time!

The third reason given for studying hermeneutics is because Christians need to live with conviction. How can a pastor say, “Thus says the Lord” if he doubts that he is reading the Bible correctly? Unfortunately, it is becoming more rare to find people who are committed to not only studying Scripture, but to studying it the way God intended. 

The last reason for learning how to read Scripture is because God cares about how Scripture is read. Deuteronomy 18:18 says this, “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.” Not only does God care about those who speak God’s word. He also cares about those who hear it. His word tells us he will hold those who listen accountable as well! 

The judgment of God should be discussed when teaching hermeneutics because if people study the Bible incorrectly, they will not be saved from their sin. The Bible makes it clear that those who reject Christ as Lord will be condemned before a holy God. This is what Paul had in mind when he wrote the following warning to Timothy, “Charge them before God not to war against words, which does not good, but only destroys the hearers.” (2 Timothy 2:14; Authors translation) Paul warned Timothy that spiritual destruction was inevitable if leaders allowed the church to war against the clear teaching of God’s word. 

This is a sobering message that Christians need to hear. Instead of defining hermeneutics as an academic issue for biblical scholars to quarrel over, we need to realize God has equipped each of us to be theologians who can study God’s word on our own. Not only are Christians equipped to study God’s word correctly, but we have a moral obligation to understand it and submit our lives to it. We need to have the words of God ringing in our ears, “But be doers of the word and no hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:22) May God give us the strength, stamina, and dedication to meditate on God’s word and put it into practice.

Being Discerning About Halloween

October 8, 2021 /

We’re approaching the darkest time of the year again. People have started decorating their homes with objects that look like they are from a crime scene. Fake body parts are littered over people’s yards. Imitation grave stones and skeletons are carefully placed near immaculate lawns and driveways. Giant spiders with matching spider webs are strung across the garage. All this is done to help the neighborhood join in the festivities of the darkest night of the year. 

I used to struggle to give an explanation to our kids about the carnage of October, but now I don’t hesitate. I tell them the history behind Halloween, and it all makes sense.

Halloween is undeniably connected with the occult. October 31st was chosen because of the ancient Celtic ritual of Samhain. It was the day that celebrated the end of fall and the beginning of winter. The orange and black of Halloween comes from the orange of autumn and the black of winter. Samhain was known as the day when the veil between the demonic world and the natural world was at its thinnest.

All Hallows Eve was established on Oct. 31st to distract from Samhain. It was supposed to prepare people for All Saints Day, which falls on November 1st. The name was shortened from All Hallows Eve to Halloween, but instead of distracting people from Samhain, the traditions became even stronger.

Many of the traditions surrounding Samhain were brought to America during the 1800s. Bonefires, soul bread, and wearing costumes to fool the evil spirits were adapted to feed the people’s desire for a night of ghoulish entertainment. 

In the early 1900s, Halloween became known as a night of mischief in America. Young people would roam rural communities stealing gates from homes and farms. This became so common that some communities began referring to October 31st as “Gate Night.” When Halloween came to the cities, things went out of control. Some American cities actually considered banning Halloween, but they were afraid of the backlash from the people. So instead they tried to organize it and make it “family-friendly.” After World War II, the candy and costume industries took hold of the holiday and began commercializing it. They were so effective in commercializing it that today, seventy-five years later, most people are unaware of the sinister history of Halloween.

The reason Christians need to be aware of the history of Halloween is because the Bible tells us to be discerning. Ephesians 5:8-11 makes it clear, “For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.” (ESV) 

What is the right way for Christians to think about Halloween? Just ask this question, “Are we celebrating something that is good and right and true according to how God defines them, or is this a celebration of darkness?” If you take the time to study the history behind the costumes and the candy then you will see that they do not help fill our children’s minds with what God wants. Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

My prayer for believers during this dark season is that we would fill our homes and our lives with the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He is the one who said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) 

See the following article for more information about the history of Halloween (https://www.history.com/news/halloween-was-once-so-dangerous-that-some-cities-considered-banning-it).

Faithful Love, Sacrificial Love

September 24, 2021 /

The bible tells us that love should be defined by the agape love that God showed us when he sent Jesus Christ to earth to die on the cross for our sins (1 John 4:10). I often think of His supernatural love for us when I hear stories of people sacrificing for each other. That was the case when I read the story of Jean-Pierre and Bernadette Adams’ remarkable commitment to their marriage vows. 

When Jean-Pierre and Bernadette Adams were married in the late 1960s they had no idea how strongly their love for each other would be tested. The couple was living in southern France when Jean-Pierre suffered a knee injury at a soccer training event. He went to a hospital and was advised to get surgery to fix the injury to one of his tendons. During the surgery, a complication arose that put him in a coma that lasted thirty-nine years.

By the grace of God his body was able to survive for all those years, and it was also the grace of God that allowed his wife to care for him during that time. 

The first fifteen months of the coma were spent in the hospital. Bernadette made sure to watch over him there, even though she was also caring for their two young children. She was advised to place her husband in a nursing home, but she loved him so much that she said, “I don’t think they knew how to look after him, so I said to myself: ‘He will come home’ and I’ve looked after him ever since.”

They moved to their home and Bernadette began round-the-clock care for her husband. From the start of the day until Jean-Pierre fell asleep she would care for all his needs. Even after he was asleep, she would need to turn him in the middle of the night. In one interview she said, “Sometimes when the night goes badly, I’m up for the whole thing.” 

Jean-Pierre had played professional soccer for several teams in France, including the national team, with 22 appearances. When this tragic event occurred, many of those in the soccer community rallied to help him. They helped pay for his home to be customized with amenities that would make life easier for him. Through it all his wife was constantly there for him, ready to keep her marriage vows to him. 

There have been times when she has been asked about euthanasia. In one interview she responded this way, “It’s unthinkable! He cannot speak. And it’s not for me to decide for him. What do you want me to do—deprive him of food? Let him die little by little? No, no, no.” Her commitment to loving him continued until September 6 of this year, when Jean-Pierre passed away.

As I have reflected on this story I have been amazed by the picture of love that it represents. Bernadette’s love was sacrificial, selfless, faithful, kind, and compassionate. Her desire to care for him was grounded in the commitment she made when they were married fifty-two years ago. 

The picture of faithful love that is contained in marriage is so powerful because it comes from God. He is the one who gave the institution of marriage to humanity at the creation of the world. The idea that two people would sacrificially love each other for their entire married life is just a small glimpse of God’s love for us. Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus gives us the ultimate definition of love in marriage. Paul wrote, “Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” 1 John 4:10 says, “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 

The agape love that God has for the lost was perfectly illustrated when Jesus was willing to die on the cross for our sins. We are amazed at Bernadette’s sacrificial love for her husband, but that love is just a shadow of the love that Christ has for us. I am amazed by her story of faithful love because it reminds me of Christ’s love for us. May we never stop being amazed by how he proved his love for us on the cross. May we never take his love for granted, and may we be motivated to love others with the same love that he showed us. 

Interviews mentioned in the article were taken from the following sources: https://edition.cnn.com/2016/01/04/football/football-jean-pierre-adams-coma/index.html; https://gentlereformation.com/2021/09/18/for-better-for-worse/. 

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