A Problem with Healing

I can't say it's always fun. In fact, just about every time I do it, there's a battle that rages within:

• Is this really necessary? 
• People will get the wrong idea.
• You're going to lose status
• You need to protect your reputation

I'm talking about confession. That is, admission to others that I don't have it all together like I may appear.But here's what I know, people who consistently play the "I've got it together" game eventually implode. Men who never say, "I blew it. I'm sorry" model hypocrisy to their children. Moms who can't say, "Teach me" to a friend who knows something they don't? They are usually full of anxiety.

God has a prescription for healing us of our hypocrisy, anxiety and self-destruction. But the medicine isn't very appealing on the surface. It's found in James 5:16, "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed," (nkjv).

Now I know in some circles this looks like the eternal naval gazers small group:
"I blew it on porn again this week." 
"That's okay. I did too. Well, thank God for grace." 
 
James is talking about redemptive confession. This confession admits weakness but it is hopeful not languishing. It is vertically oriented not strictly horizontal. Confession here in James begins horizontal but then turns vertical: "Pray for one another."

So I confess often. It's no fun. But people are praying for me and God is healing me.

Studying Creation

I've been on a study break during most of June. During that time, we spent a few days in Salem, Oregon. Wow. Raw, pristine beauty. Big trees that have been growing for hundreds of years. I'm not a tree-hugger but I admit I did try a few times. Here's one of those big ones with my cute "girlfriend" standing by:

I Got a Rock

There's a scene in "It's the Great Pumpkin" with Charlie Brown and friends. After the first door of trick or treat, with bags in hand, they compare their treats:
 
ALL: "I got five pieces of candy!” “I got a chocolate bar!” “I got a quarter!”  
Charlie Brown: “I got a rock.”

Some see prayer like that. We can ask in prayer, but you never know what you're gonna get. It might be bad.
Jesus turns this idea on it's head in Matthew 7: 9, "Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?" (ESV). Jesus is saying, "Does any sane father give you a rock if you ask for bread?" No, is the expected answer!

Jesus continues,

10"Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" (ESV)


Jesus has encouragement for all the Charlie Browns among us: "Your heavenly Father doesn't surprise you with something hurtful. So go ahead and ask."

Stronger from the Storm

Patience is in short supply. A few weeks ago a woman was accused of assaulting a server in a local restaurant because she was "unhappy with the service." I'm sure we can relate to being unhappy with the service but hopefully you've never resorted to such extreme measures.

We're consumers of immediate satisfaction. We groan if the fast food land is backed up. We get testy if the line out of the parking lot at church takes us an extra five. We're not good at patience.

But most good things in life take time--especially the spiritual. There's no "microwave maturity." Getting stronger takes time and...storms.

God has compared his people to palm trees (Psalm 92:12). You ever notice which trees are standing after a hurricane? Many times, it's the palm tree. I'm not an authority on palm trees but they tell me that their unique root system gives them this strength. And that they may actually grow stronger because of bending from strong winds! It appears that it's the storm that makes them stronger.

Are you in a financial storm? A storm in your marriage? A storm of temptation? A long quiet storm of waiting? You might be bending a little. But with patience, you'll find a stronger you on the other side of the storm.

Is He Welcome?

A great author and pastor of the previous century, A.W. Tozer, had a consuming desire to honor God. He said this about the Holy Spirit: 

"I have often felt like getting on my knees and apologizing to the Holy Spirit for the way the Church has treated Him. We have treated Him shoddily. We have treated Him in such a manner that if you were to treat a guest that way, the guest would slip away grief stricken and never return." (The Purpose of Man, 126).

It's easy to echo those sentiments. As one who loves the church and was raised in a Holy Spirit-conscious environment, I can relate to Tozer's thoughts: "Yeah, the church is far-removed from what we see in the book of Acts." And it's true. We need a revival of dependence on the Holy Spirit.

But today, I'm asking the question: How does this look in my personal life? Do I treat Him with respect and awe on a daily basis? Hourly basis? Do I personally reflect a life that is depending on the Holy Spirit and His influence? 

I can throw stones at the church, but it begins with me--with you. We are the church. So if you're a Christ-follower maybe we can ask ourselves these questions:

• Does my conversation reflect trust in God and faith in His ability to do more than I can imagine? Or is it laced with unbelief and a general lack of trust? Unbelief grieves God.
• Do I lean on and expect the Holy Spirit to empower me to love my wife, respond with grace to rebuke from others, provide me wisdom in all of life?
• Do I grieve the Spirit with my pettiness? unforgiveness? Or am I quick to forgive?
• Is my daily time in prayer filled with worship or complaining disguised as a prayer list?

Does God Prefer Kind Atheists Over Hateful Christians???

This is an example of something that sounds good to many people. After all, who likes hateful people? Not even Mr. Rogers. So surely God doesn't. 

Problems come however, in the details. Define "hateful Christian." Literally, it would mean "a person who believes in and follows Christ who is also full of hate." Herein lies the first problem. A person who believes in and follows Christ cannot be full of hate. Either they are not truly a Christ-follower or they are not full of hate. But he/she cannot be both. 

It would be interesting to know who this church has in mind as "hateful Christians." Of course, Pastor Tate, the pastor of the UMC congregation who posted this, probably doesn't mean this literally. He is probably referring to some particular Christians with whom he disagrees and therefore, are "hateful" in his view.

The pastor is quoted as saying that Jesus taught us in the parable of the Good Samaritan that God prefers the kind unbelieving Samaritan over the unkind God-fearer. However, Pastor Tate is missing some of the rest of the story. The parable Jesus teaches is an answer to a question from a religious expert. His question was: "Who is my neighbor?" not "Whom does God prefer." Jesus is clarifying what authentic love for God looks like. His parabolic answer is to the man's question about neighborly love. (By the way, Luke, the writer also tells us that the religious expert was wanting "to justify himself" (Lu. 10:29) He was, in effect, looking for an escape clause.) Jesus could discern the man's "selective kindness" was for Jews only and is telling the man that an authentic God-follower is not prejudiced or selective in his compassion.

Further, Jesus is answering this question following the expert's first question: "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" The expert is asking, in other words, "In the end, who gets to be with God?" Jesus answers with a question, "How do you interpret the law?" The man says, "‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” Jesus tells him he's answered correctly: "Do this and you will live" (Lu 10:28).

This presents the major problem with Pastor Tate's summary because the atheist cannot agree with Jesus' first premise, which is essentially, 'Eternal life belongs to those who love the Lord THEIR God with all their heart.' So for the modern atheist, question #2, "Who is my neighbor?", doesn't have relevance in this particular case since by definition an atheist will not or does not love God. 

For the record, Jesus prefers people who believe in Him. John 3:16 tells us so and if Pastor Tate reads further in Luke he will find these words of Jesus: “Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. ⁹ But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God." (Luke 12:8,9). Clearly, Jesus has a preference for people who believe in Him.

Yes, there are hateful people who claim Christianity. And Jesus has some harsh words for hypocrites who claim Christ but are hateful. (Hypocrisy IS the main point of Jesus' parable here.) But if a person is truly a Christian it is impossible for him to be full of hate. Yes, he falls prey to hateful attitudes at times because he is a forgiven sinner, as I am, who is in process of becoming Christ-like, yet presently, far from perfect. But whom will Christ prefer to spend eternity with? Those who love God, not those who hate Him or ignore Him. One cannot believe in Jesus and worship self at the same time.

Resources Included

Ever see an ad for a computer that sounded too good to be true? $299 for desktop computer? You go to the store and ask to see it and the sales clerk says, "Let me show this one first." They show you the computer that is 4x that amount of money--one with all the bells and whistles. When you finally see the $299 model, you ask, "Where's the display?"
"Oh you want a display? That's extra."
"Oh you want software on it. That's extra."
"Oh you want a power supply? This model doesn't come with that."

Yesterday, while teaching on Eph. 1:1-6, I talked about how the world might operate that way, but not God. God offers us "every spiritual blessing in Christ." All the options are included. All the resources are there:

• to love your wife, if you're married (Eph. 5.25.)
• to obey your parents, if you're still at home (Eph. 6:1)
• to put away wrath (Eph. 4:31)
• to stay away from sexual immorality (Eph. 5:1-3)

All the commands that Paul gives us in chapters 4-6 can be accomplished in our lives if we get the understanding of these beginning verses:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, ⁴ just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, ⁵ having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, ⁶ to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. (Eph. 1:3-6, nkjv)

What if you were to drink deeply of this truth every morning and every night? Before your feet hit the floor? Before you close your eyes at night? Mull over it. Meditate it. Think on it. Dream about it. Pray something like this:

"Father, these three things I'm praying: 

1) God, thank you that you chose me--you adopted me. 

2) You predestined me to be holy and blameless. 

3) Help me to live like an adopted son/daughter in Christ."

Behavior is linked to your perception of self-value. It's knowing who you are that will change your behavior.

Rock on, chosen and adopted ones!

Pastor Shawn