Giving Like God

John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

This is probably the most familiar verse in all of the Bible.  We are reminded by this verse, especially at Christmas time, of wonderful giving nature of God.  The Bible also says in Romans 8:29 that God wants to conform us to the image of His Son.  We are to pattern our lives after Christ as much as possible.  One of the ways we can follow the example of Christ is to be a giver like He was.

I believe this verse shows us five characteristics of God-like giving.  These are attributes that should characterize our giving as well.

Give with the Right Motive – “For God so loved…”

The ultimate motivation for God’s gift to mankind was His love.  Love means to be pleased with something/someone or to regard something/someone with affection.  Love should always be the primary motivation for our giving.  Jesus said in Matthew 6:1, “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them…”  There were those in His day who did what they did strictly to be seen of men.  People like that certainly exist today and, if we’re not careful, we can fall prey to that trap as well.

Give with a Specific Target in Mind – “…the world…”

Let’s face it.  God can have a bigger target than we can.  He had the ability to give a gift that could impact the entire world.  Nonetheless, He had a target.  There should always be a target of our giving as well.  We can give time, energy or resources to God, people or causes.  Make sure you have a specified target when you give.

Give Something of Value – “…he gave his only begotten Son…”

God gave the most precious thing He could give.  He gave Himself.  Our giving is God-like when we give something of value.  The more you love something/someone, the more valuable your gifts for that thing/person will be.  You can literally measure your love for God be measuring the value of what you give to Him.  You can do the same for people or causes – like your church.

Give with No Strings Attached – “…that whosoever believeth…”

Aren’t you glad John 3:16 doesn’t say, “…that whosoever reads their Bible every day should not perish, but have everlasting life?”  Or prays for five hours a day…never misses a church service…never misses a tithe…etc.  Surely the gift of God will transform a life and cause someone to do things they’d never do in and of themselves (ie, serve God with a pure heart).  But I’m glad God gave with no strings attached.  God didn’t give with the goal of getting something in return and neither should we.  Love produces giving, not bartering.

Give for the Benefit of Others – “…should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

The benefit of a gift is directly related to it’s value.  God’s gift could impact the world and provide salvation for a soul because of its tremendous value.  Again, we have to pare down our expectations, but the principle remains.  Does your giving benefit God, people or a cause?

Take inventory of your giving.  Do these principles characterize your giving?  If you’re a Christian, you should desire your giving to be God-like.  The example is laid out for us in the most famous verse in all the Bible.

Creation According to the History Channel

I just finished watching an episode of “The Universe” on the History Channel. I understand that the people who create these shows are surely people who discount the Bible. They consider my faith in that Book hilarity and can’t comprehend why I would believe such an outlandish idea as Creation. According to them, Genesis 1 is a fairytale that should be relegated to the dust pile of history. They mock my beliefs. I’m keeled over laughing at theirs.

I apologize in advance for the length of this post. I just wanted to show you the idiocy of modern “science.” The pictures are ones that I took of my TV while watching the show. Sorry for the flash reflected on some of them. I’ll put their corresponding statements in quotes. They may not be word for word, but they are very close. I’ll give my thoughts along the way. Get ready for the ride of your life…

First of all, this show should be rated “R.” Sorry, had to throw that one in there. Here’s what they had to say: “A billionth of a second after big bang, a bubble much smaller than a fraction of an atom forms.” What they’re asking you to believe is that all the material that makes up the universe today is contained inside a bubble much smaller than a fraction of an atom. No problem.

“This is the universe. It is unimaginably small and unimaginably hot.” Yet, somehow, they’ve imagined it. (Romans 1:21)

“The forces of nature (gravity, electromagnetism, strong and weak nuclear forces) combine to create a super force. Gravity splits off as the universe expands. As the universe expands, it cools, which somehow sets off a burst of energy that fuels hyper-inflation.” Somehow?

“This inflation locks in the uniformity of the universe.” See, you have to understand that the even temperatures of the universe could not be explained otherwise. Of course, the Creation account in the Bible would explain this uniformity, but that would be ludicrous.

“The universe is still less than a second old when the super force decays into the four separate forces of nature.”

“Less than 3 minutes after the big bang, the temperature of the universe has dropped to a mere 1 billion degrees Fahrenheit…cool enough for atomic nuclei to form.” (Hydrogen and Helium)

I love this one! “380,000 years later…light travels through the universe. The burst of radiation that Penzias and Wilson found happens now.”

“1 billion years after Big Bang, stars take shape, producing heavier elements like Nitrogen, Oxygen and Carbon as Hoyle had predicted.”

“Roughly 9 billion years later, matter and gravity combine to create a perfectly typical star. A circumstellar disc of dust remains that eventually accrete into an entourage of planets and moons.”

“One of these lumps of star dust has temperatures warm enough to allow water to form in the atmosphere. Liquid water gathers on the surface. Underwater, mysterious chemical reactions ultimately form life.” Mysterious?

“13.7 billion years after the Big Bang our universe is now 156 billion light years across.” Keep in mind that nothing travels faster than light. How did the universe spread 78 billion light years in every direction in only 13.7 billion years? I don’t know, but that’s why they had to come up with “hyper-inflation” that was mentioned earlier.

“The third planet from the sun is covered in carbon based life forms. Some are discovering what infinitely small specks they are in the grand scheme of things.”

I didn’t really need the History Channel to tell me that I’m an infinitely small speck in the grand scheme of things. God told me that. I don’t know about you, but I think I’ll stick with an idea that takes a little less faith. Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth…”

Jesus - The New Testament

Matthew 26:38, "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."

Jesus is the New Testament insomuch that He is the fulfillment of the Old.  He fulfilled the Law when we never could.  He was sinless when we were sinful.  He paid the penalty of death for sin so we wouldn't have to.

Do You Mockingly Crown Jesus?

John 19 is arguably the most sobering chapter in all of the Bible. A couple months ago, I read this chapter to the church while leading the Lord's Table. This portion of Scripture is a powerful reminder of God's love and judgment. I've been reading the book of John for my personal devotions that last several weeks. The Lord challenged me with a new thought as I read chapter 19 again the other day.

Verses 2 and 5 describe the items Christ's antagonizers put on Him. The first item was the crown of thorns. The other was the purple robe. Both of these items were specifically designed to mock His "kingship." As I read those verses, I got to thinking: Do we mockingly crown Jesus Christ?

I believe this is something that lost and saved people are capable of. Lost people do it more overtly. Saved people who aren't walking in the Spirit do it more subtly. Lost people openly blaspheme the name of Jesus. Carnal Christians say that Jesus is Lord, but don't truly live like it.

As I read the first part of John 19 a few times over, I began to see some distinct characteristics of one who mockingly crowns Jesus Christ.

People who mockingly crown Jesus...

• cause Him pain. (vs. 1)
• worship falsely and cheaply. (vs. 2)
• think less of Him than He really is. (vs. 5)
• are Pharisaical. (vs. 6-7)
• lack real faith and confidence. (vs. 8-9)
• think they're in charge. (vs. 10)

If one or more of these characteristics describes you, you might need to take inventory as to whether or not Jesus is truly the Lord of your life.

Immature Christians

“Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”

- 1 Peter 2:1-3

Peter is addressing Christians in his epistles to the “strangers scattered” (1 Peter 1:1) throughout Asia Minor.  It would be easy to think that he is referring to unsaved people when listing the characteristics found in 1 Peter 2:1.  He’s actually talking about attributes that can belong to immature Christians.  He calls them “newborn babes” in vs. 2.

He lists five characteristics:

Malice – evil or wickedness

Guile – deceit or subtlety

Hypocrisies – acting a feigned part

Envies – jealousy

Evil Speakings – defamation or backbiting

Now, read the following five passages of Scripture:

Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”  (Wickedness)

John 8:44, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”  (Deceit)

2 Corinthians 11:14, “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”  (Acting a feigned part)

Isaiah 14:14, “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”  (Jealousy)

Revelation 12:10, “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.”  (Defamation)

These five passages are speaking of the devil and the characteristics they describe match exactly the characteristics Peter attributes to immature Christians.

Immature Christians can act just like the devil!

God wants us to grow and our churches need us to grow.

You Are Not Alone

I’ve been teaching a series through Psalm 25 in my adult Bible class the last several weeks.  The theme of the lesson is taken from verse 1 where David says, “Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.”  The main point of the series is that it is vital for victorious Christian living to offer our lives to God on a daily basis.  We’ve been looking at the rest of the Psalm to learn some of the results of lifting up our soul to God.

The result I taught on last week is found in vs. 4-5 where David writes, “Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.  Lead me in thy truth, and teach me…”  The result of offering our life to God I see in these verses is a desire for God’s will.  David was a man who sincerely desired to fulfill God’s plan for his life.  Like the rest of us, he faltered from time to time, but it was a true desire of his heart nonetheless.

A study of some of the key words in this passage offered some very encouraging thoughts.  The Hebrew word for the word “ways” in vs. 4 is derek.  It literally means a road.  It figuratively means a course of life.  Of all the roads this life has to offer, the desire of the Christian ought to be to get and stay on the road God has for them.  There is a path God wants us to travel in this life and we should desire to walk it.

The Hebrew word for “paths” in vs. 4 is orach which means a well trodden road or caravan.  It caught my attention that David used two different English words in this verse that, on the surface, appear to have virtually the same meaning.  A quick look at the Hebrew definitions reveal the difference.  Every time a Christian takes the first step down the road God wants them to walk in this life, it is a giant step of faith.  The encouraging truth I see in this verse is that when you start down that road, you will quickly find that you are not alone.  The path of God’s will is a path that many have been on in the past and many are on now.  It’s a well trodden road.  You’re part of a caravan on that road.

There are certainly times when surrendering to God’s will is a nerve racking thing.  Just encourage yourself with the thought that when you step on that road, you’ll be marching along side an army of people striving to serve God themselves.

T U "L" I P

Calvinists and "Five-Pointers" who believe in God's arbitrary election regarding those who could possibly be saved are big on His Sovereignty. They don't want to limit God in any way...except for the saving power of the shed blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.

If there was one area I wouldn't limit God, that would be it.

1 John 2:2, "And he is the propitation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."

Why Does God Judge Right?

In my last post, I pointed out that every decision God makes is right.  God never makes a wrong decision.  That’s a pretty amazing concept.  Why does God judge right?

Answer this question: What is Solomon known for asking God for?

If you said wisdom, you’re wrong.  God gave him wisdom, but that’s not what he asked for.

1 Kings 3:9, “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?”

Solomon asked for understanding.  He asked for understanding because he’d have the difficult task of judging.  He knew he’d have to make some tough decisions as the new king of Israel.

Knowledge, wisdom and understanding are all things the Bible tells us we should strive for.  Knowledge is the what, wisdom is the how and understanding is the why.  The reason God always judges right is because He is perfect in these three areas.  God knows what to do in every situation.  He knows how to do it.  He also knows why it should be done.

The main reason we have trouble with some of the decisions God makes is because we are not perfect in those three areas.  There are many times when we don’t know what to do or how to do it.  Even if we do know those things, we don’t always know why.  We must come to the place where we recognize that God is on the throne.  He is in charge.  He always makes right decisions.

We may not know why He does certain things, but we can be sure that He does.

God Judges Right

“For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right.” – Psalm 9:4

I’ve been reading through Psalms lately and this verse caught my attention the other night.  It’s one thing to acknowledge that God is King (sitting on His throne) and Judge.  It’s another thing to acknowledge that He judges right…always.

The last word of that verse could be translated rightly or righteously.  Every judgment of God is right.

There is never a time where God makes a wrong judgment.  Whenever God decides to do anything, it is always right.  It’s right by default because He’s God.  Next time you’re dealing with a tough circumstance or being chastised for disobedience, keep in mind that God always does things right.  Next time God leads you and you have questions and doubts, don’t forget that God always does things right.

Don’t Get Drawn Away

Colossians 2:4, “And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.”

I’ve been teaching a series through the book of Colossians in my adult Bible class for the last few weeks.  That epistle is packed with great and challenging truths.  One of the main purposes Paul wrote this book was to make sure the Christians at Colosse were not drawn away from the sufficiency of Christ by worldly philosophers and deceivers.  The theme of the book is: Christ is All.  Paul reveals some of the desires he had for these believers in the first few verses of chapter 2 as he warns them about being drawn away from the faith.

Vs. 1-2, “For I would that he knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ…”

Paul expresses two desires for these believers.  The first desire is that they would be comforted.  He wanted them to be strengthened and encouraged as they faced not a physical battle, but a mental one.  The threat was not bodily injury, it was enticing words.  Discouraged Christians are easily drawn away.  If you are discouraged, be careful.  You are in dangerous territory.

The second desire Paul had for these Christians is that they would be knit together.  He wanted them knit together in three ways: in love, unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, and to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God.  A tremendous lesson can be learned from each of these statements.

Paul wanted them knit together in love.  Unity among the brethren is a subject that Paul brings up to every church he wrote to.  Divided Christians are easily drawn away.  Division in the church provides fertile ground for people to be enticed.

Paul desired that they be knit together unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding.  Disoriented (for the lack of a better word that starts with “D”) Christians are easily drawn away.  Understanding what Christ has done for you in salvation brings assurance.  A believer who is assured of their position in Christ is almost impossible to entice.

The Apostle wanted them knit together to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God.  The mystery was “Christ in (them), the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).  The Laodicean Christians had a tremendous problem in this area.  In Revelation 3:20, Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”  Jesus was standing at the door knocking, but they didn’t acknowledge Him.  Distracted Christians are easily drawn away.  If your focus is on something other than Jesus Christ, you have already taken the first step towards being drawn away.

These desires of the Apostle Paul challenged me and I believe they could be a great reminder and challenge to others.  Don’t be drawn away!

Matthew Henry on Matthew 12:31-32 and the Unpardonable Sin

"None are excepted (from salvation) by name, nor any by description, but those only that blaspheme the Holy Ghost. This blasphemy is excepted, not for any defect of the mercy in God, or merit in Christ, but because it inevitably leaves the sinner in infidelity and impenitency. Those who fear they have committed this sin, give a good sign that they have not. Those therefore who blaspheme this dispensation of the Spirit, cannot possibly be brought to believe in Christ. This is such a stronghold of infidelity as a man can never be beaten out of, and is therefore unpardonable, because hereby repentance is hid from the sinner’s eyes. There is no cure for a sin so directly against the remedy."

I wish I could write like those guys used to.

Filtering Theology?

I was over at a church members house yesterday and we started talking about a co-worker of theirs who was a Calvinist. Without getting in to the whole theological discussion here, I do not believe in the predestination that a Calvinist believes in.

Over the course of the conversation, Reformed Theology was mentioned. I've had quite a few conversations and read a lot of material from people who have made Reformed Theology a major part of their beliefs. If my perception of RT is correct, the main tenet is the Glory of God. I say Amen to that!

The Glory of God is the whole purpose of His entire Creation. He has and will be glorified in and through everything that has and will happen throughout all of time. He is glorified in the justification and sanctification of His people. He will be glorified in the final damnation of those who refuse His gift of eternal life. God is glorified in all whether we perceive it as good or bad.

As I said a moment ago, I do not believe in Calvinism...which is also a tenet of RT. A common thread I get while reading RT writers is that God receives more glory based on the Calvinist view of salvation rather than the Biblical doctrine of salvation. Let me stop here and explain that I believe the work of salvation has been entirely completed by God through His Son, Jesus. However, I don't believe that faith is a work. Faith is a gift from God that is imparted to us through exposure to His Word. It is a gift He desires to give to all.

Now, to the point of this post: I believe that many have used the tenet of glorifying God, rather than the Bible, as the filter for their doctrine. Since a Calvinist believes that God gets "more" glory under their theological system, that is what they believe. I do not filter my theology through my belief that the chief end of man is to bring glory to God. My theology comes from the Bible.

Biblical doctrine does not contradict the purpose of God's Creation. I believe strongly that God gets more glory when His Holy Spirit convicts a person of their sin and they choose out of their free will to receive His gift of eternal life. God doesn't get glory from robots who have no choice. He gets glory when people choose to worship Him. Like I said earlier, He even gets glory when people don't.

PS This post is not an invitation for debate on this subject...I've done enough of that with enough people. If you believe differently than I do, you won't convince me and I won't convince you. This is simply an observation of a thinking preacher.

Holiness

I'm teaching a lesson in my adult Bible class this Sunday about passing on a heritage of holiness to our children.  I'm going to make this statement:

I know holiness is unpopular in the world.  It's always been that way.  The day holiness becomes unpopular with God's people is a sad and dangerous day.

The thought seriously challenged me and I thought it might do the same for you.

Wedding in Montana

My sister and I made the 9 hour drive from Portland to Missoula yesterday.  We had a good time and some good laughs.  We stopped at a gas station/restaurant/truck repair shop (that should tell you everything you need to know about it) in Umatilla, Oregon.  They had doughnuts on steroids for sale.  Literally, the maple bar was almost a foot long.  We saw a billboard that said, "When life sucks...there's hope."  It then gave an 800 number to call.  I thought: If I lived in Umatilla, I'd want an 800 number to call when life sucked.  Too funny.

The purpose of this trip was to officiate my cousin's wedding on their family ranch in Stevensville, MT.  Joe (my cousin) and Carrie did great and the ceremony went well.  The sound guys turned my microphone off with the music at the beginning of the ceremony causing an annoying pause and one of them to come to the mic to get it going.  I told the sound guys before the service that they would either be my best friends or my worst enemies.  It turned out to be the latter.  I also dropped Carrie's ring when the best man handed them to me.  There's always something that goes wrong in a wedding.  Those are the things that you remember.  Here are some pictures from the ceremony and reception.  Notice the natural backdrop that no church building could ever come close to matching.

The arch is where we stood during the ceremony.  When I look at this picture, I think...postcard.

My sister Casey (on the right) and my cousin Molly.

A great picture my sister took after Carrie and her dad passed her as they walked down the aisle.

It was a great privilege for me to officiate the wedding.

Weddings are a great celebration.  As I prepared for the ceremony, I was reminded of how marriage pictures Christ's relationship with the church (Ephesians 5).  I believe that if both parties in Christian marriages just kept that fact in mind, there would be a lot less problems in those relationships.

I was also reminded that marriage was the first institution God gave to man (Genesis 2).  Marriage came before the home (the union of a man and a woman is the foundation of the home), government, nations and even the local church.  Obviously, God holds marriage in high regard.  Too bad our culture doesn't really do the same.  Satan knows that when he destroys marriage, he destroys the societal example of Christ's relationship with the church.  It's another victory for him.  He loves anything that keeps people from seeing Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Pray for Joe and Carrie as they start their new life together.

Let Jesus Use Your Boat

I taught a lesson in my adult Bible class this morning from Luke 5 on the call to be fishers of men.  I brought out an encouraging thought that I wanted to share with you:

Luke 5:3 says, "And (Jesus) entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land."

This chapter tells the story of the day Peter met Jesus Christ.  This event took place early on in the public ministry of Christ, but he had already garnered quite a following.  Vs. 1 tells us that the crowd of people "pressed upon him to hear the word of God."  He wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to teach these people, but he couldn't address the whole crowd standing in the middle of them.  He needed to get to a place where he could face the people and speak to all of them at once.  Jesus looked over to the water and saw Peter's boat.  He got in and asked if Peter would push away from the shore, giving Jesus a speakers position.

I'll ask you the same question I asked my class: Did Jesus need Peter's boat?

A familiar story can be found in Matthew 14.  Vs. 25 says, "And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea."

You see, that day that Jesus wanted to preach to the crowd, He could have just stepped out onto the water and had the same result.  Rather then stepping on the water He stepped in the boat.  Jesus made a choice to use what Peter had.  He didn't have to, but He did.  Peter could have thought that he didn't have much to offer Jesus, but he let Him use what he had.

Even if you believe you have very little to offer to God, let Him use it anyway.  He doesn't need it, but He wants it.

Let Jesus use your boat.

God's First Work

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.  And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.  And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.  And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness." - Genesis 1:1-4

Here are a few things to think about from the awesome story of Creation:

1. When God created the heaven and the earth, He did NOT say it was good.  He said the light was good.

2. When God created something apart from Himself, it was dark by default.

3. God's first work after letting light shine into His creation was dividing the light from the darkness.

Ponder these thoughts and you should be reminded of some foundational characteristics of God's character and work.

Numbers

I think I've come to a conclusion about an issue that really isn't important.  (Aren't Baptists really good at that?)  Every now and then I hear or read about somebody criticizing someone else because that someone else "only cares about numbers."  Usually they're talking about a pastor or ministry that has expressed some kind of passion for reaching more people with the Gospel or growing numerically.  I've heard it said about such men as Paul Chappell or Jack Schaap.  Dr. Schaap just released a very compelling book called Where are We Going?  In a nutshell, the book chronicles the decline of fundamental Baptist influence in America over the last 30 years.  This is the kind of book that draws the criticism I'm talking about here.

Here's my take: I think criticism about this issue is pointless and ignorant.  Is the ministry all about numbers?  More people in the pews?  More people saved and baptized?  Of course not.  However, I don't think that emphasizing numerical growth is unbiblical or carnal.  It can be, but we can't judge another man's heart in that respect.

Jesus did say to "go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."  1 Peter 3:9 tells us that God is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."  1 Timothy 2:4 says that God "will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth."  There are over 6 billion people on planet earth.  God wants every one of them to be saved.  Why is it wrong for us to emphasize greater numbers when God doesn't want us to miss even one?

Of course, a Calvinist or one who believes in sovereign election will have a hard time with this.  I don't believe in arbitrary election by God regarding who will be saved and who won't...but that's for another post.

If numbers are your god or your measure for success in life and ministry, then there's a problem.  However, there is nothing wrong with having and expressing a passion to reach more people with the message of the Gospel.  God Himself has given us a numerical goal...the whole world!

Spirituality vs. Religion

Dennis Prager was discussing a very interesting subject on his syndicated radio show today.  If you don't know who Dennis is, you can find out more about him at his website.  He is a very conservative, religious Jew.  He has very strong morals.  I agree with about 95% of what he says.  The areas I usually disagree with him on have something to do with the Bible or religion.  By the way, he knows the Torah inside and out.  I don't believe he understands it, but he knows it.  If he understood it, he'd see the obvious types of Christ found in it.

Anyway, the subject he covered during the Ultimate Issues hour today was: Spirituality vs. Religion.  He argues strongly for being involved in some kind of organized religion.  One of his points is that any substantive spirituality must come from a source.  Jews get theirs from the Old Testament.  Christians get theirs from the Bible.  Muslims get theirs from the Quran, etc.  As I listened to people call in about their "spirituality," a thought occurred to me.  People are OK with being "spiritual" as long as they aren't accountable to anyone or anything (a pastor, church, holy text or especially God).  They want to be "spiritual" on their terms.

Many people like this who called in referred to "god" or a "higher power."  The funny things is, if God exists or if there is some "higher power," that means He is in charge!  They reference this "higher power" but they don't submit to it.  They want to be in charge.  That is the ultimate sign of pride in man.

You see, if you want to worship God, you have to do it His way.  Jesus said in John 4:23, "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him."  In essence, religion is man's understanding of how God wants them to worship Him.  That said, man certainly isn't right about this all the time.  In fact, he's wrong about this most of the time.  That is why there are so many false religions in the world today.

The way I see it, there are three kinds of religions:

1. A religion that worships a false god.

2. A religion that worships the true God the wrong way.

3. A religion that worships the true God the right way.

God is only pleased with option number 3. 

Religion is certainly better than spirituality.  Why?  Because religion is worshiping God and that is the highest form of spirituality.  The key is having the right religion.  When you worship God, you'd better be sure you're doing it the way He wants you to.

Time for Celebration?

A wedding ceremony is an obvious cause for celebration. Two people are starting a brand new life together. Two families become one. Dreams are big. Joy is everywhere. A wedding is an exciting event for all involved. Marriage was God's idea. It's His institution and He has something to say about it.

Genesis 2:24, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."

Matthew 19:6, "Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."

As far as our culture is wandering from God and His Word, I guess I shouldn't be surprised by this piece of news. Things are bad when we're celebrating the demise of God's plan.

The Replacement Principle

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." -Psalm 1:1-3

I think it would be safe to assume that most Christians would want to be like that fruitful, prosperous tree described in verse 3. They want God's hand of power and blessing on their life.  There's certainly nothing wrong with desiring those things.

The problem comes when we only apply part of the formula described here to get those results. There are a lot of Christians who pride themselves in applying the principle found in verse 1. (I know I've been guilty of this at times!) They are separated from the world and it's philosophies.  They truly shun influence from people who want nothing to do with God.  These are good things, but they're only part of the formula!

This is where the Replacement Principle comes in.  God doesn't just want certain things to be removed from your life.  There are also things He wants put in.  The Christian life is not just about abstaining or separating from certain influences.  It's about filling that void with something that glorifies God.

The first part of the formula is found in verse 1.  The second part is found in verse 2.  It's not all about despising the world, it's also about delighting in His Word.  It's not just about removing something from your life, it's also about adding something to it. If you're seeking the blessing of God on your life, make sure you're applying the whole formula to it.  If you don't you'll just end up being a frustrated, unusable vessel.

Here's a convicting question that will tell you where you're really at with this: Do you delight in the Word as much as you despise the world?

The truth is, our delight in God's Word should be greater than our disdain for the world.