Category Archives: Christianity

I Don’t Go to Church

Posted on September 5, 2022 | 2 comments

One of the recent trends among those professing faith in Jesus as Savior is an increasing number who aren’t active in a local church. While this has been trending for some time, it seems to have increased during this time of pandemic isolation and cultural hostility to faith.

Two reasons for not being active in a local church seem to be most prominent. One reason believers give for not attending church is, “I can worship God on my own.” A second reason is some version of, “The church has so many problems.”

Do you know what? There is truth in both of these statements. Each of these reasons given have some points worth examining more fully.

“I can worship God on my own.” We can and should worship the Lord at times and places other than Sunday mornings in a church building. There is power in worshipping the Lord in the beauty of the outdoors and in other settings. Believers should marvel at God’s design of the heavens as did the Psalmist. We do well to see worship as an activity we engage in at any time and place. And, worship can be intensely personal and private.

Need we make this an “either/or” proposition? Can’t we worship the Lord both privately and publicly? Ought not we consider doing both? Aren’t we able to worship God both at the beach and in the auditorium? Might we better see this as a “both/and” proposition?

“The church has so many problems.” It is true that the church has problems. This is a point worth the church’s attention. The problem, of course, is that the church is made up of people and all people are fallen, sinful and broken. But, churches have sometimes masked their fallen nature, excused sinful behavior and allowed harmful attitudes and activities in their midst. Though we profess Jesus as Lord, we sometimes fail to live that out well and fall into the very hypocritical behavior Jesus criticized so harshly.

Does the imperfect nature of the local church mean we should trash the institution itself? Ought we neglect the church because it has hypocrisy even though Jesus must have known this when he instituted it? Do we paint with brushes so broad that the improprieties of one church justifies us painting the whole with the worst of motives and, therefore, unworthy of our attendance? An important question to ask is, “Might the local church be both imperfect and valuable?”

I am reminded of God’s word in Hebrews 10:23-4 which speaks to believers who might have these same doubts about being active in a local church. These are God’s words to us and not just the words of the pastor or a parent or a fellow Christian. This is God’s instruction to us, reminding us of the value and the importance of attending and participating in a local church.

“And let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:23-4

I want to encourage you to listen to God’s reminder to “not neglect to gather together”, even though many have made that their “habit”. The culture, even the Christian culture, says the local church is unimportant and unnecessary. But God’s word says otherwise and that is important to recognize.

Maybe you will consider these things and reexamine the role of the church in your life. Maybe you will see God’s design and plan for you and the church. So, I’m attending my local church this week and I hope you will too!

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Why I Read the Bible Every Year

Posted on May 11, 2022 | Leave a comment

During a break from seminary, I stopped by to see my sweet, elderly grandmother. Grandma was not only the greatest baker of peach cobbler it has ever been my delight to consume, she also taught a Sunday School class for older women in her church. Seizing the opportunity at hand, she began to ask me, her young seminarian grandson, questions about the bible in the hopes of improving her skills as a bible teacher.

Between bites of heaven’s goodness clothed in flour and sugar, I tried the best I could to answer her questions. And, I must admit, I knew some things Grandma didn’t know. She had never taken Greek or Systematic Theology or Church History. But, I began to realize in the course of our conversation, that Grandma knew the bible in a way that I didn’t. Her years of faithful bible reading had allowed God’s word to penetrate her soul in a way no seminary class could replicate. I left her home that day saying, “I want to know the bible like that!”

That episode began in me a renewed commitment to bulk reading of the bible. I committed to reading the bible through in its entirety at least once every year. That was many years ago and I have followed that practice ever since, sometimes supplementing it with more frequent reading of the New Testament. Here are some reasons I continue to read the bible through each year and commend the practice to you.

1. Reading the bible through each year allows me to see the big picture of God’s work. A surprising number of Christians have never considered the whole of God’s word. While they may know some of the stories and perhaps have heard sermons and lessons on various parts of the bible, they have missed the forest for the trees. They haven’t put the Old and New Testaments together or seen the full narrative well. After reading the bible through six or seven times, the big picture gains clarity in our minds.

2. Reading the bible through each year helps me to assimilate the message more fully. Grandma had God’s word deep in her soul. It bubbled to the surface when she spoke and percolated in her thoughts. Reading it each day allows the word to be more than an occasional guest in our minds; it becomes a resident in our lives.

3. Reading the bible through each year teaches me to see important themes. The themes of redemption, judgement, holiness and grace have major roles in God’s word. Bulk reading helps us see the value God places on topics like these and others. Through this, we begin to see what matters to God and should matter to us.

4. Reading the bible through each year causes me to deal with difficult or obscure passages. I already knew the story of Samson in my early years, but I wasn’t so aware of Ehud the left-handed Benjaminite. Bulk reading forces me to consider hard passages that might need more of my study or subjects that I rarely consider. Some of those lesser known scripture passages have been greatly used by the Lord in my life to teach and mold me.

5. Reading the bible through each year keeps me disciplined and consistent. One doesn’t finish the entire bible in a morning. It takes discipline and consistency; traits which are in short supply in many lives. But many of the greatest blessings of life come more slowly than quickly. A daily recognition of our need for the Lord is essential to serious discipleship.

6. Reading the bible through each year reminds me of my sins, shortcomings and blind spots. I more easily notice the sins of others than my own. But reading God’s word can help me to see areas where God wants me to change and grow. God has often used his word to teach me about areas of personal weakness that I might not otherwise consider.

7. Reading the bible through each year guards me from complacency, apathy and stagnation. We never arrive at the end of our discipleship journey until reaching the end of our earthly one. Reading the bible each day reminds me to continue to learn, grow and obey. This daily practice reminds us that we haven’t reached our destination yet and there is more to learn on our journey.

Consider reading through the bible in the next year. If you haven’t read the entire New Testament, start there and maybe read through it several times first. You can read a book in the Old Testament and then one in the New Testament or read them in any order you choose. Use a One Year Bible or any other method you choose. But, read the bible all the way through over and over and gain the benefit that comes with this healthy practice!

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The Church Still Matters

Posted on July 29, 2021 | 2 comments

I’ve never seen the idea of the church so marginalized in all my lifetime. The secular world mocks the church and the Christian world devalues the church. The local church is seen, even by believers, as unnecessary and antiquated and optional.

You can kind of understand the issues perhaps. After all, churches are filled with imperfect people. Churches often have a well earned reputation for being argumentative. They frequently get side tracked by secondary issues. They sometimes lose sight of their purpose. Critics can accurately point out all the problems, failures and imperfections of the church.

But, with all of that said, the church still matters. There is great inherent value in the work of the local church. There is value and purpose and potential in this institution. Here are three reasons why the church still matters.

1. God made the church. If the church was man’s idea, we might rightfully ignore it. But it isn’t. God formed the church and he did it for his own reasons. He knew that the church would be made up of imperfect people. He knew every pastor and every small group leader would be “frail as dust and feeble as frail”. But he formed it anyway. We ought not easily turn our backs on something God created.

And, I note that God’s word admonishes us that we ought not be in the habit of “neglecting to gather together”. (See Hebrews 10:24-25) This isn’t the word of your pastor or your grandmother. God is the one who calls us to gather. God’s command is reason enough to connect with an imperfect church filled with imperfect people.

We might not understand why God formed the church, but we can’t escape the fact that he did. We may not see the value of the local church, but God apparently can. We need to remember this important truth: the church is a God idea.

2. We need each other. I don’t think every Christian believes that. I think many believe they can be just fine on their own- no need for fellowship or accountability or encouragement from other believers. But the longer I live, the more I see the importance of other believers in my life.

Don’t underestimate the enemy. He loves to divide and conquer. He wants you to be spiritually isolated. He knows the Bible says, “Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens another”. (Prov. 27:17) He tells you that you don’t need anyone else because he wants you to be vulnerable and ineffective.

But, the Spirit of the Living God reminds you of the value of other believers. We disciple others and are discipled by others. We benefit from the wisdom and zeal and encouragement that comes from worshiping and learning with others. Never have believers needed each other as we do now!

3. We are stronger together. I had a friend who lost his little finger in an accident. He told me how amazed he was at how much grip strength he lost just from that tiny digit.

The church is described as the body of Christ. We all have different gifts and backgrounds and personalities and perspectives. But, we function best when we work together. We are stronger in missions, evangelism, discipleship and worship when we are connected.

The church separated is weak and ineffective. The church connected is powerful beyond the sum of her parts. The church can prevail against the very gates of hell. You will benefit from others and others will benefit from you. You need the church and the church needs you.

Don’t underestimate the importance of a healthy connection to a local church. God will use this institution made up of imperfect sinners who have found the perfect Savior to impact you and your world. Find a church, plug in fully and participate actively.

The church still matters.

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Revival Still Matters

Posted on July 28, 2021 | Leave a comment

Perhaps the greatest need of our day is revival. I’m not talking about a series of revival meetings, though that might be needed as well. I’m talking about a genuine revival in the lives of Christians that brings spiritual renewal, vibrancy and power. What a difference it would make in our day if revival was stirring in individuals and churches and beyond!

I’ve experienced touches of revival in my own life and church and it whets my appetite for more. Christian, wouldn’t you like a fresh touch from God in your own life, your own church and your own ministry? Wouldn’t you like to see a move of God that changes the hearts of believers and impacts beyond to our culture?

Here are three reasons why revival still matters.

1. We tend to drift from God. I’m not much of a sailor, but I do know that drifting doesn’t take any special effort at all. It is easy to drift from the shore. And, it is easy to drift from God. We get busy, distracted or preoccupied and drift away. We get rebellious, sinful or selfish and move away from God. It is easy to do and can happen with us hardly noticing.

Note that we drift from God, not towards God. Getting closer to the Lord involves intentionality. Drifting away from God can happen without any recognition or premeditation at all.

In revival, believers come back into right relationship with the Lord. In revival, there is a recognition of our sloth or sin or self-centeredness. We need revival because we tend to forget about what matters most. We tend to lose sight of God’s perspective. We tend to grow stale in our religious activities. Revival draws us back to a close, intimate relationship with the Lord.

2. Revival brings new life, joy and effectiveness. Getting right with God is not to our detriment. Though there is sorrow in recognizing our sin, repentance doesn’t result in our loss. Revival involves the recognition of judgment but it leads us to restoration. Revival is in our best interest and leads us to the fruit of the Spirit and the joy and peace that comes with walking with the Lord. Though revival can start with pain, it leads to healing and purpose.

Many Christians have come to see the Christian life as drudgery. They see faith as good, but boring. They think of obedience as right, but tedious. Revival corrects that wrong thinking. It reminds us of the joy of our salvation. It gives us new meaning and purpose as we see God’s glory and goodness. Revival leads us to new effectiveness and enthusiasm. Revival is what our soul is longing for!

3. Revival impacts our churches, communities and culture. One of the reasons we need revival so much is because of the impact revived Christians have on those around them. When churches are revived, they are more effective and focused. The revived church is more committed to evangelism and discipleship and fellowship. But, revival has an impact beyond that.

We often decry the state of our culture, and rightly so. Our culture is increasingly coarse and crude and rebellious to the truth of God. But revival has an impact on the surrounding culture. Revived Christians and churches can be used by God to bring a spiritual awakening to the culture at large. It can open the eyes of the lost to the realities of sin and the priorities of faith. It can cause the lost world to see their need for the Lord. Often, revival has even resulted in large scale recognition of the need for biblical morality in the culture at large.

Perhaps you have recognized your own need for revival. Will you join me and others in praying for revival in our lives and churches in this generation? Ask the Lord to send revival to your own life and to change you where you need changing. Be willing to repent of any wrong activity, attitude or motive. Join with others in praying for a sweeping revival in our generation.

Revival still matters!

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Inerrancy Still Matters

Posted on July 26, 2021 | 6 comments

“Is the Bible inerrant?”, my professor wrote on the board, and a spirited discussion in my first Ph.D. seminar began. Some classmates said the Bible has errors, some said it doesn’t matter and I, and a few others, argued that the Bible is inerrant and it matters very much indeed. I am more convinced of the inerrancy of the Bible than ever and it has affected my personal life and ministry tasks greatly.

Every generation of theologians, pastors and Christians has to deal with this doctrine. Inerrancy, at it core, says “The Bible is without error or fault in all its teaching”. (Geisler) Is the Bible true or not? Is all of it true, or are only parts true? These questions must be grappled with in every age and by every serious Bible teacher.

Does inerrancy still matter and, if so, why does it matter? Here are three simple reasons why the doctrine of inerrancy still matters for this generation.

1. It describes the nature of the Bible. When we say the Bible is inerrant, we are recognizing that it comes from God and not just from man. While God used human authors, God himself is the ultimate author. Scripture is “God breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16) and not just man conceived.

Inerrancy notes that the Bible is perfect and perfectly reliable and only perfect God can do that. God is able to use imperfect men to give us exactly what we need and to do this perfectly. God is by nature sovereign and perfect. He is able, therefore, to use imperfect people like Moses and Paul to accomplish his purposes and to give us his perfect word.

If the Bible is just the ideas of people, well the world is full of ideas from people. And social media often suggests that the ideas of people can be less than edifying- some of the things I see on social media seem downright crazy! But if the Bible is truly God’s word, then we can trust God to give us exactly what we need and to give us his perfect word. We have, in the Bible, the perfect thoughts of God and not the imperfect ideas of people.

2. It defines the importance of the Bible. If the Bible is just another imperfect book, we might be inspired from it, but we are unlikely to transformed by it. If it is just another imperfect book, we take the parts we like and leave the parts that we don’t much care for, like those old beets in the buffet line.

If, however, the Bible is inerrant, we see that it is the source of truth. It teaches us the truth that we need even if that truth may be unpopular or difficult.

Truth transcends culture. Popularity and public opinion is not what should guide or instruct us. Truth is what we need and God teaches us the truth by giving us the Bible so that we know how we ought to live and what we ought to do. The Bible becomes the arbiter or right and wrong, not elections, polls or pragmatism. We are reminded of how much we need to know God’s word and how valuable it is for us for life and eternity.

3. It delineates the arguments about the Bible. Arguing about the Bible, and pretty much everything else in life, seems to be a pastime for Christians these days. But what determines if our arguments are right or wrong? Is it determined by who talks the fastest or the loudest? Is is based on feelings or personal sensibilities? Is it determined by what is currently popular or acceptable?

Inerrancy suggests the argument is defined by what the Bible teaches, not what man says. We know whether the arguments made are accurate by how well they match the scripture and not by how winsome or influential the arguer may be. The world’s way of arguing is to shout louder. The Christian way should be to study scripture more deeply.

Inerrancy does not end the argument, but it does delineate how that argument should be made. Imperfect people can still disagree about what the perfect word of God says. But at least we begin to formulate the parameters for how we should seek to know the truth and to help others know the truth.

I’m glad I argued for the inerrancy of scripture all of those years ago. This doctrine has helped me to be more obedient to God’s word in my personal life and more faithful to God’s word in my ministry life. But every generation needs to reaffirm the importance of inerrancy because every generation has to grapple with what is good, right and true.

Inerrancy still matters.

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Faith Over Fear

Posted on August 10, 2020 | 1 comment

I coughed.

Allergies have been a part of my life for years. So, when I got a tickle in my throat while preaching, it was nothing new. I just needed to clear my throat and maybe cough it out just a bit.

But a simple cough in today’s world can be enough to induce fear and anxiety in others. Though I was yards from the nearest person, I knew my little cough, inevitable as it was, would cause some anxiety and worry and maybe even a bit of panic in the age of pandemic.

But is fear the right response? Should our anxiety climb at every sniff of a nose? While precaution is understandable, ought panic to be?

The Bible tells us “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love and sound judgment.” (2 Tim. 1:7) God’s word says, “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Phil. 4:6)

Faith is the Christian response to difficulites and problems. Fear is the enemies effort to keep you from trusting God and depending upon his power and peace.

We should, of course, exercise common sense and take necessary precautions. I’m not advocating for a lack of concern for others or of safety protocols. Remember, however, that God doesn’t want us to plunge into the pool of fear, worry and anxiety. Our culture is filled with people wallowing in that puddle. We Christians have something far greater than fear. We have faith.

We know God is bigger than our problems. God can be trusted with our future. God offers peace over panic. We don’t have to fear even sin and death because Jesus conquered those enemies on our behalf.

So, trust God in the middle of a pandemic. Live by faith instead of fear. Tell him your needs. Ask for his wisdom and protection. And always remember that “The peace of God which supasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:7)

Faith over fear.

Even if someone coughs!

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There is Hope

Posted on April 2, 2020 | 1 comment

Hope is a powerful thing.

Without it, we sink into a chasm of despair and depression. But with it, we can overcome the most difficult and challenging circumstances of life.

And Christians have hope. Not wishful thinking hope. Not blind optimism hope. Not ignoring reality hope. Christians have genuine, God-given, obstacle-overcoming hope that comes from the throne room of heaven itself.

To the believers in Rome facing threats and problems, Paul spoke of hope. Though he himself dealt with persecution, trials and poverty, Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write words of hope.

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

Powerful words!

There is hope in this fallen world. There is hope for your life and future. There is hope for our churches in these uncertain times.

Here are three reasons Continue reading →

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Thoughts on Politics

Posted on December 19, 2019 | Leave a comment

Here are some of my general thoughts on politics and the Christian. Maybe they will help you think clearly about this important, but divisive, subject.

1. Politics is a privilege. What a privilege it is for us to be able to speak, participate and vote. Freedom is a great gift and ought not be taken for granted. Many parts of our world have little freedom and those living in the United States (and other countries who enjoy these freedoms) should be grateful for this treasure. Christians should be at the forefront of participating in our political process and doing all we can to help our nation go in the right direction. And, remember on occasion to Continue reading →

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Asking People to Do the Hard Things

Posted on September 17, 2019 | Leave a comment

One of the most important jobs of Christian leaders is to ask people to do the hard things they don’t want to do. We ask people to take the narrow, uphill road when it is easier to go down. We ask them to die to self when it is easier to live for self. We ask them to give, serve and sacrifice though none of those things come easily.

Following Jesus is not about taking the easy road. It is about doing the right thing even though that is often the more difficult thing. If we are asking people to follow Jesus, we are asking them to take the harder path.

There is a reason we ask people to do the hard things. Not only do we ask them to do it because it is right. But we also know it is in their best interest to do so. Continue reading →

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Passionate About the Right Things

Posted on July 24, 2019 | Leave a comment

Maybe you’ve seen it. The guy is passionate about his football team. When he talks about them, he gushes with praise or bleeds with pain. He is all in! But when it comes to the things of God? Well, a yawn seems to be the leading response.

Reading the book of Acts does not give one the impression that the early church considered Christianity boring. Quite the opposite! Those believers had a passion for the gospel that drove them to purposeful engagement, meaningful worship and great sacrifice. They witnessed everywhere they went. They urged lost people to come to the Lord. They willingly gave their time, energy and even their lives. They were all in!

Here are some thoughts on how Christians today can become more passionate about the right things.

1. Remember who Jesus is and what he has done for you. Nothing affects your passion for the Lord more than Continue reading →

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