Narrow Is the Way

In recent weeks a couple pastors of mega-churches have made the news with their unwise comments. But even before that happened, I was thinking about the whole mega-church concept and wondering how many of those people attending are actually Christians from God’s point of view.

Jesus said, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:13-14 ESV). That certainly implies that the actual number of believers is significantly smaller than we may think. According to Wikipedia, Christianity currently has around 2.2 billion adherents, including Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox branches. Some estimates put the historical total of all Christians around 7-8 billion.

Somehow that number just doesn’t jive with Jesus’ words, “those who find it are few.” Later in the same chapter Jesus said, “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness” (vv. 22-23). Yes, Revelation 7:9 does mention a “multitude that no one could number,” but I think it’s safe to say that not all who call themselves Christians will be saved.

I don’t pretend to know who’s in and who’s out, and I’m not saying that mega-churches are necessarily any worse than small churches in terms of the percentage of actual believers. There are red flags that go up when large numbers of people follow someone who is clearly denying significant parts of Scripture, but false teachers can be found in small churches as well.

My biggest concern is that there will be many people who will be turned away from eternal life when the Judgment Day comes because they were deceived into thinking they were followers of Christ when they weren’t. They may have listened to a smooth talker who preached only what he liked. They may have read the popular book of the day. They may have gone forward at some crusade. But they never committed to follow Christ “no matter what” (see Matthew 8:18-22). They never sought to know “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth” (see 2 Timothy 2:15). They never questioned whether they were being taught in accordance with Scripture (see 2 Peter 2:1-3).

The author of Hebrews wrote, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil” (5:12-14). Unfortunately, this seems to characterize a lot of people who call themselves Christians. They never find the narrow way because they can’t be bothered with the “constant practice” needed to know the truth and grow into maturity.

I suppose I’m preaching to the choir with a blog like this, but we could all use reminders of the importance of being thoroughly grounded in Scripture as we go about preaching and teaching and writing. I’ve encountered plenty of authors who can present a great message, but one small error in explaining Scripture detracts from the trustworthiness of the book. (For example, one book I read recently attributed Hebrews to the Apostle Paul with no explanation that the authorship is actually unknown.) From that point on, I’m distracted with wondering whether the writer realized their error and how many readers even notice the misstatement.

None of us are perfect, but I hope we can learn from our mistakes and can accept correction with humility. I don’t think any of us want to be the cause of someone missing the narrow way. So we must be diligent in seeking God, studying His Word, and leading others by His grace.

“Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” –James 3:1

Draw Near

Our theme for the church Labor Day Retreat was Isaiah 55:6-9:

“Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts’” (ESV).

As we discussed these verses and thought about some specific ways we need to seek the Lord right now, a couple other Scriptures came to mind for my own needs: “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18) and “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8a). A quick Bible search also revealed six instances in the book of Hebrews that illuminate the benefits of drawing near to God—mercy, grace, hope, intercession, sanctification, assurance, and faith.

Then last night I was reading Psalm 69 and took special note of verse 13: “But as for me, my prayer is to You, O Lord. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of Your steadfast love answer me in Your saving faithfulness.” God alone knows the perfect time to answer any prayer, as well as what the best answer should be. In addition, His answers will always be tempered by His love, and His faithfulness assures that He will leave nothing undone that should be done. Those are strong promises to cling to when the way seems dark.

I’ll admit there are two questions that recur in my mind quite often, “Why?” and “How long?” The psalmists asked the same thing, but those are two questions that God never seems to answer, or at least not as fully as I might like. In Cries of the Heart, by Ravi Zacharias, there’s a chapter on “The Cry for a Reason in Suffering” that talks about the life of Job. He draws out several conclusions that are worth considering:

“First and foremost, we must understand that suffering, death, disease, pain, and bereavement are all part of life, whether we be righteous or unrighteous.

“Second, we see that the role of a friend is very pivotal in seeing people through their times of anguish. Let us never underestimate this point. God’s answer for burdened, hurting hearts may well be the shoulders of a friend as we bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.

“Third, we know that most answers of this nature require a process. The questions must become more selfless before the answer becomes more personal…

“Fourth, we have learned, as Job did, that the answer to suffering is more relational than it is propositional. Those who know God personally and understand the cross are better able to find help in the dark night of the soul than those who merely tackle their problems philosophically…” (88-89).

That last point is probably more vital than most of us realize. It’s easy to get sucked into theological debates when what is really needed is an assurance that God is in control and that He cares. If God is God then He doesn’t need to explain His actions, and we wouldn’t live long enough to listen to the detailed explanation anyway. Though we may receive some answers to our questions, we can’t make that a prerequisite for believing and obeying God. Faith and trust grow as we experience relationship with God, not when we have every answer explained in a contractual agreement.

The passage from Isaiah is a reminder that God’s thoughts and ways are beyond what we can comprehend. The instruction is to seek Him and call upon Him, not so we can fully understand what He is doing, but so we can draw near and receive the assurance and hope we need for each day.

“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” -Ephesians 3:20-21

Lessons from Affliction

This morning I listened to three podcast by Alistair Begg on the faithfulness of God (www.truthforlife.org broadcasts for August 19-21, 2014). In the second half of “God’s Faithfulness in Affliction,” he presents ten purposes of God in allowing us to go through affliction, which I thought were well worth sharing:

1. To develop perseverance (James 1:3)
2. To manifest His faithfulness in bringing us to maturity (Hebrews 5:8-9, James 1:4)
3. To assure us of our sonship (Romans 8:17, Hebrews 12:6)
4. To prove the genuine nature of our faith (Deuteronomy 8:1-2, 1 Peter 1:7)
5. To develop humility (2 Corinthians 12:7)
6. To keep us on track (Psalm 119:67, Proverbs 3:11)
7. To deepen our insight into the heart of God (Hosea)
8. To enable us to help others in trials (2 Corinthians 1:4)
9. To reveal what we really love (Deuteronomy 13:3, Luke 14:26)
10. To display God’s glory (Genesis 50:20)

In the broadcast from August 19 on Lamentations 3:1-24, he makes the comment that “the absence of lament in contemporary evangelical Christianity is arguably one of the things that presents to the watching world a substantial sense of a Christianity that is not actually authentic.” If all that the world sees are happy, put-together, on-top-of-the world Christians, they wonder how it can possibly be real. Such a picture can alienate seekers (or even Christians) who feel they can never fit that image. But if they see people who suffer and struggle and lament and yet hold onto their faith, they may be drawn in by wondering where that perseverance comes from.

I recently read A Sacred Sorrow: Reaching Out to God in the Lost Language of Lament, by Michael Card, who urges honesty with God, ourselves, and others in praying and saying what we truly feel. He uses the words of Job, Psalms, and Lamentations as models for our own prayers and living.

It seems to me that songs such as “Come As You Are” by Crowder stir in us an awareness that it’s okay to be broken and wounded. God doesn’t expect us to get our act together before we come to Him, but sometimes the church seems to have higher standards. The unspoken rules create walls instead of bridges: dress nicely, keep smiling, hide your problems, and never under any circumstances admit your sins, temptations, or struggles. Whether we admit it or not, we are proud people and we don’t want to give anyone reason to think less of us. I wonder how many souls have missed salvation because of the fear of going up to the altar?

I hadn’t thought of it before, but one application of Philippians 2:3 (NIV), “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves,” could be that the humility that allows us to be honest before others opens doors for them to be honest as well. And verse 4 doesn’t tell us to neglect our own needs, but implies that we are all better served by looking out for one another. Pride leads to contempt, but humility leads to honesty, openness, and healing.

Looking back over the ten purposes of affliction, I recognize some of the lessons I’ve been learning. One of the comments made by Joni Eareckson Tada in When God Weeps was that those who don’t have to endure suffering have a harder time learning some of these valuable lessons. Holding onto faith isn’t too hard when everything is going well, and easy living can give way to apathy. May we take courage to share in Christ’s sufferings (2 Corinthians 1:5), but also to know that He shares in ours (Hebrews 4:14-16)!

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience… And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:12, 14 ESV).

Why Am I Here? -Part 2

While my last post dealt mainly with our calling (vocation), I realize the question “Why am I here?” can have many other nuances as well. The variation I’ve been wrestling with lately is “Why has God allowed this particular set of circumstances in my life?” I picked up When God Weeps: Why Our Sufferings Matter to the Almighty, by Joni Eareckson Tada & Steven Estes, from the church library. Although I haven’t finished reading it yet, the authors appear to do a good job of addressing both the theological and personal challenges that suffering presents. Here is the starting point:

“First, despite Christ’s compassionate death for our sins, God’s plan—not plan B or C or D, but his plan—calls for all Christians to suffer, sometimes intensely…

“Second, God’s plan is specific… He’s not our planet’s absent landlord. Rather, he screens the trials that come to each of us—allowing only those that accomplish his good plan, because he takes no joy in human agony… But in God’s wisdom and love, every trial in a Christian’s life is ordained from eternity past, custom-made for that believer’s eternal good, even when it doesn’t seem like it.

“Third, the core of his plan is to rescue us from our sin. Our pain, poverty, and broken hearts are not his ultimate focus. He cares about them, but they are merely symptoms of the real problem…

“Last, every sorrow we taste will one day prove to be the best possible thing that could have happened. We will thank God endlessly in heaven for the trials he sent us here.” (72-74 large print edition)

But it doesn’t end with academic answers. “The problem of suffering is not about something, but Someone… [P]eople are like hurting children looking up into the faces of their parents, crying and asking, ‘Daddy, why?’ Those children don’t want explanations, answers, or ‘reasons why’; they want their daddy to pick them up, pat them on the backs, and reassure them that everything is going to be okay” (196). Yes, it’s important that God is in control, that He’s working all things for His ultimate plan for my good and His glory, and that one day all suffering will be ended. But that doesn’t always give me motivation to keep enduring and hoping that life will get easier.

A couple phrases from the hymn “Day by Day” have come to mind several times in recent weeks: “He whose heart is kind beyond all measure gives unto each day what He deems best… Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting, E’er to take, as from a Father’s hand…” I hear the Father whispering “Do you trust Me?”

Somehow the Apostle Paul managed to keep a correct perspective while enduring suffering—it was always for the benefit of others: to build others up- Romans 15:1-7; to comfort others- 2 Corinthians 1:3-11; to exhort faithfulness- 2 Corinthians 6:1-10; to witness to faith- 2 Thessalonians 1:4; to bring other to Christ- 2 Timothy 2:8-13; to be an example- 2 Timothy 3:10-17; and particularly Philippians 1:21-26:

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain… My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith…” (ESV emphasis added).

Just looking at all that Paul endured as listed in 2 Corinthians 11:24-28, it’s amazing that he didn’t give up—lashed, beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, etc. That’s not the kind of job description I’d be looking for! (I guess he never got bored.) And yet he could still say, “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3-5).

In the midst of all that happened to him, Paul trusted God’s hand at work. I don’t suppose the fifth lashing hurt any less than the first four, but it was bearable because of the example that was set by Christ and the example it would provide for those who followed. As Joni told her friend, “You may think it’s far better to depart and be with Christ, but as long as you remain in the body, your family and friends have something to learn. Something of eternal importance” (149).

I can’t neglect the fact that suffering is also a means of purifying us. Hebrews 12:1-10 says that we endure God’s discipline “that we may share His holiness.” And Peter wrote, “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God” (1 Peter 4:1-2).

Suffering can drive us to bitterness or it can drive us to God. It can make us turn inward or it can turn our focus to the suffering of others. It can make us yearn for worldly relief or it can make us long for our eternal home. It can make us hard-hearted or soft-hearted.

So why am I here? In the words of Andrew Murray:

“First, He brought me here, it is by His will I am in this strait place: in that fact I will rest.
Next, He will keep me here in His love, and give me grace to behave as His child.
Then, He will make the trial a blessing, teaching me the lessons He intends me to learn, and working in me the grace He means to bestow.
Last, in His good time He can bring me out again—how and when He knows.
Let me say I am here,
(1) By God’s appointment,
(2) In His keeping,
(3) Under His training,
(4) For His time.”

“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word” (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).

Why Am I Here?*

What is the purpose of life? A quick internet search brought up the following quotes:

• “The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” –Eleanor Roosevelt
• “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for.” –Fyodor Dostoyevsky
• “The purpose of life is to contribute in some way to making things better.” –Robert F. Kennedy

These are not necessarily bad ideals. Certainly better than some like, “Grab all you can before you’re gone.” The Westminster Catechism says that man’s purpose is “To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” In Scripture Pharaoh is told, “But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you My power, so that My name may be proclaimed in all the earth” (Exodus 9:16 ESV). I think the same could be said for any of us.

Sometimes I find myself wondering, “What’s the point? Why should I get out of bed, go to work, and sit at my desk for 8 hours? Am I accomplishing anything of lasting value?” Some days those questions are easier to answer than others. We all feel more purposeful if we’re doing something productive. But when the work slows down, things don’t go well, or someone loses a job, have we lost our purpose? This verse from Exodus says the answer is “No!” Our purpose is not about what we can do, but what God is doing in us, through us, and around us. Pharaoh’s main talent was telling Moses to mind his own business. It didn’t really matter what Pharaoh did or didn’t do, because God had much bigger plans in the works.

I haven’t read Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life, but I know he gets one thing right—our purpose is about God, not us. As I’ve shared before (http://mental3degree.blogspot.com/2013/05/purposeful-living.html), God created us for relationship with Him, not because He needed us for some particular task. If we’re here to enjoy God and to be enjoyed by God, perhaps we can give ourselves a little grace when it comes to our life goals and list of accomplishments. God lets us off the hook of trying to prove our worth to Him and to one another. That’s not to say we shouldn’t apply ourselves to doing a good job in whatever we pursue. “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might…” (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

For me, knowing that my purpose is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever means that I can be free to do some of the things that I enjoy rather than trying to pursue a corporate career, impress the bosses, or make a lot of money. My job has value to a certain segment of people and even for the eternal Kingdom, but it is not my reason for living. God could do the work through someone else or He could choose to end it, but my purpose and worth is in my relationship with Him. He can move me to a new role within His Body whenever He chooses. We tend to fall into the trap of thinking we have to accomplish great things for the Kingdom, when all God is asking is that we be faithful in the small things.

“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much” (Luke 16:10 ESV).

* I started this post last Friday, but circumstances made it clear to me that this is just barely scratching the surface. Perhaps there will be more to come.

Give It Away

A couple things have occurred today that have gotten me thinking about stewardship. I’m reading Ken Shigamatsu’s book God in My Everything, and he has a good chapter on finances. He talks about “proportionate giving,” meaning “we first determine the amount we need (adjusted regularly for inflation) and choose to live on that alone. We then commit to giving the rest away.”

While I haven’t gone that far, I have made an effort to increase my giving each year, even when I don’t receive any increase in salary. I will say up front that money does not hold a great attraction for me, and being single allows me the freedom to live as simply as I choose. It is nice to see my bank and pension balances increasing, but I don’t spend a lot of time obsessing about it. Since I have to spend most of my work hours looking at finances, by the time I get home I don’t want to be bothered with balancing my checkbook or paying bills. (I just entered about 8 months of receipts into the computer, and I wouldn’t do it at all if I didn’t have to file taxes at year end.)

Over the past several years I’ve noticed certain trends in my decisions about charitable giving, and my choices are probably not unique.

• I give to fewer organizations than I used to. I’m giving more of my funds to those that impact me directly and eliminating others that I’ve had only distant ties to. Although I appreciate the work of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, it isn’t that important to me.
• I have also moved toward organizations that are overtly Christian. Anybody can support humanitarian organizations, but only Christians are likely to support churches and Christian non-profit agencies.
• I give more to organizations that have fewer donors. My alma maters are great, but they have a pool of thousands of donors. My church only has about a hundred, so comparatively its need is greater.
• I direct more funds toward organizations with a proven track record of good stewardship of their own resources, including their finances, properties, and personnel. Financial management is great, but if that comes at the expense of deteriorating buildings or staff that is either overworked or underworked, they may need to adjust their priorities.

It’s kind of surprising to me as I think about this to realize that many of these choices were made subconsciously. I never sat down and wrote out a budget of who deserved what amount from me. I will say that it helps to have an unlisted phone number and caller ID, so I never have to listen to those passionate calls to make an immediate contribution that I would never otherwise make. I rarely give to any special appeals outside of my church.

Financial stewardship is something we should all give more thought to, with at least a periodic review of where our money is going and how that reflects our priorities and our faith. I made the decision some time back that cable TV was not worth the investment of my money and time, so I downgraded to just the broadcast channels. (Ironically, the cable company has never removed the extra channels, so I’ve had several months of free cable.) I’ve also cut out some other conveniences and unnecessary clutter. It’s getting to be fun asking, “What else can I get rid of or give away that I don’t need?” Since “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7) I might as well enjoy it!

I don’t look at giving as depriving myself of something good, but as making room in my heart for something better—building my own relationship with God and helping others to do the same.

Keep On Keeping On

I've been trying for a couple days to write this post following the apparent suicide of Robin Williams. I've been hesitant to try to say what others can say, and many others have already made their contributions. 

What I do know is that there will be a rash of suicides as some people will think, "If he can't hang on, why should I?" Robin Williams appeared to have the skills to deflect any situation with humor, but he hid behind a facade, as do many of us. I think of him in roles such as Patch Adams and Good Will Hunting, where the characters dealt with psychiatric illness through building relationships, and I wonder whether he took those lessons to heart? He seemed to have the resources to get whatever help he needed, but he chose not to do so. 

Shame can be a factor that prevents people from getting help. Mental illness continues to carry a stigma despite the efforts of many to change that. And shame is just the flip side of pride. We don't want to be looked down upon, but we also don't want your sympathy. Someone has said that the worst thing about having cancer is that every conversation revolves around that. Just as the cancer patient doesn't want that to become his identity, the person with mental illness doesn't want to be treated as a victim either. 

What we do want is your continuing love and support. You don't have to have all the answers. Just be understanding when we don't feel up to being social, or we can't stop crying for no reason. Don't promise us false hope, but remind us of God's promises to be with us in all things. 

One blog I read advised people not to use trite expressions like "If you're considering suicide please talk to a friend." The author's reasoning was that: 1) talking is the last thing you feel like doing, and 2) most of our friends are unequipped to deal with a real crisis. While there is some truth to that, I think that true friendships are perhaps the first line of defense for the person struggling with depression. Friends remind us that we are loved, that we matter to someone, and that there is life outside the counselor's office or the darkened living room. Friends can be a connection to the "real" world that we might otherwise lose if we are prone to isolation. 

There are a lot of lies that can creep into our thinking if we're not careful: I should be able to deal with this on my own; I can't talk about this because everybody thinks I'm fine, or else they've heard it all before; I'm never going to feel any better so I might as well stop trying; no one will care if I'm gone, or conversely, it would serve them right to lose me; and many other variations. 

I take courage from stories of people like Pastor John Newton, who stuck by his friend and fellow hymn writer William Cowper through ongoing depression and multiple suicide attempts, and others like Charles Spurgeon, who continued preaching and writing despite serious depression and physical ailments. (See John Piper's short book When the Darkness Will Not Lift for these stories and other resources- http://www.desiringgod.org/books/when-the-darkness-will-not-lift.)

I would offer just a few pieces of advice. First for those who have friends battling depression:

1) Don't judge what you don't understand. Learn more, ask questions, and don't jump to conclusions. 

2) Love your friends well, in word and in deed. It's easy to assume that people know how you feel and therefore neglect to tell them. 

3) Pray for your friends and with your friends, and stick close to the Word of God for truth, hope, and joy. 

And for those in the midst of depression:

1) Read and pray the Psalms. God put them in the Bible for a reason, and He's not offended by our raw emotions or even accusations. He knows what we feel better than we do. 

2) Try to avoid the tendency for complete isolation. Even if it is just short outings once or twice a week, we need that connection with other people. 

3) Seek help before it's too late, from doctors, pastors, counselors, and anyone who can point you in the right direction. 

There's so much more that could be said, and so many good resources out there. I'll leave the last word to King David:

Psalm 34:18- "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit."