The Hebrew word for peace is SHALOM. Shalom is RELATIONAL HARMONY and it’s four-dimensional. It’s right relationship with God, Self, Others, and Creation. How do we experience the peace that passes understanding? First and foremost, peace is a PERSON. His name is Jesus, the Prince of Peace. If you want to experience shalom, there are three keys: 1) Confess Your Sin 2) Love Your Enemies 3) Prophesy Your Praise
www.theaterchurch.com.
With the Global Peace Index the lowest it’s been in a decade and the Misery Index at a high, it’s hard to believe that peace is within reach in today’s world. But peace is possible. Jesus promised it to His followers, and the only place you’ll hear about true peace is the church. In this teaching, Skip Heitzig begins a new series, unpacking four aspects of the peace Jesus promised believers in John 14:27.
connectwithskip.com.
“Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: “God is not dead, nor doth he sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, good will to men.”
Psalm 29:11 NIV
The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.
Who is God to you? Is he your protector? Your provider? This Christmas Season, have you allowed him to be your peace?
It can be easy to view God simply as a friend to go to in times of trouble or a magic genie that grants all of your prayers. But God is so much more than that, and the blessings he wants to give to you are endless! He offers so many wonderful things—completely free of charge–including hope, joy, and peace for your heart. God wants nothing but the best for you.
Although your circumstances may be difficult, or hard to understand at times, that doesn’t mean that God isn’t there. He cares about you and loves with a giant-sized love, and he’s waiting for you to let Him be your peace. So this Christmas, as you think about all the gifts you need to buy, and your never-ending to-do list, don’t forget to stop and remember that only God can provide you with the unwavering quiet strength that comes from his peace.
Questions:
In what ways do you find peace and comfort in God?
What difficult circumstances are you currently dealing with that you need God’s peace in helping you endure?
We are designed for time spent in the quiet, simply being with our heavenly Father. In the stillness, we have opportunity to pay close attention and to listen well (Psalm 46:10; 1 Kings 19:11-12).
Talk to God about your speed bump. Be honest. He already knows. Be aware for what He is teaching you (Ephesians 6:18; James 5:16).
Trust the Holy Spirit-inspired Word of God to be your guide, wisdom, and strength for each speed bump. Allow Scripture to wash your mind and restore your soul (Hebrews 4:12; Colossians 3:16).
In Joshua 1:8, we are commanded to mediate on God’s Word. By mulling over and pondering the words of God, we can choose to face the stuff of our speed bumps without allowing them to dominate our life. Meditating on Scripture helps us place our focus on God rather than our situation (Psalms 1:1-3; Joshua 1:8-9).
A grateful heart invites us to a shift in our perspective and in our relationship with God and others. In the offering of thanks, we are invited to journey from loss to trust and from pain to praise. This is the beauty of thankfulness. (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Soul searching is hard, but the benefits of the discomfort and, yes, even the pain are so worth it. It is through the recognizing, acknowledging, and releasing to God of the hard things we find in the searching that we are helped over the speed bumps and drawn closer to Him (Psalms 139:23-24).
A soul friend is one who knows your history, knows your weaknesses, celebrates your strengths, and knows God intimately. Draw them around you in prayerful conversation and invite them to help you pay attention to the activity of God, always, but especially when facing speed bumps (Ephesians 4:16).
The process helps you slow down, pay attention, and be present (Exodus 17:14; Revelation 21:9).
Especially during our speed bump seasons, we must learn to live with an ongoing awareness of the living, active, Holy God (Psalms 16:8-9).
Spiritual memory is crucial in the Christian life and especially helpful during the times when life throws speed bumps your way. A spiritual marker identifies a time of decision, direction, or transition when you clearly knew that God guided you. These markers are a tool for aiding spiritual memory. Without their help, your spiritual bearings can be lost (Joshua 4:8).
Destructive inner dialogue, which can run rampant when we’re facing speed bumps, can do us in. Be aware. Don’t allow it. As soon as you recognize it, STOP! Take a breath and begin speaking the truths of the Bible to yourself instead. talking to yourself. Gospel truth is always constructive. It builds up and brings life (Proverbs 23:7 KJV; 2 Corinthians 10:5).
Jesus says to us, “Trust Me. Put aside your striving, your control, your manipulating….and simply trust Me.” In submitting, we choose not to make things happen for ourselves and not to control people or situations, even if we can. Instead, we choose to come under the Lord’s authority, wisdom, and power. We choose to trust His sovereignty (1 Peter 5:6).
Worship is the spiritual practice of praising God’s greatness, goodness, and beauty. Worship should become the constant undertone of our lives. It is the single most powerful force in completing and sustaining restoration of our whole being to God. It may take strong determination, but when facing a speed bump – worship (Luke 1:46; Revelation 4:11).
In the pages of God’s Word, we are told that when we do something, we are to do it for the Lord and not for ourselves (Colossians 3:23). No matter our circumstance, regardless of the outcome, in every speed bump, we are to give thanks to the Lord and rejoice. It may be difficult, but we are to rely on Him, praying and trusting His plan, knowing He is in control
www.deborahhaddix.com..
Max Lucado calls us to life and peace in a world filled with uncertainty and violence:
“Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.” Matthew 10:28
Yet again, yet so soon, we struggle to make sense of bloodshed and violence. Last week bikers mowed down on New York City’s Westside. Sunday, worshippers slaughtered in a small-town South Texas church.
Life is a dangerous endeavor. We pass our days in the shadows of ominous realities. The power to annihilate humanity has, it seems, been placed in the hands of people who are happy to do so.
Contrary to what we’d hope, good people aren’t exempt from violence. Murderers don’t give the godly a pass. Terrorists don’t vet out victims according to spiritual resumes. The bloodthirsty and wicked don’t skip over the heavenbound. We aren’t insulated. But neither are we intimidated. Jesus has a word or two about this brutal world. “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul” (Matthew 10:28).
His disciples needed this affirmation. Jesus had just told them to expect scourging, trials, death, hatred, and persecution (Matthew 17–23). Not the kind of locker room pep talk that rallies the team. To their credit none defected. Perhaps they didn’t because of the fresh memory of Jesus’ flexed muscles in the graveyard. Jesus had taken his disciples to the “the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, [where] two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs; they were so exceedingly violent that no one could pass by that road. And behold, they cried out, saying, ‘What do we have to do with You, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?’” (Matthew 8:28–29 NASB).
These two men were demon-possessed and, consequently, “exceedingly violent.” People walked wide detours around the cemetery to avoid them.
Not Jesus. He marched in like he owned the place. The demons and Jesus needed no introduction. They had battled it out somewhere else, and the demons had no interest in a rematch. They didn’t even put up a fight. “Have you come to punish us before our time?” (Matt.8: 29 cev). Backpedaling. Stuttering. Translation? “We know you will put it to us in the end, but do we get double trouble in the meantime?” They crumpled like stringless puppets. Pathetic, their appeal: “please send us into those pigs” (Matthew 8: 31 CEV).
Jesus did so. “Move,” he exorcised. No shout, scream, incantation, dance, incense, or demand, just one small word. We Christians trace the source of violence back to the devil. We place the fault of bloodshed at the feet of the one whose days are numbered; Satan. We find our hope in the sure victory of Jesus.
And though this world with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God has willed
his truth to triumph through us:
the prince of darkness grim,
we tremble not for him,
his rage we can endure,
for lo, his doom is sure,
one little word shall fell him.[i]
This is the balance on which Jesus writes the check of courage “Do not fear those who kill the body and cannot kill the soul” (Matthew 10:28).
Courage emerges, not from increased police security, but from enhanced spiritual maturity. These days of violence call for people of faith. People of fear make poor decisions. They overreact, lash out and/or retreat. People of courage, on the other hand, keep a cool head. They are not blind to nor bewildered by the evil in the world.
Martin Luther King exemplified this courage. He chose not to fear those who meant him harm. On April 3, 1968, he spent hours in a plane waiting on the tarmac due to bomb threats. When he arrived in Memphis later that day, he was tired and hungry, but not afraid.
“We’ve got some difficult days ahead,” he told the crowd. “But it doesn’t matter to me now. Because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. And I’m happy tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”[ii]
He would be dead in less than twenty-four hours. But the people who meant him harm fell short in their goal. They took his breath, but they never took his soul.
Evildoers have less a chance of hurting you, if you aren’t already a victim. “Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but to trust the LORD means safety (Proverbs 29:25 NLT).
Real courage embraces the twin realities of current difficulty and ultimate triumph.
Avoid Pollyanna optimism. We gain nothing by glossing over the brutality of human existence. This is a toxic world. But nor do we join the Chicken Little Chorus of gloom and doom. “The sky is falling! The sky is falling!” Somewhere between Pollyanna and Chicken Little, between blind denial and blatant panic, stands the level-headed, clear-thinking, still-believing person of faith. Wide-eyed, yet unafraid. Unterrified by the terrifying. The calmest kid on the block, not for lack of bullies, but for faith in our heavenly Father. The old people of God knew this peace: “Though a host encamps against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident” (Psalm 27:3 RSV).
Do not give in to your fears. Resist the temptation to retreat and hunker down. This is the time for faith; the season for God-based hope. “Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about the evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes” (Psalm 37:7 NLT).
Courage is a choice. Let it be yours.
©Max Lucado
When my children were young, one of my sons came into the kitchen while I was doing the dishes, and nonchalantly asked me, “Mom, do you know how to tell a good angel from a bad angel?”
I wasn’t sure where my budding theologian was going with this question, but my curiosity was piqued, so I said, “No. How do you tell a good angel from a bad angel?”
“Oh that’s easy,” he said. “A good angel will always say, ‘Do not be afraid.’”
“Wow,” I said, “that is really cool.” Suddenly, I was very curious, “Hey, who taught you this?”
Again with a very casual attitude he said, “Oh we learned about it in Sunday School.”
He soon left me alone in the kitchen with my dirty dishes, where I stood in awe of our conversation. As a mother I always love it when my children teach me.
My young son was referencing the three angelic visits that are recorded in the Christmas story as it appears in the gospel of Luke. In Luke 1:13-17 we have the first appearance when the angel Gabriel spoke to Zechariah, the future father of John the Baptist.
In verse 13 the angel said,
“Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” ESV
Then in Luke 1:30-33 the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and said,
“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” ESV
And, lastly, in Luke 2:10-12 an unnamed angel appears to the shepherds and says,
“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” ESV
Can you imagine why the angels began their message with “Do not be afraid”? I think it could be frightening to see and hear an angel. Look at Luke 1:12.
And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.
Mary was also greatly disturbed when Gabriel spoke. Look at verse 1:28-29.
And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.
Extreme gentleness seems to be valued by the angels’ words. Ultimately, you see from these passages, regardless of their message, the angels wanted to bring peace to their hearers.
But, each listener had a choice. Would they believe the message or would they give way to their fright? Ironically, of the three it was the most mature and seasoned believer who had the trust issues. Zechariah the righteous priest, who was chosen by lot to burn incense in the temple, who had walked with God the longest, was the one who struggled the most to believe Gabriel’s words.
You should know I am making some assumptions about these incidents that the scriptures do not specifically speak to. I am thinking that the shepherds who got stuck with the night shift were younger than Zechariah. Late night work is often an entry-level job. Many companies like hospitals must pay more to get employees to work the night shift. So, I am assuming as I read these passages from the Christmas story that the shepherds, like Mary, were younger than Zechariah.
So, what can be learned from these three angelic visits?
A) Spiritual maturity will not stop you from listening to fear
Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous before God (Luke 1:6-7). They were blameless in all the commandments and both were descendants of Aaron. And, yet when an angelic messenger from God came to Zechariah he was terrified.
After the initial messages both Zechariah and Mary were confused. Look at Luke 1:18
And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”
Mary’s question was similar in Luke 1:34
And Mary said to the angel “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
Both Mary and Zechariah wanted more information, but only one, Zechariah, suffers after asking. Why? Look at verse 20.
“And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.”
Zachariah’s motivation was unbelief, but Mary chose faith. Look in verse 38.
And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
It was not having questions that got Zechariah in trouble. It was the distrust driving his curiosity.
Wouldn’t you like the longer you seek God to show a transformation in you? Zechariah had studied about God for many years and yet he stumbled. Unfortunately, seeking biblical head knowledge about God does not guarantee a spiritual transformation. A person could just be collecting facts. Remember, unbridled fear can eventually lead to unbelief.
No matter your stage of spiritual maturity your peace will always be tied to your trust level. The more you believe God the more you will enjoy his rest. In Hebrews 11:6 the writer to the Hebrews wrote, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Do you believe God wants to reward you?
Maybe, Zechariah fell for a common spiritual error. Do you think he actually believed he had spiritually outgrown his need to trust God?
B) There is a heavy price to be paid when you begin listening to fear.
The cost of Zechariah’s unbelief was severe. When he came out of his encounter in the temple he could not speak and God did not open his tongue until it was time for him to name the baby. As a life-long talker I cannot imagine how difficult that was. Think of the many times he wanted to speak to his wife about the impending birth of their first and only child, but he couldn’t because of his lack of faith. Like, Zechariah, you will suffer when you cannot trust God.
C) Thankfully, God can still move when you begin listening to fear.
Zechariah could not believe the angel’s message, but Elizabeth still got pregnant. When God wants to move nothing can stop God’s plans from coming to birth. But, what you can do is stop your enjoyment of being a part of God’s plan. Zechariah’s story is a great example of God’s grace. God can still move when you cannot trust.
Zechariah’s story starts by revealing his many good works. And, yet his consistent right living had never brought him the child he so longed to hold. It was his fear, unbelief, and questioning of God’s message that God used to teach him about grace. Like Zechariah’s life, living under the law will exhaust you. Hear God’s gentle words, “Do not be afraid”, because fear is one of the most common of temptations.
As you face the many unknowns and uncertainties of life, there will be many things you can’t control. But, there is one thing you have full control over. You can determine whether you will believe God. Ultimately, your choices will not thwart God, but it might determine whether you experience God’s rest now or later. As you celebrate your Savior’s birth this Christmas season remember that the angels’ desire was to bring peace. May you be blessed during this season with an ever-increasing calm and rest as you continue to exercise your trust in God.
The Book of Zephaniah contains a wonderful and moving description of God’s love. We don’t deserve God’s love, but He offers it to us in the gift of Jesus Christ. And nothing can keep us from the joy of the risen King.
The Village Church. Used by permission.
A perverse man spreads strife, and a slanderer separates intimate friends. —Proverbs 16:28
Jesus made a remarkable statement concerning Judas. He said, “‘Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?’ Now He meant Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him” (John 6:70-71).
To what was Jesus referring when He identified Judas as “a devil”? Was He speaking figuratively or factually? Is Jesus saying that a human being could not only host an evil spirit in his soul, but that a person could actually become a demon?
Some teach that Judas had become so perfectly possessed by Satan that he actually lost his humanity. Before we accept this interpretation, let us remember that after Judas delivered Jesus to His enemies, he felt such remorse that he committed suicide. Could a demon feel remorse for sin? I do not think so.
What I believe Jesus is identifying in Judas Iscariot as a “devil” is something that, today, exists unchecked among many Christians. I’m talking about slander. In the New Testament the Greek word diabolos, which is translated “devil” in this text, is translated impersonally elsewhere as a “false accuser,” “slanderer” or “malicious gossip.” In fact, 1Timothy 3:11 and 2 Timothy 3:3 both translate diabolos (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, #1228) as “malicious gossip(s).”
In other words, Jesus is not saying “one of you is a devil” in an organic or theological sense, but that one of you is “a slanderer, a malicious gossip.” So while the disciples were almost bragging about their loyalty to Christ, Jesus corrected them, in effect saying, “Yes, I chose you, but even among you there is one who is a malicious gossip, whose words will eventually betray Me to My enemies.”
Gossip in the Last Days
This problem of gossip in the Church, Paul tells us, will continue right into the end of the age. Listen carefully to what Paul wrote to Timothy about the last days: “Men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips” (2 Tim. 3:2-3), and the list goes on. In the midst of this list of great sins, the apostle includes “malicious gossips.” This is the exact same word translated “devil” in John 6:70.
Perhaps you know people who always have something negative to say about others, who are a sewer system of negative information about people. Do you see how “malicious gossip” is kin to the nature of Satan himself?
By Your Words . . .
The Scriptures say that we will be justified or condemned by our words. Yes, our words — even those spoken in secret with a spouse or intimate friend — are used by God to measure our obedience to His will. James writes, “If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man” (James 3:2).
Words have power. Scripture reveals “death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Prov. 18:21). Our words, expressed as a confession of faith, bring us into salvation; but words rooted in bitterness can defile many, even an entire congregation.
James 3:8 warns, “The tongue . . . is a restless evil . . . full of deadly poison.” “The tongue,” he says, “is a fire, the very world of iniquity” (v. 6). And James reveals one of the most profound truths in the Bible. He says that the tongue “sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell” (v. 6).
Satan gains access to our world, to destroy all that is good and holy in it, through our words. The very course of our life, the direction and quality of life, is “set on fire by hell” through the words we speak. If we speak negatively about someone or maliciously spread gossip, the destructive fire of hell itself is released into our world. Lord, help us to understand the power of our words!
I believe God wants to break the power of gossip and negative speaking from the Church. We may have a perfect analysis of what is wrong and why it is evil, yet if all we do is talk about it, we have yet to disavow our allegiance to hell. God calls us to be a house of prayer for all nations — a spiritual community that is mature, fully capable of seeing what is wrong, but positioning itself to release redemption into the world.
Finally, as we enter the election season here in America, let us guard against the mudslinging and slander that accompany this period. Yes, in a humble spirit, let’s discuss and debate policies, and pray for guidance for ourselves and the candidates. But do not lose sight of your higher standing in God. Remember also the words of James: “The seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace” (James 3:18).
Lord, I consecrate myself to be a house of prayer for my nation, where my spirit prays without ceasing and where Your river of life flows out from my innermost being. In honor of Christ. Amen.
Adapted from Francis Frangipane’s book, A House United, available at www.arrowbookstore.com.
At our church, Redeemer we often speak of serving, strengthening, and “renewing” New York City. When we talk like this, we must be careful not to deny “common grace.” We believe God gives all people — not just Christian believers — talent and insight to preserve and cultivate human life. But what if the Body of Christ in center city New York were, for example, to triple over the next decade or so? What difference might it make? I’ve been talking with the elders and lead pastors about our vision for what our church could look like in the coming decades. We might see:
1. An explosion of radical philanthropy. Most people don’t go into “philanthropic mode” and give away large sums of money until they are very rich indeed. However, studies show that Christians adopt a philanthropic mindset far sooner, before significant wealth is amassed. There will be a willingness to limit their lifestyle and consumption in order to give away startling amounts. I think Christian givers could learn to be more non-paternalistic and involved with communities of need, and better partners with those who lead the various charities and ministries.
2. An increase in civility and true pluralism. Even in democratic western cultures, the groups who have held the reins of cultural power have always excluded and silenced unpopular voices and minority viewpoints not simply as mistaken but as despicable and beyond the pale. There has never been a genuinely pluralistic society — one in which every viewpoint has the right to be heard without marginalization and defamation. Christians humbled by the gospel could work with others toward the creation of a culture in which people of deeply different beliefs would finally be free to express who they are and practice what they believe — and if they treat others with respect would themselves be treated with that same respect.
3. The cultural recapture of “vocation.” Robert Bellah, in Habits of the Heart argued that what he called the “sacredness of the individual”— of individual choice and happiness — has not been offset in our culture (as it was in the past) by the sacredness of anything else. Our culture has nothing more important than individual freedom binding us together. As a result the social fabric is unraveling. However, he thinks there is something that could help renew culture, “the re-appropriation of the idea of vocation or calling.” That is, “work as a contribution to the good of all and not merely as a means to one’s own advancement.” (Bellah, Habits of the Heart, pp.287-288.) If Christians in New York City could demonstrate what that looks like, it could begin to spread across the country. Among other things, it would entail more integrity in our work, and more humane workplaces and work weeks.
4. Hope and community in the arts. Contemporary art is dominated either by critical theory or by commercialism. Much art is aimed at transgressing and debunking all social norms in order to liberate the individual. Or it is designed to provoke in such a way that attracts eyeballs and income. It is possible that gospel-changed Christians in the arts would bring far more hope and less nihilism, and could express visions of community and shared values.
If there were hundreds of thousands more Christians working in the financial sector, government, the media, the art world, and in the foundations and non-government organizations of New York City, it could have an impact far greater than we can imagine and of benefit to all. Would it be too much to hope that the “salt” that Christians could bring to our culture might lead to a curiosity about the “light” that motivates us?
redeemercitytocity.com. Used by permission.
When I was a young man, it was widely believed the world would end in a thermonuclear fireball. The Civil Defense was everywhere. The “fallout shelter” logo was posted on thousands of public buildings. Children were taught to “duck and cover” in case of a blast.
All the smart people were certain this catastrophe would happen. But it didn’t.
During the late 1960s, the intelligentsia began to focus on a new doomsday scenario: overpopulation. The most influential voice of this era was Stanford professor Paul Erlich, whose book, “The Population Bomb” sold hundreds of thousands of copies. Here’s an excerpt:
The battle to feed all of humanity is over. In the 1970s hundreds of millions of people will starve to death in spite of any crash programs embarked upon now. At this late date nothing can prevent a substantial increase in the world death rate…
All the smart people were certain this catastrophe would happen. But it didn’t.
Despite a doubling of world population since the 1950s, famine due to overpopulation is unknown in the world today. There’s plenty of food – the main challenge is getting it past corrupt officials to the people who need it. Ironically, the U.N. recently identified obesity as the world’s number one health challenge.
So, when the twin bombs (atomic and population) failed to detonate, the intelligentsia moved on to a new doomsday scenario: global warming. Its chief prophets are Al Gore and NASA scientist Dr. James Hansen.
In this scenario, our planet is slowly burned up because of our environmental sins. Seas rise, crops fail, diseases return, wars break out.
Global warming was recently renamed “climate change” because a recent run of bitter cold winters made a shivering public skeptical. Brilliant move. By calling it climate change, scientists can now blame any unwelcome weather occurrence on mankind. Every tornado, hurricane and drought is a call upon us to repent of our wicked, SUV-driving ways. Even blizzards can be blamed on climate change.
Once again, all the smart people believe a climate catastrophe will happen. Ninety-seven percent of climate scientists believe in man-made global warming, and the other 3 percent are buffoons. Anyone who calls human-caused climate change into question is dismissed with this epithet: denier.
Our prophets and seers used to be religious leaders. Today we look to scientists to tell us the future – and we shower them with millions of research dollars.
So you wonder why people no longer believe in the Christian doctrine of hell? As lifespans increase, eternity becomes a distant reality. And the church cannot compete with secular doomsday tales, whose drumbeat is amplified daily in the news media.
As a result, the church is slowly exiting the eternal life business, and getting into the relationship repair business.
We must also deal with the DOOMSDAY soothsayers who have de-sensitized us to Biblical truth, especially regarding hell, heaven and the endtimes.
It’s the afternoon of April 17, 2013. You’re a worker at the West Fertilizer Company in central Texas. By some miracle you are given a glimpse into the future. You’re able to see the fire and explosion that will take place later that day. And there’s nothing you can do to stop it.
At this point you’d have a choice: you could be courageous and warn as many people as possible of the coming destruction. Or you could slip quietly away to save yourself, telling no one of the impending disaster for fear of being seen as a fool.
This scenario illustrates the first dilemma of evangelicalism:
We believe in a fiery destruction known as hell, but we’re often hesitant to warn people about it because we sound so foolish – even to ourselves.
Let’s admit it: we’re embarrassed to believe in hell. Want to stop a great conversation in its tracks? Bring up the subject of eternal judgment. Speaking of hell makes us sound like backward, uneducated yokels. It conjures up images of bearded crazies carrying signs in parks.
But just because we don’t like talking about hell doesn’t mean it’s not real. Hell is not some doctrinal relic tucked away in a musty corner of the Old Testament. The concept of eternal punishment is primarily a New Testament teaching. Jesus speaks of hell far more than anyone else in the Bible. Christ describes it as a real place of damnation, torments, and fire that shall not be quenched.
For Evangelicals, sharing our faith is more than just a way of helping people live better lives. It can literally mean the difference in where a soul spends eternity.
In order to make that transition from death-to-life as easy as possible, we want to make our churches as welcoming as possible. We want to remove every barrier so that everyone has the opportunity to hear Jesus’ extravagant offer of salvation.
Which leads us to the second dilemma of evangelicalism.
Do we lower the bar so many can be saved? Or do we raise the bar to produce more faithful disciples?
Lowering the bar results in more conversions. Yet many of these are false conversions.
How many times have you heard someone say, “The meeting was great! Over 300 people gave their hearts to the Lord!” Yet everyone realizes that most of those 300 will experience very little life change as a result of their decision. Barna research found that more than half of the people who “invite Jesus in to their hearts” have no discernible faith within eight weeks of making such a decision.
The second dilemma shows up in the scriptures themselves.
The Bible sets a fairly low bar for salvation. Simply believe in Jesus, and you’ll go to heaven:
John 3:16: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Romans 10:9: That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Furthermore, the Scriptures tell us that God longs for our salvation, and takes no pleasure in our destruction:
2 Peter 3:9: The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
John 3:17: For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
But Jesus sets a very high bar for his disciples, asking for an all-in, total commitment:
Luke 14:26: If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.
Luke 14:33: In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
Matthew 8:21-22: Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
This leads us to the third dilemma:
Salvation is easy, but discipleship is tough.
At Church for Men, we wrestle with this dilemma all the time. When it comes to reaching men, I advocate a more rigorous approach to discipleship. I look at how demanding Jesus was and how effective he was at mobilizing men. And studies have shown that the most demanding churches produce the most committed disciples.
Yet such an approach will always turn some men away. It did in Jesus’ day (John 6:66) and it will today.
Which leads us to the fourth dilemma:
If I follow Jesus’ tough love example, my actions could end up driving someone away from their best chance to be saved from hell.
If I press too hard on a newcomer, I risk alienating him from God. This did not seem to concern Jesus, yet it greatly concerns me, as I will have to one day give an account for my actions (Rom. 14:12). And if one of my actions led someone away from Christ, even if my motives were pure, I risk bringing judgment upon myself.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s struggled with these four dilemmas. I think this is why we’ve set the bar so low on church membership. Our motives are pure – we want as many people as possible to hear the good news. But in doing so, we fail to stir the hearts of men, who secretly long for a more challenging, rigorous faith.
Here are the four dilemmas of evangelicalism:
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